Anthar Dhwani

In this issue, we focus on Coronary Artery Disease - the bane of modern India. The coronavirus epidemic has been the attention-grabber on the health front these past two years worldwide. During this period, however, there has hardly been any attention given to annual mortality rates due to other illnesses. World Heart Day on 29th September 2021 jolted us back to the reality of another major endemic health issue - the spectre of deaths due to heart disease in India. Look at some absolutely frightening facts about the Indian heart disease scenario published recently by highly reputed international journals.

Heart ailments caused more than 2.1 million deaths in India in 2015, about 25% of all deaths. In the prime-years age group of 30-69 years, there were 1.3 million cardiovascular deaths of which 0.9 million were caused by coronary heart disease and 0.4 million by stroke. The studies show adults born after the 1970s being more vulnerable to such deaths than those born earlier, a strong pointer to lifestyle changes. Deaths from heart-related disease among rural Indians have surpassed those among urban Indians due to a combination of poverty, ignorance, and lack of access to quality care. Psychosocial stress has to be added to the known risk factors - dyslipidemias, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, abdominal obesity, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Suitable preventive strategies are required to combat this epidemic.

Swami in His Infinite wisdom has repeatedly been advocating the medical fraternity on how prevention is better than cure. In this issue of AntharDhwani, we bring to you Swami’s Divine Message specifically focussed on cardiac diseases. The Director’s note very lucidly elaborates on this problem and how by Swami’s Grace this is addressed at SSSIHMS, Whitefield through SAI Counselling as a complementary therapy.

We have included five case studies of patients suffering from Coronary Artery Disease treated in SSSIHMS, Whitefield and in the age bracket of 40 - 60 years, a worrisome trend. SAI Tele-Counselling was done for all the patients during their hospital stay and followed up after patients returned to their homes. That psychosocial stress is the underlying cause for virtually all behavioural risk factors becomes very apparent

Jai Sai Ram.

The Editorial Team

(Contact person: Umesh Rao <counsellingblr@sssihms.org.in>)

Swami’s message at the inaugural session of the Second International Symposium on Cardio-vascular

Diseases. 21-1-1994 Prasanthi Nilayam.

Embodiments of Divine Atma! It is essential to observe the principle of moderation in food habits, work and sleep. In fact, moderation is the royal road to happiness. In my opinion, it is the primary responsibility of every individual to prevent becoming a victim of heart disease by regulating his food and other habits. Prevention is better than cure. There will be little room for cardiac ailments if one's food habits are properly controlled and regulated. Human beings consume all sorts of fried and cooked items of food being slaves to the palate. Modern man consumes many artificial foodstuffs and a variety of alcoholic drinks, which are injurious to health. In the entire range of God's creation man alone is endowed with the faculty of discrimination. Man should exercise his discretion and discrimination in regard to food habits

Mental tension is most detrimental to man's health, man should learn the art of controlling his passions and emotions, which cause stresses and strains. It is also essential to keep our minds serene and peaceful while eating food. We should not indulge in discussion of topics that will cause agitation and excitement and disturb our mental peace while we are taking food. Mental tension is responsible for ill-health. We should also avoid viewing TV, video, etc. while eating food, as they may cause mental disturbances. Today there is pollution in everything such as the air we breathe, the water we drink, the sounds that are jarring to the ears and the food we consume. Because of this all-round pollution, man's health is affected. Apart from this, man's mind is also polluted making him susceptible to diseases. Man should make an earnest endeavour to lead a serene and pure life. He should realise the truth that troubles and turmoils are temporary, like passing clouds. There is no scope for agitations to arise if one realises this truth. One who realises this truth will not allow his mind to be swayed by the passions of anger, cruelty, etc. Passions yield only temporary satisfaction but cause serious emotional disturbances.

Hence, it is imperative on the part of man not to yield to any unbecoming passions while taking food. It is not only unbridled passion that damages the health of man. Living on ill-gotten money also causes ill-health to some extent. Living on earnings got by unjust means causes many unknown diseases to take root in us. It is said; ‘As is the food, so is the mind; As is the mind, so are the thoughts; As are the thoughts, so is the conduct; As is the conduct, so is the health’. Man today is a victim of worry. What is the cause of this worry? Lack of contentment is the cause. Worry causes hurry and both together bring about ill-health.

So, Worry, Hurry and Curry (fatty foods) are the root causes of cardiac ailments.

