Though I cannot give any proof of my personal experience with mantras, I feel that mantra has the power to transform a person’s life, provided he/she has complete belief, dedication and discipline in chanting the mantras. The ancient sages and many present-day genuine spiritual leaders are the living proof that mantras work. Though this blog is based on my learnings from various sources, I can say that much of this blog is inspired from Om Swami‘s book “The Hidden Power of Gayatri Mantra”.

The Origin of Mantras

Sages or rishis received or experienced mantras, sacred utterances, in higher states of consciousness. The Sanskrit mantras are derived from the Vedas, a collection of ancient Hindu religious texts regarded as the oldest layer of Sanskrit language literature. People believe that ancient practitioners initially transmitted the Vedas orally from one person to another before Sage Vyas compiled them into texts.

Since there are thousands of mantras in the Vedas, I guess it would be better to take up a mantra that is considered to powerful. Gayatri mantra is considered to be one of the most powerful mantra. As mentioned earlier, this mantra has its origin from one of the vedic texts i.e, the Rig veda.

The Science of Mantras

As mentioned by me earlier, this blog will have many inputs from the book “The Hidden Power of Gayatri Mantra”. The author delves into the science of mantra when he mentions the sentence, “We become the kind of people we surround ourselves with”. The whole premise of meditation, of devotion is based on this alone. In this book, the author provides information on how to invoke a mantra (Gayatri Mantra) and benefit from it. Mantra science is like a wealth that you seek, but the spiritual wealth is already inside you. The question is how to put the already existing wealth to use.

Gayatri Mantra

The versus in Vedas are organized in meters, called chanda in Sanskrit, and Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita “Gayatri Naam Chandasaamaham” ,i.e, of all the Vedic meters I am Gayatri. The meter of Gayatri has many mantras, with Gayatri mantra being the most significant. Although the usual Om Bhur-bhuvah-svah does not start the mantra in the Rig Veda, the recommended complete mantra is as follows:

Om Bhur bhuvah Svah

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi

Dhiyo Yo Nah, Pracodayat

SAVITUR GAYATRI MANTRA

The meaning of mantra as explained by the author, forms the basis of the Gayatri mantra. The meaning is that we are now meditating upon the one who alone is fit to be worshipped. May that divine radiance, that divine energy which is full of light, guide our intellects. May it put our intellects in motion, so we have a certain wealth of wisdom to put to use.

History of Gayatri Mantra

In order to understand the true power and energy of Gayatri mantra, we have to revisit a chapter in ancient history to know the circumstances in which the first sage invoked this mantra.

The valiant king Kaushika who was returning with a large number of troops, came across the hermitage of Sage Vasishtha. They had run out of provisions and dropped into the hermitage to drink water and rest. But to the King’s surprise, Sage Vasishtha arranged a meal for the King and all of his men. It was natural for the King to question the Sage about how he prepared meal for his entire army. To which the Sage replied that he had a wish-fulfilling cow.

Kaushika got thinking. The cow would be better with a king rather than a sage who does not need all the power of the cow. The king decided to take the cow with force since the Sage did not want to give the cow to the king. However, Kaushika and his army of men could not take the cow as they became helpless in front of the Sage Vasishtha’s power of penance. King Vasishtha apologized and left the place with his army.

Kaushika returned to his palace but was burning inside for revenge since he had to apologize in front of his own men. Also, the Sage did not carry a single weapon. He chose to seek the Sage’s power instead of pursuing territorial conquests or ruling. Renouncing everything, he dedicated his life to penance. For many years, he prayed to Lord Shiva and acquired several powerful weapons. Since the Sage Vashistha could not be defeated with even those weapons, Kaushika prayed to Lord Brahma for many years for the Brahmastra, the most potent weapon. Though he received that boon from Brahma, yet he still could not defeat the Sage Vashistha.

The realization:

The king Kaushika accepted his defeat. Then, realization dawned upon him when Vashistha told him the secret. You have been doing all this penance to attain something, but you have forgotten your own attainment: you have not invoked the divinity in you. You are not defined by what you have or what you can do, but by who you are, deep inside you. Listening to this, Kaushika decided not to seek weapons or harbor animosity anymore. He started doing penance not for weapons this time but for the welfare of all sentient beings. With his unrelenting and intense penance, one by one, siddhis and greater powers came to him.

With his inner eye, he had seen the one mantra, the essence of the Vedas, the cause of creation, the one mantra that had the power to pull anyone out of any adversity, that congregation of divine sounds that could help one realize one’s wildest dreams. The only mantra he ever invoked – the Gayatri mantra. The author in his book guides on how to invoke the Gayatri mantra in this age based on his personal experience.

Power of Gayatri mantra

There are many forms of Gayatri, but this one particular form is called Savitur Gayatri , which is derived from the word Savitri , the name of Mother Divine. An important aspect of mantra science is learning its proper use. When you chant mantras, and when the grace of Mother Divine is fully bestowed upon you, you will realize when and how to use it. This wisdom comes after a long time of mantra sadhana. Ultimately, the whole sadhana of Gayatri is to purify yourself. Otherwise, chanting has little meaning at the end of the day. If we fail to purify ourselves internally, then no mantra will ever yield any siddhis or powers. And siddhis will come to you, simply if you are purified.

Ways of Chanting a Mantra

There are four kinds of chanting, which lead to four progressive stages of sound. The first kind of chanting is called vachika , which means audible, verbal; something you speak. In vachika , Gayatri japa would be you chanting out loud, others around you can hear you easily.

The second type of japa is called upanshu – your lips move, and you make only a whispering sound. So it is with upanshu : only somebody who is no more than a few feet away from you can hear you. Upanshu japa is more effective than vachika.

The third kind of chanting is called mansika where you recall the whole mantra in your mind. It can be made more effective by gentle and conscious recollection of your mantra. Imagine that each section of the mantra is falling from the crown of your head one drop at a time: Om bhur-bhuvah svah, drip etc., As per the author who himself is a spiritual leader, says that by chanting mantra this way, your mind will concentrate better and your other thoughts will not intrude. The stillness of the mind is the first requirement for experiencing the Divine in its truest sense, which is when you want to experience the divine energy.

Chanting a mantra is done to not have your prayers answered. You chant a mantra because you want to invoke the divinity within; to gain immense inner strength; to constantly purify yourself.

Forms of Mantra Sadhana

All mantra sadhanas fall into three categories. The first is called nitya karma. Nitya karma is what a seeker does on a regular basis: it is refreshing your mind, practicing what you already know, every day. That, however, does not usually give you the power you may need from mantras for certain accomplishments. For that, there is a different kind of sadhana called naimittika karma. It is something that is done with a specific purpose in mind. Doing naimittika karma entails devoting a certain time for your sadhana. For example, you could say, “I am going to chant this mantra over the next X days, Y number of times in total”. According to the author, what you do during this period of time is what you accumulate for future use.

If you are going to accumulate energy, you also have a great responsibility to not use it just for yourself. It would be ideal to use it with great mindfulness for those to whom you are not connected. Under naimittika karma is a concept called purushcharana ,i.e, invoking a mantra and saving its energy for future use. The author has focused on the namittika karma in his above book. The last and third category is kamya prayoga. When you use a mantra for a certain application that is kamya prayoga.

Gayatri Sadhana

Chanting the Gayatri mantra stimulates the solar channel in your body. The author from his own experience confirms that this mantra generates heat. For, savitur also means sun. Invoking the Gayatri mantra in a structured manner will help you build a reservoir of divine energy. There are many ways to accumulate the energy of the Gayatri mantra in your consciousness. The more you gather, the more you have available for use at a later date. However, not everyone has the time or inclination to undertake a long purushcharana. Irrespective of how little or much you do, the quantity of japa should be the same everyday throughout your purushcharana.

The types of purusharana are as follows:

• Mini invocation of 3-9 days,
• Standard invocation of 40-120 days,
• Extraordinary invocation of 18-24 months
• Grand invocation of 24-32 months

As per the author, any person of any age can do this sadhana with or without initiation. You can start the sadhana on any full moon day either in the morning or at night. The main thing is to be consistent. The idea is to train your mind by doing the same thing at precisely the same time for the same amount of minutes/hours each day for a certain duration.

Please note that purification and other steps are necessary at the beginning of every session. Many mudras or japa handlocks are also used in the sadhana process. Mudras represent a powerful method to aid the flow of energy. The significance of mudras becomes evident from the fact that teachers in the olden days taught them to disciples only after years of practice. Many other mantras are chanted and offerings are also provided during the process.

One can reap the benefits of the sadhana either by following the comprehensive method of 36 steps or the brief method of only 7 steps each day as mentioned in the book. This sadhana is what differentiates an adept from an average seeker.

Further Reading :

• Profound Sayings from Ancient Scriptures for Personal Excellence
• Wisdom of Vedanta for Self Development
• Unlocking the Power Within : A Beginner’s Guide to Chakras
• Harnessing the Transformative Power of Mudras
• Meditation for self growth

Marie Kondo, the author of this book runs an acclaimed consulting business in Tokyo helping clients transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity and inspiration. The author began reading home and lifestyle magazines at five, inspiring her to study tidying seriously from age of fifteen. From the author’s exploration of the art of organizing, she can say with confidence that “A dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming.”

