Stop hypnotizing yourself towards your failure! The word and concept of ‘Hypnotism’ has an eerie emotion attached to itself, that is what we have been fed throughout our lives, through stories, cinema, and generic conversations. However, various psychologists have been conducting research and practicing hypnosis for treatment purposes all around the world for decades altogether. The concept of hypnotism needs to be looked at with a different angle altogether in order to use it for our benefit. If I say, you hypnotize yourself with every single serious thought of yours, will you believe me? It is the truth, our thoughts have the capability to hypnotize ourselves. How?

Let’s know more about this below.

Thought governs your mind, your life. You all must have heard about ‘induced trance’. Trance can be induced via various external agents, however, thoughts can induce trance as well. A high or a happy state of life induces a happy trance and a low life state, extreme negative thoughts can induce a negative or a consuming trance-like state. Hypnosis involves induction of trance which leads you towards one direction, makes you act in one way or another.

While through happy thoughts and motivation, you hypnotize yourself to have a positive outlook towards life and hence are encouraged to face every challenge with confidence, negative thoughts, and fear can hypnotize your mind into believing in lies, and you eventually lose faith in yourself.

I’m sure you all must have come across the ‘Pavlov’s dog theory’, the theory which talks about training your dog at the sound of a bell to have its meal.  Your mind is that dog, and your thoughts have the capability to train it. Let me share with you an incident to explain the effects of self-hypnosis:

As a child in school, we were supposed to assemble for morning prayers and announcements in our school ground. One day, one of my friends felt uneasy and nauseous in the assembly; she fell down unconscious. She went to visit a doctor and she was told that she fell unconscious because of suffocation and that her nausea was a result of an upset stomach. However, she became so scared after this incident, that she began to avoid the assemblies out of fear. The picture was set in her mind, she had connected crowd to suffocation, and further to dizziness. Her fear had consumed her in a psychological trap so badly that she actually felt dizzy every single time she stood in the assembly, or joined a crowd. Despite being healthy in her body, she had infected her mind and hypnotized herself into believing that she will fall or feel suffocated in crowded places.   Her repeated failure was a direct result of self-hypnosis.

It’s almost like you being scared and extra-conscious of falling in a pit, and you end up falling right into it. You attract your thoughts and your fear, and hence become psychological slaves to those thoughts. However, one needs to realise that self-hypnosis can also be done for good, for changing the course of your life in a positive direction. How? Let me tell you:

• Change the stories you tell yourself and to others!

Have you ever noticed that if you tell a lie repeatedly, with conviction, you start believing it to be true, and eventually you end up turning it into reality. Why does that happen? Because you give energy to a thought by repeating it in your mind, or through your words. Changing your story, your words, is extremely important to change the course of your life. Tell yourself, that you’re capable of overcoming any challenge and achieving success, start believing in the same and you eventually will. Everyday you wake up to a positive thought, you will automatically act in the direction of bringing it into reality!

• Ask yourself, are you believing too much and too quickly?

Every time you realise that you’re dwelling on a negative thought, check yourself, have you been believing too much on what others or what the social media has fed you? Social media in today’s date is one of the biggest hypnotizers of the mind. Fact check everything, before you place your belief. Be careful with every thought you’re letting in your conscience.

• Begin training yourself, today!

Instead of letting your negative beliefs train your mind to act in a negative direction, make conscious efforts to train your mind in the other direction. Imagine the scenario you fear, face your fears head on, and imagine utmost success for yourself in that event. Imagine it repeatedly, every day. Believe in your success like there are no two ways about it. This is exactly the story you will create for yourself. This is how you train your mind to act in a particular manner, for your benefit!

• Meditate to de-clutter your mind!

In order to use self-hypnosis for your benefit, the mind needs to be free of complexities and doubts. If you’re unable to think straight, it becomes difficult for your mind to focus and it begins dwelling in confusion. Remove confusion, and meditate in order to get clarity of thought.

In the current global lockdown-like situation, the fear of coronavirus has consumed numerous minds and people are unable to fight against the negativities that surround them. Be conscious not to self-hypnotize yourself, or to create your own problems. Realise the opportunities that come your way. Train your mind to succeed, instead!

Stay Motivated, Happy and Stress-Free!

In this blog, we shall talk about gratitude, the antidote to mental illness. But what is this gratitude? How it is different from thankfulness? Gratitude is a feeling which comes from within and it can come for the benefits received by you or for nothing. Thankfulness is an act from the person who received the benefits. Gratitude can be expressed in thankfulness. A ‘Thank You’ with the feeling of gratitude has the power to transform your life and change its course towards positivity. It is a powerful cure to your mental block and illness. How? We shall talk about it further in the blog. Since the coronavirus pandemic has struck the entire world, thousands of people have been finding it difficult to keep a control on their emotions of hopelessness and agony. The necessary evil, i.e. the lockdown has also pushed many people into solitude and without human touch, most of them are finding it difficult to maintain a high life state. However, in such situations we often forget that no matter what the situation, one has numerous things they can be thankful for. Why should one be thankful for everything they have? Let me answer that question with a short example.

