Most of us know that stress is very harmful to our body. It can lead to hypertension, diabetes, cancer and many other life threatening diseases.

It is also harmful to the Intellect as it disturbs it, preventing it from clear thinking and good decision making, resulting in actions detrimental to our own self and others too! Chronic Stress can also lead our Ego into a severe depression and sometimes force it to attempt or commit suicide, which is destruction of it’s own body!

What causes Stress?

Based on inputs form others and the external environment, our Intellect conditions and programs itself to have many desires and expectations from our own self, others as well as the environment. This conditioning or programming can be called as our ‘Ego’.

The very existence of desires and expectations causes stress in our Intellect as our Ego is afraid that the desires and expectations may not be fulfilled in the future! When desires and expectations are not fulfilled, then even more stressful situation arises within us which at times lead us into severe depression and infrequently into committing suicide.

Because of our desires and expectations our Intellect is unable to accept our own Ego as it is now. It also does not accept other people, objects and situations as they are now. This lack of acceptance causes constant stress in our Intellect disrupting its capabilities.

So, when someone says that he/she is not stressed at all, it is not true; as the very existence of desires and expectations, which is our Ego, causes stress.

Only when we are abiding in our ‘True Self’, when we are complete and free from desires and expectations, that we are totally stress free!

Obviously, to have good health we need to be stress free and that can be done by moving from our ‘Ego’ state to a state of ‘True Self’ as often as possible!

There is an intermediate state too that considerably reduces stress, which is the state of ‘Pure Awareness and Full Acceptance’ of the present moment. In this state we become aware of our desires, expectations and our stressful condition. This Awareness alone reduces the poison of the Stress automatically and so our body and Intellect can remain healthy and as fit and calm as possible!

Awareness and Acceptance can be easily done while at work or indulging in sports or any other activities throughout the day! This will help considerably in lowering our Stress levels and help us in living our life fully and peacefully!

Keeping secrets also increases our Stress levels. Ideally, it is best to be transparent, when we have nothing to hide – Gul Malani *

Arthur Osborne in his book titled ‘The Mind of Ramana Maharishi’ states that Sri Bhagavan, in his interaction with a learned devotee, conveyed the following:

God has no purpose. He is not bound by any action. The world’s activities cannot affect Him. Take the analogy of the sun, the sun rises without desire, purpose or effort, but as soon as it rises numerous activities take place on earth, the lens placed in its rays produces fire in its focus, the lotus bud opens, water evaporates, and every living creature enters upon activity, maintains it and finally drops it. But the sun is not affected by any such activity, as it merely acts according to its nature, by fixed laws, without any purpose, and is only a witness. So it is with God.

God has no desire or purpose in His acts of creation, maintenance, destruction, withdrawal and salvation to which beings are subjected as the beings reap the fruit of their actions in accordance with His laws, the responsibility is theirs, not God’s. God is not bound by any actions.

So, the question is, is there such a thing as Destiny for us, a prefixed unchangeable programming of our life that each one of us cannot escape? It does not appear to be so.

Each one of us has the choice to think and act as we want to. However, we really do not reap what we sow as there are multitude of other powerful Forces, not in our control, at work in our Universe within each moment. So, the fruits that we receive depend not only on our effort but largely on the support we get from these Forces at work! These Forces are what we call Luck.

Strange as it may seem but a lot depends on Luck! Luck is what brings in all the necessary events and coincidences to occur for each one of us to survive, have good health as well as to succeed professionally and financially!

If a lot depends on Luck, why do we have to develop our capabilities, skills and put in our best effort?

Our experience shows that our capabilities, skills, interest and effort are definitely necessary. They are as important as a seed is for a tree to bloom and bear fruit.  Though not every seed will bloom into a tree, so we do need to plant as many seeds as we are capable of. Then with the help of all the necessary environmental situations and forces, called Luck, there will be greater chances for a few seeds to bloom!  

We can also attract Luck by remaining in the state of ‘Pure Awareness and Full Acceptance’ of the present moment. Pure Awareness will let us notice and act when opportunity knocks on our door! Lack of awareness leads to our missing many opportunities in life and this we incorrectly label as not being lucky! Full acceptance of the present moment, as it is now, keeps our Intellect calm and peaceful! This helps immensely in making the right decisions and carrying out proper actions which help build a beautiful future for us as well as others!

There will be many times when Luck does not support our activities and we fail. This is quite a natural phenomenon in everyone’s life and can be frequent too! But to see failure as a disaster and to torment our Intellect for failure is a self defeating activity and it must be avoided totally!

In every failure there is a definite and a unique experience, which is a great learning process, as well as numerous small successes from which we will always benefit for our future! Failures should really be seen as stepping stones to success and are indicative of an intelligent and aggressive Intellect and an active body that are willing to venture into uncharted territory where risks of failure are high! 

