What comes to your mind, when we think of the word ‘Being’? We, as humans, recognize ourselves with reference to the three pillars of our existence, the mind, the body and the universe. A balance between the mind as well as the body has been known to be the basis of sanity, and our connection with the environment defines our social character and further decides our well-being.  In my previous blog, we discussed how the human body is formed by the five elements, i.e. earth, air, water, fire and space. Their balance, in numerous ways, decides our life condition as well as health. Let me further elaborate on the way each element affects our body, as well as mind and the outcomes of element imbalance.

The ancient traditional Indian medicine system, known as the Ayurveda, focuses on maintaining health through takingcare of your diet, enhancing the power of the mind and controlling stress through practices such as meditation. The roots of the element theory are also believed to lay in the ideas of Hippocrates, the father of medicine.  Natural therapy, or Naturopathy, introduced in its modern form in 1902 by Benjamin Lust, had faded in its charm over time, with the proliferation of modern medicine. However, in the contemporary world, it has regained its admiration, owing to the limits of modern medicine being tested repeatedly. The system of Naturopathy, as well as that of Ayurveda, comprises the sole belief in the removal of toxins from the mind as well as the body, creating a balance between the five elements for seeking a healthy life state.

How does the element imbalance affect our mind and body?

Each element affects us on two levels, physiological as well as psychological.

{The physiological stratum refers to our body, i.e. the physical self. The psychological stratum refers to the functions of our mind.}

1. The Earth Element:

The Earth element, being the element of highest density is connected directly to the entire body mass. Its excess causes obesity and lack cause emaciation. The generalization of the Earth element in itself tells you the psychological aspects of it. ‘To be down to Earth’ is often considered a virtue, unless it is in state of excess. The more the Earth element is imbalanced in your being, the more you feel ‘stuck in your own head’, stuck in emotions and lack self-confidence or on the contrary, you are in a constant state of apathy. Brain Fog is another common condition arising from Earth imbalance. The lack of the Earth element pushes you away from emotions and from the sense of life itself.

Natural Ways to Balance the Earth Element:

• Eat foods which are lighter on the digestive system
• Devise ways to manage your time and energy efficiently;
• Enjoy the smell of the earth, touch nature once in a day; a walk on the grass barefoot is the best way to stay connected with the Earth element
• The Ayurveda recommends the Balneotherapy or the Mud therapy to balance the Earth element in your body
• Sound and Vibration Therapy helps in balancing the Earth element
• Meditation on your Mooladhaar Chakra (the Base Chakra) also helps you to balance your Earth element

2. The Water Element:

With direct nexus with all the significant fluids of the body, the Water element takes cares of your blood circulation and controls the body function effectively. Our bodies are made of 60 to 65% water, and its imbalance creates issues in the proper functioning of the body and mind. The system of natural medicine believes water to possess a sense of memory. It is said to retain energy and affect its carrier accordingly. Health issues such as lethargy and kidney-related disorders are a result of Water imbalance.

Natural Ways to Balance the Water Element:

• Drink water, as pure as possible, free from toxins
• Consumption of alkaline, structured water is the best way to neutralize the acidity in the body and balance the entire system
• Hydrotherapy, i.e. external usage of water in different forms is another recommended technique to balance the Water element
• Taking dips regularly in Sea or river water (which are full of minerals) cleans the water element of the body
• Sound and Vibration Therapy helps in balancing the Water element
• Meditating on the Swadhisthaan chakra (Sex Chakra) helps in balancing the water element

We shall talk about Fire, Air, and Space elements and the impact of their imbalance on our lives in my next blog.

Till then, Enjoy your being’s balance, Stay Healthy and Stress-Free!

"He who is unable to live in a society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god" - Aristotle

To begin our discussion about our relationship with the society, I consider it mandatory to mention the great ancient Greek philosopher and polymath, Aristotle. Those who have never read about Aristotle might wonder how an ancient Greek philosopher is relevant in the modern world of today!

Aristotle is famous for his significant contributions into every aspect of life. He describes a human being as a social creature, i.e. a human being, according to Aristotle, cannot lead a good life in solitude.