Mike, a young lad, had recently been offered his dream job. He was extremely excited as he joined the firm and wanted to display his potential to his best. Suddenly his company had some issues and to support his company he started shouldering more responsibilities beyond his job specifications. Everything worked in his favour, he was in constant touch with his manager, and he was being appreciated at great lengths as he worked at his best for a few months. However, gradually, he began to feel that the levels of appreciation have reduced. He began to feel as if he is working for no gains. He started to lose his interest and began to feel that his company and manager has probably taken him for granted. He felt as if he isn’t being respected and this eventually became evident in his quality of work.  “I am taken for granted in this company!”, “Everyone here is thankless!” This is what he thought. On the other hand, his manager had begun to believe that Mike had reduced his dialogue with him and has stopped respecting him. “I think he has taken me for granted. He is not feeling gratitude towards how well I trained him. Maybe he forgot how well I trained him at the start!”, his manager thought.

One factor became the sole reason for the dispute in Mike’s work life, i.e. Lack of Gratitude. One cannot feel the zeal to do well at a place where there’s lack of appreciation. It is a vicious cycle of negative energy. You attract what you believe in. Overload of fear, lack of appreciation, and negative energy swarms your life and seizes the functions of your mind. This in turn leads to mental illness. However, basing your actions on gratitude and thanking your surroundings for what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t, leads you towards abundance!

How does gratitude cure mental illness?

1) Improved Sleep: Balanced and sufficient sleep is a must for a peaceful state of mind. People who realise the importance of gratitude in their lives end their day by thanking the universe for everything they have. This creates a focus on things that are positive in life. Sleeping on positive and happy thoughts results in a satisfying sleep. Gratitude also releases stress and helps relieve anxiety and depression which results in better sleep. Gratitude in this manner improves sleep, thus, in turn, maintaining the balance of mind.
2) Self-love: Once you realize that you are fortunate to have a healthy body and mind, which are the key ingredients for success, and you’re fortunate in numerous terms for your life, your gratitude towards your life increases. This will reduce your self-criticism and will increase your self-love. You love what you have, and you begin to accept yourself the way you are. Focus on ‘what is’ than ‘what is not’ shoots up self-love and makes way for positivity in life.
3) Building effective social relationships: Gratitude is the key to building effective and fruitful relationships with society. Man, being a social animal, depends on society to a great extent for his well-being. When you begin appreciating and paying gratitude to the person next to you, you build harmonious relationships. Harmony and goodwill help an individual in maintaining mental health.

Begin paying gratitude in your daily life in the following manner:

1) Appreciate and accept yourself, the way you look, the way you think, your achievements as well as your failures. Begin by writing what you really love about yourself and meditate on those positive thoughts. Be thankful for what you have and begin focusing on working upon yourself to grow in life each day.

2) Appreciate your family, your friends, the society you live in. Pay gratitude to the person in front of you. It is not necessary to always show to them that you’re thankful. Being grateful at heart is conveyed through positive energy.

3) Pay gratitude to the universe for all the materialistic things you possess.

Where there’s gratitude, there’s abundance. Use the power of gratitude to fill your life with positivity.

Stay Grateful, Happy, and  Stress-free!

Stop letting greed take over your need! The world is currently battling the coronavirus pandemic and struggling to devise ways to counter the downfall of global economy. This is an unusual and challenging time for all of us. While most of us are being able to spend the days in lockdown with sufficient food and essential supplies, there are thousands of people struggling to find essential items for survival. Stores are facing a sudden supply crunch and are unable to deliver items to the population in need.

Let me ask you, did the news of lockdown push you toward a state of panic and fear? As a result, did you, like many others, end up panic-buying items in quantities way beyond necessary? Do you remember hoarding your carts and spending thousands on grocery without giving much thought about your actual “need”? If your answers have been “yes” to all the questions above, let me tell you, you’ve become a victim of greed.

“There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

How is Need different from Greed? Let me make the difference clear for you:

The root of Greed is “Fear” and the root of Need is “Survival”. When we act from survival instincts, our needs are legitimate and are fulfilled. But when our survival needs are fulfilled, we start having the fear of losing them. This triggers the greed in us and we end up wanting more of what we already have. The more we have, more we want. We even start comparing these things with others, we start indulging in a competition with them in our minds and this creates “Jealousy”.

Greed makes us selfish and self-centred. We no longer remain compassionate and loving. We become hard hearted and cold. In short, we no longer remain human beings, we begin developing an animal instinct. We stop helping others.

Do you remember the news about the people who bought thousands of toilet paper rolls, some to make use of them amidst the lockdown, and others to sell those for greater prices? These people acted out of fear and greed. Let me tell you a story to explain this further. A man, George and his friend Michael wished for a huge house, an expensive car and a bungalow as teenagers. Eventually, George grew to become a businessman, and his business flourished in a short period of time. Michael on the other hand joined a firm in service, however, enjoyed his job. As success came George’s way, he started spending more and more time with affluent people, and began comparing his life with theirs. Michael started noticing a difference in the behavior of his friend, who had started being rude owing to the constant stress he felt. With every little success, George wanted more, and pined until he achieved it. Michael, however, was content with what he had. Eventually, Michael realised that his friend isn’t really happy in his life, and that at every point of time, he feels someone else is better than him. He was never really content with the money he had earned, since he had become a victim of greed.

