Is there someone special in your life who values moments of relaxation and self-care, cherishing those tiny rituals that nourish their soul? If your answer is yes, then they definitely fall into the category of a Self Care Enthusiasts. Because they have understood importance of taking time for themselves amidst their  life's hustle & bustle, prioritizing their mental, emotional, & physical well-being. If their special day is coming and you are on hunt for the perfect gift to honor their commitment to self-care, look no further than practical copper gifts that combine elegance with functionality. From hydration aids to mindfulness tools, these copper made products are sure to delight your loved ones.

 

Copper Gifts Ideas for Self-Care Lovers

1. Copper Water Bottle:

Not only will copper add a touch of elegance to their hydration routine, but it will also offer several health benefits. Copper is known for some antimicrobial properties, which can help keep the water clean throughout the day. Also the durability of copper means your water bottle will last for years to come, which means it is a sustainable choice.

2. Tibetan Singing Bowl:

If they are into meditation and calming their mind after a long day then nothing could be a better choice than a Tibetan singing bowl - made from copper. These musical bowls have been used for centuries in meditation practices, because they produce soothing sounds that help calm our mind & promote relaxation. Using these bowls is also easy. They will simply need to strike the bowl or run the mallet along its rim to experience its therapeutic vibrations.

3. Copper Essential Oil Burner:

Essential oils are also useful for relaxing the mind, and since copper has so many benefits, a copper essential oil burner provides the perfect way to enjoy the soothing scents while harnessing the antimicrobial properties of copper. Whether they need some relief from stress, or an energy boost at end of the day, an essential oil burner will enhance their self-care rituals and promote a sense of well-being. 

4. Copper Straw Set:

When it comes to self-care, people have been trying to practice sustainability in various areas of their lives because they are becoming more mindful of their impact on the environment. So, if you're looking for a thoughtful gift for a friend who values both style and sustainability, a copper straw set is an excellent choice. Not only does it add a touch of elegance to their beverage experience, but it also helps reduce single-use plastic waste, allowing them to sip sustainably with every drink.

5. Copper Tongue Scraper:

Looking for a thoughtful gift to kickstart someone's day with freshness and wellness? Consider gifting them a copper tongue scraper. This ancient Ayurvedic tool promotes oral hygiene and overall well-being by gently removing toxins and bacteria from the tongue. Crafted from pure copper, this scraper is not only easy to use but also provides an effective way to enhance their self-care routine, leaving them feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day ahead.

6. Kansa Facial Roller:

Treat your loved one to a luxurious self-care experience with a Kansa facial roller crafted from copper and other metals. This Ayurvedic skincare tool is perfect for reducing puffiness, stimulating circulation, and promoting lymphatic drainage, leaving their skin radiant and glowing. Simply rolling the smooth, cool surface of the roller over their face and neck will release tension, rejuvenate their skin, and enhance their natural beauty. 

These copper gift items in their self-care routine will surely help them prioritize their well-being and embrace a holistic approach to health and happiness. Whether they're starting their day with a refreshing sip of water from a copper bottle or winding down with a calming meditation session on a Sri Yantra mat, these simple yet meaningful gifts will inspire them to nurture themselves with love and intention.

Before the advent of modern science, there is evidence that humans had discovered a quality in certain metals that destroyed germs. Ancient archeological sites have unearthed vessels that were used to purify water made out of Copper or Silver.

Modern science terms this as the Oligodynamic Effect .

Understanding the Oligodynamic Effect:

The oligodynamic effect is simply a term that describes the ability of some metals, such as silver, copper, and zinc, to stop the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, as well as fungi. This effect also works at very low concentration of that particular metal. Well why does it occur? Simply because these metals have natural ability to disrupt cellular functions of these microorganisms, and hence they prevent their spread.

In other words - the oligodynamic effect means that tiny amounts of certain metals can stop germs from growing and spreading. This is important for keeping us safe from harmful microbes in various settings, such as medicine, water treatment, and food preservation.

The Power of Copper:

When it comes to metals with oligodynamic effect - copper stands out as a particularly powerful one, simply because it has the ability to destroy almost all kinds of pathogens in very less time. Our ancestors already knew about this effect & that’s why they used to have copper water vessels for their daily needs. Moreover, modern science has also accepted that copper is one of the best materials for its oligodynamic effect, therefore it had been used during the recent pandemic to stop spread of COVID-19.

Moreover, hospitals and healthcare centers are now opting to replace surface materials like bed rails and tabletops with copper due to the prevalence of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs). This strategic change is prompted by the recognition that many individuals contract illnesses after entering hospital environments. 

Health Benefits:

Various studies have proved that drinking water from a copper utensil helps you to boost digestion, strengthen your immune system, and even soothe any sort of inflammation.

