Potential Within
Ever wondered about the immense strengths that hide within?
Change is possible to trigger from within by merely wishing for change. Habit changes, paradigm changes, mental shifts as we commonly tag these, and more. To achieve mental shifts we do not need external props. Nor do we need extensive exercises to try out a few changes. Counselors call for making the change in ourselves rather than changing an external. Yet the puzzle continue to baffle us thought our workday lives and even invade our private lives! Many a time we make those shifts but only to revert to our earlier states.
The wise advise us to look around to find stimuli to help us.The best stimulus to look for is Nature. Everything in nature surrounding us, has a lesson to teach. If we are willing to look as a student would. The five elements, earth,water,fire(light), air and space - all are loaded with lessons. If we look deeper into each one of these and bother to spend some time in solitude we will be surprised to learn how much we missed in the past.
Learn to veer away from the din and bustle of the busy life even while in its vortex. Not all of us can afford at a whim that get away vacation to a secluded cozy cove away in the hills. What we can is the developing of that faculty in us which can conjure up visions in the mind. Visuals, to use a current term. I do not at all mean day-dreams nor fantasies. I mean lucid dreaming. You may have heard about or read about lucid dreaming from the likes of Steve Pavlina or with more precision, from the scriptural texts of the East.
Meditation helps. It may be difficult to classify meditation as there are many methods to choose from.Possibly the easiest and the better alternative to sleep, is the easy asana or the 'sukhasana'. No particular contraction of the limbs, but your own best posture where you get the most relaxation of body first leading to an equally relaxed mind.
Learn and practice to pick up a thread from nature. Could be from any of the five elements we saw earlier. Stones are familiar with the practitioners of Zen. Air is familiar with practitioners of Yoga. So are light, fire and space. Pick the one that's most comfortable for you yet helps you to focus your thoughts on. You will find that the things we mentioned have different boundaries or dimensions. Some are easily 'defined'. For instance, a stone has finite dimensions. Water, however fluid, has its own boundaries of the containers they come in. Even oceans have limits. By the way, I have found that this boundless aspect of water, the ocean, has given moments immense and intense happiness and peace for me. Till I found something better.
Air is one of them. Nature is not nature if it does not have a place for air. Composed of life giving substances in elements and compounds, air is to us as water is to fish. That is why the ancient wise called it 'the life-breath' or Prana. Harnessing air as an element has immense possibilities. Science is full of instances. Animals other than man are living examples of how they tackle its power. Hibernating creatures use so little of it that they can stay healthy through the harshest of winters. It is said that the less you use air the longer you live!
The topic is well suited for lengthy analyses. I invite you to this space in the days and weeks to come as we will explore the potential in more detail.
Till then,
Learn to veer away from the din and bustle of the busy life even while in its vortex. Not all of us can afford at a whim that get away vacation to a secluded cozy cove away in the hills. What we can is the developing of that faculty in us which can conjure up visions in the mind. Visuals, to use a current term. I do not at all mean day-dreams nor fantasies. I mean lucid dreaming. You may have heard about or read about lucid dreaming from the likes of Steve Pavlina or with more precision, from the scriptural texts of the East.
Meditation helps. It may be difficult to classify meditation as there are many methods to choose from.Possibly the easiest and the better alternative to sleep, is the easy asana or the 'sukhasana'. No particular contraction of the limbs, but your own best posture where you get the most relaxation of body first leading to an equally relaxed mind.
Learn and practice to pick up a thread from nature. Could be from any of the five elements we saw earlier. Stones are familiar with the practitioners of Zen. Air is familiar with practitioners of Yoga. So are light, fire and space. Pick the one that's most comfortable for you yet helps you to focus your thoughts on. You will find that the things we mentioned have different boundaries or dimensions. Some are easily 'defined'. For instance, a stone has finite dimensions. Water, however fluid, has its own boundaries of the containers they come in. Even oceans have limits. By the way, I have found that this boundless aspect of water, the ocean, has given moments immense and intense happiness and peace for me. Till I found something better.
Air is one of them. Nature is not nature if it does not have a place for air. Composed of life giving substances in elements and compounds, air is to us as water is to fish. That is why the ancient wise called it 'the life-breath' or Prana. Harnessing air as an element has immense possibilities. Science is full of instances. Animals other than man are living examples of how they tackle its power. Hibernating creatures use so little of it that they can stay healthy through the harshest of winters. It is said that the less you use air the longer you live!
The topic is well suited for lengthy analyses. I invite you to this space in the days and weeks to come as we will explore the potential in more detail.
Till then,
You say that the lesser we breathe air, the longer we live. Pranayama is one of the basic breathing exercises where practically more air circulate through our lungs. So how is it related in determining the duration of our life because most rishis or sages almost don't eat at all. And they live only with the help of air for a very long period of time.
ReplyDeleteWhoosh! I discovered your comment only a day ago! Sorry about that. What was referred to is the 'rate' of breathing as compared to other living beings sharing the planet with us. The hibernating ones successfully control though involuntary their rate of air intake and out. The hint is us humans too can learn to practice this some day!
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