Let me ask you, what do you think leads us towards greed? Especially in difficult times such as these, what are the reasons we, as a part of our society, act through greed? These challenging times have unfortunately been able to reveal the most frightening faces of the human race. Why is everyone around the world acting in such a greedy manner? People have been hoarding toilet papers, hand sanitizer bottles etc. out of panic. Why? Let me tell you the factors which lead people to act this way:

Thanks to technology (which is a boon in our times), all sort of negative news and rumours reach in our living rooms. Instead of keeping news at a level of information and analysing them with our intellect, we start getting influenced by them. Unfortunately, negativity attracts our attention and our mind starts getting subsumed by fear. Fear in turn infects our mind  & we start believing in everything that goes around, succumbing to distrust. Panic-buying, which is the most common scenario these days, is a result of extreme fear and lack of unity in the society.

Every problem has become a business in the modern world, which has ultimately led to greed in the affluent, and scarcity in those in need. 

What happens when Greed takes over your Need?

The moment you let greed take over your need, the universe finds a way to balance the imbalance created due to your actions. Greed blinds you and keeps you from your real goals and ambitions which can take you towards success in life. As the fear of the pandemic spreads around the world, let us all learn to act a responsible citizens and act sensibly. Through unity and compassion, we can win over this pandemic together! Before buying anything in bulk, or strongly acting towards your desires, ask yourself, “Do you really need this? Can you lead a happy life without this? Will the others suffer if you do this?” If your actions might disturb the universal balance, if you’re wishing for something out of jealousy, you’re letting greed overpower you.

Stand with the fellow human beings in this time of crisis! Stay healthy and happy!

 “Your Infected Mind Can Kill You Faster than the Virus!” Yes, you heard me right. Let me tell you why I am saying that! The current times are extremely stressful with the coronavirus outbreak taking hundreds and thousands of lives around the world. The fear of this infection has in turn affected humans both physically as well as emotionally. It has rendered us weak in spirit, and sadly, has had a bad influence on our lives. Let me ask you a question, do you think that the global panic is only a result of fear of the pandemic? Where does this fear come from? What if I tell you, that before our bodies, our minds have been infected already? Yes, my friends, we have come to a point where we suffer in our minds even if our bodies are safe from the virus.

If you look around yourself right now, you will find numerous things that arise fear in your heart. It can be an update on the pandemic, an unfinished task, or a post on social media. What is the cure of this infection of the mind? Is fear the only symptom of this infection? Let me elaborate more on this.

Infection of the Mind - Major Causes

What causes the mind to catch infection?  Let me elaborate on the causes:

Herd Mentality: I believe in the importance of good and fruitful relationships among human beings in a society. Society can make or break a man. Hence, cordial and collaborative relationships between people are necessary for them to be successful and happy in life. However, the most dangerous side effect of a collaborative society is the development of a herd mentality.

What do we refer to as herd mentality? When you keep your logic and thought aside to blindly believe in what the other person says to you, you’re a victim of herd mentality. A negative thought in the current times of difficulty spreads like wildfire. If you have a herd mentality, you easily give in to that negative thought, and hence plague your mind.

In the current times, taking actions wisely and spreading truthful information are two basic tenets of avoiding panic-like situations. Be aware of the decisions you make under the influence of others. Meditate, and use your own intelligence in order to develop better decision-making skills. Do not copy others and act in one direction because “everyone’s doing it.” Remember, as long as an idea is not criticized, its credibility and worth is not proven. Do not judge those who work differently, develop relationships with society based on effective communication and logical actions.

Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear.

Bertrand Russel

Belief on Rumours: What happens when you decide to believe in a mob? You end up believing in rumours and/or spreading the same. Fear and stress are the two foremost and direct outcomes of belief in fake news. Apart from these, making decisions based on rumours also leads to loss of compassion and appreciation.

Social media, especially in the current times, is the biggest spreader of fake news and rumours. If you dwell on the news spread on sources such as social media, you can subject your mind to perils as dangerous as clinical depression and anxiety. The emotions of hatred and fear arising out of fake news make you attract negative energy towards yourself. Run a fact check before you believe or forward anything on social media. Do not let the effects of technology and social media consume you and infect your mind.

Rumors are like germs. They spread and multiply almost in a breath and before you know it, everyone is contaminated.”

C.J.Tudor

Dwelling over Negativity: I have repeatedly talked about the strengths of the Law of Attraction in my previous blogs. Words have immense power and energy. Through repeated discussions of negative news, reacting to and spreading the same, you attract more negative energy. Negative thoughts can make you extremely stressful. Manage your thoughts by writing them down, and focusing on improving your physical as well as mental health.

Fear and stress arising from a belief on rumours lead to an imbalance of chakras as well as directly reduces the immunity of your body to fight against infections. If you let your mind get infected by fear, your body weakens and gets more susceptible to the infection you’re fearful of.