Today,I would like to tell you about an incident which gave me a new perspective to my life.

I visited my childhood friend, Nikhil after almost a decade, on his father’s 87^th birthday. Nikhil works as a General Manager for a large corporation in India. For a very long time, he had been trying to tackle certain grave conflicts at his workplace, with his friends as well as within his family. For his father’s birthday, he had decided to host a grand party and was secretly hoping that his initiatives might improve his relationship with his parents.

As I spoke to him in the party, I realized that Nikhil had been struggling on every front; his days and nights were all about complaining, harboring negativity and despondency. Our conversation was filled with negativity. This was when his old-aged father joined us – he sat quietly and heard us through the remainder of our talks.

And then the wise, old man spoke to Nikhil -

“Nikhil, tell me honestly, have you ever considered recognizing yourself apart from the roles you play; of a father, a son, a General Manager, or a friend? Have you ever looked at yourself from a third person’s perspective? Each of those around you reacts to you as per what they see. Have you tried to see what they see? I have been searching for Nikhil for a very long time. I only get to meet the GM. You create your world. The reactions people give you is a reflection of who they see - if they see a humble and warm person they react accordingly and  if they see an arrogant, self-involved person then they react that way.

Look at how you interact with people and I can guarantee things will change...”

Nikhil was taken aback by his father’s words. He went quiet for the next few hours. He called me next day morning and told me his father’s words had really made an impact on him. From that day onwards, Nikhil had started to focus on his behavior, and leading his life differently, for better.

I met him a year later, he was a smiling happy and a very cool guy – someone who looked similar to the Nikhil I had known from my childhood.

What are the recurring questions on this subject in our minds? Let’s find out.

1). How Can the Society Shape My Life?

Our beliefs and opinions are all placed as per the surroundings we have lived in. An ignorant mass of human beings tend to produce an ignorant human being, and an awakened group of people nourishes and often produces an awakened intellectual. Your surroundings & environment play a major role in shaping up your life. A positive environment automatically enhances your creativity, and a negative one pulls you into a pit of inaction and complaint. However, let me call this trait of society not a characteristic but a tendency. It is in your hands whether or not can you maintain a healthy relationship with your environment, take out the good from it and leave the rest.

2) Can I Change my Conditions? How?

• Gratitude and Appreciation: Two Pillars of a Happy Life

Before you begin your day, think back to the things that have contributed to your life. Understanding other’s contribution increases gratitude for everything you have in your life. Colleagues, fellow travelers, juniors, seniors, friends, family, or house-helps, everyone around you shall cherish an appreciative remark once in a while. Make the person next to you smile;good vibes shall comeback to you.

• Align your Mission with your Vision

Your life needs to have a mission as well as a vision. Mission is your personal goal, however, vision refers to a greater good. The universe, i.e. surroundings plays the most important role in your success. All success stories of today have a vision of a greater good, of providing the society with something for its betterment, hence the universe responds in a similar way.

From the endless list of practical and running examples for the same, Tesla stations itself as a global leading automotive firm, with a vision,

Tesla, with its beautiful vision of gifting an absolute pollution-free environment to the society is the core reason for its tremendous success.

• Do Not Let Social Anxiety Get the Better of You

Through my previous blog series on the Law of attraction, I tried to make my readers realize that you control everything in your life. Begin with working on your physical as well as mental health, maintain a diary for daily productivity and gradually break out of your cocoon. The world is ready to accept you the way you are; all you need to do is make the first move!

• Know the Bigger Picture

Pick your battles. Every time you’re about to get into a conflict with anyone, pause for a second and ask yourself, “Will my reaction here help me in future?” If the answer is no, take a deep breath and move on. 

It is important to look at yourself from the perspective of the society to maintain a healthy relationship with the same. Healthy relationships lead to a healthy mind, further leading to realization of personal dreams of success and happiness and your happiness flows through the society you live in.

The More you Give, The More comes back to You – giving momentum to your Vision.

Spread Joy! Stay Healthy and Stress-free! 

Today’s era is all about industrialization and numerous technological advancements. Corporate culture has been established to a great extent. With long work hours, and varied targets, most of us spend more than a third of our lives at our workplaces.

