Lockdown Thoughts Feat. Bharat Ranka

Different is the good and different is the pleasant, they both, having different aims, He, who chooses for himself the good, comes to wellbeing, he, who chooses the pleasant, loses the goal. The good and the pleasant approach the human, The wise man, pondering over both, distinguishes them; The wise one chooses the good over the pleasant, The fool, acquisitive and craving, chooses the pleasant . — Yama, Katha Upanishad. Wisdom for the ages, wisdom from the sages. Wisdom deciphered straight from the upanishads. The Katha Upanishad has done an exemplary service to humanity by decoding the nature of the choices that are presented to us humans, the choices we tend to make more often than not & their implications on our life, fortunes and destiny. Needless to say, the good choice asks for sacrifice, will power, pain and patience, but it promises to bestow upon the practitioner peace of mind, material prosperity & the privilege of a good life in the long run. But the common man is blinded by the seduction of all things pleasant. Hence choosing momentary satisfaction and instant gratification, a human chases one pleasant choice after another. And that is where the vicious loop begins. The humans of the 21st century, have a not so straight forward task on their hands. To choose between Good & Pleasant, choose between drugs & penance, choose between lust & love, choose between hard work & laziness, choose between herd mentality & individuality. The choice is ours to make and the consequences are ours to live with.

According to a WHO report, 1 in every 3 Indians are suffering from mild to severe mental health issues. Shocking, isn’t it? Despite all the advancements & development India has made in the last few decades, mental health remains a highly ignored & ill researched topic. Hence all the misconceptions and misunderstanding about the concept & it’s possible treatments. All this & a weak support system for mental health victims, make Mental Health a huge TABOO topic in India. Through a series of 3 talks on the topic, What’s Driving India Mad will expose the taboo of mental health, the role of a patient and their family & friends in recovery, the stigma attached to the condition, possible therapies & sustaining mental health for the long term. As we move into bigger homes & drive in plush cars, why are we loosing our peace of mind & sanity? In a country of a 1.3 billion people with immense potential and power, we need to find out, What’s Driving India Mad?

When did a nation obsessed with just academics start taking fitness seriously? Tracing the roots of the fitness revolution in India, Ep.2 of Lockdown Thoughts, decodes how it all began through a bird’s eye view of the evolving sports & fitness culture in the country. From MS Dhoni’s flash of strategic brilliance to play the fittest 11 to saluting India’s champion sportswomen like Mary Kom, PV Sindhu and more. The podcast offers a perspective on how the common man in India started taking fitness seriously when they got influenced by their Demi gods like celebrities and sports personalities going the fitness way.

I have some thoughts to share. Thoughts you d want to hear, thoughts you would rather to turn a deaf ear to. Thoughts you like, thoughts I love! As the world copes with this unprecedented lockdown, our thoughts are all we have got to make an positive impact, from the confines of our homes.