My upcoming book in memory and salutation to my wife!

Yoga - The Holistic Practice!

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As we approach the world Yoga day on 21^st June 2015, here is an excerpt from my Co-Authored book on Yoga, which I am sure will dispel quite a few misconceptions about the practice!

Yoga is one of the most ancient cultural heritages of India. The word yoga in Sanskrit means "to unite” and so yoga can be said to mean a unitive discipline. In this sense it is an exercise in moral and mental cultivation that generates good health (arogya), contributes to longevity (chirayu), and the total intrinsic discipline culminates into positive and perennial happiness and peace. In its spiritual sense, it is the process by which the uniqueness of the individual soul and the Supreme Soul is realized by the Yogi. It is the union of all aspects of an individual: body, mind and soul. 

Yoga is an all-encompassing way of life, a science of self-culture and mental discipline that ensures the purgation of the ignoble in man and brings forth what is most noble in him. It is relevant to all people irrespective of their caste, creed, sex, and religion. Yoga is for all. Yoga is universal. It is not a sectarian affair. The practice of Yoga is not conflicting to any religion. It is purely spiritual and universal. It does not contradict anyone's sincere faith. It can be beneficial to all - the good and the bad, the sick and the healthy, the believer and the non-believer, the literate and the ignorant, the young and the old. 

There are too many misconceptions confusing the science of Yoga. People perceive it to be some kind of black or white magic, sorcery, physical or mental wickedness through which miraculous feats can be performed. For some it is an extremely dangerous practice, which should be limited to only those who have renounced the world. 

The real meaning of Yoga: Yogash chita vritti nirodha
Yoga is the termination of mental fragmentation.

Yoga: Oneness, yoga. Chitta: mind. Vritti: wave, the action of rolling, modification, way of being. Nirodha: cessation.

All about Yoga is said in the four words Yogah,Chitta, Vritti, nirodha. The four words of the second sutra define the “discipline” in a practical way. But then one should know their meaning and mostly what they signal to us. Chitta is the mind field, which is the ocean of perception and reflection. Even deep sleep is included in that world of perception, or cognitive activity. 

The meaning of vritti exceeds what we normally mean by thought. The idea of something rolling, of a wave in motion, is the first meaning. It is a more basic procedure than the solitary conscious thinking. We can say mental activity of form of consciousness, and that’s how we will translate it most of the time.

The word nirodha carries in itself the complete core of spiritual understanding, the full grace dawning on the open soul. It is the cessation, the silence. But what is silence? Silence imposed by thought —“what we often designate by the word “control”— is not silence”, It is an effort, a struggle, and uneasiness: in other words, it is still a troublesome thought: there is still someone looking after a goal. On the contrary, the discipline of yoga is the cessation of something that has hardly ceased until now and which we evoke by the expression chitta vritti.

Space and Stillness!

Integrity and Emotional Honesty

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What you think, that you say; what you say, that you do; what you do, that you speak; and what you speak that you think.

What the above phrase is saying in short is: One thing in action, one thing in speech and one thing in thought. These form the true nature of conduct for any one of us. When thought, speech and deed are in sync; we can say that we are in integrity.

Change this a little: one thing in their action, one thing in their speech and one thing in their thought and the meaning changes completely of being totally out of integrity.

How many times everyday are we faced with having to choose from the space of Integrity or otherwise? That is the question.

Corporates and individuals pride themselves when setting vision and mission statements personally as well as for the organizations and very often words like honesty and integrity act as foundational pillars to define themselves.

These words trickle down to individuals as well as the teams that proclaim the values of Integrity in their day-to-day work. Change the scenario a little where the interests of bottom lines are involved, very many a time the same individual, boss or teams, put the foundations aside for the sake of business or personal interests.

When questioned, the answer is a typical ‘Get smart, we are in business’ answer.

This often leads to a perplexity in the minds of the individual/s involved and soon enough they find that their personal values seem to be drifting away from professional needs and disillusion sets in terms of right and wrong. The more often this discrepancy occurs the bigger the separation, and this becomes one of the major causes for high attrition.

Over a period of time, even the perpetrator/s of the get smart brigade also start to feel the disconnect.

The major pain point for individual/s in teams today is that when a compromise is asked for, a valid reason is not given.

Logic may say that these individuals who feel short changed should obey the order, as from the outside no major compromise on the part of the organization is being made and it is finally for the collective good.

This rarely works as these little compromises add up over a period of time and then there is a distinct departure that is established.

When the courage of establishing a need for the said change is developed, and the truth behind is revealed, it releases an enormous burden for both sides and this practiced over a period of time lead to an open environment where there is mutual trust and integrity is never questioned.

This power to reveal the truth is called ‘Emotional Honesty’ and it originates in the heart. Remember, when we are honest, we have nothing to remember.

When we are honest, we heal relationships and build trust.

When will we get the courage to develop this Emotional Honesty is a question individuals need to answer for themselves first before it can be scaled to a higher level.

In the current context, it’s a walk down a very lonely path!

Breath and Infinite Wisdom!

Past, Present and Future!

React and Respond!

Head and Heart!

Noise and Voice

Happiness!

ENABLING DIVINE EMOTIONS AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TO DRIVE THE HAPPINESS QUOTIENT

Looking around us everyday, we get a sense of the emotional energy pervading all around of Fear, Anger, hostility, guilt, shame and depression, which Deepak Chopra calls as Diabolical Emotions.

Spin it around and we can look at the divine emotions of Love, Joy, Compassion, and Equanimity according to him.

Connecting the dots of the divine emotions to emotional intelligence, I have put forth my views how to arrive at the Happiness quotient that we all are seekers off.

Recent research in the field of EI calls happiness as an indicator of emotional health and well-being and the four factors of Happiness as per EQ-I 2.0, are Self Regard, Optimism, Interpersonal Relationships and Self actualization.

As an individual with high Self Regard, I respect myself as well as accept the strengths and limitations while remaining satisfied and self-secure. When we can do this to ourselves and can apply a similar structure to all around us, we become unconditional, which is the primary ingredient of the divine emotion called Love for me.

The second aspect of optimism where I see hope, the glass as half-full, can get energized by setbacks and obstacles and fuelled to overcome challenges in life, I express the second divine emotion of Joy showcasing itself in all its glory.

Wikipedia defines Compassion as that emotion that one feels in response to the sufferings of the others that motivates a desire to help, which sits exceedingly well for me with the Emotional Intelligence element of Inter-Personal Relationships where we look out not only for new relationships but also take care of the ones we already have, we have the courage to ask and give help and have mutually enriching exchanges in professional as well as personal lives.

Self-Actualization in the business world means finding the purpose and enjoying what you do while performing at the optimal level. When I operate from that space I can help others to self-actualize too because there is this inner stillness of peace and confidence, that the universe is conspiring for our greater purpose, which the divine emotion of Equanimity is all about.

When I am at peace, the other three divine emotions of Love, Joy and Compassion flow effortlessly and express themselves in their true glory.

To the emotional intelligence angle of measuring happiness, if divine emotions are added, I propose that I am an individual with a high happiness quotient.

Conversely, apply the divine emotions first in day-to-day life and automatically increase your emotional intelligence as well as your happiness quotient.  

Psychology takes time to express what spirituality already possesses!