Our Minds: Bug or Feature?
One of the tendencies of the mind is to vacillate between the past and the future. Have you noticed that whenever you are feeling angry, regretful or guilty, it’s always about something from the past? You cannot feel anger, regret or guilt about the future. Similarly, all the fear and anxiety we feel is only about the future. There is never any fear about the past. You cannot be afraid of something that’s already happened, right? The mind loves to do its pendulum act, whirling you into the past and flinging you into the future, generating a gamut of unhealthy emotions within you.
You may argue that you could go back into the past and relive those happy times. . . How many times do you actually do that? You’d notice that you mostly do this when you are feeling miserable in the present.
But I feel great thinking about the wonderful times coming up in the future, you say. Yes, and then, the what-iffing starts. The trouble with building castles in the air is gravity.
The past is gone. You can’t do much about it. The future is yet to come. All you really have is this present moment. Happiness is in the present. Right here, right now.
Why does the mind do this then? Why has it been created like this? Why can’t it simply stay in the present?
When I was describing the mind and its past-future dance at a talk for a Rotary Club event, a person from the audience asked the same questions as above to me.
Have you ever watched a cow eat grass? I asked him. Do you see how it can keep eating the same grass, day in and day out, 24/7, and not get tired of it? It’s because the mind of the cow is in the present. Hence each bite is brand new. Our minds wandering into the past and the future guarantee that we are not cows ☺
Then, a little boy, nine or ten years old, who was listening to all this quite intently, put his hand up. I invited him to the stage and let him address the audience.
‘Have you played chess?’, he said to the crowd.
‘When you have to make a move, you need to look back at all the moves that have been played so far. If you get angry about the moves you made or regret them, you won’t be able to make a good move. Merely recalling the earlier moves is not enough either. You have to plan and anticipate what your rival may do. If you get scared, you will not be able to make a good move either. Go into the past to learn from it. Go into the future to plan for it. Make the move in the present!’
This was perhaps the most succinct way of explaining those questions.
Your mind can be a bug or it can be a feature.
Bug: Getting angry, regretful or guilty about the past. Fearful and anxious of the future. Fretting and doing nothing in the present.
Feature: Learning from the past, planning for the future, acting in the present!
Meditation effortlessly brings the mind into the present moment.
Getting Ready
Please read this section and the next section, The Three Golden Rules, all the way till the end before you start to meditate. You may wish to read and re-read these two sections a few times before you begin.
It is always best to be initiated into meditation from a trained teacher. There are thousands of methods out there. I am not qualified to comment on them because I have learned and practised meditation techniques only from Art of Living. I can wholeheartedly recommend these because I know they work. They are easy to learn and practice. They produce profound and powerful experiences as they gently ease you into the fourth state of consciousness. The Sudarshan Kriya, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation and the processes of the Advanced Course of the Art of Living are, in my opinion, unparalleled in their ability to induce meditation. More details about Art of Living, its founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and its personal development courses can be found at the end of this book.
Having said that, in the rest of the chapter I have outlined a few steps that will at least give you a glimpse into meditation. If nothing else, these guided processes will deeply relax and refresh you.
I guess the only ‘rule’ in meditation is to not practise it on a full stomach. Digestion requires high metabolism, and meditation will lower the metabolic rate of the body. So never meditate after a meal; mostly you will just fall asleep. Wait about an hour or two after a full meal and about 15-20 minutes following a snack. You want to be feeling light in your tummy.
Don’t meditate when you are hungry either. Only thoughts of food will come to your mind and you will end up thinking, not meditating. If you are hungry, have a small fruit, then sit in meditation.
In Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna where and how to sit for meditation.
It means that to practise meditation, make an asan (seat) in a clean, pure place. Put kuśh grass, deer skin and a cloth one over the other. This seat shouldn’t be too high or too low.
Gurudev was giving His commentary on the Gita and when we came to this shloka, He read it, translated it and then with a smile said, Krishna is just telling Arjuna to sit comfortably!
It’s great to do a few stretches or light exercises just before you meditate, even if it’s for just 5-10 minutes.
For the first 50-100 times you meditate, find a clean, cool, quiet and comfortable place to be in. Once you become adept at it, you will be able to meditate anywhere. In the beginning, though, where you meditate will matter.
Ensure you sit comfortably with your spine erect, head facing forward and palms towards the ceiling on your lap. If you are a beginner, don’t become too comfortable. You will fall asleep.
Do not lie down. Sit.
Eliminate distractions. If there are other people around you, request them not to disturb you for the next half an hour. Pretend you are about to take off on a flight and follow all those things they tell you to do when you fly. Just don’t fasten any seat belts. Or worry about oxygen masks.
Don’t be in a hurry when you want to meditate. You need to be able to take your time. Find a distraction-free hour or so and settle down.
Once you have settled, read on.
Do a few rounds of alternate nostril breathing or any other pranayama. About five minutes is enough. Ten minutes is great.