Om Sri Sai Ram

DIRECTOR’S NOTE FOR ANTHARDHWANI – JAN 2022

It has been found that in recent years, cardiovascular diseases, particularly ischaemic heart disease and stroke have become a major cause of death in India. It has also been found that these affect younger people, both men and women, both urban and rural and include all socio-economic groups. This is in contrast to conventional beliefs that these were diseases affecting only older people in more affluent societies.

This situation has imposed a particularly heavy burden on both our patients and our hospitals. While treatment options such as angioplasty, stenting and bypass surgery have become more effective and available, the costs have gone up hugely, making them out of reach of many. Further, the proper information and guidance available to people about what best can be done to avoid these diseases and limit the damage or recurrence after initial treatment is hard to obtain and confusing and many times not practical in a given socio-economic and educational environment.

Towards this, one of the important instructions given is to avoid stress. Yet, the very fact that a sole earning member of the family has to undergo an expensive treatment with an unknown future imposes untold stress on the whole family. The support and guidance needed to obtain the full benefits of the complex treatment given is often not available in an understandable and continuous fashion leading to reduced benefit of treatment in the long run.

The unique approach to this problem at Swami’s hospital where the best possible diagnostic and treatment options are available to all, supported by in-depth and continuous counselling about all aspects of medical, life-style and psychological care, makes for a comprehensive and multidimensional healing plan for such patients.

This immense value addition to the hospital services is recounted by the experiences of our counseling team in this issue of Anthar Dhwani and gives the reader a glimpse into how with the blessings of Bhagawan, comprehensive care of patients affected with the increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases is being conducted.

Food is a Word that connotes a wider variety of 'intakes’. Every experience that is drawn through any of the senses in 'food' has an effect on one's health We say “food for thought”; whatever we see or hear or smell or touch has an effect on the body; good or bad. The sight of blood makes some people faint; or, it may be some bad news, that administers a shock. Allergy is produced by unpleasant smells, or when something intrinsically unwelcome is contacted or tasted. A sound mind ensures a sound body; a sound body ensures a sound mind. The two are interdependent. Health is essential for happiness; happiness or a capacity to be happy, whatever may happen is essential for physical health, too. The food we consume should be tasty, sustaining and pleasant. It should not be too 'hot' or too saltish; there must be a balance and equilibrium maintained. It should not arouse or deaden. Raajasik food enrages the emotions; thaamasik food induces sloth and sleep. Saathwik food satisfies but does not inflame the passions or sharpen the emotions.

Swami's Discourse, Prasanthi Nilayam, 16-10-1974 | Sathya Sai Speaks Vol 12 1973-74

Fifty-seven-year-old patient Ibnul Hussain came from a place called Baksar in Bihar. He is a government employee and has a wife and 7 children - 5 sons and 2 daughters. Two of his children, the eldest son and eldest daughter are married. All his children are highly educated. The eldest son is a doctor, the second is a software engineer, the third is a dentist and the fourth is an advocate, His fifth son and the youngest daughter are pursuing MBBS. The patient is a devout Muslim and very spiritual. He reads the Koran every day and visits the masjid every Friday. He has no addictions. Poetry, composing poems is his favourite hobby and his main passion since he was a teenager. He is an Urdu Poet, writes ‘shayaris’ (poems) sharing them with like-minded friends virtually every evening. He also participates in ‘mushairas’ (poetry recitals in social functions) and is also a ‘ghazal’ (rhyming couplets set to music) singer in functions.

He came from an extremely poor family, struggled to become a graduate and was happy when he landed a Government job that ensured security. His job involved considerable fieldwork that kept him very active and with his gregarious nature, he got on very well with his colleagues and has a wide circle of friends. He got married soon after getting the job and is fortunate to have a very supportive wife. They were blessed with a large family and his children have always been obedient and loving reflecting their excellent parenting. His dream was to educate all his children and he has worked very hard to achieve this. It is Allah’s Grace that all his children are intelligent and smart, he said. He’s a very compassionate and loving person and is a member of a charitable Trust where they look after more than 100 widows who have been deserted by their families and are left to fend for themselves.

While he was generally content with his life, the irregular after-work habits that he enjoyed of poem recitals with friends combined with constant anxiety to ensure his children’s education started eventually taking a toll on his health as he moved into his forties. In hindsight, the patient admitted his heart problem could be related to his lifestyle. His sleeping and eating times were extremely erratic. He worked from morning to evening at his office and most evenings would rush off to attend his ‘Shayari’ or ‘Mushaira’ sessions or programs, eat oily food for dinner, arrive home very late and go to sleep. His family tolerated this since they appreciated his talent and were aware of how much it meant to him. He has been suffering from BP for many years and has recently found out he is diabetic too.

