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Heartfulness Magazine - February 2023 (Volume 8, Issue 2)

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Do you get to February every year and wonder why you are not able to sustain your New Year’s resolutions? This month, our authors address some of the qualities that help to turn good intentions into habits. Daaji shows us how to focus our attention and interest, Vivan Patel shares an experiment on how to jump start the brain, and Alanda Greene reminds us how to find joy even in the most difficult tasks. Victor Kannan explores the importance of the intellect, Stan Lajugie the science of emotions, and IchakAdizes asks what makes us human. Nipun Mehta talks of the particular challenges of our time, Ricky Kej advocates kindness to each other and the planet, and Prasad Veluthanar explains the natural rhythms of activities and rest in a day. NarenKini’s beautiful artwork focuses on commitment, and Pooja Kini on interest and intention in our relationship with food. And in Daaji’s Wisdom Bridge series, he reminds us that it still takes a village to raise a child.

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www.heartfulnessmagazine.com February 2023 Raising a Child Still Takes a Village DAAJI What Makes Us Human DR. ICHAK ADIZES The Innovators We Need NIPUN MEHTA R I C K E Y KEJ O N K I N D N E S S The Art of intention
mastering-change.org Stay tuned here for Spring & Autumn Voyages Heartful Adizes Leadership Heartful Adizes Leaders continually refine vital skills and equip themselves and others with practical tools to successfully deal with complex challenges. Always... U-priced! These courses are offered as a gift, trusting the generosity of participants to support the development and sustenance of similar in-depth learning journeys. Celebrating 13 Voyages together! What people are saying... It was a great learning experience. If one says, “What they don’t teach you at Harvard”, the learning in this course justifies it one hundred percent! Prabodh Darvekar Students edifying each other is a truly powerful idea. Teachers almost need to be careful not to interfere. It opens up a universe of learning. Greg Dekker The concept of the course itself in getting the voyagers to analyze and improve their thinking in the decision making basis the Adizes Techniques with a touch of Heartfulness, with no influence from skippers but with the guided push in the right direction was the WOW for me. Adin Jubell
Order copies online: single, 12-month subscription and 24-month subscription: subscriptions@ heartfulnessmagazine.com Printed copies are also available at selected stores, airports and newsstands, and at Heartfulness centers and ashrams. SUBSCRIBE TO Heartfulness Magazine Available in print and digital versions heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe CREATIVE TEAM Editorial Team — Elizabeth Denley, Vanessa Patel, Kashish Kalwani, Christine Prisland, Animesh Anand Design & Art — Uma Maheswari G, Naren Kini, Jasmee Mudgal, Ananya Patel, Arati Shedde, Virinaflora Photography — Daiga Ellaby, Ian Macharia, Heartfulness Media Team Writers — Ichak Adizes, Daaji, Alanda Greene,Victor Kannan, Ricky Kej, Naren Kini, Stan Lajugie, Vivan Patel, Prasad Veluthanar Interviewees — Nipun Mehta Support Team — Balaji Iyer, Rathinavelan Krishnamurthy, Liaa Kumar, Karthik Natarajan, Jayakumar Parthasarathy, Arjun Reddy, Nabhish Tyagi, Shankar Vasudevan ISSN 2455-7684 CONTRIBUTIONS contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com ADVERTISING advertising@heartfulnessmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@heartfulnessmagazine.com www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscriptions EDITOR — Neeraj Kumar PRINTED BY — Sunil Kumar RK PRINT HOUSE, H.No.11-6-759, 3rd Floor, Anand Complex, Lakdikapul, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500004, India. PUBLISHER — Sunil Kumar representing Heartfulness Education Trust 13-110, Kanha Shanti Vanam, Kanha Village, Nandigama Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana, 509325, India. Copyright © 2023 Heartfulness Education Trust. All rights reserved. Heartfulness
The Art of Intention Dear readers, Do you get to February every year and wonder why you are not able to sustain your New Year’s resolutions? If it were easy to turn a good intention into a sustainable habit, all of us would have mastered it by now, and books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Atomic Habits would not be runaway bestsellers. It requires interest and character, especially a resilient nature to overcome the inevitable hurdles, but also a few special ingredients that are addressed by our authors. This month, Daaji shows us how to focus our attention and interest, Vivan Patel shares an experiment on how to jump start the brain, and Alanda Greene reminds us how to find joy even in the most difficult times. Victor Kannan explores the importance of the intellect, Stan Lajugie the science of emotions, and Ichak Adizes asks what makes us human. Nipun Mehta talks of the challenges of our time, Ricky Kej advocates kindness to each other and our planet, and Prasad Veluthanar explains the natural rhythms of activities and rest in a day. Naren Kini’s beautiful artwork focuses on commitment, and Pooja Kini on interest and intention in our relationship with food. And in Daaji’s Wisdom Bridge series, he reminds us that it still takes a village to raise a child. All the best, The editors This year, I will exercise at least 3 times a week. From tomorrow, as a family we will spend some relaxing time together every day. This month we will not waste water at home. We will take bucket showers, not leave the tap running when brushing our teeth or doing the dishes, and only do full loads of washing. Illustrations by VIRINAFLORA February 2023
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inside self-care How to Meditate Daaji 12 Jumpstart Your Brain Vivan Patel 14 Joy Alanda Greene 18 inspiration Raising a Child Still Takes a Village Daaji 22 The Role of the Intellect Victor Kannan 30 Living with Nature's Rhythms Prasad Veluthanar 50 creativity Commitment Train Naren Kini 68 what's up 74 workplace Step into the Future of Emotions Stan Lajugie 38 What Makes Us Human Ichak Adizes 42 relationships Many to Many Interview with Nipun Mehta 46 environment Kindness to the Planet Ricky Kej 58 February 2023 7
DAAJI Daaji is the Heartfulness Guide. He is an innovator and researcher, equally at home in the fields of spirituality, science, and the evolution of consciousness. He has taken our understanding of human potential to a new level. ALANDA GREENE Alanda Greene lives in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Having a deep connection with nature, she and her husband built their house of stone and timber and a terraced garden, and integrated their life into this rural community. Alanda’s primary focus is the conscious integration of spirit with all aspects of life. ICHAK ADIZES Dr. Adizes is a leading management expert. He has received 21 honorary doctorates and is the author of 27 books that have been translated into 36 languages. He is recognized as one of the top 30 thought leaders of America. STANISLAS LAJUGIE Stanislas is a civil servant of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of France. He has worked in many countries and enjoys making meditation fashionable wherever he goes. He has developed a course on the science of meditation for universities and corporates. VIVAN PATEL Vivan is the Managing Director of Yesha Electricals, is a trained pilot and was the President of the Gujarat Flying Institute for 15 years, and is currently chairman of an industry association in Gorwa Vadodara. He has been a Heartfulness trainer since 2015. VICTOR KANNAN Victor is a Director for Heartfulness Institute, USA, a practitioner of Heartfulness Meditation, and a trainer for more than 30 years. As a career CFO he combines the benefits of meditation in everyday management and responsibilities. He lives with his wife in Atlanta and has a daughter. Heartfulness 8
RICKY KEJ Ricky is a 3-time Grammy award-winning composer, an environmentalist, UNESCO- MGIEP Ambassador for Kindness, UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, UNCCD Land Ambassador, and an Ambassador for the Earth Day Network. NARENDRA KINI Narendra lives in California and is passionate about physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. He is a serial entrepreneur, and a regular speaker at corporates on meditation, compassion, and inner transformation. He loves music, writing, painting, sketching, and meditation. ARATI SHEDDE Arati is an artist and a graphic designer by profession. She has worked in the corporate field and is presently working in the design team for the Heartfulness Magazine. She has also worked on media cover designs and illustrations for children's books. ANANYA PATEL Ananya is a designer and illustrator who enjoys finding dynamic ways to tell stories. She works on projects with social impact, and runs a youth collective bringing innovative design approaches to climate action and gender equality. NIPUN MEHTA Founder of ServiceSpace, Karma Kitchen, DailyGood and KindSpring, he successfully works to integrate the Gift Ecology, technology and volunteerism. He is recognized globally for creating a culture that brings harmony and inclusiveness. PRASAD VELUTHANAR Dr. Prasad did his Ayurvedacharya medical degree in Kerala. During his 22 years of professional practice, he has worked in India, Mauritius, Malaysia, Russia, and Egypt. He was the first Indian Ayurvedic doctor to practice and propagate this Indian wisdom in Egypt. contributors February 2023 9
Our practice is not about accomplishing anything – not about winning or losing – but about ceasing to struggle and relaxing as it is.That is what we are doing when we sit down to meditate.That attitude spreads into the rest of our lives. PEMA CHÖDRÖN self-care
T hough most people these days are aware of the immense benefits and feeling of connectedness that result from a regular meditation practice, it is also easy to find excuses to avoid it: I’m too tired, I can always meditate tomorrow, I have no time, I woke up late, etc. A common reason to shy away from meditation is the feeling that “I’m not good at it.” We may have a preconception of a “good” meditator as someone who plunges deep into the peacefulness of their inner being every moment, who lives a life of instant acceptance and harmony, and who is untroubled by the ups and downs of daily life. The reality is that we are all living a life of change and growth, striving to become better and better, and the inner journey itself is full of changes. In Heartfulness, we meditate upon the Source of Light within our hearts. There is no need to see the light, as it is “light without luminosity.” We simply make a very subtle suggestion that it is there, and it is attracting us from within. That thought is just the springboard to experience, as we allow ourselves to explore the inner universe with the expansion of our consciousness. Here are four easy micro- habits that can help you make Heartfulness Meditation a part of your daily routine. Build it into your day, like brushing your teeth, drinking water, working out, and studying, so that it becomes embedded in your daily rhythm. 1. Sit at the same time every day Regularity makes meditation easy. Just like your body adjusts to waking up at the same time each morning, meditating at the same time becomes a habit. The stillness of early morning, at the meeting point of night and day, is especially conducive to meditation, but regularity is critical, no matter what time you choose. How to Meditate YES, YOU CAN DO IT! DAAJI Heartfulness 12
2. Sit in the same place Choose a special place where you can meditate without being distracted. It could be a special chair or a place on the floor. Sitting in that same spot every day creates an atmosphere of meditation, and when you sit there you will more easily slip into meditation. 3. Sit in the same posture Find a comfortable position so your body is not disturbed. Best is with your back upright but not rigid, and either cross-legged on the floor or on a chair with your feet crossed. 4. No distractions Turn off your phone and other devices so that you are not distracted. You have everything you need within you to meditate. You can listen to the guided Heartfulness Meditation at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kfAZi_g309I, find it on the Heartfulness app, or read and follow the instructions below. February 2023 13 SELF-CARE
SELF-CARE Meditation is much more effective once you have been introduced to the Heartfulness practices by a certified trainer. You can find and contact a trainer near you at www. heartspots.heartfulness.org. All the best, Daaji Gently relax into that feeling. If you find your awareness drifting to other thoughts, do not fight them. Treat them like passing clouds in the sky. Let them be, while simply reminding yourself that you are meditating on the source of light in your heart. Allow yourself to dive deeper, going beyond thoughts to feelings, becoming more and more centered within. Remain in this silence for as long as you want, until you feel ready to come out of meditation. Heartulness Meditation Sit comfortably. Gently close your eyes and relax. If needed, take a couple of minutes to relax your body by doing the Heartfulness Relaxation. Turn your attention inward and take a moment to observe yourself. Then, suppose that the source of light is already present within your heart, and it is attracting you from within. Heartfulness 14
I n order to build and retain cognitive reserve, our brain needs fresh challenges almost on a daily basis to keep our neural pathways open and maintain a healthy central nervous system. I decided to take up this challenge by practicing a few simple exercises I learned in the Brighter Minds Restart program for adults. One of the things I took up first was to take a different route to work and try to take only left turns to get to office and … well, it’s not always possible! I was able to make it eventually but I had to get quite creative and think of different options while I was driving. I was fully aware rather than operating like we normally do from the subconscious mind and following our habitual patterns. The other thing I tried was cycling to work, which is actually quite amazing because I was able to observe things minutely as well as engage all the senses. For instance, cycling behind a fruit vendor’s cart I could actually smell the bananas. Jump Start Your Brain VIVAN PATEL decided it was time to build cognitive reserve in his brain by doing a few simple tasks. The results speak for themselves: he became much more aware instead of functioning on autopilot. February 2023 15
SELF-CARE Curiously, depending on how ripe the bananas were, I could perceive different smells on different days – I began to understand the different stages of ripening and whether they were ready to eat simply by cycling in their wake! The olfactory experience is really something you cannot ignore when you’re on a bike. I would pass by some popup shops and street vendors, each selling a different snack with its telltale aromas. I learned about other people’s eating habits on a working day and, more interestingly, how the different vendors engage with their clientele. I missed all this from the car with the windows rolled up and the AC on. I became more observant of the faces of these vendors as I passed by, noting their expressions. When you do this for a few days, they start smiling at you because they see you every day, and you form a connection by this gesture of acknowledgment! You see, and you can hear the birds, especially early in the morning, something that you miss out on completely while driving. I observed that some birds had a preference for certain trees – some trees were teeming with them and others not as popular. Maybe it was the berries or fruit that attracted them. At the same time, I began to appreciate the difficulties that cyclists face. One of the biggest disturbances I found was the constant honking of vehicles. In a car you are insulated from even your own honking, because cars nowadays are so well sound insulated. It’s actually very irritating for other people out there, cyclists and pedestrians. Another appalling discovery was how some people don’t take cyclists into consideration, and instead tend to “nudge” them aside and not give way. It actually felt somewhat disconcerting to be riding a bicycle in peak hour in the hurtling traffic. The other activity I took up while cycling was alternating finger exercises with my hands on the handlebar. I could only do this when the road was empty, as I didn’t want to risk running into something, ha ha! I rediscovered my neighborhood by noticing different signs, even the little ones stuck on trees by vendors, for example someone selling coconuts or an advertisement for after- school tuition. In order to build and retain cognitive reserve, our brain needs fresh challenges almost on a daily basis to keep our neural pathways open and maintain a healthy central nervous system. Heartfulness 16
SELF-CARE Another challenging thing I did is to use my less dominant hand to do the daily tasks. I used my left hand to brush my teeth, shave, and eat my food. I would walk backward whenever I had the opportunity, especially when going up stairs. I would wake up to a different alarm tone, and this would surprise me awake rather than make me groan. Something fun we tried as a family is eating a meal in silence, using only visual clues. Another was trying to use the mobile phone upside down – this was frustrating and hilarious at the same time. All this made me more mindful, aware of every activity. I didn’t operate on autopilot in a habitual manner. Instead, thought went into every moment. Just this recalibration stimulated my neural pathways! Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL February 2023 17
Heartfulness 18
