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WOMEN LITERACY LEVELS PROGRAMS IN A VILLAGE

OR

Thesis / Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree of

POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN VALUE EDUCATION AND SPIRITUALIYTY

BY

M. VENKATESWARLU
ENO: 2941004052
TO

DIRECTORATE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION ANNAMALAI UNIVERSITY, MADURAI.

2010-2011

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CERTIFICATE
This is certify that the study on Women literacy levels or program in village is an original work of me and is being submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Value Education and Spirituality, Annamalai University in Technical Collaboration with Brahma Kumaris Education Wing. This report has not been submitted earlier in any other University or Institution.

Place: Date:

Signature of the Student

Submitted for practical examination held on_______________

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Words would perhaps be insufficient to express my deep sense of gratitude to Mr. Rama Krishna, B.K.Jyothsna, and B.K.Anjali, Faculty members of Brahma Kumaris Academy for a Better World for taking interest and their incessant encouragement in completion of this Field Project. I vow them much in this connection. I express my reverential thanks to smt. I.V. RATNA KUMARI asst.project director of ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services). I am thankful to village surpunch koneru Siva Rama Krishna and the head master of local school, teachers, and other elders of the village. I am thankful to the library authorities by giving the necessary information through their library. My sincere regards to my family members for their whole cooperation in completing this project successfully. PCP centers of coordinators for their extended cooperation in providing food and accommodation and other necessary during the stay at santhisarovar during my PCP program, Hyderabad.

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CONTENTS AT A GLANCE

1. INTRODUCTION 2. AIM OF THE PROJECT 3. APPROACH OF THE STUDY 4. SAMPLE SELECTION 5. FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS 6. CONCLUSION 7. BIBILOGRAPHY 8. APPENDIX

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1. INTRODUCTION

Education means it is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigestee all your life. We must have life building, man making, character making assimilation of ideas, if you have assimilated five

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ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got heart a whole library. --------- Swami Vivekananda. Education is to prepare the child to face the life situation or challenges. Education means living of inner eye towards life ----------- Plato.

The importance of education

The quality of the nation depends upon the quality of its people. The quality of the people depends upon the quality of their education. The quality of education is depends upon the nature of education that the government or private organizations are processing with quality of education. No nation can become smart. The people of the nation consist of footer made and when these are combined there is deemed to the population of the commutes.

Significance of the female education:

As long as females are not equally being educated along with male, no country cannot be deemed as developed

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country. When females are relocated is quite aware of their rights and duties. Women rights are human rights so long as women in India so not take equal part with men the alters of the world and religious and political maters we shall not see Indias star rising. Educating women is a right to respect within the family, community and the society. By education they enjoys the right to develop herself to her full potential, spiritually, intellectually, artistically, socially Politically according to their choice. Due to lack of education the females has been deprived of human, social, and political rights for man characteristics. Until recent decades the concept of female literacy has not been recognized properly. Due to enhancement of so many developmental organizing inter educational systems the women education has been quality increase.

EDUCATION THROUGH LITERACY:

Literacy means able to read and write. Literacy is a fundamental aspect of education. It is primary state in the field of education. Education in fundamentally different to

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literacy. Literacy indicates that it relates to only read and write. Importance of literacy, as per 1\3rd of the Indian population is living in villages. Agriculture is their profession. When they are involved in their professional carrier, they may not success interest in education. We can try to literate them to settle fundamental aspects of life.

IMPROTANCE OF VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH LITERACY 1. My people are having literacy in the villages. 2. Similar people who are below the poverty line are literacy in the village. 3. Employment problems are more in the village. 4. Land less labor is high in the villages. 5. There are no industries in the villages. 6. The village people are not able to utilize themselves because of literacy. 7. Women and child welfare activities are far their limits.

Increasing percentage of female literacy: year 1951 1961 percentage 16.67 28.30

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1971 1981 1991 2001

29.46 43.56 52.21 64.05

INTERNATIONAL LITERACY YEAR 1990 INTERNATIONAL LITERACY DAT 8TH SEPTEBMER. LATEST DEVELOPMENT FOR IMPROVING FEMALE LITERACY: by the 12th planning commission.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Suggest means for reduction of illiteracy, gender, reasonable and social dimension. Incentive to states to achieve complete literacy during 12th five year plan. Management of educational statics regarding literacy district/ state/ national level. Impart quality education to poor girl student. ST/SC/OBCS and other minoritys girls education development activates. Planning commission step up a working group on elementary education and literacy.

Womens education
Women have much lower literacy rate than men. Far fewer girls are enrolled in the schools, and many of them drop out. According to a 1998 report by U.S. Department of

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Commerce, the chief barrier to female education in India are inadequate school facilities (such as sanitary facilities), shortage of female teachers and gender bias in curriculum (majority of the female characters being depicted as weak and helpless). Conservative cultural attitudes, especially among Muslims, prevent some girls from attending school. The number of literate women among the female population of India was between 26% from the British Raj onwards to the formation of the Republic of India in 1947Concerted efforts led to improvement from 15.3% in 1961 to 28.5% in 1981. By 2001 literacy for women had exceeded 50% of the overall female population, though these statistics were still very low compared to world standards and even male literacy within India. Recently the Indian government has launched Saakshar Bharat Mission for Female Literacy. This mission aims to bring down female illiteracy by half of its present level. Sita Anantha Raman outlines the progress of womens education in India:

Rural education Following independence, India viewed education as an effective tool for bringing social change through community development. The administrative control was effectively initiated in the 1950s, when, in 1952, the government grouped villages under a Community Development Blockan authority under national

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programme which could control education in up to 100 villages. A Block Development Officer oversaw a geographical area of 150 square miles (390 km2) which could contain a population of as many as 70000 people. Setty and Ross elaborate on the role of such programmes, themselves divided further into individual-based, community based, or the Individual-cum-community-based, in which microscopic levels of development are overseen at village level by an appointed worker:

Girl Child Education

The upliftment of girl child in India would be incomplete without education. The basic needs for survival are very essential like food, shelter and clothing. In case of tribal areas or where accessibility is distant, the government is catering to the basic needs as a priority and is then going on to other needs of the sector. Much is being done and yet there is much to do for the girl child India. Providing literacy in the villages can be taken up as a mission. There are various phases wherein the basic education can be given via schools and the upgrade can be done by concentrating on vocation. This enables them a self esteem and the girl child is thus at par with the other male children in the locality. Education for a girl child even in affluent families is quite a concern. People associate this as secondary and all efforts are concentrated on educating the

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male child in the family. Changing mindsets are surely paving better inroads for the future girl children in India. Seeking donations are one way to ensure there is constant education given to the girl child. Proper channeling of the funds is the prima requirement of all the NGOs or government backed associations. Anganwadis or night schools also help in providing education. It is important to educate the elders so that they are able to read and comprehend the goings on around them. Providing better standards of living is also an effort which will help them to reach the schools or centers where free education is imparted to the girl children. Several schools also give rewards for being present and punctuality which works as an incentive for their families. Study material like bags, water bottle, lunch box or writing materials like writing board, pen, pencil, eraser and sharpener along with craft-art items is provided by the school. Much is done to improve the condition of the infrastructure of the existing schools.

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2. AIM OF THE PROJECT

The aim of this project is to give a practical experience of applying that what we have learn in this course to issues like female literacy in my local community(village). The significance of the well known slogan think globally and act locally and at the same time realization of Indian values and global standers.

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The positive experience that we joined in doing their project will futher motivates and inspires others to motivate. A positive embolus like as to face the burning problem of female literacy, which was the root cause of under development of the country. When the girl children are educated, in term of females of the society are highly educated. When the mother was educated the entire family was educated. When the literacy rate increase it will automatically, causes the speedy development of education of its people. As the quality of the nation depends upon the quality of its people. The quality of the people depends upon the quality of their education. The quality of education is depends upon the nature of education that the government or private organizations are processing with quality of education. No nation can become smart. Female education may smarter effect in the development of the countries as they covers 80% of the population of any nation.

Through education every one can realize the challenges and values. By educating this project I can motivate the entire local area (village) by understand the impact of female education, for the development of their family, economical, social, cultural, religious, moral values

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and other factors including the development of the society at large.

NGO and Efforts for Girl Child The selfless service of many social organizations has to be lauded in a big way. There are many unsung heroes here who make it a goal to rehabilitate the girl child and others under the poverty line. There are many plans to save a girl child and improve the status of girl child in India. Efforts are on to change the mindset of people so that people look into opportunities to give an all-rounded-exposure to the Indian girl child. Many NGOs focus on the orphanages dedicated for girls who looks into their growth, expression and education. An NGO works on certain parameters and guidelines that are decided by the central authorities. Hence the volunteers group together and decide how to go about a particular problem. Human trafficking is a huge problem in the world and many girl children are rescued with the help of police force. This is a huge task to relocate the children and give them a direction. The victim has a mind set and changing them is the initiative of the NGO. Using several psychological tools, the NGOs make an earnest attempt to improve the conditions of girl children who are traumatized owing to any form of abuse. This is a sensitive phase and the efforts by the volunteers have to be appreciated. Providing various capabilities like speaking

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English, correspondence education and jobs, the NGOs look after their welfare. Many NGOs which are of global nature are responsible to implement save the girl child plans that includes encouraging girl child health programs, inoculation and basic right to live. Stringent rules are laid to check for female infanticide or other superstititions that are harmful for the life of a girl child. Securing funds and the trust of people who expect help is another mission of the NGO. New initiatives are partaken with the help of volunteers to exclusively look out for the education of girl children. Funds are allocated for study and writing material to give more focus for such programs.

