From More to Moderation

Many a times we tend to judge the people around us.

Be it our family or friends, the mind tends to compare and judge as per our own standard.

I have realized that the key to having a healthy mind is to have reasonable thinking.

Beautifully expressed by the two most famous sayings of the Oracle of Delphi: "Nothing in excess" and "Know thyself."

Nothing in excess...

eg. Money

Spend some, share some and save some.

Complete abstinence leaves you deficient, makes you a judge i.e. too much self righteousness.

Deficiency as the name suggests leaves you deprived.

Excess takes you away from the truth....its easy to get lost when you are surrounded by excess..

Moderation is the key to a healthy living.
It gives us the right perspective.. The golden mean ..

The mind always wants more...that's its default setting. "Want More"
Endorsed very well by the advertisement industry, we are drugged to want more.

You must ask the Mind to have a look into orphanages, street homes, old age homes and hospitals.
See pictures of conflict stricken areas..
And then ask the mind, do you still need more ?

We must change the way we think...
The mind wants to eat more than it can digest.
Indulge more than needed, over analyze , over work and the over spend.
All leads to an unhealthy life.

Why not give more ?
I have come to realise that my happiness lies in being connected with God.
Again, not just passive praying..a combination of worship, stillness and service.
The time I have can be divided into :
Praise some, Be some, Give some.
  
We have three basic quadrants , at least from what we perceive : Body,Mind,Soul.
So we must devote time to each
Body : Healthy food, Activity, Rest
Mind : Positive thinking, moderate indulgence (hobby, sport etc), meditation. 
Soul is the mean point of the body and mind..it has its own energy but rests on the point of contact between body and mind...

Something like this... An open triangle... A wave ...a pattern... 
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

So two things I have learned..
1.Moderation holds the key to unlock the divine and dwell consistently in it.
2.We must change the default setting of the Mind. From More to Moderation.

Take a Peace Break...

Peace is such a beautiful word...

While reading some blogs today I came across this beautiful statement from Fr. Paul Keenan on how we can enjoy peace :

"By creating little pockets of peace for ourselves every day, peace is never a stranger to us and we can always find, inside ourselves, a corner of home."

We strive so much... We achieve so much..

But the lovely feeling of bliss comes only when the mind is at peace.

When I close my eyes in gratitude/ in prayer, and I let the hot steam of the morning tea warm my face..

When I take off my mind from the daily to do list for a while,

When I just sit in complete stillness and surrender,

Only then I can truly feel alive

And let the spirit rise like the steam to warm my soul,

Oh how I cherish these moments of Peace.

We have to train our mind to take a peace break...

The mind keeps telling us , we are wasting our time when we just sit and breathe !

The mind is constantly restless...

It says, If you are praying you have to be either thanking God, praising Him or asking...

Yes you can do all of that ... prayer made from thoughts and words...human prayer..fellowship with friends...its beautiful

But what about prayer from the being....when you are alone...Alone but not lonely..

Just being..

Just connect...like you keep your cellphone for charging...

Just get charged....

Be at peace ...enjoy the presence as it swells in you...

Oh what a feeling...

So here is my idea of a Peace Break...

1. Drink a glass of water in complete state of consciousness and enjoy the process...

Feel the water ....now i don't want to elaborate on this but try it...

2.Inhale the warm steam from a cup of tea or warm water or soup , and watch the rain/ sky/trees....how often do we lift up our necks and look at the sky...have you looked at the sky for more than a minute recently... or a tree as it sways in the wind...

Now do all this with your senses..

3.Before you fall asleep, just feel you are floating...surrender..

In the darkness of the night , let the little light of your soul fill you with bliss...

4. If you wake up early, enjoy the morning breeze, in complete surrender, no mind activity.

While taking the peace break, switch of your mind.

No thoughts, just presence...

Its a form of prayer too..

Words and thoughts keep us locked.

Locked in a realm of constant restlessness..

One assignment after the other, one chore after the other...

Are we living just to keep checking the to do list...

Are we just living for food and shelter..

Yes we must do our duty , we must work, raise children, look after each other...

But we must also feed our soul.

Feed it with Peace and see how healthy you feel...

Just 15 mins ... or maybe 10 min to begin with,,,

Its worth trying...

I have tried this and it have made me more understanding and sensitive to others...

I feel when I take a peace break, I ask my mind and ego to step back.

Moreover I just enjoy the bliss

So enjoy your day, have a peace break...

Who AM I?

My dads favorite question - Who Am I?
It irritated me the most...when he looked at me with his heavy , dark rimmed spectacles , slightly lowered, a wise smile and wrinkled eyes...Who am I?
"You should know" - I used to reply irritated..
"Well, yes we all should know" , he used to say.

But do we?
We may, but we often give it a thought.
Or are we scared to know else we may have to give up on our favorite toys...

When I was only a daughter , I didn't know anything about life or relationships..
Now being a mother..this title is like the mother of all relationships - literally ..
I begin to understand....

Suddenly I imagine asking my daughter this question,,,a few years down..
I have even invested in a super cool pair of spectacles to add the effect...
And even keep rehearsing in the mirror...
So, "Who Am I?"

Am I a human having a spiritual experience
OR
A spirit having a human experience...

Hmmm... interesting question to some
And a waste of time to some...

Well, the truth remains where it is and the journey to discover it is magical...

Life is a magical adventure to find the treasure that lies within each...
Unless you bury it under labels, judgments and carry too much silverware ..
Climb on..get exhausted and enjoy the cool view from a height !

That's all for now : )