Changing the Thinking

The general assumption, in Japan or any other country, is that tidying doesn’t need to be taught but rather picked up naturally. Many have spent years using ineffective conventional methods, leading to cluttered homes and struggles with storage. Usually, a short time after tidying, the spaces will become a disorganized mess again. This is not due to lack of skills but rather due to lack of awareness and inability to make tidying a regular habit. In other words, the root cause of the problem lies in the mind. The method suggested in this book ,i.e, the Konmari method will help anyone to acquire the right mindset for creating order and become a tidy person.

Awareness about tidying

A person’s awareness and perspective are far more important than any skill at sorting, storing or whatever. In Japan, and I guess even in India people believe that keeping your house clean will bring good luck. Changing lifestyle habits acquired over a span of many years is generally extremely difficult. It is a known fact that people cannot change their habits without first changing their way of thinking. Tidying is just a physical act that can be broadly divided into two kinds: deciding whether or not to dispose of something and deciding where to put it. The author mentions that anyone can do this and achieve perfection.

There is a famous saying that goes as follows; “a messy room equals a messy mind.” When a room becomes cluttered the cause is more than just physical. However, when your room is clean and uncluttered, you have no choice but to examine your inner state. The author suggests that tidying must start with discarding regardless of the personality type. To avoid a negative spiral, grasping the overall volume becomes important. So the author suggests tidying by category and not by place. Once you have put your house in order, tidying will be reduced to the very simple task of putting things back where they belong, which becomes an unconscious habit.

Start with Discarding

As mentioned earlier, there are only two things involved – discarding and deciding where to keep things. Just two, but discarding must come first. Failure to follow the order is one of the reasons many people never make permanent progress. But before starting with discarding, begin by identifying your goal. Think in concrete terms so that you can vividly picture what it would be like to live in a clutter-free ideal lifestyle. Next step is to identify why you want to live like that. Ask yourself “why?” again, for each answer three to five times. As you continue to explore the reasons behind your ideal lifestyle you will come to a simple realization that the whole point in both discarding and keeping things is to be happy. When you find this or any other answer you are ready to move on to the next step of examining what you own.

Rules for discarding and keeping

Regarding the standard to use to decide what to get rid of, the author suggests the best way would be to take each item in one’s hand and ask: “Does this spark joy?” If it does keep it else dispose of it. Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. Before choosing what to keep, collect everything that falls within the same category at one time and lay it in one spot. Then pick each item and see if it sparks joy. Those are the only ones to keep. Dealing with just one category at a time speeds up the tidying process. The best sequence of categories suggested by the author is clothes first, then books, papers, komono (misc), and lastly, mementos. This order has proven to be the most efficient in terms of the level of difficulty for the subsequent task of storing.

The first step is to confront your own stuff. To quietly work away at disposing of your own excess is actually the best way of dealing with a family that doesn’t tidy. This may set off a chain reaction. The best time to start is early morning. To get rid of what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful. When you come across something that you cannot part with, think carefully about its true purpose in your life. If the things have already fulfilled their role, acknowledge their contribution and let them go with gratitude. In the end, all that will remain are the things that you really cherish.

The author found a significant similarity between meditating under a waterfall and tidying. The clear, refreshed feeling gained after standing under a waterfall can be addictive. Similarly with tidying, once you put your space in order, you will be overcome with the urge to do it again.

Tidying by Category

The first step is to check every closet and dresser in the house and gather all your clothes in one spot. At this point, the author advises to start with off-season clothes since it is much easier to apply the simple criterion of whether or not they bring joy. Once you have gotten the knack of choosing what you love for the above category, you can move on to each subcategory of in-season clothing. It seems a waste to get rid of something that is still perfectly usable. In this situation, the author suggests breaking the habit of downgrading clothes that don’t thrill you to lounge wear. It makes far more sense to reinforce a positive self-image by wearing clothes you love.

There are two storage methods for clothes: one is to put them on hangers and hang from a rod and the other is to fold them and put them away in drawers. Just hanging can’t compete with folding for saving space. By neatly folding your clothes, you can solve almost every problem related to storage. Once the laundry is done and ready to be put away, folding seems like extra work, especially as the clothes will be worn again soon anyway. The first step would be to visualize followed by organizing the contents of drawers or cupboards so that you can see where every item is at a glance, just as you can see the spines of the books on your bookshelves.

Clothes

The key is to store things standing up rather than laid flat. However, to store clothes standing, they must be made compact, which means more folds. The number of folds should be adjusted so that the folded clothing when standing on edge, side by side, fits the height of the drawer. Each piece of clothing has its own “sweet spot” where it feels just right – a folded state that best suits that item so that it stands properly. The author shares a secret for maintaining the neatness of closets,i.e, arrange your clothes so that they rise to the right. To do so, hang heavy items ,i.e, heavyweight/lengthy/dark coloured items on the left side of the closet and light items on the right. By category it would be, coats on the far left, followed by dresses, jackets, pants, trousers. But one should not forget to reduce the wardrobe to only those clothes that you really love.

Socks

Folding socks is easier. Place one sock on top of the other and follow the same principles as those for folding clothing. You can adjust the number of folds to achieve the height that best suits the drawer. Store the socks on the edge, just as you did for clothing. It was a common practice to store and unpack seasonal clothes in a year. However, currently, this custom is behind the times. With AC and heater, our homes are less subject to the weather outside. So, the author suggests a few points to keep all our clothes ready to be used year-round, regardless of the season. The trick is not to over categorize. Divide your clothes roughly into “cotton-like” and “wool-like” materials when you put them in the drawer.

Books

In case of books, once you pile all of them, take one by one in your hand and start asking whether you need that book or not. Imagine what it would be like to have a bookshelf filled only with books that you really love. There are situations wherein you bought a book to read long back, but haven’t read it by now or you might have half read. It is far better to read a book that really grabs you right now than one that you left to gather dust for years. Get rid of them today.

Papers

Regarding papers, the author recommends you to dispose of anything that does not fall into the three categories: currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, or must be kept indefinitely. As for the papers to keep, the author suggests them to be organized into 3 categories: needs attention, should be saved (contractual documents), and should be saved(others). In other words, you need only 3 vertical organizers or containers or folders. One should aspire to keep the “needs attention” box empty.

Komono

Unlike clothes or books, sorting and organizing komono or miscellaneous items may seem daunting. The author suggests a basic order for sorting komono to make it simple. The order being ; CDs/DVDs, skin care products, valuables like passport and credit cards, electrical equipment, household supplies, kitchen goods, others. The point here is to take stock of komono and save only those that bring joy. Regarding a komono like the boxes and manuals of electrical appliances, discard or recycle them as soon as you unpack it. Spare bedding takes a lot of room so disposing of them is suggested by the author. Similarly with expensive unused health care items that you never fully utilized.

Sort by category, in the correct order and keep only those things that inspire joy. Do this thoroughly and quickly, all in one go. As you reduce your belongings through the process of tidying, you will come to a point where you suddenly know how much is just right for you. Believe what your heart tells you when you ask, “Does this spark joy?”. If you act on that intuition you will be amazed at how things will begin to connect in your life and the dramatic changes that follow.

Storing to Make Things Shine

In this section the author writes about having a designated spot for each item. Once you choose a place for your things after you finish using them, you can keep your house in order. This results in keeping your space tidy becoming a second nature. It is surprising to see the author mention that she is yet to find a house that lacked sufficient storage space. The real problem is we have more than what we need. The point is to choose your belongings properly which results in the items to fit into your space perfectly. If you live with your family, first clearly define separate storage spaces for each family member. This is the most effective way to keep storage tidy.

Organizing and storage hacks

The author lays out a simple rule for better organizing and storing your things. When you are choosing what to keep, ask your heart; when you are choosing where to store something, ask your house. One more hack on storage is to store your items vertically as much as possible. This applies to books, clothes, papers etc. As for bags, purses and handbags, the best way to store is to first make sets according to the material, size and frequency of use and to store them one inside the other. Regarding the bag in use, the author suggests to empty daily and make a place for the things inside it. Another point for efficient storage is to move all your storage units into your closet. Also refraining from stocking up on things and buying what is needed followed by removing them from their packages immediately is suggested.

Start by removing the product seals from your storage containers. This is absolutely essential, just as you remove the tags from new clothes to welcome them as your personal belonging. By eliminating excess visual information that doesn’t inspire joy, you can make your space much more peaceful and comfortable. Expressing gratitude is an important point that needs to be inculcated towards the happenings in our everyday life. This same rule applies to possessions as well. When you treat your belongings well, they will always respond in kind. Storage, after all, is the sacred act of choosing a home for your belongings.

Tidying Transforms Life

Tidying increases the awareness of what one really likes and as a result daily life becomes more exciting. The author believes tidying is the best way to understand ourselves, more effective than self-analysis or listening to others. Tidying is a way of taking stock that shows us what we really like. The lives of those who tidy thoroughly and completely, in a single shot, are without exception dramatically altered.

