Festival patterns

 Festival season has begun for those who follow the path of Sanatana Dharma (also commonly referred to as Hinduism).

Patterns that repeat every year:

Certain businesses - “I will ridicule your beliefs and traditions, but hey, I do need a share of your wallet allocated for festival spends. Here are my attractive festival deals!”

Certain political parties - “An opportune moment to appease people of other faiths. Let’s come up with some announcements and see if they create any effect among the majority. If at all a few make noise, we will use our tried-and-tested playbook and convert a devotion-based, religious festival into a cultural event”.

Certain cinema actors - “Do I really need to post wishes for this festival? Will that have any leverage or increase my fan base (or voter base for the future)?”

Fake environmental activists - “I need to put on my savior hat and raise my voice now on air pollution, water wastage, noise pollution, animal welfare, and protecting nature....this is the right time to speak about climate change”

Fake minimalists - “Why do people spend so much during festivals? Too much consumerism at play, buying flowers and fruits.”

Certain health influencers - “Modaks are so carb-heavy. Try avoiding it or eat only 1/4th of a piece if your mother insists. Or else your weight might go up by 1 kg the next day!”

Pseudo feminists - “Women are slogging so much during these festival days, waking up early, cooking an elaborate meal for the family, cleaning the house, doing Pooja, etc....Men do nothing...It’s sheer patriarchy.”

Certain IT employees in their 20s - “Ah finally, a mid-week break...I can wake up late and just chill.”

Certain parents in their 30s - “If we take the Mon and Tue off, we will get a 5-day long weekend. A drive to Coorg is sure to be relaxing. Kids will also have a lot of fun.”

70s and 80s kids - “That festive vibe is missing these days. Visiting grandparents, playing with siblings and cousins, eating a lavish spread followed by a nice afternoon siesta.....Sigh!”

Not a post to judge or crib...I have been that “certain” IT employee and parent in the past. I have also fallen prey to the narratives of the “-ists”.  However, since the last 10 years, I am making a conscious effort to return to my roots and I look forward to every festival.

Festival days break the monotony of mundane routines.

Festivals help nurture the relationship between us and God, to surrender and connect with God.

Festivals are also a way to understand and reflect on the tatparya (significance) using our scriptures.

As a parent, it is my responsibility to pass on the traditions and their importance to my child.

As we celebrate Ganesh Chaturti, let us make it a priority to celebrate with family with loads of happiness, good food and the company of loved ones, keeping in mind, devotion towards God as the foundation.

Book Review: To the beginning of the end of Karma by Meetu Bisht

 

Karma and its workings are intriguing topics, not just for exploration and analysis, but for bringing about fundamental shifts in our behaviors. A deeper understanding of Karma is crucial, so that we don't dismiss it as pre-ordained.

I read the book "Karma" by Sadhguru in 2021, which brought a lot of beginner-friendly clarity. Since then, I have been exploring various other sources to go deeper into this subject. The latest book that I devoured on this topic is Meetu Bisht's "To the beginning of the end of Karma". 

I loved her earlier books - "Living spirituality" and "Why we are who we are". They were filled with powerful insights and nuggets of wisdom. Her nuanced approach to writing keeps the reader engaged.

In her new book, she has unpeeled various layers of Karma in simple language. It is quite voluminous (300+ pages), as compared to her earlier works.

This book is divided into 3 sections. The first section focuses on the nature of Karma, the cause or reasons behind this law, and its principles. The author reiterates throughout the book that Karma is not a force to fear, but a call to action. She defines Karma as the energy of the deeds from the past that manifest as either rewards or challenges in the present. The roots of karma can be traced back to our tendencies (samskaras or vasanas mentioned in our scriptures).  The path elaborated is very much relatable - Tendencies -> Conditioning -> Habits -> Character -> Deeds -> Karma.

In the second section, she elaborates on the method and manifestation of karmas. The purpose of Prarabdha, its intensity, the transformation needed in our responses, and the ensuing closure give more clarity on how one should approach Karma, not through a self-defeating or victimhood mindset, but through graceful acceptance and raising the frequency of response. Someone facing a heavy Prarabdha is offered greater opportunities for self-realization and awakening.

