The labour of love

"Pitha rakshiti koumare
Bartho rakshiti youvane
Putro rakshiti vaardakye", says Manu.
Yes, there is a need for a woman to be cared for in all phases of her life _ especially when in labour.
And it's to cater to her physical, emotional and mental needs that Coimbatore Women’s Centre has added new features that cater to the needs of mothers-to-be _ especially the 'birthing suite'.
"The childbirth is a sweet memory that a mother should always cherish. It should not be turned into a thing that she should fight to forget. It is to be carried through out the life as now-a-days motherhood comes only once or twice in a lifetime for most of the women," says Dr. Mirudhubashini Govindarajan, clinical director of Women’s Centre.
"We try to take up women issues in a manner that is less addressed by other hospitals or organisations. We focus mainly on the comfort zone. that should be provided for a woman to have a pleasant delivery," she explains.
Childbirth being the most special occasion for the women, the mother-to-be should be taken care of and provided with all comforts around. It's to serve this purpose that the centre has added ‘birthing suite’ concept among its features.
"Birthing suite is more than a hotel room with all the facilities around. Rather than the physical amenities, the suite helps in backing the expecting mother with needed emotional support. The husband's access to the room at the time of delivery is also made possible. All the equipment needed for the delivery will be there in the suite hided so that it do not create an ambience of hospital. Usually, all the deliveries except the high risk cases will be held in the suite itself," said Jayaram Govindarajan, the administrator of the centre.
The most special feature of the birthing suite is the ‘birthing bed’, which gives a comfortable birthing position for the mother-to-be and also the staff attending her. The main characteristics of the birthing bed includes its excellent design for the usage of it through out all the birthing phases, its low entrance height, stable construction, inclining of segments according to comfort ability and easy control of handles.
Stepping into 25th year of service, Women's Centre, located at Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, is a comprehensive women health care setup providing most complete solutions for all the health problems of women, from her puberty to menopause. It is unique in Coimbatore and the first of its kind to receive an ISO 9001:2000 award for its quality in service.
A well-catered team of 14 highly qualified full-time consultants, several visiting consultants, para-medical staff and a handful of other nursing staff enable Women’s Centre to be more passionate and responsible for the services. The consultants include professionals in infertility management, embryology, clinical obstetrics and gynaecology, andrology, laparoscopic (key hole), endoscopic and hysteroscopic surgeons, gynec-oncology, ultrasonology, adolescent care, pregnancy, newborn care and neonatology.
"We are an independent entity without much tie ups, for we concentrate more on quality, than spreading out the banner name. The key element of this type of organisation is the specialised consultants at the reach of our hands. It is not that to invite a visiting professional at their schedule, but it is to provide the medicare at the time, when the patient is in need of it," said Jayaram on the reason for not having more branches.
Women’s Centre, with a hand full of specialised doctors, round the clock are capable of giving individual attention to the patients. The infertility department, which needs more care while handling with eggs and sperms, outside the human body, to make sure that the couple bears their own child, it is important to have an individual attention.
The Centre is having an infertility laboratory with a completely sterile environment, which enables them to be more precise in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) treatment.
"IVF is the last thing to choose for a childless couple. We are having many other phases of treating infertility, even without any surgery. IVF being the more critical phase is dealt with more precise. Highly qualified medical and technical personnel with years of hands on experiences add to the IVF facilities in the hospital," said Dr Lakshmi, specialised in treating infertility. Also three embryologists are there to offer their services round the clock.
Spreading more than 15,000 new smiles to the world, the centre has given many childless couples a reason for living.
"I was childless for 17 years. I tried out many medicines, but of no use. Then I came to know about Women’s Centre from some of my villagers. I was suggested to do IVF. Now I am three months carrying, thanks to the doctors here," says Janaki (name changed) of Erode.
Another childless couple, settled in Australia, came to Women’s Centre knowing about it from the successful story of their relative. Sairadha, childless for five years is now a mother-to-be with a four-month child giggling in her womb.
Apart from the health care services, the centre also stretches its hands to educational aspects. Classes are been conducted for the expecting and her relatives on various issues like the breast-feeding, obesity, a pre-note on the delivery pain, meditation etc. The shortage of well-trained personnel has made the centre to have a tie up with Bharatiar University to start a new course in Maternal and Child health for plus-two students. It also offers a Fellow of National Board (FNB), with students from various parts of the country enrolled after an all-India entrance test.
"The best feature of the centre is the emotional support they are providing. They understand us fully and only after that the doctors even start treatment. The way of approach helps to build confidence in patience," said Biji Alexander, who is preparing to be a mother after the IVF.
"Instead of bits and pieces here and there, we give a package for childbirth, starting from treatment till having a baby, at ultimate rate of affordability along with quality. In all means, Women’s Centre spreads an ambience of a second home for the mother-to-be," says Dr. Mirudhubashini with a confident smile.

