8 Tips to Get Started with Meditation - From Sri Sri Ravishankar's site

For all the folks! desiring to meditate but don't know how, I hope the below article helps.



Did you know by spending just a little time preparing for your meditation, you can actually have a deeper experience in meditation? For your ease, the tips given below will help you prepare for your meditation. Once done, click on the guided meditation below to begin your meditation.


#1 Choose a convenient time





Meditation is essentially relaxation time, so it should be done entirely at your convenience. So, after the meditation you do right now, for the subsiquent meditations, choose a time when you know you are not likely to be disturbed and are free to relax and enjoy.


The hours of sunrise and sunset, while nature transitions between day and night, are also ideal for the practice.

#2 Choose a quiet place





Just like a convenient hour, choose a place where you not likely to be disturbed.


Quiet and peaceful surroundings can make the meditation experience more enjoyable and relaxing.





#3 Sit comfortably





Your posture makes a difference too. Make sure you are relaxed, comfortable and steady.


Sit straight with your spine erect; keep your shoulders and neck relaxed, and eyes closed throughout the process.


That you have to sit in Padmasana (the lotus position) to meditate is a very common myth of meditation.


#4 Keep a relatively empty stomach





A good time to meditate is before having a meal.


After food, you might doze off while meditating. However, do not force yourself to meditate when you are very hungry.


You will find it difficult because of hunger cramps or you may even keep thinking about food the whole time! In this case, you can meditate after two hours after having food.



#5 Start with a few warm-ups





A few warm-up or sukshma yoga exercises before sitting to meditate helps improve circulation, removes inertia and restlessness and makes the body feel lighter.


You will be able to sit steadily for a longer time.





# 6 Take a few deep breaths





This is again preparation for easy meditation. Deep breathing in and out as well as doing some nadi shodhan pranayama before meditating is always a good idea.


This helps to steady the rhythm of the breath and leads the mind in to a peaceful meditative state.








#7 Keep a gentle smile on your face





You will see the difference.


A gentle smile throughout keeps you relaxed, peaceful and enhances your meditation experience.








#8 Open your eyes slowly and gently





As you come close to the end of the meditation, don't be in a hurry to open your eyes and start moving about.


Open your eyes slowly and gradually and take time to become aware of yourself and your surroundings.






























Happy Self Realizing!!!






For more details/ Guided Meditation you may visit: http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/meditation/meditation-for-you/get-started-with-meditation

Goal Setting tips that Works

The Seven Step Process for Setting and Achieving Your Goals. 

1. Decide exactly what you want in each area of your life. Be specific!

2. Write it down, clearly and in detail.

3. Set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order.

4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new items, add them to your list.

5. organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority.

6. Take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. This is very important!

7. Do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals. Maintain the momentum!

Atmastakam - The Root of Vedanta

Mano buddhya-hankara chittani naham
Na cha shrotra jihve, na cha ghrana netre
Na cha vyoma bhumirna tejo na vayuhu
Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham . (1) 

I am not the mind, intellect, thought, ego, or some form of the supreme being; I neither have ears, nor tongue and I neither have nose (nostrils) nor eyes; I am not the sky, earth, light or the wind; I am the fortunate, joyful, supreme being who is the very emblem of truth, knowledge and eternal bliss. 
I am consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva, I am Shiva.  

Na cha prana sangno na vai pancha vayuhu
Na va sapta dhatur na va pancha koshaha
Na vak pani padau na chopastha payoo
Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .(2).

 

I am not the most essential air that everyone breathes. Nor a part of essential five gases related to bodily functions (which are Prana, Aparna, Vyana, Udana and Samana). I am not the seven-fold material (Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Medas, Asthi,Majja and Shukra) that help in body’s physical development, I am not part of five coverings that help to build up the personality (food, air, mind, knowledge or wisdom and pleasure). Nor am I the five organs of action (which are speech/mouth, hands, feet, reproductive and rectum), I am the fortunate, joyful, supreme being who is the very emblem of truth, knowledge and eternal bliss.

I am consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

Na me dvesha ragau na me lobha mohau

Mado naiva me naiva matsarya bhavah

Na dharmo na chartho na kamo na mokshah

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .(3).

 

I have no likes or dislikes; Not I have any greed or delusion; I have no pride or arrogant vanity; Nor am I jealous of anyone or in competition with anyone ; I do not need the four main necessities of life (which are Dharma (Law of Life), Artha (Wealth), Kama (Desires) and Moksha (Liberation); I am the fortunate, joyful,supreme being who is the very emblem of truth, knowledge and eternal bliss.