SELF-CARE A few months into the pandemic, I read an online editorial responding to requests to write about the problems facing our world. The reply: “Our focus is not on the world that is ending, but the world that is struggling to be born” went on to suggest how each of us could be a solid presence in these times of instability and fear. “Replenish joy and gratitude in the life you have now.” Something rang true. Cultivating joy and gratitude is a contribution. Not denial of a serious situation, or refusal to recognize the tragedies and crises of our world, or dismissal of the prevalent pain, fear, and anxiety; rather, the potential for positive influence. Yet, in these times of despair for the afflictions befalling the Earth, the suffering for loss of habitat and lives, uncertainty for the future, and a sense of helplessness in the face of such suffering, how do we find joy? Is it even a suitable response? I remembered how people such as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and others less well-known faced horrendous suffering and hardship, yet they achieved joy and offered encouragement to find it. The pain and suffering are not irrelevant. They need to be addressed and acknowledged. Words from those who have faced such challenges and found they could also experience joy can give us hope: Thupten Jinpa knew sorrow and hardship as a refugee child and discovered, “Humans cannot avoid physical and social suffering and pain. ... The key to joy is to get in touch with your own natural compassion and live by that.” Desmond Tutu observed, “As we discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embitters.” The Dalai Lama emphatically stated, “Joy is in fact our birthright.” In the midst of sorrow and pain, how do we find joy? Yoga teaches that the path to joy is within and accessible. Swami Radha taught how in conscious relaxation we can go to the fountain of joy; it is ours for the asking. The well- spring of joy within can fortify our determination to meet the difficulties facing our world. Choosing to be replenished with joy, we can indeed be a solid presence in these troubled times, sharing a contagion of joy that awakens our stamina and strength to meet the challenge. As Teilhard de Chardin said, “Joy is the most infallible proof of the presence of God.” ALANDA GREENE celebrates the lives of those among us who have had the resilience to discover joy in times of suffering and uncertainty, and gives us a hint of how we can do the same. Choosing to be replenished with joy, we can indeed be a solid presence in these troubled times, sharing a contagion of joy that awakens our stamina and strength to meet the challenge. February 2023 19
It takes a village to raise a child. AFRICAN PROVERB inspiration
RaisingaChildStill TakesaVillage T H E W I S D O M B R I D G E S E R I E S PRINCIPLE 1:
In September 2022, DAAJI released his latest book, The Wisdom Bridge, which is already a national bestseller. Throughout 2023, we’ll be sharing excerpts from the various chapters of this insightful book to give you a taste of the wisdom it offers. This month, Daaji focuses on Principle 1 – it takes a village to raise a child. INSPIRATION
Where there is heart, there is love; and love strengthens togetherness. A Village Is the People, Not the Place Raising a child is a team effort. Mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, teachers, and caregivers all play an essential role in a child’s life. And when the village comes together, the child thrives. The village is not the place, it’s the people. A few generations ago, whether one was rich or poor, educated or illiterate, everyone had a village to count on. But not anymore. Today, most of us live far away from our parents and grandparents. Even if we wish to live close by, it’s not easy. Our homes are smaller, lifestyles are different and our jobs can take us from one city to another. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has upended our travelling habits. So, in these changing times, how do we recreate the togetherness of the village? By “togetherness,” I mean the togetherness of hearts. It’s the kindred feeling of closeness we experience with loved ones. Togetherness is the soul of this book and it’s expressed in the idea that humanity thrives when we Heartfulness 24 INSPIRATION
We can’t change the society at large, but in our families, we can focus more on loving the child and making the child feel secure. nurture the bonds that connect us. And this nurturing begins in the family and continues in the village. The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” conveys the idea of togetherness. Throughout this book, I share ideas and practices to rekindle that sense of connection, togetherness, of community in the modern setting. So whether you’re an urban couple with bouncy toddlers, an iPad-ninja grandfather, or a diligent caregiver, this book helps you bring your heart into your relationships. And where there is heart, there is love; and love strengthens togetherness. I was blessed to experience such love in the village that raised me. The Village Offered Togetherness and Support I was born in the autumn of 1956, in a village named Kalla in Gujarat, India. Kalla was dusty brown in the summers, fresh green during the monsoons, and always golden in my heart. We had fewer than fifty families in the village, and most of our homes were along one main street. The two places for people to gather were the temple and the mosque. My father was an ayurvedic doctor, and he treated various ailments of the people in the village. His practice was mostly pro bono. We had some farmland near the river and my father worked in the fields too. The produce from the farms put the food on the table. We didn’t have a table though. We sat on the ground and ate. Even though our house was sparse, what gave it a special grace was my grandmother’s presence. Her genteel nature dignified everything, even our modest means. She was a source of moral support for my mother, who toiled away to take care of the home and raise five children. We were two brothers and three sisters. I was the fourth child, and my younger sister was the fifth. There were many children in Kalla, and we all played together. I was too naughty for my own good and often got into trouble. When I compare my childhood and that of my grandchildren, what stands out the most is the freedom that we enjoyed. My childhood was carefree, free- spirited, and had a sense of openness that is missing today. These days, children who live close enough to do so rarely walk to school. When I was growing up, we walked to school and, even better, ran home. Today, while children play outside, parents are expected to hover nearby. When we used to play, we would run around in open spaces like wild horses until sundown, and the surveillance network of grandmothers watched over all of us giving the parents much- needed reassurance that someone had their eyes on the children. As a child, life in Kalla was much freer. For instance, I could eat at anyone’s house, and it was a normal thing to do. On most days, some friend or the other would eat with us. And it wasn’t uncommon for me to down two lunches, one at home and the other at someone else’s house, because they made what I liked. Also in those days, we children never carried a water bottle around. If you felt thirsty, you knocked at someone’s door and drank some water. Same went for using the restroom. If you had to go, you simply knocked on the door, asked for permission and that was that. The children felt a sense of belonging to a February 2023 25 INSPIRATION
community. They didn’t face a sense of rejection. Children were welcome everywhere, and as a result their confidence and sense of self developed well. The other noticeable difference is in making children feel special versus making them feel secure. During my childhood, we grew up with the sense of security that came from the love and care of the family and community. But I don’t remember that I was made to feel special or gifted in any way. Nowadays, I see an increased emphasis on making our children feel special and talented. When the spotlight shifts from providing a sense of security to making the child feel special for their talents, it breeds insecurity, first in the parents and then the children. When the children are made to feel special, then the focus is on their accomplishments and the result is an overcrowded shelf of medals and trophies. Encouragement is good, but persistent recognition does a disservice by putting the children under pressure to perform. We can’t change the society at large, but in our families, we can focus more on loving the child and making the child feel secure. Don’t praise children too much. For children, praise is a sound whose echo registers as a warning in a subtle way. They may get ideas like, “What if next time I am not able?”, “What if I can’t?” and so on. Besides this, persistent praise leads children to correlate your love and attention with their accomplishments. They begin feeling that “If I do well, Mother and Father will love me even more.” As parents, acknowledge the child’s efforts over the results. Whether children win or lose, celebrate their efforts with small gestures – a weekend ice cream, maybe a movie night, or a note at their table – and then move on. The focus should be on the future. Such an approach will help them take both wins and losses in stride, because neither means the loss of love. Praise can also be expressed by throwing over-the-top birthdays and sweet-sixteen bashes, which are common nowadays. When we were young, we never celebrated birthdays. In most cases, families would make a note of the time and alignment of stars as per the calendar to draw up a horoscope of the child. Sometimes mothers would make a sweet dish, but other than that, birthdays were not a thing. Children were loved, cared for and no spotlight attention was given to make the child feel special and gifted. The way we socialized back then was also different. There was no show-off culture, perhaps because Whether children win or lose, celebrate their efforts with small gestures – a weekend ice cream, maybe a movie night, or a note at their table – and then move on. The focus should be on the future. Such an approach will help them take both wins and losses in stride, because neither means the loss of love. Heartfulness 26 INSPIRATION
there were no televisions in Kalla (that we had no electricity might have something to do with it). My father encouraged me to read aloud chapters from the Mahabharata every night. This reading became my primary activity during the monsoon of 1965. I was nine years old then. Old and young from nearby homes would finish their dinner and come to our house. I would begin reading under the warm glow of the hanging lantern, and it went on for about an hour. I loved those sessions! Evenings like those were a welcome reprieve for my parents, who had many things to worry about. Life was simple, but it was not easy. After all, raising five children and taking care of my grandmother on our modest means was not easy. But there was one thing my parents didn’t have to worry about. And that was support. While my mother was working at home and my father was in the fields, they didn’t have to worry about the children. My parents were not alone in raising us. The village was our family. All five of us siblings grew up under the loving care of our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. It was common for an elder of the The elders would be the support system of not only the children, but of the young people in the village. February 2023 27
Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE house to discipline any child in the family or even a child of the neighbor's family. I know this very well because I was usually at the receiving end. The elders were strict, but in hindsight, their discipline paled in comparison to their overarching love for us all. The elders, especially the grandparents, had ample time and made the effort to pass on the morals. Through stories, poems, and various anecdotes, they taught us about honesty, devotion, reverence, and faith. The elders would be the support system of not only the children, but of the young people in the village. While the large families of the past had their advantages, there were some problems too. Everything from toothpaste to finances were shared amongst the family, which would sometimes cause friction. The decision- making was strictly top-down, and the elders made decisions, keeping in mind the greater good of the family. For example, marriage was a social arrangement where two families came together. The norm was that you loved the one you married. Women were respected, but they were not empowered. They sacrificed a lot for the family but had no say in property rights. Another big problem was healthcare, especially in dealing with infections. Hygiene was poor and infections would spread fast. Women often died during childbirth. Many children were also lost during birth. The past was not perfect, and this is true for most families. In contrast, in today’s families, younger people have much greater freedom in decision-making. Technology, healthcare, and education have improved our quality of life. And while we still have a long way to go, the status of women in families and society has improved. But what happened to the village? What about the sense of community that we took for granted? Research shows that good relationships keep us happier and healthier. The most comprehensive study on happiness, the Harvard Adult Study,1 spanning over eighty-two years of research, shows that the village matters. The village is vital for the social and emotional well-being of our children. To be continued. 1 https://www.health.harvard. edu/mind-and-mood/health-and- happiness-go-hand-in-hand Research shows that the village matters. The village is vital for the social and emotional well-being of our children. Heartfulness 28 INSPIRATION
W I S D O M B R I D G E . I N ORDER your copy at hfn.link/orderTWB “It is both an inspiring and practical resource the parents will refer to often as they care for their children.” - JACK MILLER, Professor, University of Toronto, and author of The Holistic Curriculum and Whole Child Education “As the old African Proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child,” you can now consider Daaji part of your family's village.” - LASHAUN MARTIN, National Vice President, Operations, Mocha Moms, Inc. Gospel Recording Artist “A timely book that families will benefit from, including my own.” - PULLELA GOPICHAND, Chief National Coach Indian Badminton Team, recipient of the Padma Bhushan “Whether it’s music or life, what matters is growing self-awareness. I impart this lesson through the flute, and Daaji does this through his teachings.” - Pt. HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, internationally acclaimed flautist, teacher, and winner of multiple awards and recognitions globally “I find the wisdom in this book enlightening.” - CLANCY MARTIN, Professor of Philosophy, contributing editor, Harper’s Magazine From the bestselling author of The Heartfulness Way and Designing Destiny D A A J I Kamlesh D. Patel In The Wisdom Bridge, Daaji offers nine principles to guide you, the reader, to live a life that inspires your children and your loved ones. These principles are important references for parents, parents-to-be, grandparents and caregivers to create fulfilling and happy lives. They will not only help you enrich the lives of your children and raise responsible teenagers, but pave the way for an inspired life and resilient bonds in your family. The Wisdom Bridge B E S T S E L L E R
30 Heartfulness The Role of the Intellect
W hen we talk about consciousness, we are also indirectly including three other aspects of mental functioning – the mind, the intellect, and the ego. Why? Because these three play out within the canvas of our individual consciousness, and consciousness only evolves when these functions of mind, intellect, and ego evolve. Mind evolves from thinking to feeling, intellect evolves from instinct to wisdom, ego evolves from identifying with our individual self to identifying with the universal being, using the qualities of wonder and humility.1 The idea of “intellect” is not explored much in faith traditions. A lot more emphasis is given to love, devotion, faith, and surrender. Many who are moved by faith and devotion seem to lead a life of irrationality and emotional excess, devoid of much self- awareness. They do not seem to take self-responsibility seriously. This leads the skeptics and the rational to deny the existence of mystery, esoterism, and the magical. When we observe the universe, we wonder at some phenomena, and we doubt others. Doubt is a poison, even for intellectual reasoning. Wonder is the best way to approach the things we don’t know about. There is so much that is majestic all around us. A healthy dose of skepticism, along with wonder, keeps the mind’s door open and observant for non-judgmental learning. This is more important when we take up a self- transformational journey through yoga, meditation, and spirituality. Spirituality is an art and science of exploring our true connection with nature, and our inner reality and ultimate potential. This is a process of transforming the self from who we are to who we can be. In this process, we transform from inside out. We start from the center of our being, and the transformation eventually appears at the circumference. This naturally influences the environment and the community we live in. Spiritual self-transformation is also called the “evolution of consciousness.” Consciousness has been defined2 as the degree of awareness and unawareness, and the quality of our response to such awareness. As consciousness begins to unravel its potential, it evolves and expands. This results in an increase in our ability to perceive clearly and act with focus and purpose. INSPIRATION February 2023 31 VICTOR KANNAN explores the components of our mental well-being, and how the refinement of intellect helps our consciousness to evolve.