Conflicts at work are common points of concern. In this blog, I will be giving out a few simple secrets to bring your life at work on track! But before that, let me tell you a story I read back in school:

Once upon a time, there existed a jungle where lived passionate and creative animals! They had all come together to form a company, and worked day and night to live life fruitfully!  

The Old Lion had been elected the head. He, being the boss, was given the right to pull-up anyone in case a task was left undone. Their business was on a rise, until ego clashes began to emerge within the team. The Falcon, of all people, did not quite like the way the lion worked. However, the falcon was always scared of reaching out to the Old Lion. The Falcon was best friends with the Vulture and they often gossiped about the boss and the other team members. The Falcon, though being the most innovative member of the team, could never reach out to the Lion, fearing his position. Months went by, and the Falcon kept drowning in negativity and wasting his time and energy.

The Falcon had erased every possibility of a communication between himself and the Old Lion. Little did he know that he was about to get the biggest shock of his life.

In a few months, the Old Lion fell ill, and passed away. He was replaced by another talented member of the team, the Vulture himself! The Vulture was chosen by fellow team members.

Now, what do you think was the Falcon’s reaction? Which set of thoughts did he choose?

A or B?

To the Falcon’s misfortune, he chose B! The Falcon was bereft with jealousy, and his friendship turned bitter. This led to another blow to his goodwill and enthusiasm, and he stepped on the boat towards failure. The Falcon had repeatedly bad mouthed about the boss to the Vulture in the past; hence, the Vulture couldn’t develop trust in the Falcon as an employee. Eventually, the Falcon ended up resigning from his post.

Moral of the story?

Our career largely depends upon our relationships at work. Hence, let me tell you 5 simple ways to maintain smooth workplace relationships.

1) Begin Your Day with Gratitude!

Oprah Winfrey says, “Be thankful for what you have, you’ll end up having more. If you focus on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.” Be thankful for the job you have at hand, because it feeds you and gives you an opportunity to grow in life. Gratitude in heart, leads to a display of gratitude in action. Give out positive, and attract the same!

2) Treat Time Valuably!

Consistently showing up late at work is a big no-no! Your actions are an evidence of your enthusiasm. If your boss fails to acknowledge you, close your eyes, and brush upon the basics. Have you been up-to-date with your work? Learn to manage your time well and engrain punctuality in your way of life. Repair the damages while you have time.

3) Take Initiatives!

In times of conflict with your manager, we often find ourselves confused and dangling in the middle of two thoughts:

You’ll never get to know the other side of the story until you take initiatives to communicate. Establish a nexus to better understand the work strategies of your boss. Suggest and learn, and keep the cycle running.

However, keep a check when you’re crossing your limits. A healthy professional relationship requires both patience and wisdom. Draw a line where you find yourselves divulging too much of your life and your personal opinion in a co-worker, after all, it is a professional setup, and you have a career to look forward to!

4) Keep Compassion in your Heart!

Say the following to yourself before you encounter anyone at office,

Pick your battles wisely, as reacting over every other thing you hear reduces your energy for the next task. Think about the bigger picture and bear compassion for everyone you encounter at your workplace, including your boss. Remember, he/she is placed against you for a reason, learn what is there to learn, and grow bigger in life.

5) Close Open Loops!

Famous author and efficiency-expert David Allen, in his GTD (Getting Things Done) Theory talks about the importance of closing down the open loops of your mind. The theory refers to the significance of shutting down the thoughts that nag you and reduce your efficiency. Be it a feared encounter with your boss, or a possible uncomfortable situation, certain fears keep your mind busy and reduce your work potential. Close those loops through communication and action!

Conflicts at workplace can harm your capability and keep you from finishing your goals.

Resolve them with these simple strategies and refrain from being the Falcon in your life. Remember, the law of attraction is constantly working. Your workplace is an essential part of your universe.

Stay tuned to my upcoming blogs where I shall talk in detail about numerous ways to resolve conflicts in relationships.

Till then, Enjoy your Work! Stay Healthy and Stress-free!