Rural Girl Child

Several programs are ensured for the upliftment of the backwardness of the rural section of our Indian society. With dams, irrigation and loans, the rural life is getting cultivated to a more accessible option. There is exchange of information and the network is completed with technology. Educational schemes, night schools and adult education has gone a long wary to break the mindset of people. Minimizing education and growth, the concept of child marriage took away the innocence and happiness of childhood. With the effort of government to abolish the same and a constant vigil to curb such happenings, the rural religious mindset is also going towards progress. The girl child scholarship scheme for education of girl child is

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keenly recognized by many and they are benefited by the same. The main problem of many in the rural area is a tradition which has impoverished them. They need to be more open to the family system. Early marriage is often a problem which leads to early pregnancy among little girls. Their bodies are yet to bear the tendencies of pregnancy and ailments like anemia are a common problem. As the old belief exists, girls are given away in marriage at an early age which thwarts their growth and education. The positive strokes seen in the rural economy through schools and colleges creates opportunities for many rural girl children. The hostels too are aided and funding is a continuous pursuit of these institutes. The rural children employed in agriculture are corrected by the labor law enforcement authorities and hence giving them an opportunity to enjoy their childhood. Malnutrition or nutritional deficiency is again a common problem among them. The right mix of food is often given to male sections whereby the women are affected. Social workers go about explaining to them the methods of contraception, good food balance and also enhance their livelihood with education and growth opportunities. Maladies like typhoid and polio are eradicated with hygiene and inoculations which are given freely in hospitals. Rural girl children have an equal right to live their childhood with zest and innocence. This is realized very

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well by the authorities and they are doing their best to improve their condition.

India dreams of becoming a superpower by 2020, but quite ironical is the fact that the country whose population has crossed one billion mark, has literacy rates quite comparable with the underdeveloped countries (and in some cases even less than these countries). The literacy rates for male and female (according to 2001 census) stands at 75.85 percent and 54.16 percent respectively. Various programs initiated by the state like Total Literacy Campaign, the District Primary Education Program and National Program of Nutritional Support to Primary Education have done little to attain the goal. Further, the gap between the rural and urban areas and that between female and their male counterpart is quite substantial. While the male literacy rate in urban areas is about 86 percent, rural female literacy rate is just 46 percent (2001 census). Several plausible reasons explain this difference. The first and foremost of course, is the way the parents perceive the female education. Since the very beginning the role of female is confined to domestic work and looking after children. The tradition of settling at husbands place after marriage, does not offer enough incentive to parents for spending on girls education. A boys education is far more important as it enhances the chances of his being employed. Another reason is the prevalent trend of early marriage in rural areas. In most villages, girls education,

P a g e | 19

rather than being seen as an incentive is seen as a liability. It is difficult to find a groom for an educated girl. These are not the only reasons responsible for the low level of female education. Though one cannot deny that gender inequality is, by and large, responsible for the situation, but several other factors also work in this direction. Very often, the parents who are willing to educate their daughters are discouraged by the absence of school within the surrounding area and it is not considered safe to send girls to another village to study. However, this is not true for most of the villages now. But even in villages where there are schools, the standard of infrastructure is abysmally low, be it management of classes, student-teacher ratio, availability of text books, or even furniture, these schools lack in every sense. This discourages the parents to get their children enrolled in these schools. There are incidences of under qualified staff being employed in educational institutions. The meager salaries that are offered by the government do not provide enough incentive to attract the talent to these schools for employment. Grimmer is the condition of scheduled caste female education. The recent figures show that the scheduled caste female literacy rate is dismal 19 percent (2001 census). This shows that the age old discrimination based on caste is still prevalent. This is really disheartening and shows that in spite of numerous schemes being launched by the government, the downtrodden classes still face social stigma and there is a lot to be done for the upliftment of these classes.

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However, talking of female literacy, one cannot ignore the achievement of southern states in terms of female education. The states performance in terms of social indicators is often proportional to economic growth. But in Indias case rich states like Punjab and Haryana have lower literacy rates as compared to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala has performed really well since 1990s in fields of health and education, mainly due to the matriarchal pattern of their society. Himachal Pradesh has also managed to do significantly better than other states in relatively shorter span of time. Major credit for this goes to the political action in the state. The success of governments initiatives often depends on the cooperative action of the community. The illiterate people are often unable to put pressure on the state governments and school authorities, and so, they can easily get away with the blame. Huge amount provided in the budget for expenditure on education does not reach to the grass root level due to the endemic corruption. Thus lack of accountability is often responsible for ramshackle infrastructure of government schools. Education, under nutrition, and gender discrimination are all interrelated. For example, infants health depends on the care taken by mother during pregnancy which in turn depends on her education and also the education in the community. Further, an educated mother is better equipped to help her children in studies. So, there is a need for change in the social attitude of rural people towards women. Also, the standard of government schools infrastructure needs to be raised. The salaries of staff should also be raised to make them more committed. Other

P a g e | 21

states should learn from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu so that the goal of achieving universal education does not remain a distant dream.

India Education of Women for Rural Development

In India BIDAS collaborates with the local organization Barli Development Institute for Rural Women since 1994 with the project Education of Women for Rural Development. Barli developed and implemented the project and together with Forum Syd the Swedish Bahai Community is funding the project. The overall goal of Barli Development Institute for Rural Women and the project is to combat poverty in rural and tribal areas of Indore, in Madhya Pradesh, by starting a process of sustainable community development through training women in central India as human resources. This is accomplished by empowering them to be able to further develop themselves, their families and to contribute towards the development of their communities especially in the areas of female literacy, decreasing poverty, promoting healthcare, and hygiene and finding solutions to environmental problems. The focus has been on building the capacity of the trainees through promoting equality of men and women in a way that reduces the gender gap in society, and increases education and health, with a special emphasis on HIV/AIDS. The programme has witnessed significant

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positive changes among the trainees and their service to their communities. More than 3000 young women are trained through this project, returning back to their villages and spreading their knowledge to other villagers and family members.

Empowering Young Women in India

"There are more than 300 million people living below the poverty line in India. The majority of these people are rural and female. Girls are a critically vulnerable group and a keystone of development in the country. Freedom from Hunger believes an investment in girls is an investment in the future." Alay Barah, CEO, Reach India (Freedom from Hunger's India-based office).

Collaboration to Change the World How can a small organization end chronic hunger around the world?

Did You Know?

More than 300 million people in India live in absolute poverty-a number equal to all the people living in the United States of America. More than half the girls in India marry before the age of 18. The younger the bride the greater her chance

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and her child's chance of being trapped in poverty and becoming malnourished, anemic and at risk for maternal mortality. More than 45% of women in India have no say in decisions about their own health. 70% of the school-aged children who are not enrolled in school are girls.

A New Path to Self-Reliance Freedom from Hunger strives to empower girls to make health, education and financial changes today that will have lasting impact and give them real options for their futures. This special program gives young women access to:

the opportunity and discipline to save money, education to build life skills, and social supportsomething critically important if they are to stand up for their rights and make their own choices.

How it Works Adolescent and teenage girls are invited to participate in Freedom from Hunger's "Learning Conversations," an empowerment model proven successful with women in rural areas around the globe. The method employs dialogue-based education that builds on the wealth of experience these women already possess.

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The girls join groups of women, participating in the program alongside their mothers and mothers-in-law, sharing information and fostering dialogue amongst the entire matriarchal unit of these families. Together, they create change for themselves. "Learning Conversation" topics addressing this audience include:

Health, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention. Social empowerment, such as self-esteem, leadership in the community, and having a voice in local government. Economic empowerment, such as accessing financial services, managing money and improving livelihoods.

Working with Partners As with all our initiatives, Freedom from Hunger is collaborating with local organizations already existing incountry. From our India-based office, Freedom from Hunger provides training to local organizations to implement sustainable services that meet the needs of the rural poor. These organizations are permanent resources in the region, serving as a network of service providers to the rural poor. These partnerships are a rich exchange of ideas and innovation for improvements. This strategy also enables Freedom from Hunger to achieve extraordinary leverage. Although our full-time staff is 42 people, through partnerships in India and around the world we can directly benefit hundreds of thousands of women

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and their families for a total impact reaching millions of people.

Achieving Lasting Outcomes

Empowerment of adolescent girls can take many forms. Through Freedom from Hunger's initiative, multiple results occur, including:

Enhancing girls' capability to demand and secure better services in such areas as health, education and family infrastructure. Increasing solidarity: women and girls forming a unified voice and support for the changes they seek to implement in their families and communities. Raising awareness about key health, education and financial practices. Building confidence to influence family decisions and the community.

