Living_PS

The 2 years of the pandemic taught all of us many things. One of the biggest learning was to control my haywire thoughts. In that lockdown period, with a little discipline, I could adopt a few new habits (good ones, obviously). One of them was Meditation. Just 15 minutes of meditation every day, and it really worked for me. No, no, no…. not the enlightened phase. But yeah, after meditation, it feels lightheaded and relaxed. It takes time to realize that change but trust me it is worth forming this positive habit.

When our so-called WhatsApp University and News Channels were bombarding so much information and mostly negative energy, my anxiety increased. I decided to stay away from it, but again, you feel you might miss some important information, and you start following those.

This meditation helped me a lot to be myself. I could feel the change. I am more aware of my thoughts and actions. When I concentrate on my breathing, it brings belongingness that I am living in that moment, THE PRESENT. Otherwise, the brain is always on a jumbo roller coaster ride of thoughts, either about the past or the future.

India is a demographic country, and we are free to express ourselves. (We witnessed that for two whole years across the country.) It happens with most people; either they become too sensitive or aggressive. Meditation allows you to handle those stressful situations skillfully. It makes you able to take life gradually. Meditation helped me to gain control over my extreme emotions. I mean, come on! Who wants to get lost in this rat race? Not me, for sure. 

Meditation is Free! Free! Free! Isn’t it more enticing reason to consider this habit? I mean, with that you don’t need to attend any life-changing webinars anymore. You can find yourself without any help from a third person. It’s only YOU who knows YOU. No one else can understand what your mind thinks, and the heart feels exactly. So why not let yourself to help you to become a better person.

Now the tricky bit. My dad always used to tell me, “Good habits are hard to form and easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form and hard to live with.” That’s true. OMG! We ignore our parents easily, and after so many years, what they used to tell us suddenly starts making sense.  So, yes, we must make those habits consciously.

At first, it was difficult for me to get into this meditation task. I slept twice while meditating. You will find it funny, but it happened to me. I am sure there will be people who can relate to me. Then I googled. (My current buddy is Google because he gives an answer to all my questions without judging me or my knowledge.) I surfed a few YouTube channels, including Ramdev Baba. I asked a few people and received ‘Gyan ka Sagar,’ which I couldn’t digest. Few of them even suggested that I sit in front of god and play soothing Mahadev Mantra, Gayatri Mantra, and Ganesh Vandana. I deeply respect their feelings. Probably, that works best for them. I love reading mythological literature, but I cannot connect everything and anything with God. I am fascinated with almighty Shiva and Ganesha, who have strong character, thought processes, and logic, which show me the right direction and provide moral support. I worship them in my own way. It’s a very personal relationship. So, I kept them away from all this hunt of self. You get a lot of soothing mediation bits and music online. I tried those, too. It was simply not working. 8 days passed with my whole exercise to get it right.

And, on 9^th Day, DING! A flash of the light bulb just like Tom & Jerry… I downloaded ocean waves sound. You know, a Mumbaikar can go anywhere in this world but Mumbaipana cannot be taken out of the heart. Last corner of Nariman Point, my favorite spot for introspection. Many times, I used to sit their alone for hours looking at the seawater and waves.  I feel emotional ties with it. Best place to find peace. Finally, I got it right which is working for me perfectly. Sharing here with you so you can give a thought to form this habit too.

1. At first, find a place to sit in which you feel quiet, calm, and comfortable. There is no pressure. You don’t have to look for something special. I sit on the floor in my bedroom, facing east.
2. Set a time limit. Start with 5 minutes. Take it slow…
3. You can sit in a chair with your feet on the flooror loosely cross-legged. Just make sure you are stable and in a position you can stay in for a while. I sit on the floor cross-legged, keeping my back straight.
4. You can meditate without music. I prefer the sound of light ocean waves playing on my cellphone in the background because I feel more connected to myself that way. You choose whichever is best for you.
5. I prefer a dark room without any lights; it helps me to not get distracted.
6. Close your eyes. Don’t put any pressure there.
7. Now, start breathing with concentration. Inhale and exhale. Feel the sensation of your breath.
8. Your mind might wander in between. Don’t worry, and don’t be hard on yourself. Just get your mind back on track and continue to meditate for an adequate time.
9. Once done open your eyes slowly and feel the surroundings and environment.
10. Increase your meditation time slowly once your mind is all ready to make it a never-changing habit.

Science says if you do something for 21 days regularly and consciously, it automatically turns into your habit. Then your body reminds you of the thing rather than you are reminding your brain to do it. If my experience can benefit somebody to work it through, then nothing like it. So, give it a try, not for me, for yourself, and pass it on. Keep inspiring someone.