In the third section, more specifics related to the handling of Karma are explained in the context of money, relationships, health, and multiple challenges in life. The chapters on how our ego is the cause of Karma were truly eye-opening. The author has given examples of 19 ways by which our actions and perceptions are shaped by the ego, influencing how we see ourselves and interact with the world. It is a neat check-list to go over and understand how ego influences us on our personality level.

We often wonder how some people are blessed with popularity, wealth, and power, while others are not. The explanation given made so much sense.

"A life of fame, affluence and power is not a perk but a massive responsibility and duty, forming part of a substantial karmic payback.....this is because their soul has undertaken the task of clearing a significant portion of karmic debts......results from multiple debts and rewards of past karma maturing simultaneously".

It is just not possible to pick a few lines as my favorite, as I had highlighted so many lines throughout the entire book :-) But to give a glimpse of the writing, here are a few:

"Opinions are just concepts that feed the ego".

"Personal karma builds when one resists reality, i.e. when thoughts and feelings reflect a rejection of what is".

"The energy associated with money comes from how it is earned and how it is used".

"Our suffering must end with the karmic experience itself, rather than continuing in our thoughts, feelings and emotions long after".

"The more we invest emotionally in what we are going through, the more we remain prisoners of our own ignorant past".

Though the style of writing is simple, each paragraph requires deeper reflection. It is not something that one could just brush through in a glance. When I came back to certain chapters after a few weeks, I realized there were more insights that I had missed in the first read.

If you have read this far, I'm sure you would love this book :-)

The only point of confusion I faced in the initial chapters was that the three aspects - action (karma), visible result (phala), and invisible consequence (punya/papa) are all called as "karma" (which is quite normal, as we use that way in our day-to-day parlance). As I kept reading, I was able to understand the distinction depending on the context.

I will certainly revisit this book multiple times as my understanding evolves.

P.S. This book was sent to me by the author. This review is my honest and unbiased feedback of the book.

Extreme violence in movies

 "People who watch a lot of violent action movies tend to have anger and revenge-seeking tendencies"- I recently heard this statement in a discourse. What we feed our minds triggers our attitudes and behaviors. The impressions get stored in our subconscious minds and influences our actions in very many ways.

In the past 3-4 years, there have been so many gory, violent movies that are being released. The censor board giving U/A certificate (13+ rated) to such extreme gore and violent movies is a big concern! I had written a detailed post on this topic when the movie "Jailer" got released.

Now as the next superstar's movie is about to release, the trailer looks even worse with so much bloodshed. Though the movie is "A" rated, the impact it will create on our psyche is just not worth it, even if the viewer is 18+.

Gone are the days when I used to look forward to Superstar's movies.

It is so unfortunate that a person who claims to be spiritual in his real life, chooses to act in movies that propagate such gore and violence. One can argue that the reel life and real life are different. But for a person of his stature and reach, for someone who claims to practice spiritual practices like Kriya Yoga, such a person has a moral and ethical responsibility on his choices and the impact it would create in the society.

Practice of shama and dama

 In Viveka Chudamani, Adi Shankaracharya talks about six-fold wealth (shat-sampatti), in reference to qualifications of a spiritual aspirant. These six treasures are equally relevant in leading a meaningful life in the material world.

The first two of these six treasures are:
- shama - control of the mind
- dama - control of the sensory organs

Shama - withdrawal of the mind from external objects and steadily fixing it on a goal. Requires perfect discipline.

Dama - self-control relating to the sensory system, comprising of 10 Indriyas. These include 5 Jnanendriyas (organs of perception) and 5 Karmendriyas (organs of action). Turning away from sense objects and placing them in their respective centers when they are not meant to be used.

Swami Ranganathananda in his commentary talks about how a turbulent mind and an uncontrolled sensory system make for an unstable inner environment.

Inner stability or psychic homeostasis can be achieved through the practice of shama and dama.

In the modern world, many businesses thrive because of our lack of shama and dama. Many ideologies promote that we let go of these two treasures under the pretext of "YOLO".

If one leads a life with discipline and self-restraint, the merits accrued, impact various aspects at the individual level - good health, character, strong relationships, purpose, meaning, peace and most importantly, freedom.