We start from the center of our being, and the transformation eventually appears at the circumference. Intellect is the discriminating or discerning faculty. It is like a knife, dissecting and analyzing the world around us, in the pursuit of meaning. It can cut off a lifeline or make things around us sharper for better use! It makes sense of our thinking. However, intellect has to be refined and evolve. How? By purifying, regulating, and focusing it. If the intellect is not pure, it can justify all evil acts. The spectrum of intellect stretches from instinct to wisdom, and eventually to direct perception. Though humans are supposed to be at the pinnacle of the evolution of species, all forms of life have a form of intellect called instinct. Research shows that trees, too, have a nervous system.3 They communicate among themselves. Electrons pass from the external field to the central nervous system of a plant, and then a feedback loop creates an action. That action protects the plant, or preys on food, and helps the plant understand what is around it. So instinct is the first element of intellect. That instinct is necessary for survival. Many a time we ask, “What is your INSPIRATION Mind is a thinking instrument. Given a set of mental and emotional circumstances and backdrop, it finds new solutions. Thinking results in a new thought. This thought becomes a seed for future thinking. Intellect is a tool that helps us dissect, analyze, and understand. It is a tool of discernment. Ego is the part that gives us a sense of identity: what is I, me, mine, and ours. The identity is questioned when we feel threatened and constrained. The ego suffers. It triggers the other counterparts of intellect and mind to analyze a problem and think of a solution. When overcome, the new solution re-establishes our identity. All these three work together in a complex fashion; it is difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. Let us assume, for the sake of discussion, that the intellect is the connecting link between thinking and identification. 32 Heartfulness
Neurons from the gut send signals to the brain, and the brain sends back a signal for response. This is all instinct. gut feeling?” Where is that gut feeling coming from? Research shows that the source of brain function is not only in the brain.4 For example, the vagus nerve from the heart stimulates the brain into certain action and not the other way round.5 The autonomic functions are shared between the brain, the gut, and the heart. They control both the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses, whether they are fight, flight, or freeze responses or post stress feelings of calm, peace, happiness, and joy. Our instinct is all over our body-mind complex. Neurons from the gut send signals to the brain, and the brain sends back a signal for response. This is all instinct. Instinct is directly related to brain function and hormones. It is our inheritance to protect and safeguard our lives. It is this instinct that protects the ego, and it draws from the resources of the memory bank and thinking of the mind. The second element of intellect is intuition. We know that some people are more intuitive than others. All of us have felt a sense of things and events before they happen. This is intuition. A feeling. A premonition. A forethought. A foresight. An aha moment. Intuition develops when we quieten our mind, observe, and witness. Meditation is an important way to develop intuition, as it helps us to open our minds to their subconscious and superconscious states. The third element is intelligence. Intelligence is a variable, but all of us have it. Animals have it and plants have it. Intelligence can be improved by acquiring knowledge and knowing how to apply it, and most knowledge comes from experience and observation. This knowledge includes emotional intelligence, which is acquisition of emotional and mental soft skills such as listening, pausing, reflecting, focusing, and being attentive. The more emotionally intelligent a person is, the more successful and happier they can be. Yet once again, without the evolution of that intelligence by proper and pure intentions, it can be wasted on inhumane enterprises. The power of intention cannot be February 2023 33
underestimated in the growth of our consciousness. Pure and generous intentions are the principles of an evolving mind, intellect, and ego. It is when it goes instead toward self-aggrandizement that the problems begin. The fourth element is wisdom. When does intellect evolve to become wisdom? By conscious effort to purify, regulate, and focus our intellect. The evolution of the mind and the ego also helps in the evolution of the intellect and vice versa. How does wisdom help us? When we are wise, we make better choices. Should I speak or not? What to say? How much to say? When to say? Whether to go here or there? As we become wiser, our choices become consistent with the goal we have taken up for our lives. We may not know how to define wisdom, but we definitely know when we see a wise person or hear words of wisdom. In a nutshell, the role of the intellect is a crucial one. Intellect also sheds light on faith. Faith is a state of mind. I struggled with the term “faith” for a long time. I didn’t understand it in the context of how it has been practiced – to get from the Almighty what we want, with faith increasing if expectations were met. This did not inspire me. In one of my meditations, it occurred to me that the role of faith is to beget hope; hope begets positive action, and positive action produces positive results. So, to my understanding, intellect actually embellishes the understanding of faith and puts it in its right place. Meditation is an important way to develop intuition, as it helps us to open our minds to their subconscious and superconscious states. 34 Heartfulness INSPIRATION
Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL One way to explain the evolution of consciousness is to say that it is a release from the limitations of the mind, the intellect, and the ego. It results from their continuous refinement so that they become feeling, wisdom, and appreciation of the world around us. It is an ever-growing subtle-fication of the body-mind-spirit complex, ever tending toward moderation and balance in all aspects of life. In this process, intellect plays a very big part. If the mind is not refined, the intellect is not refined, and the ego is not refined, then love, obedience, and surrender will remain misplaced, and will be counterproductive to our evolution. The 20th century spiritual teacher, Babuji (Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur), added the term “real” before love, life, and surrender, perhaps to indicate the importance of the pure form of these attitudes to guide us to the truth. Also, when all the elements of consciousness are purified, regulated, and focused, direct perception is enabled. This is what saints and spiritual scientists like the Buddha and Babuji are able to do. We also have the possibility to perceive directly when we embrace an evolutionary practice like Heartfulness. 1 https://www. heartfulnessmagazine.com/ editions/december-2016/ 2 By Daaji 3 https://www.science.org/ content/article/plants- communicate-distress-using-their- own-kind-nervous-system When all the elements of consciousness are purified, regulated, and focused, direct perception is enabled. 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC3845678/ 5 https://www.news-medical.net/ news/20210624/Researchers- observe-brains-responses-to- vagus-nerve-stimulation-during- sleep-and-wakefulness.aspx February 2023 35 INSPIRATION
workplace
Emotions are not reactions to the world; they are your constructions of the world. LISA FELDMAN BARRETT
Step into the Future of Emotions STANISLAS LAJUGIE explores modern psychological theories of managing emotions, and even better, how to let go of our past emotional patterns and step into a simpler, happier future through meditative practices. 38 Heartfulness
A re you super smart, successful in many aspects of life, but your heart is unhappy? When this happens, all your achievements will not be satisfying enough. Or let’s take another example: have you tried to take a decision while feeling angry, jealous, fearful, or even euphoric? One single emotion and your entire thinking process is in jeopardy! Emotions play a central role in our lives for better or for worse. Modern times require that we learn to manage our emotions to navigate with an even keel through life’s ups and downs. We will explore how to move toward emotional regulation, and even step into the future of emotions! Emotional Regulation In the 1990s, Peter Salovey from Yale University described emotional intelligence (EI) as “The ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.” Daniel Goleman popularized EI and classified it into 5 components: Self-awareness Self-management Motivation Empathy Social skills Awareness – self-awareness, awareness of the others, and awareness of the environment – is at the core the 5 components of EI. This means being aware and adapting to the situation. The quality of awareness and the capacity to adapt were praised by Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995), which has been a treasure in all professional environments. In essence, this type of emotional intelligence, which is very useful, consists in managing emotions that have arisen in the past, that are affecting our behavior in the present. Heartfulness proposes a different approach: to neutralize the past conditioning and step into the future of emotions. Step into the Future of Emotions What does that mean? Let me give you an example. A while back, I had to meet a customer in another part of the city. I was running late, drove fast, and had a car accident. It shocked me. The next day, I had to drive, and the fear of driving was there. I drove slowly, but manage to reach safely. And the next day, it was the same. The next month also. After a month, I nearly forgot about this fear. So, my concept of fear evolved based on a series of new “past” experiences. The theory of how emotions work has been debated for decades by psychologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, and evolutionary biologists. In essence, some postulate that emotions are innate, that a particular area of the brain is associated with a particular emotion, while recent research supported by neuroimaging technologies reveals that our mind connects different parts of our brain to make sense of emotions based on past experiences. So our emotional understanding is based on past experiences and emotions. 39 February 2023 WORKPLACE
Now, if they are constructed, they can be also deconstructed. Our emotional concepts can be tweaked and changed by new experiences. Here is the beauty of the brain and meditative practices. For the brain, whether I have my eyes open or closed, experiences have the same impact on brain changes. What does it mean? I can intentionally close my eyes, practice the Heartfulness Cleaning technique to tweak, transform and master my emotional concepts. I don’t have to wait for new experiences, or be a victim to past emotions. I can step into the future of emotions! Can You also Step into Your Future Self? In this question, Lisa Feldman Barrett is referring to a Buddhist notion of the “self ” as a false construct, a clinging to a set of ideas that are made up. She suggests that by tweaking the ideas we have about ourselves, and changing predictions, it is possible not only to change future experience but also to change our “self.” Barrett goes on to say that if you are interested in doing this, try meditation. Heartfulness Cleaning gives us a means to remove our emotional burden and gain emotional balance. Heartfulness meditation, which focuses on the source of light emanating from our being, can allow us also to heighten our quality of existence to the highest levels. As Otto Scharmer and Bill O’Brien once discussed, “The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervener. … What counts is not only what leaders do and how they do it, but also their “interior condition” – that is, their inner source.”They are speaking of the quality of consciousness. Heartfulness Cleaning gives us a means to remove our emotional burden and gain emotional balance. WORKPLACE
Emotional Granulation Research suggests that higher emotional granularity, that is, the ability to distinguish the specificity of emotions, results in increased capacity for emotional regulation, which is particularly important when it comes to managing negative emotional situations. Kashdan, Barrett and McKnight (2015) share a study where a fear of spiders was treated using three different approaches: 1. Cognitive re-appraisal where participants were taught to describe spiders in a non-threatening way, e.g., “Sitting in front of me is a little spider and it’s safe.” 2. Distraction, where participants pay attention to something unrelated to their fear of spiders. 3. Categorization of sensations with greater granularity, e.g., “In front of me is an ugly spider, and it is disgusting, nerve-racking and yet intriguing.” The third approach was found to be the most effective in helping people with a fear of spiders to observe and approach spiders. Research suggests that higher emotional granularity has positive benefits, particularly in situations that engender negative emotions. Having ways to make sense of negative emotions, and how to respond to them, seems to result in an increased capacity for emotional regulation. Lisa Feldman also observed that noting down positive experiences, and enriching our vocabulary of positive emotions, supports the weaving of a positive mindset. Heartfulness journaling supports the development of this capacity to observe and enrich our vocabulary of experience, especially if we pay more attention to feelings as prescribed in the Heartfulness practices. Having ways to make sense of negative emotions, and how to respond to them, seems to result in an increased capacity for emotional regulation. 41 February 2023 February 2023
What Makes Us Human? DR. ICHAK ADIZES deals with change in the corporate world every day. It is his raison d’être! With a shift in focus, here he describes the interplay of dynamics between love and change at the personal level, how pain is a necessary accompaniment to love, and how we can allow both to coexist in a healthy way. I claim that everything has a life, even stones. There are old stones and new stones. There are young stars and old stars. And by the same token, there are new and old cars. What is the difference between, say, a stone and a tree and an animal? And what is the difference between us humans and animals? Here is my insight: The difference between inanimate objects and animate objects is, among other things, that inanimate objects do not reproduce themselves. When a stone breaks into pieces for whatever reason, or a star explodes, it is not reproducing itself, it is just falling apart. Now, what distinguishes trees and vegetables from animals of any kind? It is the brain: the capability of processing information using the brain, which is called reasoning. Next: what distinguishes us humans from animals? We have lungs and hearts and reproductive organs, as they do; and brains, as they do. Admittedly, the human brain is bigger, but is that the major difference – the size of our brains? Then, what about disabled children, who are born with brains that are deficient by human standards? Should we describe them as animals? I would say no. So what is the difference? Have you ever seen an animal build a temple in order to worship something? Obviously not. We have a system of beliefs: we believe in God (those guys on Wall Street pray to the god called Mammon, and those that deny God exists have their own god they believe in). What distinguishes us from animals is that we serve the god or belief system of our choice. JUST THINKING AND FEELING Heartfulness 42
What about the Nazis? They had a system of beliefs, too. Their belief was that they were called to dominate the world. Were they human, then? They had all the ingredients of being human – eyes, reproductive organs, brains, symbols, the ability to write and read – that animals do not have, but they were not all human. Some of the Nazis had no heart. Otherwise, there is no explanation for how they could have taken innocent children to the ovens. This brings me to the conclusion that not all gods are equal. There are false gods, idols. Mammon is one of them. The Nazi swastika, which symbolized the superiority of one race over all others, was another idol. The true God is the God of love, the one we serve with our hearts. Those who worship idols, false gods, are animals disguised in a human body. The more we reason – not just with our brains but with our hearts – the more human we are. We have more than consciousness; we have a conscience. Animals focus on survival. We feel for what is around us, not only for other human beings but also for the suffering of animals and the health of trees, rivers, mountains, the air, and the ocean. We care because our thoughts and feelings transcend the necessary needs of finding a reproductive mate (long-term survival) and finding food and shelter (immediate survival). Our hearts ache and our consciences bother us, because we have interests, goals, and a sense of right and wrong. We go beyond survival. The listening to the heart is what makes us HUMAN. Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes https://www.ichakadizes.com/ post/what-makes-us-human February 2023 43
relationships
Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right. JANE GOODALL Illustration by ANANYA PATEL
Many to Many In December 2022, NIPUN MEHTA of ServiceSpace met with 3 generations of women in one family in Baroda, Gujarat – JYOTI, VANESSA, and ANANYA PATEL. Jyoti is the grandma, Vanessa is the mother, and Ananya the daughter. This is a spontaneous conversation they had together in their beautiful garden after meeting at an event with Mahendradada. Heartfulness 46
very kind to me and I have great fondness for him. VP: He would love that. When are you coming to Kanha Shanti Vanam again? It’s been a while since I visited. I haven’t been to India in three years because of the pandemic. This is the first trip back, and although it’s two months it feels short. I’m meeting a lot of people and there are community talks – it starts as a talk, and the hope is “many to many.” I’m usually in a city for two or three days for a whole bunch of events, and it feels like there’s a symphony that is playing itself, and I’m watching it. I would never have imagined that this morning I’d be sitting amongst all this beautiful greenery, in this labor of love. You’ve given love to all these plants, and they speak that back; they are so alive. I think it’s nature’s principle that if you give one inch nature gives you a foot. We just have to get on that virtuous cycle. VP: A lot of people are seeking, looking for something, and there is so much out there. In this morning’s talk, Mahendradada said: look within your own self, get in touch deep within your own self to see that it is right in front of you. It just shows itself. And I wanted to ask you, what you thought of this amazing meeting with him. The biggest thing is that he has stayed undefined, by and large, when most of society wants to box us in. They want to silo us. He’s so many things in so many different ways. And you could see that in all his responses, for example, to the teen asking about the influence of social media, and then he spoke in a different way to the young mother. So how do we de-silo? I think our generation has siloed everything – you are a teacher, you are a businessperson, you are an NGO person, you are a community worker. The synergy, that wholesomeness, that common thread is missing; we see the beads, but we don’t see the thread underneath. VP: One of the qualities that really stood out for me was his complete lack of judgment in his way of being. JP: Nipun, please tell us about yourself. I live in northern California, although I was born and brought up in Ahmedabad, India. Our family emigrated to the U.S., I went to college there, and I’m a product of Silicon Valley. My inner journey, my spiritual calling came into focus in my early 20s. Initially, it was like society tells you should be like this, but then I always wanted to become a Himalayan yogi or a tennis pro. Neither of those happened, so I’m in the world, and I’ve just been serving. JP: Daaji’s story is similar. He ran away from home at 17 to seek answers. On the banks of the River Narmada he met a yogi who told him, “You’ve come to the wrong place. Look at me, I’m 85 and I still haven’t found God. Go back, study, and do your work …” … and the path will find you. It’s amazing. The first time Daaji and I met, we chatted for five maybe six hours – a long time. It’s not appropriate to call him a friend, but that’s how I think of him; he’s so many things. He’s been February 2023 47 RELATIONSHIPS
Yes, even when he addressed the question about the language medium for early education, he said that language is not a barrier in matters of the heart; the core values established in the early years will endure through everything. That’s a very progressive answer. VP: He said not to hold on to the conventional thinking that we must be a certain way. There is a space for everyone and space to grow therein. Exactly. AP: What struck me was that the whole team at the event was talking about the wisdom of elders, and the conversations that generate wisdom between generations and between people from different backgrounds. Mahendradada kept alluding to the fact that it’s a two way dialogue – it bridges generations, and the wisdom comes from the elders, but it’s also navigated by the younger generation. I’m curious to understand whether you have noticed this during your time interacting with so many people and different communities. And also, as you have moved from your journey and your generation, how do you see that relationship developing? We do these things. At home, my parents have been hosting Awakin Circles where we sit in silent meditation for an hour, then we do a circle of sharing, and then there’s a shared meal. That sounds so simple, but if you think about it deeply, how do you meet people in silence rather than the noise of your identity? How can you be in a circle, not as a speaker but as a listener? How do you engage in the reciprocity of life, not just as a giver but also as a receiver? So, in that sense, it’s never one thing. Both the elders and the young are students and teachers at the same time. If we understand that concept, that we are both – we have an identity and we are formless, we have form yet we are formless. There is value in sharing and there is value in silence; there is value in speaking and there is value in listening. The best speakers are the ones who listen well, the best stewards of identities, because these identities are changing all the time. And the best stewards of identity are the ones who are rooted in no identity. The best givers are the ones who accept that they are constantly receiving. These seem paradoxical, but as you hold the paradox in perfect tension you arrive at a much deeper intelligence. This is where our dialogues need to go a lot deeper, and not just within ourselves. Right now, Gen Z is struggling with self-compassion. There are different parts of ourselves, and we are so critical of them that we feel like there are separate selves inside us. We need to first integrate those. For that you need self-compassion. Then you need to practice compassion with your loved ones, those near you, those you care about. And as you start to see how to do that, then you can really start to go into wider and wider circles, including Nature. But if the core technology is not there, it becomes difficult. It’s not that you need to be on the receiving end, or you need to be inclusive and include the other person, as those things alone are not enough. With inclusion you have to learn to draw skillful boundaries. So, when do you pick up the boundaries and when do you pick up the heart of inclusion? That is the wisdom we need to cultivate. VP: Absolutely. It’s something you pick up along the way, that discretion. Who amongst my peers can I trust and make a part of my own? And who am I just being led by? Exactly. But it’s a very difficult thing, because you’ll put a boundary in place where you actually need to stretch, and instead you’re saying, “This is my boundary, I don’t like this person, and I’m gonna be in this zone.” It doesn’t serve you well. RELATIONSHIPS Heartfulness 48