What are the outcomes of an infected mind?

In these difficult times, what we need is to support each other and infuse our life and environment with positivity. Instead of brooding over fearful thoughts, it is time to plan out your life better, improve your relationships and family life, bring your body clock on track, balance your chakras and take actions to incorporate wellness in life. An infected mind reduces your confidence levels, develops issues like brain fog, and hence keeps you from success. Herd mentality combined with the belief in rumours can lead to a panic-like situation. Panic and fear, as we read in our previous blog, kill you faster than any other infection. Appreciate and pay gratitude to what you “have” right now and focus on growth.

Keep your Minds Infection-Free! Stay Healthy and Happy!

 ‘How to conquer fear, our greatest enemy!’ you might be wondering about the title. So, let me ask you a question when was the last time you did not feel afraid of anything for an entire day? It is difficult to remember a day like this, am I right? Fear and anxiety are both human emotions, and no one can completely get rid of them. Fear is supposed to act as an alarm for situations which require sudden reactions and can be called a ‘saviour emotion’ in instances where sound decisions are a need of the hour. However, over-information, misinterpretation or overthinking may lead to an immense amount of fear, which can, in turn, overpower your mind and can lead to dire circumstances.

Fear, if not put under control can kill you faster than any disease. How is it so? Let me explain.

Uncontrolled and extreme fear is the direct cause of various health and personality disorders. However, where does fear come from?

We human being in our day-to-day lives experience various kinds of fear:

• Fear of Pain
• Fear of Loss
• Fear of Failure and Embarrassment

In general, we fear the unknown or the repetition of a painful scene in the past. As kids, we feared injections, why? Simply because the memory of pain is attached to that of an injection in our minds. We do not want to undergo painful situations, be it physical or emotional. Certain people do not wish to invest emotionally in anything or anyone. Why? Because they are often stuck in the clock and fear that attachment might cause pain.

Money, being one of the most vital elements of human life, comes along with a fear of loss. Certain people do not spend on themselves, fearing that it would lead to a loss of money. Fear of failure, of any sort, keeps us from taking a step forward into anything new. Fear of change goes hand-in-hand with the fear of failure.

Don’t quit even before you’ve started. Let us know the reasons why fear is the biggest killer of all!

Paulo Coelho

• Effects on Physical Health: It has been proven by the research studies conducted all over the globe that stress and anxiety can directly lead to a deterioration of human health at an extreme level. An external stimulus or a thought acts as a stimulus for the brain to release stress hormones, primarily, cortisol, which is responsible for various changes in the body. Stress and anxiety directly lead to an increase in blood pressure, in turn posing a high risk of heart disease. It also curbs the immunity of the body, and its tendency to heal. This directly makes the body more susceptible to infectious diseases. An Imbalanced sleep cycle is another stress-related disorder which has an adverse impact on mental health.

• Effects on Mental Health: Anxiety directly hits your brain cells and may also be an outcome of a condition known as ‘Brain Fog’, a block, as you may say, wherein you are unable to make any decisions whatsoever. Fear of the unknown, or fear of change gives way to negativity. As I’ve told earlier in my previous blogs about the Law of Attraction, you tend to attract what you strongly believe. Constant and overpowering fear pushes you toward the realisation of your fears.

“Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.”

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

There are a few simple steps you need to follow in order to take control of your fear and anxiety:

• Know Your Fears and Face Them Head On: A clarity of vision is necessary for achieving that goal. In the same manner, clarity and identification of your fear is the first step to tackle it. Once you know exactly what you’re fearful of, it becomes easy for you to find the required solutions.

“If you try to get rid of fear and anger without knowing their meaning, they will grow stronger and return.”

Deepak Chopra

• Meditation Helps Clear the Clutter:Regular meditation helps you to slow down your thought process in order to develop a sense of clarity. Stress arising due to misinformation or confusion is the worst to tackle. Analyzing all the sides of your fear is one way to take control over it.
• Physical Exercise:Regular exercise releases ‘hormones of happiness’ in your body and hence helps to conquer conditions such as ‘brain fog’. Increased blood circulation and adequate supply of oxygen to the brain has been proven to reduce anxiety and cure depression.
• Visualize Success: Imagine your success before you take upon a new challenge. Make sure to remain clear in your imagination and work towards that goal without paying heed to the thoughts of failure. Focussing on success will give your brain lesser opportunities to entertain the thoughts of anxiety.
• Have Gratitude for What You Have:  The universe will only continue providing for you as long as you appreciate what you have. If you’re grateful for the people and the material wealth you have in your current state, you worry less about the next moment. Effective communication and positive relationships with people around you have always helped reduce the thoughts of fear, loneliness and anxiety.

Cherish your relationships and friendships amidst these times of crisis. Owing to the CoVID-19 pandemic, where people are fearful of the virus and depressed about the current situation, it is important for us to realise that our fear in such circumstances is our greatest enemy! Focus on what you have and learn about natural ways to create wellness in life.

Register for 15 minutes free Power Coaching Session to utilize this time of crises to its best and turn the direction of your life towards positivity. Stay tuned for my upcoming blogs.