Honing your decision-making skills

Tidying means taking each item in your hand, asking yourself whether it sparks joy, and deciding on this basis whether to keep it or not. By repeating this process hundreds and thousands of times, we naturally hone out decision making skills.

When we delve into the reasons for why we can’t let something go, there are only two : an attachment to the past or a fear for the future. These reasons guide your choices in every aspect of your life, including your relationships with people and your job. The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t. However, there are 3 approaches we can take towards our possessions: face them now, face them sometime, or avoid them throughout our life. With confidence and enthusiasm, we can achieve much more. In other words, if you are going to put your house in order do it now.

Opportunity to express gratitude towards your possessions

Life becomes far easier once you know that things will still work out even if you are lacking something. Selecting and discarding one’s possessions is a continuous process of making decisions based on one’s own values that hones one’s decision-making skills. It is by putting one’s own house in order that one’s mindset is changed. Also, tidying is our opportunity to express our appreciation to our home for all it does for us. The author suggests to put our house in order from the perspective of what would make it happy. This smoothens the decision-making process. Getting rid of those things that no longer spark joy, should be a parting ceremony to launch them on a new journey. According to the author, what you part with will return in the same amount when it desires to. Hence while parting it is a good practice to use words like “Thank you for finding me” or “Have a good journey. See you again soon”.

Other positive effects

When our space is clean, we can focus on other important things in our lives without thinking about tidying. We amass material things for the same reason that we eat – to satisfy our craving. The author noticed that when her clients shed excess, their tummies slim down, minds clear, and skin smoothens. The philosophy of Feng-shui is about living in accordance with the rules of nature. The purpose of tidying is also the same ,i.e, to live in the most natural state possible. Hence owning what we love and what we need is the most natural condition. By putting our house in order, we can live in our natural state.

As per the author, things that are cherished shine. True joy resides in the body and possessions of the owner and can’t be concealed. If you truly like something and are proud of it, ignore what others think. There is no greater happiness in life than to be surrounded only by the things you love. The author suggests to pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life. Putting your house in order will help you find the mission that speaks to your heart.

Further Reading :

• Book Review : Getting Things Done
• Book Review : 7 Mindsets for Success, Happiness and Fulfillment
• Rules to Live By to Thrive at Life/Work
• Mind Management Basics
• Book Review : Mindfulness in Plain English

Out of the many chakras in the entire system of chakras, seven chakras are the most prominent. These main seven chakras start from the first chakra, the root chakra (base of the spine), and ends with the crown chakra (top of the head). In the following section, I’ll briefly explain about each chakra, offering essential insights to help you comprehend and balance your energy centers.

Muladhara Chakra / Root Chakra

The Root Chakra also known as the Muladhara Chakra is located at the base of the spine, between the anus and the genitals. Mula means root, adhara means foundation. It is associated with the natural element of earth. This chakra is the lowest of the 7 chakras and is linked to the unconscious mind, where it stores our karma/actions and experiences from past lives. This chakra symbolizes itself with a deep red color.

The positive attributes of the Muladhara Chakra are that you feel grounded, stable, confident, balanced, independent, and strong. When the chakras become blocked or imbalanced, the flow of energy is said to be impeded. Thus resulting in negative qualities like laziness, inertia, self-centredness and domination by one’s physical desires.

Some of the methods to activate your Muladhara chakra are as follows :

• Meditating on the Root Chakra
• Meditating with the Chin mudra (palm facing down)
• Chanting Beej Mantra “LAM” 108 times

Svadhisthana Chakra / Sacral Chakra

The Sacral Chakra is the second of the seven chakras. It is located just below the navel, right in the center of your lower belly. Svadhisthana means “where you are established”. It is associated with the natural element of water. The Muladhara Chakra is the storehouse of our Karmas, however these are activated in Svadhishthana Chakra. Awakening of the this Chakra brings clarity and development of an individual’s personality. The level of consciousness of the this Chakra is the subconscious, the sphere of consciousness that lies between sleeping and waking. This chakra is associated with the colour orange.

A person with an open and balanced Sacral Chakra has the ability to enjoy the senses with discipline and keep their emotions and relationships in balance. When the second chakra is unbalanced, it causes emotional disturbances, reduced creativity, and an obsession with sexual thoughts.

Some of the methods to activate your Muladhara chakra are as follows :

• Meditating on the Sacral Chakra
• Meditating with the Dhyana mudra
• Chanting Beej Mantra “VAM” 108 times

Manipura Chakra / Solar plexus Chakra

The Manipura Chakra is the third of the seven chakras. It is located at the navel and is associated with the natural element of fire. Manipūra means “City of Jewels” where we find the pearls of clarity, wisdom, self-awareness, self-confidence and wellbeing. The colour of this chakra is yellow.

When the mind rests in manipura it becomes still, calm, and poised. Intuition comes online, and passion and willpower are enhanced. It is the center of psychic intuition enabling a vague sense of knowing referred to sometimes as listening to the gut. The imbalance of this chakra usually manifests in the form of low self-confidence, uncontrolled anger and irritation, insecurity, doubt, lack of motivation etc.

Some of the methods to activate your Manipura chakra are as follows :

• Meditating on the Solar plexus Chakra
• Meditating with the Samana mudra
• Chanting Beej Mantra “RAM” 108 times

Anahata Chakra / Heart Chakra

The fourth energy center, driven by the principles of transformation and integration, is said to act as a bridge between the lower and upper chakras. Thus, balancing the material and spiritual aspirations and facilitating our emotional and physical well-being. Contrary to expectations, the heart chakra does not align with the physical heart but is instead positioned at the center of the chest, in line with the heart. In Sanskrit, it goes by the name Anahata, signifying ‘infinite,’ ‘unhurt,’ or ‘boundless,’ and it associates with the element of air or vayu. The color green is linked with this chakra.

When the energy of the Anahata Chakra flows upward towards spiritual consciousness, we express our feelings as Bhakti, embodying pure divine love and devotion. This allows one to experience love in its purest form without any attachment or expectation. However, if our consciousness sinks down to the spheres of worldly passion, our emotions become confused and unbalanced. It is then that desire, jealousy, sadness and despair overwhelm us.

Some of the methods to activate your Anahata chakra are as follows :

• Meditating on the Heart Chakra
• Meditating with Gyan/Jnana mudra (palm facing up)
• Chanting Beej Mantra “YAM” 108 times

Vishuddhi Chakra / Throat Chakra

The vishuddhi chakra, or throat center, governs the element of space. Associated with ‘purification’ or ‘cleansing’, it positions itself near the spine in the neck, with the activation point residing in the pit of the throat. Blue is the colour of this chakra.

Poison in the form of a wrong thought, emotion, idea, energy, or impulse can disturb your life. An active Vishuddhi saves you from all these influences, i.e., whatever happens around you will not have an impact on you anymore. You will be established within yourself. Just as Lord Shiva neither spat the poison out, nor swallowed it, we should not swallow our problems as we harm ourselves through this. However, we should also not spit them out as this can cause another type of problem.

Some of the methods to activate your Vishuddhi chakra are as follows :

• Pranayama techniques like bhramari
• Meditating with the Akasha mudra
• Chanting Beej Mantra “HAM” 108 times

Ajna Chakra / Third eye Chakra

“Ajna” means command or beyond wisdom. This chakra is associated with light, illumination and is located in the centre of the forehead, between the eyebrows. You carry wisdom within you, a “light,” that can brighten your path. When you tap into the Ajna chakra you have a greater awareness of the world around you, and your eyes are truly open. This chakra’s colour is indigo.

When the third eye chakra is in balance, you can tune into and trust your intuition and imagination. Also, you see your life with clarity, self-awareness, and emotional balance. However, when this chakra is out of balance, you may have difficulty seeing the bigger picture. Also, you may feel mentally foggy, anxious, or depressed.

Some of the methods to activate your Ajna chakra are as follows :

• Meditation
• Meditating with Gyan mudra (palm facing up)
• Chanting Beej Mantra “AUM” or “OM” 108 times

Sahasrara Chakra / Crown Chakra

The seventh chakra plays a crucial role in our overall spiritual growth and development. Located at the top of your head, this chakra represents universal consciousness. It influences brain functions, including intelligence, focus, and memory. “Sahasrara” means “thousand-petaled” and represents a thousand-petaled lotus flower. This chakra is violet in colour. It is not associated with any physical element.

A balanced crown chakra means you are spiritually connected. Such people are wise beyond their years, show mastery in life, and broad understanding. A closed off crown chakra may cause one to find the thought of spirituality frightening or unlikely. If this crown chakra lacks energy, learning and evolving intellectually can become challenging.

Some of the methods to activate your Sahasrara chakra are as follows :

• Pranayama techniques like Kapalabhati
• Meditating with the Akasha mudra
• Chanting Beej Mantra “AUM” or “OM” 108 times

In this beginner’s guide to chakras i have just touched upon the basics of chakras. As my understanding of this topic deepens, I look forward to explore and share more insights in the upcoming blog posts.

