And so we reach day 21 of the sādhanā. A short journey, but a life-changing experience for me. I started off by diving into the unknown – not knowing what to write, what to expect – I just started. While a lot of my readers may not believe this, the truth is that I didn’t plan this series, nor the topics. I just wrote. I didn’t even know what would happen on day 22, after the series ended. I just did what came to me naturally. And in some ways, this was a lesson in itself.
There is a lot inside you, waiting to leap out, to express, to blossom. There is no other opportune moment, no good day or way to begin – the time is NOW. JUST START.
I did read about how to develop a habit, and how to get rid of some bad ones. Science says it takes 21 days to form or change a habit – and hence the 21-day sādhanā. The key is to consciously make an effort, and you will be successful.
You may not hit the target, but you will never miss.
I also learnt not to be too hard on myself, at least initially. Following a regimen is not easy, there are times when you fail and go back to square one. Don’t worry – it is natural.
We are not machines, but people, and it’s ok to digress once in a while.
I witnessed the power of the collective – a spirit shown by a billion Indians – as they stayed at home voluntarily – and then in an amazing show of solidarity, demonstrated that humankind is more than just a collection of humans – it is a collective spirit.
Feeling a collective emotion brings one close to one’s own true nature – that of oneness with the greater force of nature, and oneness with our fellow beings.
I thought about how business has moved from bartering necessities to becoming transactional, mostly soulless and lacking in a deeper meaning. I thought about how I can improve this aspect of my daily life.
A hefty profit will make you smile, for a little while, but will it make you content? Can a business generate money, and yet have an altruistic nature?
The fourth day had me exploring the science of prānāyāma, and we tried a short exercise to relive stress and anxiety. I will be adding more to this subject in the months to come, but the exercise that I recommended – you can try it for at least three times a day. It will help you, I promise.
My experience is that 2 minutes of deep breathing can alleviate the most negative situations.
On Day 5, I felt quite apprehensive about the current situation, the challenges the world is facing as a whole, and I felt the need to start preparing for the vast changes that we may come across in the tough months ahead. One doesn’t need to become anxious – but one has to prepare. I also touched upon briefly, a subject that we will explore in detail in the months to come.
Take out just 10 minutes every day, for the next 21 days, to reflect on some key aspects of your life, and try to make small but positive changes to each of these 7 areas of our life.
A topic close to my heart – nature. On day 6, I thought about how nature and it’s abundance, it’s kindness, it’s all-encompassing presence, is mostly ignored by us as we rush by, wanting to consume more but never stopping to look and admire the beauty around us.
We are all extensions of nature – hence the term ‘Mother Nature’. We are born from nature, we live by nature, and when we are gone, we become part of nature again.
This is also a topic we will explore more of, in the coming weeks.
Waking up early has always been part of my routine. On day 7, I spoke about how I go about my mornings, and we also looked at what is a prerequisite for yoga practice – discipline.
Anushāsanam, or discipline, is a pre-requisite. Yoga is a discipline, that which requires you to commit, and abide by certain base rules.
Let’s look at more such learnings through the day.
Would love to put everything in one article, but I’ve found that while we love gorging on Netflix, life is best savoured one bite at a time:)
I leave you this morning, with a message from my feathered friends, who have been an integral part of this journey. You may not get the message, but you will surely enjoy the beauty of their existence:)
Pingback: 21-day Sādhanā challenge – Day 21 – the beginning – Shihan Rohit Ghai