The 3 Golden Rules
Have an effortless intention—
Just for a few minutes,
I want nothing.
I will do nothing.
I am nothing.
People find the first two to be easy. Ok, for a few minutes, I will do nothing and want nothing. Just chill and be still. But many, including me, have had problems with the last one. How can I be nothing? I am something. Teacher of meditation, MS in Mathematics, pianist, bestselling author. . . All these don’t amount to nothing for sure. Right?
Once I went to the countryside with a few friends for a night of star-gazing. It was a beautiful, cloudless, moonless night. Perfect for peering into the heavens. One of our friends is an astronomer and he insisted that we spend a night with him, doing what he does. We went along. . . He had a huge telescope which he took over an hour to set up while the rest of us told each other really bad jokes. It was loud and raucous when he finally announced that the telescope was ready.
As each of us took turns at the telescope, one by one, we went quiet. There was a sudden stillness. We were awed by the immensity and the utter beauty of the skies. We all learned something that night and each of us took unique lessons back home. For me, it was a stunning realisation: I am nothing.
Light travels at the speed of approximately 299,792 km/s. Let me give you a perspective to this number. Clap your hands once. In that instant of a clap, light will go around planet Earth seven and a half times. A light year is the distance light will travel in a year.
The Milky Way is our home galaxy. It is 100,000 light years long and 10,000 light years wide. It is home to between 100-400 billion stars. Our sun is an inconsequential little star in the backwaters of the Milky Way.
99% of the mass of our supremely insignificant solar system is contained in the sun. All the planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, the asteroids, the moons revolving around various planets, the comets and what-not, constitute just 1% of the mass of our solar system. In that 1% is our Earth inclusive of all its inhabitants. On Earth, there is the country I belong to: India. In India, there is Karnataka. In Karnataka, there is Bangalore. In Bangalore, there is the Art of Living ashram. In that ashram, there is my home. In my home is my room. In my room, there is a chair. I am sitting on that chair and typing this sentence. . .
Me on my chair on one side. The unimaginable vastness of the Milky Way on the other. And then the knowledge that the Milky Way is just one of billions and billions of galaxies. What am I compared to the Universe. Contemplating this on that starry night so many years ago, it was very easy to say, I am nothing.
If you ever feel you have done something great, just look at the heavens at night.
You too would say, I am indeed nothing.
To reiterate, for meditation, we effortlessly have an intention and simply say to ourselves, just for a few minutes. . .
I want nothing.
I will do nothing.
I am nothing.
You will say this to yourself as you close your eyes. Repeat it 2-3 times, slowly and deliberately. Keep your eyes closed and your body as still as possible. Relax more and more.
You may feel some sensations in the body. Let them be. There is nothing to do.
Some thoughts and feelings will come up. Accept them, don’t try to push them away, don’t give importance to them. Just observe. Thoughts are like clouds in the sky. They will come and go. You need to relax and observe the thoughts without getting involved with them.
What does observing the thoughts and not getting involved with them mean?
Ever seen an interesting movie? As you sat among the audience and watched the story unfold before you, did you notice how you began to care for the characters? You rooted for the hero and hooted at the villain. You felt the heroine was a fool for doing what she was doing. You were involved. There was another person watching the exact same things happening on screen. He didn’t care at all. The guy in the projector room. He too was right there in the theatre, yet he was totally uninvolved with the drama on screen. Observing thoughts without involvement means easing yourself out of the audience into the projector room of your mind.
Thoughts are just thoughts. They are empty. Our involvement gives them life and impetus. They are waves in the ocean. . . Just watch. . .
Once in a while, take a deep breath in, and breathe out slowly and relax. Feel the relaxation slowly dawn within you.
Continue sitting still and let whatever is happening happen. . . Don’t resist anything. Just let it be.
Let time pass.
After a while, when you feel ready to open your eyes, bring a bit of movement to your body. Wiggle your fingers, rotate your shoulders gently, stretch your hands and become aware of your body and the environment. Then slowly, gradually, open your eyes.
Ideally, a session should be for about 20 minutes. More is fine. If it’s less, next time have an intention that you will sit for 20 minutes.
Do not set an alarm to remind you that 20 minutes are up. Trust that you would know when to open your eyes.
Relax and enjoy this special time you have created for yourself.
Remember to do some pranayama exercises before you begin.
Fly well!
Peace Meditation
Any prayer or yogic process is always concluded with the shanti (peace) mantra: Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi. It means peace in the environment around you. Peace in your mind and body. Peace in the subtle realms of the various energies.
Here is a beautiful meditation based on the Shanti Mantra that we created to help you surround yourself with peace. Do this meditation twice a day. If you are feeling stressed out, take out about 15 minutes as soon as you possibly can, and go through this process.
It’s best if you record yourself reading out the text below with the appropriate pauses. Speak clearly and slowly in a soothing, soft, gentle voice.
Then, when you want to meditate, sit comfortably, close your eyes and listen to the recording. Don’t make any effort to follow the instructions. Just listen and relax and let whatever is happening happen.
