It’s December again … New Year is round the corner … time again to make some promises to ourselves … you stare at the blank paper … gradually jotting down your resolutions one by one … but what’s the next thought? “I hope I am able to keep up to these resolutions at least this year.” Isn’t it?
Shares 16-year-old Alisha Banerjee, “Every December, all excited, I would pen down my resolutions for the New Year but they would only remain on paper. After I started meditating and doing Sudarshan Kriya regularly, I felt a greater strength and confidence in me to do whatever I want and now I am successfully able to do that”.
So, it seems keeping up to resolutions is not so hard after all. Just make meditation your friend and welcome the New Year with the reflection of a better ‘you'.
Are these resolutions on your list too?
Quitting Smoking and Drinking
Has the thought about quitting some addictive practices occurred to you, not only while making resolutions but at several times during the year? If you have finally decided to stamp out these habits, it may be important to understand the root cause of the addiction. For most of us, it might be STRESS. Isn’t it?
Drinking and smoking give you a nice feeling temporarily. This New Year, try something that can give you a natural high. At the end of the day, when you come back tired and feel like popping a cigarette into your mouth, just sit with your eyes closed instead and meditate! Meditation is an excellent de-stresser and with daily practice, the crave for a smoke or drink may drop.
Tip – Join a meditation class near your place. A meditation teacher will help you get started and guide you with your practice.
Staying Fit and Eating Healthy
Coming back after shopping - really hungry - you see a pizza outlet on the way. What do you do? Go grab a bite or say to yourself, ‘I’d rather have a fruit salad instead’? You end up eating the pizza, right?
Wanting to make a choice of eating healthy but do not know how? Just do 20 minutes of meditation everyday and you’ll be surprised to see your craving for junk food drop naturally! With meditation, your body starts demanding healthier food.
Boost your commitment to stay up to this resolution with meditation. It will give you the inner strength to continue eating healthy and staying fit.
Tip – Do some yoga stretches before your meditation. They keep you in good shape and meditation calms your mind. A calm mind is better able to keep up to commitments.
Being Happy and Enjoying Life More
When was the last time you laughed like a baby? Play with a child for some time and then go have a look at yourself in the mirror. You might see your smile reaching up to the ears.
Obviously, it’s not always possible to play with a baby all day just to keep your happiness quotient high. But only 20 minutes of meditation daily will ensure that you stay joyful all through the day.
Meditation increases prana (life force energy) so joy naturally dwells up in you. You become so happy and jubilant that you find joy in little things and start appreciating the awesomeness around you.
Tip – Book your 20-minute meditation time in the morning. This will keep you calm and happy during the day.
Saving More
Remember how as a child, we would keep putting money into our piggy bank week after week? And experience the joy when we would break that piggy bank, just to discover so much money we saved! Meditation can bring back that joy even now. How?
To save more, all you have to do is be aware of the way you spend your money. With this, you will be better able to prioritize your spending. The good news is that meditation increases awareness, which will help you to save the money that you may be spending on not-so-important things.
Also, once you take up the task of saving money, meditation will give you the boost to stick to that commitment.
Tip – When you find yourself spending money on going to a party or a mall to give yourself a break, try meditating instead at a place where you can enjoy the beauty of nature.
Helping Others Achieve their Dreams
What an amazing feeling to see our friends touch the sky with their dreams and even better to be able to contribute to their growth?
With meditation, the ability to uplift others comes easy. This is because when you have a relaxed mind and a happy heart, you feel like sharing the joy with others and start caring about others’ dreams and aspirations.
Tip – Uplift your friends by also motivating them to meditate. You could form your own group. Meditating in a group has greater impact.
Re-cycling Used Stuff
Did you know that human hair clippings can be recycled to make an excellent fertilizer, or waste dry leaves can be used to make a beautiful New Year card?
It all starts by loving the nature and being aware of how we can better take care of our environment. Meditation improves this awareness and helps you become nature-friendly.
Re-cycling also often requires creative ways of re-using things. With meditation, you can tap your creative center and think of unique ways of recycling stuff.
Tip – Try re-cycling an old bed sheet to make a nice yoga mat for your daily yoga and meditation practice.
Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
By Divya Sachdev
Based on inputs by Chinky Sen, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Teacher