Till then, Stay Fearless, Healthy and Stress-Free!

In this blog, I will give you 8 strategies if you feel overwhelmed at work. These strategies will help you reduce stress and unlock your potential to the best at your workplace!

Stress is the most common issue faced by people in the current times. However, what people don’t realize is that being over-stressed and overwhelmed can reduce your efficiency multifold, affect your health to a great extent and is a catalyst for numerous long-term diseases. The issue of overwhelming stress was dealt with by Yerkes and Dodson in 1908, where they came up with a bell curve to depict how motivation is directly connected to feeling overwhelmed. According to them, extreme high and extreme low motivation are the bearers of inefficiency, which in turn makes us feel overwhelmed. A balance is necessary! Let us discuss how you can inculcate certain good habits to reduce stress and anxiety at work and maintain a balanced mindset to completely ward off the ‘Monday Blues!’.

1) Planning Always Helps!

Look in your drawer and take out the sticky notes you haven’t been paying attention to for so long! Write about every task that is due, and sort them out under urgent and important. Urgent is what requires you to deliver something at your best speed; it often makes you panic. Less thought goes into it and hence work efficiency reduces. The important tasks, on the other hand require proper planning, thought and action.

Do you know why is it necessary to know the difference between what is urgent and important? According to Eisenhower’s Principle, what is urgent is seldom important, and what is important is seldom urgent. Divide your work and prioritize it! Your time and attention are precious, use them wisely.

2) Focus on ‘Now’ & ‘Here’:

As I have said in my previous blogs, your universe resonates with you. Ask yourselves from time to time, ‘Are my surroundings comfortable enough for me to work efficiently? Can I change something that is amiss?’

If the answer is yes, make that change, first! Be it, cleaning your workstation, or resolving an argument with a colleague that is making your mind unstable.

3) As Yourself: “Is My Subject of Worry Worthy Enough”?

As I said previously, your mental peace is precious. Do not lose it over trifles. Think about the situation you’re so worried about, and let it go until it is something that concerns your life. As Dean Smith says,

4) Switch Your Work-Mode ‘Off’ and Take a Break

American author Douglas Rushkoff correctly describes the present condition of human beings as “Always On!” More than using technology to our advantage, we have slowly turned into its slaves. Being ‘online’, and ‘alert’ all the time has become a prerequisite today; and this greatly affects our physical and mental health.

What do you do when you suddenly feel overburdened and overwhelmed? Most of us get stuck further in the trap. Consider leaving your workstation, and take a walk somewhere in the fresh air to release the traffic in your mind. This helps in viewing at a situation from a bigger and a better perspective. Everything needs to be recharged, distance yourselves from technology in the break, and let nature recharge you!

5) Embrace the Reality

‘I have made a grave error! What will happen now?’ Each one of us in our lives, has had this experience of making an error and being scared about the outcome. However, in the end, we’ve always been able to manage the situation. Embrace your circumstances and focus on the present! It is  always wise to move on, rather than being stuck in the clock. Motivate yourself to take responsibility and do best in the next task at hand!

6) Monitor your Motivational Energy

Sticking to reality is essential. As I said in the beginning, balanced motivation is the best catalyst for efficient work. If you’re over-motivated, you might want to become an over-achiever, and you end up wanting to do everything at once! Ask yourself, ‘Is this possible for me to do? Or will it be stressful for me?’ Realistic goals help you ward off stress.

7) When Overwhelmed, Communicate and Put the Weights Down

Have you ever considered talking to your colleague or your manager when you feel overburdened? Build conversations over small coffee breaks, and get to know your colleagues. At times, a broad perspective is required to tackle a situation!

Your manager could be your mentor, talking to them and requesting solutions is always a good way of building positivity in your work environment and team-work.

8) Keep that Weekend to Yourself!

What do you do on weekends? When was the last time you prioritized yourself and your health over work? Ideally, weekends are not meant for work. However, in case the deadlines are close and working on weekends or holidays is the need of the hour, remember to prioritize! Day-offs are meant for a recharge. Hence, if you forget to rejuvenate yourself on the weekends or day-offs, you might end up feeling over-worked for the entire next week. Indulge in  constructive activities which concern you as a person! Grow in your life, to grow in your work!

Use these eight strategies to feel lighter at work and say goodbye to work-stress. Stay tuned and know more about our Stress Masters Programme to deal better with stress at workplace.

Till Then Stay Positive, Healthy and Stress-free!

As fluid as Water, As light as Air
As giving as the Earth, As Bright as Fire
In the unlimited Space, I find the Balance
This is my Existence and all I Desire
- Dipannita Sahai

The Universe is made of five elements, Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. As per Yogic sciences, for the creation of anything, Space is required. This is how the universe came into existence. First, Space appeared and in Space, Air and other gases came into existence. Then, Fire began to transform gases and elements. With the fusion of gases, Water came into existence. To hold everything together, Earth came into existence. This happened in no time, like a big bang.