You need to practice compassion with your loved ones, those near you, those you care about. And as you start to see how to do that, then you can really start to go into wider and wider circles, including Nature. RELATIONSHIPS February 2023 49
On the other side, you say, “Oh, no boundaries, I’m just going to continue to flow,” and you flow out and the person takes advantage of you. That doesn’t work either, right? So how do you know when to use this tool? I think this is the challenge of our time. We have diluted that wisdom. We need to expand into that wisdom, and we need to help each other in the process. VP: How can you receive from elders without feeling you’re being lectured at, or they’re imposing something rather than sharing? That seems to be prevalent when elders are not able to listen to the younger generation. I think it’s both ways – elders need to be better elders, and youngsters need to be better youngsters. So, if the younger generation is saying, “Look, I don’t need you, and I’m just gonna do my own thing,” you can stiffen up and say, “Forget the young,” and keep them at a distance. It’s common in many cultures these days, and it’s become fashionable, but I think there’s a deeper way to engage. For elders, instead of saying, “I know the way, this is how it was 50 years ago,” it’s preferable to be able to distinguish between what is eternal and what is contextual. If you can tease out the eternal and the contextual, then you’re better RELATIONSHIPS There are different parts of ourselves, and we are so critical of them that we feel like there are separate selves inside us. We need to first integrate those. For that you need self-compassion. Heartfulness 50
equipped. If you hold on to the contextual, it is like, “You should wear white, because all Gandhians wore white.”That is not eternal, it’s a very contextual thing, and if you make it a principle you will lose the whole generation. Whereas compassion is eternal, it relates even to an 18-month-old baby, it relates to millennials, it relates to other generations, right? For an elder to know how to tease out the eternal and the contextual takes work. I saw in Mahendradada an example of a good elder. You didn’t get that sense that he was thinking, “Oh, you are wearing jeans, or “You’re not supporting the bottom rung of the ladder,” or “You’re not supporting the farmers.” He was trying to relate to all of us. VP: It goes way beyond those values, beyond the image that you carry within you, the context that you spoke about. AP: It’s also what is not tangibly seen or felt in the space, what is just under the surface as well as in the vibratory level, and how that emerges. What kind of feeling do you get from gatherings like this, when the space is held in this way? Sometimes you may even take on lifetimes worth of roles, just so you can relate to different mindsets. If you’re able to do that out of great compassion, then you will translate without diluting. RELATIONSHIPS February 2023 51
Heartfulness 52
Those are the innovators we need, not just the market people or the Silicon Valley innovators that are famous for creating material progress. If you don’t have a true line to the spiritual it’s not sustainable; not just at an ecological level, it’s also not sustainable at a societal level. VP: Daaji has released a new book, The Wisdom Bridge, and I have a copy for you. AP: It’s also a conversation about what wisdom between generations looks like. And how to use that wisdom to cultivate a new generation of beings, of people who are operating at a higher evolutionary level, and who are exposed to compassion. When this is gifted to children at an impressionable age, it is much easier than having to unlearn all the baggage that they may otherwise pick up while growing up. What do you think? How do you think we should do that? Your generation has the answers, right? AP: That is the biggest question. I think the answers arise when we start having these conversations, and start creating these spaces. For someone like me, at this point in my life, there’s a fragmented sense of being, with different things pulling and pushing me. I don’t really know what to listen to, or what to follow. And I think again about boundaries – where do I draw boundaries? And not just where, but how do I draw them in a way that maintains relationships? That’s something I’m definitely thinking about. I don’t know if you have any insight regarding it. Creating dialogues – I think you’re spot on. I think previously we created spaces for lectures and that’s outdated. We used to think of the speaker as the star of the show, but we can now frame it in a much deeper way. You just contributed with your question, I contributed by holding space, and we can contribute in so many ways. That sort of thinking makes it whole. In Gandhi’s time, there was one Gandhiji and the rest of us. Then we had Vinobha Bhave, and he was Gandhi 2.0 in the sense that he walked from village to village, saying, “I’m a walking university.” He was trying to connect heart to heart, one to one. Now, in your era, we live in a time of many to many. We can have different people playing different roles, but actually it’s very hard to draw the boundary; where does one person stop and the other begin? Once that becomes clear, it allows a common flow. Maybe words are coming out through another’s mouth, but for words to come out, I need to have a thought. If you don’t have a true line to the spiritual it’s not sustainable; not just at an ecological level, it’s also not sustainable at a societal level. RELATIONSHIPS Exactly. Good words. You know, there’s always the formless and the form, and one has to be pretty wise and skillful to form a bridge, to be able to translate without diluting it. You have to have done the inner work, so you have a connection with the formulas. And then you have to translate it skillfully. If you’re in the Himalayas, maybe you won’t be able to relate to social media; you will be like, “What is this nonsense?” But if you respond out of compassion, you will say, “Hey, I want to relate to you. And I want to relate to you, and to you.” Sometimes you may even take on lifetimes worth of roles, just so you can relate to different mindsets. If you’re able to do that out of great compassion, then you will translate without diluting. February 2023 53
RELATIONSHIPS Heartfulness 54
That thought is in my mind, and the boundary of my mind and the words could be a result of many things – one of you meeting Gandhi, or being with Daaji, or a meditation practice, or a connection with plants. And you really can’t tell, because it’s this quantum soup. So how do we design for that? A lot of modern companies are doing it, but they’re doing it for profit. Movements are doing it, but they’re doing it for protest. How do we do it for love? So, creating “many to many” spaces, designing with that in mind, I’m playing a certain role, but the real reward is in the many to many. Who knows where this will go. We need different kinds of leaders in this era. We call it laddership, not leadership. How do you pave the way for others to climb over? We are counting on you to do that! AP: With whatever experience I’ve had working with complex challenges, such as climate change and community issues, we’re different people who have lived in so many different realities. Whatever wisdom or knowledge is there from one source, it lives in isolation or in a vacuum unless there’s a response to it, unless it is used, applied, talked about, or pushed back at. Clarity comes in the dynamic space that is created, answers emerge, things start to shift forward. When you speak about a new form of leadership or a new kind of organizational structure, I see that as being essential. Communication cannot be one-sided or static. Each person must have a place at the table and some way of contributing to what’s going on. What you’re saying is not just an idea; the Buddha spoke very clearly about co-dependent co-arising. At the most granular level, I exist because you do. And it takes two to know one. So, this is at the deepest level of our existence. We have to design for that. Somewhere we diluted that insight when we became independent identities, and that is on false ground. There is no independent you – Ananya does not exist in isolation, it is just not possible. Even if you are deep in samadhi in the Himalayas, you still exist as a co-dependent co-arising co-creation. I think that can be the basis of designing society, and that’s our task. VP: Thank you so much for this beautiful exchange and holding this space impromptu. Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL Creating “many to many” spaces, designing with that in mind, I’m playing a certain role, but the real reward is in the many to many. Who knows where this will go. We need different kinds of leaders in this era. We call it laddership, not leadership. RELATIONSHIPS February 2023 55
e n v i r o n m e n t The Earth is what we all have in common. Wendell Berry Illustration by JASMEE MUDGAL
RICKY KEJ is a 3-time Grammy award-winning composer, an environmentalist, UNESCO-MGIEP Ambassador for Kindness, UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, UNCCD Land Ambassador, and an Ambassador for the Earth Day Network. He performed and spoke to the crowd at the International Rising with Kindness Youth Conference at Kanha Shanti Vanam in August 2022. Here are some excerpts from his message. 58 Heartfulness
I’m Ricky Kej, musician and environmentalist. These two pillars define my life. I believe in the ancient Sanskrit phrase, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which literally means, “The world is one family.” It also means coexistence, and it means kindness. It is the base of the Indian traditions, Indian civilization. We often think it means peaceful coexistence between the Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Parsees, Jains, etc. – different cultural groups within the human species – whereas it actually means a lot more than that. Somewhere along our journey, we have completely forgotten that we are not the only species on this planet. We are just one among millions of species. So, true Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam means living in peace and harmony with all life forms. Not only that, we also need to coexist with all the elements of Nature – the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land we walk upon. Coexistence and kindness are closely related. We must realize that we live in an ecosystem, a very delicate balance of ecology, and that we are a small part of it. It’s important that we understand that coexistence and maintenance of this delicate balance of nature keep us all alive. True coexistence and true kindness are key to our survival. When we talk about saving the planet, we’re actually preventing ourselves from going extinct. The planet will survive without us. By mitigating the effects of climate change, deforestation, species extinction, air and water pollution, we are saving the human species. We are protecting ourselves. I think the biggest threat of all is our belief that somebody else will bring the change. We are always waiting for governments, inter-governmental bodies, organizations, politicians, leaders, etc., to make a difference when the truth is that we can bring about change ourselves – incremental changes within our own lives – by being kind to one another. The reason we are not already bringing about these changes is not because we are evil people. It is simply because we have not empowered ourselves, we have not been kind enough to ourselves to believe that the tiny changes we make in our own lives can actually make a difference. We think, “If I stop using single-use plastics, what difference will it make?” “If I use public transport, what difference will it make?” “If I am kind to others, what difference will it make? I’m a small person.” But that’s not true. We have to empower ourselves to believe that the small changes we make and the small acts of kindness we do can make a difference, can create a ripple effect, and can touch millions of people all over this world. So, let’s believe we have the strength to be kind. Coexistence and kindness are closely related. We must realize that we live in an ecosystem, a very delicate balance of ecology, and that we are a small part of it. ENVIRONMENT Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL 59 February 2023
60 Heartfulness DR. PRASAD VELUTHANAR writes about the day’s routine from the ayurvedic perspective. He explains how doing specific activities at specific times of the day will help you derive maximum benefits and improve your well-being. living with nature's rhythms
Dinacharya is the Sanskrit word for “daily routine,” a simple and effective way to balance the body. Our daily activities have a profound effect on our health, and a good routine is a stronger medicine than an occasional remedy. Dinacharya establishes healthy habits by attuning the body to the natural cycles of the day. The energies of each of the three doshas – vata, pitta, and kapha – predominate at different times within the 24-hour period. By establishing a routine that goes with these elemental energies, we enable the body’s natural rhythms and healing potential. THE DAILY CYCLE 2 to 6 a.m. – vata Waking Up: Waking up between 4 and 6 a.m. helps us develop alertness, vibrancy, enthusiasm, energy, clarity, strengthened intuition, and motivation. Vata qualities are prominent, and it is the most sattvic, peaceful time of the day, ideal for spiritual practice. If you have time constraints, when you wake up take a few deep breaths, and be thankful for waking up to an exciting new day. Elimination: The bladder and colon may be emptied upon rising. Drinking a glass or two of warm water with a little bit of lemon can help rehydrate tissues, flush toxins, enkindle digestive fire, and stimulate peristalsis. Cleansing: Ayurveda recommends purifying the senses every day so that you can have new life experiences. Refresh and energize the mind by splashing the face and eyes with cool or lukewarm water. Gently wash your ears and apply a thin coat of sesame oil to the inside of the ears with your little finger. Use a neti pot with saline solution to clean your nasal passages. Brush your teeth. Scrape your tongue using a tongue cleaner. Finally, gargle with salt water and turmeric to help purify and strengthen your voice and keep your gums, mouth, and throat healthy. 61 February 2023 ENVIRONMENT
Oil massage: Nourishes and strengthens the body, encourages regular sleep patterns, stimulates internal organs, enhances blood circulation, and can significantly reduce a vata imbalance. Bathing: Take a bath using a minimal amount of soap. Ayurveda sees bathing as a therapeutic activity. It is suggested that you bathe with lukewarm water. Do not bathe in a hurry – let the mind and body benefit from the bath. Use gentle aromatherapy oils such as lavender and sandalwood. The ancient ayurvedic texts also recommend adding rose petals, milk, honey, and turmeric to your bath. A leisurely bath relaxes tense muscles, irons out a creased brow, opens clogged pores, restores moisture to the tissues, and adds a healing dimension to your day. It enhances physical energy levels and improves your mental well- being. Clothing: Always wear clean clothing, preferably made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, or silk. Ayurveda discourages wearing used clothing, especially other peoples’ shoes, because of the polluted subtle energies that they collect. Gentle exercise: Daily exercise increases circulation and oxygenation of the tissues, strengthens digestion, tones the body, reduces fat, and enhances vitality. Determine the best time to exercise and what form of exercise to practice according to your constitutional type and the effects of the seasons. For example, in the fall, a vata person should exercise during the kapha time of day, to take advantage of kapha’s grounding and stable qualities. Choose an activity that is soothing to the nervous system like yoga or tai-chi. Meditation: Just as you cleanse your body each day, also cleanse your mind of accumulated thoughts that no longer serve you. Be still. Direct your attention inward. Notice your breath. Practice pranayama. Meditate for twenty minutes or simply invite calm and relaxation into the body if time is limited. This practice acts as a protective shield to the destabilizing influences of the external environment. 62 Heartfulness Heartfulness ENVIRONMENT
6 to 10 a.m. – kapha Aerobic exercise: This period is kapha time, which has the qualities of heaviness, slowness, and stability – the later a person wakes after dawn, the more of these qualities they imbibe and carry for the rest of the day. Kapha time is the best time for active physical exercise like jogging, swimming, or cycling. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – pitta Work and lunch: This is the most productive time for work, especially for problem-solving and tasks that require your full attention and focus. It is also the time when the sun is at its peak and when the digestive fire is at its strongest. It is the ideal time to eat the largest meal of the day. Eating at this time allows efficient and maximum digestion, assimilation, and metabolism. Proper absorption of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates will result in efficient energy production and feelings of strength and alertness. There will also be less desire for snacking and overeating if your diet is nutritious and properly assimilated. A short, leisurely stroll shortly after lunch also aids digestion. 2 to 6 p.m. – vata Creative work: Vata comes again in the afternoon. This is a good time for mental agility and creative work. Vata types may experience a drop in energy at this time and a small snack is valuable for them. Evening meal: Eat a light meal in the evening. It is important to allow enough time for your previous meal to digest thoroughly (generally 4 hours). Ideally, eat before sundown and at least three hours before bedtime. Proper absorption of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates will result in efficient energy production and feelings of strength and alertness. 63 February 2023 ENVIRONMENT
Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL 6 to 10 p.m. – kapha Relaxation: The slow, stable qualities of kapha increase as the evening progresses and reach their peak a couple of hours before midnight. In order to imbibe these qualities and ensure a sound, heavy, undisturbed, and restful sleep, go to bed before this period ends. Evening is a time to relax, engage in pleasant conversation with family or friends, read, or play gentle soothing music. It is a time to unwind from the stimulation and activity of the day. About half an hour before bedtime is the perfect time to take Triphala tea to gently tone and balance the digestive tract. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. – pitta Sleep: The next active Pitta period runs from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. If you are not asleep during this period, the body will wake up and have a second wind around 11 p.m., which may have you up till 1 a.m.! Sleep is then impaired and the elimination of impurities and toxins from the body suffers. Being in bed by 10 p.m. will ensure 6 to 7 hours of refreshing, detoxifying sleep that will leave you revitalized and energized. You may also apply oil to the scalp and the soles of the feet before bed to calm the nervous system and promote sound sleep. This Pitta period is a second digestive phase, but it is not intended for digesting large quantities of food or heavy food. The metabolism works differently than at midday and is far less efficient in terms of breaking down the contents of the stomach and intestines. It will try to digest them but usually leaves the process incomplete, leading to a further build-up of undigested food (hence the very furry, white tongue in the morning after a late night of alcohol and heavy food). This is why the evening meal should be light and easily digestible. Evening is a time to relax, engage in pleasant conversation with family or friends, read, or play gentle soothing music. Following these daily rhythms is a way to bring more awareness to all of the habits and choices we make throughout the day. Conscious awareness of living in harmony with the cycles of nature is the path to health and freedom. 64 Heartfulness ENVIRONMENT
PAINTING by NARENDRA KINI
creativity Commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life: time. ESTHER PEREL
A N A R T E S S A Y Heartfulness 68 Commitment TrainNARENDRA KINI
CREATIVITY February 2023 69 What an insight it could be to travel in a Commitment Train called Ma, to have a window seat, but this time look inside rather than out. Just a silent witness along for the ride. I would then see the inner workings of a pure soul, full of love, moving on the tracks of life. Through rivers, fields and all the rife, nothing seeming to deter those flywheels. An engine of commitment, fueled just by purity and love to stop and go. Life’s signals of red and green guided by conscience as the driver keeps one eye on the road and another inward. On a silent night, when the winds are still you may hear a quiet voice, and feel sometimes steam, sometimes tears. Yet this journey that seems endless in distance feels like a pilgrimage, abundant with blessings. This commitment train never rests. There are different destinations and stops but, unspoken commitment bound, into the nights and days, on an endless journey. So, there is promise in the morrows for ones who follow.
CREATIVITY Heartfulness 70
CREATIVITY February 2023 71
CREATIVITY Heartfulness 72
CREATIVITY February 2023 73
Master the habit of meditation The Heartfulness app offers daily practices to awaken the potential for a joyful existence. Download app at heartfulnessapp.org Heartfulness Yoga Teacher Training Course Learn to teach the eight limbs of yoga. Merge the traditional art of yoga with a modern professional approach. heartfulness.org/yoga/ Designing Destiny By Daaji #1 BESTSELLER How meditative practices lead to changes in lifestyle, both personal and in relationships, which lead to greater freedom in designing our destiny. designingdestiny.com Meditation Masterclass In these 3 online masterclasses, you will learn the practical benefits of meditation and other yogic practices. Masterclasses are available online each day after you sign up and accessible throughout the day. heartfulness.org/masterclass The Heartfulness Way By Daaji #1 BESTSELLER Discover a special collection of meditations that awaken the depths of human potential and initiate a mystical inner journey. heartfulnessway.com Find Your Community Find a trainer or meditation center near you! heartfulness.org/en/ connect-with-us/ Heartfulness 74
Learning, The Heartfulness Way Explore simple Heartfulness practices through our self-paced courses for beginners and advanced learners alike. learning.heartfulness.org HFNLife strives to bring products to make your life simple and convenient.We offer a set of curated partners in apparel, accessories, eye-care, home staples, organic foods and more. The affiliation of our partner organizations with Heartfulness Institute helps in financially sustaining the programs which we conduct in various places across the world. hfnlife.com HFNLife
Heartfulness Magazine - February 2023 (Volume 8, Issue 2)

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Heartfulness Magazine - February 2023 (Volume 8, Issue 2)

  • 1. www.heartfulnessmagazine.com February 2023 Raising a Child Still Takes a Village DAAJI What Makes Us Human DR. ICHAK ADIZES The Innovators We Need NIPUN MEHTA R I C K E Y KEJ O N K I N D N E S S The Art of intention
  • 2. mastering-change.org Stay tuned here for Spring & Autumn Voyages Heartful Adizes Leadership Heartful Adizes Leaders continually refine vital skills and equip themselves and others with practical tools to successfully deal with complex challenges. Always... U-priced! These courses are offered as a gift, trusting the generosity of participants to support the development and sustenance of similar in-depth learning journeys. Celebrating 13 Voyages together! What people are saying... It was a great learning experience. If one says, “What they don’t teach you at Harvard”, the learning in this course justifies it one hundred percent! Prabodh Darvekar Students edifying each other is a truly powerful idea. Teachers almost need to be careful not to interfere. It opens up a universe of learning. Greg Dekker The concept of the course itself in getting the voyagers to analyze and improve their thinking in the decision making basis the Adizes Techniques with a touch of Heartfulness, with no influence from skippers but with the guided push in the right direction was the WOW for me. Adin Jubell
  • 3.
