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!!!

“The truth is that the universe has been answering you all of your life, but you cannot receive the answers unless you are awake.”

Rhonda Bryne in her masterpiece ‘The Secret’ articulately gives out the message that the universe answers every time you showcase your deep desire for something worthwhile or of extensive value.

However, what exactly is meant by ‘worthwhile’?   

Does the Law of Attraction work only for a few people?

Let’s try to decode the answers to such questions through a sneak peek into the Dos as well as Don’ts to make the law work for you.  

But before I begin with the specifics of Dos and Don’ts, let’s take a moment to recollect the Harry Potter series (You might wonder why I suddenly took a diversion!). Although the Potter series is widely considered children’s fiction, the characters in J.K. Rowling’s work often end up teaching the audience certain valuable tenets about the universe, in their own sweet magical way!

Albus Dumbledore, in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ tells Harry, “Help will always be given at Hogwarts, Harry, to those who ask for it. I've always prized myself on my ability to turn a phrase. Words are…an inexhaustible source of magic…capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.”

Replace ‘Hogwarts’ with ‘the Universe’ and it works in tandem with the Law of Attraction!

With this quote in mind, let’s focus upon the Dos or the ‘Must Haves’ for the law to work:

1) Understand the Concept of Alignment!

Tuning is necessary, as much in your life, as in a musical instrument. A musical instrument, if out of tune, produces noise. The law will never work for you if you’re not aligned with the universe. Wishing to reduce 50pounds of weight and sitting idle on the couch for long hours do not go together!

Why does the Law not work for some people? Simply, because they’re not ready for it. Either, various conditions in their lives are not suitable for their wishes to come true, or their actions are not being made in the right direction.

2) Visualize your Desires!

A friend of mine needed certain amount of money. Here’s a snippet from our conversation:

He diligently followed the advice, demonstrating an unshakeable faith that he will be able to go forward with his mother’s treatment. Within a couple of months, he received a cheque worth the amount sufficient for the treatment! These were the dues from his previous job which were now cleared after a year.

Visualization is required in order to realise your desires.

3) Know your Energy Field (‘Vibe’)!

Every human being possesses an aura around itself, and its creation depends on the individual’s thoughts and beliefs to a great extent. The journey towards finding visible proof for energy fields began back in 1970s with the conduction of Kirlian photography experiments. Science, by now, has successfully been able to prove the importance of human mind and its connection with energy fields. These fields are the ‘vibes’ we get when we meet a certain person or enter a certain room.

 Your success entirely depends on the vibe you give out as the universe responds to you accordingly. Psychiatrist and author, Dr Judith Orloff, devised a term ‘energy vampires’, defining those who constantly dwell in negativity and are stuck in the clock and hence carry a heavily negative vibe around them. Their negativity repels the people in their universe and also, all the possibilities of success.

Let us now focus upon the Don’ts:

1) Harbouring Impatience and Doubt in your Mind!

Have you ever thought about considering the Universe as another person altogether?  The minute you show distrust in a person in your vicinity, their trust on you is shaken. The more impatient you are, the more delayed is the awaited task. Do not harbour any doubt, whatsoever! Trust the universe!

2) Self-Centric Desires!

Ask yourself the following question every time you wish for something:

“Why should the Universe give this to me? How will the Universe benefit from my desires?”

Remember, the universe includes people, as well as the nature around you. It demands the answers as to how shall you put to action whatever it provides you with. If you demand money to harm the universe, it shall never fulfil your desires.

3) Extracting Pleasure from Pains of the Past!

I touched upon the concept of the power centre in my previous blog. Choices from the negative power centre, and constant discussions of low moments from your past drag you down in the present.

Put a check as soon as you realise that you’re enjoying the discussions from the past! Ask yourself: “Am I doing it for sympathy or validation?”

Remember, as Dumbledore said to Harry, “Words...are a source of magic”. Words have significant power and frequency. In case the frequency of the negative words matches with the universe, you’ve pulled the reverse gear!