As long as we don't practice shama and dama, we will continue to be enslaved by the fleeting pleasures, while businesses profit out of our compulsive behaviors.

Consistency in Yoga asana practice

 As a practitioner and a Yoga teacher, I believe that there are three factors that are important to stay consistent at Yoga asana practice:

1. Be comfortable with repetitive movements
Our minds seek novelty and people who are new to Asana practice tend to get bored after a few days. When someone goes for jogging or gymming, though the physical movement seems repetitive, novelty is brought in either by listening to new podcasts, audiobooks, music or other forms of entertainment to keep the restless mind occupied. Yoga is all about awareness and staying mindful during the practice. Similar movements done consistently and slowly yield amazing results in terms of strength and flexibility.

2. Stay there for the long run
Because of initial enthusiasm, we tend to push ourselves more and strive to do challenging asanas earlier without giving enough time for the body to open up. This increases chances of injury and strain. It is better to take it slow and continue our practice in the long run. I'd rather prefer to do 12-rounds Suryanamaskar comfortably in my 70s rather than push myself to hit the 108-rounds in my 40s and end up straining my lower back.

3. Adopt an attitude of "I'm grateful that I can...."
If your body is relatively stable without any major ailments, approaching Yoga asanas with an attitude that "I'm grateful that I can do Trikonasana or Sarvangasana or Padahastasana...." helps you to stay consistent with your practice. We take our flexibility and mobility for granted, but when diagnosed with certain ailments, the same poses which we could have comfortably performed earlier, now become contraindicative. For someone with high blood pressure or lower back related issues, forward fold poses are to be avoided.

Luxury once sampled becomes a necessity

Though I have a traditional hand mortar-and-pestle (ammikal in Tamil), I hardly make use of it. For the morning rush hours of cooking, I automatically turn to my trusted mixer-grinder for making any spice pastes or chutneys.

No doubt, the taste and flavor of traditional grinding far exceeds that of a machine-ground chutney. And yes, traditional hand grinding is a good exercise for the arms and shoulders. But the time-saving and convenience of the mixer-grinder outweighs these benefits.

Luxury once sampled becomes a necessity.

Last night, I was narrating the experience of how TV evolved in the 80s and 90s - from black&white to colour, Doordarshan days, changing channels by pressing buttons on the TV, no way to skip intro/skip ad, no way to rewind or forward, no way to rewatch an episode, no way to pick and choose a movie to watch and much more. She was taken aback by all the "privileges" the 80s and 90s kids didn't have from a TV point of view.

Will we choose to go back to a single channel with fixed timings for programmes and movies like it used to be earlier? Very few might even consider that option.

Luxury once sampled becomes a necessity.

WFH (Work-from-home) was one such luxury and benefit we claimed from our employers in the 2000s when we were not so unwell, when we had guests at home or when we expected a furniture delivery in the middle of the day. Then came the lockdown and pandemic. WFH became the norm, work got done amidst the uncertain environment.

We realized how much time was saved by avoiding commute.

We also experienced more focus and attention when we were in the comfort of our home office/desk/ergonomic chair, rather than working in an open-office setup, next to colleagues taking Zoom calls with clients/team-mates from other countries/cities.

We felt relaxed to take a short break and make ourselves a cup of homemade milk chai or coffee.

We brought to the forefront our capacity to multitask and manage the mental load and responsibilities of various roles (employee, daughter, mother, father, son, etc).

We also noticed how the moment we stepped out of our work desk at home, we can be available to listen to the little chitchats of our kids rather than battle traffic and potholes to reach our homes late into the night.

Luxury once sampled has now become a necessity, especially for knowledge workers who have realized how a laptop and a stable Internet connection is all that matters to get work done.

It is an irony that the same tech founders and leaders who wish to improve quality of lives through technology are forcing employees to get back to office location.

"We deliver chips and aerated drinks in 7 minutes, but we want you to write the code/manage the product that provides this convenience by battling traffic woes for 2 hours everyday and be in our office location so we can be sure that you are working".

Productivity improves with Trust (& vice-versa).

Book Review: Kindle Life by Swami Chinmayananda

 I have recently started reading Swami Chinmayananda's books on various topics related to Vedanta. Chinmaya Mission prescribes a scheme of study to understand and assimilate the teachings of Vedanta. The first book in this scheme is titled "Kindle Life".

