Palace of Excellence

Simple visualization techniques to chill out!

2010-11-17T01:06:00.000-08:00

Human mind is rewarded with the priceless gift of imagination. This gift can indeed be used to attain good results. Here I am writing down a few techniques which can harness the power of our imagination to help your mind and body relax. You do not need to spend more than 5 or 10 minutes for this. These can help you relax when you are back home after a stressful work day. These can even help in reducing physical pain to an extent. I obtained a few from some books.I have customized a few for myself as well.

These exercises can help your minds calm down immediately. And of course, as modern researchers say, our physical body responds to an imaginary experience almost in same degree as that of a real experience.(Have you ever screamed in horror, seeing a ghost in TV? How did your body respond? Your breathing and heartbeat changed have changed significantly seeing an imaginary ghost. Well…I wanted to tell you that your body will respond the same way when you see a real one!)Likewise, if we create a calming experience using our imagination, our body will respond by loosening the muscles, deepening the breath and relaxing the entire system.

Here are a few sample visualization techniques. But you do not need to limit the imagination to these. You can customize new visualizations depending upon your taste. Also, some visualizations may not suite to your taste.Go for what you like. Also, do not try hard to concentrate or visualize clearly. Just treat this as fun and enjoy!

1) Sit, close your eyes and imagine that a golden shower is coming down from the sky. It falls on your head. The liquid then moves down and covers your entire body. The shower continues to come down and you are taking a revitalizing bath in this golden water. Feel the cold water (Make it hot water if you want it so)rejuvenating your body and mind. Remain in this shower as much as you like. Once you feel fresh, thank the golden stream and open your eyes slowly.
2) Lie down, close your eyes. Imagine that your body is made of a Jelly-like substance. Imagine that each part of the body (head, neck, and downwards) have become jelly like. Remain in this light feeling for some time. Once you feel relaxed, slowly open your eyes.
3) Try the technique 2, but instead of visualizing the body as jelly, imagine that it is made of heavy stone. You have no control on this stone structure. You can’t move any part of it by your will. Remain in this state for few minutes until you relax.
4) Close your eyes and visualize that you are sitting in a calm beach. See that you are watching the sunrise(Or sunset). Feel the gentle rays of the rising sun fall on your skin. Imagine that these rays are washing away all your stress and your body and mind. Stay in this magical beach until you feel revitalized. Come back, once you are done.
5) Close your eyes and imagine that you are in a wonderful scenery. Choose your favorite destination (Peak of a mountain, bottom of a waterfall, river side etc). Choose it such a way that it calms you down. Remain in this spot as much as you like. See as vividly as you can see. If it is a forest, see the trees and flowers, hear the sounds of birds and smell the aroma of fragrant flowers! Once you are done, open your eyes and come back.
6) This one is my favorite(I read this in the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh–A world famous Zen Buddhist monk and spiritual author): Close your eyes. Visualize yourself as a pebble fallen on still water. You are sinking down the water. Keep on sinking down through the water. Don’t reach the bottom immediately, but keep on sinking. This can create a very peaceful effect.
7) Visualize yourself in the outer space. See the distant galaxies, nebulas, supernovas and black holes around you. See the milky way galaxy and just for fun, spot our sun and solar system in it. Remain there feeling the entire universe and realize the triviality of our day to day struggles. Come back to earth once your mood is elevated!

Staying calm in the midst of Turbulence !

2009-12-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

We all face chaos in our day-to-day lives, in many forms. Irrespective of how precisely we plan our actions, we end up finding ourselves in the midst of crisis. None of us can avoid problems or crisis situations emerging unexpectedly, but what matters is how beautifully, how artistically we deal with them !

Look at Shakespeare's Hamlet. He knows that there is a battle ahead which he is destined to fight. But he does it in a way which lacks all beauty. Always confused - "To be or not to be". Now look at Vyasa's Krishna, the perfect example of playfulness. He smiles in the middle of the deadliest calamities and tackle them just as he is playing a game. Ask your heart - Who among the above two archetypes you would like to be? I know the answer!

The Trick
I have put this into test. I have watched myself carefully while I dealt with crisis situations which needed immediate resolution (Fortunately, the IT Profession gives me enough opportunities for that!). And what I could pinpoint is this - Just before getting panicked, I have a few seconds of choice. It is purely my choice between getting panicked and staying calm. With the support of this crystal clear experience, I can tell you confidently - "You never get panicked, but you choose to get panicked".

So next time, watch yourself calmly. You will be able to pinpoint the moment at which you start develop butterflies in the stomach. At that time, just don't make the choice to get panicked. That is it. Yes, I just said "Don't choose to get panicked", I did not say "Choose to be calm", because calmness is the inner nature of everyone. It is there. If you don't choose to be anxious, angry or sad, it it will remain in it's natural state which is peace.

The above observation is deeply subtle, but guaranteed to provide profound results if put into practice. Just observe yourself, that will liberate you from anxiety.

Why stay calm?
Some of you may even ask why should we need to stay calm in the middle of a demanding situation? Isn't it ok to get a little panicked, provided it will help us act?
I would say, well - sometimes, panic might help you in achieving your target or solving your problem, and sometimes not. Even if you stay calm, sometimes you may achieve your target and sometimes not. So it is not a question of whether you win the battle or not, but it is a question of how beautifully you fight. But unquestionably, staying calm has an added advantage of better probability of success. But beyond that, there is something more happening in a deeper layer. Each time you go through a tough situation with a calm mind and a smiling face, you are growing stronger inside. I have felt it! So it is a practice. Meditating in isolation won't provide you calmness, because after sometime you have to get up and get back to your stressful life. So the real practice is in the midst of calamity and tension.

How to make this possible?
I have a friend who practices Stage Magic. This is a funny piece of advice he received from his Magic teacher. There are 3 steps to be a good Magician
Step1:Practice
Step2:Practice
Step3:Practice
Well said !!!

I would forward the same formula for practicing to stay calm. Each time you do this successfully in a stressful situation, you will feel more satisfied inside. And gradually, it will become natural.

Thank you!

A magical medicine for being success oriented!

2009-07-04T23:08:00.000-07:00

A country's wealth is it's youth. It's prosperity depends upon how much dynamic and success oriented is it's youth. And yes, every country has such heroes at all times. But there is a small dilemma. A good part of the world's youth are in darkness. They are either depressed, addicted to drugs, addicted to violence, or are criminals. Fortunately, we (I mean the readers of this blog!) do not fall in these category. But we too have certain holes in our soul, through which our creative energy leaks out. We are worried too much about our immediate problems, about our next promotion at job, about the bus conductor who behaved rudely yesterday or the chap who outshines us at office. Due to these reasons, we are not success oriented.

And it just occurred me to write here about the magical remedy - A remedy which is very thrilling to follow. But I assure you, I am not going to write about practicing self-discipline, yoga, meditation or about sacrificing the pleasures of life and leave like a saint......NO NO NO. Such things will not work, unless and until it gives you a "thrill". Successful saints were successful because they were thrilled of living that life style. Successful scientists or authors were successful because they were thrilled about their work. So, if someone teaches you a very successful method to be an achiever, it will not work for you unless you get thrilled in following it. So the point is find the thrill in your life, and live in that thrill.

Now here comes the magical remedy - FOLLOW A GREAT PURPOSE

Yes, it is just that much. You have to select a high purpose for your life. Choose your purpose in such a way that it satisfies both of the following criteria.

1)It should help the world (or at least a few people around you) somehow.
2)It should be capable of giving you a thrill.

That precisely was what Mother Theresa, MK Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Einstein and many others did. So why don't you? Don't tell me that you are so humble that you don't want a place in history!!!

I have many friends who want to "enjoy" their bachelor lives to the maximum, because they won't get those days back again. I agree to the point. But how do they enjoy it? Cocktails, outings, pubs, movies...and the list goes on. And certainly, they are getting the thrill from this lifestyle and it does keep them happy. Now let me show you an alternative way to enjoy your young age - Consider the life of Florence Nightingale. At an age of 25, she took up nursing as her destiny disregarding protests from her high-class family. She ecstatically got involved in serving people even amidst dangerous war zones. Did she miss any of the enjoyment which was available to above mentioned "cocktail generation"? I do not think so. I am almost sure that she was extremely thrilled in what she was doing and she must have lived every moment in it's fullness.

So both of these types of enjoyments help in giving us the "thrill". But there is a difference - Those who follow the first path just lives. But those who follow the second path, give their contribution in helping the world improve. The first type of people just passes by, but the second type leave a golden legacy whose fragrance stays, even after their departure from this planet.

So, like Like lady nightingale did everyone of us has some skill, which you can use in order to give your little contribution in improving this planet. Do not do it for the world, do not do it for other human beings, but do it for yourself! Do it so that you will live ecstatically! Do it so that you will invoke the undiscovered forces asleep inside yourself!

As the ancient Indian sage Patanjali put it,
When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all of your thoughts break their bonds: your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person than you ever dreamed yourself to be.

It is time to be "Haule Haule" !

2009-06-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

"Haule haule" - I borrowed this adverb from a beautiful Hindi song from the famous Sharukh Khan movie "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi". And the word "Haule haule" literally means "slowly slowly". The song as well as it's meaning is really captivating. I have embedded the Youtube link to the song at the bottom of this post. Though the song is mainly about the slow blooming of love between hero and heroine, I genuinely feel that, this "Haule haule attitude" is applicable to every phase of life !

If you look around, you will see that everything in nature happens in it's own pace. Blooming of a flower, growth of a tree, movement of a cloud...and it goes on! None of these are in a hurry. Everything in nature happens gracefully in it's own pace, without any hurry.

But being practical rather than being poetic, I agree that there is a difference. A cloud wandering over the sky has no deadline to meet. A flower is not expected to bloom before a given target date. Nature is their boss - A boss who never place deadlines before her subordinates, but allows everything to happen on it's own graceful pace. But we, the men and women of this planet who belongs to the most evolved species called Homo Sapiens unfortunately have other bosses. We have deadlines to meet. We have to run against time. We have business deals to close. So how can we bloom like a sprout or wander like a cloud?

Glad news is that, we can !
In your mind's eye, visualize a mythical war hero, who fight against evil demons . I like to put Valmiki's Sreeram as an example. During the war, he is surrounded by thousands of demons. But his peace of mind is not lost. He retains a smile of confidence in his face. Without any hurry, being sure of victory, he slays the demons one by one in a very playful manner. His grasp on the bow is steady and arrows shower from it artistically. Guys, how will it look like if you are able to solve your day to day problems and struggles like this? One by one, without any hurry. Aren't you tempted by that possibility?

First point I would like to put is that, being in a hurry or getting tensed never ever helps in solving any of your problems. Someone may argue that tension is good in critical moments and it helps them solve the problem at hand. I would disagree. The reason why they could solve the problem was because they took up the challenge wholeheartedly or they assumed 100% responsibility of the situation and acted upon it bravely. They did this because they understood that this is a critical moment and there is no escape. So facing the challenge wholeheartedly helps us solve our problems, but for doing this tension and hurry are not necessary. You can face any problem without hurry. Even if their is a deadline, accept the deadline with your heart and do your best for meeting the deadline. That's all you can do. And if you do that heroically (like the mythical hero we discussed above), the chance of failure is very less. And even if you fail to meet the deadline, it would be a graceful failure. If you had acted upon tension and hurry, the failure would have been more horrible.

Or let me put it also like this - You can be fast without being in a hurry!
How? Again go back to our mythical archer. It is said that old warriors could launch numerous number of arrows within a second. So our archer is indeed super-fast in his art of archery. But is he doing it in a hurry? No, he does it artistically. With the calm composure of a Yogi. This is a classic example of being fast without being in hurry.

Second point is that, we do not have as much problems as we fear. Most of our problems vanish with time, and we will actually have to face only a very few number of problems which we were afraid of initially. A funny quote by the Mark Twain illustrates this - "There has been much tragedy in my life and at least half of it actually happened." So, slowdown and observe your problems curiously, and most of them vanishes. And attack the remaining few like the victorious archer!

Now, let us come down to some practical tips on how to maintain this "Haule haule attitude" in our day to day life.
One technique is to be mindful of your breath during the time when you are not using your mind. For example, you have to attend a high-impact problem and you are just moving to office and you got into a traffic block, or let us say you reached the office building and you are now in the lift. Silently observe your natural breath. It is ok to have thoughts in your mind, but in the background keep this breath awareness. This will calm down your mind slowly. This mindful breathing is not only a simple technique for chilling down, but also it is the very basic of Buddhist mindfulness teachings.

Another technique is also the main teaching of Zen Buddhism - Mindfulness. I assert and re-assert that it is by no means a religious practice. It is a universal tool for the development of your body, mind and spirit. It simply means being fully aware of whatever you do. When you eat, feel it. Feel the taste, feel it filling your stomach. When you walk, feel the movement of your muscles. This way, your actions will become extra-efficient and artistic too !. Practice mindfulness one day, and you will see a different person in you. And you will even receive many subtler lessons which can not be mentioned in words!

Another technique for slowing down will be to remember something you love. About a relative or about a incident for which you are thankful etc.

Whatever be the means you use, refuse to get panicked - Refuse to hurry. And take your time. Then you will discover an inner space deep inside you, where lies solutions to your problems.

Now, just to complete the chilling effect - Embedded below is the youtube link to the full-song "Haule Haule".

Also I am giving below the English translation of first few lines! Chill down, take your time and celebrate life!

A Breeze Wafts Slowly
Medicines Work Slowly
Prayers Are Answered Slowly
The Moon Rises Slowly
A Veil Lifts Slowly
Intoxication Hits You Slowly
Have A Little Patience My Friend
Take A Deep Breath My Dear
Don't Worry So Much
Slowly Slowly You Will Fall In Love My Dear
Slowly Slowly You Will Fall In Love

Benefits of slow & deep breathing

2009-05-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Happy to share another simple but a highly useful tool here which works for me - Slow & Deep breathing.

Let us not go into the Yogic aspects of it, since it is a vast ocean. Regulation of your breath is a core factor in many yogic practices. There are different
kinds of Pranayams and Kriyas which have highly transforming effects on your mind & body. Also there are meditation techniques in which you just focus on your natural breath to attain a state of relaxed transcendence.

But coming to the case of busy people, this can be used as a wonderful tool for relaxation, rejuvenation and general health in the midst of our stressed lives. Medical benefits of deep breathing has been approved widely in the medical field now. Deep breathing allows more oxygen into your lungs and increase the release of Carbon Dioxide from the body. This certainly favours metabolism, blood flow and in turn health & well being of your entire body is enhanced.

Now let us see how deep breathing helps us in attaining mental relaxation & de-stressing. When you are in a stressed situation, have you ever noticed how your breath is like? It is shallow. If you notice yourself in such a situation, you will see that you do not feel air moving into your lungs at all. You just feel the air flow inside your nose !!! Now, listen to your breath while you are in deep relaxation, or listen to someones breath while they are sleeping or meditating. Otherwise, just notice how a new born child does the breathing. You will see that it is deep and slow.

Let us not go to detailed concepts like diaphramatic breathing etc. For now, let us just observe that whenever someone is totally relaxed the breath becomes deep and slow, and the breath fills the lungs during each breath. Now, our interesting point is this : The vice-versa is also possible !

Yes, if you consciously make your breathing slow and deep, you will move to a state of relaxation. The more relaxed you are, clearer your perception will be and more will be your problem solving skills and ability to face challenges.

So practice slow & deep breathing whenever you feel the need to be relaxed. It will be easier to get the relaxed feeling if you keep your spine straight. Try taking 10-20 slow & deep breaths before your presentation interview or examination. Try this when you face a problem and become stuck in the process of finding a solution. Try this before you sleep daily. See the gradual benefits !!!

You got a dream... You gotta protect it !

2009-02-19T02:02:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is quoted from my favorite movie "The Pursuit of Happyness". Chris Gardener - the hero of the movie, gallantly acted by Will Smith gives this bit of advise to his little son. The full advise is "Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something…You got a dream, you gotta protect it…if you want something, go get it". This is something which I always fight hard to live by in my life.

In the fast pace of today's practical life, we always limit our dreams. For today's executive generation, the maximum limit of dreams is a good job, marriage and children. In the middle of the war for survival, no one wants to be someone different in the crowd. No one dare to dream differently. I agree that, for some of us the targets may be a bit higher. Like - "Being a senior VP of my company", "Getting a big hike next year" etc. But let me ask a subtle question to these people. When you think about this goal, do you feel light, do you feel inspired, do you feel energy roaring through your veins? I believe, the honest answer will be "No". These goals make them more stressful. They get more worried about planning how to impresses their bosses, or how to perform their action items within the deadline so as to achieve the goal. So I do not name these goals as dreams. They are just goals. A dream is something, which you really want to do or become from deep inside your heart and soul. You will never become stressed out thinking about your dream. Instead, it will make you feel in unlimited bliss, and you will feel that every cell of your body is vibrating in the rhythm of the dream. And you will know that your heart was always ready to chase your dream. Only thing was that you did never allow it to show up. You suppressed it with your brain.

We all had dreams in our childhood. We all had high opinions about ourselves,and somehow we knew and felt that we have a our role in this world. We had a feeling that, "The whole world is for me". Nothing in this beautiful world is denied to them. This precisely is the reason why children identify themselves with heroes like Batman or Spiderman. But while we grow up, we are "convinced" that being like Spiderman is impossible. So you kill your fantasy. I agree that it is a good realization, but along with that realization, you lost a mysterious thrill. But I'm telling you - All of you are heroes. True heroes in one way or another way. A hero need not perform actions or fights. In my definition - A hero is someone who has the courage to follow his dream irrespective of what the world comments about him/her.