We have made a recording of this meditation and you can download it from www.happinessexpressbook.com/audios/peacemeditation.
Sit easily, comfortably.
Close your eyes and relax.
(Wait 20 seconds.)
Become aware of your breath and watch it as it flows in and out through your nostrils.
Relax more and more as you watch the breath.
(Wait 30 seconds.)
Become aware of the environment around you.
Listen to all the noises: the noise of people talking, noise of traffic, noise in the kitchen.
(Wait 1 minute.)
The sound that your own breath makes as you breathe in. . . and out. . .
Breathe in. . . and out. . . Relax more and more.
(Wait 1 minute.)
Feel peace descend around you, enveloping your entire surroundings. Even if there are noises, feel in harmony with them as the peace is much greater than the sounds. . . there is peace around you. . . Relax more and more. . . Deeper and deeper.
(Wait 2 minutes.)
Breathe in. . . and out. . .
Become aware of the inside of you. The inside of your body. . .
(Wait 20 seconds.)
The inside of your mind. . . Your thoughts and feelings. . .
(Wait 30 seconds.)
There may be some aches and pains in the body. Let them be.
There may be thoughts and feelings, pleasant or unpleasant. Don’t change anything. Let them be.
Feel peace come. . . in waves. . . through your body and mind. . . and let everything melt away as you relax more and more. . . being mindful of the breath, sink in deeper and deeper. . .
Let peace reign supreme. . . Like a blanket of light, gentle and soothing, yet profound and powerful. Relax. . . Relax more and more. . .
(Wait 2 minutes.)
In the subtle realms of the Devis and Devatas (replace Devis and Devatas with Gods and Goddesses, if you prefer the sound of that), there could be some turmoil. Offer a prayer that the turmoil subsides and all mankind is blessed. . . Everyone on this planet is blessed with health, happiness, wisdom and prosperity. . . Let peace win. . .
Or,
In the world of Subtle Energies, let this same peace wash away all conflict. . . Let the subtle worlds be at peace. . . Everyone on this planet is blessed with health, happiness, wisdom and prosperity. . . Let peace win. . .
(Wait 2 minutes.)
Take a deep breath in. . . and out. . .
Relax more and more. . . more and more. . .
Peace in our environment. . .
(Wait 10 seconds.)
Peace and good health in the body. . .
(Wait 10 seconds.)
Pleasant feelings in the mind. . .
(Wait 10 seconds.)
Peace and Blessings from the subtle realms to all humanity. . .
(Wait 10 seconds.)
Om Shanti. . .
Shanti. . .
Shanti. . . hi. . .
(Wait 30 seconds.)
Take a deep breath in. . . and out. . .
Another deep breath in and smile as you breathe out. . .
One more breath. . . Bigger smile, deeper breath. . . in. . . and out. . .
Become aware of your body. . .
(Wait 10 seconds.)
Become aware of your environment. . .
(Wait 5 seconds.)
Slowly bring some movement into the body. . . Gently move your fingers, slowly rotate your shoulders, stretch your hands. . .
(Wait 10 seconds.)
When you feel ready, taking your own time, and slowly, gently open your eyes.
Yoga-Nidra
Yoga-Nidra literally translated means Yogic Sleep. It is meditation done lying down.
It works fabulously as a power nap. Doing Yoga-Nidra before you sleep at night can greatly enhance the quality of your sleep. Given below are the instructions for Yoga-Nidra. Read through them a few times before practising. You can even record these yourself and play them when you are ready to do it. If you are recording these instructions, use a soft, gentle voice. Be slow and deliberate. Pause for a few seconds in-between each line.
We have recorded Yoga-Nidra and it is available as a free download from our website www.happinessexpressbook.com/audios/yoganidra.
Lie down on your back, legs apart, hands by your sides, palms open. Your hands can be on your chest if that feels more comfortable. You may have a thin pillow under your head. Remember to slide it all the way in, so that your shoulders are resting on it.
Close your eyes.
Become aware of the environment. Listen to all the sounds in the environment. Be in harmony with these sounds.
Take a deep breath in. . . and breathe out.
Become aware of your body. Your body is a wondrous gift given to you in love by God, by Nature.
Effortlessly become aware of your right big toe. Let your awareness linger there. . .
Become aware of all the toes on your right foot. Shift your awareness to the rest of the foot.
Become aware of the right ankle. . .
Right calf. . .
Right knee. . .
Right thigh. . .
Right hip. . .
Become aware of the entire right leg. . .
Take a deep breath in. . . and let go. Another deep breath in. . . and breathe out.
Relax more and more. . . Relax more and more. . .
Become aware of your left foot. . . all the toes on your left foot. . .
Left ankle. . .
Left calf. . .
Left knee. . .
Left thigh. . . and hip. . .
Become aware of the entire left leg. . .
Take a deep breath in. . . and let go. Another deep breath in. . . and breathe out.
Relax more and more. . . Relax more and more. . .
Happiness Express Page 7