Written by Swami Chinmayananda himself, this book is a beginner-level guide that explains the fundamentals of Vedanta concepts in simple, lucid language. Organized in small chapters, one can easily read a few pages daily as part of the Vedantic study. This book introduces many concepts - the role of mind and intellect, Panchakosha theory, the trigunas, and their attributes, the play of Maya and its expressions, mind control, refinement of personality, the importance of scriptures, etc.

Swamiji explains how uncontrolled and excessive indulgence in sensual enjoyment causes the dissipation of one’s personality. 

“A successful man never allows his faculty of discrimination and judgment to be disturbed by the rising tides of his emotions”

He then elaborates on the pitfalls of desires and the difference between sublimation and suppression of desires. Happiness is an entirely subjective phenomenon and it doesn't exist in external sense objects. 

“If the joy is inherent in sense objects, then each object should provide the same quantum of joy to all those who come in contact with it”

The purpose of religion is to help one understand the higher values of life and realize the futility of sensual indulgences. Both philosophy (theoretical aspect) and rituals (practical aspect) are integral to religion, as they complement one another. Scriptures help to refine and chisel the intellect, thereby one gains mastery over the mind. 

Swamiji explains the importance of the head (intellect) and heart (mind) and classifies humans into four different personalities based on the dominance of the head/heart. Depending upon one's personality, the corresponding spiritual journey through Yoga (Bhakti, Jnana, Karma, and Hatha Yoga) is recommended.

“What” one meets in life is destiny and “how” one meets it is self-effort.

Towards the end of the book, there are three chapters that are based on his talks related to the role of Action. How to approach one's work and the three ways by which our energy gets dissipated are so beautifully explained.

If you are interested in Vedantic knowledge, "Kindle Life" is a perfect place to start.

Exam experiences

 It's the exam season for children across various schools in India. I just wrapped up my 2nd sem exams (MSc Yoga Therapy) last week.

At SVYASA (my Yoga University), we are asked to enter the exam hall 30 min before the exam start time.

We settle down on the floor by rolling a mat with an independent small desk in front of us. (Those who are unable to sit on the floor are allowed to sit on the chair).

We close our eyes and take deep breaths for 5 minutes.
We chant OM 3 times, followed by "Om Sahana Vavatu" Shanti Mantra.
We then do 9 rounds of Nadi Shuddhi Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing).

The answer sheets are then distributed, followed by the question papers.

This routine made us feel calm and peaceful (switch from stressful sympathetic nervous system to relaxed parasympathetic nervous system). The nerves settle down and we then start writing the exam.

As I wrapped up the exam schedule, the memories of my 10th/12th board exams and Engineering degree semester exams came up where the stakes were high. I remember we would enter the exam hall at the very last minute and within 5-10 minutes, we would start writing on our answer sheets.

Exam stress is real and many of us have exam-related nightmares even in our 30s and 40s. Reaching late for exams, forgetting answers, feeling blank, pens not writing properly - these dreams still haunt us! :-)

Not sure how the experience of board exams is for the children of today. But a few minutes to ground oneself - deep breathing, Pranayama and connecting with the divinity of one's faith - will help alleviate stress to a large extent. And children won't carry the exam samskaras (impressions in the subconscious) into their 30s and 40s!

Human Evolution and its Foundations

 Human evolution is a transition in our mental refinement. Our scriptures talk about this transition in two stages:

• Prakrta Purusha - unrefined person
• Samskrta Purusha - refined person

Prakrta purusha is a stage driven by our likes/dislikes. We lead our lives according to our whims and fancies. Young children (infants and toddlers) act according to what they feel like doing. They do what they want to do without any hesitation or guilt.

We then slowly transition to refining our personality and decide our actions based on what is proper. This transition coincides with the manifestation of our intellect at the subtle level and the growth of the cerebrum and nerve cells in our forebrain at the gross level.

Intellect helps us to reason, analyze, and think about the consequences of our actions before acting impulsively.

This transition from Prakrta purusha to Samskrta purusha is influenced by multiple factors - parenting, family values, childhood environment, right role models, value-based education, habits and routines, exposure to the right content, friends, community, etc.