The elephant in the room when it comes to any discussion of success: (is) luck–

-Scott Adams, Cartoonist of Dilbert

Nothing in my life has been intentional, it’s all accident

-R K Laxman, famous Indian Cartoonist *

What is meant by Spirituality?

Wikipedia defines it as a process of personal transformation in accordance with religious ideals.

This definition is questionable as Spirituality has really no relationship to religious ideals, rituals or traditions. In fact, being religious takes us away from our own Spirituality.

Osho in his talks compiled as a book ‘The Silence of the Heart’ says ‘Spirituality is not a kind of scholarship. It is nothing that you can study; it is something you have to be. … It is transformation. ….You come back a totally different person, with a new vision of life, with a new understanding, with peace in the heart, with a great silence and harmony in the being.’ *

Spirituality begins with turning our focus from others and external objects to our own self! It  is a process of discovering our own True Identity, a state of ‘Just Being’ which is a state beyond our Ego! The personal transformation that is required for this discovery is totally an internal process and definitely not in accordance with the present religious teachings and ideals!

We spend almost all our life in the ‘Ego’ state. We are all the time driven, (mis)guided or tormented by our own Ego. As such, no time is available for becoming Spiritual to live a sane life!

Strangely, becoming Spiritual by discovering our True Identity is rather simple! All that is required to be done, is to be done by our own Intellect and is to be done within us! The internal process of discovery is called Meditation. Meditation, covered in a separate post in this blog, starts simply with increasing our Awareness of both the internal situations as well as the situations external to us. We have to become aware of all the actions we are doing all the time as well as be aware internally of all the thoughts that are coming and going within our Intellect. It is as simple as that!

With time and increasing purity of Awareness we get closer and closer to our True Identity. Additionally, we have to fully accept our own self as it is now, including our Ego, as well as the external situations as they are now. This results in our Intellect becoming extremely peaceful and quiet, an ideal state for our True Identity to unveil itself!

Having discovered our True Identity we need to abide (remain) in it as frequently as we can! That is being Spiritual! Other than deep sleep, it is the most powerful and regenerative state of our Intellect as well as of our body! It is a state of total completeness when desires and expectations evaporate and so action dissolves into inaction! Here inaction does not mean no action. It implies action without any selfish desires!

However, we do need to carry out few actions daily for our sustenance and so we do need to be in the state of ‘Ego’ for some of the time to run our life and to set and achieve goals. Our suggestion for goals is that they should be extremely flexible on the time aspect as well as  be subject to revision or total change, at any time, for appropriateness based on inputs from the present moment. This will help reduce the stress within our Intellect, even when we do not achieve our goals in the specified time. Then our Intellect will  always be free, available and capable of  making good decisions as well as abiding in our True Identity as often as possible.

Spirituality at work is simply doing all our thinking and actions in a state of Pure Awareness. So, most of our waking life, we need to be Aware of what we are thinking and what we are doing; including planning flexible goals with flexible time schedule for our future!

Good living is very simple if we discover our ‘True Identity’ which is beyond our Intellect’s creation of our False Self which is our ‘Ego’. The earlier we discovery, the better it will be! Sadly, most of us die without this very essential discovery required for living a great life fully, in peace and in happiness!

Perfection in Spirituality is when our Intellect understands and experiences that it is only a vast emptiness or a complete zero –The Totality *

Religion (Spirituality) is renunciation of all that belongs to the ego. It is not really renunciation of the world: it is renunciation of the world that the ego creates. …… Religion (Spirituality) is renunciation of the false, that really does not exist at all — of the ego, of knowledge, of prejudices, of expectations, of desires. – Osho, in his talks compiled in the book ‘The Silence of the Heart’

Being Spiritual means that we are now aware that the limitations and barriers set up by our Ego and body as well as our Ego and Body are really illusions! –The Totality *                170717

Speeches , lectures and activities addressed to large group of people or masses under the guise of transfer of Spirituality are no more than just entertainment with listeners and  doers feeling good while attending and then returning back to their original state of lack of spiritual evolution. Spirituality is a process of self evolution and not a process of mass evolution. Introspection and deep meditation are doors that lead to Spirituality- The Totality  120118

Existence or Spirituality does not follow human logic or reasoning – The Totality * 180419

Spiritual health is when we appreciate that the world does not move as per our Ego’s needs and wants. It moves as per the Enormously Powerful Divine Will. Our Ego really has no option but to accept the Divine Will’s actions unconditionally to live a happy and full life – The Divinity 050522 *

Life is seen as a process of learning, acquiring knowledge and skills to be successful in the worldly ways. It is equally important for all of us to unlearn some aspects that we have learnt that prevent us from living our life peacefully, happily and fully as well! The earlier we start this unlearning process the more meaningful and enjoyable our life will become!

So, what are these aspects that have to be un-learnt soonest and replaced by what ?