  • 4. Order copies online: single, 12-month subscription and 24-month subscription: subscriptions@ heartfulnessmagazine.com Printed copies are also available at selected stores, airports and newsstands, and at Heartfulness centers and ashrams. SUBSCRIBE TO Heartfulness Magazine Available in print and digital versions heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe CREATIVE TEAM Editorial Team — Elizabeth Denley, Vanessa Patel, Kashish Kalwani, Christine Prisland, Animesh Anand Design & Art — Uma Maheswari G, Naren Kini, Jasmee Mudgal, Ananya Patel, Arati Shedde, Virinaflora Photography — Daiga Ellaby, Ian Macharia, Heartfulness Media Team Writers — Ichak Adizes, Daaji, Alanda Greene,Victor Kannan, Ricky Kej, Naren Kini, Stan Lajugie, Vivan Patel, Prasad Veluthanar Interviewees — Nipun Mehta Support Team — Balaji Iyer, Rathinavelan Krishnamurthy, Liaa Kumar, Karthik Natarajan, Jayakumar Parthasarathy, Arjun Reddy, Nabhish Tyagi, Shankar Vasudevan ISSN 2455-7684 CONTRIBUTIONS contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com ADVERTISING advertising@heartfulnessmagazine.com SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@heartfulnessmagazine.com www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscriptions EDITOR — Neeraj Kumar PRINTED BY — Sunil Kumar RK PRINT HOUSE, H.No.11-6-759, 3rd Floor, Anand Complex, Lakdikapul, Hyderabad, Telangana, 500004, India. PUBLISHER — Sunil Kumar representing Heartfulness Education Trust 13-110, Kanha Shanti Vanam, Kanha Village, Nandigama Mandal, Ranga Reddy District, Telangana, 509325, India. Copyright © 2023 Heartfulness Education Trust. All rights reserved. Heartfulness
  • 5. The Art of Intention Dear readers, Do you get to February every year and wonder why you are not able to sustain your New Year’s resolutions? If it were easy to turn a good intention into a sustainable habit, all of us would have mastered it by now, and books like The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Atomic Habits would not be runaway bestsellers. It requires interest and character, especially a resilient nature to overcome the inevitable hurdles, but also a few special ingredients that are addressed by our authors. This month, Daaji shows us how to focus our attention and interest, Vivan Patel shares an experiment on how to jump start the brain, and Alanda Greene reminds us how to find joy even in the most difficult times. Victor Kannan explores the importance of the intellect, Stan Lajugie the science of emotions, and Ichak Adizes asks what makes us human. Nipun Mehta talks of the challenges of our time, Ricky Kej advocates kindness to each other and our planet, and Prasad Veluthanar explains the natural rhythms of activities and rest in a day. Naren Kini’s beautiful artwork focuses on commitment, and Pooja Kini on interest and intention in our relationship with food. And in Daaji’s Wisdom Bridge series, he reminds us that it still takes a village to raise a child. All the best, The editors This year, I will exercise at least 3 times a week. From tomorrow, as a family we will spend some relaxing time together every day. This month we will not waste water at home. We will take bucket showers, not leave the tap running when brushing our teeth or doing the dishes, and only do full loads of washing. Illustrations by VIRINAFLORA February 2023
  • 7. inside self-care How to Meditate Daaji 12 Jumpstart Your Brain Vivan Patel 14 Joy Alanda Greene 18 inspiration Raising a Child Still Takes a Village Daaji 22 The Role of the Intellect Victor Kannan 30 Living with Nature's Rhythms Prasad Veluthanar 50 creativity Commitment Train Naren Kini 68 what's up 74 workplace Step into the Future of Emotions Stan Lajugie 38 What Makes Us Human Ichak Adizes 42 relationships Many to Many Interview with Nipun Mehta 46 environment Kindness to the Planet Ricky Kej 58 February 2023 7
  • 8. DAAJI Daaji is the Heartfulness Guide. He is an innovator and researcher, equally at home in the fields of spirituality, science, and the evolution of consciousness. He has taken our understanding of human potential to a new level. ALANDA GREENE Alanda Greene lives in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. Having a deep connection with nature, she and her husband built their house of stone and timber and a terraced garden, and integrated their life into this rural community. Alanda’s primary focus is the conscious integration of spirit with all aspects of life. ICHAK ADIZES Dr. Adizes is a leading management expert. He has received 21 honorary doctorates and is the author of 27 books that have been translated into 36 languages. He is recognized as one of the top 30 thought leaders of America. STANISLAS LAJUGIE Stanislas is a civil servant of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of France. He has worked in many countries and enjoys making meditation fashionable wherever he goes. He has developed a course on the science of meditation for universities and corporates. VIVAN PATEL Vivan is the Managing Director of Yesha Electricals, is a trained pilot and was the President of the Gujarat Flying Institute for 15 years, and is currently chairman of an industry association in Gorwa Vadodara. He has been a Heartfulness trainer since 2015. VICTOR KANNAN Victor is a Director for Heartfulness Institute, USA, a practitioner of Heartfulness Meditation, and a trainer for more than 30 years. As a career CFO he combines the benefits of meditation in everyday management and responsibilities. He lives with his wife in Atlanta and has a daughter. Heartfulness 8
  • 9. RICKY KEJ Ricky is a 3-time Grammy award-winning composer, an environmentalist, UNESCO- MGIEP Ambassador for Kindness, UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, UNCCD Land Ambassador, and an Ambassador for the Earth Day Network. NARENDRA KINI Narendra lives in California and is passionate about physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. He is a serial entrepreneur, and a regular speaker at corporates on meditation, compassion, and inner transformation. He loves music, writing, painting, sketching, and meditation. ARATI SHEDDE Arati is an artist and a graphic designer by profession. She has worked in the corporate field and is presently working in the design team for the Heartfulness Magazine. She has also worked on media cover designs and illustrations for children's books. ANANYA PATEL Ananya is a designer and illustrator who enjoys finding dynamic ways to tell stories. She works on projects with social impact, and runs a youth collective bringing innovative design approaches to climate action and gender equality. NIPUN MEHTA Founder of ServiceSpace, Karma Kitchen, DailyGood and KindSpring, he successfully works to integrate the Gift Ecology, technology and volunteerism. He is recognized globally for creating a culture that brings harmony and inclusiveness. PRASAD VELUTHANAR Dr. Prasad did his Ayurvedacharya medical degree in Kerala. During his 22 years of professional practice, he has worked in India, Mauritius, Malaysia, Russia, and Egypt. He was the first Indian Ayurvedic doctor to practice and propagate this Indian wisdom in Egypt. contributors February 2023 9
  • 10. Our practice is not about accomplishing anything – not about winning or losing – but about ceasing to struggle and relaxing as it is.That is what we are doing when we sit down to meditate.That attitude spreads into the rest of our lives. PEMA CHÖDRÖN self-care
  • 11.
  • 12. T hough most people these days are aware of the immense benefits and feeling of connectedness that result from a regular meditation practice, it is also easy to find excuses to avoid it: I’m too tired, I can always meditate tomorrow, I have no time, I woke up late, etc. A common reason to shy away from meditation is the feeling that “I’m not good at it.” We may have a preconception of a “good” meditator as someone who plunges deep into the peacefulness of their inner being every moment, who lives a life of instant acceptance and harmony, and who is untroubled by the ups and downs of daily life. The reality is that we are all living a life of change and growth, striving to become better and better, and the inner journey itself is full of changes. In Heartfulness, we meditate upon the Source of Light within our hearts. There is no need to see the light, as it is “light without luminosity.” We simply make a very subtle suggestion that it is there, and it is attracting us from within. That thought is just the springboard to experience, as we allow ourselves to explore the inner universe with the expansion of our consciousness. Here are four easy micro- habits that can help you make Heartfulness Meditation a part of your daily routine. Build it into your day, like brushing your teeth, drinking water, working out, and studying, so that it becomes embedded in your daily rhythm. 1. Sit at the same time every day Regularity makes meditation easy. Just like your body adjusts to waking up at the same time each morning, meditating at the same time becomes a habit. The stillness of early morning, at the meeting point of night and day, is especially conducive to meditation, but regularity is critical, no matter what time you choose. How to Meditate YES, YOU CAN DO IT! DAAJI Heartfulness 12
  • 13. 2. Sit in the same place Choose a special place where you can meditate without being distracted. It could be a special chair or a place on the floor. Sitting in that same spot every day creates an atmosphere of meditation, and when you sit there you will more easily slip into meditation. 3. Sit in the same posture Find a comfortable position so your body is not disturbed. Best is with your back upright but not rigid, and either cross-legged on the floor or on a chair with your feet crossed. 4. No distractions Turn off your phone and other devices so that you are not distracted. You have everything you need within you to meditate. You can listen to the guided Heartfulness Meditation at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kfAZi_g309I, find it on the Heartfulness app, or read and follow the instructions below. February 2023 13 SELF-CARE
  • 14. SELF-CARE Meditation is much more effective once you have been introduced to the Heartfulness practices by a certified trainer. You can find and contact a trainer near you at www. heartspots.heartfulness.org. All the best, Daaji Gently relax into that feeling. If you find your awareness drifting to other thoughts, do not fight them. Treat them like passing clouds in the sky. Let them be, while simply reminding yourself that you are meditating on the source of light in your heart. Allow yourself to dive deeper, going beyond thoughts to feelings, becoming more and more centered within. Remain in this silence for as long as you want, until you feel ready to come out of meditation. Heartulness Meditation Sit comfortably. Gently close your eyes and relax. If needed, take a couple of minutes to relax your body by doing the Heartfulness Relaxation. Turn your attention inward and take a moment to observe yourself. Then, suppose that the source of light is already present within your heart, and it is attracting you from within. Heartfulness 14
  • 15. I n order to build and retain cognitive reserve, our brain needs fresh challenges almost on a daily basis to keep our neural pathways open and maintain a healthy central nervous system. I decided to take up this challenge by practicing a few simple exercises I learned in the Brighter Minds Restart program for adults. One of the things I took up first was to take a different route to work and try to take only left turns to get to office and … well, it’s not always possible! I was able to make it eventually but I had to get quite creative and think of different options while I was driving. I was fully aware rather than operating like we normally do from the subconscious mind and following our habitual patterns. The other thing I tried was cycling to work, which is actually quite amazing because I was able to observe things minutely as well as engage all the senses. For instance, cycling behind a fruit vendor’s cart I could actually smell the bananas. Jump Start Your Brain VIVAN PATEL decided it was time to build cognitive reserve in his brain by doing a few simple tasks. The results speak for themselves: he became much more aware instead of functioning on autopilot. February 2023 15
  • 16. SELF-CARE Curiously, depending on how ripe the bananas were, I could perceive different smells on different days – I began to understand the different stages of ripening and whether they were ready to eat simply by cycling in their wake! The olfactory experience is really something you cannot ignore when you’re on a bike. I would pass by some popup shops and street vendors, each selling a different snack with its telltale aromas. I learned about other people’s eating habits on a working day and, more interestingly, how the different vendors engage with their clientele. I missed all this from the car with the windows rolled up and the AC on. I became more observant of the faces of these vendors as I passed by, noting their expressions. When you do this for a few days, they start smiling at you because they see you every day, and you form a connection by this gesture of acknowledgment! You see, and you can hear the birds, especially early in the morning, something that you miss out on completely while driving. I observed that some birds had a preference for certain trees – some trees were teeming with them and others not as popular. Maybe it was the berries or fruit that attracted them. At the same time, I began to appreciate the difficulties that cyclists face. One of the biggest disturbances I found was the constant honking of vehicles. In a car you are insulated from even your own honking, because cars nowadays are so well sound insulated. It’s actually very irritating for other people out there, cyclists and pedestrians. Another appalling discovery was how some people don’t take cyclists into consideration, and instead tend to “nudge” them aside and not give way. It actually felt somewhat disconcerting to be riding a bicycle in peak hour in the hurtling traffic. The other activity I took up while cycling was alternating finger exercises with my hands on the handlebar. I could only do this when the road was empty, as I didn’t want to risk running into something, ha ha! I rediscovered my neighborhood by noticing different signs, even the little ones stuck on trees by vendors, for example someone selling coconuts or an advertisement for after- school tuition. In order to build and retain cognitive reserve, our brain needs fresh challenges almost on a daily basis to keep our neural pathways open and maintain a healthy central nervous system. Heartfulness 16
  • 17. SELF-CARE Another challenging thing I did is to use my less dominant hand to do the daily tasks. I used my left hand to brush my teeth, shave, and eat my food. I would walk backward whenever I had the opportunity, especially when going up stairs. I would wake up to a different alarm tone, and this would surprise me awake rather than make me groan. Something fun we tried as a family is eating a meal in silence, using only visual clues. Another was trying to use the mobile phone upside down – this was frustrating and hilarious at the same time. All this made me more mindful, aware of every activity. I didn’t operate on autopilot in a habitual manner. Instead, thought went into every moment. Just this recalibration stimulated my neural pathways! Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL February 2023 17
  • 19. SELF-CARE A few months into the pandemic, I read an online editorial responding to requests to write about the problems facing our world. The reply: “Our focus is not on the world that is ending, but the world that is struggling to be born” went on to suggest how each of us could be a solid presence in these times of instability and fear. “Replenish joy and gratitude in the life you have now.” Something rang true. Cultivating joy and gratitude is a contribution. Not denial of a serious situation, or refusal to recognize the tragedies and crises of our world, or dismissal of the prevalent pain, fear, and anxiety; rather, the potential for positive influence. Yet, in these times of despair for the afflictions befalling the Earth, the suffering for loss of habitat and lives, uncertainty for the future, and a sense of helplessness in the face of such suffering, how do we find joy? Is it even a suitable response? I remembered how people such as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and others less well-known faced horrendous suffering and hardship, yet they achieved joy and offered encouragement to find it. The pain and suffering are not irrelevant. They need to be addressed and acknowledged. Words from those who have faced such challenges and found they could also experience joy can give us hope: Thupten Jinpa knew sorrow and hardship as a refugee child and discovered, “Humans cannot avoid physical and social suffering and pain. ... The key to joy is to get in touch with your own natural compassion and live by that.” Desmond Tutu observed, “As we discover more joy, we can face suffering in a way that ennobles rather than embitters.” The Dalai Lama emphatically stated, “Joy is in fact our birthright.” In the midst of sorrow and pain, how do we find joy? Yoga teaches that the path to joy is within and accessible. Swami Radha taught how in conscious relaxation we can go to the fountain of joy; it is ours for the asking. The well- spring of joy within can fortify our determination to meet the difficulties facing our world. Choosing to be replenished with joy, we can indeed be a solid presence in these troubled times, sharing a contagion of joy that awakens our stamina and strength to meet the challenge. As Teilhard de Chardin said, “Joy is the most infallible proof of the presence of God.” ALANDA GREENE celebrates the lives of those among us who have had the resilience to discover joy in times of suffering and uncertainty, and gives us a hint of how we can do the same. Choosing to be replenished with joy, we can indeed be a solid presence in these troubled times, sharing a contagion of joy that awakens our stamina and strength to meet the challenge. February 2023 19
  • 20.
