MEDITATION: WINNING OVER THE TURBULENT MIND AND SELF

There are various forms of meditations as per the traditions of the great masters or Gurus. These traditions though, differ from each other, yet they have the common goal of making the practitioners’ mind and body calm, healthy and help in opening up the paths to spirituality. If done correctly and regularly, meditation can be a real blessing for the learners. Now, consider the following reasons before you actually decide to start your meditation mission.

(1) Though the mainstream meditation traditions come from the sages and saints of Hinduism and Buddhism, in itself, meditation is free from religions and rituals, as it has been perfected for the benefit of the mankind, in general; just like Ayurveda (plants and natural elements based healing/treatment system), Pranayama (breathing techniques) or Yogasana (Yogic postures). With this universal appeal, meditation can safely be practiced by all; as a well proven, scientific, natural, and neutral system to promote well-being and healing. Above all,the system of meditation is resilient enough and can be adapted to certain specific requirements of the students and practitioners of all backgrounds, by keeping the core principles, intact.

THE ECSTASY OF GARDENING

By utilizing the available vacant land patches in our houses, it is possible to create greenery aplenty, just in our spare times and without much expenditure. Above all, owning a salubrious home garden, bristling with vibrant fruit and flower bearing plants with lush foliage can, in itself, be a unique spiritual-worldly experience, per se. It can be an extension of the world of our own, where we can create, recreate, experiment and give shape to the sacred space we want; that is much intimate, familiar, natural and private or personal. A home garden, when developed with care and consideration, can be a pride possession and a place of natural beauty in the locality. Even in a thick urban jungle of steel and concrete, and while pursuing a very busy life; we still can have the luxury of living side by side with nature, naturally. 

SHUN STRESS AND BRACE SUCCESS

Low amount of stress is good for a healthy body and mind. However, excess and prolonged stressful situations can be highly detrimental to a person’s overall well-being. It can act as the triggers to a host of pathological conditions and at times, may lead to many unexplainable complex psychosomatic disorders requiring medical attention. Before it is too late to handle stress, from the beginning, it is better to recognize its sources and take appropriate measures to minimize or contain it. Since stressful conditions are likely to drain our energy and throw us into utter disarray, blurring our capacity of judgment; immediate precautions are called for to resolve the conflicts; personally or if required, with the help of others. It is all about reaching out ‘soon’ to the right persons; friends, family members, well-wishers, near and dear ones, or professional counselors, etc. to get out of the vicious grips of stress and be in charge. 

YOU ARE YOUR OWN GURU!

A fruitful and desirable life is achievable only when we are ready to receive and seek it in our consciousness. It is a state where we have optimum health, abundant mental peace, absolute security, plenty of material sufficiency, spiraling spiritual enlightenment, total inclusiveness; without any extremes of purposes.

Realize and know that you are born with a divine purpose. Each and every human being is unique, having infinite potentials to grow. It is a self discovery, a journey to unfold. Life is precious, yet short and we need to finish our mission, in a manner that is fulfilling and in harmony with each element of our surrounding. It is to achieve a completeness, which is satisfying till the next moment, with no regrets; a life well lived and enjoyed to the core.