As universe is created of 5 elements, everything in it, including human beings, constitutes of these five elements. A proper study and understanding of these elements is key to maintaining good physical as well as mental health. Each cell of our body has the presence of these five elements. Repercussions of the imbalance between the five are conspicuous and often addressable. Ayurveda is created on this concept of 5 elements.

What happens when there’s imbalance?

When the five elements are imbalanced, we face issues such as the climate change. Climate change occurs due to imbalance of Earth and Air element. We have extracted Petroleum, Coal, Wood, nuclear power etc. from the Earth, burnt and used them according to our needs, releasing the by-products in the atmosphere, thus creating Air imbalance.

The smallest unit of planet Earth is the element, Carbon. Everything around us, the land, the rocks, vegetation, or the air, abounds with carbon in some form or the other. Plants are the greatest absorbers of carbon. However, humans, through their industrial practices (development and usage of factories, automobile, rockets, nuclear reactors) have raised the atmospheric carbon levels to an extent where nature is unable to maintain its balance. Owing to human malpractices, the greenhouse gas CO2 is unable to leave the atmosphere of the earth, and hence is leading to a global temperature raise, which in turn is gradually making life conditions tougher on the planet.

The imbalance of the five fundamental elements, in the same way, can lead to alarming repercussions.  Our bodies are connected with each other and to the universe through these fundamental elements existing within us.  Let us now understand the five elements in detail.

1. Earth

Earth nurtures everyone and everything that lives on it. The Earth element symbolizes stability, permanence and rigidity. It is directly connected to the digestive system, and hence its imbalance causes digestive issues, and may lead to weight gain and lethargy and cause immense amount of stress. The excess of the earth element causes a condition known as brain fog where thinking is muddled and productivity drops.

2. Water

Water indicates eternel flow or fluidity, nurturing and unstable nature. Nearly 70% of our bodies is Water. All the fluids in our body are linked to the water element. The element is directly connected to the sense of youthfulness, taste, and the various fluid substances inside our body – blood, lymph, urine, intracellular fluid, and even emotions. The imbalance of water element directly leads to kidney function issues, further leading to digestion, energy imbalance, and blood-related disorders. With issues in relationships, and instability in life, the imbalance also leads to extreme anxiety, fear, nervousness, and fatigue.

3. Fire

 Fire element, as its name suggests denotes passion, vitality, the power to transform, burn (anger), and self-esteem. Fire gets transformed into tissue and energy. In our mind, it is fiery intelligence and fiery emotions. In our eyes, it creates vision. Fire imbalance can lead to either extreme depression and lethargy or anxiety and sleeping problems.  Hot flashes and skin irritations are indicators of excessive fire element. It is extremely important when it comes to mental health and happiness.

4. Air

Air is the element that is eternally dynamic, flexible and mobile. Respiration, sensation of touch, movement, contraction and relaxation, all subtle movements, including that of nerves in our body are air dominant in nature. Air element lets you take the flights of fantasy. However, air imbalance can trap you inside your head, leading to over-thinking and depression. As long as you’re able to keep your imagination in control and make good use of your thoughts, your air element is balanced. Relationship and commitment issues  and problems in decision making arise when the air element is imbalanced.

5. Space

The Space element is the foundation of your relationship with the universe. The vacant spaces inside the body, big and small channels, along with sound and auditory channels are predominant in Space by nature. Moreover, the manifestation of all your desires, creativity, wisdom, dignity, knowledge and compassion, are all regulated by the space element and hence it is the essence of life. Space is important in relationships, as well as in each and every cell of our body. Proper rest and meditation have been regarded as the most important components of leading a healthy life. Meditation helps new ideas and thoughts to make space in your mind.  The balance of Space element is primary for achieving success in life.

A perfect balance of Yin-Yang, harmony between the body and the mind, and between one and the universe, is essential for a happy life. Following certain food habits, as well as meditation, are few of the many ways which can help you achieve the perfect balance required for happiness and success. In the upcoming blogs, I shall take you on a journey of realization, helping you recognize the imbalances in your body and eventually overcome the same.

Till then, Stay Balanced, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!!!

Are you stressed about your Future?

OR

Are you Stuck in your Past?

OR

Are you not able to Trust People around you?

OR

You are not able to enjoy TODAY

All the above are major stress creators and create disease in our body. So, what is the remedy for the above issues?

The remedy is, “Be in the Moment” – but this term has been abused in today’s times and the meaning diluted.

Someone says when you are in the flow, you are in the moment.

Some say when you are without thoughts, then you are in the moment.

Many mouths, many stories.

So, how to understand “Being in the Moment”?

Let’s try not to get sucked into this intellectual debate but try and look and its root cause instead.

So, when you are stressed about the future, what happens in your mind?

Are you stuck in the thoughts like “What if something goes wrong?” or “What if things do not go as per plan?” or “What if someone hurts you?” or “What if you are left with no friends?” or “What if you become sick or poor etc. etc.?”

So many “What ifs!!”

Where are they coming from? They are coming from your past sad, bad experiences.

Where are these experiences residing? They are residing in your memory. Isn’t it?

Let’s try to find the root cause of another stress creator.

“You are not able to trust people around you.” What is happening here in your mind?

