Have you ever wondered about the speed of thought? You might be here one moment and somewhere else, many light years away, in the next. So, you see, your thoughts can travel faster than the speed of light!
Says Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, ”Wherever you put your attention, that will start manifesting in your life. If only we could realize how powerful our thoughts are, we would only put our attention on the positive.” And having known the power of your thoughts, you surely don’t want to let them go astray. Now, the question that follows is, ‘How is that possible’?
Just as we fine tune the radio to get the best signal, we need to fine tune our mind to amplify the results of our efforts. A distracted mind yields lesser than a focused one. And, meditation is just the perfect antidote to the poison of too much thinking or wasteful thinking.
All said and done, our analytical mind won’t settle for anything less than a good reason to meditate. Let us together explore the pay-offs of daily meditation.
Pay-off #1
How would it be if every person you come across cannot help smiling just because of the lightness of your presence? Not only will your daily dose of meditation light up your day, but it will also bring joy to others. And such people are always a pleasure to have around.
Tip: Acknowledge the fact that all through the day, you come across a plethora of events – some good while some bad. Instead of attaching yourself to the actions and events, repose in the self. Abiding in the form of the seer – moving from the scene to the sight and from the sight to the seer brings tremendous peace, joy and bliss in that moment of meditation.
All you have to do is take your attention inward – close your eyes and become aware of your mind, your whole body and the very core of your existence – the ‘I’ that is you. This way, by meditating, you can recharge yourself after every short spell without spending much time.
Pay-off #2
As Sri Sri puts it, ‘Antarmukhi Sada Sukhi’ (One who is turned inward/centered can never lose track of happiness). Meditation acts on the subtler levels of consciousness and relieves any accumulated stress while at the same time, preventing it from accumulating more stress, making one centered. And you are effortlessly happy for most part of the day. Only a little effort of sitting down to meditate is required.
Tip: Did you know that yoga and meditation are very closely related? The key to deep meditation is yoga. A good 20 minutes of yoga before meditation makes your practice deep and profound.
Pay-off #3
Meditation acts as your windshield for life. It perfectly protects you from not just external storms in life, but also the ones internally by making you strong enough to face challenges – the ups and downs of life. You will emerge a hero after every scene, sidelining the villains of your mind (evils such as greed, jealously, anger, aggression, guilt and laziness), which you come across often.
With the do-it-anywhere tool of meditation, you can now be assured that nothing can put you off track. This way, meditation helps you maintain your composure and life becomes an easy bicycle ride – balancing everything while surging ahead.
Tip: An effortless ‘do-it-anywhere and do-it-yourself’ tool is the Sahaj Samadhi Meditation. Carry it anywhere in the knapsack of your consciousness. It can be practiced wherever/whenever you need/want – at workplace, on public transport, in an examination hall – provided you have just 10 minutes to spare. You just need to keep your eyes closed and mentally use the mantra/sound learnt from your Sahaj Samadhi Course. It is ‘Sahaj’ – effortless; it leads you to a state of ‘Samadhi’ – equanimity.
Pay-off #4
Meditation is more than just a breathe in-breathe out exercise. It is conscious inhalation of vitality, health and happiness and conscious exhalation of misery, sorrow and illness. It is a perfect package for the mind, body and soul. Our ambitions, desires, responsibilities and work often take a toll on our mental and physical health, if not managed properly.
To be a good manager of one’s mind and body, I would prefer a sip of meditation over coffee. It has been proven the world over that meditation not just keeps your body in shape but also helps your mind and the nervous system – increasing your alertness, improving your perception and bringing more clarity about everything. It improves the way you interact with people and all this sets the path for a health body and social life.
Tip: It is sometimes good to be guided into meditation by a meditation expert or spiritual master. All you need to do is get your hands on a CD or an online link to guided meditation that suits your need. Find a quiet place, dim the lights, put your phone in the offline mode and just relax and let yourself slide into a transcendental state by the master.
Pay-off #5
Meditation is like the seed of an evergreen tree. We only need to nurture it by daily practice – the sharpness of mind and intellect will follow soon.
Youth is not reflected in the years of your skin but in the light-heartedness of your behavior and the wittiness of your speech. And you are sure to keep all this alive all your life by the simple act of meditation. Wouldn’t you now want to try out meditation for yourself?
Tip - It is good to choose a quiet place for meditation but no worries if you are unable to find one. That is the purpose of meditation – observing and accepting the noise within and without – and surpassing it while taking your focus on a vacation to the valleys of peace and the mountains/peaks of joy.
Just be the way you are, non-pretentious, and through meditation, spread your contagious smile around.
Inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
By Ravisha Kathuria
Based on inputs by Bharathy Harish, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Teacher
