Podcast on Creativity

I am a recent convert to podcasts, turned to them specially after my good friends visit from California. Anyways, off the many things I subscribe to now one thing I am regular with is Ted Radio hour from NPR. The podcast runs for an hour or so in which they combine multiple ted talks on a particular topic, in essence it is a superset of ted talks. 

One such Ted talk that I recently heard were on Creativity, they covered few different aspects for creativity

1. Not being selfish, no me and mine 
2. Ability to fall on your face and make mistakes
3. Frontal cortex of brain or as we call Ego which monitors me and mine to be off
4. Practice a lot of it also helps
5. Creativity needs to be nurtured
6. Showing up every day and being consistent about the process

All good points, one thing I really loved if they had covered was aspect of meditation. For a good meditation more than a few criterion listed above are to be met and in my experience more and more creative ideas flow right after a good meditation. As Shri Shri Ravishankar says for a good meditation, you want nothing, you are nothing and then sit with that attitude and meditation will happen. 

Our Art of Living center here in Austin do offer Meditation courses among others. Needless to say there is the Happiness Program which is also offered on a regular basis which helps one with the awareness of interaction between the different layers of existence.

On other hand people say, meditate on the issue that you want to solve and I believe that is the most useless thing to do.

Introduction to Art of Living session at Austin Recovery’s Buda campus

On Thursday January 19th 2012, we had the very first ‘Introduction to Art of Living' session facilitated at Austin Recovery's Buda campus. About 20 people (a good mix of youth to senior citizens)  undergoing rehabilitation from Alcohol/Drug addiction participated in the 1 hour session and reported immense stress relief.

A game of 'Seven Up' served as a perfect ice-breaker, it was followed by a  couple of simple breathing techniques and a few minutes of meditation, during which the participants experienced a state of joy. The highly interactive session that followed the meditation involved participants bringing out the knowledge about the natural tendencies of the mind (chewing on negativity via thoughts about regrettable experiences from the past and thoughts about future anxiety), the 4 sources of life energy and descriptions of various experiences of 'present moment awareness'.

Towards the end of the session, most participants shared that they felt very relaxed with a feeling of lightness within and higher energy level. One of the participants shared that he felt bliss rising from within and another participant brought out the knowledge that if joy is felt from within utilizing these simple techniques and there is no point in seeking it through attachments to external means (alcohol/drugs).

The snapshot of innocence, so palpable through the sharing, and the inner beauty, so palpable through the smiles around, was a sight to behold and will stay in my memory for a long time.

The sketch below was drawn by one of the rehab program participants, which beautifully conveys the crossing the barrier of despair and the kindling of human values.

At the end of the session, the participants recommended Austin Recovery's staff members to schedule an ‘Introduction to Art of Living' session every Thursday to help with their rehab. One participant who was spending his last day on the rehabilitation program promised to seek special permission from the staff in order to allow him to attend next week's session.

-Sanjeev Mathur

The Currency of Time

Imagine that everyone in the world got $1000 to spend. It would be used to do a variety of things. Some would chose to go out and party all night. Some might just deposit it in their bank and forget about it. Some might invest it on a child's future while others might decide to donate it to a worthwhile charity. Some might repay a portion of a loan while some might finally afford basic necessities or have a proper meal.

We label some actions as good, some as wasteful and perhaps some as bad based on an elaborate value system devised over time. However, the essence is that everyone got the same $1000. Most of our time above was spent looking at actions, rather than the basic fact that everyone got some money. Even focusing on the amount of money, or money itself distracts from the essence that everyone got something.

We all really have only one currency and that is time. People do all sorts of things with their time - they serve or laze, entertain or bore, create or steal. Debating about how a person uses his time again drifts from this essence. Everyone just spends time being and doing.

What people do with their time has been the basis of all judgments. It has been ruminated on for centuries. All laws, rules, values, morals and ethics are based on what people should do with their time. There is already enough attention and awareness towards this concept.

