The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Relax and be happy

LUDHIANA: Relaxation is the opposite of tension. Life is full of ups and downs. To experience happiness, you must experience other emotions, including sadness and anger, to some degree nearly every day. You should work towards accepting what you have and who you are, to enjoy life and feel happy most of the time.

The following steps can be used to control tension and enhance relaxation in both your body and mind:

* Learn to say no, if you do not have to do it. Your life is already too busy and you are running from one thing to another. Give yourself some space to think and time to do something for yourself.

* Smile. Smiling is contagious. Try it and see.

* Go for walk regularly. This gentle exercise will renew and invigorate you physically and mentally on your first outing. Take it up regularly and you will feel better everyday.

* Do any difficult chores that need doing. Do them now. Procrastination drains your energy and burdens your mind. If you are thinking and worrying about something that needs to be done, then you might as well be doing it.

* For happiness, spend more time with your family members in routine.

* Create something. Garden, sculpt, sew, paint, bake anything everyday.

* Breathe fresh air. Go outside or open the windows. Breathe deeply to the bottom of your lungs and feel the stale air leave you.

* You must be social for a happy life. Phone, e-mail, even write to some old friends.

* Go to the beach. The long views, the wind, the waves, bare feel in the sand, sun on the back. There is nothing so good for the soul.

* Kissing relieves stress by releasing mood-elevating endorphin in the brain.

— Anil Dheer

Teenager with AIDS struggles for life
Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana, March 1
A 16-year-old boy, Gurnam Singh (not his real name), who got afflicted with AIDS, has been struggling for life at a local hospital. Doctors maintain that his condition is stable but because of low immunity, his chances of survival are remote.

His father, who did not wish to be identified because of the social stigma, said Gurnam was taken to several private practitioners as he suffered from continual high fever. “During this period, some doctor might have given him injection with an infected needle but we cannot blame anyone since we are not sure who exactly was at fault,” he said with tears.

He said they belonged to a village, 25 km from the city. “Gurnam is my only son. I have a daughter who is two years younger than he is. Gurnam suffered from continues high fever and used to feel tired all the time. We took him to private doctors at Phagwara and Goraya but his condition did not improve.

He was brilliant in studies. He was given many injections and medicines. Our world came to an end when a Phagwara-based doctor told us that Gurnam was suffering from AIDS. About five days ago, when his condition started deteriorating, we brought him here,” he said.

“Since he is educated, he knows that it is a sexually transmitted disease. He wonders how God could have been so unkind to him. We fail to answer his question. How can we lose him like this?” Gurnam's father asked.

Gurnam's doctor said though the family claimed to be HIV negative, “we will be conducting their tests also.”

Quality healthcare made available to the poor
Our Correspondent

Mandi Gobindgarh, March 1
The efforts of people of Mandi Gobindgarh have borne fruit. Prabhat Puri Charitable Hospital was set up in 1995 with five beds but now has about 50 beds. Non-government organisations are coming forward to make quality health care accessible to the poor. Mangat Prabhat Puri Social Welfare Trust is one such NGO that has taken the initiative of providing quality healthy services through the hospital that has experienced paramedical staff and ultramodern facilities, besides private wards and round the clock emergency services for maternity cases.

The hospital also organises free medical check-up and treatment camps by inviting specialists from Dayanand Medical College and Fortis Hospital, Mohali. Vaccination is done free of cost on every Wednesday and Thursday.

The hospital management is planning to upgrade the services in other fields like general medicine and trauma care.

Book on physical education
Our Sports Reporter

Ludhiana, March 1
A book “Health, Physical Education and Sports” has been jointly authored by O.S. Nagi and Mohinder Singh. Physical education and sports are opted as subjects by many students at Class XI and XII levels of the CBSE. The book will not only provide them insight into and training about health, hygiene, fitness, but also valuable information on games and sports.

“On account of lack of good books on the subject our students are often deprived of proper guidance at the right stage, the authors claim. This book is a completely updated and revised edition of physical education (theory and practicals). The complete revision of this book is fresh in its approach and will satisfy the needs of pupils as well as their teachers,” maintains Nagi.

Samrala

sports festival: A village sports festival will be organised at Mutton village, 5 km from here, from March 3 to 6, by the Baba Sewa Dass Memorial Panchayati Raj Sports Club, according to Mr Harpreet Singh Happy, sarpanch of the village. In the festival, kabaddi, pigeon flying, horse races, dog races and bullock cart races will be the main attraction. OC