In 2015 when the patient was 41 years old he experienced heaviness in his chest which he initially ignored. But soon he could not walk much as he would feel extremely fatigued which led to using vehicles all the time, even for short distances. Somehow he lived with this for three years and in 2018, he started feeling very restless and uneasy when he decided to go to Patna for a checkup. The doctor revealed that he had four blocks in his heart, one being a serious issue. The doctor advised him to go through surgery immediately. Due to money constraints and not taking this heart issue seriously enough, he decided to manage with medicines as prescribed by his doctor. In 2021, the doctor warned him again about the necessity of heart surgery for his illness. By God’s Grace, he learnt from friends about Swami’s free hospital in Bangalore and came here to our hospital with his youngest son Murshid as his attender and was admitted on 12/11/21. After undergoing all tests he was posted for surgery and a CABG was performed successfully on 15/11/21 and the patient was discharged on 20/11/21.

During the pre-surgery period, the counsellor was able to contact only the attender, the patient’s son Murshid from whom she was able to gather most of the information about the patient narrated above. The counsellor taught Murshid the BRMC therapy for stress relief, which he found relaxing, and asked him to teach his father the same, not knowing whether she would get a chance to teach the patient directly.

At this juncture, Murshid told the counsellor that his father was very relaxed, and seeing other patients in the ward, being a compassionate person, he took permission to recite some of his poems (shayaris). He said everyone enjoyed them including the staff who said they had never seen a patient waiting for major heart surgery in such a positive frame of mind. Murshid shared a picture of this which is shown here.

Subsequently, the counsellor had several Tele conversations with the patient and learnt more about the patient as included above. She taught him the BRMC exercise which he has found very relaxing and helps him in controlling his mind to make the lifestyle changes especially regarding his food and sleep habits as advised in our hospital. The counsellor explained the contents of his discharge summary and told him to follow the doctor's medical advice strictly, which he says his doctor son also ensures to keep his BP and diabetes under control. He is very touched by Swami’s immense love for humanity and the free service provided. He is very grateful to the doctors, the staff and the counsellor for the love with which they carry out their duties, and interact with him and his family. Another service activity that has touched him and his family is the visit of Sai Seva Dal volunteers from the Bihar State Sathya Sai Organisation to their home as part of the Sai Rehab program. He has shared a photo of this visit. He has also proudly shared a photo of himself with his sons and a close family friend taken very recently after his return home. Truly the story of patient Ibnul Hussain is very unusual wherein his faith in God, his love for his family and his rejuvenated courage and determination are giving him a second life, for which he is deeply indebted to Swami for making this happen.

Jai Sai Ram........................................................................................................................................................................................

Contributor - Counsellor Aparna, Department of Counselling SSSIHMS, Whitefield.

Sanjay Kumar Malhotra is a fifty-year-old Punjabi who hails from Bihar. He works as a LIC agent, a demanding performance oriented job; he has a family, wife Reena, two teen-aged children, a 16 years old daughter and a 13 years old son. His 78-year-old father and his younger brother are a part of his close-knit family. His wife Reena is his main source of strength and support. He relaxes with his family and goes on outings with them as and when time permits. There has been a family history of heart cases, He lost his mother 25 years back when she was 48 years old. She had high BP and suffered a heart attack and succumbed to the disease. His younger sister too died because of heart illness when she was 35 years old. He is worried because he has high BP and sugar. He is however a vegetarian, conscious of eating healthy and has no addictions.

Sanjay Kumar has tremendous faith in Guru Nanak Devji and in our Swami. When he visited Puttaparthi in 2008 with a group of Sai devotees, his faith in Swami was further reinforced. Things started looking up for him on all fronts and his faith grew. Ever since then the family has been visiting Puttaparthi once a year to show their gratitude to Swami and recharge themselves from His energy. Arati and Pooja are done on a regular basis in his home.

His day begins by doing Pranayama followed by listening to religious songs and in the evening, reads the Gurunanak’s Paat for an hour every evening after which he chants Swamy’s name. He has absolute faith that Swamy will guide him and bless him to sail through all situations.

