01 Aug How to stay centered when life is on the line!

What is happiness? We often ask this question to ourselves. This is a subjective matter. Happiness for one may not be for the other. There is a difference between want and need. I may want a car but do I really need one. Even if I do go ahead and purchase it anyway, does that make me happy?

These are the questions that surround us at all times. Though as minuscule as they may be, they often blur our mindfulness and shake the center of our being. These chaotic feelings of finding the unknown often leave us unhappy. At such times, mindfulness and meditation come to the rescue.

Here’s a real life scenario. Sarah was envied by many. She had a beautiful family with a loving husband and a son. She had a wonderful house and a luxurious car. She dressed her best and had a curvaceous body. But every night when she lied down reflecting upon her day, a cloud of unhappiness cluttered her thoughts. She had thoughts about what people thought when she yelled at her demanding son in public, or how did she look in that tight fitting dress or even what her boss thought of her assignment. Each night she fought with herself to clear these thoughts and find some peace of mind for better sleep. Over a few months, due to lack of sleep and the constant battle of the mind, heart, and body, she put on weight, had dark circles and lost her cool at every instance. She thought that she had lost everything she ever had in the battle of finding inner peace. Later, Jenny, Sarah’s colleague introduced her to finding her center though mediation.

Mediation and mindfulness go hand in hand. Meditation helps you make peace with yourself whilst mindfulness helps you stay alert at all times of your surroundings filled with energies and emotions. You become more compassionate, grateful and empathetic.

So, what did Sarah do to find her center in such times of turbulence?

Diaphragmatic Breathing
This yogic breathing exercise helps you heal the center of your body with the help of concentrated breathing. Simply place your one palm over your diaphragm and the other on your stomach. Inhale and exhale deeply with eyes closed and concentrate. Forget about your worries and focus your mind only on breathing. Within minutes you shall feel rejuvenated to kick-start your day and flawlessly conduct your activities.

Concentration Meditation
Mediation has healing powers that have been proven by the sages over eras. Concentration meditation is one such technique wherein you focus on a given problem in hand and weigh your options thoroughly. Here with the help of mindfulness, you shall be able to consider not just emotional but also a strategic outcome of your actions and therefore make a wise decision after an in-depth analysis of your situation. This type of meditation comes handy when you are stuck in a mid-life crisis or a very stressful situation such as loss of a loved one or a job.

Mindful Exercises
Enjoyment is the core of any mindful exercise. The rule here is to concentrate on any activity at the end and make the most of it such as eating a fruit. When you eat a fruit, make sure you concentrate on its color, smell, and flavor. Relish it to its last bite and archive the feeling of happiness and content in your mind. With this, each time you consume that fruit, you can relive that happy moment. This scenario can be applied to multiple situations such as making love, studying, eating, taking care of your baby, having a conversation with your parents etc.

Reflecting your Happiness
When you are happy, you have the chance to share it with others. Show it with some compassion and gratitude. Be kind to people, have a random conversation with someone, find the good in the little things you do through the day and share your love with others. With the help of meditation, you shall be able to find the center of your being, things that make you and only you happy. And when you are able to find that, you must share your experience and energies with others without hesitation to make their lives better.

With these basic rules, Sarah was able to see the best in her day to day activities and find happiness in petty things that reflected not only on her mind and body but her glowing soul too.