ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पुर्णमुदच्यते,
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

This ancient shloka is from the Isha Upanishad which describes the cosmic order of universe. The universal creation is Infinite, boundless yet complete by itself. Every fragment of creation, arising from the whole consideration is completed by itself. There is completeness here. We are a part of that complete energy which is the creation of creator.

The Higher Self is our greatest potential. Once we connect to our Higher Self, we understand more about the world and it is the best thing to happen in our life to fully appreciate the relationships between seemingly unconnected facets of life such as countess happenings in our life, our duties and responsibilities, a particular part of our life which matures us. This leads to a more holistic worldview that can help us find the balance between seemingly incompatible positions in life. The term incompatible with life is used in circumstances of damage such as losing something precious, a person near and dear, an accident which injures some part of body,  or developmental disorder that render life impossible.

When we live in alignment with the inner wisdom of our Higher Selves, we become the best possible version of ourselves. Our Higher Self knows our true purpose and includes our potential to live a fulfilling and joyous life through personal growth and self-awareness.

Inner wisdom is our ‘gut feeling’, it is our intuition and inner guide that we can trust to point us in the right direction. To channel this ability, we must set aside our ego and ideas of how things should be and instead tune into what feels right.

Mindfulness is associated with both a sense of purpose in life and engagement in activities, which are also connected with positive outcomes. Moreover, having purposes in life is linked to higher levels of behavioral foundation.

Om Poornamadah prayer reveals the highest truth of the Universe that “Everything is One We all are One. The whole Creation (air, water, earth, fire, sky) is One. We have come with high Perfection. Everything remains within Perfection. Perfection alone remains forever. So, nothing is separate. We are all like infinite waves of the whole unlimited Ocean of realization. Like a wave, we rise, move forward and merge again in the Ocean of Consciousness which is always Purnam. Many modern Scientists and many modern Mathematicians are fascinated by this Vedic Verse; through this prayer, we remember the ultimate truth of every day, every moment. To merge with the wholeness, we need just 20 minutes of meditation daily.

How to meditate

Choose one corner of your home. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed, simply breathe in while saying “breathe in” in your head as you do. Then breathe out and say, “breathe out”. For the next 20 minutes or so, your aim is to focus on this circular breath and the simple words in your head as much as possible. Let this chosen spot for meditation be the same every day.

Watch your breath

As you begin your meditation, become aware of your own breath, taking deep cleansing breaths. Feel your body from head to toe and scan how each area of your body feels in the present moment. As you inhale, take in your dreams and desires. As you exhale, allow yourself to let go of all the negative energy that takes away from them.

Watch your thoughts

As you meditate, allow all your thoughts to be watched upon. Don’t judge or label any of them. Don’t resist them. Allow them to come and go. All thoughts are okay. Don’t try to control them or achieve anything with them as you meditate. Treat them as data, rather than attaching feelings or meaning to them.  If you find that you are being overwhelmed with thoughts, get up. Walk around your space for thirty seconds and then sit in a new direction. This allows the mind to restart, it also allows your body to be more at ease and for you to go deeper into the space where your source lies. 

Be gentle with yourself

Allow the energy you are drawing to yourself, and your spirit serve you. If it doesn’t, allow yourself to let go of it without blame, ego or judgment. This is a way to be the gatekeeper and give yourself inner guidance to expel fear, doubt and negativity from your body and mind.

Clearing your mind through meditation creates the foundation for manifesting intentions for yourself in the most powerful way in the present moment. It prepares you for moments of divine inspiration, prosperity and abundance that will lead your future self-filled with these gifts. 

Conclusion

I conclude this article stating that Freud’s id, ego, superego play with our higher self; id is the aggressive energy largely held in our unconscious mind, ego is tasked with balancing reality with the demands of desire (id) and morality (superego) ego lies in conscious mind, and super-ego is  The superego is one’s conscience which is established via identification with parental figures or social groups at large. Our Higher Self relates to superego – the wise being within all of us. It is a calm, loving, and spiritual guide that brings our positive characteristics to the surface and tasks us with questioning our lower nature. When we live in alignment with the inner wisdom of our Higher Selves, we become the best possible version of ourselves. Our Higher Self knows our true purpose and encompasses our potential to live a fulfilling and joyous life through personal growth and self-awareness.

Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Om Poornamadha, Poornamidam helps us knowing ourselves. I am giving here below a small part of “Aath Prahar” by Pandit Jasraj for your peace.

An aura is also known as human energy field. It’s a colored production that encloses a human body and all living things. The aura is described as an electromagnetic energy field that surrounds each one of us. It appears as an oval ball of energy that encompasses our body. The auras of saintly people can be seen because their auras are very strong, whereas normal ordinary people’s aura cannot be seen because they are not strong.  The negativities that we hold in our mind, appears like grayish clouds in our aura. The gryaishness looks fainter or darker depending on negative thoughts and emotions that one generates for years after years.

We think and we feel every day, so in a given day, a week and year how many thoughts must have created emotions inside the aura. That’s the reason it is better to forget, and forgive people who hurt us. The alternative therapists such as pranic and reiki healers can see these grayish clouds floating in our aura. The pranic and reiki masters depending on their practice can even see our thoughts and emotions during the healing process. I have talked to few healers and taken help from them during difficult times and have found the service very helpful in reducing the stress levels.