In 2010 he had first experienced breathlessness and fatigue when he lifted weights or happened to walk fast. He learnt to cope with it by stopping to rest or walking at a slow pace. He was first admitted to Swamy’s Hosp in 2010 when a PTCA was done and a stent was put. He came again in 2011, 2012 for reviews. He practices BRMC twice a week that was taught to him when he visited the hospital in 2010. In 2020, his symptoms started again when he came to our hospital again accompanied by his wife as a caregiver. He was admitted on 24th December 2020 and the doctors decided to do a CABG. This time the counsellor contacted the patient and caregiver telephonically because of Covid restrictions.

Reena when asked how she felt about his heart illness, she confidently said that Swamy has always been showering His grace and Blessings on them, so this too shall pass was her confident answer. Although well-wishers suggested other hospitals for his treatment, he wanted to be treated at Swamy’s hospital only. Sanjay Kumar was confident that Swamy having brought him to His hospital all the way from Bihar would hold his hand. He had totally surrendered to Swamy. He knew that Swamy would show the way. The session concluded with a BRMC session. After the session, he felt as if he had connected to God. He experienced a stillness around him and he looked forward to doing this exercise again and also visualized doing it in a calmer and quieter place to experience the calmness and serenity. The counselling session ended by telling them that she would light the lamp and pray on the day of his surgery.

By-pass surgery was conducted a week later i.e., on 31st Dec 2020. Reena called me just after he was wheeled into the OT, I told her that I would pray for Swamy’s blessings. I asked her to breathe as taught, she felt calmer. She called me again two days later saying that the operation was successful but Sanjay Kumar had lost his voice and couldn’t talk after the surgery. Although the doctors had told her that this happens in 2 out of 100 cases, she was extremely worried. She felt calm when told that she must trust the doctors and that if they have assured her that he will get his voice back, then she should believe that and have faith.

She called again a fortnight later when they were waiting to get the stitches removed, wanting to know if all would be removed at one go. Telling her to trust the doctor’s decision and not worry much reassured her. Reminding her that she had stood as a pillar of strength to her husband up until now, should continue to be confident. This boosted her faith and confidence. They reached home and promptly sent me the Discharge Summary.

A year later, in December 2021, I got a call from Reena. She called up to say that they were planning to come on their yearly trip to Puttaparthi and were wondering if her husband’s review which was scheduled for Apr 2022 could be preponed so that they could coordinate it with his yearly trip. I told her to check with the hospital and gave her the Helpline number.

I also spoke to Sanjay Kumar, he said that by gargling regularly, he got his voice back within two and a half months and added that it was not the gargling, but Swamy’s Grace that helped him come out of that phase.

t of that phase. He does not ride his bike now as advised by the doctors but has an office close by to his house and walks a short distance to work. The risk factors, BP and diabetes are under control. I guided him through a BRMC session the same evening. He requested more sessions every few days.

I feel that every action of Pt Sanjay Kumar is so honest and sincere that he is aware that Swamy is watching his every move, every action and acting according to Swamy’s teachings. A wonderful story of a heart patient and his family fighting coronary arterial disease bravely, facing the odds of family history, changing the patient’s lifestyle to maintain his BP and diabetes under control and above all surrendering themselves to their God.

Jai Sai Ram........................................................................................................................................................................................

Contributor - Counsellor Saroo Annaiah, Department of Counselling SSSIHMS, Whitefield.

Forty-one-year old patient Uttam Saha hails from Kolkata. He is not married and lives with his parents; he has a sister who is married and moved away. He also had an elder brother who met with an accident and passed away in 2007. Uttam recalls that it was as if a storm had struck their lives, which it literally did. Life held no meaning thereafter especially for the parents, particularly the mother. His mother was so grief stricken that, she was mentally affected for a long time and so was his father. Uttam who was barely 27 years old at that time, was trying to settle down with a good job after having graduated from college. He says it was the beginning of his struggle. His father who worked in a cloth shop understandably became erratic in going to work. The whole responsibility of looking after his parents fell on his young shoulders - working as well as taking care of his parents at home. Fortunately, his sister was married by then, and she helped Uttam find a job. Uttam works as a Dental Counsellor in several private dental clinics across Kolkata and in nearby districts.

To make ends meet Uttam had to really slog daily, working long hours to maximise the daily counselling sessions he could do. He virtually ate all his meals outside, typically unhealthy oily, fatty fried foods, returning home late at night. He loved his parents very much and was grateful that they had taken good care of him, given him an education that now enabled him to stand on his own, and by a strange twist of fate the tables were turned - now he had to take care of them. This became a fixation in his mind that he scarcely gave any thought to looking after himself. Unfortunately, to cope with this drudgery he resorted to smoking and drinking but without affecting his work - he was young and could handle it.