  • 21. It takes a village to raise a child. AFRICAN PROVERB inspiration
  • 22. RaisingaChildStill TakesaVillage T H E W I S D O M B R I D G E S E R I E S PRINCIPLE 1:
  • 23. In September 2022, DAAJI released his latest book, The Wisdom Bridge, which is already a national bestseller. Throughout 2023, we’ll be sharing excerpts from the various chapters of this insightful book to give you a taste of the wisdom it offers. This month, Daaji focuses on Principle 1 – it takes a village to raise a child. INSPIRATION
  • 24. Where there is heart, there is love; and love strengthens togetherness. A Village Is the People, Not the Place Raising a child is a team effort. Mother, father, grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts, teachers, and caregivers all play an essential role in a child’s life. And when the village comes together, the child thrives. The village is not the place, it’s the people. A few generations ago, whether one was rich or poor, educated or illiterate, everyone had a village to count on. But not anymore. Today, most of us live far away from our parents and grandparents. Even if we wish to live close by, it’s not easy. Our homes are smaller, lifestyles are different and our jobs can take us from one city to another. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has upended our travelling habits. So, in these changing times, how do we recreate the togetherness of the village? By “togetherness,” I mean the togetherness of hearts. It’s the kindred feeling of closeness we experience with loved ones. Togetherness is the soul of this book and it’s expressed in the idea that humanity thrives when we Heartfulness 24 INSPIRATION
  • 25. We can’t change the society at large, but in our families, we can focus more on loving the child and making the child feel secure. nurture the bonds that connect us. And this nurturing begins in the family and continues in the village. The African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child,” conveys the idea of togetherness. Throughout this book, I share ideas and practices to rekindle that sense of connection, togetherness, of community in the modern setting. So whether you’re an urban couple with bouncy toddlers, an iPad-ninja grandfather, or a diligent caregiver, this book helps you bring your heart into your relationships. And where there is heart, there is love; and love strengthens togetherness. I was blessed to experience such love in the village that raised me. The Village Offered Togetherness and Support I was born in the autumn of 1956, in a village named Kalla in Gujarat, India. Kalla was dusty brown in the summers, fresh green during the monsoons, and always golden in my heart. We had fewer than fifty families in the village, and most of our homes were along one main street. The two places for people to gather were the temple and the mosque. My father was an ayurvedic doctor, and he treated various ailments of the people in the village. His practice was mostly pro bono. We had some farmland near the river and my father worked in the fields too. The produce from the farms put the food on the table. We didn’t have a table though. We sat on the ground and ate. Even though our house was sparse, what gave it a special grace was my grandmother’s presence. Her genteel nature dignified everything, even our modest means. She was a source of moral support for my mother, who toiled away to take care of the home and raise five children. We were two brothers and three sisters. I was the fourth child, and my younger sister was the fifth. There were many children in Kalla, and we all played together. I was too naughty for my own good and often got into trouble. When I compare my childhood and that of my grandchildren, what stands out the most is the freedom that we enjoyed. My childhood was carefree, free- spirited, and had a sense of openness that is missing today. These days, children who live close enough to do so rarely walk to school. When I was growing up, we walked to school and, even better, ran home. Today, while children play outside, parents are expected to hover nearby. When we used to play, we would run around in open spaces like wild horses until sundown, and the surveillance network of grandmothers watched over all of us giving the parents much- needed reassurance that someone had their eyes on the children. As a child, life in Kalla was much freer. For instance, I could eat at anyone’s house, and it was a normal thing to do. On most days, some friend or the other would eat with us. And it wasn’t uncommon for me to down two lunches, one at home and the other at someone else’s house, because they made what I liked. Also in those days, we children never carried a water bottle around. If you felt thirsty, you knocked at someone’s door and drank some water. Same went for using the restroom. If you had to go, you simply knocked on the door, asked for permission and that was that. The children felt a sense of belonging to a February 2023 25 INSPIRATION
  • 26. community. They didn’t face a sense of rejection. Children were welcome everywhere, and as a result their confidence and sense of self developed well. The other noticeable difference is in making children feel special versus making them feel secure. During my childhood, we grew up with the sense of security that came from the love and care of the family and community. But I don’t remember that I was made to feel special or gifted in any way. Nowadays, I see an increased emphasis on making our children feel special and talented. When the spotlight shifts from providing a sense of security to making the child feel special for their talents, it breeds insecurity, first in the parents and then the children. When the children are made to feel special, then the focus is on their accomplishments and the result is an overcrowded shelf of medals and trophies. Encouragement is good, but persistent recognition does a disservice by putting the children under pressure to perform. We can’t change the society at large, but in our families, we can focus more on loving the child and making the child feel secure. Don’t praise children too much. For children, praise is a sound whose echo registers as a warning in a subtle way. They may get ideas like, “What if next time I am not able?”, “What if I can’t?” and so on. Besides this, persistent praise leads children to correlate your love and attention with their accomplishments. They begin feeling that “If I do well, Mother and Father will love me even more.” As parents, acknowledge the child’s efforts over the results. Whether children win or lose, celebrate their efforts with small gestures – a weekend ice cream, maybe a movie night, or a note at their table – and then move on. The focus should be on the future. Such an approach will help them take both wins and losses in stride, because neither means the loss of love. Praise can also be expressed by throwing over-the-top birthdays and sweet-sixteen bashes, which are common nowadays. When we were young, we never celebrated birthdays. In most cases, families would make a note of the time and alignment of stars as per the calendar to draw up a horoscope of the child. Sometimes mothers would make a sweet dish, but other than that, birthdays were not a thing. Children were loved, cared for and no spotlight attention was given to make the child feel special and gifted. The way we socialized back then was also different. There was no show-off culture, perhaps because Whether children win or lose, celebrate their efforts with small gestures – a weekend ice cream, maybe a movie night, or a note at their table – and then move on. The focus should be on the future. Such an approach will help them take both wins and losses in stride, because neither means the loss of love. Heartfulness 26 INSPIRATION
  • 27. there were no televisions in Kalla (that we had no electricity might have something to do with it). My father encouraged me to read aloud chapters from the Mahabharata every night. This reading became my primary activity during the monsoon of 1965. I was nine years old then. Old and young from nearby homes would finish their dinner and come to our house. I would begin reading under the warm glow of the hanging lantern, and it went on for about an hour. I loved those sessions! Evenings like those were a welcome reprieve for my parents, who had many things to worry about. Life was simple, but it was not easy. After all, raising five children and taking care of my grandmother on our modest means was not easy. But there was one thing my parents didn’t have to worry about. And that was support. While my mother was working at home and my father was in the fields, they didn’t have to worry about the children. My parents were not alone in raising us. The village was our family. All five of us siblings grew up under the loving care of our parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts. It was common for an elder of the The elders would be the support system of not only the children, but of the young people in the village. February 2023 27
  • 28. Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE house to discipline any child in the family or even a child of the neighbor's family. I know this very well because I was usually at the receiving end. The elders were strict, but in hindsight, their discipline paled in comparison to their overarching love for us all. The elders, especially the grandparents, had ample time and made the effort to pass on the morals. Through stories, poems, and various anecdotes, they taught us about honesty, devotion, reverence, and faith. The elders would be the support system of not only the children, but of the young people in the village. While the large families of the past had their advantages, there were some problems too. Everything from toothpaste to finances were shared amongst the family, which would sometimes cause friction. The decision- making was strictly top-down, and the elders made decisions, keeping in mind the greater good of the family. For example, marriage was a social arrangement where two families came together. The norm was that you loved the one you married. Women were respected, but they were not empowered. They sacrificed a lot for the family but had no say in property rights. Another big problem was healthcare, especially in dealing with infections. Hygiene was poor and infections would spread fast. Women often died during childbirth. Many children were also lost during birth. The past was not perfect, and this is true for most families. In contrast, in today’s families, younger people have much greater freedom in decision-making. Technology, healthcare, and education have improved our quality of life. And while we still have a long way to go, the status of women in families and society has improved. But what happened to the village? What about the sense of community that we took for granted? Research shows that good relationships keep us happier and healthier. The most comprehensive study on happiness, the Harvard Adult Study,1 spanning over eighty-two years of research, shows that the village matters. The village is vital for the social and emotional well-being of our children. To be continued. 1 https://www.health.harvard. edu/mind-and-mood/health-and- happiness-go-hand-in-hand Research shows that the village matters. The village is vital for the social and emotional well-being of our children. Heartfulness 28 INSPIRATION
  • 29. W I S D O M B R I D G E . I N ORDER your copy at hfn.link/orderTWB “It is both an inspiring and practical resource the parents will refer to often as they care for their children.” - JACK MILLER, Professor, University of Toronto, and author of The Holistic Curriculum and Whole Child Education “As the old African Proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child,” you can now consider Daaji part of your family's village.” - LASHAUN MARTIN, National Vice President, Operations, Mocha Moms, Inc. Gospel Recording Artist “A timely book that families will benefit from, including my own.” - PULLELA GOPICHAND, Chief National Coach Indian Badminton Team, recipient of the Padma Bhushan “Whether it’s music or life, what matters is growing self-awareness. I impart this lesson through the flute, and Daaji does this through his teachings.” - Pt. HARIPRASAD CHAURASIA, internationally acclaimed flautist, teacher, and winner of multiple awards and recognitions globally “I find the wisdom in this book enlightening.” - CLANCY MARTIN, Professor of Philosophy, contributing editor, Harper’s Magazine From the bestselling author of The Heartfulness Way and Designing Destiny D A A J I Kamlesh D. Patel In The Wisdom Bridge, Daaji offers nine principles to guide you, the reader, to live a life that inspires your children and your loved ones. These principles are important references for parents, parents-to-be, grandparents and caregivers to create fulfilling and happy lives. They will not only help you enrich the lives of your children and raise responsible teenagers, but pave the way for an inspired life and resilient bonds in your family. The Wisdom Bridge B E S T S E L L E R
  • 31. W hen we talk about consciousness, we are also indirectly including three other aspects of mental functioning – the mind, the intellect, and the ego. Why? Because these three play out within the canvas of our individual consciousness, and consciousness only evolves when these functions of mind, intellect, and ego evolve. Mind evolves from thinking to feeling, intellect evolves from instinct to wisdom, ego evolves from identifying with our individual self to identifying with the universal being, using the qualities of wonder and humility.1 The idea of “intellect” is not explored much in faith traditions. A lot more emphasis is given to love, devotion, faith, and surrender. Many who are moved by faith and devotion seem to lead a life of irrationality and emotional excess, devoid of much self- awareness. They do not seem to take self-responsibility seriously. This leads the skeptics and the rational to deny the existence of mystery, esoterism, and the magical. When we observe the universe, we wonder at some phenomena, and we doubt others. Doubt is a poison, even for intellectual reasoning. Wonder is the best way to approach the things we don’t know about. There is so much that is majestic all around us. A healthy dose of skepticism, along with wonder, keeps the mind’s door open and observant for non-judgmental learning. This is more important when we take up a self- transformational journey through yoga, meditation, and spirituality. Spirituality is an art and science of exploring our true connection with nature, and our inner reality and ultimate potential. This is a process of transforming the self from who we are to who we can be. In this process, we transform from inside out. We start from the center of our being, and the transformation eventually appears at the circumference. This naturally influences the environment and the community we live in. Spiritual self-transformation is also called the “evolution of consciousness.” Consciousness has been defined2 as the degree of awareness and unawareness, and the quality of our response to such awareness. As consciousness begins to unravel its potential, it evolves and expands. This results in an increase in our ability to perceive clearly and act with focus and purpose. INSPIRATION February 2023 31 VICTOR KANNAN explores the components of our mental well-being, and how the refinement of intellect helps our consciousness to evolve.