–we are incomplete and we always need help from others, God and the environment has to be replaced by knowing and feeling that we are complete within our own self and we want absolutely nothing from the external world to live a good life

–frequently worrying about our past and being in constant fear of our future has to be replaced by living in the present moment

If we try and replace the above aspects by changing or controlling our existing thoughts and actions, we may not succeed as we will be working on the conscious activity only. The subconscious will remain unchanged and this will give rise to the existing thoughts and actions from time to time. Instead, the successful way is to become AWARE when such thoughts and actions arise and let them be. They will disappear slowly but surely and over a period of time, stop reappearing completely.

Understanding our own self including our Ego and meditating in the proper way will then help in bringing in and cement the reality of being totally complete and allow us to live in the present moment fully!

This is the pinnacle of greatness making our life fully worth living!

–

People who have been sailing in Sailboats can appreciate the fact that the best sailing is done when we are able to fully capture the force of the wind (Nature) in the sails of the boat as well as the force of the flow of water (tidal forces if we are sailing in the sea)! The rudder has to be used to steer the boat in such a way that the natural force of the wind and the effect of the water flow  are fully captured to give the best speed to direct our boat to the destination!

Similarly in life too, we have to understand and capture the changing ‘Forces of the Universe’ that are present at all times around us. We have to use our Pure Intellect, like the rudder of the boat, to keep steering us into directions which help us capture the ‘Forces of the Universe’ most of the time for the benefit of all in the boat! Such a strategy of living life keeps our stress level low, with fear, anxiety, worry, anger at a very low level too! This enables strong, healthy and happy living which results in worldly success as well!

Just like the sailboat comes to a standstill when the wind dies down and flow of water stops, so also in life there will be times when we are not doing much but are on standby so that we can move into action as soon as the forces of the Universe through the present moment situation help us to do or achieve something!

In sailing, the shortest distance between where we are and the destination is never a straight line; as the crow flies! We have to zig zag our way to our destination! Similarly in life, we will also find that at many times we are veering away from our goal due to the Forces of the Universe that are present. Then we have two options. To force our way and stick to our original destination or revise the destination to a new one which may be easier to reach and intended for us by the Forces of the Universe.

A good example is that of the ex-President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was intent on becoming an Aircraft Pilot. Forces of the Universe did not help him in achieving this goal. Instead they helped him become the President of India!

Most people are not living life as a sailboat. Life is more like a motorboat with super strong and powerful engines on board. Our Ego, is the strong engine that speeds us through life in a specific preplanned way regardless of what the present situation or environment requires. This way of living is full of stress, fear, anxiety, worry, anger and other related emotions. This can lead to a deteriorating condition of our body and Ego! Such living is generally manageable when we are young but we need to review this, if it is causing problems to our own self, our health, our family and friends.

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but can adjust my sails to always reach my destination – Anonymous

Life implies living in stormy weather most of the time with short intervals of good weather! The skill we need to develop within our Intellect, is to be able steer and keep our boat steady in stormy weather too. This requires detection of the deep peace within us, by introspection, understanding and meditation.- The Totality  171117

Have I discovered my Zero level, my true identity, which is deeper than my Ego (surface) level? What is this Zero level?

When we are in full acceptance of our own self, the present moment situations as well as of the Universe then we become totally peaceful; a state when we truly are at both Infinite as well as  Zero level! Nothing needs to flow out from us and neither anything needs to flow into us to make us complete. We are all totally complete as we are now! This complete state is also the state of our ‘Being’!

In this Infinite and complete state, human interactions and wordily situations do not affect us, just as rivers do not affect the Ocean as it is huge compared to the rivers that flow into it.

This super State of ‘Being’ is a passive state when our body is at a minimal activity to keep functioning  and physically also we are in  a state of inactivity as there is nothing to be achieved or acquired! It is a very good state to regenerate our Body, Intellect and our Memory. Health can improve substantially without any medication if we regularly remain in this state!

This state of ‘Being’, can be accessed by all of us by understanding and discovering our own self and meditating regularly! Yes, it can be done quickly too! Some people believe that we need more than one lifetime to do it and so they give up too soon trying to understand their own self and discover the unlimited peace within all of us!

Discovery of unlimited peace within us brings clarity of understanding people, life and situations along with good decision making capabilities and responsive action for the benefit of all!

What are we waiting for? Bring in more Awareness & Acceptance into our lives which will lead us to the state of ‘Being’ and start living life peacefully, happily and fully right now!

When everything is falling apart around us as and we feel like we are living in hell:

-as situations are turning ugly and to our disadvantage as they are not as per our expectations and requirements

-or we are highly stressed out, anxious, worried, angry, sad, or depressed

-or we have pain, poor health or sickness in our body

We could or should:

-indulge in low stress activities like light exercises, walking, cycling, swimming, games, hobbies like reading, writing, drawing, painting, singing, dancing or being and playing with our pets.