Their bad times however had not ended. In 2009 his mother, Lokhi Saha, who still had bottled up her grief within herself, fell seriously ill due to her heart condition and was admitted in a hospital in Kolkata and kept under intensive care and it appeared that the doctors there had given up all hopes of saving her. Looking back Uttam says, strangely this was the turning point in their lives.

He had accompanied his mother to the hospital to be there all the time. She was in the ICU and there were no facilities in the hospital for the patient’s family to stay at night. So Uttam like some others ended up spending the night in a shelter under a tree outside the hospital braving the bitter cold and rain. One night when treatment for his mother seemed to have come to a dead-end, he overheard a conversation in the group there saying that the ‘Bangalore Sai Hospital is very good’. This stuck in his mind but the next morning when he tried to learn more he couldn’t. It seemed like they had vanished! Through his friends, he was able to get more details, got his mother discharged and soon he and his mother landed in Swami’s hospital in Whitefield. It was a totally new experience for them, seemed like a new world had opened up. they were again filled with hope.

His mother, through Swami’s Divine Grace, underwent a PTCA successfully. He vividly remembers, the Doctor who treated his mother was very fond of him and gave him a lot of confidence. It seemed to him that ‘the patients get 90% healed due to the kind behaviour of the Doctors’. They returned home very much relieved and in a happy frame of mind and more importantly their faith in God was restored. In Uttam’s words ‘How he came to know about Swami’s Hospital is a miracle. It was like a Divine calling’

Life’s realities, however, did not change for Uttam. He had been away from work for a considerable time plus the hospital expenses in Kolkata and travel expenses to Bangalore obviously were a financial strain for him and the family. The medicines prescribed in our hospital for his mother after the PTCA procedure would be an additional recurring expense. Uttam’s focus was again back on making ends meet for his family’s welfare and very soon he was fell back into his old unhealthy lifestyle. A decade passed by with no significant happenings except that Uttam entered into his forties with his baggage of cardiac risk factors predominantly his undesirable lifestyle and the psychosocial stress he was burdened with. .

Then the inevitable happened in 2021, Uttam experienced chest pain twice, once mild which he ignored. But during the second attack, which happened at work during one of his dental counselling sessions the pain was severe accompanied by a feeling of numbness in his left side. He was immediately taken to a doctor who administered the right medicine and also took an ECG. He was advised to get an angiogram done which he got done in a private hospital, where it was confirmed that he had two major blocks and several smaller ones in his coronary arteries; he needed surgery. Naturally, this came as a shock to his parents, especially to his father who was very much disturbed since he knew about the illness from his wife’s experience of the same illness

Uttam’s major worry was ‘if something untoward happens to him, there is no one to take care of my aged parents.’ He had already decided that he get the surgery done in Swami’s Hospital in Whitefield.

‘He had complete faith in Swami’s Hospital and the doctors. He knew that whatever decisions doctors take there will be best for him.’ Moreover, the family was also happy because his mother got a new lease of life, after the successful PTCA in 2009 at Swami’s hospital’.

This sudden setback in his life jolted him back to the reality of the consequences of his unhealthy lifestyle. He was aware of the bad habits he had acquired and was not able to shake them off. Now he had no choice and four months prior to coming to our hospital he had quit smoking, taking alcohol and unhealthy foods. Uttam was admitted to our hospital on 24th December 2021, all tests were done and a PTCA procedure, wherein two stents were inserted, was successfully done on 28th December 2021. He was discharged on 29th December 2021 and the lifestyle changes he had to make in addition to adhering to the prescribed medication were explained and emphasised.

After admission both patient Uttam Saha and his father, who had accompanied him as attender were counselled. Pre-surgery anxiety was naturally high especially in the father and hence the counsellor guided them both through the BRMC therapy. They both felt very relaxed after the session. When the Patient was asked if had a favourite deity his candid reply was that for him his mother was God to him and he had developed a deep faith in Sai Baba after Swami had come into their lives in 2009 when everything seemed to be going wrong in their lives.

Post-discharge counselling was done after the patient had returned home. He said he was doing well and through the counsellor had learnt the importance of self-love to take care of himself first so that he can help others, his parents especially to whom he owed so much.

He has resolved to stay away from tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods. His work schedule was still hectic, but he had changed the way he handled his daily routine. Adopting the attitude of ‘work is worship’ he starts the day with a daily 30 minutes walk, followed by 20 minutes of BRMC, eats only healthy foods and does BRMC several times during the day between his work sessions finding it very relaxing and helping him to shed negativity and boost his self-confidence. He returns home contented thanking God and Swami for making this happen.