  • 32. We start from the center of our being, and the transformation eventually appears at the circumference. Intellect is the discriminating or discerning faculty. It is like a knife, dissecting and analyzing the world around us, in the pursuit of meaning. It can cut off a lifeline or make things around us sharper for better use! It makes sense of our thinking. However, intellect has to be refined and evolve. How? By purifying, regulating, and focusing it. If the intellect is not pure, it can justify all evil acts. The spectrum of intellect stretches from instinct to wisdom, and eventually to direct perception. Though humans are supposed to be at the pinnacle of the evolution of species, all forms of life have a form of intellect called instinct. Research shows that trees, too, have a nervous system.3 They communicate among themselves. Electrons pass from the external field to the central nervous system of a plant, and then a feedback loop creates an action. That action protects the plant, or preys on food, and helps the plant understand what is around it. So instinct is the first element of intellect. That instinct is necessary for survival. Many a time we ask, “What is your INSPIRATION Mind is a thinking instrument. Given a set of mental and emotional circumstances and backdrop, it finds new solutions. Thinking results in a new thought. This thought becomes a seed for future thinking. Intellect is a tool that helps us dissect, analyze, and understand. It is a tool of discernment. Ego is the part that gives us a sense of identity: what is I, me, mine, and ours. The identity is questioned when we feel threatened and constrained. The ego suffers. It triggers the other counterparts of intellect and mind to analyze a problem and think of a solution. When overcome, the new solution re-establishes our identity. All these three work together in a complex fashion; it is difficult to say where one ends and the other begins. Let us assume, for the sake of discussion, that the intellect is the connecting link between thinking and identification. 32 Heartfulness
  • 33. Neurons from the gut send signals to the brain, and the brain sends back a signal for response. This is all instinct. gut feeling?” Where is that gut feeling coming from? Research shows that the source of brain function is not only in the brain.4 For example, the vagus nerve from the heart stimulates the brain into certain action and not the other way round.5 The autonomic functions are shared between the brain, the gut, and the heart. They control both the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses, whether they are fight, flight, or freeze responses or post stress feelings of calm, peace, happiness, and joy. Our instinct is all over our body-mind complex. Neurons from the gut send signals to the brain, and the brain sends back a signal for response. This is all instinct. Instinct is directly related to brain function and hormones. It is our inheritance to protect and safeguard our lives. It is this instinct that protects the ego, and it draws from the resources of the memory bank and thinking of the mind. The second element of intellect is intuition. We know that some people are more intuitive than others. All of us have felt a sense of things and events before they happen. This is intuition. A feeling. A premonition. A forethought. A foresight. An aha moment. Intuition develops when we quieten our mind, observe, and witness. Meditation is an important way to develop intuition, as it helps us to open our minds to their subconscious and superconscious states. The third element is intelligence. Intelligence is a variable, but all of us have it. Animals have it and plants have it. Intelligence can be improved by acquiring knowledge and knowing how to apply it, and most knowledge comes from experience and observation. This knowledge includes emotional intelligence, which is acquisition of emotional and mental soft skills such as listening, pausing, reflecting, focusing, and being attentive. The more emotionally intelligent a person is, the more successful and happier they can be. Yet once again, without the evolution of that intelligence by proper and pure intentions, it can be wasted on inhumane enterprises. The power of intention cannot be February 2023 33
  • 34. underestimated in the growth of our consciousness. Pure and generous intentions are the principles of an evolving mind, intellect, and ego. It is when it goes instead toward self-aggrandizement that the problems begin. The fourth element is wisdom. When does intellect evolve to become wisdom? By conscious effort to purify, regulate, and focus our intellect. The evolution of the mind and the ego also helps in the evolution of the intellect and vice versa. How does wisdom help us? When we are wise, we make better choices. Should I speak or not? What to say? How much to say? When to say? Whether to go here or there? As we become wiser, our choices become consistent with the goal we have taken up for our lives. We may not know how to define wisdom, but we definitely know when we see a wise person or hear words of wisdom. In a nutshell, the role of the intellect is a crucial one. Intellect also sheds light on faith. Faith is a state of mind. I struggled with the term “faith” for a long time. I didn’t understand it in the context of how it has been practiced – to get from the Almighty what we want, with faith increasing if expectations were met. This did not inspire me. In one of my meditations, it occurred to me that the role of faith is to beget hope; hope begets positive action, and positive action produces positive results. So, to my understanding, intellect actually embellishes the understanding of faith and puts it in its right place. Meditation is an important way to develop intuition, as it helps us to open our minds to their subconscious and superconscious states. 34 Heartfulness INSPIRATION
  • 35. Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL One way to explain the evolution of consciousness is to say that it is a release from the limitations of the mind, the intellect, and the ego. It results from their continuous refinement so that they become feeling, wisdom, and appreciation of the world around us. It is an ever-growing subtle-fication of the body-mind-spirit complex, ever tending toward moderation and balance in all aspects of life. In this process, intellect plays a very big part. If the mind is not refined, the intellect is not refined, and the ego is not refined, then love, obedience, and surrender will remain misplaced, and will be counterproductive to our evolution. The 20th century spiritual teacher, Babuji (Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur), added the term “real” before love, life, and surrender, perhaps to indicate the importance of the pure form of these attitudes to guide us to the truth. Also, when all the elements of consciousness are purified, regulated, and focused, direct perception is enabled. This is what saints and spiritual scientists like the Buddha and Babuji are able to do. We also have the possibility to perceive directly when we embrace an evolutionary practice like Heartfulness. 1 https://www. heartfulnessmagazine.com/ editions/december-2016/ 2 By Daaji 3 https://www.science.org/ content/article/plants- communicate-distress-using-their- own-kind-nervous-system When all the elements of consciousness are purified, regulated, and focused, direct perception is enabled. 4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC3845678/ 5 https://www.news-medical.net/ news/20210624/Researchers- observe-brains-responses-to- vagus-nerve-stimulation-during- sleep-and-wakefulness.aspx February 2023 35 INSPIRATION
  • 37. Emotions are not reactions to the world; they are your constructions of the world. LISA FELDMAN BARRETT
  • 38. Step into the Future of Emotions STANISLAS LAJUGIE explores modern psychological theories of managing emotions, and even better, how to let go of our past emotional patterns and step into a simpler, happier future through meditative practices. 38 Heartfulness
  • 39. A re you super smart, successful in many aspects of life, but your heart is unhappy? When this happens, all your achievements will not be satisfying enough. Or let’s take another example: have you tried to take a decision while feeling angry, jealous, fearful, or even euphoric? One single emotion and your entire thinking process is in jeopardy! Emotions play a central role in our lives for better or for worse. Modern times require that we learn to manage our emotions to navigate with an even keel through life’s ups and downs. We will explore how to move toward emotional regulation, and even step into the future of emotions! Emotional Regulation In the 1990s, Peter Salovey from Yale University described emotional intelligence (EI) as “The ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions.” Daniel Goleman popularized EI and classified it into 5 components: Self-awareness Self-management Motivation Empathy Social skills Awareness – self-awareness, awareness of the others, and awareness of the environment – is at the core the 5 components of EI. This means being aware and adapting to the situation. The quality of awareness and the capacity to adapt were praised by Daniel Goleman in his book Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ (1995), which has been a treasure in all professional environments. In essence, this type of emotional intelligence, which is very useful, consists in managing emotions that have arisen in the past, that are affecting our behavior in the present. Heartfulness proposes a different approach: to neutralize the past conditioning and step into the future of emotions. Step into the Future of Emotions What does that mean? Let me give you an example. A while back, I had to meet a customer in another part of the city. I was running late, drove fast, and had a car accident. It shocked me. The next day, I had to drive, and the fear of driving was there. I drove slowly, but manage to reach safely. And the next day, it was the same. The next month also. After a month, I nearly forgot about this fear. So, my concept of fear evolved based on a series of new “past” experiences. The theory of how emotions work has been debated for decades by psychologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, and evolutionary biologists. In essence, some postulate that emotions are innate, that a particular area of the brain is associated with a particular emotion, while recent research supported by neuroimaging technologies reveals that our mind connects different parts of our brain to make sense of emotions based on past experiences. So our emotional understanding is based on past experiences and emotions. 39 February 2023 WORKPLACE
  • 40. Now, if they are constructed, they can be also deconstructed. Our emotional concepts can be tweaked and changed by new experiences. Here is the beauty of the brain and meditative practices. For the brain, whether I have my eyes open or closed, experiences have the same impact on brain changes. What does it mean? I can intentionally close my eyes, practice the Heartfulness Cleaning technique to tweak, transform and master my emotional concepts. I don’t have to wait for new experiences, or be a victim to past emotions. I can step into the future of emotions! Can You also Step into Your Future Self? In this question, Lisa Feldman Barrett is referring to a Buddhist notion of the “self ” as a false construct, a clinging to a set of ideas that are made up. She suggests that by tweaking the ideas we have about ourselves, and changing predictions, it is possible not only to change future experience but also to change our “self.” Barrett goes on to say that if you are interested in doing this, try meditation. Heartfulness Cleaning gives us a means to remove our emotional burden and gain emotional balance. Heartfulness meditation, which focuses on the source of light emanating from our being, can allow us also to heighten our quality of existence to the highest levels. As Otto Scharmer and Bill O’Brien once discussed, “The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervener. … What counts is not only what leaders do and how they do it, but also their “interior condition” – that is, their inner source.”They are speaking of the quality of consciousness. Heartfulness Cleaning gives us a means to remove our emotional burden and gain emotional balance. WORKPLACE
  • 41. Emotional Granulation Research suggests that higher emotional granularity, that is, the ability to distinguish the specificity of emotions, results in increased capacity for emotional regulation, which is particularly important when it comes to managing negative emotional situations. Kashdan, Barrett and McKnight (2015) share a study where a fear of spiders was treated using three different approaches: 1. Cognitive re-appraisal where participants were taught to describe spiders in a non-threatening way, e.g., “Sitting in front of me is a little spider and it’s safe.” 2. Distraction, where participants pay attention to something unrelated to their fear of spiders. 3. Categorization of sensations with greater granularity, e.g., “In front of me is an ugly spider, and it is disgusting, nerve-racking and yet intriguing.” The third approach was found to be the most effective in helping people with a fear of spiders to observe and approach spiders. Research suggests that higher emotional granularity has positive benefits, particularly in situations that engender negative emotions. Having ways to make sense of negative emotions, and how to respond to them, seems to result in an increased capacity for emotional regulation. Lisa Feldman also observed that noting down positive experiences, and enriching our vocabulary of positive emotions, supports the weaving of a positive mindset. Heartfulness journaling supports the development of this capacity to observe and enrich our vocabulary of experience, especially if we pay more attention to feelings as prescribed in the Heartfulness practices. Having ways to make sense of negative emotions, and how to respond to them, seems to result in an increased capacity for emotional regulation. 41 February 2023 February 2023
  • 42. What Makes Us Human? DR. ICHAK ADIZES deals with change in the corporate world every day. It is his raison d’être! With a shift in focus, here he describes the interplay of dynamics between love and change at the personal level, how pain is a necessary accompaniment to love, and how we can allow both to coexist in a healthy way. I claim that everything has a life, even stones. There are old stones and new stones. There are young stars and old stars. And by the same token, there are new and old cars. What is the difference between, say, a stone and a tree and an animal? And what is the difference between us humans and animals? Here is my insight: The difference between inanimate objects and animate objects is, among other things, that inanimate objects do not reproduce themselves. When a stone breaks into pieces for whatever reason, or a star explodes, it is not reproducing itself, it is just falling apart. Now, what distinguishes trees and vegetables from animals of any kind? It is the brain: the capability of processing information using the brain, which is called reasoning. Next: what distinguishes us humans from animals? We have lungs and hearts and reproductive organs, as they do; and brains, as they do. Admittedly, the human brain is bigger, but is that the major difference – the size of our brains? Then, what about disabled children, who are born with brains that are deficient by human standards? Should we describe them as animals? I would say no. So what is the difference? Have you ever seen an animal build a temple in order to worship something? Obviously not. We have a system of beliefs: we believe in God (those guys on Wall Street pray to the god called Mammon, and those that deny God exists have their own god they believe in). What distinguishes us from animals is that we serve the god or belief system of our choice. JUST THINKING AND FEELING Heartfulness 42
  • 43. What about the Nazis? They had a system of beliefs, too. Their belief was that they were called to dominate the world. Were they human, then? They had all the ingredients of being human – eyes, reproductive organs, brains, symbols, the ability to write and read – that animals do not have, but they were not all human. Some of the Nazis had no heart. Otherwise, there is no explanation for how they could have taken innocent children to the ovens. This brings me to the conclusion that not all gods are equal. There are false gods, idols. Mammon is one of them. The Nazi swastika, which symbolized the superiority of one race over all others, was another idol. The true God is the God of love, the one we serve with our hearts. Those who worship idols, false gods, are animals disguised in a human body. The more we reason – not just with our brains but with our hearts – the more human we are. We have more than consciousness; we have a conscience. Animals focus on survival. We feel for what is around us, not only for other human beings but also for the suffering of animals and the health of trees, rivers, mountains, the air, and the ocean. We care because our thoughts and feelings transcend the necessary needs of finding a reproductive mate (long-term survival) and finding food and shelter (immediate survival). Our hearts ache and our consciences bother us, because we have interests, goals, and a sense of right and wrong. We go beyond survival. The listening to the heart is what makes us HUMAN. Just thinking and feeling, Dr. Ichak Kalderon Adizes https://www.ichakadizes.com/ post/what-makes-us-human February 2023 43
  • 45. Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don’t believe is right. JANE GOODALL Illustration by ANANYA PATEL
  • 46. Many to Many In December 2022, NIPUN MEHTA of ServiceSpace met with 3 generations of women in one family in Baroda, Gujarat – JYOTI, VANESSA, and ANANYA PATEL. Jyoti is the grandma, Vanessa is the mother, and Ananya the daughter. This is a spontaneous conversation they had together in their beautiful garden after meeting at an event with Mahendradada. Heartfulness 46
  • 47. very kind to me and I have great fondness for him. VP: He would love that. When are you coming to Kanha Shanti Vanam again? It’s been a while since I visited. I haven’t been to India in three years because of the pandemic. This is the first trip back, and although it’s two months it feels short. I’m meeting a lot of people and there are community talks – it starts as a talk, and the hope is “many to many.” I’m usually in a city for two or three days for a whole bunch of events, and it feels like there’s a symphony that is playing itself, and I’m watching it. I would never have imagined that this morning I’d be sitting amongst all this beautiful greenery, in this labor of love. You’ve given love to all these plants, and they speak that back; they are so alive. I think it’s nature’s principle that if you give one inch nature gives you a foot. We just have to get on that virtuous cycle. VP: A lot of people are seeking, looking for something, and there is so much out there. In this morning’s talk, Mahendradada said: look within your own self, get in touch deep within your own self to see that it is right in front of you. It just shows itself. And I wanted to ask you, what you thought of this amazing meeting with him. The biggest thing is that he has stayed undefined, by and large, when most of society wants to box us in. They want to silo us. He’s so many things in so many different ways. And you could see that in all his responses, for example, to the teen asking about the influence of social media, and then he spoke in a different way to the young mother. So how do we de-silo? I think our generation has siloed everything – you are a teacher, you are a businessperson, you are an NGO person, you are a community worker. The synergy, that wholesomeness, that common thread is missing; we see the beads, but we don’t see the thread underneath. VP: One of the qualities that really stood out for me was his complete lack of judgment in his way of being. JP: Nipun, please tell us about yourself. I live in northern California, although I was born and brought up in Ahmedabad, India. Our family emigrated to the U.S., I went to college there, and I’m a product of Silicon Valley. My inner journey, my spiritual calling came into focus in my early 20s. Initially, it was like society tells you should be like this, but then I always wanted to become a Himalayan yogi or a tennis pro. Neither of those happened, so I’m in the world, and I’ve just been serving. JP: Daaji’s story is similar. He ran away from home at 17 to seek answers. On the banks of the River Narmada he met a yogi who told him, “You’ve come to the wrong place. Look at me, I’m 85 and I still haven’t found God. Go back, study, and do your work …” … and the path will find you. It’s amazing. The first time Daaji and I met, we chatted for five maybe six hours – a long time. It’s not appropriate to call him a friend, but that’s how I think of him; he’s so many things. He’s been February 2023 47 RELATIONSHIPS
  • 48. Yes, even when he addressed the question about the language medium for early education, he said that language is not a barrier in matters of the heart; the core values established in the early years will endure through everything. That’s a very progressive answer. VP: He said not to hold on to the conventional thinking that we must be a certain way. There is a space for everyone and space to grow therein. Exactly. AP: What struck me was that the whole team at the event was talking about the wisdom of elders, and the conversations that generate wisdom between generations and between people from different backgrounds. Mahendradada kept alluding to the fact that it’s a two way dialogue – it bridges generations, and the wisdom comes from the elders, but it’s also navigated by the younger generation. I’m curious to understand whether you have noticed this during your time interacting with so many people and different communities. And also, as you have moved from your journey and your generation, how do you see that relationship developing? We do these things. At home, my parents have been hosting Awakin Circles where we sit in silent meditation for an hour, then we do a circle of sharing, and then there’s a shared meal. That sounds so simple, but if you think about it deeply, how do you meet people in silence rather than the noise of your identity? How can you be in a circle, not as a speaker but as a listener? How do you engage in the reciprocity of life, not just as a giver but also as a receiver? So, in that sense, it’s never one thing. Both the elders and the young are students and teachers at the same time. If we understand that concept, that we are both – we have an identity and we are formless, we have form yet we are formless. There is value in sharing and there is value in silence; there is value in speaking and there is value in listening. The best speakers are the ones who listen well, the best stewards of identities, because these identities are changing all the time. And the best stewards of identity are the ones who are rooted in no identity. The best givers are the ones who accept that they are constantly receiving. These seem paradoxical, but as you hold the paradox in perfect tension you arrive at a much deeper intelligence. This is where our dialogues need to go a lot deeper, and not just within ourselves. Right now, Gen Z is struggling with self-compassion. There are different parts of ourselves, and we are so critical of them that we feel like there are separate selves inside us. We need to first integrate those. For that you need self-compassion. Then you need to practice compassion with your loved ones, those near you, those you care about. And as you start to see how to do that, then you can really start to go into wider and wider circles, including Nature. But if the core technology is not there, it becomes difficult. It’s not that you need to be on the receiving end, or you need to be inclusive and include the other person, as those things alone are not enough. With inclusion you have to learn to draw skillful boundaries. So, when do you pick up the boundaries and when do you pick up the heart of inclusion? That is the wisdom we need to cultivate. VP: Absolutely. It’s something you pick up along the way, that discretion. Who amongst my peers can I trust and make a part of my own? And who am I just being led by? Exactly. But it’s a very difficult thing, because you’ll put a boundary in place where you actually need to stretch, and instead you’re saying, “This is my boundary, I don’t like this person, and I’m gonna be in this zone.” It doesn’t serve you well. RELATIONSHIPS Heartfulness 48