For a few minutes though, experience this essence instead - the basis of all existence, this absolute time, free from all judgments.

That is Shiva and experiencing it is meditation.

Science of Breath

Light and Darkness

Here's a recent quote from His Holiness, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation.

"Light doesn't fight with darkness. Darkness has no existence, it is just the absence of Light. Even if a room has been dark for 20 years, it doesn't take Light 20 years to get rid of the darkness... Light comes and Darkness is defeated just like that."

We tend to give the negatives of life too much importance and power over us. It is easy to get caught up with this negativity, and fall prey to inaction and apathy. It is a common tendency of the mind to see a glass as half empty, but inaction is a really heavy price to pay.

With wisdom and commitment, we can shift our perception to the reality - that every negative is simply the absence of a corresponding positive. With this attitude, strength and confidence, it is possible to make a genuine difference in the world.

Once we do set our eyes on such a goal, we need a strong foundation in order to face such apparent negativity. It is crucial to empower ourselves with tools and methods to manage our bodies, minds and spirits and navigate the challenges of life.

YES for juveniles - A success story

Recently, Art of Living Austin volunteers had the privilege of teaching our first ever YES course at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center.

It all started during Christmas 2009 when some of the volunteers decided to celebrate the season of giving at the correctional facility. What caught their eyes was how much the kids there could benefit from yoga and meditation. Thus started the free yoga once a month at the facility. They consistently conducted yoga throughout the year 2010. As and when new volunteers started signing up to lead yoga sessions, the frequency increased to once a week. The kids at the center loved yoga, and the supervisors realized the benefits too.

So, when Usha told the supervisor that they can conduct a YES workshop that would benefit the kids way more than the yoga, the supervisor readily agreed. After a few weeks of negotiations on the course timing and other logistics, the course was scheduled for February 18-21st. There were a lot of first things in this course:, it was the first course under the banner “Prison Smart” for Art of Living Austin; it was the first ever YES course taught in a detention center for our teachers too.

For Usha, the biggest hurdle was not getting volunteers lined up for the yoga sessions or finding teachers for the course, it was getting time on the superintendent’s calendar. Thanks to the persistent efforts by volunteers like Katie, Sanjeev, Lakshmi, Sridhar and their “never say no” attitude leader Usha, the course became a reality. It probably is a tiny step for the Art of Living Foundation and a big first step for Art of Living Austin but I am sure it was a giant leap for the 16 kids who participated in the 4 day program.

This time around the course was taught for the male population of the facility. We hope to conduct a similar workshop to the rest of the facility very soon. We will report back on this blog when that happens

Wisdom is beyond all arguments

It is said that logic has no loyalty. Any kind of logic can be concocted to be for or against an issue. Remember those debating contests in school? Pick a topic and tell one person to debate for that topic and the other to debate against it. True wisdom is beyond such logic.

There is no shortage of such controversial topics - in fact, it is the easiest way to divide a group. The topic could be something as simple as the humble apple or as complex as off-shore drilling. It is impossible to know everything and by that metric, any opinion is at best a guess. When our own position is a guess, what are the odds of comprehending another person's point of view?

Nature reflects this wisdom. There isn't only one type of apple, there's hundreds of varieties. There isn't even just one type of fruit, or even one category of food. Nature is comfortable with millions of opinions on everything - birds, leaves, stones and seas. And that is the wisdom beyond arguments. It's all already there to see, no arguments can change that.

Once that wisdom dawns, there are no winners or losers anymore, just the universal truth.

NPR Article Highlights Research on the Power of Breath

As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has commented for many years, science is slowly catching up to the power of breath and meditation. Studies continue to emerge proving the physiological and psychological benefits of regular meditation and pranayam practice.