He offers his heartfelt gratitude to Swami for giving him and his family a new life. He will always be ever grateful to the Doctors and Staff of Swami’s Whitefield hospital,who have and are taking such loving care of him and his family.

Jai Sai Ram........................................................................................................................................................................................

Contributor - Counsellor Sharada, Department of Counselling SSSIHMS, Whitefield.

The last 2 years have not only seen the loss of lives and livelihoods but have also challenged the mental well-being of every grown individual in the world. This case study is representative of the impact of the pandemic on the employees in IT and its auxiliary sectors.

Kishor Thakur is a 45-year old with no history of diabetes, smoking, alcohol or a family history of CAD. He experienced severe chest pain in October 2021. Living in Bangalore, he immediately took an appointment in SSSIHMS Whitefield. Just a couple of months earlier, he was diagnosed with high BP and was taking medicines for the same.

As a recruiter for IT and BPO companies, Kishor’s business was strongly impacted in the last two years. His earnings which are directly related to the number of recruitments he makes went down drastically. His wife, who is a school teacher has been getting half the usual salary for the last 1.5 years.

The degrading financial situation and the future uncertainty became a major cause of stress. This is not a unique situation. As per the CMIE (Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy) survey for the year 2021, it is estimated that 84% of households in India suffered a decline in their income last year. Like many of the city’s IT migrants, he was constantly worried about his siblings and parents who live away in Bijapur, his hometown. Even normal age-related health issues of old parents are magnified in the pandemic situation.

The counsellor got in touch with him a day before his admission into the hospital.

He listened attentively as the counsellor described the power of mental thoughts on the body and fully participated in the BRMC. At the end of the BRMC session, he was overcome by a sense of calmness which was reflected in his voice. He experienced first-hand that no matter what the external situation, his peace of mind was in his hands. The counsellor pointed out the blessings in his life: a supportive wife, a smart 11-year old daughter, good relations with his siblings and parents. The entire world is hit financially due to the pandemic but the situation is slowly improving. She brought out the fine line between concern and overthinking. He understood his negative thoughts impacted not only his health but also that of his loved ones. He took her advice to convert anxious thoughts into prayers, quite well. Maa Tulja Bhavani is his favourite God and he prays daily.

Kishore underwent PTCA on the 19th of November. When the counsellor called him post-discharge, he mentioned that he experienced relief from pain during the procedure with the help of deep breathing and prayers. Also, the discussion on counting blessings, in the previous session, seemed to be bearing fruit. He spoke of the support he received from his extended family with gratitude. His sister came over from Mumbai to attend to him in the hospital as his wife could not take off from work. His mother-in-law also came to help out at home. From his talk, it was clear that he earnestly wanted to adopt a healthier lifestyle. At the mind level, he was moving towards positive thinking, which was noticed by his wife and sister too. Next on his list were exercise and yoga. The counsellor advised him to start the physical activities gradually.

The patient comes from a closely-knit middle-class family in Bijapur. Being a go-getter by nature, Kishore always desired to achieve more. His father owns an automobile repair shop where his brothers started working. But wanting to do something different, Kishore took a loan and started a business. Unfortunately, it went into losses and had to be shut it down. Looking for better opportunities he came to Bangalore with literally nothing in hand; neither money nor contacts. He did not hesitate to try different kinds of jobs to earn a livelihood. He gained experience in electronic product sales, laptop repair and recruiting. At the age of 32, when he felt comfortable financially, he married and settled down in Bangalore. During this time, his parents’ health deteriorated and he stayed connected to them and his siblings. Things were going on well till the pandemic hit the recruitment business.

A month after the PTCA, the counsellor called to check on Kishor. Changes towards a healthy lifestyle had indeed begun. After recovering from the initial weakness, he started walking regularly in a nearby park. Deep breathing and Om chanting are now part of his morning routine. There was a stark difference in his thinking. Earlier he would be burdened by his responsibility towards his parents and brothers who were not financially sound. Now instead of anxiety, there is a sense of acceptance that things are not well all around. There is a sense of hope that new opportunities will show up and he will be able to figure out other ways to earn. When people with disabilities are able to manage, why can’t he? He started going out on his bike for daily errands or with family. Earlier he would get annoyed easily. Now, he talks himself through such situations and is getting mental peace, a top priority. He has been experimenting with deep breathing right at the onset of anger or negative thoughts and finds it effective. The counsellor appreciated his efforts and reminded him that she was available to talk to whenever required.