Further Reading :

• Meditation for self growth
• Beneficial Yoga Exercises That IT Professionals Must Try
• Harnessing the Transformative Power of Mudras
• Spiritual Intelligence : The Current Corporate World Trend
• Sensing the Unseen: An Introduction to the Clair Senses

The human body is the product of the five natural elements or pancha bhuthas. The Earth forms solid structures such as teeth, nails, bones, muscles, skin, tissues, and hair. These give structure and strength to the body. Water forms saliva, urine, semen, blood, and sweat. Fire forms hunger, thirst, sleep, the vision in the eyes and complexion of the skin. Air is responsible for all movement including expansion, contraction, vibration, and suppression. Space is the most subtle of all elements and is present in the hollow cavities of the body in the form of radio frequencies, light radiation, cosmic rays, etc.

When we do a mudra, the life energy flows and helps bring about balance in the elements. This can have a significant effect on how your body and mind feels. There are many mudras which have their own specific benefits. Here i have listed out a few that you can use in your practice.

Gyana Mudra

It is a yoga hand gesture that is performed to concentrate the mind during meditation. Gyana mudra & Meditation thus go hand-in-hand. This mudra of knowledge emphasizes that knowledge comes when the mind is steady and focused. Gyana mudra, also known as Chin mudra, is a powerful mudra that has been practiced for hundreds and thousands of years by yogis and sadhus to achieve peace, tranquillity, spiritual component, and other health benefits. It is the most practised yoga mudra among all.

Your index finger should touch the tips of your thumbs gently while the other fingers are kept straight. Remember to keep your hands and arms relaxed while doing this mudra.

Surya Mudra

Surya mudra is a practical hand gesture for weight loss by increasing the fire element in the body. The fire element is known to improve digestion by boosting the metabolism in the body. Regular practice can significantly aid in fat loss, reduce bad cholesterol, improve vision and so on.

In order to perform this mudra, sit in any comfortable posture. You need to fold the ring finger in such a way that the tip of the ring finger touches the base of the thumb. Cover the ring finger with the thumb and gently press the middle half of the ring finger with the thumb. Though this mudra can be practiced at any time in the day, the ideal time to practice is during sunrise ,i.e, 4AM – 6AM as you can tap into the sun’s energy.

Prana Mudra

Prana mudra is a sacred hand gesture that helps channel the flow of vital life force energy known as Prana during meditation or yoga practice. This mudra is specifically used to balance the elements of earth, water, and fire within the physical body. It excites the root chakra which eventually awakens and energizes the body. With an awakened body, you feel the life in all the organs. This mudra provides several benefits to the physical and mental health.

In order to practice this mudra, practitioner should sit in any comfortable posture with a relaxed mind. The tips of your thumb, ring finger and little finger are joined together keeping the remaining fingers straight, firm and relaxed. When we perform any set of treatment mudras like the surya mudra we will need to perform prana mudra in the end. This energizes all the mudras that we have performed earlier.

Samana Mudra

Samana mudra, also known as Mukula mudra, is one of the best mudras for balancing the five elements within the body. When you bring the fingers together in samana mudra, all elements are given equal importance.and the energy generated if directed to a specific part, you feel instantaneously revitalized. Hence it is beneficial as an effective healing tool.

Bring your little, ring, index and middle finger together and bend it over to touch your thumb. All the fingers should be touching the thumb. You can perform this mudra at the end after performing the prana mudra so as to balance all the five elements.

Dyana Mudra

As the name suggests, Dhyana mudra is the mudra of meditation. This mudra is believed to promote a calm and focused state of mind, enhance concentration and deepen your meditation practice. This mudra helps to deal with negative emotions such as stress, depression, anger, anxiety.

You need to perform this mudra by resting the right hand on top of the left, palms facing up and the thumbs slightly lifted so that the tips touch one another.

In the world of yoga, it is believed that mudras offer their maximum benefits when performed during the Brahma muhurta which is from 4 AM to 6 AM. Practicing each of the gestures for a minimum of 15-20 minutes makes it effective. One needs regular practice to see the results.

It is important to note that this is a complementary therapy that works best in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle strategies. Doing regular yoga with a good yoga guide or teacher, using the correct techniques, regularly performing pranayama and meditation are important to get the most out of yoga mudras.

Further Reading :

• Meditation for self growth
• Beneficial Yoga Exercises That IT Professionals Must Try
• Book Review : Mindfulness in Plain English
• Importance of Morning Routine
• Techniques to Tame the Monkey Mind

The author of this book, Rangan Chatterjee is a physician, television presenter, author and a podcaster. He is best known for his TV show Doctor in the House and has also appeared on BBC TV news and radio.
The author has shared his ideas in this book that have transformed his own and his family’s life. He is confident in saying that the ideas presented in this book have saved hundreds of his patients from a lifetime of pain and medication. The ideas being simple and achievable can be utilized by anyone regardless of your job, food preference and location.

INTRODUCTION

This book is divided into four main pillars that aims at improving the way you Relax, Eat, Move and Sleep. Each pillar is equally important and it is possible to consider each pillar in isolation that needs more attention. The author provides health advice in this book on the basic idea that the human body is one big connected system. If it starts being treated poorly in one area, by bad diet or lack of sleep, problems can emerge in another part of it. The author being a physician says that a symptom in one domain might actually have a cause upstream in an area of the body that the medical training does not tell them to look into.

RELAX

Based on the data of majority of patients, the author says that the majority of health problems are driven entirely by their lifestyle. In this pillar, the physician author orders you to give daily relaxation as high a priority as food, movement and sleep. This most often gets ignored, both by the public and also by the plethora of quick fix health books.

Me-Time Every Day

Every day for at least 15 minutes, be selfish, and enjoy some time for you that does not involve your smartphone, tablet or PC. There are many reasons why these breaks make a difference, among which the principle one is that it helps to switch off your overactive stress response.

The level of the hormone, cortisol surges when we are stressed. Cortisol works by activating our sympathetic nervous system, i.e., our fight or flight response. In the modern lifestyle, this fight or flight response is activated many times in a day. This response can be managed as long as we take steps to balance it out with rest and relaxation.

It is important to remember the term ‘cortisol steal’. More of cortisol will be produced to overcome stress situations in a day. Cortisol steals the LDL cholesterol that is used to produce other hormones as well during long term state of stress. This upsets the hormonal balance.

The Screen Free Sabbath

Use devices in a way that helps you rather than enslaves you. The usage of smartphone has become addictive. We are constantly contactable through calls, emails and texts on our smartphones, coupled with constant noise of social media that we let into our brains. This can be an easy road to stress and depression to anyone. Altering the way you use your smartphone can be the way to reset your relationship with electronic media. Create a digital detox plan such that you are e-device free for a few hours in a day or a whole day in a week. The author provides his plan in the book that is worth going through.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Every night before going to bed make it a point to list out a few things that you are grateful for. Irrespective of whether you had a good day or a bad day, listing out the things at the end of day helps to shift the focus towards positivity.

Practice Stillness Daily

In the modern world, we spend most of our time overwhelmed by calls of attention. Lowering our stress by practicing stillness can have far reaching effects on the rest of our wellness. It can be intimidating for the overactive monkey mind to practice stillness instantly. In order to be good at anything you need to train. Similarly, you have to train your mind to practice stillness. Meditation or mindfulness is about stillness. Start with a minute or two and gradually build up to ten or fifteen mins that would be ideal. In a flow state of stillness, stresses and distractions of everyday ordinary life are blocked and mind is at peak state of focus.

Reclaim Your Dinner Table

As recently as twenty years ago it was common for families to eat their evening meals together. But nowadays most of them have their meals in front of TV, which results in over consumption of food unconsciously. Even the social connection deteriorates. The fix is to sit and eat together to eat healthy and feel closer.

EAT

The huge problem with today’s food culture is the sheer amount of conflicting advice that’s flying about the place. There is no one true diet that’s optimal for everyone. However, the blue zones have been widely studied by nutritional scientists hoping to discover the one true diet. The people in the blue zones are nearly always in good health with much lower rates of chronic diseases. The common diet across the blue zones consists of:

• A non-processed food culture. They eat fresh, unprocessed, local produce.
• Sit and eat meals together.
• They eat what’s in season.
• They have treats only on special festival times and not every day after school, or every Friday or Saturday.

De-normalize Sugar

Our unrelenting habit of sugar consumption sets us on a blood sugar roller coaster. The fix is to get off it completely. If we abuse our system for a long time, our bodies will become resistant to insulin that is helpful to normalize blood sugar levels. Since sugar is absolutely everywhere nowadays it is good to get into the habit of reading the labels of food items for sugar before buying. The strategies to cut down on sugar include some protein in every meal that helps you feeling full and avoids sugar cravings, keep healthy snacks with you readily available. Once you have reset your relationship with sugar start to consume it intentionally.

Microbiome Diversity

As per researchers our gut consists of diverse microbiome capable of adaptation and job share. Over the years our gut populations have been decimated by modern way of living resulting in less diversity than we used to have. As mentioned in this book this is a likely factor for growing rates of chronic ailments. There is a simple way to fix the damaged microbiome with plant-based fiber. In the large intestine or gut, the microbiome feeds on the prebiotic plant-based fiber and produces anti-inflammatory byproducts that helps to improve immunity. We can control the gut bugs and help them to work for us with our food choices. The more the number of coloured vegetables we eat, the more we will get of these incredible compounds called phytonutrients or polyphenols. The physician author’s advice is to start eating 5different types of vegetables each day, different colors the better.

