HYDERABAD: Breathing, in its natural state, is a rhythmic pattern that keeps the mind and body organised. The moment this natural rhythm is disturbed, the delicate balance goes out of sync leading to emotional disarray which in turn can trigger the onset of certain dis-eases.
The late Louise Hay in her famous book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ wrote much about how emotions affect the well-being of our body. And it all starts with emotions and the way we allow the mind to take unnecessary control over them. Organised breathing compartmentalises it all and helps in better decision making, increases mindfulness, relaxes tension in the muscles among all the other good things it’s known for. The advanced stage of the same is meditative.
‘Art of Living’ (AOL), founded by spiritual teacher Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, describes meditation as ‘Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing and letting go of all the efforts to relax into your true nature which is love, joy, and peace.
Meditation is that which relieves you from day to stress quickly and gives you deep rest.’ Sudarshan Kriya of AOL is a deep meditation known as ‘the technique eliminates stress, fatigue and negative emotions such as anger, frustration, and depression, leaving the mind calm, focused and the body energised, completely relaxed.’ Experts say that on the physical level, meditation lowers high blood pressure, reduces panic attacks and helps increase the production of Serotonin that induces a happy mood thus adding to a stronger immunity system.
During these tough times, when the whole world is affected by Covid-19 pandemic the practice can help people deal with fear and anxiety that such uncertain times trigger. In Hyderabad, there are several practitioners of the kriya, especially among youngsters. Shares Kulpreeth Singh Art of Living faculty and Craniosacral Therapist, “Tough times make us question ourselves in many ways. Our decisions, our perspective, our life ahead of everything.
Sudarshan Kriya helps me to have a clear mind and high energy levels so that I am able to keep myself going and sane even when times are not good, the situation is not favourable and people around are not supportive. It is a priceless tool I have learned that has helped me be a better version of myself and be there for others in need and bring a smile on their faces when they need it the most.” Among the innumerable benefits of meditations techniques, regular practice brings the brainwave pattern into an alpha state which helps in healing decreasing anxiety, adds to emotional stability, improves creativity, leads to better decision making and improves memory.
Rahul Reddy, a photographer and AOL teacher for the past 10 years has taught more than 10,000 participants. He says, “Sudarshan Kriya has helped me go through challenging times with so much ease. There’s always been uncertainty in everything we do, could be work, life partner, environment and any other decision that we take up every moment. Handling such situations is challenging when we are stressed. They can be handled with ease when our mind is relaxed. It is said in the Vedas that stress is like the clouds and the happiness/joy is denoted as the Sun.
Although the Sun is there, only when the clouds are cleared, we can actually see it. At the core of the being, we are joyful, when these clouds of stress get cleared we are more joyful. The technique handles exactly this aspect. It clears stress instantly and relaxes the whole being.”
— Saima Afreen saima@newindianexpress.com @Sfreen