The greatest disease is the absence of peace. When the mind is peaceful, your body will be healthy.

• - Sathya Sai Baba, 21 September. 1960, Prasanthi Nilayam

There is a popular saying, “Change your thinking, change your life”. This totally resonates with Kishor’s case. With his new mindset, he is certain to take on any uncertainties ahead with ease. As a self-made man, he has found the right tools of meditation and prayers to complement his drive for success. The last time the counsellor spoke, Kishore has taken up a temporary job as an office assistant. He is happy to do any work and is confident of better opportunities ahead.

Jai Sai Ram.................................................................................

Contributor - Counsellor Jaya Tadimeti, Department of Counselling SSSIHMS, Whitefield.

Forty-year-old Patient Mandira Karmakar hails from Purba Midnapore. She lives with her husband and daughter Piyali who is in her early twenties. Mandira is a homemaker. Her husband is a carpenter, who does woodworks with his team executing orders at different places in and around Midnapore. His work keeps him away from home for 2 - 3 weeks every month leaving Mandira alone at home.

This has been her life since her marriage, which happened when she was barely out of her teens. She grew up in a secure environment of a loving mother and other siblings. By nature she is a very sensitive person and gets easily hurt and upset, developing an inferiority complex when after her marriage relatives compared her to her sister who was better-off, and made her feel inferior,. She had a very loving, caring husband and a comfortable home but, it was when he was away on work for days together she was filled with fear and anxiety. This stress kept repeating because of the nature of her husband’s job. When their daughter Piyali came into their lives they were overjoyed. It was their dream to give her the best of education. But this came with a price - her husband had to work harder; consequently, Mandira and her young daughter lived alone for longer times - adding to her stress. The COVID lockdown period in 2020, also added to their worries, as there was a financial crunch. This increased Mandira's fear and anxiety which sooner or later would affect her health. She kept herself busy with housework, looking after her daughter, listening to songs and being very fond of gardening she grows a variety of vegetables and flowers, which she happily spoke about.

Years rapidly passed by; their dream of educating their daughter Piyali was being fulfilled. Piyali is now in her second year of MSc-Microbiology and studies at Barashat West Bengal State University. She is a merit student who is pursuing MSC in Micro Biology through Scholarship - all purely due to her parent's dream,encouragement and sacrifice.

Patient Mandira's cardiac symptoms surfaced several years before she came to our hospital in October 2021. She had brief angina episodes during which she experienced a burning sensation in her throat and chest, as typical in women. She consulted several doctors in Burdwan, ECG done but they were unable to detect any cardiac problem and treated it as a gastric issue with antacid tablets. In 2019 she was found to be hypertensive and prescribed BP medication. Her condition was gradually deteriorating and in January 2021 her angina episodes increased with burning sensation in the throat, chest pain accompanied by breathlessness after walking only for five minutes. Fortunately they were aware of Swami’s hospital in Whitefield since her brother’s child had been treated here for a CHD problem. Patient Mandira along with her daughter Piyali, now 20 years old, as attender, came here in October 2021.

She was admitted on 26th October 2021 and all tests were done including a CAG, which revealed four blocks. On learning this and that a major operation was required the patient and the family were in a state of shock. They least expected it to be so serious. She underwent a CABG operation successfully on 28th October 2021 and discharged on 2nd November 2021.

During their hospital stay the counsellor was able to counsel only the attender, patient’s daughter Piyali who was very communicative; the patient was very busy with the various tests being conducted. The counsellor reassured the family through Piyali that they were fortunate and it was really their faith in God and Swami that had guided them here. They were in the best of care, the doctors and the staff would do what was best for Mandira.

Meanwhile the counsellor would also help reduce the stress in their minds. Piyali was taught the BRMC therapy from which she benefitted a lot and in turn taught the same to her mother. Their pre-surgery anxiety went away and both felt peaceful and relaxed. Incidentally while the patient was taken into the OT for surgery, which would be a long one, Piyali had to take her MSC 2nd year test online.

As she was stressed, she reached out to the counsellor. Reassurance, BRMC and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa helped her to regain calmness and inner-strength; she was able to take her exam confidently. After being discharged the patient had a review in the Casuality section of the hospital on 10th November 2021, following which they left for home.

