Speech given by Adit:
In our busy lives, from dawn to dusk, we never notice when exactly we are breathing in and when we are breathing out.
When do you become aware of your own identity?
When do you become aware of yourself?
When do you become aware of your life?
Breathing comes in first place much before livelihood, materialism etc.
The first thing we have done on this Earth is breathe in. The last thing we are going to do is Breathe out. In between Life is existing.
In our busy life, our mind is wandering from past to present events like a pendulum, we don’t even observe when we are inhaling and exhaling.
‘Now’, present is the moment. Find time to get importance of breathe.
Mind is like a kite and breathe is the thread. Breathe is like a thread that’s joining to heart and mind.
Rhythm of breathe is connected to emotions.
When you are smiling, the breathing is just normal and where as when you are angry on someone, your breathing rate is very much faster than the normal breathing. Did you ever observe? *smiles*
BREATHING:
4 sources of Energy:
1. Food, water – we can survive without Food, Water (at least for some days)
2. Sleep – We can survive without sleep (at least for some days)
3. Knowledge – We can survive without knowledge may be through out our life *smiles*
4. Breathe – can we survive? No.
Importance of Breathe:
Demonstration:
Close your eyes
Breathe in (Take deep breathe)
Aware of your breathe, body
Breathe out
*smiles* Aren’t you feeling fresh? Aren’t you feel active?
Breathing Techniques:
There are many breathing techniques: Pranayama, Bhastrika
Among them, Pranayama is an important Breathing technique.
Pranayama is a Sanskrit name given to one breathing technique.
Pranayama: Increases Life Force.
There are different mudras (Signs) while doing Pranayama / Breathing techniques namely, Adi Mudra, Chihn mudra, Chinmaya mudra, Meru mudra
Benefits with Breathing Techniques:
While practicing Breathing Techniques, you are concentrating in breathing, so you are living in the present.
You are concentrating on inhalation and exhalation, so you are going to be in present moment in any breathing technique.
It gives you peace of mind.
MEDITATION:
There are 7 levels of existence of human-being:
Body : We are going to become aware of this body through
physical asanas (physical exercises)
Breathe : We are going to aware breathe by Pranayama or any breathing technique
Mind : Level of mind, by meditation
Intellect : (Chitta): We are going to aware of Intellect when we use our brain, intelligence. Eg: I invited you for this session, your brain telling you, you have to attend the session.
Memory : (Smriti): We are going to aware of Memory when we use our brain to recall the events. Eg: Who brought you here?
Ego : (Aham):
Demonstrate: stand up …. did I name anybody’s name? I didn’t call anyone by name, so no one didn’t stand up. That awareness of belongingness is called ‘Aham’. Appropriating to oneself all physical and mental activities ‘I eat’, ‘I see’, ‘I talk’ etc is called ‘Aham’ or ‘I consciousness’.
Consciousness: (Chetna): We are going to aware of Consciousness, when you use your intellectual powers. The meditation takes you there.
Meditation:
Introduction:
According to Bhagavad Gita, the undisciplined mind acts as our enemy, whereas a trained mind acts as our friend.
So there is a necessity to know our mind: We intend to do many things – make resolutions to cultivate good habits, to kick certain bad habits, to study with concentration, to do something with a concentrated mind.
How a person behaves, feels and thinks, how he conducts himself in a given set of circumstances is largely determined by the state of his mind.
So becoming aware of our thoughts is ‘Meditation’.
It’s becoming aware of State of peace of mind.
It’s a spiritual technique and adopted as key elemental part in some religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam etc.
Meditation
- Transforms life
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Energizes you
- Improves your patience
- Gives you peace of mind
- Gives you presence of mind
RULES TO BE HAPPY:
1….Opposite values are complementary.
2….Accept people and situations as they are.
3….Don't become football of other people's opinions.
4….Don't see intentions behind other people's mistakes.
5….Present moment is inevitable.
Once the distinction becomes clear, then journey towards the source begins:
Who am I ?
What I am responsible for?
What I am not responsible for?
In this spiritual path, everybody has to walk alone. The quest is the need of the soul. One can attain answers with deep silence, breathing techniques and meditation.
Don’t see the problems as big. If you compare them with universal problems the problems what you think big will become small.
More responsibility, more growth. More you complaint, more you decrease.
Don’t resist thoughts while doing breathing techniques.
Eg: If I say don’t think about Red Monkey when you do breathing/meditation by closing eyes. You will think why I told not to think about ‘Red Monkey’. *smiles*
So whatever thoughts you get, don’t resist. Just invite them.
Failure in exams or failure in relationships is not failure in life.
Responsibilities not given but taken.
More you resist, more you persist
Events come and events go.
Face the challenges in life like a solid rock which is hit by waves
Don’t relate happiness with an event
Don’t catch the anger from a stressful person. Anger is contiguous.
Energy goes where your attention goes.
Conclusion:
There is a clear distinction between religion and spirituality. In Technical words, Spirituality is a Framework and religion is the application built on it. For instance, a banana and banana skin: Religion is like the banana skin and spirituality is the banana. Religion is outer ritual and habits, a way of life; spirituality is the quest for the source of life, going back to the source, knowing deep within us we are part of the divinity.
Breathing and meditation are the technique related spirituality and they are not related to any religion. Breathing and Meditation are good mental exercises. Nowadays, even doctors are suggesting these techniques for peaceful living and proper blood circulation.
Written by: Adit
Jan 2010, Greensboro NC