Law of Attraction is somewhere in between the mysteries of magic and those of reality. Its thorough understanding can do wonders for you. Apply it in your life wisely and achieve boundless success with its help!

Stay tuned to my video series for further clarity on the Law of Attraction!

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

To your kid who has an exam tomorrow, or to a friend who is leaving for an interview, how would you wish the best for them?

Languages change across the world; emotions remain the same. However, if you closely notice, there are only two beliefs with regard to delivering good work. Wishing someone “the best” is very different from wishing someone “the best of luck”. They say it is in your own hands whether you depend on luck for success, or on hard work. It is always easy to blame it on fate – just believing in your hard work takes courage.

But what if I told you, there’s a grey area right in between ‘hard work’ and ‘luck’?  What if I say, your success or fulfilment of your desires lies solely in your hands, and a slight change in the way you think, can make all the difference that is needed? Let me further help you through it. As has been shown to us by science as well as philosophy, each and everything that exists, be it a living or a non-living entity, is guided by various laws. Right from the Law of Gravitation, which we learn in school, to the various Laws of the Universe we have all come across as we grow up, our life works in tandem with the universe.

The Law of Attraction, as I call it, is the basis of all universal laws, if understood and worked upon in the correct manner. What exactly is Law of Attraction? As I said previously in my blog, changing your thought can change your life. Thoughts, in their severity, are understood as emotions.

We, owing to the electromagnetic fields we generate around us, are trying to attract something all the time. The Law of Attraction states that, your emotions guide your life. Love is an emotion, the same way, anger, fear, lust, happiness, are all  emotions. Whatever you love or desire in its extremity, the universe readies itself to serve you the same. This holds true for fear as well!

Two mountain climbers, George and Michael, were onto completing a project – to successfully reach atop one of the highest mountains in the world. However, they met with a horrifying accident on their way up. Both couldn’t maintain their balance after hitting a huge rock on their way and slipped down speedily, cutting snow on their slope downwards. They got up after remaining unconscious for a few minutes, only to find out that their shoes were torn, and they’d both lost their bags, which had all the food they would need on the trek. This incident would have been enough to break their spirits.

However, returning was not a viable option for them. They were representing their country! Tired and dejected, walking for several hours without food, both seemed to have almost reached the top! However, the final climb was going to be the most difficult. Successfully crossing such a thick belt of snow with torn shoes and lack of energy, was going to the toughest. They paused for a few minutes before taking the climb. Thoughts ran in their heads:

Eventually, as both George and Michael began the climb, George felt slightly uneasy. His shoe got stuck, and he began to sink in the snow. He was so tired by then that he couldn’t get up. His frustration and anger was starting to get the better of him.

George said, “Michael! I knew this would happen! We shouldn’t have continued!”

He noticed Michael had already taken the lead. Very soon, George heard him shouting in joy, “And here goes the flag! I did it!”

Howsoever magical it sounds; it is nothing but pure science! As per Einstein, “Everything is energy. And that's all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want, and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”

The universe is listening to whatever you think or utter. Universe will serve you exactly what you serve it. George decided his fate himself and so did Michael. See, how their thought process made all the difference!

How does the Law of Attraction work, why does it work for some and not for others, and how can we effectively use it for ourselves to build the life of our dreams?

As you wait for my next blog on this subject, listen to my video series that talks about many aspects of this law.

If you want to understand how and where to start, let’s have a conversation.

Stay positive in your mind, words and actions. Stay healthy and stress-free!

“Success needs hard work? Or, success depends on luck?" These are your thoughts as you wait at the bus stop for the 9.00 a.m. bus on a Monday morning, all set for your job promotion interview. You are sharply dressed in a crisp white shirt with a tie on, and a pair of black trousers.

“Shall I be successful in the interview today? Will I get the promotion? What can I do to prove my worth?”

You notice a man with the magazine that has “Top 100 Most Influential People” as its lead story.

Will this prompt you to think deeper?

Success, for you, at that moment would be equal to getting the promotion.