Outreach Goals By the year 2009, this initiative will reach 25,000 girls directly and a half million mothers education themes that focus on empowering, protecting, and educating girls. Regions Served

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By working with partner service centers, Freedom from Hunger will reach girls in some of the poorest rural communities of the poorest states of India, including Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

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3. APPROACH OF THE STUDY

The prime object of this study is to couple unit not only literate decisions of the family but also to develop the levels of literacy rate and its importance By this study we can have meaningful, purposeful, pure positive, powerful, productive, peaceful thoughts in order to develop power, qualities, and values in the life. The study also aims at suggesting professional suitable solutions for the regarding the females and

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remedies to overcome the literacy problems like poverty, addictions, health. This study also encourages the female in recognizing the importance of literacy for the better future in their families. It is also significant to note that their study of males an awareness or positive consciousness of the impact of education. According to swami Vivekananda, female was educated, the entire family will be benefices to realize the importance of education. FOR A GIRL IN RURAL INDIA, EDUCATION IS A DIFFICULT PURSUIT Anuradha Rathore knows of no women doctors in her native village or its surrounding area. Among her 100 classmates at the Sampurnanand Medical College in Jodhpur, she is one of 30 females. The 20-year-old medical student grew up in Kansera, a remote village in Rajasthan, India's largest state. At that time, children were able to go to school only up to the fifth year of primary school, Rathore said. "Nothing beyond that." In the last couple of years, educational opportunities have improved there: A coed school now goes up to grade 8. While India's economy booms, educational opportunities remain out of grasp for large numbers of rural poor,

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especially girls, according to international agencies and researchers. Although government programs are in place to address education and poverty, they have failed to deliver on a large scale because of a lack of resources and accountability, a 2005 report by the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre found. In nine of India's 35 states and territories, illiteracy rates among women are 50 percent or higher, according to figures from the 2001 India census. By contrast, no state or territory has an illiteracy rate of 50 percent or higher among males. Caste and geography also play a role in a child's access to education, international agencies and researchers report. In recent weeks, the government has sought to alleviate economic disparities between rural and urban areas with a budget plan that would increase rural, health and education spending by $16.3 billion, nearly half -- $7.3 billion -- of which would go to education. In Rathore's village, girls are not expected to get an education, and many end their schooling at grade 6 or 7, she said, referring to 12 to 14-year-olds. "It is basically the old school of thought," Rathore said in a telephone interview from Jodhpur, "that a girl is to be married and studying is a waste of money and resources, and there is no need for girls to study beyond a certain level."

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Illiteracy is the outcome. In Rajasthan, 44 percent of all females are literate compared to 76 percent of males, the census found. 'Hardly any coed schools around' That Rathore's village offered education only at the primary level is not unique, said Thirty Cawasji, a UNICEF assistant communication officer who translated the conversation between Rathore and CNN. Many villages, such as Kansera, only have primary schools, and children may have to travel far to go to secondary schools, she explained -- a situation that can render education difficult at best when walking is the only means of getting somewhere. Other factors that contribute to attrition in secondary school, particularly among girls, are school fees, child marriages, a shortage of teachers, inadequate toilet facilities -- a basic need, as girls reach menstrual age -- and the lack of support from parents and the community, Cawasji said. School fees, which can range from 100-200 rupees (or US $2-$5) per month in rural areas, added onto the costs of books and possibly uniforms, can be costly for impoverished families with several children. "If the family can't educate its children, the girls would be pulled out before the boys," said Cawasji, adding that girls are considered more valuable at home. Many parents want to keep boys and girls separate in schools beginning at the intermediate education level, says

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Shrimohan Arora, school manager at the Amar Chand Kanya Intermediate College for girls in Atrauli, Uttar Pradesh state. The alternative might be no school for girls, Arora acknowledged, adding that many parents want their daughters to attend Amar Chand Kanya. Even if the parents didn't care about girls mixing with boys, obstacles would remain for the teenage girl, Arora said. "For intermediate education, there are hardly any coed schools around," Arora said. "For boys, there are many schools." The closest school for girls only recently opened and is 10 kilometers (6 miles) away, he added. Conditions at Amar Chand Kanya are basic. Some classroom desks and seats consist of nothing more than two wooden planks. The main gathering space has long been the school's courtyard. Three water pumps and 10 toilets serve 800 girls. "I don't find any complaints," he said. The most urgent issue he faces is having enough teachers to serve the students. He's got 20 teachers, 14 rooms and an average classroom with 50-60 students in it. Thanks to a local son's family, the school received a sink area along with a new space for a lecture room/assembly hall, a library that replaces what has been described as a closet -- and a computer lab with six planned computers.

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"If girls take interest, and we find more girls want education in computers, we'll add more," Arora said. Rural Womens Social Education Centre-RUWSEC

Description: Rural Womens Social Education Centre (RUWSEC) is a Nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the standard of living of women in India through advocacy, research, training and technical support. Founded in 1981 by ten women, RUWSEC started out as a grassroots and villagebased self-help movement to raise awareness on health protection and sanitation. Since its inception, RUWSEC has selected and organized community-based workers to set up womens centers in rural India to educate marginalized women on issues such as birth control, healthy living and womens rights. Since 2004, the organization has transformed to work with other grass-roots organizations in Tamil Nadu to advocate for womens rights.

SEWA
Self Employed Womens Association SEWA is a trade union registered in 1972. It is an organisation of poor, selfemployed women workers. These are women who earn a living through their own labour or small businesses. They do not obtain regular salaried employment with welfare benefits like workers in the organised sector. They are the unprotected labour force of our country. Constituting 93% of the labor force, these are workers of the unorganized

P a g e | 33

sector. Of the female labor force in India, more than 94% are in the unorganized sector. However their work is not counted and hence remains invisible

India dreams of becoming a superpower by 2020, but quite ironical is the fact that the country, whose population has crossed one billion marks, has literacy rates quite comparable with the underdeveloped countries (and in some cases even less than these countries). The literacy rates for male and female (according to 2001 census) stands at 75.85 percent and 54.16 percent respectively. Various programs initiated by the state like Total Literacy Campaign, the District Primary Education Program and National Program of Nutritional Support to Primary Education have done little to attain the goal. Further, the gap between the rural and urban areas and that between female and their male counterpart is quite substantial.

While the male literacy rate in urban areas is about 86 percent, rural female literacy rate is just 46 percent (2001 census). Several plausible reasons explain this difference. The first and foremost of course, is the way the parents perceive the female education. Since the very beginning the role of female is confined to domestic work and looking after children. The tradition of settling at husbands place after marriage, does not offer enough incentive to parents for spending on girls education. A boys education is far more important as it enhances the chances of his being

P a g e | 34

employed. Another reason is the prevalent trend of early marriage in rural areas. In most villages, girls education, rather than being seen as an incentive is seen as a liability. It is difficult to find a groom for an educated girl.

These are not the only reasons responsible for the low level of female education. Though one cannot deny that gender inequality is, by and large, responsible for the situation, but several other factors also work in this direction. Very often, the parents who are willing to educate their daughters are discouraged by the absence of school within the surrounding area and it is not considered safe to send girls to another village to study. However, this is not true for most of the villages now. But even in villages where there are schools, the standard of infrastructure is abysmally low, be it management of classes, student-teacher ratio, availability of text books, or even furniture, these schools lack in every sense. This discourages the parents to get their children enrolled in these schools. There are incidences of under qualified staff being employed in educational institutions. The meager salaries that are offered by the government do not provide enough incentive to attract the talent to these schools for employment. Grimmer is the condition of scheduled caste female education. The recent figures show that the scheduled caste female literacy rate is dismal 19 percent (2001 census). This shows that the age old discrimination based on caste is still prevalent. This is really disheartening and shows that in spite of numerous schemes being launched by the

P a g e | 35

government, the downtrodden classes still face social stigma and there is a lot to be done for the upliftment of these classes.

However, talking of female literacy, one cannot ignore the achievement of southern states in terms of female education. The states performance in terms of social indicators is often proportional to economic growth. But in Indias case rich states like Punjab and Haryana have lower literacy rates as compared to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala has performed really well since 1990s in fields of health and education, mainly due to the matriarchal pattern of their society. Himachal Pradesh has also managed to do significantly better than other states in relatively shorter span of time. Major credit for this goes to the political action in the state. The success of governments initiatives often depends on the cooperative action of the community. The illiterate people are often unable to put pressure on the state governments and school authorities, and so, they can easily get away with the blame. Huge amount provided in the budget for expenditure on education does not reach to the grass root level due to the endemic corruption. Thus lack of accountability is often responsible for ramshackle infrastructure of government schools.

Education, under nutrition, and gender discrimination are all interrelated. For example, infants health depends on the care taken by mother during pregnancy which in turn

P a g e | 36

depends on her education and also the education in the community. Further, an educated mother is better equipped to help her children in studies. So, there is a need for change in the social attitude of rural people towards women. Also, the standard of government schools infrastructure needs to be raised. The salaries of staff should also be raised to make them more committed. Other states should learn from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu so that the goal of achieving universal education does not remain a distant dream.

4. SAMPLE SELECTION

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During my visit to ENAKEPADU village, I have interviewed the following persons and gathered their opinions on the situation of females literacy and their suggestion for improvements. By the format given to them I have collected the opinions of the persons contacted on various accepts connected to the female literacy. During my visit to the village I met some of the people of lower, middle and higher income group and enquired about their expressions for solutions. Many people suggested that separate schools for girls have to be started. They have expressed that security is more important to their children than the education.

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Some suggested that the government have to give educational loans, free bus passes, scholarships, bicycles, free books, uniform. Food and nutrition facilities have to be provided. By conducting the above programs will defiantly improves the rate of percentage of female literacy.

DATA COLLECTION AND PRESENTATION

Village: ENEKEPEDU (VIJAYAWADA RURAL MANDAL, KRISHNA DIST, ANDHRA PRADESH) DURATION: TWO MONTHS POPULATION: MEN---------- 3728 WOMEN-----3688 TOTAL-------7416

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LITERACY:

MEN---------2948 WOMEN------2960 TOTAL----5908

Population Male 3728

Literate

illiterate

Percentage of female literacy femal 1991 e 728 38 2011 90

femal Male e 3688 2948

female Male 2960 780

I have gathered information from, the elementary school mandal parishid about the population. Literates, illiterates and increasing rate of female literacy. As per the information received from the head of the institution the following details have been noticed. During the academic year 2011-12.