Are you stuck in thoughts of “What if someone hurts me?” or “What if someone leaves me?” or “What if someone betrays me?” or “What if someone is not able to complete the task as I want them to?”

Again, countless “What ifs?”

Where are they coming from? They are coming from your past sad, bad experiences.

Where are these experiences residing? Again, they are residing in your memory. Isn’t it?

If you take all the above issues and try to look into the root causes of these, you will come to understand that the root cause is your bad and sad memory.

If your memory is such a bad thing, then why nature has given you this memory? Memory is a useful gift. It has been given to you for your survival. Think, how hard it was for you to remember alphabets in your childhood. But now you not only remember them, but you also use them effortlessly in your writing, to express your feelings and thoughts. You have seen how difficult it is for a toddler to learn walking. It takes years to learn walking without falling. Think for a second, if you forget how to walk? What will happen? You will have to learn everyday, how to walk again. So, memory is useful in doing your daily routine effortlessly. Also, memory helps you to remember what is good for you and what is harmful to you. If something is poisonous for you, you will not take it. You remember how to deal with animals, which are dangerous and how to tame them or stay away from them.

So, memory is not bad, as it helps us in our daily work and keeps us safe.

Then why this memory, which is providing you safety, considered the root cause of your stress? How correct this root cause is?

Memory is not bad. It does its work without fail… But, when your intellect gets clouded by these fear creating memories, then at that moment intellect cannot take an unbiased decision. It cannot see things as they truly are.

I came across a true story about a lady who used to work in an office. One day an elderly gentleman man joined the office. Looking at this new person, an uneasy and nasty feeling used to start generating in this young lady. This elderly man was a thorough gentleman and never offended this young lady in any shape or form. But still, when this man used to walk past this lady, she used to get irritated, angry. She used to feel like throwing whatever she would find close by at him. At first, she kept her feelings to herself but slowly her emotional condition started to get out of control. People around her started noticing her changed behaviour when this man was around her. Her friends discussed the issue with her and suggested she go to a psychologist. She took the advice. After a few sessions,’ the psychologist found out that as a child this lady was abused by her father. Her father used to use the same aftershave which this elderly colleague was wearing. She used to get reminded of her abuse by this smell and this triggered anger. Her subconscious mind wanted to save her by keeping this man away through this irrational violent behaviour.

She was counselled by the psychologist and slowly over time, she had overcome her issues that were arising from her memory. She never faced the same problem again.

Now, this was an extreme case where the lady’s intellect was hijacked by memory but we all do something similar at various levels – when we are thinking about something that is not in our control. It becomes worse when we do not take any action and keep thinking “What if?”

My advice is if you have done your work or are still working on the solution, then stop thinking about “What if?”. Anticipating results according to your past experiences will cloud your intellect and take away the peace of your mind. In return, you will only get Stress and Anxiety.

So, are we saying we should not use our memory when making decisions? No, you need to use your memory to take a decision by evaluating the facts properly. What I am asking you to do is to not take decisions only by your memories. Evaluate the situations according to the changed facts and circumstances.

Also, once a decision is taken do not think about that subject anymore. Otherwise, you will be hijacked by your memory again.

You use your memory when needed and cut it off when not needed. With practice, you will start living in the moment. When your intellect is swimming in the memory ocean all the time, then its anticipation about the future creates anxiety. Its past experiences haunt you and cloud the judgement.

So, to recap, what do you need to do?

1. Use your memory ONLY when needed

2. When not in memory, be aware of your breath and the events around you at the same time

3. By performing step 2 the beauty of ‘the moment’ will be revealed to you

Till I see you next – Stay In the Moment, Stay Healthy and Stress-Free!

Today’s world has developed a few unique attributes that seem to be the backbone of survival.

The mantras you would hear all around you are “Use your Mind, Don’t be Blind”,  “Your Intellect is your best friend”, “Use your head, Be selective with your heart”, “Stay sharp and alert”. What is the end result – yes, we achieve what we set out to achieve (at least most of the time) but pay a price for it – we feel burnt out, stressed all the time and realize after a while that this has taken a toll on our body and mind.

Simply put, we achieve our dreams today by paying the price called ‘Stress’. If you draw out a balance sheet of our lifestyle, the liabilities side tends to look heavier to the assets – you would agree, I am sure.

Some of the symptoms of staying in your mind (in normal parlance, we call it the brain) all the time are: 

• A tendency to curb your heart and over-rule it with your brain while taking a decision – while the work gets done, it does not seem to leave you entirely happy or satisfied. In fact, you feel sapped out at times.  
• Emotions tend to run high and whenever situations do not turn out in your favour you feel stressed, anxious and disappointed. 
• Sense of loneliness and isolation– despite being with your social circle. 
• Feeling victimized with losses in life – Sense of judgement for self and others around you. 
• Opting for quick fixes– like reaching out for medications to ease physical discomfort, sleeplessness, mood swings, stiff muscles and joints. 

I have been a victim of this wave too. Yes, I call myself a victim here. You will wonder and ask “Why? Isn’t survival a primary need?” I say “Yes, absolutely!”, as I am no different from any of us. Survival is key to human existence but then why do I call myself a victim?