Environmental Friendliness:

When thinking about keeping germs away, we often tend to worry about the harm those chemical disinfectants can cause to the Earth. But, copper vessels are different. These are not just kind to our planet Earth - but also last a really long time & can be used over & over again.In fact 70% of the copper ever mined is still in use.

How to Include Copper to Your Life?

Water Storage and Dispensing:

Copper water vessels for storing and dispensing water have been used for centuries in many countries. This oligodynamic effect of copper ensures that water remains free from microbial contamination, promoting better health & well-being.

Kitchen Sinks

If you want to make your kitchen aesthetically pleasing, you can incorporate copper copper sink. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, these sinks are going to provide you with various benefits. Its oligodynamic properties will help inhibit the growth of bacteria and other pathogens on the copper sink surface, promoting a cleaner and healthier environment for food preparation. Another reason to invest in them is their durability and resistance to corrosion which will ensure longevity and minimal maintenance requirements.

Copper Bathtubs

Beyond its luxurious appearance, a copper bathtub in your bathroom will give health benefits too, it will prevent the buildup of harmful bacteria and fungi, promote better hygiene and reduce the risk of skin infections.

Wrap Up:

In the fight against germs the advantage of copper’s oligodynamic effect is highly promising. By using copper utensils in your everyday life, you will actually do a great thing for your health as well as making your surroundings cleaner and safer for the generations to come. So get your copper water vessel and other utensils today!

The origin of shawls in the world can be traced back more than 700 years. The first record comes from the Mughal period. By the 16th Century the Kashmir shawl industry was well-established. Mughal Emperor Akbar promoted the manufacture of shawls in Kashmir. He presented a gift of Kashmir "jamawar" shawl to the Queen of England.

The name Pashmina comes from pashm, the Persian word for wool. This wool comes from changthangi or ladakh or pashmina goat, a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitude of the Himalayas.

Due to the extreme weather conditions, the pashmina goats grow a special fur during winter. This fur is shed during spring and the fleece is caught on thorn bushes. Villagers scour the mountainside for the finest fleece to be used.

                           The Pashmina Goat - image courtesy: kashmir-rose.com

The winter fur that the goat grows is 1/6 the thickness of human hair. It is so fine that it cannot be spun by machines, so the wool is hand-woven into shawls, scarves, wraps, throws and stoles for export worldwide. The workmanship is so intricate and time consuming that some embroidered shawls take 2 to 4 years time to create.

 At Kaarigar we source the finest collection of pashmina directly from the artisans in Kashmir. 

In every shipment we put together we try to include a few items that aren't typically found in Vancouver - a 'Kaarigar Experiment' if you like. More than uniqueness - what we look for is an item with an engaging story that our clients can connect with. On this occasion it's the turn of the humble tiffin. A tiffin, or dabba (DUH-bah), is a simple lunchbox made up of stackable stainless steel compartments. While they're common throughout India, Bombay is where the tiffin has truly left it's mark. In Bombay, a hot meal for your office or school lunch is not seen as a luxury but a necessity. Moreover, Indians are notoriously picky when it comes to food (just ask). Home cooking is king here. This is where the tiffin comes into play. Every weekday morning in Bombay, a delivery system unlike any other on the planet swings into action. The system's goal: pick-up, deliver and then return each lunchbox on-time - a monumental task given the traffic, weather and number of tiffins. The people that take on this challenge are known as dabbawallahs - literally: box-carriers. They make their rounds of Bombay's neighbourhoods after the morning commute, collecting freshly prepared tiffins. Through a combination of bicycles, railway trains, a simple coding system and a handful of sorting checkpoints, the dabbawallahs are able to deliver a hot home-cooked lunch to schools and workplaces across the city. After lunch, the process is reversed and the empty lunchbox is returned home. The most remarkable aspect of the dabbawallah system is its unprecedented success rate - a recent study found that a tiffin is late or goes missing roughly once in every seven-million deliveries. This success rate is even more impressive considering that the dabbawallahs have a low level of literacy and that Bombay has a high level of road congestion. More recently, the system has gained recognition from the international business community and fame from Bollywood (see the movie 'Lunchbox'). Come by and pick out your own piece of this story.

 

The Singing Bowl, also called a Himalayan bowl, is known to be used by Buddhist monks since 600 B.C. It is most commonly known for sound therapy and space clearing, but there are other uses for it. The singing bowl can be used to balance our chakras, reduce stress and even sound massage. 

The sound produced by the singing bowl is that of the AUM –  the absolute. There are two basic ways of playing a Singing Bowl, you can either strike it with the wooden wand for percussive, pulsating tones; or you can encircle the edges repeatedly with the wand for a sustained effect.  Resting the singing bowl upon the palm of your hand will usually enable you to appreciate the experience to a greater depth than placing the bowl on a pad.

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This hilarious article was written by an ​ 

Architect from BaaN, Netherlands who spent two years in Hyderabad.