Class

Boys

Girls

Total

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1 2 3 4 5

11 6 19 6 5 47

6 15 11 8 13 53

17 21 30 14 18 100

Among the ten selected peoples taken as a sample selection we noticed the following 1. income group--------------lower 10
2.

no. of female literates in the family---------14

3. reasons for illiteracy-------no illiteracy 4. spouse working status daily wagers 8 Working 2

5. awareness of programs about female literacy ----none 6. awareness of family values yes-----5 No------5
7.

reasons for illiteracy-----------------none

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8. what their children are doing---------- studying 9. Awareness of government plans on literacy-----no.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS:
1.

Propagation of female literacy has to be improved by the government. Below poverty level has to be increased.

2.

3. Economical support by the government.

4.

There are sending their children to schools for self awareness. Food and nutrition programs have been strengthened. They want awareness in value systems.

5.

6.

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5. FINDINGS AND SUGGESTIONS

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As per the information received from the local authorities, like gram panchiyat, local elementary schools, and DWCRA groups and other public. The following findings have been noticed by me. Literacy rate especially for female have been increased due to the awareness of the females.

Increasing of food and nutrition by ICDS (integrated child development service) they are nursing age groups between 0-6 years age group and 9-17 age groups.

Pageant ladies during before and after delivery food and nutrition were served by 8 ICDS projects of the village.

Awareness in the marriage system and social customs. .

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By governmental programs conducted in village like swayam sahayak groups, conducted by district literacy unit called as akshara Krishna and programs organized by mandal literacy organization.

Programs organized by village literacy in structure. Local educated unemployed are helping to literate females. Local school teachers are also conducting specials classes for the female illiterates. Parents are being literate by their own children who are now studying in this school. T.v programs are also motivating female to be liberated. Women saving groups are also motivating the females to learn to read and write.

The bank authorities also encouraging womens literacy by their programs. In order to check the accounts of their bank account they need Generation gap also responsible for speedy increasing literate.

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MY FINDINGS:
INCORPORAL THE supreme soul the divine the source of qualities, virtues values and wisdom, sustainer of all souls all religions reach and cultures is complete free from knowing new knowledge. As he is the source of all divine of powers and knowledge. As we believe bad ness comes from ignorance, and wisdom comes from knowledge. The literacy is the base of education we can get wisdom and knowledge. The following findings can be deduced as the causes or reasons or factors for the female literacy
1.

Anti values such as greed aggression, cruelty coercion jealousy arrogance oppression and exportation.

2. Domestic violence and lack of emotional maturity.

3.

Lack of good communicational skills among the parents teachers and other organiasations. Lack of universal and human values such as integrity freedom of speech honesty, non egression, non violence, self respect, truth, purity, clarity, cooperation, happiness humility, respect, responsibility. Tolerance and trust.

4.

5. addiction of men and women like alcohol smoking, drugs

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6. 7.

Work place or society conditions. tress and economical phobias pressures, illness and social

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

Lack of interest due to poverty. Parental double standards. Lack of proper guidance and counseling. Lack of adequate schools in the reach. Lack of understanding literacy and education. Lack of support from parents. Lack of income to sustain their families. Parents illiteracy, addictions in the family. Lack of special schools for girls. lack of allotment of budget for the female literacy programs lack of proper commitment among the organizers

18.
19.

Engagement of the children in the domestic affairs. Lack of proper nutrition and food.

20.
21.

Social problems like dowry system and early child marriages. Social customs and traditions.

22.

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23.
24. 25. 26. 27.

family beliefs and sentiments

Lack of proper family planning operations. Lack of attractable programs like audio visual effects. Lack of proper teachings techniques. Degradation of standard of living.

MY SUGGESTIONS: I believe that the following suggestion may help the female literacy rate.
1.

Creating awareness among the females and others who are connected in the female literacy programs. Special trained persons have to be engaged in the female literacy programs. Government attitude has to change towards female literacy as it leads to the one of the factor of development of the nation. Proper planning and implementation. The programs like sarva shiksa abayam, rajiv vidya mission, and district akshara authorities have to take initial steps to success in literacy programs. Development of parental, economical status. Proper use of audio visuals equipment.

2.

3.

4. 5.

6. 7.

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8. 9.

Establishment of female counseling centers. Establishment of community development centers, separate female schools. Mother education in all families. The parental attitude regarding through girl children has to change like feticides, infanticides. Parental attitudes like loss and profit towards their children to be changed.

10. 11.

12.

13. Active role has to be taken by voluntary and social organizations. 14. Special books have to be designed to attract illiterate. 15. 16. 17. introduction of family plannings Awareness of women fundamental rights. Female health centers to be started.

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6. CONCLUSION

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The importance of female education in India cannot be overwrite and we observed with pleasure the evidence which is now afforded of an increased desire on the part of may of the natives to give a good education to their daughters. By this means a far grater proportion implies is important to the educational and moral tone of the people than by the education of men. There was a set of problems associated with the institutions for female education. There is a need of providing morals and material support. Indians supported female education because they wanted social and religious reforms social and finance mobility or both. They were also motivated by a desire of social reform possible only if female as well as male were educated. The almighty incorporeal god defines that the value education and spirituality is nothing but the manifestication of the perfection of divine values and spirituality already in a human soul. Values and spirituality are considered traditionally to be the prerogatives of all the religious and they are viewed as being embodied in the family unit. If an individual has not had the opportunity to develop character, inner strength and the powers of good judgment and discretion, they are at a disadvantage in any social and family unit. Value education and spirituality aims at supplementing conventional education, life of family unit, social relationships, teaching skills without

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changes of experiencing success in your physical, social family and spiritual life are diminished. Each of us to act against our conscience. People who practice values inner strength and can resist common weakness. The values of unity, honesty and non-violence are essential to remove all discrimination and hatred among the family members. B.K.Nirwair of Brahma Kumaris said By imbibing spiritual values in life you can experience real peace, love, inner power and divinity even in the stressful and correct atmosphere of today. Value education and spirituality including practice of rajyoga meditation has the greatest potential of encouraging good communication skills among the family. Members, innovative thinking and constantly they become facilitators as best partners, best family resource members in all directions for a healthy model behaviors and they never impose views or opinions on others. The education in values and spirituality is time honored and it develops sufficient stabilizers to face, cultural, social, religious, intellectual and personal challenges and makes the family life and relationship between the members of the family meaningful. You need power to have integrity. Positive transformation power needs to come from a external

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source. You cannot go within and find sufficient power for transformation because your inner spirit is depleted you may not draw power from another human being because others are also depleted, so the relationship become dysfunction. The Supreme Being is immutable always fully and does not diminish so your integrity is strengthened by contact with the divine through your thoughts.

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BIBILOGRAPHY

1. Internet 2. Books---- course material, library

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3. Field study 4. Interviews and collections of views of the local families 5. Reference books like women in modern India-------ceraldine forbecs. Women education, autonomacy, slinger, jeuesboho

Introduction To Meditation

More and more people are interested in learning meditation. The question is which method to choose. There are many techniques taught different schools, ashras and

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organizations. In Raj yoga we look at a few commomly practiced ways in detail. This is the meditation recommended in the shrimad Bhagwad Gita. Raj yoga means the King of yogas. It involves purposeful thoughts about spiritual concepts. You progress step by step from the initial stage to more advanced stages. Choose the elements that suit you and correspond to your inituition of what is right for you. Mediation is very personal. It takes place deep within your heart and your being.

Meditation is sometimes reffered to as a pilgrimage as there are different internal terrains to cross on a journey of continous discovery where there are no short cuts. You are encouraged to make use of pre recorded meditation commentaries on cassettes which are helpful to meditate Practical meditation is highly recommended for those who are beginning to discover the beauty and strength of their own inner world. More and more, we are human beings are realizing the need to develop the power of the mind, as we

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try to you keep up with the ever increasing pace of life and its complexities. INFLUENCE OF MIND ON HEALTH During the last few decades it has been increasingly recognised that health is immensely influenced by ones mental state. Hundreds of researches are done which imply that disease first originates is ones mind and then only if affects the physiological systems. Same truth is pointed in different medical terms: colonization of bacteria by itself does not lead to signs and symptoms of infective disorder. Mind can make one sick or speed the healing processes. This most ancient truth is now being accepted by the doctors of modern medicine.The several cases which are documented by dr. Jerome Frank.

Three women patients suffering from pancreatitis, gallbladder stone and cancer were studied. They were treated by a faith healer without informing his true identify to the patients. Twelve sessions were given to them without

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any success. Subsequently they are informed that a famous faith healer will treat them from his home for three days every morning. To the surprise of every one all the three patients had significant improvement. The results are more astonishing because infact no healing was conducted at all for all the three days.

In another study at a well reputed hospital psychiatric ward patients were divide into two groups. Stelazine, a tranquilizer was given to one group and the second group received a placebo. It was a double blind study in which neither doctors nor patients knew which medicine was given. The results were unexpected those who received placebo had slightly more tranquilizing effect than those who receive stelazine the experiment was continued by giving double the dose of the same medicines. Patients were told that the additional dose will potensiate the effect of the first medicine. No one could believe that those who got placebo were more relaxed than those who received double the dose of actual medicine.