Daily Micro fasts

Our bodies are designed for going without food for certain period of time. But in the modern environment we surrender to the temptations to eat frequently. Having your food in a restricted time window allows your body to enhance its own house cleaning. This process of cleaning or autophagy sets in at about 12 hours of fasting. The benefits include enhanced detox, lower levels of inflammation, improved blood sugar, improved immune function. As per recent studies, our body functions are determined by circadian rhythm. Scheduling an early evening meal or skipping it may be more beneficial than skipping the breakfast.

Drink More Water

The author mentions that many of his patients who complain about tiredness, regularly experience low grade and long-lasting headaches, it turns out that many of them are simply not drinking enough water.
So, he recommends his patients and everyone to drink at least 8 glasses or 1 liter of water every day. Care should be taken not to drink calories in the form of fruit juice or diet drinks. Drinking enough water results in fewer headache, increased energy, reduced craving for sugar and so on.

Unprocess Your Diet

The author mentions that it is a pretty safe bet that any food product that contains more than five ingredients is highly processed. More than low carb or low fat diet the point is to consume good quality fat, carbs and protein diet. The major drivers of inflammation in our bodies is transfat, highly refined carbs and vegetable oil. Real food is minimally processed that reduces inflammation and nurtures a healthy microbiome.

MOVE

As the physician author rightly says, health is so much more than just a comparison of calories in vs energy out. We see the keep fit craze everywhere nowadays. Weight loss is being considered as the goal when infact it should be a natural side effect of living well. Another general thinking is to consider movement and exercise as a separate activity from the rest of our lives when infact it needs to be included as part of our lives.

Walk More

A simple rule to set us in the direction of being more active is to set an arbitrary goal of 10,000 steps a day. The author wants you to start seeing the whole world as a gym so that you start seeing opportunities to make movement an achievable part of your life. The benefits include improved mental wellness, reduced risk of diseases.

Become Stronger

We tend to think of the muscle as nothing more than dumb meat necessary to power our limbs. But the fact is that the muscles control not only how harmones are released into our bodies but also how it is regulated. Our muscle cells contain a high concentration of mitochondria. Mitochondria being our energy factory, the more muscle we have the more mitochondria hence more potential to make energy. Since after the age of 30 we start to lose muscle mass naturally, regular strength training would be a must. The author suggests the readers to choose a strength training of their choice. In the book he provides a workout plan for people with busy lives that needs to be started slowly and built upon later. This strength training includes 5-10 squats, 5-10 calf raises, 5-10 press ups, 5-10 triceps dips and 5-10 lunges.

Begin Regular High Intensity Interval Training

This refers to exercising hard but in short bursts. The difference between HIIT and traditional exercise is that, rather than going non stop for an extended period of time, your workout is sectioned off into lots of smaller sessions. However, in these short sessions you need to go all out, sweat running, heart pumping. The health benefits of HIIT include; weight reduction, getting rid of the dangerous internal visceral fat, increasing mitochondrial numbers and so on. There are a lot of different versions of HIIT, but the author suggests any form of exercise with a period of high intensity movement followed by a period of low intensity movement.

Movement Snacking

As we grow older we no longer run around having fun. This part of our nature that gets repressed with all the responsibilities of the adulthood needs to be replenished. This intervention is focused on fun and play, either at office or at home. The point is to enjoy the workout like playing together, house gym, office workout with team mates. The author has suggested a combination of movements such as 5 triceps dips, 5 star jumps, 5 hand clap lunges, 5 side lunges, 5 desk press ups to be done five days a week. This is a great way of engaging everyone to be active.

Wakeup Your Sleepy Glutes

As per the author we are a generation who have sleepy glute muscles and flat butts due to our sedentary lifestyle. We usually think of our bottoms as something to sit on, but they are one of the most important muscles in the body. A lot of back pain types are associated with sleepy backsides. If they are off they can knock on effects on many other muscles in the body. The solution is to switch on your glutes by following some body stretch exercises. The author has come up with a set of movement exercises with one of the experts in the field of movement mechanics, the movements include; flexing on a step, the hip adduction, foot clocks, 3D hip extension. He suggests to do at least one of these four movements every single day.

SLEEP

As per the author we are in the middle of a sleep deprivation epidemic. However, what sleep researchers find particularly dangerous is that many sleep deprived individuals don’t even realize they are fatigued and their performance impaired. The fact that we spend a third of our entire lives asleep just hints at how critical it is for both our mental and physical well-being. The potential benefits of a good night’s sleep include increased energy, improved concentration, improved immune system function, better memory, reduced stress levels and so on.

Create an Environment of Absolute Darkness

The author provides a simple hack by recommending the environment in which we go to bed needs to be completely dark. Darkness is a signal to our bodies that it is time to rest by triggering the production of melatonin. For a good night sleep, one more important point is to keep your room free of TVs or e-devices. The blue light needs to be avoided, but in unavoidable situations go for red light instead. Sleep deprivation results in increased level of cortisol, increases BP, impairs our body’s ability to regulate sugar.

Embrace Morning Light

The author highlights the importance of exposure to morning light in this intervention. In the earlier intervention it was about managing darkness at night for better sleep, here it is about managing light in the mornings. In terms of values, full sunlight gives us about 30,000 lux, cloudy day gives about 10,000 lux and a brightly lit room gives about 500 lux of exposure to light. The differential between your maximum and minimum light exposure is also important in helping set your body’s rhythms, boost cognitive function, and increase Vitamin D levels.

The retinal photoreceptors in the eye are most sensitive to a short wavelength of light that is available only in the mornings. One of the great things about this intervention is that by going out for a 20-minute morning walk gives you the me time, helps towards 10,000 steps and addresses your current intervention of exposure to natural light.

Create a Bedtime Routine

We all have a master body clock that keeps its time using signals of light and dark. Each function in our body like harmone production, core body temperature, our memory and so on has its own rhythm. All these rhythms combine to form the awe inspiring and beautiful symphony that is the healthy human body. Aside from having a regular sleep time, one way we can support the internal rhythms is by having a constant routine or pathway that leads us towards sleep. The author suggests having a set routine/wind down before going to bed is as important as having a fixed getting up time. The set routine should include no device time before bed as well.

Manage Your Commotion

This intervention is about reducing emotional tension or stimulation in the precious hours before bed. The author suggests minimizing activities like watching thriller movies, arguing, talking about financial aspects, working out, using devices to check email that will raise the emotional tension before bed. However, activities like meditation, breathing exercises and journaling helps.

Enjoy Your Caffeine Before Noon

Caffeine is the world’s most popular drug. It sharpens our senses, and a lot of new research associates caffeine consumption with better health outcomes. However, caffeine is known to be a big sleep disruptor. It blocks the body’s ability to sense adenosine, the chemical that helps to induce sleep. Hence drinking the right amount of caffeine at the right time matters. It is advisable to take caffeine before lunch time, considering the number of hours it takes for its effect to subside.

The author makes a very good statement about change that reads as follows: By making conscious changes to our lifestyle we make unconscious changes to our biology. As mentioned earlier as well, the best medicine for you is you. So, making it happen should be your top priority since about 90% of your health is determined by your environment and not your genes.

Further Reading :

• Book Review : Mindfulness in Plain English
• Beneficial Yoga Exercises That IT Professionals Must Try
• Techniques to Tame the Monkey Mind
• Electromagnetic Field Protection : A must in today’s world
• Boosting Immunity in the times of COVID-19 Virus Pandemic

I personally have tasted some success using vision boards. In this blog I would like to guide the readers on creating a vision board and on how to use it to manifest one’s expectations.

Creating a vision board

The creation of a vision board is a totally personal and customizable activity, so there is no one major rule to do it. However, in order for it be effective there are some points to be noted.

Types of vision board

The only limit to what you can create on a vision board is your imagination. Basically there are the physical and digital type of vision boards. The physical board takes more time and effort to create but can be more impactful, while the digital version is easier to have with you at all times (Example: As your device wallpaper). Under each type you can use different platforms to create the collages. The options available are as follows :

• Physical board : poster board, cork board, foam board, framed display, pin board, metal grids, bullet journals, vision board book etc.
• Digital board : computer, phone, Pinterest or other social media.

Make a list of your goals

Inorder to make your vision a reality, first you must know what your goals are. Spend some time thinking about your goals in the areas of relationships, career and finances, home, travel, personal growth, health. Once the list is ready, think about what you want on the vision board w.r.t each item on your list. You can re-do a vision board whenever you feel it is the right time. In fact as a good practice it is advisable to create a new vision board every 6 to 12 months to be sure its current, inspiring and up to date with your values and priorities.

Gather the materials needed

Once your list of goals is ready, following would be the checklist to put your vision board together.