– switch off from the state of ‘Ego’ that we are in and move into the state of ‘Awareness’ or deeper into the state of ‘Being’

This will help our early recovery to our normal balanced state and make us feel once again that we are living in heaven!

Doing Exercises and indulging in Hobbies are easily understood and accepted by most of us! Switching off to a state of ‘Awareness’ is not that readily understood and therefore not yet accepted by most of us! However, ‘Awareness’ is the most powerful of our states in which we can conduct creative and artistic intellectual and physical activity for the benefit of others as well as our own self!

The key is to become aware and this aspect of our living is well covered in this blog www.livelifefully.in. Learn, experience and understand the simple way of moving into a state of ‘Awareness’ from the state of ‘Ego’.

A deeper, but a state of intellectual and physical inactivity, is the state of ‘Being’, a beautiful state of just being! When we just are! This is a very powerful regenerative state when the Savior within us is awakened!

Incidentally, we switch off every night when we go to sleep effortlessly. We not only enter the state of ‘Awareness’ but go deeper into the state of ‘Being’ and then into our ‘Un-manifested’ state! So, none of us can really say that we are not capable of going into the ‘Awareness’ state or the state of ‘Being’ in the waking hours as most of us are doing this every night when we go to sleep!

One of the most profound conclusions I have reached is that health is a choice; virtually no one ever has to be sick – Raymond Francis, M.Sc. in his book ‘Never be sick again’ * 070318

The foremost attitude for good health is being in harmony with the present moment situation. This implies fully accepting the present moment situation including our body’s health as it is now! If we are not in harmony, then we are gripped by negative emotions like fear, anxiety, worry and this results in stress! Stress then gives rise to negative thoughts in our Intellect which affect and hamper the natural capabilities of our body to maintain our  health!

The reality is that good health is not within the realm of control of our Intellect or Ego. Good health happens to each one of us and it is caused by The Totality. But our Intellect and Ego can contribute to improving our health by dropping the ideas like, I will never get well or the disease I have is incurable! Miracles do happen and cures do take place of dreaded diseases like diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis etc., classified incurable by the Allopathic stream of Medicine.

Good health can be helped by getting good and adequate sleep every night. According to Dr. Joseph Murphy we are spiritually recharged during sleep! He states that adequate sleep is essential to (also) produce joy and vitality in life! About 8-10 hours of sleep every night are required for the body to help cure itself.

Sleep happens when we are tired and when our Conscious Intellect lets go of everything in order to sleep well. When we are in deep sleep, we do not even know that we exist! This state of non existence is what invigorates and  regenerates our body and Intellect!

Likewise, during the day we also need to be capable of invigorating and regenerating ourselves too! This is done by proper and regular Meditation which should also become part of our daily routine. In meditation, however, we have to let go consciously and this process also has a great balancing effect on our life and health!

Be aware that our body, while it is in the womb till it is a small child, is an expression of our Subconscious Intellect or The Totality. As soon as the child’s Ego (conscious intellect) develops then the body follows the beliefs and dictates of the Conscious Intellect. Whatever thoughts and emotions the Ego has, they get reflected in the body. Bad health can also originate in our Ego as a result of our thoughts, emotions and stress levels. If we think that we will be sick if our head is wet for long, our Intellect will oblige and make us sick! Therefore it is very important to consciously think that we are healthy and then the Infinite Wisdom in our subconscious intellect will keep us in the best state of health and fitness. By thinking correctly and positively, we can try and reduce or eliminate numerous diseases like diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, angina, cancer etc., some of which are known to be non curable!

Emotions like anger, anxiety, worry, fear, jealousy, hatred, guilt, sadness, depression, actually injure our body from within! It is like taking a stick and beating our own body with it! Awareness of our thoughts and emotions will help us to lower or eliminate the impact of the internal injuries we are causing to our own body and help us to manage our health better!*

Our thoughts, emotions and stress levels are lowest when we move from our default ‘Ego’ state to a state of ‘Awareness and Acceptance’ of the present moment including acceptance of our Ego, as it is now. We know we are in the state of ‘Awareness’ if our body remains relaxed, whereas in the state of ‘Ego’ our body remains tense as it either ready to fight or to take flight away from the prevailing situations!

Further, we can fuel our Body & Intellect by doing daily deep breathing exercises, also called Spiritual breathing in Brahmavidya or Pranayams in Yoga. Most of us are doing shallow breathing and not even using 10% of the capacity of our lungs! Deep breathing increases the oxygen availability in our lungs which helps purify our blood, improving our health and immunity, and making us feel good and refreshed most of the time.

Yoga and stretching exercises help build flexibility in the body and prevents pain from accumulating in any part of the body. Start yoga and exercises at our own comfort level and not as per the set levels of the Trainer or Physiotherapist to avoid injury to our body. With time the comfort level will increase. Accordingly, the extent and complexity of yoga and exercises can be increased to a higher level.