On Monday, NPR aired an article about new research confirming the impact of breath work on blood pH and blood pressure, the body's reaction to stressful situations and even the expression of genes. Physician Mladen Golubic of the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative Medicine, Esther Sternberg, a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health and Harvard researcher Herbert Benson are all quoted in the article. You can check it out here.

Enjoy and keep up your breathing practice to continue experiencing these great benefits firsthand!

The Six S's

I was recently thinking about the primary pillars of the Art of Living - namely Seva, Satsang and Sadhana, also, the implicit ones - Silence, Smile and Sadguru. I like to compare these aspects of life to a tree.

Sadhana is the practice - the root of the tree - grounding it firmly and providing the essential nutrients of life. It provides a strong foundation on which anything can be achieved. Without strong roots, life easily takes us for a ride.

Satsang is the group - the trunk of the tree - providing the infrastructure to grow. It is the support system that we need when life does take us for a ride. Sometimes, life's too smart for us. It is a life jacket which protects us from drowning.

Silence is forbearance - the endurance of a tree - standing through all challenges and changes, unflinchingly. Life's challenges can only be faced unscathed if we can listen to our soul. Without that discipline, we can easily become part of the noise.

Smile is the attitude - the appearance of the tree - magnificent, colorful and real, adding beauty to the surroundings. An authentic and generous smile can make a big impact and a lasting impression.

Seva is the expression - the flowers and fruits of the tree - sharing their best with the world, bringing new life with love. It is the ultimate expression of joy, being useful to everyone in every way possible. The effects of unconditional seva only multiply.

Sadguru is the divine - providing the ultimate purpose for the tree - to grow. It is the guiding force that brings the means and the end in focus.

These pillars seem to form a sequence, just like the tree. The root and trunk are the physical aspects, forbearance and attitude are the mental aspects. Together they bear fruits that propagate the spirit. And the essential undercurrent is the divine, supporting this entire dance.

Different people tend to identify with different aspects. Some get completely absorbed in one, a few are able to go beyond preferences. The luckiest few end up dancing without even trying.

Sri Sri Yoga Weekend 1 Ends With Smiles

Anyone who has had the pleasure of practicing yoga with Shriram Sarvotham knows that it's near impossible to walk away from a session without a smile. After three days of energizing asanas, relaxing meditation and ancient wisdom delivered in Shriram's trademark blend of gentleness, humor and concision, the current Sri Sri Yoga (SSY) class couldn't help but bear their pearly whites as they convened for the coming week. And to think—next weekend holds even more!

As an SSY repeater and aspiring yoga teacher, I watched Shriram lead the class with admiration, intrigue and excitement. Just when I'd begin to think I'd gleaned all I could on a particular posture or bit of knowledge, he'd offer something—be it as subtle as the tone of his voice, the grace of his movement or an illuminating word choice—that deepened my understanding. As I'm sure my classmates would agree, his unshakeable smile and loving commitment to his practice fill his students with a newfound appreciation and motivation for their own.

Our current, personal challenge: to maintain the SSY practice each day between now and our next session on Friday. Four days. 45 minutes each (don't forget final relaxation or Kriya/meditation!). 3 om's. Can we do it? I know we can!

But I hope we can do much more than that, too—by remembering what's brought us here together in the first place. How fortunate we are, as members of this beautiful human family, to have awoken to our connectedness and belonging; to salute the greatness in each other. Looking around the room at my SSY friends as they reveled in the bliss of their bodies' perfect spinal twists, I knew I'd become part of something much bigger than my own personal growth. We've joined hands in the common pursuit of spirit, of oneness—releasing toxins from the body, sinking deeper into that forward bend or holding that boat pose for just one more breath—well those are just perks of encouragement along the path!

As I bask in the last hours of this rejuvenating weekend, my mind quiet and peaceful, my heart full of joy and gratitude, my awareness ablaze and my body fully contented (yes, even despite a couple of sore spots!), I couldn't fight the ear-to-ear grin on my face if I wanted to.

Which, of course, I don't. Jai Gurudev!