I am consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

 

Na punyam na papam na saukhyam na dukham

Na mantro na tirtham na veda na yagnaha

Aham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhokta

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .(4).

I am not attached to any righteousness or sin; I have neither pleasure nor sorrow; I have no need for any Mantra; I have no need for pilgrimages ; I have no need for any sacred scriptures; nor do I perform any sacrifise or rituals; I am neither the meal nor the one who consumes or what is consumed;

I am the fortunate, joyful,supreme being who is the very emblem of truth, knowledge and eternal bliss.
I am consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

 

Na me mrutyu shanka na me jati bhedah

Pita naiva me naiva mata na janma

Na bandhur na mitram gurur naiva shishyah

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .(5).

I have no fear of death, nor do I have caste distinctions; I neither have a father nor mother because I was never born; I have neither kin/relatives nor friends; I have no gurus and nor am I a disciple; I am the fortunate, joyful, supreme being who is the very emblem of truth, knowledge and eternal bliss.
I am consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

Aham nirvikalpo nirakara rupo

Vibhur vyapya sarvatra sarvendriyanam

Sada me samatvam na muktir na bandhah

Chidananda rupah shivoham shivoham .(6).

   

I am free of thoughts and beyond imagination since I have no form; I am all pervading and exist everywhere; I am the king of all sense-organs; I am always impartial to everything and everyone,; I am free from everything and I have no attachment to anything; I am the fortunate, joyful, supreme being who is the very emblem of truth, knowledge and eternal bliss.

I am consciousness and bliss. I am Shiva, I am Shiva.

A Zen Koan - If you Love, Love Openly

Folks!!I have been reading about Zen these days and I want to share a Zen Koan!!!Something to think about!!!

If you Love, Love Openly:

Twenty monks and one nun, who was named Eshun, were practicing meditation with a certain Zen master.
Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain. Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love letter, insisting upon a private meeting.
Eshun did not reply. The following day the master gave a lecture to the group, and when it was over, Eshun arose. Addressing the one who had written to her, she said: "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."

Swimmer's Body Illusion - A useful Marketing Tool

I was going through awesome book, The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobeli a must read for everyone of understanding what makes us tick. The title is Does Harvard Make You Smarter? It recounts a funny anecdote regarding the now famous Nassim Taleb concerned with his weight decided to do something about it.

He signed up at local swimming pool after contemplating on taking up various sports, His belief was simple since swimmers appeared to him  with their well built and streamlined bodies. He also decided to work hard twice a week to have swimmer's body.

After sometime it dawned upon him that he had succumbed to an illusion. Professional swimmers dont have perfect bodies because they train extensively. Rather they are good swimmers because of their physiques. How their bodies are designed is a factor for selection and not the result of their activities. Similarly female models advertise for cosmetics and thus many consumers believe that these products makes you beautiful. To put it straight these models are born attractive and hence they are candidates for advertising. Hence beauty is a factor for selection and not the result.

Whenever we confuse selection factors with results, we fall prey to what is called Swimmer's body Illusion. Without this illusion half of advertising campaigns would not work. But this bias has to do with more than just the pursuit of cheekbones or chests. Similarly lets consider Harvard which has a reputation of being a top university and many successful people have studied there, Does this mean that Harvard is a good school? We don't know. Perhaps the school is terrible but it attracts bright minds from around the globe. I personally experienced this phenomenon at Amity Global Business School? Its parent school Amity Business School is said to be amongst the top 10 Business Schools in India, but the lessons i received were mediocre. Though many of its graduates are successful, The reasons behind is unknown.

Across India MBA schools lure candidates with statistics regarding future income. This simple calculation is supposed to show that the horrendously high tuition fees pay for themselves after a short period of time. Many students even join these schools based upon thinking on the same lines. I must suggest that these so called placement record statements should not be taken on its face value. The pay differs amongst those who are MBA and those who are not an MBA. We see the Swimmer's body at work. So my advice to friends out there is that if you are considering further study please do it for reasons other than pay cheque.

The swimmer's body illusion is a self illusion at best. Let's look at self help books, they are good for reading and almost contains some powerful tools/ideas for self transformation/ personal development. But for lot of people these advices are less likely to help. That is why for self help books and tips prescribed in it needs to be given a wide berth.