For the benefit of every Tom, Dick and Harry visiting India and daring to drive on Indian roads, I am offering a few hints for survival. They are applicable to every place in India except Bihar, where life outside a vehicle is only marginally safer.

Indian road rules broadly operate within the domain of karma where you do your best, and leave the results to your insurance company. The hints are as follows:

Do we drive on the left or right of the road?

The answer is "both". Basically you start on the left of the road, unless it is occupied. In that case, go to the right, unless that is also occupied. Then proceed by occupying the next available gap, as in chess. Just trust your instincts, ascertain the direction, and proceed. Adherence to road rules leads to much misery and occasional fatality. Most drivers don't drive, but just aim their vehicles in the intended direction. Don't you get discouraged or underestimate yourself except for a belief in reincarnation, the other drivers are not in any better position.

Don't stop at pedestrian crossings just because some fool wants to cross the road. You may do so only if you enjoy being bumped in the back. Pedestrians have been strictly instructed to cross only when traffic is moving slowly or has come to a dead stop because some minister is in town. Still some idiot may try to wade across, but then, let us not talk ill of the dead.

Blowing your horn is not a sign of protest as in some countries. We horn to express joy, resentment, frustration, romance and bare lust (two brisk blasts), or, just mobilize a dozing cow in the middle of the bazaar.

Keep informative books in the glove compartment. You may read them during traffic jams, while awaiting the chief minister's motorcade, or waiting for the rain ​ ​
waters to recede when over ground traffic meets underground drainage.

Occasionally you might see what looks like a UFO with blinking colored lights and weird sounds emanating from within. This is an illuminated bus, full of happy pilgrims singing bhajans. These pilgrims go at breakneck speed, seeking contact with the Almighty, ​ 
often meeting with success.

Auto Rickshaw (Baby Taxi): The result of a collision between a rickshaw and an automobile, this three-wheeled vehicle works on an external combustion engine that runs on a mixture of kerosene oil and creosote. This triangular vehicle carries iron rods, gas cylinders or passengers three times its weight and dimension, at an unspecified fare. After careful geometric calculations, children are folded and packed into these auto rickshaws until some children in the periphery are not in contact with the vehicle at all. Then their school bags are pushed into the microscopic gaps all round so those minor collisions with other vehicles on the road cause no permanent damage. Of course, the peripheral children are charged half the fare and also learn Newton's laws of motion en route to school. Auto-rickshaw drivers follow the road rules depicted in the film Ben Hur, and are licensed to irritate.

Mopeds: The moped looks like an oil tin on wheels and makes noise like an electric shaver. It runs 30 miles on a teaspoon of petrol and travels at break-bottom speed. As the sides of the road are too rough for a ride, the moped drivers tend to drive in the middle of the road; they would rather drive under heavier vehicles instead of around them and are often "mopped" off the tarmac.

Leaning Tower of Passes: Most bus passengers are given free passes and during rush hours, there is absolute mayhem. There are passengers hanging off other passengers, who in turn hang off the railings and the overloaded bus leans dangerously, defying laws of gravity but obeying laws of surface tension. As drivers get paid for overload (so many Rupees per kg of passenger), no questions are ever asked. Steer clear of these buses by a width of three passengers.

One-way Street: These boards are put up by traffic people to add jest in their otherwise drab lives. Don't stick to the literal meaning and proceed in one direction. In metaphysical terms, it means that you cannot proceed in two directions at once. So drive, as you like, in reverse throughout, if you are the fussy type. Least I sound hypercritical; I must add a positive point also. Rash and fast driving in residential areas has been prevented by providing a "speed breaker"; two for each house.

This mound, incidentally, covers the water and drainage pipes for that residence and is left un tarred for easy identification by the corporation authorities, should they want to recover the pipe for year-end accounting.

Night driving on Indian roads can be an exhilarating experience (for those with the mental makeup of Genghis Khan). In a way, it is like playing Russian roulette, because you do not know who amongst the drivers is loaded. What looks like premature dawn on the horizon turns out to be a truck attempting a speed record. On encountering it, just pull partly into the field adjoining the road until the phenomenon passes. Our roads do not have shoulders, but occasional boulders. Do not blink your lights expecting reciprocation. The only dim thing in the truck is the driver, and with the peg of illicit arrack (alcohol) he has had at the last stop, his total cerebral functions add up to little more than a naught. Truck drivers are the James Bonds of India, and are licensed to kill. Often you may encounter a single powerful beam of light about six feet above the ground. This is not a super motorbike, but a truck approaching you with a single light on, usually the left one. It could be the right one, but never get too close to investigate. You may prove your point posthumously. Of course, all this occurs at night, on the trunk roads. During the daytime, trucks are more visible, except that the drivers will never show any Signal. (And you must watch for the absent signals; they are the greater threat). Only, you will often observe that the cleaner who sits next to the driver, will project his hand and wave hysterically.