Similarly, Aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, weight lifting, (to build cardiac strength and our bodies) should begin at our present comfort level!

Exposing the body daily, for 15 to 30 mins, to morning sunshine is very necessary to have strong bones and lower joint pains. One can do this easily by doing our aerobic exercises like walking, swimming etc outdoors where there is adequate sunshine. When exercises are not possible, at least sitting daily in a bright, sunny area is very desirable!

Eating plenty of raw fruits, sprouts and drinking vegetable juices help build and retain immunity in the body. Fried, packaged, processed foods, which have long shelf life, have to be avoided as they lower the immunity of our body! Having three good meals a day, chewing and masticating well, taking 20 to 30 minutes for every meal, will help us in not overeating and overloading our digestive system!

Dieters, who cut down on the quantity of food that they eat, have to be careful that they do not get headaches due to low blood sugar, other eating disorders and health problems!

Having a belly is considered as a sign of prosperity in some countries like India! Make no mistake about this! It is clearly a sign of inflammation in the intestines due to eating incorrect foods that disturb our Gut Flora!

A very good book to read and follow for good eating and health is 21 – Day Tummy written by best selling author Liz Vaccareillo, editor-in-chief and chief content officer of Reader’s Digest. In a matter of a few days we can revitalise our immune system, improve our physical energy levels, reduce our belly fat, eliminate digestive disorders like heartburn, acid reflux, gas, bloating, constipation, cramps, diarrhea as well as irritable bowel syndrome.

Doing creative activities like having a hobby or two or more brings out our passion as well as good health. Indulging in hobbies is stress free or very low stress activity resulting in good health. This will balance our working life which can be very stressful and unhealthy at times because of achieving targets and expectations set by others as well by our own Ego!

Excerpts from ‘The Biology of Belief’ by Bruce H. Lipton Ph.D. 