In conclusion one must be careful as to what they are pursuing be it a toned physique or higher salary or even happiness coz there you would see swimmer's body illusion at work.

On Joining 5am Club

Monday!!!The day that is stuff of legends as Monday is the time when most people feel like quiting their jobs, Travelling in trains I can make sure that Monday is the day when people are at their irritable best. I had a powerful personal transformation on this day as this is the day in long time that i woke up at 5 am . This gives me exclusive membership to 5 am Club ( Taken at a liberty from Robin Sharma). I have read in Robin Sharma's book that Megaliving begins with waking up at 5 am.




Here's how i did it, My own strategy for waking up at 5 am.



1) Avoid hitting the snooze button of your alarm clock. The moment the alarm goes off jump out of your bed. The more you stay in the bed the more chatter in your mind will tell you to stay there.



2) Get into a physical condtion or setting activities at early morning. You can try to visit your gym or start meditating or reading a book or ideating (Whoa!!Leadership coaching - step into the big league)



3) Avoid Alcohol, Caffeine and Tobacco : While a cup of coffee can brighten up your day and have an overall positive effect on your energy level and mental abilites. It can also cause sleep deprivation and insomnia You should avoid alcohol, nicotine (smoking tobacco) and caffeine as much as possible because these stimulants have alerting effect, they disrupt sleep and prevent you body from effective relaxation. Caffeine means not just coffee but it’s also can be found in many teas, cola and soda drinks, chocolate and energy drinks.

If you can’t avoid some of these stimulants completely then at least try to avoid them in the evening within 4-6 hours of bedtime.

4)Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday (Sourced from How to Wake up Early.com): It's a good habit you need to acquire. First, you get more effective sleep for the same period of time, if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It also helps not just get up earlier, but also to fall asleep faster.

Second, it's better for your health - your body will handle it more easily if you keep the same circadian rhythm. Human body gets used to your sleeping pattern, and any significant change to this pattern usually results in a stress - you can not fall asleep for a long time, or you are having really hard time to get off the bed.

Finally, when your body gets used to the schedule you've selected, it will become much easier for you to get up. You will not even need an alarm clock and the drowsiness will fade away much faster.

5) This one's from Robin Sharma's book: Set your alarm clock 30 minutes early. This indeed works

It’s so easy to forget that you cannot do good until you feel good. Organizational leadership begins with self-leadership. Getting up early to do your inner work, to sculpt your character, to sharpen your life’s philosophy or to review your goals is not a waste of time. That Holy Hour infuses every remaining minute of your day with a perspective that elevates each area of your life. It’ll transform you. Make you better as a leader, As a human being.

The Mantra Om - Why we use it and rationality behind it

Folks! We have all seen the word Om in our day to day life. Infact after studying eastern scriptures for over a year including Buddhist, Vendanta, Upanishads. This is one word which is omnipresent in all of the scriptures. So much importance is given to this one word that all mantras begins with this one word. The word is a mantra in itself. 

Since Vedic times , spritual aspirants have used Om chanting as an aid to meditation. Infact the word is accepted as being both being one with Bramhan and also as the medium that connects human being to God. The vedas and upanishads have been dedicated solely to the history of this sacred word Om. Infact Upanishads declare that Sound of Om as Pranava, which means that it is something that pervades life or runs through one's prana, or breath.




Let's examine the word Om, It has three aspects the first is the sound pronounced by the mouth - the mantra, the second is the meaning of syllable which must be realized through feeling, the third is application of Om to one's character and actions, infact I would say one's life..




As per vedanta Om represents the supreme non dual self.The self is named in four states namely 1) Waking state, 2) Dream State, 3) Deep Sleep State and 4) The state known as Turiya. The word A represents the Waking state, the sound U represents the dream state and M represents the deep sleep state. The silence that follows between two Om is called Turiya.




Often it is asked why this particular word Om is used to represent "thought" out of which the universe manifested itself, The answer may be given by Swami Vivekananda as the most rational one.




The below excerpt is taken from The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - Vol 3 Bhakti Yoga


"But we are now considering not these Mahâ-purushas, the great Incarnations, but only the Siddha-Gurus (teachers who have attained the goal); they, as a rule, have to convey the gems of spiritual wisdom to the disciple by means of words (Mantras) to be meditated upon. What are these Mantras? The whole of this universe has, according to Indian philosophy, both name and form (Nâma-Rupa) as its conditions of manifestation. In the human microcosm, there cannot be a single wave in the mind-stuff (Chittavritti) unconditioned by name and form. If it be true that nature is built throughout on the same plan, this kind of conditioning by name and form must also be the plan of the building of the whole of the cosmos.
यथा एकेन मृत्पिण्डेन सर्वं मृन्मयं विज्ञातं स्यात्

— "As one lump of clay being known, all things of clay are known", so the knowledge of the microcosm must lead to the knowledge of the macrocosm. Now form is the outer crust, of which the name or the idea is the inner essence or kernel. The body is the form, and the mind or the Antahkarana is the name, and sound-symbols are universally associated with Nâma (name) in all beings having the power of speech. In the individual man the thought-waves rising in the limited Mahat or Chitta (mind-stuff), must manifest themselves, first as words, and then as the more concreteforms.


In the universe, Brahmâ or Hiranyagarbha or the cosmic Mahat first manifested himself as name, and then as form, i.e. as this universe. All this expressed sensible universe is the form, behind which stands the eternal inexpressible Sphota, the manifester as Logos or Word. This eternal Sphota, the essential eternal material of all ideas or names is the power through which the Lord creates the universe, nay, the Lord first becomes conditioned as the Sphota, and then evolves Himself out as the yet more concrete sensible universe.
This Sphota has one word as its only possible symbol, and this is the ओं (Om).

And as by no possible means of analysis can we separate the word from the idea this Om and the eternal Sphota are inseparable; and therefore, it is out of this holiest of all holy words, the mother of all names and forms, the eternal Om, that the whole universe may be supposed to have been created. But it may be said that, although thought and word are inseparable, yet as there may be various word-symbols for the same thought, it is not necessary that this particular word Om should be the word representative of the thought, out of which the universe has become manifested. To this objection we reply that this Om is the only possible symbol which covers the whole ground, and there is none other like it. The Sphota is the material of all words, yet it is not any definite word in its fully formed state. That is to say, if all the peculiarities which distinguish one word from another be removed, then what remains will be the Sphota; therefore this Sphota is called the Nâda-Brahma, the Sound-Brahman.


Now, as every word-symbol, intended to express the inexpressible Sphota, will so particularise it that it will no longer be the Sphota, that symbol which particularises it the least and at the same time most approximately expresses its nature, will be the truest symbol thereof; and this is the Om, and the Om only;
because these three letters अ उ म (A.U.M.), pronounced incombination as Om, may well be the generalised symbol of all possible sounds. The letter A is the least differentiated of all sounds, therefore Krishna says in the Gita अक्षराणां अकारोऽस्मि — "I am A among the letters".

Again, all articulate sounds are produced in the space within the mouth beginning with the root of the tongue and ending in the lips — the throat sound is A, and M is the last lip sound, and the U exactly represents the rolling forward of the impulse which begins at the root of the tongue till it ends in the lips. If properly pronounced, this Om will represent the whole phenomenon of sound-production, and no other word can do this; and this, therefore, is the fittest symbol of the Sphota, which is the real meaning of the Om. And as the symbol can never be separated from the thing signified, the Om and the Sphota are one. And as the Sphota, being the finer side of the manifested universe, is nearer to God and is indeed that first manifestation of divine wisdom this Om is truly symbolic of God. Again, just as the "One only" Brahman, the Akhanda-Sachchidânanda, the undivided Existence-Knowledge-Bliss, can be conceived by imperfect human souls only from particular standpoints and associated with particular qualities, so this universe, His body, has also to be thought of along the line of the thinker's mind.


This direction of the worshipper's mind is guided by its prevailing elements or Tattvas. The result is that the same God will be seen in various manifestations as the possessor of various predominant qualities, and the same universe will appear as full of manifold forms. Even as in the case of the least differentiated and the most universal symbol Om, thought and sound-symbol are seen to be inseparably associated with each other, so also this law of their inseparable association applies to the many differentiated views of God and the universe: each of them therefore must have a particular word-symbol to express it. These word-symbols, evolved out of the deepest spiritual perception of sages, symbolise and express, as nearly as possible the particular view of God and the universe they stand for. And as the Om represents the Akhanda, the undifferentiated Brahman, the others represent the Khanda or the differentiated views of the same Being; and they are all helpful to divine meditation and the acquisition of true knowledge."




This is the reason every mantra includes the Pranava, Om. Without Om no sacred chant has power. Just as living body has no vitality when life giving vitality has ceased, so too a mantra has no life in it without Om.

Even if you believe in none of this- it is calming and de-stressing to chant Om- as it drives away worldly thoughts, removes distraction, and lets us turn our gaze inwards.

On Killing the Buddha, If you meet him on the road

There is a popular koan ( Japanese Zen funda for statements used to provoke "great doubt" and test student's progress in Zen.) which states " If you meet Buddha on the road, Kill Him" like much of Zen teachings which are based on circumspect and lot of contemplation. This one makes valid point as the basis of Buddha of not to believe just because it is written in scriptures, someone said it but because you experienced it. To turn to Buddha into a religious fetish is to miss the essence of what he taught.

I was drawn into a conversation of this when my work colleague was of the opinion that Buddhism and Buddha is a major world religion and how Buddha's path needs to be followed for finding the valuable work life balance which of late seems to be so missing in our lives. Which led me to inquire into Buddha and his philosophy. As he himself stated to his disciples on his deathbed to be their own lamp when asked on any specific path to follow for Nirvana attainment (Aapo Deepo Bhava) I propose we take this statement by Zen master and as students of Buddha and Buddhism kill both.

Well I am sure that you have not taken the literal meaning of the sentence, The road, the killing, the Buddha are symbolic. As per Vedantic belief there are three ways through which enlightenment/ realization can be attained viz Karma (Through Work), Jnana ( Through Knowledge) and Bhakti (Through devotion).Buddhism which derives its philosophical content from Hinduism has the road symbolized as seeker on any of these paths to enlightenment tu put it straightforward "Your life is your road."

But how do you meet the Buddha on this “road?” Imagine meeting some symbolic Buddha. Would he be a great teacher that you might actually meet and follow in the real world? Could that Buddha be you yourself, having reached Enlightenment? Or maybe you have some idealized image of perfection that equates to your concept of the Buddha or Enlightenment.

Whatever your conception is of the Buddha, it’s WRONG! Now kill that image and keep practicing. This all has to do with the idea that reality is an impermanent illusion. If you believe that you have a correct image of what it means to be Enlightened, then you need to throw out (kill) that image and keep meditating.

Most people have heard the first chapter of the Tao, “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.” (So if you think you see the real Tao, kill it and move on).

Book Review - What Got You Here, Won't Get You There - Marshall Goldsmith

I was initially looking around the bookstores for Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back If You Lose It by Marshall Goldsmith owing to some good reviews given by my Colleagues. Instead I picked up this book and I must say I am not at all disappointed with the book.


The Author is one of the best known trainer/ Leadership developer for some of Fortune 500 companies. The book is divided into 4 parts namely -


1) The trouble with Success : This part of the book focuses on the central idea : How success creates a positive environment around us and how repeated success helps us adapt a handful of beliefs which may not necessarily be true. They begin to believe that they are more responsible for the success of their projects and they begin to believe that their value is much higher than it actually is.


All this is illustrated with good examples that seemed to be of people who are like me and you and not some glory CEO.



2) 20 Habits that hold you back from the top: This is my most interesting part of the book, It has 20 Habits that hold us back from the top. It includes the very basic habits like Passing Judgments , Starting with No, However or But to the very complex Winning too Much to very etiquette based Not Listening to Punishing the Messenger. It is a must read for all executives and managers to get a real world understanding and a something to reflect upon.


He also devotes several pages to the “twenty first” habit, goal obsession. Goldsmith argues that many people lose sight of the here and now because they spend their time plotting out their long term goals, not realizing that the here and now is often the best place to take that first step to whatever you have in mind. In fact, obsession with goals often is the underlying factor in many of these bad habits.


3) How can we change for Better: This part of the book contains a unique plan for how can we change for better.


They are

a) Feedback

b) Apologizing : Seriously the best advise to apologize is by saying " I'm Sorry, I will do better " and then just leave dont add anything no explanation or fancy words to justify your apology.

c)Telling the world or Advertising : This is the next step wherein you list down upon deliverables once you have apologized.

c) Listening : The most important skill needed in corporate today and often the most underrated one.

d)Thanking

e) Following up

f) Practicing Feedforward


4) Pulling Out the stops : This section focusses on issues in the organization such as handling these bad habits as mentioned above when they pop up in superiors or subordinates. Here the author suggests that organizaitons need to focus on honesty and candor while facing these issues.


Inshort the verdict is that this book is a must buy for people working in office environment and almost all the techniques suggested in book are simple. I 've personally found some of the advise to be beneficial. A must for all who are serious in improving themselves.



Thank you so much for your time in reading this!!!