I have been a banker for the most part of my professional career and hence, my survival out there was all about logic, analysis, argument, debate, competition, risks and uncertainties. My logical mind supported me so well through the 16 odd years that I forgot I also had an emotional side to myself.

There were a few instances in my career when I faced a few disappointments like not getting the expected promotion or got a reduced bonus or not getting the dream job or a difficult boss or an unsatisfactory job profile.

I also had a few instances when I tasted success like bagging the dream job or a hefty pay raise or a bonus that looked like a small fortune or back to back promotions or a great team to work with.

As I started becoming a seasoned professional, I also learnt the ‘trick’ of contemplating. Here I would analyze these ups and downs in my professional life and convince myself that the successes were due to my hard work, smartness, dedication and well-planned strategy but the failures were because of external factors which I could not control! Does this ring a bell?

Life felt good but as I completed 17 years in my career, I started to experience the symptoms of restlessness, anxiety, loneliness and insecurity as if life was slipping past my fingers like dry sand!! There was a sense of incompleteness bordering loss of precious time.

This is when I was introduced to the Master who taught me the art of balancing the worldly ways with your inner (self) development. Simply put, he taught me the mantra “Use your brain, but always take your heart along”.

This was only possible when I opened my heart and gave it that strength and power, so it walks hand in hand with my brain – thus enabling me to make balanced decisions in life – both personal and professional. I realized that this was the only path to enjoying life to its fullest.

I surrendered and asked my Master “How do I open my heart? How do I stop being a slave of my mind?”

And, He introduced me to MEDITATION.

I will be honest – I was nervous and felt tired just picturising sitting and doing ‘nothing’. However, the excitement of walking this new path propelled me…

He is an enlightened Master and I could not have found anybody better to introduce me to the technique. He taught me step-by-step, patiently explaining the experience I was having at every stage and encouraging me to continue practising without any expectations. It takes a Master to teach you meditation so I will refrain from teaching meditation but I can definitely share with you my experience as a student.

How did I start? 

1. I changed my mental frame and outlook:

• Acceptance – that worldly happiness is superficial and dependent on external factors
• Awareness – that I can only do what I can. Success and Failure is not in my hands.
• Realize – that I am a slave of my mind/brain and till my heart opens, stress will be my constant companion
• Search – for an enlightened Master who guides me on a new path
• Surrender – to the technique that the Master teaches
• Practice without judging – the results

1. Cleared my schedule to make time for meditation every day
2. Promised myself that I will be a dedicated student
3. Learnt – with all the focus, attention and eagerness
4. Practised – as if my life depended on it

How did I transform? Dramatically and forever. 

1. My Awareness increased manifold– I am so aware of my breath now and every time I find myself in a challenging or critical situation, focussing on my breath keeps me away from stress
2. Developed a Non-Judgemental outlook towards everyone and everything– I now look at things as they are and practice this state of mind every moment and every day.
3. Appreciating what I have and Accepting what I don’t– As I started counting my blessings, the challenges seemed smaller every time. This has given me renewed energy to deal with a situation without stressing myself out.
4. Accepting people as they are and making conscious choices– I was not wasting energy analysing the instances when someone disappointed me. This left me with an energy surplus all the time.
5. Found a best friend in myself– the more I looked within, I found that I could have handled a situation better. Since the key was in my hand to maintain my peace within, I am now the master of my destiny.
6. Feeling healthier, stress-free, happy and light– now with my energy getting channelled in the ‘right’ things, my physical and mental state follow me to support me in whatever I do.

What do you need to do? Do what I did.

• Accept that you do not want to live in stress and that there is a handy solution to this problem
• Find a Master who can teach you meditation in its truest form
• Be a good student while learning
• Be an even better student while practising
• Make time for meditation in your diary EVERY DAY
• Fix a clean place to sit comfortably – mark this space as your Meditation spot
• The best time is early morning between 5 am and 6 am or evening just after dusk.
• The best state is when you are not very tired or sleepy and your stomach is not too full
• Contemplate on your actions of the past 24 hours without biases – your next day will be automatically better
• Practice Group meditation (if possible) once a week – the group energy gives exponential results

Apart from these life-transforming benefits, meditation learnt right and practised daily will also give you some tangible benefits almost immediately: 

• You’ll sleep better. 
• You’ll lower your blood pressure. 
• You will better handle stressful situations. 
• Meditation decreases depression and anxiety. 
• Meditation helps to relieve pain. 
• You’ll boost your immune system. 
• The “little things” won’t upset you the way they usually do.  
• Meditation helps to boost your memory and ability to focus and learn. 
• You’ll feel calmer throughout your day. 
• It can help you quit smoking and other addictive behaviours.
• Meditation can reduce your risk of a heart attack. 
• Some researchers believe meditation can even protect against Alzheimer’s and Dementia. 
• Meditation can help you manage grief. 
• Meditation can help you feel inspired in new ways. It literally reshapes your brain. 

So, include Meditation in your regime and start today with learning it right.

Till I see you with another topic – Enjoy Life, Stay Healthy and Stress-Free –