The Sanskrit word for environment is Vatavarana – Vata is air and avarana is covered. In an atmosphere covered by air, which is heated at different temperatures because of latitude, longitude, altitude, the presence of plants, trees, rivers and oceans, there is a prevalent mood in the environment and this can influence our mind too.
In peak summer in the city of Chennai, with the belching hot automobiles adding fuel, a person may be absolutely unable to even think clearly. There can be irritation of the mind and an inability to express ideas properly in words. Bring the same person to a colder climate and his attitude, personality and capability of expression can change.
Whatever be the environment, it is important to keep our inner environment of the mind in tune. There are three states of inner environment – Satwa – peaceful, Rajas – active, dynamic, restless and activity-oriented and Tamas – lazy, sleepy, inert, dull, lifeless and bored.
A satwic mind is a non-complaining mind in any environment, as it can easily adapt, adjust and accommodate. In very hot weather, being non-complaining is the best way to keep your mind at peace. Along with the heat is an urban problem of power cuts too. Complaining and cribbing are states of mind that generate a sort of mental heat which disturbs the mind. When the thoughts are disturbed, speech and actions are disturbed and it is in no way going to help in coping with inhospitable weather conditions. When the environment is negative outside (meaning, not to our liking!) the best way is to convert our thoughts into accommodative ones – watch all that sweat leave you during a power shutdown and thank the universe for allowing such a natural cleansing. A sort of quietness comes within, and that is an inner air conditioner that we always carry with ourself.
Relaxing in hill stations and high-altitude mountains can also be refreshing, only if we set our inner thermostat properly. The cold air of the mountains have the power to still the mind, keep it quiet and tranquil. However, only a satwic mind can benefit from this immensely and be available to the recharging power of the atmosphere here. If the mind is rajasic, the mountains can be miserable because there is nothing that you can run about and do in a mountainscape. Even attending to day-to-day activities such as cooking, washing, wearing clothes and woollens can take so much of our energy. A tamasic mind will go into deeper sleep, thanks to the freezing mountain conditions.
Whatever our surroundings and environment may be, our well-being of body and mind greatly depends on the inner frame of mind and that choice to have the right picture is very much in our hands only. That is Vatavarana Yoga or being in tune with the environment that we live in.
—Swahilya Shambhavi (swahilya.blogspot.com)
