Just barely 2 weeks into the New Year, I am seeing a consistent mental pattern among modern city dwellers especially working women or working mothers who tend to be very hard on themselves and their bodies. May be it’s because woman is traditionally perceived as the “weaker” sex; hence she has to try so hard to prove herself in the male-dominated society. In attempting to prove her mettle for survival, woman tends to drive her body-mind to the breaking point despite a constant plea by her body intelligence to slow down. Society has taught her to be so goal-oriented and driven by the “more & more” mentality as defined by society (better lives, better grades for children, more business, more contracts, more expansions etc); she works her body like a machine. By and by, her body develops certain chronic fatigue and body aches, subsequently her mental and emotional health also take a toll with an increased stress level, a constant restlessness, irritability and mood swings. Many women drag around with a pain body and a battered consciousness in life but they are unable to get out of the vicious cycle in which they are stuck in. Her sleep pattern also gets disturbed which denies her from the natural self-renewal process she gets during deep sleep state. When sleep is deprived, her ability to concentrate begins to wane; eventually complex mental disorders such as chronic anxiety, depression or fear psychosis begin to set in including physical diseases.
The first thing that man asks for is always physical and mental health. With any religion or master, the first utility that man looks for is “good health”. Only when good health is given, does he look further into fulfilling his deeper longings. Since time immemorial, all religions and all masters have demonstrated healing powers. Even in tribal villages, the religion followed will have healing as its core. In fact, no master is accepted as a master if he cannot restore health in people in some form or the other. Healing has beome a measure of a master’s identity.
What exactly is healing?
According to Apollonis of Tyana, a Greek philosopher, he said “Pythagoras said that the most divine art was that of healing. And if the healing art is most divine, it must occupy itself with the soul as well as the body, for no creature can be sound so long as the higher part in it is sickly.”
Do you know the significance of Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)?
Today, Surya Namaskar is sometimes reduced to just a set of preparatory warm-up exercise in a yoga practice. The original understanding of this practice and benefits had been lost because many teachers are not interested in the sacred sentiments of this beautiful practice. I had the fortune of meeting a living enlightened master who revived the body language of yoga according to Patanjali, the father of Yoga. My own practice of Surya Namaskar had been completely transformed when it was practiced with bija mantra, slow breathing, chakra awareness and above all, in deep gratitude and devotion. Let me share it with my readers.