• A cell’s life is controlled by the physical and energetic environment and not by its genes. Genes are simply molecular blueprints used in the construction of cells, tissues, and organs. The environment serves as a ‘contractor’ who reads and engages those genetic blueprints and is ultimately responsible for the character of a cell’s life. It is a single cell’s ‘awareness’ of the environment, not its genes, that sets into motion the mechanisms of life.
• My new understanding of the nature of life not only corroborated my stem cell research but also, I realized, contradicted another belief of mainstream science that I had been propounding to my students– the belief that allopathic medicine is the only kind of medicine that merits consideration in medical school. By finally giving the energy-based environment its due, it provided for a grand convergence uniting science and practice of allopathic medicine, complementary medicine, and the spiritual wisdom of ancient and modern faiths.
• I was exhilarated by the new realisation that I could change the character of my life by changing my beliefs.
• Signal transduction science recognises that the fate and behaviour of an organism is directly linked to its perception of the environment.
• This new awareness reveals that our genes are constantly being remodelled in response to our life experiences.
• Understanding on a scientific level how cells respond to your thoughts and perceptions illuminates the path to personal empowerment.
• We are not victim of our genes, but masters of our fates, able to create lives overflowing with peace, happiness, and love.
• Positive thoughts have a profound effect on behaviour and genes but only when they are in harmony with subconscious programming.
• The science of epigenetics, which literally means ‘control above genetics,’ profoundly changes our understanding of how life is controlled. In the last decade, epigenetic research has established that DNA blueprints passed down through genes are not set in concrete at birth. Genes are not destiny! Environmental influences, including nutrition, stress, and emotions, can modify these genes without changing their basic blueprint. And those modifications, epigeneticists have discovered, can be passed on to future generations as surely as DNA blueprints are passed on via the double helix.
• In contrast to conventional wisdom, genes do not control their own activity. Instead it is the membrane’s effector proteins, operating in response to environmental signals picked up by the membrane’s receptors, which control the ‘reading’ of genes so that worn-out proteins can be replaced or new proteins can be created.
• The cell’s operations are primarily moulded by its interaction with the environment, not by its genetic code.
• Genes cannot pre-program a cell or organism’s life because cell survival depends on the ability to dynamically adjust to an ever-changing environment.
• The membrane’s function of interacting ‘intelligently’ with the environment to produce behaviour makes it the true brain of the cell.
• To exhibit ‘intelligent’ behaviour, cells need a functioning membrane with both receptor (awareness) and effector (action) proteins. These protein complexes are the fundamental units of cellular intelligence.
• In multicellular communities, there is a division of labor. That division of labor is evident in the tissues and organs that carry out specialised functions.
• There is enough scientific evidence to suspect that we can tailor a waveform as a therapeutic agent in much the same way we now modulate chemical structures with drugs….Neuroscientists are conducting exciting new research in the area of vibrational energy therapies.
• All organisms, including humans, communicate and read their environment by evaluating energy fields. Because humans are so dependent on spoken and written language, we have neglected our energy sensing communication system. As with any biological function, a lack of use leads to atrophy.
• It was harder to get rid of the energy-draining defeatist thinking in which I habitually engaged. Thoughts consume energy as surely as does marathon running
• Thoughts, the mind’s energy, directly influence how the physical brain controls the body’s physiology. Thought ‘energy’ can activate or inhibit the cell’s function-producing proteins via the mechanics of constructive and destructive interference.
• The fact is that harnessing the power of your mind can be more effective than the drugs you have been programmed to believe you need.
• I do not believe that simply thinking positive thoughts always leads to physical cures
• It is important for our health and well-being to shift our mind’s energy toward positive, life-generating thoughts and eliminate ever-present, energy-draining, and debilitating negative thoughts.
• What those positive-thinking dropouts haven’t understood that the seemingly ‘separate’ subdivisions of the mind, the conscious and the subconscious are interdependent. The conscious mind is the creative one, the one that can conjure up ‘positive thoughts’. In contrast, the subconscious mind is a repository of stimulus-response tapes derived from instincts and learned experiences. The subconscious mind is strictly habitual; it will play the same behavioural responses to life’s signals over and over again, much to our chagrin.
• When it comes to sheer neurological processing abilities, the subconscious mind is millions of times more powerful than the conscious mind. If the desires of the conscious mind conflict with the programs in the subconscious mind, which ‘mind’ do you think will win out? You can repeat the positive affirmation that you are lovable over and over or that your cancer tumor will shrink. But if, as a child. you heard over and over that you are worthless and sickly, those messages programmed in your subconscious mind will undermine your best conscious efforts to change your life (or health).
• The mind can affect the body…Some people get better when they believe (falsely) they are getting medicine. When patients get better by ingesting a sugar pill, medicine defines it as the placebo effect. * 190717
• I call it the belief effect to stress that our perceptions, whether they are accurate or inaccurate, equally impact our behaviour and our bodies. *
• I believe that medical education should train doctors to recognise the power of our internal resources. Doctors should not dismiss the power of the mind as something inferior to the power of chemicals and the scalpel. *
• If researchers could figure out how to leverage the placebo effect, they would hand doctors an efficient, energy-based, side effect-free tool to treat disease. *
• The groups who received surgery, as expected, improved. But the placebo (fake surgery) group improved just as much as the other two groups (with two different types of surgery). *
• In this world anything is possible when you put your mind to it. I know that your mind can work miracles. * 190717
• You can filter your life with rose-coloured beliefs that will help your body grow or you can see a dark filter that turns everything black and makes your body/mind more susceptible to disease. You can live a life of fear or live a life of love. You have the choice! But I can tell you that if you choose to see a world full of love, your body will respond by growing in health. If you choose to believe that you live in a dark world full of fear, your body’s health will be compromised as you physiologically close yourself down in a protection response.   200717
• …Survival mechanisms…can be roughly divided into two functional categories: growth and protection. * 220717
• Gravitating to a life-sustaining signal, such as nutrients, characterises a growth response; moving away from threatening signals, such as toxins, characterises a protection response.* 220717
• Humans unavoidably restrict their growth behaviours when they shift into a protective mode. * 220717
• Growth processes require an open exchange between an organism and its environment. For example, food is taken in and waste products are excreted. However, protection requires a closing down of the system to wall the organism off from the perceived threat. *220717
• Inhibiting growth processes is also debilitating in that growth is a process that not only expends energy but is also required to produce energy. * 220717
• To fully thrive, we must not only eliminate the stressors but also actively seek joyful, loving, fulfilling lives that stimulate growth processes. * 210717
• In multicellular organisms, growth/protection behaviours are controlled by the nervous system. * 240717
• The body is actually endowed with two separate protection systems, each vital to maintenance of life. The first is the system that mobilises protection against external threats. It is called the HPA Axis…….When the brain’s hypothalamus perceives an external threat, it engages the HPA axis by sending a signal to the pituitary gland, the ‘Master Gland’ which is responsible for organising the fifty trillion cells of the community to deal with the impending threat. * 240717
• The pituitary gland sends a signal to the adrenal glands, informing them of the need to co-ordinate the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response. * 240717
• Once the adrenal alarm is sounded, the stress hormones released into the blood contract the blood vessels of the digestive tract, forcing the energy-producing blood to preferentially nourish the tissues of the arms and legs that enable us to get out of harm’s way. * 240717
• The visceral organs stop doing their life sustaining work of digestion, absorption, excretion, and other functions that provide for growth of the cells and the production of the body’s energy reserves. * 240717
• The body’s second protection system is the immune system, which protects us from threats originating under the skin, such as those caused by bacteria and viruses………the adrenal hormones directly repress the action of the immune system to conserve energy reserves…….it interferes with our ability to fight disease…..(also results in) diminished conscious awareness and reduced intelligence. * 240717
• Our hyper-vigilant lifestyle is severely impacting the health of our bodies. Our daily stressors are constantly activating the HPA axis, priming our bodies for action. Unlike competitive athletes, the stresses in our bodies are not released from the pressures generated by our chronic fears and concerns. Almost every major illness that people acquire has been linked to chronic stress. * 260717
• Depression is caused when the brain’s stress machinery goes into overdrive. * 260717
• When you are in that much pain and you’re in an unfamiliar setting, you wind up trying things you would never consider in your cushier moments. * 010817
• When your conscious mind has a belief that is in conflict with a formerly learned ‘truth’ stored in the subconscious mind, the intellectual conflict expresses itself as a weakening of body’s muscles.  010817
• More shocking was the fact that this hidden mind, the mind I knew little about (except theoretically in psychology) was actually more powerful than my conscious mind, just as Freud had claimed……My conscious mind was awhirl over the implications of the superior power of my formerly hidden subconscious mind.  010817
• Thoughts could propel behaviour more efficiently than physical molecules. * 010817
• The lower an organism is on the Tree of Evolution, the less developed its nervous system and thus the more it relies on programmed behaviour (nature).
• Organisms higher in the Tree have more complexly integrated nervous systems headed by a bigger and bigger brains that allow them to acquire intricate behavioural patterns through experiential learning (nurture). The complexity of this environmental learning mechanism presumably culminates with humans, who are at the top, or atleast near the top, of the Tree. * 010817
• Human intelligence can only be fully understood when we include spirit (‘energy’) or what quantum physics-savvy psychologists call the ‘superconscious’ mind. * 010817