Mental noise: When we sit down to meditate, try to concentrate on breathing, so many thought pop up in mind, this is called mental noise or inner noise. Mental noise is the invariable rattle of the mind which is never-ending. It is the inner conversation that goes on constantly in the mind. Many of us are ignorant of this mental noise, because it is a deeply rooted habit, and is an inseparable part of life. This mental noise never stops; from the moment we wake up in the morning till we fall asleep at night it goes on. If the inner noise is too much, it prevents to fall asleep. It constantly does the work of analyzing about all activities of day, what we speak to others and the response from others. The mental noise or inner noise keeps analyzing everything about our life: circumstances, the people we meet, events.

It is a voice in the head that non-stopping keeps talking. The mind keeps repeating the same thoughts over and over again, similar to a loop, some thoughts get stuck like a cracked record, so they keep coming back. Now, if these are a positive thought that’s fine. However, too often, these are negative thoughts that deepen stress, worry, anger or frustration. These are thoughts that you need to work on to remove them from your system. The negative thoughts make our aura weaker. The greyish clouds of thoughts and emotions within the aura are a major source of inner noise.

Cleaning of aura: You can cleanse your own aura which helps to think clearly, it prevents illness in your physical body, helps you to receive love from the world and people in your life, helps in getting soothing sleep and wake up feeling energized, helps in attaining goals and objectives in life.

Invite happiness in your life by avoiding people and places with bad energy. Our mind gives us good and bad signal listen, therefore we must listen to our mind. Please remember that your aura is not only made from your own energy, it also absorbs energy from your environment. All those people you interact with and places you visit have their own auras that are sending out energy, and you are taking that energy and making it a part of your own aura. When we visit holy places, positive thinkers, good hearted people, our aura gets recharged. On the contrary, negative people block your aura which can lead to poor emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual health. People who have very negative emotions and thoughts emit negativity.

Observe this carefully: people, places, events which make you happier, and people, places and events which give you a bad feeling. Avoid people who gossip about others, people who are backstabbers, people who are liars, and people who don’t have much going on in their own lives. They lack a personal touch and give off a cold unfriendly vibe.

Happier people radiate a sense of calmness and clarity that makes us feel at ease when we interact with them. Nice people put a lot of thought into decorating and infusing their own personal energy into their homes and surrounding. Some people can be trusted because they mean what they say.

Can you change your belief system? Yes, you can. Remember this; your beliefs are the source of your health and quality of your life. Your beliefs are aligned with the universal energy. They are capable of manifesting good health, good luck, good spirit in your body and your aura. But, if your belief system is flawed,  it has the capability of bringing you down.

Have faith in the Almighty, faith balances the psychological and emotional disturbances in our life. Faith expresses a hope in our mind. Faith is total trust, confidence or assurance in somebody, a theory, an idea, or something. Faith gives us peace, consolation, comfort and security.

Meditate: The process of mediation is very simple. I don’t know why the world fusses so much over it. To begin with, commit few minutes of yours – may be five minutes a day. Try to fix a time simply if you want the habit to stick. You can do it for ten minutes if you feel good about it, but all you are committing to is five minutes each day. With little bit of practice of few days it will create a trigger in you.

Find a quiet spot where you can sit just by yourself. The spot could be a corner in your home, your kitchen or your work station in your office. You don’t need to go out in search of it. It need not be a park or a beach or a place of worship to meditate. Don’t look for a soothing surrounding. The place really doesn’t matter, what matters is as long as you can sit without being bothered for a few minutes. Sit comfortably. Don’t waste your energies on deciding what you sit on. If you want to lean against the wall or need a pillow to relax your back, take it. You may sit on sofa or a chair. Focuses on your breath, observe it. See how you breathe in and breathe out. Feel the breath on your upper lip; check the rhythm, check the speed. Slowly start wiping the negative thoughts from your mind.

The mind itself is the biggest obstacle standing between the self and this awareness. The mind is by nature unruly and unmanageable. And, it resists any attempts to discipline it or to guide it on a particular path. The mind has a mind of its own. With help off meditation, which is simple, you can heal your own aura and attain health, wealth and happiness forever! Unblock your aura regularly.

Conclusion: Your aura is the energy field that surrounds you. The successful appearance of any intention depends on your energy and subconscious mind, this subconscious mind is your aura. The subconscious mind contains the pattern of our thinking. The strength and state of your aura determines the strength of what you attract, which includes people, events, success, failure, happiness or sadness.

The word kapaalbhaati accurately means ‘skull-shining’.  Kapaal meaning skull and bhati means shining.  Regular practice of kappalbhaati reduces stress while helping to calm the mind. Over a period one develops a healthy natural glow on the face.

Kapalbhati is not difficult; it can be practiced by novice yoga practitioners also.  One can learn it within 2-3 instructional sessions from a good yoga teacher. One needs to focus on exhalation.  Inhalation should be normal whereas the exhalation should be made with force. The force should be equivalent to what the individual can manage repetitively while exhalation. It has great relaxing and physical benefits. But, most practitioners perform kapalbhati for weight loss. It stimulates the respiratory system and the abdominal muscles, helping one tone out abdomen muscles which also helps improve body tone. Kapalbhati clears the respiratory passages which minimize risks of infections and allergies in the respiratory system. Due to the vigorous breaths of kapalbhati, the allergens and the infectious materials in the lungs and the respiratory passages are blown away which help in cleaning the body.

The Kapalbhaati technique helps improve the flexibility of the diaphragm. Because of the breathing technique used for this yogic kriya, the diaphragm gets ample of exercise and it becomes suppler and improves capacity of the lungs. As the diaphragm becomes stronger and more flexible, the risk of developing hernias also reduces radically. This pranayama is very effective in curing stomach disorder, obesity, digestive disorder and many problems related to stomach.

Kapalbhati practice helps improve blood circulation, especially in the lower half of the body hence it helps improve the functioning of the entire body. The technique also helps in increasing the lungs capacity and improves respiratory efficiency because it making more oxygen available to the body. When more oxygen flows into the body, the tissues and cells become more able to perform the cleansing. While practicing this pranayam you can feel very energetic both physically and mentally. Your concentrations power increases and you feel less tired.

How to practice Kapalbhati?

1. Sit straight with your spine straight with crossed legs on floor.
2. Keep the right palm on right knee and left palm on left knee.
3. Take in a deep breath and exhale quickly and repetitively, making a hissing sound. Focus on exhaling powerfully and not on the inhalation.
4. When you exhale think that your disorders are coming out of your nose.
5. When you exhale, draw your abdominal muscles inward concurrently. Your abdomen should rise when you inhale and fold when you exhale.
6. Continue for 10 breaths and then take a break. Repeat the exercise two more times.

Kapalbhati is described as the cure-all remedy available to mankind that works by balancing all bodily functions. Please try with every exhalation your intention for letting go of the unwanted emotions such as anger, disgrace, low confidence, jealousy, resentment etc. You will experience more clarity and peace. Since it works on the Heart Chakra (Anahat Chakra) and associated organs and systems of that region, it improves respiration, lung capacity and blood circulation.  Kapalbhati thus helps cure associated diseases of this region such as asthma, bronchitis etc. It works on the Manipur Chakra also. The associated diseases of this region are – indigestion, gas, diabetes, etc.

Words of caution: the side effects of Kapalbhati:

While kapalbhati has many plus points to improve body tone and relaxed mind, it is not recommended for everyone. Experts believe that certain diseases and disorders may become intricate if kapalbhati is performed regularly and unsupervised. Kapalbhati is not recommended for people who suffer from cardiac problems, hernia and spinal disorders. In addition, those suffering from severe respiratory infections, colds and nasal obstruction should also not perform this breathing and cleansing technique. Physicians usually ask people suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes to refrain from performing kapalbhati. Those with abdominal ulcers should also avoid performing the technique. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor before starting practice; please start it only after consultation with your doctor and a qualified yoga instructor. It is best to avoid performing it on your own. Please remember that though kapalbhati pranayama steps are usually very simple, please ensure that you perform it properly or you may end up hurting physically.

Faith balances the psychological and emotional disturbances in our life. Faith expresses a hope in our mind. Faith is total trust, confidence or assurance in somebody, a theory, an idea, or something. Faith is connected with belief in God; more than a yearning, it is closer to a belief, that your wishes will be fulfilled. A belief is deep-rooted in the mind but faith is based in the heart. The world is full of diverse castes, creeds and religions; the way of thinking of each society is different, their impressions and philosophies are different but yet, each one has been grounded because of faith. Faith has a lot of positive energy. Faith is a quality that is inbuilt in a cultural mentality. It has been there right from beginning of mankind. However logic has always challenged faith. When ‘if’, ‘but’, ‘can it?’, ‘does it,’ ‘will it’ crops up in mind, faith is challenged or disputed. Faith gives immense strength to our mind, the moment we try to rationalize faith, it creates imbalance and we lose our peace of mind.

Faith gives us little peace, consolation, comfort and security; it gives us awareness that the creator – Almighty is guiding us. We are being protected by Him. We act in faith even when there is no guarantee, no certainty. There is such a lot of unpredictability in life about everything. Yet, we transact, we take up jobs, start businesses, hire people, take higher degrees, we marry someone, produce kids, bring them up – do you realize – we do so many things by one single emotion which is called faith. Without faith the world would have stopped up. Faith speaks the language of the heart. It is an expression of hope that goes beyond the conscious mind. All that we hold precious and valued in our life strongly rests upon faith in people, faith in relationships, faith in nature, faith in goodness and its potential.  When from the history of mankind there are evidences of cheating, grabbing, warring, brutality and viciousness on one side, on the other side there is compassions, tenderness, kindness and concern. Faith helps us fight the bad.  Faith makes us stronger human.

It seems shortly after turning fifty Leo Tolstoy experienced a profound spiritual crisis. With his all recorded great works which had made him so famous in world, he found his sense of purpose diminishing, he felt his celebrity and public acclaim fluttering. Tolstoy started sinking into a state of deep dejection and melancholy despite having a large estate, good health for his age, his wife was good and she had borne his fourteen children. Tolstoy was a public figure and had gained eternal literary fame. Still he faced a mental trauma and was on the brink of committing suicide. It seems he made one last grasp at light amidst the darkness of his existence, turning to the world’s great religious and philosophical traditions for answers to the age-old question regarding the meaning of life. Tolstoy – the great literary man has mentioned about faith in his later mythical works.

Life is not anything but roller-coaster ride. When things go right, when you are doing well, people will ignite your passion for achievement by believing in you, supporting you and cheering you. But when you experience bad time, when you journey becomes bouncy, the same people criticize you for the smallest mistakes. They defame you. When you have to rise to the occasion and face the challenges of life on your own, only faith gives you the ability to fight it out. It is therefore important to have faith in yourself and in your capacity to perform to the best of your ability. When faced with rough situations, always believe in yourself. If you don’t believe, no one else will. Your self-confidence and esteem stem from a strong belief in who you are and what you stand for. It is very important to bear in mind that you are your number one supporter and fan. Secondly, life is what you make it. Believing that you can make it happen for yourself is an important step towards making a life which you imagine. You must consider that you can do it and that you will succeed. Napoleon Hill has said it precisely it takes a person’s half lifetime to discover the objectives of his life. A lot of the decisions you make and things you do depend upon you; so arm yourself with faith in yourself.

Do you know that for Newton the world of science was by no means the whole of life? He spent more time on theology than on science; indeed, he wrote about 1.3 million words on biblical subjects. Yet this vast legacy lay hidden from public view for two centuries until the auction of his nonscientific writings in 1936.

It’s only your faith in the God and yourself which helps you in worst times in your life. I have read this little story somewhere which I am sharing with you all. Read on:  One rainy night, at 11:30 p.m an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway
trying hard to tolerate a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled days of racism in 1960’s.  The man
took her to shelter, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but she took down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the white man’s door.   To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the Alabama highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. I wanted to rush home to meet my dying husband. Your timely help enabled me to make it to my dying husband’s’ bedside just before he passed away……………………God Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others; sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.”

That’s the charm of having faith. God sends somebody to help you because he can’t let down your faith in Him. How important is faith? It takes faith to believe that what God always supports your right deeds. He holds you in tough times. Your faith helps you trust and walk each and every day. Whatever faith you have inside of you will determine the outcome of all your deeds. Many people mistakenly identify faith with religion, but faith predates religion. Faith is intangible…………..it’s abstract and subjective. Everyone has their own measuring sticks as to what information is credible and worthy of trust.

These lines of Thomas Aquinas superbly explain what faith is: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible”.

When we pay attention to the act of breathing, our body responds. When you take these deep thoughtful breaths in and out, a relaxed and calm state settles in. As you stay in this state of relaxed awareness, you will notice a natural process of “release” starting to happen. This release slowly starts detoxing (purifying) your energy. It might take a while of getting started the process. The concentrated breathing process starts reaching layers, releasing tensions, stress, aggravation, depression, and gloom depending on how much accumulation is present in your body. The process helps in re-centering our awareness in the principle of pure consciousness which is important for our vital being. We need to remember that each body is unique and reacts differently to this detox process, no two people can have same experience. Therefore, don’t go in for comparison of your experience with somebody else’s.

Each person has a different load of accumulated negative energy. The bottom line is that this process causes the body to start moving towards a real harmony, and little bit of repulsiveness in body and mind while practice is just temporary.

The thoughts come and go. When your mind is relaxed due to the freshness of breathing properly you will see the actuality of your feelings, your opinions, and your approach. The breath and the body are interconnected, as is seen from the fact that the breath is calm when the body is calm. The heavy exhalation is made when feeling exhausted and the enthusiastic inhalation made when feeling energized or exhilarated establishes the same fact. Similarly our breath and the emotions are interconnected, as is seen from the fact that the breath is calm when the emotions are calm, and agitated and awkward when the emotions are troubled or out of control. We draw quick breaths when we are surprised, shocked, or fearful, and the forceful exhalation done when angry or annoyed.

We cannot exist without breathing. In fact breathing is so important that nature has made it automatic in all living being. Nobody has to remember to breath. Just like internal vital process of our body like pumping of heart, circulation of blood, digestion of food etc, the breathing also happens on its own. Vipassana meditation is centered on breathing. Breathing is a link between our body and our soul.

Vipassana practice educates the practitioner relaxed awareness. Just sitting back and allowing watching what arises in the mind. Initially, in order for your awareness to grow, it’s helpful to just watch your mind, and watch your feelings, for a few days/weeks (depending on how strong your awareness already is) as if you are watching a movie. It helps you to detach and purely observe. Once you sense that you’ve become quite aware of your inner space, of thoughts/feelings, it’s time to start letting go of “trying” to be aware and just relax your awareness by just sitting, being relaxed, and allowing what arises to come up. This is not at all complicated, it’s really simple. It allows the mind to open up without any cliché and analysis.

Shri.Satya Narayan Goenka (30 January 1924 – 29 September 2013) made Vipasanna prominent In India, he is the pioneer of Vipassana meditation in India. Goenka was born in Burma (now Myanmar) to Indian Marwari parents. He grew up in a conservative Hindu sanatani household. He was a successful businessman; but in 1955, at the age of 31, he started experiencing migraine headaches. Unable to find proper relief, at the suggestion of a friend he met with the renowned Vipassana teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin (1899 – 1971). Initially, Ba Khin was reluctant to accept Goenka as his disciple. After little glitch, he accepted Goenka and trained him for the next 14 years. In 1969, Guru Sayagyi U Ba Khin allowed Goenka to teach Vipasanna to others; this is when he left his business to his family and shifted to India. In 1976, he opened his first meditation centre, The Vipassana International Academy, also known as Dhamma Giri, in Igatpuri near Nashik, Maharashtra. Goenka remained the principal teacher of Vipassana till 1982; he started training meditation teachers 1982 onwards. He also established the Vipassana Research Institute in Igatpuri in 1985. He trained more than 1300 assistant teachers and each year more than 120,000 people attended Goenka-led Vipassana courses.

This is a 10 days course organized in many cities and nations. Absolute silence is to be observed throughout the program. The course has a daily 7-8 hour meditation schedule and starts with a basic experience of observing one’s own respiration. Second and third day have similar schedules. First three days are meant for your mind to calm down and on fourth day they teach Vipassana which requires a quite, clam and attentive mind. You are expected to attend full 10 days and are not allowed to leave the course in between unless you have some genuine reason. You are served breakfast (6.30-7.15am), lunch (11-11.45am) and evening snacks (5-5.30pm) and no dinner, not even fruits or biscuits. But basically from Day 1, since you are not doing any physical exercise and only meditating, you do not feel hungry. In fact by day 4, you might even start eating less food. The food is delicious very ‘satvik’ in taste. Exceptions are made for people with medical issues.

I experienced many positive changes in my life ever since I completed this 10 days course. In July 1990, I attended 10 days Vipassana course led by Shri Patil at Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri. My life has changed ever since. The regular daily 15 minutes practice has developed my awareness about self and my existence. It has helped me in abandoning false illusions and moving towards the reality. I recommend all readers to make time for this well-structured, free of cost, enlivening course. It will change you in and out.

When you repeat Aum, please observe what actually happens within you. It is the symbol of the Creator, it is said to be the life-breath of the Creator; keep chanting and you immediately get an inner feeling, the feeling that enthuses your inner and outer movements to enlarge your vision. It erases the stress, ill feelings, and worries from mind and relaxes mind and body. This is the secret of Aum. Keep chanting Aum and all your desires will be fulfilled; everything will be yours, because it connects you with the Universal Energy.

Swami Paramahansa Yogananda called it “the vibration of the Cosmic Motor.” The great father of yoga, Patanjali, advised using it to triumph over the obstacles and distractions in life, it helps to remove all those obstacles in the path of enlightenment. The great Yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar has devoted nearly two pages in his book, ‘Light of Yoga’, to the range of meanings of aum. Aum became the sacred word hum of the Tibetans, amin of the Muslims and amen of the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Christians. Amen in Hebrew means “sure.”

Swami Yogananda noted that everything in the universe is self-possessed of energy and that the evident differentiation between solids, liquids, gases, sound, and light is merely a difference in their vibratory rates. He maintained that by chanting the aum, the divine vibration, we can increase the body’s supply of cosmic energy and even direct it as a healing force to any part of the body, mind, and soul.

It is so simple:  try chanting aum in your daily meditation and let the incredible power of sound and vibration work for you. Aum will bring your wavering mind to a single focus. The sound Aum is a great way to feel divine.

Aum actually consists of four syllables: A, U, M, and the silent syllable. The first syllable is A, pronounced as a protracted or prolonged “awe.” The sound starts at the back of your throat and you need to stretch it out. While sounding the ‘awe’ you will start feeling vibration inside your solar plexus and chest. The second syllable is U, pronounced as a prolonged “oo,” with the sound steadily progressing forward along your upper palate. You will feel your throat vibrating. The third syllable is M, pronounced as a prolonged “mmmm” with your front teeth gently touching. You will now start to feel the crown vibrate. The last syllable is the deep silence of the Infinite. Intelligence rises from the deep silence; you need to merge your chant from the ‘M’ with the deep silence.

The three letters A, U and M symbolize the divine energy i.e Shakti and its 3 main characteristics are construction, conservation and liberation. By chanting it we are symbolically and physically tuning in to that sound and acknowledging our connection to all other living beings, nature and the universe.

Mudras are a silent language of self-expression. Practicing mudra is very easy; in fact, and do not call for any restrictions. They are postures or gestures with fingers during meditation to open, release, or close the flow of internal energy according to your requirement.  Because of its psycho-energetic effects, they are powerful for sending messages to the nerve endings in our hands to the brain. In Mudra practice, the body communicates with the mind; because mind and body are interconnected in a vital unity. It is estimated that around 399 different mudras are accessible, 36 being the most practiced ones.

Mudras are credited for therapeutic or curative powers of the mind and body. They help to link the brain to the body, soothe pain, stimulating the endorphin system, change the mood and increase our vitality. However, their degree of effectiveness depends not only on the frequency or regularity of practice, but also, among other factors, the quality of the diet, eating habits and life in general. These practices are performed by people of all religions, cast and creed for relaxation and advancement in meditation. These techniques are 100% compatible with any philosophy, ideology or belief, as the main purpose of these gestures is to reach a body-mind energy connection.

Its practice is not difficult; you only need to stay focused on gestures. To practice the Mudras one does not require great skills, it requires regularity, few minutes a day. For beginners, it is advisable to choose a quiet place where no one interrupts us, away from noise and preferably alone and in silence. Once you have mastered the art, the practice can be performed elsewhere.

Mudras can be practiced as per our own needs. We can make a specific Mudra to relieve uneasiness or help cure a particular disease.  A daily practice of Mudras contributes to improving and strengthening of our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual achievement. There are a few Mudras to overcome any ailments. They are as follows:

Gyan Mudra: Touch the tip of your index finger with the tip of your thumb. The other three fingers may be kept straight or just keep it free, doesn’t matter even if they are slightly bent.

This is a very commonly used Mudra when practicing meditations. The benefits of this Mudra are:

• As the name suggests, this Mudra is meant to increase your concentration and memory power.
• This Mudra sharpens your brain power.
• It has the ability to cure insomnia.
• Practice this Mudra regularly to heal yourself of all mental and psychological disorders like anger, stress, anxiety or even depression.

Surya Mudra:  This mudra is formed by placing the tip of the ring finger on the base of the thumb and applying mild pressure of the thumb on the finger.

Surya or Sun signifies fiery energy. Surya Mudra increases fire element in the body. This Mudra helps in cutting the fat and lowering bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoproteins). Surya mudra is beneficial for eyes. It is excellent for people with high Kapha constitution (heavy, slow, laid back attitude, excess mucous). The mudra helps Kapha type by increasing alertness and mobility. The mudra is helpful for people who have intolerance to cold and encounter frequent shivering. Do as required for 10-15 minutes.

 Prana Mudra: Join thumb with little and ring fingers and let the magic begin.

The Pran Mudra increases vitality, reduces fatigue and nervousness, and improves vision. It is also used against eye diseases. The food we eat is the source of prana. The reservoir battery is charged with the energy provided by food we eat. However, modern living lets prana exhausted due to incessant flow from sense organs. Our eyes that are glued to computer/TV screens, we are restless; our continuous involvement in futile activities such as not eating healthy foods, no rest, less sleep depletes the prana reserves. Prana mudra restores our energy reserves. Make sure you do it for minimum of 15 minutes every day.

Vayu Mudra: This mudra is formed by first placing the tip of the index finger on the base of the thumb and then bringing gentle pressure of the thumb upon this finger.

This amounts to suppression of element air (residing in the first finger) by element fire (residing in the thumb). Vaayu mudra decreases the air element within the body. This reduction of air sedates restless and anxious mind. Calms overcharged nervous system, pacifies overactive endocrine glands, relaxes tense or spastic muscles, soothes strained voice, and allows re-hydration of skin and particular cartilage. The element air is also a component of bodily humor Vaata. This mudra is especially suitable for people of Vaata constitution (Vaata dosha). They can regularly use this mudra even to avoid illness.

Prithivi Mudra: This mudra is formed by joining together the tips of the ring finger and the thumb.

The element earth is a vital component of bodily tissues like bones, cartilage, skin, hair, nails, flesh, muscles, tendons, internal organs, etc. Practice of Prithvi-vardhak mudra builds and revitalizes these tissues. In other words, this mudra increases vitality, strength and endurance. The element earth is also associated with the nose (smell). Therefore, Prithvi-vardhak mudra can be used to overcome nasal disorders (e.g., loss of sense of smell). The element earth is also a component of the bodily humor kapha. Practice of Prithvi-vardhak mudra increases the kapha humor within the body. Therefore, this mudra can be used to overcome disorders caused by kapha deficiency. However, it should be practiced in moderation by people who already have an excess of kapha in their bodies. This mudra helps eliminate chronic fatigue, general debility, convalescence, lack of stamina or endurance Inexplicable weight-loss and emaciation. They help expedite fractures.

Varun Mudra: This mudra is formed by joining together the tips of the thumb and the little finger.

Jal-vardhak (Varun) mudra increases the water element within the body. Almost seventy per cent of the body is water. Thus, water is the most abundant element in the body, being present in the protoplasm of cells, extra-cellular fluid, lymph, blood, tears, saliva, mucous, digestive juices, enzymes, hormones, semen, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), etc. A deficiency of water in the body would result in dehydration of tissues. Performance of Jal-vardhak mudra increases the water-content of the body by suitably affecting the water-metabolism. Thus, it helps to rehydrate cells, tissues, muscles, skin, joint-cartilage, etc. The element water is also associated with tongue and taste. Therefore, this mudra can be used to overcome disorders like loss of taste-sense, dryness of mouth, etc. Water is also a component of two bodily humors: Pitta and Kapha. Practice of Jal-vardhak mudra increases these humors. It cures dryness of eyes, dryness of the digestive tract (mouth, throat and intestine, indigestion, constipation, dryness of the skin leading to cracks, dry eczema, psoriasis, etc. degeneration of joint-cartilage, osteo-arthritis, anemia, cramps, dehydration, and deficiency of hormones.

Shunya Mudra: Keep the tip of middle finger at the top of Venus and press it with the thumb.

It is useful in getting rid of any ear problems because of heavy usage of mobile. Even if it is not ringing, you think it is ringing. It means your ear is not working properly. May be there will be a heavy sound – some form of humming sound in the ear. Any ear problem can be mitigated with this Mudra. This Mudra is useful, when you are airborne. Your ear pains, while flying high altitudes. Cotton is used to mitigate this issue. Do this Mudra, and your ear pain will automatically come down.

Apana Mudra: Place the thumb, middle finger, and ring finger together and extend the other fingers. Do it with both hands.

Apana governs the pelvis and abdomen and controls the eliminative functions of the body. The body eliminates the toxins through various methods. The release of carbon dioxide from lungs, cough and mucous from organs of respiration, perspiration from skin, excretion through intestine, urination through kidneys and menstruation through hormonal cycle in females. Apana mudra helps by accelerating elimination. It helps in easy excretion, clears frontal sinus and removes phlegm from lungs. The mudra gives us patience, serenity, confidence, inner balance, and harmony.

Akash Mudra: Join the tip of the thumb with tip of middle finger. The other three fingers remain extended.

Akash mudra counters absence of space in the body. Deficiency of space element weakens the heart and creates trouble in places associated with space. This includes ears and joints. Akash Mudra is beneficial for people with heart ailments and related disorders like blood pressure. It strengthens the bones. It is also beneficial in vertigo and loss of balance. This mudra also increase spiritual power and makes the practitioner fearless.

Some important rules for practicing Mudras:

• Practice them with both hands.

• Minimum 5-10 minutes for each mudra.

• Practice regularly at the same time.

• Early morning practice gives most benefits.

• Concentrate on the practice.

It’s a long-held spiritual belief that it takes 40 days for a sadhak (seeker) to get used to a transformation with practicing either a mantra or tantra. The philosophy behind it is that it takes 20 days to break old habits and 20 days to form new ones. We carry some demoting habits which exhaust us because they make us anxious and insecure. And, we carry some promoting habits which make us healthy and vital. Life is all about transformation. If we discard our demoting habits, we feel more energised and happier and that is what ‘’Sadhana’’ is all about.  It takes 40 days to break away from a demoting habit or pattern and to replace it with a good habit/pattern.

Kundalini Yoga is known as the yoga of awareness because it uses physical movement, breathing and sound to invoke shakti and to become self-aware. Kundalini affects ones consciousness, it develops intuition and sets free the unlimited creative potential that exists within every human being. One needs to practice the Kundalini yoga for 40 consecutive days to make or break the bad habits. As a believer of science, I think rhe biggest fact in physiology is that our skin cells on average take 40 days to renew, our red blood cells start dying from 40 days onwards and sperm count can be increased in 40 days!  This is how 40 days has relevance in our life.

Also, 40 days has a mystical relevance in most of the religions across the world.  In Judaism, there’s a mystical practice that says one who seeks an answer to their prayers should pray the same prayer request for 40 consecutive days. Forty days also has significance for Christians who fast for 40 days during Lent. The number 40 has lot of relevance in Islam. Number forty repeats even in Sikkhism. They believe in doing their sacred book Gurugrantha Sahib Path for 40 consecutive days. So, forty days holds both a mystical and practical significance to transformation in many areas of our lives and cultures.

Practicing anything for at least 40 days allows you to incorporate it into your being. 40 days of any mantra chanting can turn you on; it can transform you inside and outside. For many, 40 days is a long time, and therefore they avoid exercising 40 days tantra or mantra practice. But, if you patiently give your precious forty days (not the entire day), but specific time of a day, you will reap miraculous results.

I am a firm believer of mantra chanting. The properly pronounced mantra gives rise to an electromagnetic strength in which the promoting habits become dominant in your daily routine. You feel energised, your mind fills with positive thoughts, and hence your mind and body get intelligently charged. Positivity of mind attracts abundance of health, wealth and success. If you ill, the illness goes away. I suggest chose a smaller mantra. Chose a mantra of the deity you have faith in. Listen to the mantra on YouTube for getting the right pronunciation, recite it for few times with You Tube.

Following are the few results you will get for sure:

The process charges you: It’s not only about the mantra chanting, but it is the actual process. It is always advisable each day to sit in a one same place, at the same time for chanting the mantra. You clean the place, wash your face, hands, and legs, and sit in erect posture to chant the mantra. Mantras are repetitive sounds used to penetrate the depths of the unconscious mind and adjust the vibration of all aspects of your being. Mantras are vibrated through chanting aloud, mental practice, or by listening to them. The experience of how sound vibrations effect your being is called Naad yoga. The actual process of committing to something for over a month, even if it means just finding ten minutes of quiet time in your day, actually affects your life in some remarkable ways.

Your self-esteem improves: The mantra chanting gives you the boost, the vibrations and the sound gives you a lot of peace of mind. The stress and anxiety levels slowly start reducing. You start to feel special and finer because you’re doing this spiritual practice. You automatically start thinking finer. The spiritual practice gets the best in you because the spiritual journey takes you nearer to the Universal Energy whom we call God who is divine and has unconditional and unlimited pure energy. You slowly become aware of GOD within you.

Become Consistent: Mantra chanting is about a consistent return to the breath and the mantra. Even if your thoughts wander for some time, the continuous chanting brings you back to the mantra. It is habit forming. You do something for 40 days, and it will seem more normal to do it than not doing it. Your brain adapts the habit, so even when you are engrossed in something, the mind ticks to the ‘newly formed habit’. You will begin to fall in line and embrace the mantra, which in few days makes more enjoyable experience. It helps you choosing consciousness rather than unconsciousness, self-acceptance than self-disowning, assertiveness than suppression. You also become consistent.

Feel freer: You start feeling freer. Your inhibitions just go away. The restrictions, limits and boundaries drawn by subconscious mind disappear.  Your relationships with people around you improve. You start becoming honest. You slowly realize that life is a gift to be lived in full. Make it colourful, happier by attracting abundance. Do not limit your life in your mind’s dark closet. The biggest fact of life is that spirituality and and low self-esteem cannot co-exist. They are completely opposed.

I cannot say this categorically whether it because of the mantra, but I have started experiencing good things in my life. I have already started a 40-day meditation of mantra chanting for abundance. Just by raising my vibration by chanting mantra I have cleared more room for progress in my life! Please try it; there is no harm in it.

Samskaras can be positive: remember what Swami Vivekananda did in reinforcing the message of spiritual unison and creating new consciousness amongst youth of India. Sindhutai Sapkal, affectionately known as the “Mother of Orphans”, is an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for her work in raising orphaned children in India. On the contrast you can  see numerable criminals supplying weapons serial bomb blasts in Indian states, so called enlightened Gurus raping devotees.

Education makes an individual civilized, refined and cultured. For a civilized and socialized society, education is the only means. Its goal is to make an individual perfect. Every society gives importance to education because it is a remedy for all evils. It is the key to solve the various problems of life. Two samskaras are most important one is social consciousness (social conduct) and other is education (Vidya). It is therefore said that “Vidhyadanam sarva dhanath prdhanam” – amongst all the formational rituals and riches of life, education is the supreme.  Education is more important because the other (samskara) does not come without it.

Another fact about samaskaras is that genes play a greater role in determining key personality traits like social skills and learning ability than the way we are brought up by our parents. We usually see that children are mirror image of their parents. We see doctor’s son/daughter wanting to be doctor, engineer’s child wanting to be engineer, similarly a robber’s son’s desire to rob others…… genetics are most influential on people’s sense of self-control and also affect their social and learning abilities and their sense of purpose.

Addiction also grow out of smaskaras: it is  a condition that results when a person absorbs a substance (e.g., alcohol, cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity such as gambling, gossiping, sex, fighting  that gives him/her pleasure. In such people, the continuation becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary responsibilities and concerns, such as work, relationships, or health. People who have developed an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others. Therefore being aware of what samskaras our mind adopts becomes vital.

When our habit patterns become so ingrained that they alter our body chemistry, it is called “addiction.” At this stage we no longer remember when or how this process started. And without introspection or retentive power we fail to discover the realm of the mind where these samskaras are stored. When our mental world is totally under the influence of these powerful impressions they become the determining factors of our personality, and due to these samskaras we perceive this world in our habitual ways.

The best part of samskaras is that when we get stuck in a rut, we can break free from them. We can create healthier patterns in our mind through yoga, through meditation, which examine the emotional realm and they can be tremendously effective in the battling against negative samskaras. The bad samskaras and vasanas are our own creation. If we commit ourselves to inertia and make no effort to discover an alternative, then these subtle impressions of our past deeds will have effect the force of destiny. Those who lack self-trust and self-confidence, destiny cannot be altered.

Good deeds create positive samskaras, bad deeds create negative ones. In the long journey of life, we perform all kinds of actions: right and wrong, good and bad. Our mind is a store of positive and negative samskaras, and it is up to us whether or not we exercise our willpower and determination to strengthen or eliminate a particular group of them.

Negative samskaras can be eradicated so that they don’t resurface. Life is a process of constant activities; our positive and negative samskaras and their influence on our life are in constant flux. The tragedy is that we don’t realize that our positive samskaras result in good fortune, health, wealth, and happiness. Similarly, intoxication of any kind only abuses our body, mind, and senses. We forget that someday this wheel of fortune will rotate downward and we will need immense strength and stamina to push it upward again. Sadly, we think of altering our destiny only when we suffer misfortunes. However, it’s never too late to make a good beginning. When we get depressed deeply, we tend to lose hope. But, deep inside us, the will to live and the desire to find some meaning in life never end.

When your endeavor is to erase the negative traits, simply try to compose yourself. With a calm and tranquil mind, assess your strengths and weaknesses. Then decide whether at this stage you should place greater emphasis on eliminating your negative samskaras or strengthening the positive ones. Don’t have very high expectations initially, give yourself ample time and you will see the result.