Rakesh Sethi, BS, CAHP
Wellness Speaker/ Author/
Ayurvedic Practitioner
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What is Meditation and It’s Purpose? Part 1
Every day the bombardment of life’s responsibilities crowd our daily thoughts. Constant conversation about what we “have to do” and “should be doing” plague our minds. The chatter seems endless as does all the required activity of daily living. As we have transitioned into “technology-based, information-loaded“ lifestyle, it seems as if there is no restful moment for a quiet mind. People look towards meditation to quiet the chatter, calm the mind, and develop single pointed concentration. However, there is more to meditation. Before we answer what is meditation, take a look at how we have entangled ourselves into the outside world?
What Are We Part of?
We live in a fast paced stressful environment. Whether it is conscious or unconscious choice, we have become part of it. In the spirit of competition & winning, we are trying to “keep up” or “out-perform” our fellow co-workers or neighbors. Our American culture, up through 2008, has been based on acquisition of “stuff” to validate our success and worth in society. The more we have the more we think the world says to us, “Atta boy, good job!” This outside recognition keeps us running on that economic wheel.
There is no end to this race. We strive for years chasing the false illusion that when we make the next goal, the next promotion, the bigger house, the faster car we will feel that level of satisfaction. And every goal we accomplish, the feeling is satisfying momentarily. Then once that feeling fades away, the dissidence begins again, and we start striving to next goal see if we can attain that momentary feeling of satisfaction. Unfortunately, the race continues month after month, year after year. Without self-reflection, the race usually ends for a person when he is physically or mentally unable to carry on. We have created ourselves a never ending “pressure cooker” and live in it with stress.
Why Meditate?
To find relief, some of us jumped on to meditation to relieve stress. Meditation, among other things, does reduce stress, calms the nerves, & relax the body systems, which leaves us feeling refreshed after this exercise. Could the purpose of meditation be to reduce stress?
Keep in mind meditation has not removed the causes of stress which continue to agitate the mind. So the underlying problem is never resolved- thus an agitated mind cannot take to meditation and draw lasting benefits from the meditation, benefits are only temporary. So we go in cycle from stress to meditation – meditation to stress. Meditation is then reduced to forcing yourself to sit in a quiet place and focusing on an object, place, person, or mantra and it no longer provides the same refreshing feeling that it used too. One day the effect of stress catches up resulting in some sort of a disease and we render the meditation as a useless maddening practice.
How did we miss the very purpose of meditation? Are we practicing meditation after the fact? How can we turn this around?
What is meditation and its ultimate purpose?
Meditation is to practice our intellect to keep our mind on exclusively one & one thing alone. Our intellect must always keep strict observation over our mind & prevent the mind from wandering off into past or future or flowing into multiple thought streams. The best time to practice meditation is at sunrise and sunset. This is when outside nature is calm and supports calmness in you.
However, the practice of meditation just doesn’t end there. Now we bring this practice and apply it all day long at work, at home, with relationships, and in any other situations. It is just like an athlete, who practices & improves his skill on his own, and come game time, he puts his practice to work. So it is with meditation. You must put it to work in the field; the purpose of meditation is not just sitting alone practicing in a room at home. Discover benefits of meditation in part 2 of the meditation series.
If you liked the benefits of this article then the biggest service you can give is by sharing its benefits with others.
Be Well!
Rakesh Sethi
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Health Is Wealth: Realign Before its Too Late
When asked, what is your most important asset? Almost everyone often responds a house, a business, a car, or some other form of property or some say a relationship. Most responses revolve around money & material possessions. But truly, when mentioned, almost everyone agrees the most important asset we have is our health. The importance placed on these material forms of assets symbolizes that we have somewhere along line forgotten our true wealth, and unconsciously, we are spending our biggest asset, health, to gain wealth.
“Health Is Wealth” Cannot Be Taken for Granted
For many of us, we take our health for granted and have forgotten about our body. Keeping this body healthy is our first and foremost responsibility. The old proverb- “Health is Wealth” is so true. A body without health cannot function at its best to produce good relationships, wealth, and happiness.
Your Body is Your Primary “Vehicle” Not Your Car
We only get this one body for a lifetime- cars, houses, and things can be replaced. Our body is an irreplaceable “vehicle” for our lifetime. Let’s take good care of its health and well being. Keep your body fit to go through life’s journey. We are not machines. Our body is warm, alive, and natural. Then what can we expect from our body when we stuff it with frozen, dead, and synthetically processed food?
Time to Shift Health Fundamentals is Now
Take a look around you. The results are more than visible in our society with increase in chronic illnesses such as obesity, diabetes, anxiety disorders, depression, and fatal illness like cancer. Is the picture becoming clear? I hope it inspires you to shift your health attitudes.
How much more evidence we need to change our health fundamentals before it is too late? It is time to look from a different perspective and return to the health basics. The fundamental change is to treat and nurture our body with love and patience.
First step in changing health fundamentals is to start Eating Right Foods as per your unique Mind-Body constitution. Learn this know-how in FREE “simple secrets to good health” mini course. Subscribe here:
