Spirituality – Now…do we know what it really means?

I didn’t. Most of us think we know what it means when we hear the word spiritual. It generally translates to a person who is getting closer to ‘sanyasa’ which means letting go of attachments towards worldly possessions for the sake of attaining god. This was my perception too…mostly. I mean, I never felt the need to think beyond this point.


But a big change in perspective came a few months ago. I would like to think that it was because of yoga (as it happened during the same time I started attending yoga classes). Incidentally, reading (I must say re-reading as I had read this book before but it didn’t make an impact on me at that time) Robin Sharma’s “The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari” did help to some extent in creating an intrigue towards this topic. Now, don’t get me wrong; I am not taking you through some spiritual experience of mine. I was a skeptic and I am sure you are too…


Once this new interest took over me, I started doing a little research and turns out that spirituality has more to do with mind power. Being spiritual actually means being in total control of yourself…your thoughts and actions. Ahhh…now you know why we associate spirituality to sages; because they are the ones in this mortal world who have the power to stay calm and composed, have complete control over their thoughts and actions.


We don’t have to renounce worldly possessions and head towards the mighty Himalayas to become spiritual. We can do what we are doing; Be a mother, father, son or daughter. Be a banker, software engineer, doctor or a business man. You could be anybody. Just cleanse your thoughts (read “remove negative thoughts”) and reflect inwards more often. Allocate time in your busy schedule for self improvement. Imagine what it would be like if we could control every single thought that enters our mind. We could react differently to situations and in turn change the course of events that follow. We would become a better mother, better father…..a better person.


“As you think, so you become.....Our busy minds are forever jumping to conclusions, manufacturing and interpreting signs that aren't there.”


This quote started making sense. We slowly and steadily fall into the trap of developing negative thoughts from as early as our childhood. Always imagining the worst case scenario, so that, anything that happens will not be as bad as we thought it to be. This kind of negative thought process gives us a false sense of power over our situations but in reality, we just keep falling into an endless trap of negativity, which ends up ruining the way we look at life in all its glory.


Be positive. Think positive. How many times have we heard or read these statements? This is the most profound statement you will ever hear. We need to stop taking false cover under our negative thoughts and stop being in constant fear of any wrath which will befall us if we think positive.


Let’s take a bold step, let’s become spiritual and allow ourselves to think positive and reap the benefits it has to offer. Being Spiritual, is being a better you.

Blind

I just saw this old poem I wrote a few years ago, so I thought I will post it. Hope you like it!!

                                                                                  -Alina E

Blind

Darkness has stolen the night,

There is not a single sign of light

No beautiful scenes or a pleasant sight,

You don't know what's wrong or right.

Your breath is stuck,

You have no luck

You can only feel,you can only hear,

Happiness is never near.

You always search, you always fight

For your only lost sight.

Breaths of Friendship

Warmth and care wove our hearts together on that memorable day, half-a-decade ago, when I was wandering the floors of a claustrophobic mall aimlessly in search of a bosom friend. There she was, sitting idly in a corner as she tapped her feet, in sync to the ticking of the clock. I turned a slave to my instincts and every particle in me witnessed the beginning of this resplendent friendship.

She ignited my dormant spirits and triumphed at oozing out the socialite in me. It was as if she had lifted me off a neglected shelf and dusted me till I was as good as new.

Whenever I felt like I was doomed, she would reach out and steer me towards the light at the end of my tunnel. Her magnetic allure made sure that I never had to travel far in search of a time killer.

Whenever I was lost, I could always count on her bright red dot to help me choose the right path where two roads diverged.

Quiz? Debate? Essay? Report? My dear friend, with an encyclopaedia implanted in her brain, never backed away from my inquisitive questions, no matter how intricately they were designed.

Now, I watch her die.

Till now, I’ve never been able to fathom her being ill, but now my robust hopes seem to have been shattered to smithereens. I see her breathing heavily, each breath of hers rushing my adrenalin as the inevitable truth of her demise looms closer.

I fumble frantically for something… Anything… That could convince Charon to decline the drachma my friend is unsympathetically offering him.

I see something white, with a gleam in its eye. And as it beckons to me, relief tingles in me. I connect the lifesaver to this share of my soul and see her charged with life again.

I caress my dear, dear phone.

– Bhavana and Meghana