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In another study a leading cardiovascular surgeon conducted a fake operation on a patient having angial pains. He opened the chest but did not perform any steps of surgery. After this operation the patient completely recovered from angial attacks and resumed his normal duties. In this case the patients mental conviction had cured him Commending on these studies Dr.Frank said these studies indicate that n many cases, particularly in those involving a persons mind. The effect of medication is influenced by the hope of a cure coupled with a belief in the physician who in some unknown says conveys his sense of the strength and effectiveness of the drug. We may cure ourselves more often then we think it is possible. How to lead a healthy life How to lead a healthy life is one of the most understood subjects. Most people seek a comfortable and easy life and in doing so they adapt such a life style that causes a

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precipitates large number of diseases. High cholesterol and low fiber diet, lack of exercise, living in congested dwellings, fast urban life, smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages are some of the disease-promoting factors.

In addition to all these factors stress and strain of day-today life has increased to an epidemic proportion. Due to the development of science and technology, life has become much more easy but at the same time people have become materialistic. In modern society we are looking for happiness and pleasure from material comforts and external objects. In psychological terms our locus of control has become external. Our state of mind fluctuates according to external circumstances. Many people are addicted to substances like tobacco, alcohol and psychotropic drugs for pleasure but they are extremely hazardous to health.

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Experts in the field of stress management point out that no situation is stressful by itself. It is due to our way of thinking and attitudes, we perceive various circumstances as stress. By transforming our attitudes we can transform pain into pleasure, criticism in to blessing and sorrow in to bliss. The research studies done by dr. Herbert Benson and others, point out that we must learn and practice a technique that elicits relaxation response.

Aim About 30 million people are suffering from diseases in India .it is more common in developing countries. It needs more attention because the incidents of heart attacks are increasing due to stress.Especially in the early thirties and forties, which is the period when most people make hard efforts for high achievements, the seeds of this diseases are sown in adolescence when life style, eating habits,

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smoking, personality etc., are formed. The fat depositors keep on increasing gradually for another 15-30 years to such an extent that they create arterial obstruction to a great extent .

To prevent the various diseases a preventive programme should begin right in childhood. This is called primary prevention. Proper steps are necessary for avoiding or for getting rid of the risk factors. Heredity is almost unavoidable and cannot be overcome completely but it can at least be minimized by controlling other risk factors.

Relieving the tension or the stress and strain of life Reducing unnecessary burden and responsibilities Transforming the attitudes and beliefs systems so as to reduce anxiety and excitement Totally avoiding intake of tobacco and alcohol Treatment of high blood pressure and diabetes

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Overcoming obesity Light regular exercises Practice of relaxation and positive thinking APPROACH

What is Meditation? Meditation is the process of getting to know myself completely, both who I am inside and how I react to what is outside. Above all, meditation is enjoying myself in the literal sense of those words. Through meditation, I discover a very different me from perhaps the stressed or troubled person who may seem superficially to be me. I realise that my true nature, the real me, is actually very

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positive. I begin to discover an ocean of peace right here on my own doorstep Why Meditate? Meditation works. Study after study has shown that regular meditation practice reduces all kinds of stress. It can relieve everyday stresses like being stalled in traffic, earning a living, and raising children, as well as major ones like the loss of a job, chronic pain, or severe illness. In addition to helping you cope with stress, meditation can improve your health, unlock your creativity, and even slow down the ageing process.

There is a lovely Indian story about a queen who had lost her valuable necklace. In great distress, she looked everywhere for it and, just when she was about to give up all hope of ever finding it, she stopped and realized it was right there around her own neck. Peace is very much like

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this. If I look for its outside in my physical surrounding or in other people. I will always be disappointed ; but, if I learn where and how to look for peace within myself, I will find that it has been here all the time.

The word meditation is used to describe a number of different uses of the mind, from contemplation and concentration to devotion and chanting. The word itself is probably derived from the same root as the latin word mederi, meaning to heal.

Meditation can certainly be looked on as a healing process, both emotionally and mentally, and to a certain extent, physically too. The simplest definition of meditation is; the right use of the mind or positive thinking. It is not to deny thoughts, but to use them correctly. Most forms of meditation employ two main practices

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*concentration exercises, often using an object such as a flower or a candle, and * the repetition of a mantra A mantra is a sacred word or sound which is repeated constantly, either loudly, silently or in thoughts only. It translates literally as man- mind and tra-to free; so, that which frees the mind. Raj yoga meditation does involve concentration , but no physical object is involved. The object of concentration is the inner self. Instead of repeating one word or phrase, as in a mantra,a flow of thoughts is encouraged, thus using the mind in a natural way. The positive flow of thoughts is based on an accurate understanding of the self and so acts as a key to unlock the treasure trove of peaceful experiences lying within. IMPORTANCE OF MEDIATATION Meditation is said to extend your lifespan, according to ancient wisdom. It is also said that your mind can be greatest friend or your worst enemy because everything

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depends on the quality of your thoughts. Medical researches conducted by ken Pelletier of the usa, and others have shown unequivocally that almost all disease including cancer heart diseases etc, are psychosomatic. That means they occur largely as a result of our thinking which in turn affects our lifestyle. Hereditary accounts for a predisposition to certain physical problems but even so your thinking as a significant influence on how u deal with congenital weakness.

Negative thoughts create tension, anxiety and antagonism and have a very harmful effect on the body, inhibiting the immune system and your ability to regenerate cells. Waste thoughts have a tendency to escalate in to obsessive, compulsive thinking which degenerates in to negative thoughts. All sort of addictions begin with this problem.

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Through your meditation practice, you develop the power to notice when the mind has wandered on to the track of waste or negative thinking. You can prevent yourself from going along the track with a single powerful thought and reset the mind along a positive track. Regular mediation enables you to reset your attitude towards yourself as a peaceful and pure soul. You generate inner serenity and silence through meditation which affects your physical body. You relief stress in this way and spread vibrations of tranquility through out your physical system, helping is to rebuild itself and allowing in voluntary functions to take place with the least resistance. Meditation also helps you to resolve any outstanding debt from past negative action which would otherwise manifest as physical illness or a shortened lifespan. The overall effect creates ideal conditions for a healthy body and an extended life span

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MIND CONTROL BY RAJYOGA

Thus the mind plays a very vital role in deteriorating or promoting ones health. But the more important issue is how to transform the mental process to have positive impact on the health. Rajyoga Meditation which is a scientific technique of turning ones mind to the ALMIGHTY helps in several to transform our mental processes.

FIRST: RELAXATION OF MIND:

During Raj Yoga practice ones attention is focused on the SUPREME FATHER of all souls who is the OCEAN OF PEACE, LOVE, BLISS,PURITY ,ETC. Hence one experiences the sense of detachment from the mundane thoughts and experiences relaxation. By tuning the mind with the ocean of peace the practitioner receives positive

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vibrations of peace.The benefits of relaxation response are well documented in the medical science. SECOND:POSITIVE THINKING:

The practice of rajyoga is based on spirituality based positive thoughts such as I AM A PEACEFUL SOUL. My divine mother/father is the ocean of peace and I am a peaceful soul I am receiving the love of all relationships from the almighty. Such positive thoughts make onces mind positive and healthy.

THIRD:TRANSFORMATION OF BELIEF SYSTEM

The psychophysiological benefits of rajyoga goes beyond relaxation response. It also helps in transforming ones belief system. Ones belief place the cardinal role in deciding how one perceives

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different external situations.in the same situation different persons reactions and responses are not the same. This variation is due to the differences in their belief system. The spiritual understanding about soul, supreme soul, loss of action and reaction and the eternal world drama makes ones belief system positive and optimistic and hence a rajyogi is able to maintain the stability and tranquility of mind in midst of stressful situations

The number one stressful situation on the scale of stress producing event is death of near relative . durind such a stressful situation also a rajyogi maintains his peace of mind due to his belief in the eternal in the, immortal and imperishable soul. Under such situations person who beliefs that the death of a person is the end of his existence becomes sad and depressed. That the belief system of a person makes this wide difference.

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The knowledge and understanding of god the father of all souls promotes communal harmony in rajayogis. he considers the whole humanity as a huge family and all human beings as his fellows brothers and sisters. Thus such positive belief system makes one mentally and socially healthy and improves health.

FOURTH:DECONDITIONING

When ever a particular thought feeling and action is repeated several times it leaves a deep impression on ones mind. Ones future thoughts feelings and actions are influenced by this impressions in very simple terms it can be describe as conditions, All our emotions and actions are governed by our past conditions. The knowledge and practice of rajyoga helps in deconditioning the negative impression and reconditioning the positive impression

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FIFTH:TRANSFORMS LIFE STYLE AND PERSONALITY

Rajyoga is not only the meditation practice that one does for ten to twenty minutes twice or thrice a day. Infact it is the whole lifestyle in which one adopts healthy habits, better inter personal relationship and a sense of service for others. This life style has positive effects on ones physical, mental social health. Rajyoga practice helps one to attain flexibility in personality traits and hence is able to to adjust in different situations.

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About Stress First, it is important to understand the stress response. The stress response is the normal bodily response to threatening situations. Actually, it is a collection of automatic bodily changes that act to supercharge our physical abilities. Its purpose is to enable us to act quickly and survive intense, short-term challenges, especially those requiring lots of physical effort and little thinking or reasoning. Unfortunately, it doesn't take a truly life-threatening situation for us to feel threatened. A minor traffic jam, or an annoying employer (or employee) can do the trick. And once we perceive a threat, we tend to invoke the stress response. This means that with each of the many petty annoyances or worries of civilized life we are commanding our bodies to prepare for a life-or-death challenge.