Published in Expresso (The New Indian Express) on 25/07/2008

Imbibing the 'art' of living

“I learned to dream, to dream high,” said Preetha, a kindergarden kid with a twinkle in her eyes. This was what 600 of them from various orphanges who walked in to the Nani Kalayarangam at Mani School, Coimbatore on Saturday had to say. All of them were gathered to celebrate a day laughing, clapping and knowing more.
The programme ‘we care, we share’ was organized by the art of living to instil various values of life in the children. There was a clapping session, a gratitude session, laughing session and many other value sessions. The children imbibed self-love and self-confidence through the programme.
“When ever you feel low, stand in front of a mirror and shout ‘I can, I will’. This will build up your confidence,” said Soundarajan, district coordinating committee member, art of living, to the children during the self-confidence session.
Sasirekha, a member of art of living during a section on self-love interacted with the children through stories and visuals that helped them understand the importance of self-love. When she told the children to hold their palms close to the heart and repeat her words, the auditorium echoed with the repetition of her words, “I am very very special, I love myself”.
The faces of the tiny tots brightened with smiles during each section.
“It’s not important for one to give money to these children but giving them some time is what matters. So we planned such a day, one special day for them to make them feel special,” says Sasirekha.
There was a meditation session by 'Sanvithi’ - the women wing of art of living, which made them, sit on a magic mat and take a virtual ride across rivers and mountains.
Many people want to help the needy. But they don’t know how to do so. Being under the banner of art of living enables us to help them, said the members.
“The children from orphanages are more frustrated than normal kids. They need special attention. Through this programme, we are trying to build a clear fertile mind in them so that good things can grow in it,” said Lokanayaki, ex-lecture, Krishnammal College.
This is only a beginning. We are trying to monitor orphanages around the city, so that we can give them our special attention, care and love, said the coordinators.
In the post-lunch section, the children were thrilled by the magic show performed by Veerashekhar. Also the lucky draw and the gift hampers given to them took them to the heights of joy.
There are many among these children who have great ambitions and great willpower to succeed. Such programmes enhance the spirit in them and help molding them for a better tomorrow.
“Even if only five from these 600 become the leaders of tomorrow, we will be glad,” said Sasirekha.
Published on 02/07/2008 in Expresso, The New Indian Express