Good health is maintained when we find joy and peace within, which is dependent on our accepting the present moment situation fully as it is now! – Gul Malani 

Our Ego’s non acceptance of the present moment and fear of the future can cause health problems starting from minor headaches to major illnesses like Cancer – The Totality 

Our Ego causes fear and stress within us when we do not fully and unconditionally accept the present moments as they are now. This can lower our body’s immunity resulting in poor health – The Totality *

‘I am not feeling well’ is a reflection of our not thinking well!– from teachings of Brahmavidya

A strong belief is necessary that The Universal Subconscious Intellect or Totality, which has Infinite Knowledge, is fully capable of keeping us in Good health and delivering to us what we desire! – Gul Malani *

I would not die before death actually came. I would value each day and each moment for the precious gifts within – Neelam Kumar from her book ‘To Cancer with love’ *

I also cherish and take confidence in knowing that the body is designed to heal itself…..The body wants to heal, and every cell carries extraordinary intelligence and fortitude. While we all sometimes need outside help and direction, healing is an inside job – Donna Eden*

Brahmavidya, an art of spiritual breathing and meditation, not only cleans our Blood but it also cleans our Intellect of all the impurities our Ego is dumping into it -The Totality *

We truly detoxify our body when we become aware of our Ego’s thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions and when we fully accept the present moment as it is now – The Totality

Healing doesn’t come from outside. All that medicine can do is to help the body bring its own healing force into action…..Health cannot be forced from outside, it is your energy flowering. – Osho ‘Buddha, his life and teachings’ *

Being one with The Totality (Emptiness) regenerates and strengthens the body while being our Ego (filled with thoughts) weakens our body –The Totality *

When our Ego stops reacting to internal and external situations, then our body regains it’s best health and gives out it’s best performance – The Totality

Our Ego’s commonsense says that we should be concerned about our health in order to make the necessary effort to improve it. The fact of the matter is that even our own health is not in our Ego’s hands. It is in the hands of The Totality! Instead, let our Intellect become peaceful by accepting our health as it is now, with gratitude This will allow our body’s internal pharmacy and other capabilities to become productive and bring our health back to the best level possible now. –The Totality *

While our body is capable of maintaining reasonably good health, the main culprit that disturbs this balance or this capability  is our Ego. Ego can create situations of lowering the immunity of our body resulting in minor health issues like headaches, colds etc as well as difficult to handle situations like cancer. By becoming aware of our Ego, its thoughts and reactions, we can reduce its negative impact on our body’s health! – The Totality * 

We can rejuvenate our Intellect & Body by being in the present moment, when our Ego dissolves and we are one with The Totality – The Totality *

Sometimes, all that is necessary to heal another person is just to love them at the spiritual level. You connect to the loving essence of the ill person, allow them to heal by their own recognition that they are loved, and enable them to realise that love is an important factor in their healing. – Carnelian Sage, in her book ‘The Greatest Manifestation Principle in the World’ *?