This is definitely not to be construed as a signal for a left turn. The waving is just a statement of physical relief on a hot day.

If, after all this, you still want to drive in India, have your lessons between 8 pm and 11 am-when the police have gone home and The citizen is then free to enjoy the 'FREEDOM OF SPEED' enshrined in our constitution.

Having said all this, isn't it true that the accident rate and related deaths are less in India compared to US or other countries!

NAMASTE

Yoga has become widely practiced worldwide. In the United States with growth to more than 20 million people since 2002. According to the U.S. News & World Report in 2015, yoga practice showed more growth than any other natural health therapy   

 The mention of the word "YOGA" conjures up images of super fit people posing in sometimes impossible looking "Asanas". Much of these poses do not exist in the real yoga. You do not have to be able to achieve these fancy poses to be considered a yogi. The core principle of yoga is to align your life to be in harmony with Mother Nature and be a good human being. 

The birth of yoga originally comes from the Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures), which dates back between 4,000 to 5,000 years. Vedic knowledge was passed down from teacher to student through perfect memorization in the way of verses and poems. But it wasn’t until the second century B.C. that a sage named Patanjali outlined what is known today as the Eight Limbs of Yoga. 

 

An Overview of the Eight Limbs (Ashtanga) of Yoga 

 Here’s a brief overview of each of the eight limbs:

1. The Yamas are rules of moral code and include ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), bramacharya (sexual restraint), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness).
2. The Niyamas are rules of personal behavior including saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline or austerity), svadhyaya (spiritual studies), and Ishvara Pranidhana (constant devotion to God).
3. Asana refers to yoga postures but in Patanjali’s initial practice, it referred to mastering the body to sit still for meditation. The practice of yoga asanas came about eight centuries later, which helped disciples ready their bodies for meditation.
4. Pranayama are yoga breathing techniques designed to control prana or vital life force.
5. Pratyahara means withdrawal of the senses.
6. Dharana refers to concentration.
7. Dhyana is the practice of meditation.
8. Samadhi is merging with the divine.

As you can see, Asanas is just one small part of the way of life that has been prescribed. We do not see the 7 other key pillars being either practiced or taught. Try to incorporate these steps into your life and you will feel a sense of contentment.

We are unable to elaborate on each of the 8 Ashtangas here but there is enough information available on the web.

We are vulnerable to unethical marketing especially when it involves a science that is foreign to us. 

Comments/Opinions welcome.


 
 

 

 

We're about to embark on our latest sourcing trip to India, so we thought it'd be a good time to share our top-5 tips for visiting this enchanting country. Traveling through India can be daunting, especially for first-timers. Preparation is a must and we hope these tips prove to be helpful for your first or next visit.

1. Personal Space = Premium Real Estate There is a different understanding of personal space in India. It is, after all, a nation of over a billion people. Accept the fact that public areas such as elevators, queues, sidewalks and public transport will be more crowded than you're probably used to. That being said, don't be afraid to stand your ground when someone is particularly aggressive. A stern look in the right direction should do the trick.
2. There Will Be Noise Another byproduct of one billion inhabitants is noise. Regardless of what your wristwatch is telling you - if you're outside, your ears will know it. Once again, accept that cars will honk, music will blare, people will chatter and shopkeepers will yell. If you're a light sleeper - pack ear plugs. If you dislike loud vendors - pack an iPod too.
3. BARGAIN! Speaking of vendors, it's important to understand that India has a culture of bargaining. Bargaining, not cricket, is the national pastime (yeah I said it). They absolutely love it! Most prices are negotiable, and most prices are intentionally set quite high in anticipation of bargaining. You'll find this happens at street-side kiosks, shops at the mall and everywhere in between. Ask for the price, counter with a much lower figure and settle for something in between.
4. Escape to the Country If the crowds, noise and intense negotiations become overwhelming, it's time to get out of the city. Rural India differs greatly from her urban sister. Life is less hectic here. This is where yoga was born and where Buddha found nirvana. No trip to India is complete without experiencing the tranquility of the her countryside. It also gives you the perfect excuse to hop onboard India's legendary rail system.
5. Watch Your Feet In India, the foot is considered an unclean part of the body. You're expected to remove your shoes when you enter a home or holy place. If you see a doorway with several pairs of shoes placed around it, lose your footwear before proceeding. This means that you're going to need to slip in and out of your shoes regularly. Invest in a shoe or durable sandal that'll make your life a bit easier. Furthermore, be careful of how you use your feet. Simply showing the soles of your feet to someone is considered disrespectful so think before you kick back.

As we've mentioned, preparation is truly the key to a smooth visit to India. There's plenty of helpful information on this subject floating around on the internet so read up and travel safely!