What to do beyond alternating between bored and cranky in self isolation?Time to set free those baggages and stay sane!!!
I hope all of you out there are coping with the current happenings around the world.
Did it ever cross your mind that we were in a constant loop all this while before locking ourselves down? Right from the moment when we were born we were dragged into it with or without our ‘say’.The constant pressure to excel is every teenager’s nightmare and every parents’ duty. High school, college, graduation, then the job, then the MONEY!
Even while you grow up from being a baby to a toddler you are competing with other kids of that age in terms of milestones!! This traumatizing loop of excellence has been going on for the past many generations and doesn’t seem like it is going to end any time soon!
The millennial bodies, minds, and even thoughts have been programmed by now to constantly ‘do well in life’. The term ‘do well’,right now is synonymous merely to a financial and materialistic abundance.Needless to say more, even love and relationships have become transactional.
And now since we have been told to sit at home and not to be part of this loop, we have been hit by another punch on the face. We are expected to be super productive with an insane number of challenges happening on online platforms. Yes, it is a good distraction from the ill happenings around, but it is unknowingly putting us back in the loop. To-do lists, home workouts, cooking, art, beauty and even the pressure to binge-watch a show in time. But where does the most important part fit in all this? THE MIND
Just like our bodies, our thoughts have also been tuned to get attached. It could be to a thing, to an activity or an emotion. In such times our minds often tend to function as a tunnel. No matter what your passion or interests are, you tend to get attached to the most validated and crowd-pleasing entity in life. This could be why, people who took the less-traveled roads, became supremely successful. They have broken their tunnels and expanded their horizons
More often, in these ‘tunnels’ we forget to bring about positive emotions to our minds. Happiness &compassion are replaced with rage and slaughter. We just want to reach our destinations in the quickest time. While we swipe from one diet plan to another or switch from squats to lunges, we are just focusing on our physical selves. Just like a healthy diet routine, our minds also need attention.
Ayurveda not only preaches about healthy life but also a healthy mind. It puts forth some fruitful suggestions in contexts of ‘Acara Rasayana’ where good conducts of life are explained. Something which our world is in dire need of. It is nothing but, a process to reach a state of mind where we at least try to be positive & slowly imbibe the good emotions of love, compassion, patience & respect, over the others.
In this process, we slowly begin to understand our true self and passion so that the ‘tunnels’ are broken. The clarity in mind gives clarity to your senses and thus to your actions. Therefore you become content in your world and would genuinely empathize with people in need. This whole process is nothing but taking some time off your busy day to sit, relax and observe your mind. Close all those open tabs and listen to your heart’s deepest desires, count your blessings and be grateful. It is quite similar to exercises like mindfulness or meditation.
The mind and body are said to be in a continuous stream.Its like pouring a hot liquid in a clay pot and moulding it.Likewise, your thoughts can decide the heat of your mind and thus moulding your actions.Make sure to fall into the loop of excellent thoughts rather than worthless actions.
In trying times like these, it is okay if you don’t become a great chef or have flat abs or complete your to-do lists. It is just fine if you are having slow and bad days. Embrace your emotions with an open heart. Take this time to also indulge in healthy mind practices. An act of kindness towards a person in need can do wonders for your mental health. Because only a healthy mind can bring about a healthier body. Righteous acts in turn leads to a happier mind.
Keep the world and its fighters in your thoughts. Let compassion and kindness rekindle your minds. So go on break your tunnels and see the light!
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it”
HELEN KELLER