Good health depends on good digestion, so eat the fruits and foods that our body can digest easily and in quantities that are also easily digested – Atul Bhole, Ayurveda, Pune*

An underfed body heals quicker than an overfed body – The Totality *

If we overeat or eat food that we cannot digest easily, then the food gets converted into Toxins, leading to poor health and diseases. So, eat less than feeling full; that is, only 75% of your requirement and food we can easily digest. Then, enjoy good health free of doctors and medications. – Dr. Arti Supekar, Ayurveda *        050717

Pharmaceutical drugs suppress the body’s symptoms but most never address the cause of the problem…..We are now more educated to the dangers of drugs and more open to alternative therapies….But even today very little scientific rigor has been marshaled to assess the effectiveness of complementary medicine.- Dr. Bruce H. Lipton Ph.D. *             120717

Become aware of our perceived threats besides being aware of real threats. We will notice that perceived threats occur much more often than real threats which seldom happen. Threats, whether perceived or real, shut down our Immune system and our physiological growth processes leading to disease. By become aware and thereby automatically eliminating perceived threats, we will live a healthier life! – The Totality * 250717

Our body is strongest and healthiest when our Intellect is The Infinite Emptiness state and weakest when our Intellect is in the Ego state. – The Totality * 161017

Experience reveals that our body manufactures and delivers the necessary drugs and chemicals to cure itself only when the blood requirement of our digestive organs reduce or the digestive process is nearly complete. So, to maintain good health eat 25 to 30 % less, than feeling full at every meal, eat at periodic intervals and not throughout the day. Eat early at night, preferably around sunset; eat very light so that digestion process is over soonest and the body gets most of the sleep time to manufacture and release the required drugs and chemicals to regain or maintain it’s normal good health. – The Totality  050118

There are five important indicators of good health. First is good sleep as the body repairs itself during sleep. Second is good Energy level, third is good Appetite, fourth is good Digestion and fifth is quick Recovery from sickness. – Dr. Shonali Bijlani M.D. 081218

This quiz is to inspire and motivate all of us to learn, acquire relevant knowledge quickly, experience, understand and assimilate the acquired knowledge so as to start living life fully without any further delay!

1. Where can we find peace or bliss?

 A. On a lonely island

B. Within our own self beyond/underneath our Ego

C. Up in the mountains, valleys & lakes

D. In acquiring more worldly possessions

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. What is the key to unlocking our life’s full potential?

A. Good knowledge of Scriptures of Vedanta

B. A strong connection with God

C. Having a true Guru (teacher)

D. Being aware of our thoughts, desires or expectations, emotions and actions

E. Others (please specify) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3. Who or what creates all the problems for us?

A. The desires or expectations of our own Ego

B. Other persons; one of our parent, friend, associate or colleague, teacher, religious leader, politician etc.

C. Our own past karmas

D. God who is testing us

E. Others (please specify) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. How should we manage our Ego?

A. We should strive to change it

B. We should try to control it

C. We should ignore it

D. We should accept it and as often as we can disable it by being in the present moment

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .

5. We can avoid having ups and downs in life if we:

A. Are devoted and pray regularly to God

B. Visit temples, churches, mosques or other holy places regularly

C. It is not possible to have no ups and downs in life. We just have to accept them and move on

D. Serve others by way of financial or other help

E. Others (please specify) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6. Are all humans the same?

A. Yes, underneath and beyond our Ego we are all the same

B. No, we are all different based on our family background, education, social and economic class

C. No, even the Hindu Caste system says that there are four classes of people; Priests, Warriors, Business people and people who serve

D. No, even members of the same family are not the same

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7. Does every situation (effect) have a single cause?

A. Yes, this cause can be something we or others have done in this lifetime or in our previous lifetime

B. Yes, there can be no effect without a cause

C. No, multiple causes, many unknown to us, have to occur before any situation (effect) develops. It is complicated to understand all the causes as they are much beyond the capacity of the human mind to understand

D. Action & reaction are equal and opposite so, every cause has its effect

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8. Do we have to follow the traditions and rituals of the family & society?

A. The choice has to be with each one of us. We have to become aware that we have been conditioned for these traditions & rituals and we should question then and not blindly follow them

B. Yes, we should follow, it makes the family happy and comfortable as well as it binds the family together

C. These are family traditions and it will convey a lot of disrespect to our elders if we do not follow them

D. If we do not follow religious traditions, a lot of evil may befall on our family

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9. Is the love we are giving to any other person unconditional?

A. Yes, mother to the child and vice versa

B. Yes, when we are truly in the present moment

C. Yes, between good friends or lovers who are willing to do anything for each other at any time

D. No, as love is an emotion of our Ego, it is always self centered and conditional

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10. Where and how can we find our ultimate Teacher (Guru)?

A. The Guru will find us when we are ready, from the Ashrams, or Spiritual & Religious Organisations available all over the world

B. Amongst the numerous authors of Inspirational & Spiritual Books or the Book itself

C. From the recommendation of a parent or a friend

D. Within our own self

E. Others (please specify). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A selection to the above quiz has been created by the compiler and can be found at the bottom of the previous post titled ‘Guru’