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Furthermore, as long as we focus on whatever is worrying us, the stress response will continue. Of course, our bodies are not designed to function at such a level for more than a short period of time, so there is a cost, especially if the stress response lasts for more than a few minutes. For example, during stress there are major changes in the blood supply. The heart beats faster and blood pressure rises. At the same time, the flow of blood is directed away from the internal organs and the skin so that it can flow to the muscles. In the brain, more blood flows to the areas that control muscle coordination. The brain also directs the release of chemicals designed to help the body cope with injury- For example, agents that make the blood clot more easily and agents that block pain and inflamation. The Trouble With Stress In a short-term, physical survival situation, these changes can be life-saving. But prolonged high blood pressure combined with easily clotting blood is a deadly combination that can result in a stroke or heart attack. The

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substances that block pain and inflamation incidentally act to suppress the immune system. Another substance, Corticotrophin Releasing Hormone, appears to cause genetic changes in body cells that make them easy targets for infection. And these are only a few of the many negative side-effects of prolonged stress. The side effects of stress do not become dangerous if stresses are infrequent and last for only a short time. However, disease and mortality statistics make it clear that long-term, unrelieved stress impairs your body's ability to fight disease. Even in the absence of disease, long-term stress acts to accelerate and intensify the effects of ageing. In fact, many of the symptoms of long-term stress are identical with the typical signs of ageing. And then there are the short-term effects. For example, the redirection of blood to the muscles means that, for the duration of the stress response, digestion stops, leading to indigestion.

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In the brain, the changes in blood flow can literally make you stupid. As blood is shunted to the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls physical coordination, it is directed away from the cortex, or "thinking" part of the brain. This means that we gain in short-term physical performance, but at the expense of the ability to think straight. Of course, it doesn't help that most of today's threatening situations require little muscle, but lots of calm, clear thinking, often over a relatively long period of time- just the opposite of what our natural stress response is designed to provide!

Stress Stomach Problems The various stomach problems caused due to stress are given below. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) One of the most common stomach problems caused by stress is the irritable bowel syndrome. Irritable bowel

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syndrome is an umbrella condition which comprises a variety of illnesses under its purview. Scientists say that when a person is stressed, the brain is programmed to release some hormones and chemicals. When these hormones enter the digestive tract of a person, they cause trouble. Irritable bowel syndrome maybe characterized by either an increase or decrease in the contractions of the intestines. In case there is an increase in the contractions of the intestine, you might suffer from diarrhea or cramping. On the other hand, if there is a decrease in the contractions of the intestines, it may lead to constipation. The increase or decrease in the motility of the intestines affect the digestive system causing stomach trouble. Thus we see that IBS may cause an increase in the speed of passage of waste matter along the intestines or a decrease in the speed of passage of waste matter. Read on to know more about symptoms and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome medication. Nervous Stomach

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Normally when diagnostic tests fail to identify a particular cause for a stomach related illness, the condition is known as a nervous stomach. When there is no plausible cause for a stomach-related illness, it is generally assumed that the cause for it is a nervous stomach. Nervous stomach is the source of stomach problems from stress. A nervous stomach, like irritable bowel syndrome, is caused due to stress. It may be caused because the brain releases a lot more acids into the stomach when you are stressed. A nervous stomach may be the cause of any stomachrelated illnesses such as abdominal fullness, bloating, belching and flatulence, acid reflux, nausea and heartburn. More on stomach pain and bloating.

Other Stomach Problems Due to Stress Along with irritable bowel syndrome and nervous stomach, there may also be a number of other stomach-related illnesses that are caused due to anxiety. One of the most common conditions caused due to stress include stomach

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ulcers. Stomach ulcers are inflammation of the stomach due to excessive release of hydrochloric acid in the body. While hydrochloric acid is otherwise present in the body in very small amounts, even the slightest increase can cause trouble. It is said that although inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not directly caused by stress, a preexisting case of IBD may be worsened due to stress. How to Prevent Stomach Problems Caused by Stress If your stomach problems are indeed caused by stress, I guess the most logical thing to do would be to reduce stress. So how does one reduce stress? Stress can be effectively managed in several ways. The most common way is to participate in some de-stressing activities which will make you feel less stressed. Find some hobbies which will help you reduce stress. Other things you can do is to get corrective cognitive therapy that will help you deal with the stress better. You should also learn to prioritize your responsibilities and take up only so much work that you can handle. If nothing worse, try to get counseling, which will

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surely help you deal with your problems better. Read on for stress relief activities and stress relief techniques. So now you know about the stomach problems caused by stress and how to cure them. After reading this article you probably know that there may be something else causing your stomach upset rather than a bit of extra pizza!

Effects of Stress on Health Do you know that most of the health problems are related to stress? Scroll down to read on the effects of stress on health and how you can easily manage stress with the help of simple techniques, to prevent diseases as well as to avoid behavioral problems.

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You might not perhaps realize it that stress is effecting your health. Nagging headache, frequent forgetfulness, decreased productivity at work, chest pain, can be due to excessive stress. The modern world is full of competition. Everywhere you have to prove yourself. You are expected to manage home and office perfectly. The expectations of children are growing. Taking care of elderly family members and children has become a problem, as no one has enough time to spare. Scarcity of time and money can generate stress. As people are becoming more friendly with machines and computers, adjusting with surrounding people or even family members is a big problem now.

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Everyone wants his own space and there is no space for sacrifice or adjustment. These could have been neglected as the side effects of modern technology and modern lifestyle which offers innumerable benefits to mankind, but as all these things are generating excessive stress, leading to so many severe health problems along with behavioral changes, it has become an issue of major concern, all over the world. Here is an overview of effects of stress on physical and psychological health. Effects of Stress on Health: Effects on Your Body

Headache: A constant headache or repeated headaches which can make you react angrily, are an effect of excessive stress. It can decrease the productivity at work. Jaw clenching or pain is also commonly observed. Back Pain: You might think that back pain is due to the sedentary lifestyle or over exercise, but it may be due to excessive stress, leading to severe health

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problems. Neck ache, muscle spasms, foot cramps can occur due to stress.

Heart Diseases: Job stress, driving stress or any other stress related to family matters, court matters, can lead ultimately to heart diseases. Heart palpitations, frequent blushing, sweating, cold or sweaty hands and feet are commonly observed and are to be taken care of at the right time. Decreased Immunity: High level of stress can force your body to give up, resulting in decreased immunity. This is one of the most negative effects of stress on health. Sleep Problems: Disturbed sleep, irregular sleeping times, sleep deprivation and excessive stress can lead to insomnia, resulting in severe effects of stress on health and behavior. High Blood Pressure: Stress can cause high blood pressure, leading to so many other problems of health. Trembling of lips, hands can be noticed commonly due to excessive stress.

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Stomach Upset: Frequent stomach upset can lead to stomach ulcers and other severe problems like indigestion, constipation related to dysfunction of digestive system. Stress is the reason behind this. Chest Pain: This is a common symptom of excessive stress, which may lead to heart problems.

Effects of Stress on Your Thoughts and Feelings Following are the effects of stress on your thoughts and feelings.

Worry: Stress might keep you worrying about each and every minute problem in day-to-day activities. Excessive worrying will not actually solve the problems. Overreaction to petty annoyances may create problems. Anger and Irritability: Stress generates anger. Headache, worrying, restlessness, might lead to unnecessary anger outbursts, resulting in hurting the feelings of others, hostility, creating embarrassing situations, losing control of mind while driving, etc.

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Sadness: Excessive stress can generate sadness, strong feeling of giving up, resulting in depression. Children or people know about 'key to success', but how to handle failure is perhaps never taught. Insecurity: Feeling insecure is a common problem of modern age. Increased level of stress makes you feel insecure. Financial crisis, terrorism, job uncertainty, scarcity of seats available in educational institutes, may create stress leading to feeling of insecurity. Anxiety: If anxiety symptoms arising out of stress are diagnosed earlier, measures for anxiety cures can be considered well in advance, so as to avoid major health problems due to frustration. Forgetfulness: You may relate this to growing age, but it is mostly due to stress. Depression: Depression is a commonly observed sign of excessive stress. The percentage of people committing suicide at a very young age, has remarkably grown. Lack of Focus: Lack of focus which can be actually due to increased level of stress, may create further

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problems like losing job, hurting family members and friends etc.

Restlessness: There can be constant restlessness due to excessive stress, leading to some other problems. Burnout: Stress leads to making you feel totally burnout.

Effects of Stress on Your Behavior Following are the effects of stress on your behavior.

Overeating/Under-eating: Excessive stress can make you to overeat or in some cases, under-eating is observed as a sign of unbearable stress. Weight gain or weight loss are mostly due to increased stress. Relationship Conflicts: Increased stress levels result in relationship conflicts, leading to higher percentage of divorces or conflicts between parents and children, between friends and neighbors, employees and employers etc.