However, success is not the matter of one moment. It needs investment in the form of diligence, the way a seed needs constant nurture to grow into a tree.

Think of an individual who is successful according to you, and notice their traits. Do they respond to your question confidently or do they fumble? Do they seem passionate about their life, or do they complain? There are a few traits that are common across all successful individuals:

1. Learn to appreciate yourself and the universe!

What we sow, so shall we reap! This is a universal law known to everyone. Whatever we give to the universe comes back to us in equal proportion.

An animal trapped in a mirror box growls at his own reflection, thinking it to be another animal. Its scorn comes back to it from all sides, multifold. The universe is no different to a mirror box. Learn to appreciate the way you are and learn to respect others.

You decide the way the world treats you!

An individual who understands this law is bound to succeed in life.

2. Open up your mind, be receptive towards others’ views, and take risks!

Listen carefully what people have to offer. The stereotype of staying aloof in order to focus on career and be successful has not led to much success in the real world.

Today, we constantly gather information, but once our minds are full – we stop listening, our mind gets saturated and we suffer from brain fog. It is important for us to empty our minds to enhance creativity. Adequate amount of sleep is one way of providing rest to a tired mind.

Our life revolves around the beliefs and ideas we inculcate. However, being dismissive to new ideas and the risks they bring along is not a good sign.

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook once remarked, “…the only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking risks!”

You need to gear up to take risks in order to grow in life. Fear of stagnancy is much higher than the fear of loss in successful people!

Listen to understand, to gain knowledge, and to achieve wisdom.

3. Focus on daily, short term goals! Start small, and scale them higher with discipline!

Think of your life as a Kids Bank Account. You save little by little hoping to draw a fat saving amount in the future. Focusing on daily goals and working towards them opens the gateway for greater success in life.

However, if you fail in some instances, this should not pull you down. It is immensely important to remain motivated on a regular basis. Remind yourself of your goal every time you seem to lag behind. Action aligned to discipline gives results.

Every day should end analyzing your highs and lows during the day. Achieving daily targets provides the push to move forward towards the larger goal. Spending some time meditating on yourself and seeking some ‘me time’ on a daily basis is a habit to be developed for achieving greater heights.

4. Stay in the present , discarding the junk from the past! Accept your failure, forgive yourself, learn and move on!

When was the last time you felt you’ve conquered the world? Do you remember the feeling of that extreme happiness?

Remember your high points in life and strive every moment to feel the same way. Focusing constantly on aligning yourself to positivity is a way of life for successful people.

Be a wise judge of what to keep and what to discard from past memories, and keep moving ahead in life. Failures are memories to learn from. No one has ever grown in life if he or she decides to stagnate.

As Winston Churchill says “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm…”, accept, forgive yourself, learn and move on!

An eagle can foresee a storm. Instead of hiding away, it flies to a high point, sets its wings in such a way that the winds lift it higher than the storm itself.

Failures are the storms in your life, above which, a successful individual soars like an eagle!

Success in life mandatorily needs clarity of vision, intention and dedication. Elon Musk, CEO of automobile giant Tesla Motors, has a mission to enable global automobile transition towards sustainable energy. Despite numerous challenges, he has begun to live his vision. His mission resonates with the universe, and hence possesses utmost potential for success!

Every successful individual has stories that are stepping stones to his success!

When are you planning to begin writing your own story?

If you want to understand how and where to start, let’s have a conversation.

You are the autobiographer – Create your success story and as you do so, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!

Have you ever stopped and wondered how many conflicting thoughts you deal with every day? You want to:

Finish an important report for your office  OR Go for your exercise OR Watch your favourite TV show  OR Finish some house chore...

Then you decide to settle for watching TV.

At times, you may want to finish some plumbing activity at home but suddenly talking to a friend or watching soccer becomes more important.

You will notice a pattern: Most often you chose a ‘less’ important work.

It is almost like you have two personalities. There is a part in you that wants to proceed as per your beliefs and then there is this other part which asks you to go against these beliefs. It is like if you have Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, both in you.