• Platform to create the physical or digital vision board
• Tape, pins, scissors, glue to put your board together
• Images picked from online search/magazines that represent the experiences, feelings and emotions that you wish for
• Affirmations, Inspirational words, Quotes & Thoughts
• Make time to put the whole board together and Keep it clean

Creating an impact with vision boards

The more you surround yourself and your mind with the things you want to experience, the more you’ll actually get to experience the very same things in your life. This is so perfectly put in the adage: Energy goes where attention flows. Many experts believe that our subconscious is more powerful than the conscious mind. You can program the subconscious and unconscious part of the mind by putting in images, words and affirmations on a constant basis. This can be made possible by positioning your vision board at a place where you see it frequently.

Below are a few of the points that needs to be kept in mind in order to maximize the impact of vision boards.

• In addition to looking at the vision boards, clearly visualize yourself living the life represented by the images on your vision board.
• Read your daily affirmation, inspirational words aloud and feel it.
• Believe that you are already living the future that you have designed.
• Be grateful that the future is already present in your life. Recognize any goals that you have already achieved.
• Remember to look at it just before going to bed and first thing upon rising. This is the time when the transition to different states of mind happen automatically, hence the effect will be more.

Nothing changes in life until and unless you put your plan into action. In order to reach your goals, along with the vision board you need to break your goals into manageable actions so that you can see your progress in real-time and ultimately the final result.

Further Reading :

• Meditation for self growth
• Mind Management Basics
• Profound Sayings from Ancient Scriptures for Personal Excellence
• Powerful Quotes to Bring Out the Best in You
• Rules to Live By to Thrive at Life/Work

“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”

Bryan Dyson

Prioritize Health

One of the famous proverb “Health is wealth” tells us that one’s health is the greatest wealth. The definition of health is a state of a person’s physical, mental and social well-being. In this materialistic world, there is an increasing lust to earn more and more thus ignoring health. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not difficult if you make small changes as follows;

• Going early to bed and getting up early in the morning.
• Morning routine activities like exercises, yoga & meditation.
• Having a healthy breakfast and a light dinner.
• Being less sedentary at work.
• Monitoring weight regularly.

One more point to note is that as we age, preventive care becomes more important. Preventive care means catching potential problems before they become real problems. This includes annual health check up, vaccinations etc.,

Family First

As per one of the famous quote, “Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter”. As we were growing up, our families provided us with the foundation to accomplish our goals. Also it was our families that was with us during the ups and downs of life. Time spent with friends and family is as important as time at work. Also it is important not to get too much involved in your job. At the end of day you need to know that the purpose of your job is to provide a good life for you and your family.

Credibility is the King

Credibility is the quality of being trusted and believed in. Be it in life or work, credibility reflects your values and abilities. One of the famous quote, “Bullshit can get you to the top, but does not let you stay there” tells us that you may fool people for a while but it won’t last forever. Credibility is developed by constant and consistent demonstrated action. If you have credibility you will influence people to listen to you.

Continuous Learning

Continuous learning is a self motivated persistence in acquiring knowledge and competencies over time. This helps in your personal and professional development, thus opening doors to new opportunities and helps achieve your full potential. In this era of rapid technological advancements, you will be left behind if you do not update your skills regularly. On the personal front as well, if you want to bring out the best version of yourself you need to have the learning attitude, be it through online courses, books or life situations. The famous quote, “Don’t go through life, grow through life” tells us to develop the learning attitude in-order to become a better person.

Conscious Living

According to neuroscientists, just 5% of our cognitive activities is consciously done whereas the remaining 95% is performed without us being conscious of them. In other words, we are in the autopilot mode most of the time, wherein we are driven by our minds. Our personality today is a result of our bring up and the surroundings. If we want to change our lives for better we need to change our thoughts. The first step is to start becoming conscious of our unconscious thoughts, notice how we act & feel. For this, there are various tools available that helps to raise the consciousness. A quote from one of the famous mystics, “Handling your life consciously will determine the nature, context and quality of your life” tells us that being conscious can transform your life.

Further Reading :

• Meditation for self growth
• Importance of Morning Routine
• Mindfulness in the Workplace
• Techniques to Tame the Monkey Mind
• Boosting Immunity in the times of COVID-19 Virus Pandemic

“Philosophy isn’t a parlor trick or made for show. It’s not concerned with words, but with facts. It’s not employed for some pleasure before the day is spent, or to relieve the uneasiness of our leisure. It shapes and builds up the soul, it gives order to life, guides action, shows what should and shouldn’t be done – it sits at the rudder steering our course as we vacillate in uncertainties. Without it, no one can live without fear or free from care. Countless things happen every hour that require advice, and such advice is to be sought out in philosophy.” -SENECA

Essence of Stoicism

It is important to know the meaning of the word “Stoic” before moving ahead. The Stoic word is derived from the Greek stoa, meaning portico, because that’s where Zeno first taught his students. Stoicism is a timeless wisdom that can be put into practice even in the modern era. I recently read the book, “The Daily Stoic” by Ryan Holiday that gave me a better understanding of the topic. In Ancient India, much before stoicism came into existence there were many great philosophers who well versed in the vedas. One among them was Chanakya whose aphorisms are famous even today in India. I found the stoic thinking had similar vibes.

It is interesting to note that some of the great stoic philosophers had gone through immense hardships at some point in their lives before turning to philosophy. Starting with Zeno, Seneca, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius the list goes on. In fact, history tells us that the trigger for Zeno to start stoicism was a shipwreck in which he had lost everything. Among the many who inspired Zeno, a major influence was Socrates who lived much before him.

“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for.” -SOCRATES

Stoicism is a practical philosophy with the aim of living a meaningful life, and becoming one’s best self. The below saying from one of the stoics clearly shows us how practical it is.

“Won’t you be walking in your predecessors’ footsteps? I surely will use the older path, but if i find a shorter and smoother way, I’ll blaze a trail there. The ones who pioneered these paths aren’t our masters, but our guides. Truth stands open to everyone, it hasn’t been monopolized.” -SENECA

Description

The first time i came across the word stoicism was in a podcast that mentioned the importance of journaling. I had mentioned about the journaling topic in one of my previous blogs as well. Let me delve deeper into the topic of stoicism starting with journaling.

Journaling

“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous and surly.” -MARCUS AURELIUS

The emperor & stoic, Marcus Aurelius spoke about the importance of journaling in the morning in his book Meditations – this book was for personal clarity and not for public benefit. As seen in the quote above, he used his mornings to anticipate and combat getting frustrated by the curveballs life throws at self.

“I will keep constant watch over myself and-most usefully-will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil-that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.” -SENENCA

At the beginning or end of each day, the stoics used to sit down with their journal and reviews: what he did, what he thought, what could be improved. By making the effort to record such thoughts one is less likely to forget them. This can help in tracking one’s own progress as well.

Self Awareness

“Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine than what causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet. What thoughts now occupy my mind? Is it not fear, suspicion, desire, or something like that?” -MARCUS AURELIUS

Marcus knew about the distracting sinkhole like gossip, fear, suspicion, lust etc. Every human is being pulled by these internal and external forces that are increasingly more powerful and harder to resist. However, values and inner awareness prevent us from being puppets.

“We control our reasoned choice and all acts that depend on that moral will. What’s not under our control are the body and any of its parts, our possessions, parents, siblings, children, or country- anything with which we might associate,” -EPICTETUS

One more saying on the topic of self awareness by a great stoic Epictetus. A wise person knows what is inside their circle of control and what is outside it. According to stoics, the circle of control contains just one thing: Your Mind. Even your physical body is isn’t completely within the circle. This reduces the things needed to manage ,i.e., just your mind. So mind your choices and will.

Real Strength

“Keep this thought handy when you feel a fit of rage coming on – it isn’t manly to be enraged. Rather, gentleness and civility are more human, and therefore manlier. A real man doesn’t give way to anger and discontent, and such a person has strength, courage and endurance – unlike the angry and complaining. The nearer a man comes to a calm mind, the closer he is to strength.” – MARCUS AURELIUS

Strength is the ability to maintain a hold of oneself. Every situation is made better by a cool head. Even powerful people who know that anger is a powerful and effective tool will tell you that there is a big difference between deliberately expressing your frustrations (to make a point, to motivate someone, to defend yourself) and flying into a rage. Without the ability to recognize and direct your emotions, you become a slave to them.

“Success comes to the lowly and to the poorly talented, but the special characteristic of a great person is to triumph over the disasters and panics of human life.” -SENECA

You can be lucky or born into advantageous circumstances and appear “successful” to most of society without making any actual progress on your own. On the other hand, the person who perseveres through difficulties, who keeps going when others quit, is really admirable. Because, success of such people is the result of fortitude and resilience.

Self Improvement

“But what does Socrates say? ‘Just as one person delights in improving his farm, and another his horse, so i delight in attending to my own improvement day by day.'” -EPICTETUS

Self improvement is a lifelong activity. Keep striving forward in every moment to bring about all-round development, i.e., both personal and professional. If you always wanted to try out a new hobby why not start one today itself ? Whether it’s meditation, journaling or any new skill that can really help your mental or physical health. As the saying goes, a healthy mind in a heathy body, it is a good practice to go for periodic health check ups. Taking time at the end of day to reflect on the self can be really helpful too.

“Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from and what they seek out.” -MARCUS AURELIUS

Positive role models influence our actions and motivate us to strive to uncover our true potentials and overcome our weakness. Having them pushes us to make the most of our life. Be it the stoic era, the ancient Indian mythology, the recent history or our current household, there are many of whom we can look up to for positive influence. This can have a greater influence at an younger age wherein the mind is more open to new ideas. Positive influences at an young age will help to shape the personality of an individual.

Law of Karma

“Crimes often return to their teacher” -SENECA

What goes around comes around, is the saying. According to the law of karma, whatever activity you do should not be against the socio-ethical code of conduct of society. Socio-ethical code of conduct means, what you don’t want others to do to you, even you should not do to others. This actually happened with Seneca as well, as he finally paid the price for his instructions to the deranged young emperor Nero.

“Remember that you are an actor in a play, playing a character according to the will of the playwright-if a short play, then it’s short; if long, long. If he wishes you to play the beggar, play even that role well, just as you would if it were a cripple, a honcho, or an everyday person. For this is your duty, to perform well the character assigned to you. That selection belongs to another” -EPICTETUS

Our station in life can be as random as a roll of dice. Some of us are born into privilege, while others into adversity. Epictetus himself lived much of his life as a slave before becoming a successful philosopher. Even the law of karma states that, whatever role we perform in life should be done with utmost diligence. This is what the Bhagavad Gita preaches about karma.

Mindset Matters

“People aren’t in awe of your sharp mind? So be it. But you have many other qualities you can’t claim to have been deprived of at birth. Display then those qualities in your own power: honesty, dignity, endurance, chastity, contentment, frugality, kindness, freedom, persistence, avoiding gossip, and magnanimity.” -MARCUS AURELIUS

We are all blank slates when we arrive here on earth. We inherit a few things from our predecessors, but ultimately our futures depend on a lot of factors other than genes. There are plenty of brilliant people in the world who never amount to much, solely because they lacked the desire to refine their inherent talents and intelligence. And, on the other side of the spectrum, there are plenty of people who had the odds stacked against them and went on to do brilliant things.

“Think of the whole universe of matter and how small your share. Think about the expanse of time and how brief-almost momentary-the part marked for you. Think of the workings of fate and how infinitesimal your role.” -MARCUS AURELIUS

Consider this the next time you feel self-important, or worthless. You’re just one person among many, doing your best and that’s what matters. Don’t let any kind of praise or disappointments get into your head. There’s the sheer scale of things surrounding us ,i.e., our earth is millions of years old and there are millions of people inhabiting the planet. We are just a tiny speck in a huge ecosystem. And it definitely makes us feel humble.

Attitude of Gratitude

“In all things we should try to make ourselves be as grateful as possible. For gratitude is a good thing for ourselves, in a manner in which justice, commonly held to belong to others, is not. Gratitude pays itself back in large measure.” -SENECA

Studies have shown a wide range of physical and psychological benefits of gratitude. Practicing gratitude shifts your attention away from negative emotions to appreciation. Thus grateful people experience happier and healthier relationships, as they are looking for what’s right rather than what’s wrong. Also, gratitude is a powerful tool used to manifest your dreams and goals. You can practice gratitude from today by writing down in your journal three things that you are grateful for at the end of each day.

Further Reading :

• My 5 Years in Japan : A Summary
• Spiritual Intelligence : The Current Corporate World Trend
• Bhagavad Gita to be a Better You
• Profound Sayings from Ancient Scriptures for Personal Excellence
• Meditation for self growth

The authors of the book are Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles from Spain. The former is an IT professional and an author of many books who has lived in Japan for over a decade, while the latter is an award winning author. The name of the book is a Japanese word “Ikigai” that literally means “reason for being”. If you put in your effort on something and it pays off, you say that it was worth the effort. This is what is meant by “Kai ga aru” or to be worthwhile. If you combine the word “Kai” with “Iki” or “to live”, the combined word “Ikigai” would mean something worth living for. As per the author, those who discover their Ikigai have everything they need for a long and joyful journey through life.

The author explores the life of people in the blue zones, especially Okinawa that holds the first place among the blue zones, known for its  highest life expectancy in the world. Even in Okinawa there is a village called Ogimi that boasts of the highest life expectancy. Based on discussion with the local residents, the author says that more than the natural resources and diet, an uncommon joy flows through its inhabitants ,i.e, their Ikigai. Certain longevity studies also suggest that a strong sense of community and a clearly defined ikigai are just as important as the healthy Japanese diet. The Okinawans live by the principle of “ichariba chode” and “yuimaaru” that means “treat everyone like a brother even if you have not met them before” and “teamwork” respectively. One common saying in Japan is “Hara hachi bu” or “Fill your belly 80%”. This ancient wisdom advises against eating until we are full.

Just as lack of physical exercise has a negative effect on our body and mood, a lack of mental exercise is bad because it causes our neurons and neural connections to deteriorate. Our neurons start to age while we are still in our 20s. This process is slowed down by mental workout activities like learning something new everyday, playing games, interacting with others etc. One more factor that affects the neurons is stress. These days people live at a frantic pace and in a constant state of competition to which stress is the natural response of the body. A sustained state of stress affects not only the release of certain harmones but also is the cause of irritability, anxiety and other ailments. Mindfulness is an effective tool to reduce stress and helps us live longer. One more habit that affects longevity is a sedentary lifestyle. Being concious of our daily routine to detect harmful habits and replacing them with healthy and active lifestyle will renew our bodies and minds.

In the subsequent chapter the author mentions about therapies that were popular many decades ago like the logotherapy and Morita therapy. As mentioned in one of my earlier book reviews, Vikor Frankl’s logotherapy helps you find reasons to live. Discovering one’s purpose in life helps an individual to fill the existential void. While, Morita therapy focuses on teaching patients to accept their emotions without trying to control them, since their feelings will change as a result of their actions. Morita therapy’s basic principles are, accept your feelings, do what you should be doing and discover your life’s purpose. Next the author quotes a few questions that may help us discover our Ikigai, what makes us enjoy something so much that we forget our worries? When are we the happiest? etc. On the importance of flow the author says that, having a clear objective is important in achieving flow, but we also have to know how to leave it behind when we get down to business. Furthermore, concentrating on one thing at a time may be the single most important factor in achieving flow. Examples are takumis/artisans, inventors and otakus/fans of anime who flow with their Ikigai all the time.

As mentioned in one of my previous blogs, most of the successful people meditate everyday. One of the main reason behind their success is cited as meditation. This makes sense when the author here says, training the mind can get us to a place of flow more quickly. Meditation is one way to exercise our mental muscles. In the subsequent chapter the author writes about his learnings from the interview with the longest living people in the world. Some of the words of wisdom from the elders are as follows; don’t worry, cultivate good habits, nurture your friendships everyday, live an unhurried life, be optimistic, keep your mind and body busy.

In the following chapter, the author writes about the diet followed by the longest living people. The Okinawans diet consists of a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains that they have everyday. They have fish and pork twice or thrice a week. Other notable points are, they consume less sugar and salt compared to the rest of Japan. A common point across all of the blue zones is low calorie intake. Everyday intake of antioxidant rich food is also considered to be the keys to Okinawans vitality. A few of the antioxidant rich foods found in Okinawan diet are Jasmine tea, green tea, shikuwasa, tofu, Miso, Nori etc. However, antioxidant rich food recommended by experts in other countries are broccoli, citrus fruits, berries, dry fruits, oats etc.

What the author discovered in the village of longevity, Ogimi is that people almost never stop moving in the course of their daily routines. If we live in a city it might be hard to move in natural and healthy ways everyday, but we can turn to eastern exercises that have proven for centuries to be good for body, mind and soul. In Japan many people start their day with a short workout, radio taiso that has been around since ww2. Yoga from India, Qigong and taichi from China are also popular in Japan and around the world. In the final chapter, the author highlights the common nature of people with a clearly defined ikigai. They pursue their passion no matter what. Resilience is what makes us to pick ourselves up and get back to what gives meaning to our lives. Proper training of mind, body and emotional resilience is essential to confront life’s challenges.

Buddhist and Stoic philosophies teach us to control pleasure, emotions and desires. Both these philosophies, at their roots, are methods to practice well-being. Regarding resilience, these two philosophies remind us that the present is all that exists, and it is the only thing we can control. A similar Japanese concept called, ichi-go ichi–e teaches us to focus on the present and enjoy each moment that life brings us. This is why it is so important to find and pursue our Ikigai.

Next the author mentions the word antifragile and its importance. The term antifragile was coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book, Antifragile : Things that gain from disorder. Taleb says that ” Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.” If we are to apply this concept to our lives, we need to create redundancies in terms of having a secondary occupation or having friends or any personal interests. This is required to overcome adversities in job or relationships. The next point point required to be antifragile in our lives is to be conservative in certain areas and take many small risks in others. The final point is to get rid of things that make us fragile like certain people, things and habits that generate losses for us and makes us vulnerable. If we have an antifragile attitude, we will find a way to get stronger with every blow, refining our lifestyle and staying focused on our Ikigai.