In today's scenario, we see that this transition has slowed down. And in many cases, we notice that it is shifting backward.

Movies and social media influence youngsters to pursue actions based purely on likes/dislikes. Value education gets the least importance across the board - in family, schools, society, or access to role models. 

Herd mentality without questioning, YOLO mindset, peer pressure, instant gratification, and ignoring the calls of conscience are some of the repercussions we are noticing due to the lack of importance given to values.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati, in his book "Value of Values" states:

"A value is a value for me only when I see the value of the value as valuable to me".

Refinement of personality and character is built on the foundation of values.

There is no point blaming Gen-Z and Alpha kids unless we (the previous generations) establish the right foundation for them by setting the right example. 

Balance in our daily choices

 In Yoga asana practice, we generally do complementary poses together. For example, Ushtrasana (back bend) + Shashankasana (forward bend), 

Hasta Uttanasana (back bend) + Padahastasana (forward bend). We also ensure that whenever we do a posture on the right side, we immediately do the same on the left side. These are designed in such a way as to bring balance and harmony and prevent untoward, extreme stretching on one side or one group of muscles.

The same principle applies to our daily choices as well. But most of us seem to be ignoring or unaware of this principle. 

After a long, hard day of work with back-to-back meetings, highly stimulating conversations, and battling stress in the form of traffic, work pressure, and deadlines (sympathetic nervous system going on an overdrive), what do we do with the few hours that we get for relaxation and reset? 

We watch movies and OTT series with violent/gory action scenes.

We continuously swipe through Reels/Shorts before going to bed.

We play action-oriented video games - racing, fights, chases, etc.

We watch the news on politics and other world updates, where the discussions are anything but productive, where everyone shouts at the top of their voices.

We intentionally go to bed late by spending time on these activities. There is a term for this choice, aptly titled "revenge sleep procrastination".

The sympathetic system (fight/flight) is constantly activated. We don't prioritize those tasks that activate the vagus nerve and switch on the parasympathetic system (rest/digest mode). 

Sleeping on time, deep breathing, meditation, basic Pranayamas, gentle stretches, Yoga asanas, chanting, and listening to soft music - these are some of the activities to bring back balance in our daily lives. But sadly, only a few seem to value or incorporate these slow, winding-down activities in their routines. 

Why wait until the diagnosis of hypertension, diabetes, or hormonal disorders, before making changes? Let's prioritize our night-time routine to bring balance in our nervous system, breath and mind.

Sleeping on time - an act of rebellion

 In a recent podcast, I heard this statement from a neurologist - "Today, sleeping on time is an act of rebellion. The whole society is designed to keep you up late in the night - the entertainment industry, work demands, social interactions, food & beverage industry etc. You have to be a rebel to sleep on time". There is so much truth in this statement. Let's focus on the work demands angle.

In the 2000s while I used to work for an MNC, we did have night calls with our US counterparts but they would get over at a reasonable time of 10:30PM. Fast forward to 2025, based on my discussions with friends in the industry, I learned that calls are scheduled at 11 PM and some go on till 1AM. 

Is it because we don't give importance to sleep?

Is it because the Western counterparts don't care about the sleep timings of their colleagues in India?

Is it because of our lack of ability to say NO/decline such meetings at odd times?

Apart from conference calls, various deliverables and deadlines force us to stay awake and compromise our sleep. 

Unnecessary pressures (as though the world is about to collapse if the build isn't pushed), 

Unrealistic targets (Set by investors that percolate down to founders, down to middle management, down to developers), 

Unplanned projects and upcoming meetings (to meet the sudden demand from existing clients or to pitch for a new client)

Rarely, anyone questions these UN-necessary/UN-realistic/UN-planned stuff. We presume that's how things roll and we put undue pressure on ourselves and the team. As days pass by, compromising on sleep and health leads to various psychosomatic ailments.

We might have a choice to say NO when it comes to watching OTT series or movies, or social engagements late at night. There may not be any consequences if we say NO.

In the case of work-related demands, do we feel comfortable declining an 11 PM meeting? 

Is it acceptable to say NO even if the meeting request comes from a higher authority?

Are we empowered to say NO without having to bear any negative consequences? Irrespective of our rank/position in the organization hierarchy?