Two or more conflicting thoughts in your mind at the same time creates tension. This tension is directly proportional to the:

1. Importance or attachment to the subject or event
2. The degree of the opposition of your conflicting thought and belief
3. Difficulty to resolve the conflict of thought

Let us look at some real-life situations to understand this a bit more.

Let us say, you are married, and you strongly believe in the institution of marriage. However, you get attracted towards another person in your office then this will create a lot of stress in you, as your belief in the institution of marriage is strong and getting attracted to another person is totally contradicting this belief (nearly a 180-degree turn). As you cannot avoid this person in the office, the chances to resolve this conflict is a challenge. This can result in the failure of your marriage.

Students who know that this is the right time to study but waste it in video games, chats etc. will be a victim of these conflicting thoughts.

You want to quit smoking or control eating fatty foods, but you do exactly the opposite because of your conflicting thoughts.

There will be many instances when you set out to achieve something but fail because of the wrong choices you made. In these cases, you have been a victim of conflicting thoughts.

So, conflict of thoughts is one of the biggest reasons for the failures you have faced since your childhood till now.

Now, how to control your conflicting thoughts?

Awareness development towards that aspect of your life is the only way to resolve the conflict. If you want something in your life, you need to:

1. Be aware of ‘how passionately you desire’ it: Strong willingness to achieve something is the first step towards avoiding conflicting thoughts and takes you closer to success. This is also useful in overriding other conflicting thoughts.
2. Be aware of ‘how much you are ready to change or transform’ for it: This is another aspect you need to be ready for before you start a new endeavour. Every new achievement in your life changes or transforms you. The more significant the achievement, higher is the change or transformation in you. So, you should be ready for changes in your life otherwise this will create conflict in your thoughts and result in failure.
3. Be aware of the process: You need to be aware of the process to achieve what you want. This will help you in your success.
4. Ready to Learn: New endeavours will bring you the possibility where you will need to learn new things and now that you are ready to change, you will need to be ready to learn. Learning brings growth and change.
5. Accept the results: With the approach, you have taken, you need to be very much aware of the shape and form in which your results will appear. You must accept your results as they come, as the process and effort have been done by you. Sometimes your mind dreams of a result without considering the process you have followed, or the detours you have taken in the process. So, accepting the results paves the way for future success.

There was a Fakir (wandering saint) in a city and he was known to be a God-realized soul. There was a man named Nitin who always asked this fakir “When am I going to see God?” or “Show me God please”.

One day the fakir was going to take his bath when Nitin crossed his path and asked the same old question, “Please show me, God”.

The fakir smiled and said, “Come, I will show you, God, today.” Nitin was caught by surprise, but he became excited with the thought of seeing God. He followed the Fakir to the river when the faqir asked him to take a dip in its waters. As Nitin took a dip, the fakir held Nitin’s head and neck with both hands and forced him to stay underwater. Nitin’s first thought was that this might be the process, but when he realized that the fakir is not going to let him come out of the water, he started to struggle with the fakir, so he could come out for some air. After a lot of struggle, the fakir released Nitin and allowed him to take some deep breaths.

Once Nitin felt better, the fakir asked, “How do you feel?”

Nitin got very angry, “Is this a joke? I almost died.”

The fakir asked again, “Answer my question. How did you feel underwater?”

Nitin said, “What do you expect? I felt I would die of suffocation.”

The fakir smiled and said, “This is the kind of desperation you should feel till you see God. A desperate passion, a longing, a sole aim that consumes you day and night. Your mind should not have any conflicting thoughts about other priorities in life. Your focus should be clear. And for this, you need high levels of awareness.”

So, in a nutshell, to avoid failure due to conflicting thoughts you need to be aware of:

1. What it takes to become successful
2. The changes or transformation it brings
3. Learnings it brings in your life
4. Results it can bring to you

Once you commit to the above, you will never face conflicting thoughts on your path to success.

See you next week. Till then, Stay Aware, Stay Healthy and Stress-free!!