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Stop
Ageing : Part-II |
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Last week,
we concluded that ageing and disease were dictated by the
mind. This time, we will explore the exact steps for attaining
the correct thinking and thereby control ageing.
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Getting right
to the point, correct thinking will be achieved by developing
a positive psychological perspective. To do this:
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- Think present
- Think beautiful
- Think young
- Eat right.
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(A)
Think present
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How do
we know we have aged?
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When we
talk more of the past than of the present or future, we've
become old. "When I was your age…" OR "those were the good
ol' days…"
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Look at your
life span as having a starting point and a finishing
point - you are somewhere in between. When you talk
in terms of the past, you psychologically tend to view yourself
towards the finishing end of the tape, because you are viewing
your past at a considerable distance away. This conditions
your mind to accept that you are old.
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If on the
other hand, you look into the future - "I'll do this after
another 5years…", you convince your mind that you have a
long way to go and this in turn conditions the body to let
it know that it has a long way to go.
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But herein
lies the catch. Thinking too far into the future arouses
anxiety and fear of the unknown. These emotions are detrimental
to the self, so it is not advisable to think too far down
the line.
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The solution
- Live in the Present. Past evokes death while future evokes
fear and worry. Think of the past as gone and think of the
future as unborn. There is no need to worry about an unborn
situation. Simply because, the unborn is based on far too
many variables - much more than you can imagine or be in
control of.
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Therefore,
live for the Moment.
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This is what
meditation in yoga is all about. It helps you achieve this
awareness of the present. When you are meditating, you are
training yourself to witness your present existence only
- not trying to achieve anything. Similarly when you do
yoga exercises, you are supposed to be focusing only on
the physical motions and on the 'chakras' for the correct
stimulation of the energy centers. The important thing to
note is that yoga and meditation help you live in the
present.
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(B) Think
beautiful
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You
may have met certain elderly people who have a remarkable
luster on their faces and the bright sparkle in their eye.
If you've been lucky to meet such people you will invariably
see that such people have a very positive outlook towards
other people and life in general. They look beautiful because
they think beautiful and this is what makes them appealing.
Isn't such attractiveness a part of what we are trying to
achieve by stopping ageing?
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Here
too, yoga is a great help. Through yoga we achieve an "expanded
consciousness". It is said that the human race is as developed
'physically' as it possibly can be. The next phase of evolution
will be in the mind. It is known that we effectively use
only about10% of our mind as the conscious part - it is
said that Einstein used about 15%.
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Yoga helps
achieve this expanded consciousness. As you work towards
it, you will realize the inconsequentiality of petty egos
and material desire. This in turn will help you to look
at everything objectively and in a positive and beautiful
manner.
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(C) Think
young
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Be
in young company and you will think young. It is known that
a baby can laugh up to about 400 times a day while we as
adults (if we're lucky) laugh about 4. Why? What is this
burden that alters our natural instincts? Especially, when
we hear true incidents such as that of Dr. Norman Cousins
who overcame his life threatening tissue disease through
laughter alone!! Ok, I'm not suggesting that you start gurgling
at anything you see (no sir, I wouldn't like my subscribers
being perceived as mentally challenged individuals) but
what I'm definitely suggesting is that as you appreciate
the perceptions of youth, this will help you think young.
In turn, your body will behave young.
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While
it may be true that cancer kills, it is known that the anxiety
and fear associated with the disease ensures the rapid deterioration
of the immune system.
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Is it possible,
that the will to live can have a therapeutic value? Yoga
definitely teaches so and the practice and results of Yoga
Nidra is nothing but an underlining of this fact.
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(D) Eat
right
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Have
a "living" diet: As discussed in the previous issue, your
food must complement your thought and assist in the
correct thinking. It is seen that preserved and formula
foods in fact never achieve the lasting purpose they are
made for. At best, they may provide a temporary benefit,
which is followed by greater malady.
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Eat simply
and live in harmony with nature. Foods such as sprouts,
fresh vegetables and seasonal fruits are known as "living"
foods. They have the power to regenerate the cells of the
body and mind. Nuts and other whole foods also come in this
category. To read about the correct foods, you can always
read one of our previous newsletter issues by going to:
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/news/food.html
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These "correct"
foods in turn promote "correct" thinking - the thinking
we are seeking to achieve that ONE quest from time immemorial
- maintaining the fountain of youth.
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I hope this
article provides a clearer direction and helps you practice
yoga and meditation with the right perspective.
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All
the best,
Arun Goel
http://www.healthandyoga.com
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