'Thoppukkaranam' is no punishment
Published: 10th November 2008 12:06 AM | Last Updated: 14th May 2012 04:55 PM | A+A A-
Bina Aditya doing Thoppukaranam to teach students of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidyashram, Kilpauk/Pic: Swahilya.
“WHY didn’t you do your math correctly?” the teacher would ask the student and ask him or her to stand outside the class and do sit ups holding the ears as a punishment. The devotee who goes to the temple will also stand before the idol of Ganesha and do the same thing asking pardon for “sins.”
But Thoppukkaranam is no punishment. It is a system of acupressure that energises the brain and keeps the person who practices it, mentally alert and physically active.
Dr. M.N. Sankar, an acupuncture specialist was at the International Auricular Therapy Convention at Shanghai in China in 1999. At a discussion on the pressure points in the ear, he did the Thoppukaranam and the audience followed after him. “Splendid, the organiser said and asked who taught you this. It is in our lifestyle where we do this to pray to god or give punishments, I replied and there was a resounding applause from the audience,” the Doctor narrates, pointing out that Thoppukaranam has now been included in the chapter on auricular therapy.
He explains that crisscrossing the hands to knock gently on the temples is a means of activating the right brain and the left brain and energising the pineal and pituitary glands – the master glands of the body. This leads to mental alertness and physical fitness at one go. The credit of giving a new meaning to this ancient practice goes to the late Pranic Healer from Phillipines, Master Choa Kok Sui. He evolved it as a system of Super Brain Yoga which is now taught in schools at Chennai. Danie Gagne, leader of the Super Brain Yoga project for the Pranic Healing Home, Anna Nagar, has been taking this to schools. It began with the DAV Matriculation and Higher Secondary School in Mogappair where it was done between October and November 2006. It was initially done for the students who were below average, but with the improvement that was seen, it was taken to all students of classes X and XII. She is presently conducting the programme for the Velammal Matriculation School, Mogappair and will do a follow-up for six months. Recently a demonstration was conducted at the Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram. A demonstration was done for the teachers at the Jesse Moses School and soon it will be taken to Chinmaya Vidyalaya and Anna Adarsh School this year. The project is also on at the Sankalp Open School Learning Centre, Anna Nagar.
Danie says that wherever the students take this up, they feel so relaxed and are able to approach their examinations with confidence rather than fear.
The Pranic Healing Home, Anna Nagar is available for guidance to schools and parents who want to help their children with Super Brain Yoga: New No. AC-145, II Avenue Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai – 40, Phone: 2621 3528.
swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com