THE PATHS OF YOGA

Through yoga, one can attain perfect health and happiness. Depending on one’s need and aim, different asana (body posture), pranayama (breathing harmonization), bandha and mudra (neuro-muscular locking), kriya (cleansing of body toxin), sithilikarana (loosening of body and mind) and dhyana (meditation) can be safely practiced for an overall development at the realm of physical, mental, intellectual, emotional and spiritual planes. In the beginning, yoga should be practiced, most preferably first, under the expert guidance and supervision of a qualified acharya (teacher or guru) and thereafter, one can continue personally. The practitioner of yoga should develop purity in his/her ahara (food and drink), vihara (living and lifestyle), vichara (thought and reasoning) and charitra (character) to adequately prepare himself/herself to enter into the all compassionate, serene, beautiful and tranquil kingdom of divinity, in attending higher consciousness. To do yoga, one need not become an ascetic but can still gain individual fulfillment as an ordinary person with worldly responsibilities.
Here, pure food and drink simply means a balanced, nutritious, natural vegetarian diet necessary for nourishing the body and mind that sustains yet does not stimulates or decays the infinite cells in us. One should also completely stop smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol and stay away from any type of psychotropic narcotics or substances to enable the body to regain and maintain its inner equilibrium and osmosis. Apart from this, the students of yoga is required to adopt to a non-hectic and uncomplicated yet active, productive and meaningful life and living that is fulfilling and satisfying. Whatever type of work one does, it should be in harmony with his/her own self and be meant for the betterment of others (at least a part of it). It must not violate the rights of others and has to remain in agreement with nature and environment and the larger society. Further, a practitioner’s lifestyle should be bereft of naked exhibitionism, greed and selfishness. It is a lifestyle that is moral and good that is capable of generating of abundance for all, driven by equanimity and empathy. The thought of the practitioner of yoga should be always positive and affirmative—even under trying or difficult conditions devoid of conflict and contradiction. It should have absolutely no propensity to cause harm to others as intention or be destructive as action carried out consciously. He/she should neither get provoked nor has the quality to provoke others since calm and poise is his/her forte. The thought of the practitioner needs to be progressive based on truth and justice as against regression or defeat. His/her thinking is always meant to promote goodwill, peace, tranquility, health, self-realization, god-consciousness, spiritualism.
The entire life of the practitioner of yoga rests on moderation in everything—whether it is food or drink, work, life and living, or thought. He is neither gripped by sorrow, failure, loss, misfortune or death nor is lured by the mundane gains knowing fully about their impermanency for he/she is exalted.

SLEEP, YOU MUST

In order to have optimum health, it is essential to sleep well. People deprived of quality sleep may suffer from a host of ailments related to the nervous system and heart, though not limited to it. If corrective measures are not taken, it ultimately affects the overall behavour of the sleep deprived person and his/her interpersonal relations with others.
In today’s hectic world it is common for most of us to experience tension of various kind that plays havoc and shatters our inner peace and tranquility. Such conditions in turn may precipitate sleeplessness that in turn weakens us further to deal with the exigencies of life. The vicious process renders us a wreck. However, it is a situation that can be handled with ease, if we are ready to face the problem as per the principle of nature and not by further drifting away from it. Except in severe conditions of sleep disorder where medical attention is required, it is possible to tackle the problem by some time tested yogic methods/techniques and by developing a positive bent of mind and life style. It is important to remember that swallowing of sleeping pills or indulgence in addiction are no answers to it, rather they may actually lead us to a trap far away from the expected cure.
Sleep disorders are the consequences that arise from high blood pressure, tension, anger, negative thought, insecurity, violent thought and action, addiction, indigestion and gas, or psycho-somatic pain, etc. As far as possible the affected person should try to bring in the desired changes or seek help to reverse the impediments.
It is best to remain engaged in meaningful work during the day that is not conflicting. It will help one to block the negative thought processes and reduce tension. Since foods are also the contributing factors of sleep deprivation, it is better to avoid non-vegetarian and spicy foods as far as possible. Vegetarian foods when taken without additional salt, sugar or spices can act as beneficial to the body and hence it promotes better sleep. It is helpful if the supper is light and taken at least one hour before the usual time of our going to bed. Intake of caffeine and other intoxicants should be either totally discontinued or reduced to a considerable extent since it interferes with the normal sleep cycle in us.
Before one sleeps it is good to pray for a while thanking the divine power for the bounties of life. One should also sleep and get up at the appointed time and not try to violate it. The sleeping room should be well ventilated and free from the clutters. Since the electrical and electronic gadgets and devices interfere with our normal sleep process, the bedroom need not be the jam-packed with such things.
Yogic Asanas such as Surya Namaskar, Padahastasana, Bajrasana, Makarasana, Sarbangasana, Matsyasana, Sabasana and Meditation if practiced regularly would promote good quality sleep in us. One can learn these Asanasa and any one form of meditation from an expert or Guru and do it at home. Lastly, if you still can not sleep try this for sure cure: LOVE HARD AND LABOUR HARD!