Though the title of the book is ikigai, the focus is on improving the longevity. Here ikigai is just a part that contributes to longevity but is also very important. There is no perfect strategy to connect with one’s ikigai. Though life is not a problem to be solved, the focus should be to have something that keeps us busy doing what we love, while being surrounded by people who love us.

Further Reading :

• Book Review : Man’s Search For Meaning
• Importance of Morning Routine
• Meditation for self growth
• Beneficial Yoga Exercises That IT Professionals Must Try
• Bhagavad Gita to be a Better You

The Gita is a bouquet composed of the beautiful flowers of spiritual truths collected from the Vedas and the Upanishads

Swami Vivekananda

The Bhagavad Gita, or The Gita as it is popularly known, is part of the epic Mahabharata. The name “Bhagavad Gita” means “The song of the lord”. It was originally written in Sanskrit language by the Saint Vyasa who had even authored the epic Mahabharata. The Gita is the discourse given by Krishna to the warrior prince Arjuna just before the war is about to begin. Krishna is identified as the supreme power. Though the discourse was given during the war it contains only the essence of Vedic wisdom. This ancient text has been translated into most of the languages in the world that shows its relevance and popularity.

When doubts haunt me, when disappointments stare me in the face, and I see not one ray of hope on the horizon, I turn to Bhagavad gita and find a verse to comfort me; and I immediately begin to smile in the midst of overwhelming sorrow. My life has been full of external tragedies and if they have not left any visible or invisible effect on me, I owe it to the teaching of the Bhagavad gita.

Mahatma gandhi

I would like to highlight a few of the verses that i found to be truly inspiring. 

Performing one’s duties

"Karmanyevadhikaraste ma phaleshu kadachana
Ma karmaphalaheturbhurma te sangostvakarmani" BG 2/47

You have the right to action alone, never to its fruit. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.

I had mentioned about this popular verse in one of my previous blogs on Karma yoga. This verse simply tells us to perform our actions with utmost diligence. Let the focus be on action alone and not the result. Even inaction is not good. This same principle applies to the act of selfless service. Constant practice of this will lead to purification/stilling of the mind from impure thoughts.

"Yogastah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
Siddyasiddyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga ucyate" BG 2/48

O Arjuna, be established in yoga. Perform actions abandoning attachment and be balanced in success and failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.

While concentrating on the action/present, one cannot be in the past or in the future, and the past regrets and future anxieties cannot make one suffer. Once one is in the present moment, one can only take conscious decisions.

"Yatkarosi yadasnasi yajjuhosi dadasi yat
Yattapasyasi kaunteya tatkurusva madarpanam" BG 9/27

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in a sacrifice, whatever you donate, whatever you practice as penance, O Arjuna, offer it to me.

This is about offering to the inner pure consciousness passively through thought only. Shri Krishna says that we can convert any action into a penance if we imbibe it with the attitude of worship. The angle of divinizing is necessary to dilute the doership attitude of rajasika and tamasika nature. Thus stress and worries start to reduce. There is also a mention that Karma yoga is complete with the attitude of devotion/bhakti. Without devotional attitude there is a high possibility of performing wrongful actions.

Developing Competence

"Muktasangonahamvaadi dhirtyutsahasamanvitaha
Siddhyasiddhyohnirvikarah karta satvika uchyate" BG 18/26 

The person who is free from all material attachment and ego, who is enthusiastic and determined and who is balanced in success and failure is of satvika nature.

This verse tells us about the quality required to excel. A person with a good nature is one who is free from all material attachment and ego. Being enthusiastic and with a mind focused on the goal, he is even minded in success and failure. Such a person is known to be of satvika/good nature. However, it’s important to note that we are all a mixture of goodness(satvika), passion(rajasika) and ignorance(tamasika), but one of these mode always predominates.

"Sattvaatsanjaayate jnyaanam rajaso lobha eva cha
Pramaadamohau tamaso bhavatojnyaanameva cha" BG 14/17

From the sattva/goodness arises knowledge, from the rajas/passion arises greed, and from the tamas/ignorance arises negligence and delusion.

Sattva nature gives rise to wisdom, which confers the ability to discriminate between right and wrong. It also pacifies the desires of sense gratification, and creates a concurrent feeling of happiness and contentment. People influenced by it are inclined towards intellectual pursuits and virtuous ideas. Thus, the mode of goodness promotes wise actions. Whereas tamas nature leads to the downfall of a person, while rajas nature being neither good nor bad, may sometimes indicate egoistic characteristic.

Self Confidence

"Uddharedatmanatmanam natmanamavasadayet
Atmaiva hyatmano bandhuratmaiva ripuratmanah" BG 5/6 

A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.

Build yourself through the power of your own will and efforts and do not be let down by your own self. Letting yourself down may be anything like, regarding yourselves as a weakling, as a nobody, as a sinner, as helpless victim, etc. For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends, but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.

Leadership

"Yadyadacarati sresthastattadevetaro janah
Sa yatpramanam kurute lokastadanuvartate" BG 3/21

Whatever action is performed by an eminent person, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standard he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

Humanity is inspired by the ideals that they see in the lives of great people. Such leaders inspire society by their example and become shining beacons for the masses to follow. When noble leaders are in the forefront, the rest of society naturally gets uplifted in morality, selflessness, and spiritual strength. The same logic applies to companies wherein employees look up to their managers and leaders as role models.

Handling Crisis

"Dhyayato vishayanpumsah sangasteshupajayate
Sangatsanjayate kamah kamatkrodhobhijayate" BG 2/62

"Krodhadbhavati sammohah sammohatsmritivibhramah
Smritibhranshad buddhinasho buddhinashatpranashyati" BG 2/63

While contemplating over the object of senses, attachment for the object arises. From attachment is born desire, and from desire is born anger. From anger comes delusion, from delusion comes bewilderment of memory, from bewilderment of memory comes destruction of intellect, and once the intellect is destroyed, the man perishes.

This verse beautifully explains how a person with no control over the senses destroys oneself. The point to note here is that everything starts from a thought which needs to be cut off at that stage itself inorder to limit oneself. The entire sequence can be summarized as follows;
Constant thinking of material/pleasure objects -> attachment -> desire -> anger -> delusion -> bewilderment of memory -> destruction of intellect -> individual perishes.

"matrasparshastu kaunteya shitoshnasukhaduhkhadah
agamapayinonityastanstitikshasva bharata" BG 2/14 

O Arjuna, the interaction between the senses and the sense-objects produce the sensations of cold, heat, pleasure and pain. These feelings are temporary, always appearing and then disappearing. Thus, O Arjuna, you must learn to tolerate them.

In the previous verse we came to know about the effect of surrendering to the senses and when to restrain ourselves. As humans with sense organs it is obvious to go through sensations of happiness and distress. These sensations are not permanent. If we permit ourselves to be affected by them, we will sway like a pendulum from side to side. A person of discrimination should practice to tolerate the different feelings without being disturbed by them. The tolerance of sense perception can be mastered by the practice of meditation as explained in Chapter 6.

Disciplining Self

"indriyani paranyahurindriyebhyah param manah
manasastu para buddhiryo buddheh paratastu sah" BG 3/42

It is declared that the senses are superior than the body, the mind is superior to than the senses, but more than the mind the intelligence is superior and more than the intelligence that which is superior is the individual consciousness.

I had mentioned about a similar verse in one of my previous blogs on meditation. This is a verse with a profound meaning that provides us a hierarchy of our nature, of which the body is the most tangible aspect. Superior than the body are the senses. Superior than the senses is the mind, which generates reactions in the form of emotions and thoughts, but lacks decision making power. Superior than the mind is the intellect, which can analyze and understand the thoughts generated by the mind, and has the power to control the mind, the senses and the body. This sequence gives us a clue for character building. From the sequence we can understand that what we feed the senses will become part of our mind and intellect. If this continues for a long time it will become our character. So it is necessary to stop any toxicity at the sense perception stage itself, else it will be too difficult to stop when the mind and intellect becomes contaminated.

"yato yato nishcharati manaschanchalamasthiram
tatastato niyamyaitadatmanyeva vasham nayet" BG 6/26 

From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.

This verse is a practical guide on how to perform meditation. Shri Krishna elaborates on what exactly is the aspect of meditation that needs constant practice and repetition. He urges the meditator to check the mind as soon as it strays into another thought, and bring it back to the thought of the self. The object of focus can be anything like the breath, space between the two eyebrows, picture of “OM”, any of the divine gods etc. If this technique is followed the mind will become quiet eventually.

Reassurance

"Shri bhagavan uvacha partha naiveha namutra vinashastasya vidyate
Na hi kalyanakritkashchiddurgatim tata gachchhati" BG 6/40  

The Supreme Lord said: O Arjuna, such a person does not meet with destruction or distress, either in this world or the next, one who performs acts of virtue.

Lord Krishna is stating the Law of Karma here. As long as you are doing good deeds in the present, your mind will be at peace and you are assured of success in future. So all you have to do is abide by your own conscience.

Further Reading :

• Meditation for self growth
• Importance of Karma Yoga in Today’s World
• Profound Sayings from Ancient Scriptures for Personal Excellence
• Wisdom of Vedanta for Self Development
• Techniques to Tame the Monkey Mind