user: INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Hinduism is both polytheist and monotheist. That means Hindus believe in many gods, but that they are all parts of a single god. This means that Hinduism is both diverse, with an array of gods and rituals, but also united in the belief of a single god.  Hinduism has thousands of gods and many of these gods manifest themselves in different forms. Brahman is the leading god and represents both existence, and non-existence. The three most important manifestations of Brahman are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Roughly speaking, Brahma is the creator god. Vishnu is the responsible for preserving creation. Finally, Shiva is the god of destruction or nonexistence. Mantras are sayings that are repeated to gods, sometimes specific gods, as a way to ask for a specific outcome. You can repeat these mantras to one of the deities at the temple. Verify that the mantra is appropriate for the god to which you are praying. One of the most popular mantras is “OM Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.” Japa is a way to clear your mind by focusing on a holy passage or the name of a god. Instead of asking for something, you are devoting yourself to the truth of what you are saying to accept the wisdom and serenity of mind that comes with it. You should count the repetitions of the mantra with a mala, a string of beads similar to a rosary.  A mala has 108 beads and you should try to do either one full rotation or ten. There is one particularly big bead, known as the head bead. Start at the bead directly after the head bead and roll it around with your thumb every time you repeat the mantra. When you reach the head bead, you have completed a full rotation.   One good pose for performing japa is Padmasana. This is a basic cross-legged position in which you keep your body posture upright and your feet on top of the thigh of your opposite leg.  Face north or east while preforming the japa. Sit on a rug. Do not hurry through the chant. Perform the chant slowly, concentrating on it, timing it with the slow pace of your your breathing. Avoid distractions. Focus intently on the meaning of the mantra. Your goal is to clear your mind. Bhajans are songs that are sung in groups, in front of an image of the deity. You will need to arrive at the temple when the priests are leading a bajan. Sing along with the group.  A bhajan is sung in a group, not alone, so you will need to coordinate with others to perform one.  Temples will typically publicize times on which they will be performing a bhajan. Some will even include records of the bhajan, so that you can practice in advance. Review the website for information.

SUMMARY: Understand Hindu polytheism. Repeat mantras. Perform a japa. Sing bhajans.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: What happened to throw your goal off track? Could it have been prevented? Think about possible solutions you could have put into action, and what their consequences would have been. Were your initial expectations unrealistic? Try discussing your expectations with loved ones and teammates to measure their realism.  If you failed to get an expected promotion at work, ask for a meeting with your supervisor to discuss where you got off track. Wait until you have moved past the first, most emotional stages of disappointment. Come in with some idea of where you may have failed, and with questions for future improvement. If you have failed to find the sort of job you had hoped to find, try reading the online profiles of people who have that job. Do they have a different educational background than you have? More years of experience? Did they enter the workforce at a different time? If you were disappointed in love, ask yourself if you were putting unusual pressure or expectations on your romantic partner. Did you understand how they were feeling throughout the relationship? Did you support their projects and friendships? Once you have worked through the causes of your past disappointment, work on setting a more realistic goal for the future. What would you like to see happen next? What sorts of actions on your part could make success likelier? Check with people you trust to measure the realism of your new goal.  For instance, if you just ran your first half marathon and had hoped to run 7-minute miles, you were probably overly ambitious. Try setting a goal for the next race that is just a little faster than your last time. If you run 10-minute miles, try running 9.7-minute miles. Train toward that time. If your previous goal had been to publish a novel by the end of the year, make your new goal more moderate. Your new goal might be to get feedback on your draft. Sign up for some novel-editing workshops, or hire a freelance editor or writing coach. Strike a balance between optimistic thinking and realistic planning by practicing mental contrasting. First, imagine your desired goal working out beautifully. Let yourself envision a total success for a few minutes. Next, switch gears and imagine all the obstacles that might arise. Envisioning the obstacles toward achieving reasonable goals can make you feel energized and more capable of tackling said issues. If the goal is unreasonable, however, this exercise is likely to allow you to let go of that wish and instead focus on something more achievable. Recognizing the obstacles between you and your goals should not be considered negative or unhealthy thinking. The exercise of mental contrasting will help you learn not to cling to unobtainable goals or to dwell on what cannot be done. Brainstorm ideas and select the one that seems sturdiest. Use mental contrasting to test the solution out in your head. Ask yourself if you have the resources to put your new plan into place. What new problems are likely to come up? How will you solve them? What needs to be in place before you begin?  Avoid repeating the same mistakes. Your new approach should not include any of the strategies that may have caused your last approach to fail. Create a plan B. Even well-executed approaches can fail due to unforeseen complications. Make sure you re-enter the fray with a solid back-up plan. With your new goal set, and your new plan solidified, set out to achieve your goal. Take the time to reflect on your progress as your steps take effect. Feel free to change your approach. You are learning as you go, and a natural part of this process is to adjust and tweak your approach. Whether you achieve your goal or have to try again, you will have achieved a higher level of resiliency.

SUMMARY: Address the cause of the failure. Set realistic goals. Practice mental contrasting. Change your approach. Try again.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: This is the most important step in healing any illness or injury,  so be sure your body is getting plenty of rest. If necessary, take time from work or school to sleep and allow your back to heal. This will reduce swelling and tension while providing minor relief from the discomfort.  Ice packs can be kept on the area for ten to twenty minute intervals for optimum results. Do this three to four times a day. Follow the ice packs with hot compresses to constrict blood vessels and soothe pain. This will not only bring down inflammation but also aid in reducing pain.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be purchased over the counter and are effective for pain due to minor sciatica. Muscle relaxers can be taken to reduce muscle spasms and pain. Prescription-strength medications, such as oral steroids, may be prescribed by your doctor if nothing else helps. They are an effective option to treat chronic sciatic nerve damage. Low impact exercise and stretching can help to heal the muscle and strengthen it against further damage.  Stretch the piriformis muscle — this muscle is deep in your buttocks under your gluteus maximus and runs parallel to the sciatic nerve — often to relieve tension on the nerve. Participate regularly in low-impact exercise such as water aerobics. This will reduce tension on your joints while encouraging healthy muscle development. Strengthen the muscles of the back and abdomen to create strong support for the sciatic nerve. You can do compound movements or stretches. Avoid siting or standing for long periods of time. This can compress the injured area even more, increasing pain. Instead, try going for walks or laying down.

SUMMARY:

assistant: Rest. Apply ice to the affected area. Take medications to reduce swelling. Stretch the affected muscles.