Becoming ‘Pausitive’ to Being Positive – A Heartful Journey

We have a guest post from my friend Roopa today and it is about heartfulness. Here is a video you might like too.

Dear Friends,

Undeniably Covid pandemic is bombarding each and every one of us with -“concerns that are not in our control”, “heightened social responsibilities”, “safety - security issues” and “a highly volatile future”.

And it is Now, more than ever before, I am finding great meaning in the below quote:

“Between Stimulus and Response, there is a space.

In that space lies our power to choose our response.

In our response lies our growth and freedom.”

-        Dr. Viktor Frankl in “Man’s search for meaning”

Our action to stimulus:

-        without space is - Reaction (based on our fears, prejudices, conditioning).
-        with space i.e. by taking a pause is – Response.

The “space” in the above quote is - nothing but the pause - the act of doing Nothing – the act of Waiting - the act of Resting our mind -- there we choose rightly - there lies our growth, our freedom to choose – our Power!!

HOW COME THE PAUSE IS SO POWERFUL, THAT OUR FREEDOM LIES THERE?

It is in these pauses

-        we access our heart’s intuitive intelligence - we discriminate and join the dots.
-        Our chords are stricken, our truths are revealed, our decisions are made, and our actions are determined.

Remember, it is in these pauses we,

-        harnessed the courage to say the truth – to follow our gut,

-        had our Eureka moments –in solving our relationship and work issues!!

Bathing, dreaming,exercising, nature watching gave us our truths - not the actual thinking, but the resting of our mind did the trick. Newton’s Law of gravitation and Archimedes principle are the results of pauses!! [see references below]

While pauses should not be mistaken as inaction, taking them at periodic intervals amidst our genuine efforts can produce fruitful outcomes.

 

WHY ARE WE NOT ABLE TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF PAUSES?

               Unfortunately,we are hard wired to REACT than to RESPOND – we know that our autonomous nervous system bypasses our central nervous system – the famous Amygdala Hijack.

Overridden by our fears and prejudices, this conditioned automated subconscious mind takes over the conscious thinking mind. Hence, we are bound and not free anymore!!! This is more true in our current VUCA world!!!

 

HOW DO WE TAKE A PAUSE - UTILIZE OUR POWER AND FREEDOM?IF WE ARE BOUND AND NOT FREE TO CHOOSE?

-        Rewire the mind to take pauses - How?

-        Create the habit of taking pauses consciously, every time – What then happens?

-        Pausing becomes automated in our minds. – How to achieve this?

-        By doing Nothing 😊–by resting our mind – and now that’s called, Meditation.

Meditation is effortless single pointed focus, effortless resting of mind on one thing.Mind needs something to rest upon – a book, a song, a game, a TV show. “Listening to music is meditation”– here we are resting our mind on music.

To use the power rightly and in transforming ourselves into Positive Beings,

should we not rest our mind on the best thing?

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ON WHICH WE CAN REST OUR MIND? – IS IT NOT THE HEART?

That which feels and sympathizes, which shows compassion and kindness, which gives signals and direction, that which is our gut feeling and conscience, that which forgives and purifies?

-        that which is life itself and the seat of the soul,

-        that which is love itself and the dwelling of the God!!! – THE HEART!!!

What to do(choice)? – Heart should say. How to do?  – Mind should say.

This discrimination when applied in life situations, is called Viveka or Wisdom. Right combination of Heart and Mind – Mind following the Heart culminates in Positive Living – Heartful Living.

“Heartfulness Meditation practice” results in clearly listening our inner voice and in garnering the courage to follow the guidance from the heart.  https://heartfulness.org/in/

Anyone can try this simple and effective practice and see the results for himself/herself. You are the experimenter, the experiment and the result.

Heartfulness Meditation practice encompasses a set of unique practical techniques:

1.      Heartfulness Relaxation – To de-stress ourselves

2.      Heartfulness Meditation through yogic transmission – For single pointed focus on heart.

3.      Heartfulness Rejuvenation or cleaning – To remove the fears, conditioning of our minds.

4.      Connecting to our Higher Self by auto suggestions, also called as prayer.

You can access them here.

There are no charges for this practice, now or in the future.

I for one, am reaping the benefits of this practice,for over 15 years now.

I welcome you all to take this Heartful Journey!!

Affectionately,
Roopa

Author is a Heartfulness Meditation practitioner/trainer, Design Thinking practitioner,CAMSS Leadand an accomplished IT specialist @ IBM.

Resources and References:

• https://heartfulness.org/in/connect-with-us/
• http://heartspots.heartfulness.org/  - connect with a trainer – All trainers are volunteers.
• Eureka Effect and Aha moments
• The Heart's Code: Tapping the Wisdom and Power of Our Heart Energy
• Designing Destiny
• The Power of Pause: Becoming More by Doing Less
• The Power of Your Subconscious Mind