When she and her daughter returned home happy and relieved, her husband and her family who were equally relieved received them with warmth and had made all arrangements for her to stay with her mother, her brother and sister-in-law’s home to recuperate and take rest. Her sister-in-law who is indebted to Swami for having taken her son under His care also at the Whitefield hospital felt that her prayer to be able to render some Seva had been answered. She had experienced this at our hospital and now she could take care of Mandira and her family with the same loving care. Piyali their loving and very responsible daughter has returned to her college and hostel in a different town to resume her studies. She has made appropriate arrangements for patient Mandira to visit a local doctor to guide her as per our hospital’s Discharge Summary advice and advise her when she had any discomfort.

Mandira is looking forward to return to our hospital for her review on 5th February 2022. Her husband has returned very much relieved to their home in Burdwan to resume his work. The counsellor was able to have a counselling session with him for which he was grateful to Swami that Swami’s hospital was providing such loving care even to the Patient’s family. Mandira’s wish is to recover fast and return to her home and garden.

She loved the ambience and is in awe of the Sai Baba Hospital and deeply moved by the care and warmth she experienced in the hospital. She prays to Maa Lokhi, Maa durga and Maa Manasa regularly. She chants the Hanuman Chalisa and would visit the Hanuman temple regularly. Mandira, her daughter and the entire family were very happy to learn the BRMC and practice it regularly which relaxes and gives them a lot of peace. She says that for her, there is no one except God and has a lot of faith in and gratitude for Swami, the Doctors and staff of the Hospital.

Truly an awe-inspiring patient story of God’s Love and Grace and how healing happened not only of the patient but of the entire family at Swami’s unique ‘Temple of Healing’ in Whitefield.

Jai Sai Ram........................................................................................................................................................................................

Contributor - Counsellor Sharada Gopinath, Department of Counselling SSSIHMS, Whitefield.

SAI Counselling - A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE EXUDING LOVE

"Live with Love, Move with Love, Speak with love, Think with love, Act with love. This is the most fruitful spiritual practice". - Sathya Sai Baba.

“Coronary Artery Disease can be prevented by addressing behavioural risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity and harmful use of

alcohol. It is important to detect coronary artery disease as early as possible so that management with counselling and medicines can begin. The effects of behavioural risk factors may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight and obesity. Cessation of tobacco use, reduction of salt in the diet, eating more fruit and vegetables, regular physical activity and avoiding harmful use of alcohol have been shown to reduce the risk of Coronary Artery Disease” - World Health Organisation/Fact sheets/CardioVascular Diseases.

The SAI (Spirituality Awareness Integration) Counselling program at SSSIHMS, Whitefield - is a standard protocol for all in-patients. It addresses the emotional needs and fosters the inherent spirituality of the patient thereby complementing the primary medical role of the doctors and other medical staff in treating the patient’s illness.

SAI Counselling leverages the faith in ‘their God’ that patients inherently have ( research shows that 97% of Indians of all religions across diverse socioeconomic levels believe in God), to help assuage their fears and anxieties when confronted with life-threatening illnesses such as a heart attack or stroke.

The innate human values are the bedrock of SAI Counselling. SATHYA - Genuine interest in knowing and understanding the patient, the person, behind the illness. DHARMA -Maintaining confidentiality, distance and boundaries with patient and family. SHANTI -Creating an awareness in the patient of the inner space within to contemplate and realise the inner strength and peace within. PREMA - Active listening with empathy and unconditional love which builds trust and thereby helps the patients in unburdening and sharing deep seated anxieties and fears. AHIMSA - Caring by being sensitive to the patient’s beliefs, feelings and sentiments thereby paving the way towards building a trusting bond.

The BRMC - Body Relaxation and Mind Cleansing through prayer to the ‘God of Your Choice’ - therapy administered to patients in their own languages by the SAI Counsellors is a Divine manna, a tonic for the Mind that patients and their family attenders experience as a calming balm for their agitated minds during their hospital stay. When practiced regularly after they return home it helps the patients in overcoming the behavioural risk factors the doctors have advised them to control. SAI Tele-Counselling has enabled the SAI Counsellors to administer BRMC therapy to patients and their families in their homes and in their language to enhance their well-being and bring peace and happiness in their lives.

“There is only one language, the language of the heart”. - Baba.

Jai Sai Ram.........................................................................................................................................

Contributors - Gita Umesh, HOD and Umesh Rao, Senior Consultant and Mentor, Department of Counselling SSSIHMS, Whitefield.

Layout design - Sailatha Bopanna Aiyappa

Pictures used on the covers and contents page

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