When karma justifies destiny

‘As you sow, so shall thy reap’
_ The Bible

Janarrdhana Guptha, a Kovai-based energy consultant, too believes in this cosmic principle of ‘give and take’. “Our karma includes actions that we have ‘sown’ in the past, including in the past births, that are the cause for those ‘reaped’ in our present life,” he says.
Think about it. Are you not interested in knowing about the aura that guides you or the amount of energy within you? “Knowing the amount of energy in you _ be it positive or negative, can help sort out your problems,” says Guptha explaining 'energy correction and crystal healing'.
Energy, plentiful in the cosmos, is pure on its own and is balanced. Then how this negative energy develop? "If a tenant is well settled in a house, left by its owner due to his miserable past there, then it has nothing to do with vaastu or horoscope. It all relates to ‘karma’. When energy is the base on which this cosmos is built, it is a person’s karma which determines the kind of energy he attracts. “Not just his/her karma, even that of his ancestors,” says Guptha.
In energy correction, karma controls the whole life. Until and unless a person is aware of this, he will never have a control over himself. Wherever a man goes, his karma follows. So does the energy beam.
Clairvoyance is the tool for reading the karma. ‘Karmic reading’ through clairvoyance is a ‘virtual go back to the past’. It helps in determining the type of karmic burdens or blessings one is carrying.
“My wife and I got into this because of higher energy beings (devatas, as we call them). Perhaps we have been selected for this purpose. Our knowledge is merely a drop in the ocean. Clairvoyance should be a guided one, obtained from some energy higher than human beings,” says Guptha.
After reading the karma of the individual and his family members, dead or alive, the clairvoyant identifies where things went wrong. Then the energy flow can be corrected accordingly.
Energy correction is the concept of controlling 8 directional energies, 7 chakras and 7 energy bodies in people and boosting and balancing the 5 elements in land and buildings.
When energy comes towards a person from major four directions, it remains positive till it is 3 feet from him. However, beyond this his karma determines the energy receipt and its quality. Unlike in Feng Shui and Vaastu, energy correction can be done through quantification of energy in percentage.
“I don’t need the physical presence of the person for karmic reading. Just a photograph will do. However, the date and time of birth and name of the person will help cut short the time required.”
The negative energy in a person is due to bad karma. The tool used for this negative energy correction is known as Crystal Energy Field (CEF). CEF, a combination of multiple crystals, is selected, energized and programmed according to the karma of an individual or his family.
Energising and programming are two major concepts on which crystal fields work. Every object has its on energy. However, the energy within an object is not sufficient enough to act as an energy giver. The same is true for crystals that need to be energized. Energizing helps imbibe lasting energy in a body. Especially when it is in crystals, it lasts for hundreds of years. Energizing and programming will take 2 to 8 weeks depending on the karma reading and also the magnitude of the problem to be solved, says Guptha.
CEFs need not be worshipped or carried with you. All you have to do is find a safe space for it. It’s up to the client to programme it even for generations.
The crystal shapes used for building a CEF are based on the client's needs. They could be Crystal Maha Meru for balancing the Seven Chakras and Seven Energy Bodies, Crystal Stupa for controlling the Five Elements of Nature, Crystal Rahus for directing Energy Beams, Crystal Vajras and Viswa Vajras for destroying Negative Energies and some unique shapes like Ashta Vajra, Ashta Vajra Stupa, Double Vajra Phurba, and so on. Crystal Colours too are important. Amethyst for Spiritual Energy, Red Cornelian for Money Energy, Lapis Lazouli for Wisdom Energy, Green Aventurine for Cleansing Energy etc.
These crystals are imported mainly from countries like Brazil. He also gets crystals from Gujarat, Himalayas and remote areas in South Africa. The tools made of crystals are carved into definite shapes through handwork. Guptha designs these tools and sends their photographs to Nepal where particular groups of people carve them for him. It takes several months to make a single piece of tool. No machine work can be used since the crystals are so delicate and need to be hand made.
He owns a grand collection of crystals and energy correction tools in his Sri Sudharshan shoppe, the largest of its kind in South India, as he claims.
Unlike other sciences that can seldom assure the time required to solve the problem, energy correction is time-bound. It is a solution given to the entire family.
Guptha has clients across 18 countries. He has published articles and books on energy corrections, Feng Shui, Vaastu, Numerolgy and has four websites as his own. For karmic reading and a printed report on the whole energy level of the person and his family and the reasons for the problems, he charges around Rs 15,000. CEF can vary in its cost depending upon the solution needed.
“We live in Kaliyug. Everything will be misguided and wrong judgments will rule. All we can do is to enhance the positive and control the negative,” says Guptha.
Now, get rid of the negative powers that govern you. Get energized!
Published on 02/07/2008 in Expresso, The New Indian Express