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Increased Smoking: Increased smoking is noticed in men as well as in women, which is due to increased level of stress. Drugs/Alcohol Addiction: Alcohol abuse and drug abuse are related to excessive stress. Social Withdrawal: Excessive stress may result in social withdrawal, again leading to sadness and depression. Crying Spells: When you are overstressed, unnecessary crying is observed. Suicidal thoughts linger in mind if there is excessive stress. Obsessive Behavior: Obsessive or compulsive behavior is a result of increased level of stress. Speech: Rapid or mumbled speech can be due to stress. Lies or excuses are used to cover up poor work. Gambling: Excessive buying or impulse buying and gambling can be a result of unavoidable stress. Loss of Interest: You might lose your interest in appearance, punctuality, personality, etc. due to excessive stress.

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All these effects of stress on health and fitness, can be seen only when stress management is not at all considered as a useful technique. Nowadays, in corporate world, in police stations, in schools and even in management institutes, stress relief techniques are taught and are given first preference. Yoga and meditation can help you a lot in managing the stress. There are many other stress relievers available in market. Regular and proper exercises are meant for successful stress management. Vipassana meditation works great for stress management. I hope the above overview of effects of stress on health and behavior, does not generate any extra stress for the readers. Negative Effects of Stress on the Body Negative effects of stress on the body give an idea about how harmful can stress be on our health. To know more about stress related disorders, read ahead

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Stress can play havoc in our lives and drain us of all our mental and physical energy. It only has a negative effect on us and prevents us from leading a normal, happy and healthy life.

Negative Effects of Stress on the Body Prolonged stress can disrupt normal bodily functions. Impact of stress can elevate blood pressure, increase the likelihood of a heart attack and stroke, and accelerate the aging process. Excessive stress can make the person susceptible to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. The body's ability to perform decreases

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considerably. Stress lasting for quite some time can cause hair loss which may lead to baldness. People under stress often face difficulty in sleeping. They lose sleep and are unable to relax both physically and mentally. Poor concentration and memory are considered to be one of the side effects of stress. In general, the negative effects of stress on the body are as follows:

Fatigue Headaches Insomnia Weight fluctuations Chronic pain Muscle tension Irregular heartbeats (heart pounds faster)

Stress can also contribute to the development of gastrointestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea or constipation. Stress can also impair the immune system, thereby making the body vulnerable to infections like cold and flu. Stressed out people can be besieged with skin problems like eczema, hives and psoriasis. The impact

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of stress can also interfere with the digestive system. This may cause increased acidity, stomach upsets and poor digestion. Other effects of stress on the human body include:

Sexual dysfunction Lowered metabolism Ulcers Periodontal disease (tooth and gum disease)

Stress response in the form of unhealthy behavior has also been noticed. Many people when exposed to stress, abuse alcohol that can have a direct impact on their relationships. Stress is one of the biggest contributor to the increased incidence of anti-social behavior that mainly involve domestic and workplace violence. There have been instances where people succumbed to stress and committed suicide. Although stress is something that cannot be avoided, the good news is that the negative effects of stress on the body can be easily managed by following certain techniques that

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provide stress relief. Yoga and meditation are some of the popular techniques that can help to improve stress management and allow to lead a healthier lifestyle. One should also take the help of a doctor who has years of experience in treating stress related ailments.

What is a headache?

A Headache is defined as a pain in the head or upper neck. It is one of the most common locations of pain in the body and has many causes.

Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache. Up to 90% of adults have had or will

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have tension headaches. Tension headaches occur more commonly among women than men. What causes tension headaches? While tension headaches are the most frequently occurring type of headache, their cause is not known. The most likely cause is contraction of the muscles that cover the skull. When the muscles covering the skull are stressed, they may spasm and cause pain. Common sites include the base of the skull where the trapezius muscles of the neck inserts, the temple where muscles that move the jaw are located, and the forehead. There is little research to confirm the exact cause of tension headaches. Tension headaches occur because of physical or emotional stress placed on the body. These stressors can cause the muscles surrounding the skull to clench the teeth and go into spasm. Physical stressors include difficult and prolonged manual labor, or sitting at a desk or computer for long periods of time concentrating. Emotional stress may

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also cause tension headaches by causing the muscles surrounding the skull to contract. What are the symptoms of tension headaches? The pain symptoms of a tension headache are:

The pain begins in the back of the head and upper neck and is described as a band-like tightness or pressure.

Often is described as pressure encircling the head with the most intense pressure over the eyebrows.

The pain usually is mild (not disabling) and bilateral (affecting both sides of the head).

The pain is not associated with an aura (see below), nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound.

The pain occurs sporadically (infrequently and without a pattern) but can occur frequently and even daily in some people.

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The pain allows most people to function normally, despite the headache.

How are tension headaches diagnosed? The key to making the diagnosis of any headache is the history given by the patient. The health care practitioner will ask questions to understand when the headache began, learn about the quality, quantity, and duration of the pain, and ask about any associated symptoms. The history of tension headache will include pain that is mild to moderate, located on both sides of the head, described as a tightness that is not throbbing, and not made worse with activity. There will be no associated symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or light sensitivity. The physical examination, particularly the neurologic portion of the examination, is important in tension headaches because it should be normal to make the diagnosis. The only exception is that there may be some tenderness of the scalp or neck muscles. If the health care practitioner finds an abnormality, then the diagnosis of

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tension headache would not be considered until the potential for other types of headaches have been investigated. How are tension headaches treated by medicine

Tension headaches are painful, and patients may be upset that the diagnosis is "only" a tension headache. Even though it is not life-threatening, a tension headache can affect the activities of daily life. Most people successfully treat themselves with over-the counter (OTC) pain medications to control tension headaches. The following work well for most people:

aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and naproxen (Aleve)

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If these fail, other supportive treatments are available. Recurrent headaches should be a signal to seek medical help. Massage, biofeedback, and stress management can all be used as adjuncts to help with control of tension headaches. It is important to remember that OTC medications, while safe, are medications and may have side effects and potential interactions with prescription medications. It always is wise to ask your health care practitioner or pharmacist if you have questions about OTC medications and their use. This is especially important with OTC pain medications, because patients use them so frequently. It is important to read the listing of ingredients in OTC pain medications. Often an OTC medication is a combination of ingredients, and the second or third ingredient may have the potential for drug interaction or contraindication with medications a patient is currently taking. For example:

Some OTC medications include caffeine, which may trigger rapid heartbeats in some patients.

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In night time preparations, diphenhydramine (Benadryl) may be added. This may cause drowsiness, and driving or using heavy machinery may not be appropriate when taking the medication.

Other examples where caution should be used include the following:

Aspirin should not be used in children and teenagers because of the risk of Reye's Syndrome, a disease where coma, brain damage, and death can occur if there is a viral like illness when the and aspirin is used.

Aspirin and ibuprofen are irritating to the stomach and may cause bleeding. They should be used with caution in patients who have peptic ulcer disease or who take blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin) and clopidogrel bisulfate (Plavix).

Acetaminophen, if used in large amounts, can cause liver damage or failure. It should be used with caution in patients who drink significant amounts of alcohol or who have liver disease.

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One cause of chronic tension headaches is overuse of medications for pain. When pain medications are used for a prolonged period of time, headaches can recur as the effects of the medication wear off. Thus, the headache becomes a symptom of the withdrawal of medication (rebound headache).

How are tension headaches treated by meditation

Effect of raj yoga on diseases Here we gave importance to the study of patients mind along with the body i.e. To examine the whole person in order to form an overall diagnosis and we have to maintain good relationship with patients and to understand what is going on in the patients mind in order to understand the patient as a whole. The holistic health movement was the landmark in connecting the physical mental social and spiritual well being of a person the study of health and disease with the humanistic way. Aspects of human nature

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such as caring, sharing, loving, hoping play as important in recovering process of patient

Case no-1 Mrs. Nimisha a 36 old women she is one of the patient of vims medical college she suffered from tension mediated headache due to financial problems since 3 years passed away cannot cured completely with medicines because the route cause is stress so with the help of docter we gave fundamentals of meditation to her after twenty days the patient said The knowledge you are given me helped me greatly to overcome free from pain completely Case no-2 Mrs sujatha a 34 old women she is one of the patient of VIMS medical college she suffered from tension mediated headache due to family problems since 1 year she dinnot get completey cured through medicines. Medicines gives temporary relaxation so with the help of Docter we gave fundamentals of meditation to her after twenty five days the patient said The knowledge you are given me helped me greatly to overcome free from pain completely

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Patients name

Disease name Before meditation

After meditation Recovery

Mrs Nimisha Headache Mrs sujatha Headache

50% 60%

90% 95%

Stress-induced gastritis, It also referred to as stress-related erosive syndrome, stress ulcer syndrome, and stress-related mucosal disease, can cause mucosal erosions and superficial hemorrhages in patients who are critically ill or in those who are under extreme physiological stress, resulting in minimal-to-severe gastrointestinal blood loss and leading to blood transfusion if not addressed. Patients who may have an increased risk of stress gastritis are those with massive burn injury, head injury associated with raised intracranial pressure, sepsis and positive blood

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culture results, severe trauma, and multiple system organ failure Pathophysiology Acid is secreted by the parietal cells of the gastric mucosa, which is under the influence of several biological agents or activities (eg, histamine, gastrin, vagal nerve stimulation). The mucosa is protected by the mucous gel layer, which is under the influence of prostaglandins, nitric oxide, trefoil proteins, and vagal nerve stimulation. This mucous layer forms a barrier between the acidic pH of the stomach and the gastric epithelium. In the presence of noxious agents or conditions, this protective barrier is destroyed. When this occurs, the acid is able to diffuse backward to the epithelium and cause mucosal damage. Two entities are thought to normally play a role in the breakdown of the mucosal barrier: gastric acid secretion and defense mechanisms. With stress gastritis, gastric acid secretion is invariably either normal or decreased. Thus, acid hypersecretion is not a significant etiological factor;

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instead, the breakdown of the mucosal defense mechanism is the primary cause. The defense mechanisms, particularly the mucous secretion, tend to have a decrease in bicarbonate concentration and, therefore, are unable to buffer the proton in the stomach (Yardley, 2001). Stress causes decreased blood flow to the mucosa, leading to ischemia with subsequent destruction of the mucosal lining. Epidemiology Frequency United States Of patients who are critically ill, 6% have overt bleeding, while fewer than 2-3% have clinically significant hemorrhage. According to several studies, endoscopy has revealed evidence of intraepithelial hemorrhage in 52100% of patients in the ICU within 24 hours of the onset of the stressor.[1]

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Mortality/Morbidity Mortality/morbidity figures are high in older patients because of several factors, including atherosclerosis that leads to reduced blood supply and impaired host defenses. The severity of the injury leads to a further reduction in blood flow to the GI tract, thereby resulting in further compromise of the mucosal barrier and an increased risk of gastritis. The presence of Helicobacter pylori may also contribute to the mucosal barrier breakdown and lead to stress gastritis. Race No studies have shown any differences among the races with respect to the bleeding rates associated with stress gastritis. Sex No differences have been noted between the sexes with respect to stress gastritis.