  • 49. You need to practice compassion with your loved ones, those near you, those you care about. And as you start to see how to do that, then you can really start to go into wider and wider circles, including Nature. RELATIONSHIPS February 2023 49
  • 50. On the other side, you say, “Oh, no boundaries, I’m just going to continue to flow,” and you flow out and the person takes advantage of you. That doesn’t work either, right? So how do you know when to use this tool? I think this is the challenge of our time. We have diluted that wisdom. We need to expand into that wisdom, and we need to help each other in the process. VP: How can you receive from elders without feeling you’re being lectured at, or they’re imposing something rather than sharing? That seems to be prevalent when elders are not able to listen to the younger generation. I think it’s both ways – elders need to be better elders, and youngsters need to be better youngsters. So, if the younger generation is saying, “Look, I don’t need you, and I’m just gonna do my own thing,” you can stiffen up and say, “Forget the young,” and keep them at a distance. It’s common in many cultures these days, and it’s become fashionable, but I think there’s a deeper way to engage. For elders, instead of saying, “I know the way, this is how it was 50 years ago,” it’s preferable to be able to distinguish between what is eternal and what is contextual. If you can tease out the eternal and the contextual, then you’re better RELATIONSHIPS There are different parts of ourselves, and we are so critical of them that we feel like there are separate selves inside us. We need to first integrate those. For that you need self-compassion. Heartfulness 50
  • 51. equipped. If you hold on to the contextual, it is like, “You should wear white, because all Gandhians wore white.”That is not eternal, it’s a very contextual thing, and if you make it a principle you will lose the whole generation. Whereas compassion is eternal, it relates even to an 18-month-old baby, it relates to millennials, it relates to other generations, right? For an elder to know how to tease out the eternal and the contextual takes work. I saw in Mahendradada an example of a good elder. You didn’t get that sense that he was thinking, “Oh, you are wearing jeans, or “You’re not supporting the bottom rung of the ladder,” or “You’re not supporting the farmers.” He was trying to relate to all of us. VP: It goes way beyond those values, beyond the image that you carry within you, the context that you spoke about. AP: It’s also what is not tangibly seen or felt in the space, what is just under the surface as well as in the vibratory level, and how that emerges. What kind of feeling do you get from gatherings like this, when the space is held in this way? Sometimes you may even take on lifetimes worth of roles, just so you can relate to different mindsets. If you’re able to do that out of great compassion, then you will translate without diluting. RELATIONSHIPS February 2023 51
  • 53. Those are the innovators we need, not just the market people or the Silicon Valley innovators that are famous for creating material progress. If you don’t have a true line to the spiritual it’s not sustainable; not just at an ecological level, it’s also not sustainable at a societal level. VP: Daaji has released a new book, The Wisdom Bridge, and I have a copy for you. AP: It’s also a conversation about what wisdom between generations looks like. And how to use that wisdom to cultivate a new generation of beings, of people who are operating at a higher evolutionary level, and who are exposed to compassion. When this is gifted to children at an impressionable age, it is much easier than having to unlearn all the baggage that they may otherwise pick up while growing up. What do you think? How do you think we should do that? Your generation has the answers, right? AP: That is the biggest question. I think the answers arise when we start having these conversations, and start creating these spaces. For someone like me, at this point in my life, there’s a fragmented sense of being, with different things pulling and pushing me. I don’t really know what to listen to, or what to follow. And I think again about boundaries – where do I draw boundaries? And not just where, but how do I draw them in a way that maintains relationships? That’s something I’m definitely thinking about. I don’t know if you have any insight regarding it. Creating dialogues – I think you’re spot on. I think previously we created spaces for lectures and that’s outdated. We used to think of the speaker as the star of the show, but we can now frame it in a much deeper way. You just contributed with your question, I contributed by holding space, and we can contribute in so many ways. That sort of thinking makes it whole. In Gandhi’s time, there was one Gandhiji and the rest of us. Then we had Vinobha Bhave, and he was Gandhi 2.0 in the sense that he walked from village to village, saying, “I’m a walking university.” He was trying to connect heart to heart, one to one. Now, in your era, we live in a time of many to many. We can have different people playing different roles, but actually it’s very hard to draw the boundary; where does one person stop and the other begin? Once that becomes clear, it allows a common flow. Maybe words are coming out through another’s mouth, but for words to come out, I need to have a thought. If you don’t have a true line to the spiritual it’s not sustainable; not just at an ecological level, it’s also not sustainable at a societal level. RELATIONSHIPS Exactly. Good words. You know, there’s always the formless and the form, and one has to be pretty wise and skillful to form a bridge, to be able to translate without diluting it. You have to have done the inner work, so you have a connection with the formulas. And then you have to translate it skillfully. If you’re in the Himalayas, maybe you won’t be able to relate to social media; you will be like, “What is this nonsense?” But if you respond out of compassion, you will say, “Hey, I want to relate to you. And I want to relate to you, and to you.” Sometimes you may even take on lifetimes worth of roles, just so you can relate to different mindsets. If you’re able to do that out of great compassion, then you will translate without diluting. February 2023 53
  • 55. That thought is in my mind, and the boundary of my mind and the words could be a result of many things – one of you meeting Gandhi, or being with Daaji, or a meditation practice, or a connection with plants. And you really can’t tell, because it’s this quantum soup. So how do we design for that? A lot of modern companies are doing it, but they’re doing it for profit. Movements are doing it, but they’re doing it for protest. How do we do it for love? So, creating “many to many” spaces, designing with that in mind, I’m playing a certain role, but the real reward is in the many to many. Who knows where this will go. We need different kinds of leaders in this era. We call it laddership, not leadership. How do you pave the way for others to climb over? We are counting on you to do that! AP: With whatever experience I’ve had working with complex challenges, such as climate change and community issues, we’re different people who have lived in so many different realities. Whatever wisdom or knowledge is there from one source, it lives in isolation or in a vacuum unless there’s a response to it, unless it is used, applied, talked about, or pushed back at. Clarity comes in the dynamic space that is created, answers emerge, things start to shift forward. When you speak about a new form of leadership or a new kind of organizational structure, I see that as being essential. Communication cannot be one-sided or static. Each person must have a place at the table and some way of contributing to what’s going on. What you’re saying is not just an idea; the Buddha spoke very clearly about co-dependent co-arising. At the most granular level, I exist because you do. And it takes two to know one. So, this is at the deepest level of our existence. We have to design for that. Somewhere we diluted that insight when we became independent identities, and that is on false ground. There is no independent you – Ananya does not exist in isolation, it is just not possible. Even if you are deep in samadhi in the Himalayas, you still exist as a co-dependent co-arising co-creation. I think that can be the basis of designing society, and that’s our task. VP: Thank you so much for this beautiful exchange and holding this space impromptu. Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL Creating “many to many” spaces, designing with that in mind, I’m playing a certain role, but the real reward is in the many to many. Who knows where this will go. We need different kinds of leaders in this era. We call it laddership, not leadership. RELATIONSHIPS February 2023 55
  • 56.
  • 57. e n v i r o n m e n t The Earth is what we all have in common. Wendell Berry Illustration by JASMEE MUDGAL
  • 58. RICKY KEJ is a 3-time Grammy award-winning composer, an environmentalist, UNESCO-MGIEP Ambassador for Kindness, UNICEF Celebrity Supporter, UNCCD Land Ambassador, and an Ambassador for the Earth Day Network. He performed and spoke to the crowd at the International Rising with Kindness Youth Conference at Kanha Shanti Vanam in August 2022. Here are some excerpts from his message. 58 Heartfulness
  • 59. I’m Ricky Kej, musician and environmentalist. These two pillars define my life. I believe in the ancient Sanskrit phrase, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which literally means, “The world is one family.” It also means coexistence, and it means kindness. It is the base of the Indian traditions, Indian civilization. We often think it means peaceful coexistence between the Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Parsees, Jains, etc. – different cultural groups within the human species – whereas it actually means a lot more than that. Somewhere along our journey, we have completely forgotten that we are not the only species on this planet. We are just one among millions of species. So, true Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam means living in peace and harmony with all life forms. Not only that, we also need to coexist with all the elements of Nature – the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land we walk upon. Coexistence and kindness are closely related. We must realize that we live in an ecosystem, a very delicate balance of ecology, and that we are a small part of it. It’s important that we understand that coexistence and maintenance of this delicate balance of nature keep us all alive. True coexistence and true kindness are key to our survival. When we talk about saving the planet, we’re actually preventing ourselves from going extinct. The planet will survive without us. By mitigating the effects of climate change, deforestation, species extinction, air and water pollution, we are saving the human species. We are protecting ourselves. I think the biggest threat of all is our belief that somebody else will bring the change. We are always waiting for governments, inter-governmental bodies, organizations, politicians, leaders, etc., to make a difference when the truth is that we can bring about change ourselves – incremental changes within our own lives – by being kind to one another. The reason we are not already bringing about these changes is not because we are evil people. It is simply because we have not empowered ourselves, we have not been kind enough to ourselves to believe that the tiny changes we make in our own lives can actually make a difference. We think, “If I stop using single-use plastics, what difference will it make?” “If I use public transport, what difference will it make?” “If I am kind to others, what difference will it make? I’m a small person.” But that’s not true. We have to empower ourselves to believe that the small changes we make and the small acts of kindness we do can make a difference, can create a ripple effect, and can touch millions of people all over this world. So, let’s believe we have the strength to be kind. Coexistence and kindness are closely related. We must realize that we live in an ecosystem, a very delicate balance of ecology, and that we are a small part of it. ENVIRONMENT Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL 59 February 2023
  • 60. 60 Heartfulness DR. PRASAD VELUTHANAR writes about the day’s routine from the ayurvedic perspective. He explains how doing specific activities at specific times of the day will help you derive maximum benefits and improve your well-being. living with nature's rhythms
  • 61. Dinacharya is the Sanskrit word for “daily routine,” a simple and effective way to balance the body. Our daily activities have a profound effect on our health, and a good routine is a stronger medicine than an occasional remedy. Dinacharya establishes healthy habits by attuning the body to the natural cycles of the day. The energies of each of the three doshas – vata, pitta, and kapha – predominate at different times within the 24-hour period. By establishing a routine that goes with these elemental energies, we enable the body’s natural rhythms and healing potential. THE DAILY CYCLE 2 to 6 a.m. – vata Waking Up: Waking up between 4 and 6 a.m. helps us develop alertness, vibrancy, enthusiasm, energy, clarity, strengthened intuition, and motivation. Vata qualities are prominent, and it is the most sattvic, peaceful time of the day, ideal for spiritual practice. If you have time constraints, when you wake up take a few deep breaths, and be thankful for waking up to an exciting new day. Elimination: The bladder and colon may be emptied upon rising. Drinking a glass or two of warm water with a little bit of lemon can help rehydrate tissues, flush toxins, enkindle digestive fire, and stimulate peristalsis. Cleansing: Ayurveda recommends purifying the senses every day so that you can have new life experiences. Refresh and energize the mind by splashing the face and eyes with cool or lukewarm water. Gently wash your ears and apply a thin coat of sesame oil to the inside of the ears with your little finger. Use a neti pot with saline solution to clean your nasal passages. Brush your teeth. Scrape your tongue using a tongue cleaner. Finally, gargle with salt water and turmeric to help purify and strengthen your voice and keep your gums, mouth, and throat healthy. 61 February 2023 ENVIRONMENT
  • 62. Oil massage: Nourishes and strengthens the body, encourages regular sleep patterns, stimulates internal organs, enhances blood circulation, and can significantly reduce a vata imbalance. Bathing: Take a bath using a minimal amount of soap. Ayurveda sees bathing as a therapeutic activity. It is suggested that you bathe with lukewarm water. Do not bathe in a hurry – let the mind and body benefit from the bath. Use gentle aromatherapy oils such as lavender and sandalwood. The ancient ayurvedic texts also recommend adding rose petals, milk, honey, and turmeric to your bath. A leisurely bath relaxes tense muscles, irons out a creased brow, opens clogged pores, restores moisture to the tissues, and adds a healing dimension to your day. It enhances physical energy levels and improves your mental well- being. Clothing: Always wear clean clothing, preferably made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, linen, or silk. Ayurveda discourages wearing used clothing, especially other peoples’ shoes, because of the polluted subtle energies that they collect. Gentle exercise: Daily exercise increases circulation and oxygenation of the tissues, strengthens digestion, tones the body, reduces fat, and enhances vitality. Determine the best time to exercise and what form of exercise to practice according to your constitutional type and the effects of the seasons. For example, in the fall, a vata person should exercise during the kapha time of day, to take advantage of kapha’s grounding and stable qualities. Choose an activity that is soothing to the nervous system like yoga or tai-chi. Meditation: Just as you cleanse your body each day, also cleanse your mind of accumulated thoughts that no longer serve you. Be still. Direct your attention inward. Notice your breath. Practice pranayama. Meditate for twenty minutes or simply invite calm and relaxation into the body if time is limited. This practice acts as a protective shield to the destabilizing influences of the external environment. 62 Heartfulness Heartfulness ENVIRONMENT
  • 63. 6 to 10 a.m. – kapha Aerobic exercise: This period is kapha time, which has the qualities of heaviness, slowness, and stability – the later a person wakes after dawn, the more of these qualities they imbibe and carry for the rest of the day. Kapha time is the best time for active physical exercise like jogging, swimming, or cycling. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – pitta Work and lunch: This is the most productive time for work, especially for problem-solving and tasks that require your full attention and focus. It is also the time when the sun is at its peak and when the digestive fire is at its strongest. It is the ideal time to eat the largest meal of the day. Eating at this time allows efficient and maximum digestion, assimilation, and metabolism. Proper absorption of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates will result in efficient energy production and feelings of strength and alertness. There will also be less desire for snacking and overeating if your diet is nutritious and properly assimilated. A short, leisurely stroll shortly after lunch also aids digestion. 2 to 6 p.m. – vata Creative work: Vata comes again in the afternoon. This is a good time for mental agility and creative work. Vata types may experience a drop in energy at this time and a small snack is valuable for them. Evening meal: Eat a light meal in the evening. It is important to allow enough time for your previous meal to digest thoroughly (generally 4 hours). Ideally, eat before sundown and at least three hours before bedtime. Proper absorption of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and carbohydrates will result in efficient energy production and feelings of strength and alertness. 63 February 2023 ENVIRONMENT
  • 64. Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL 6 to 10 p.m. – kapha Relaxation: The slow, stable qualities of kapha increase as the evening progresses and reach their peak a couple of hours before midnight. In order to imbibe these qualities and ensure a sound, heavy, undisturbed, and restful sleep, go to bed before this period ends. Evening is a time to relax, engage in pleasant conversation with family or friends, read, or play gentle soothing music. It is a time to unwind from the stimulation and activity of the day. About half an hour before bedtime is the perfect time to take Triphala tea to gently tone and balance the digestive tract. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. – pitta Sleep: The next active Pitta period runs from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. If you are not asleep during this period, the body will wake up and have a second wind around 11 p.m., which may have you up till 1 a.m.! Sleep is then impaired and the elimination of impurities and toxins from the body suffers. Being in bed by 10 p.m. will ensure 6 to 7 hours of refreshing, detoxifying sleep that will leave you revitalized and energized. You may also apply oil to the scalp and the soles of the feet before bed to calm the nervous system and promote sound sleep. This Pitta period is a second digestive phase, but it is not intended for digesting large quantities of food or heavy food. The metabolism works differently than at midday and is far less efficient in terms of breaking down the contents of the stomach and intestines. It will try to digest them but usually leaves the process incomplete, leading to a further build-up of undigested food (hence the very furry, white tongue in the morning after a late night of alcohol and heavy food). This is why the evening meal should be light and easily digestible. Evening is a time to relax, engage in pleasant conversation with family or friends, read, or play gentle soothing music. Following these daily rhythms is a way to bring more awareness to all of the habits and choices we make throughout the day. Conscious awareness of living in harmony with the cycles of nature is the path to health and freedom. 64 Heartfulness ENVIRONMENT
  • 65.
  • 67. creativity Commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life: time. ESTHER PEREL
  • 69. CREATIVITY February 2023 69 What an insight it could be to travel in a Commitment Train called Ma, to have a window seat, but this time look inside rather than out. Just a silent witness along for the ride. I would then see the inner workings of a pure soul, full of love, moving on the tracks of life. Through rivers, fields and all the rife, nothing seeming to deter those flywheels. An engine of commitment, fueled just by purity and love to stop and go. Life’s signals of red and green guided by conscience as the driver keeps one eye on the road and another inward. On a silent night, when the winds are still you may hear a quiet voice, and feel sometimes steam, sometimes tears. Yet this journey that seems endless in distance feels like a pilgrimage, abundant with blessings. This commitment train never rests. There are different destinations and stops but, unspoken commitment bound, into the nights and days, on an endless journey. So, there is promise in the morrows for ones who follow.
  • 74. Master the habit of meditation The Heartfulness app offers daily practices to awaken the potential for a joyful existence. Download app at heartfulnessapp.org Heartfulness Yoga Teacher Training Course Learn to teach the eight limbs of yoga. Merge the traditional art of yoga with a modern professional approach. heartfulness.org/yoga/ Designing Destiny By Daaji #1 BESTSELLER How meditative practices lead to changes in lifestyle, both personal and in relationships, which lead to greater freedom in designing our destiny. designingdestiny.com Meditation Masterclass In these 3 online masterclasses, you will learn the practical benefits of meditation and other yogic practices. Masterclasses are available online each day after you sign up and accessible throughout the day. heartfulness.org/masterclass The Heartfulness Way By Daaji #1 BESTSELLER Discover a special collection of meditations that awaken the depths of human potential and initiate a mystical inner journey. heartfulnessway.com Find Your Community Find a trainer or meditation center near you! heartfulness.org/en/ connect-with-us/ Heartfulness 74
  • 75. Learning, The Heartfulness Way Explore simple Heartfulness practices through our self-paced courses for beginners and advanced learners alike. learning.heartfulness.org HFNLife strives to bring products to make your life simple and convenient.We offer a set of curated partners in apparel, accessories, eye-care, home staples, organic foods and more. The affiliation of our partner organizations with Heartfulness Institute helps in financially sustaining the programs which we conduct in various places across the world. hfnlife.com HFNLife