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Age With increasing age, atherosclerosis may play a role in the decreased blood supply to the gastric mucosa. This, in the setting of a stressor, will lead to decreased mucous production and, hence, greater susceptibility to erosions and ulcerations. History Patients who may have an increased risk of stress gastritis are those with massive burn injury, head injury associated with raised intracranial pressure, sepsis and positive blood culture results, severe trauma, and multiple system organ failure. The clinician should have a high incidence of suspicion for patients in these settings who are noted to have decreased hematocrit values and who are not receiving prophylaxis for stress gastritis. Physical Clinical presentation is varied, but the following clues should raise the level of clinical suspicion for this entity:

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Coffee ground vomitus Melena Hematemesis (in extreme cases) Orthostasis (unusual)

Causes Prolonged mechanical ventilation and coagulopathy increase predisposition to stress gastritis. Causative factors include the following conditions:

Severe trauma Massive burns Hypotension Sepsis with positive blood culture results CNS injury with raised intracranial pressure Mechanical ventilation Multiorgan failure

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SUGGESTIONS How Meditation Helps In fact, what makes life so stressful these days is not its problems, but the mismatch between the problems and the way we respond to them. When you focus on the threatening aspects of a situation, It's impossible not to invoke the stress response. Aside from the negative physical effects, this way of responding literally makes the problem worse- since it interferes with your thinking ability. This is where meditation can help. During meditation you learn to control where you focus your attention. By teaching you to interrupt a negative focus, meditation gives you a break from stress. The resulting "relaxation response" allows your body to repair the damage done by stress. At the same time, the improved blood supply to the "thinking" part of your brain, gives a tremendous boost to your creative problem solving abilityexactly what you need to solve today's complex problems!

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So, by interrupting the stress response, meditation allows your body to repair the damage before it gets out of hand, preventing unnecessary disease and premature ageing. It reverses the "stupifying" effect of stress by restoring adaquate blood flow to the creative parts of your brain, making you more able to cope with or even eliminate stress at its source.

How to Meditate More than anything, meditation is a skill- the skill of conscious, sustained attention. You already have part of this skill- what keeps you stressed is your ability to pay sustained attention to whatever is bothering you. Of course, we pay attention to problems in order to solve them. The trouble is that we do so in a way that triggers our stress response, which, in turn, makes us less able to solve them.

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Meditation will teach you how to attend without triggering the stress response. You begin by learning to focus on something nonthreatening. This, in itself is relaxing, and will reverse the effects of stress. But, in addition, this practice will teach you how to interrupt and correct stress-producing thoughtseven when you are not meditating. Many people who meditate regularly feel that its benefits go well beyond the relief of stress. They feel that meditation has enabled them to connect with an inner source of wisdom and meaning- a connection that has greatly enriched their lives. Here's how to begin: Six stages of Raj yoga 1. Observe your pattern of thoughts. Naturally the speed of your mental thoughts is reduced, and then give turn to your mind.

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2. Withdraw from physical surroundings for just 10-15 seconds. 3. Generate positive for soul realization. I am the point of light .. I am the soul .. this body is a car I am the user 4. Try to tune your mind to the soul world. You are not forcing to go their. Visualize and think of it, see the tranquil red light on the world of silence. 5. See god with the minds eye. Sit face to face and converse wit the supreme. When you sit in front our mother and father, even if you have a big status, you are a child in front of your parent. Similarly be like a child in front of the supreme, narrate all your experiences, in a positive way. Tell your internal feeling to god and receive positive vibrations from him. You can spend as much time you want. 6. Come back to the physical world of consciousness

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Meditation is of value if a Maintain a stage of peace and relaxation in our day day activities also. Have some affirmations, I return to the physical vehicle. I will also see my fellow beings as peaceful souls . Even if you sit for 5 min divide your meditation practice in to six stages. With this systematic approach, you will reach the stage of concentration and realization. Try to impress the state of realization on your mind, and recall we sit next time. Recall your past experiences of meditation. Meditation practice FIRST for a few seconds observe your own present thoughts. Watch them. Now turn your thoughts towards self realisation. Withdraw your self from physical surroundings. Be conscious of your original self- point of light .experience that light with in you. You are a peaceful soul. You are completely different you feel light. The burden of physical consciousness is removed you are a pure soul. Now try to tune your mind to your original home with mind and intellect visualize the golden red light in original home. Experience complete

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silence, there is another brilliant light, god the supreme also resides. The form of the beloved father is so small he is the source of the divine laser beam from which we get laser light. It originates and penetrates the soul and makes me pure, positive and powerful. I receive the divine laser rays and it makes the soul completely peaceful and pure. All my relations are with my divine father who is my mother teacher sat guru and my friend also I receive love of all the relations him . Generate such positive thoughts get absorbed in the love of almighty gradually once again be aware of your physical body . maintain the soul consciousness in day to day life see others also as conscient souls Whichever you choose, the idea is to let your mind rest on that one thing until you notice your attention has strayed (which it will do surprisingly fast). Once you realize your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to the focus once again...and again...and again.

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At first, you will be amazed at how little control you have over this mind of yours. But if you persist, it will learn to focus for longer and longer periods, and as it does, you will begin to feel a growing sense of peace. Once you have decided to stop meditating, "come back" slowly. Just sit for a few moments and look around. Enjoy the time it takes your mind to realize it's free to start its worry-tapes up once again. As you practice, you'll find it takes your mind longer and longer to slip back into "worrymode". Now let's put these steps to work and imagine how a typical meditation session might go. Suppose it's late afternoon, no one else is around, or you've arranged to have someone cover any incoming calls or child-care crises for the next 20 minutes. You've found a quiet comfortable place, softened the lighting and are ready to go. Let's say you've decided to use a candle as a focus. You sit facing the lit candle. Now, allow your eyes to rest gently on the flame, watching it the way you would a fire. If your eyes begin to tire, let them close or half close but keep the image of the flame clear in

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your mind's eye. Then open your eyes as soon as they feel rested. Let the candle flame become your world. Explore its entire landscape. You'll be amazed at how complex it is. At some point, you may realize your mind has wandered. When that happens, simply notice it and renew your focus on the candle. It's important that you avoid any self-criticism here; meditation is about regaining your ability to simply be. There is nothing to be achieved except to get out of your own way and let your bodymind find its way from stress to bliss. And it will; all you have to do is provide the time. Speaking of time, continue this cycle of focus, wander, notice, and refocus until about 15 minutes have passed. You can use a clock, the height of the candle, or any other non-disruptive method of keeping time, including your own internal clock. There's nothing sacred about 15 minutes, either, it's just that most people find they can have a decent meditative experience in that amount of time, and it's not an

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unreasonably long time to carve out of a busy day. If you find that 5 minutes or 45 minutes, works better for you, then by all means use that length of time. Sometimes I meditate for three minutes, sometimes for an hour. More important than the time, is the experience of meditating, however long it lasts. Also important, is how you transition back from meditation. As indicated earlier, a gentle return will prolong the benefits of meditation practice, allowing you to gradually extend a peaceful mindset into more and more of your day. What if you prefer to choose a different focus, like a word, or your breath? The scenario would be the same, only the focus would be different. To focus on your breath, keep your eyes open or closed, and simply notice your breath as it goes in and out, perhaps mentally saying' "In" as you inhale, and "Out", as you exhale. Treat your mental wanderings the same way- notice them and then bring your attention back to your breath.

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Were you to choose a word, you would say the word mentally on each exhale. For this focus, most people choose a one syllable word that has a positive meaning for them ("Love", "One", "Peace", etc.). Again, you are the expert- if you want to use a three syllable word, and say it out loud, that's fine. The important thing is to focus, and when you notice that your mind has wandered, bring it back gently, in a non-critical way. One other thing, whatever focus you choose, it's quite possible that the first few times you meditate, you may feel no effects, beneficial or otherwise. This is perfectly normal. It can take a while for your body mind to realize that this is a situation in which it can relax.

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Health and Diet

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Halth is a wealth birth right. It is not only a precious possession but a resorce in which the whole community has a stake> to restore the lost health people would give up every thing