I re-state my definition of dream - A dream is something which you really want to execute from deep inside. So, there might be a musician asleep inside a Mathematics Professor, there may be a Novelist asleep inside a Harvard MBA mind. I'm not going to specifics, as each ones dream is unique. But whatever it is, have the courage to pursue it. I am not saying that you have to give up your job as a software professional and become a Jazz musician, but find time without losing your means of survival. I promise you, once you identify your dream and take a brave decision to follow your dream - Your mind will work wonderfully. It will find excellent ways to proceed, because it now knows what it really wants!

So I would conclude the action plan :
Step 1: Identify your dream - No one can help you in this. But I can leave you some clues. It is what you truly want. It is what makes you feel inspired. It is what fills you with immense energy and makes you lethargy-proof.

Step 2: Take a brave decision to follow that dream. Create time bound action plans and act upon them.

Step 3: Wear a bullet proof jacket. I assure you that others will fire bullets towards you, by means of telling you you cannot do this and you are being stupid. But remember, no none who really follows his or her dream will tell you that. That comes from cowards.

Let me conclude, quoting from the famous book Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it...".

Now, all the best !!!

A funny technique which helps in problem solving & decision making - And it works for me !!!

2009-02-02T06:51:00.001-08:00

I would like to share with you a technique which I unknowingly used even from my childhood when I faced crisis situations or when the situation challenged me to make a tough decision. It is really funny and quite simple, but the attractiveness is that, it works, at least for me. I'm not saying that this is a magical remedy for problem-solving or decision-making, but this will give you some insights, which will help you in decision making. Let me know how do you feel about it!

If you search the web for WWJD, you will find information regarding a concept named "What Would Jesus Do?". This is a famous slogan among religious Christian youth, especially in the United States. Their concept is this - When you are about to take a decision or do something, just think what Jesus would have done if he was in your place. What decision Jesus would have taken in this situation? And they act upon the insight they receive from this question. This way, WWJD is a concept which give purpose to thousands of believers.

Now, coming to our technique, the difference is that we are not particular that we need Jesus Christ only. Of course I would add this - If you are a good believer and if you liked the idea of WWJD, go for it. But my technique is that, you can substitute Jesus with your hero/heroin. Be it another spiritual figure like Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed, be it a war hero/heroin like Joan of Arch, Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander The Great, be it a diplomat like Sir. Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi,Margret Thacher or even be it an imaginary character like James Bond, Indiana Jones or Captain Jack Sparrow!

Remember- Don't treat this as highly philosophical. Take it lightly. It's fun. If you have seen "Pirates of Caribbean" movies, you might have noted the lightness with which Captain Sparrow faces dangerous situations with a funny comment. So imagine what would he might have said/done if he was in your situation. Alternatively you can just explain him your problem in your imagination and seek his advice. If Sparrow does not suite you, try James Bond or whoever interests you. Girls, go for a bat woman or Lara Croft if you like. It is a meaningful fun :).

The trick is that, however tough we are outside, we all love fantasies deep inside. So utilize it. For me, the character Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series is very much appealing. Through his eyes, every problem is really an opportunity and is quite fun. And his calculations are never mistaken.

You don't need to depend upon just one person, actually don't do it. Use every character/person whom you feel like. I may be crazy to reveal you one thing here - In my primary school days, in my mind, I had created a wonderful "inner world". I had an advisory board whose members were Mahatma Gandhi, Sherlock Holmes, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sir Issac Newton and Lady Florence Nightingale. Mr.Holmes kept my investigative instinct intact, Newton took charge of my scientific curiosity, Napoleon tried to provoke me to think like a winner always and Gandhiji and Lady Nightingale took charge of the morality department.
Occasionally, after confirming with my advisory board, I checked external help as well. That means people outside advisory board - Perhaps Mandela or Nehru occasionally.

This is just a way to exercise your creativity and imagination for problem solving in a playful manner. Give this a try !!! And share your views.

Secret of Excellence : A shift from "Result orientedness to Process orientedness"

2009-01-30T02:07:00.000-08:00

Excellence is not perfection. Instead, it is giving your best at whatever action you carry out - Be it a million-dollar worth corporate presentation or be it the mundane act of tying your shoe lace.

Being result oriented and being process oriented :
"Stress" is a modern buzzword discussed vastly by psychiatrists, inspirational writers, doctors and holistic healers world wide. Many of the experts point out that stress is originated because people are becoming more and more "result-oriented" rather than "process oriented". Personally, I too feel that focusing on your goals and deadlines more than an extent will trigger stress in you and will reduce sharpness of your performance. So it is advisable to set your goal and then forget about it. Then act on artistically. Setting the goal is just a first step for starting your journey.

Let me elaborate it this way - Think about any master piece, let it be Leonardo's Mona Lisa, Homer's Iliad or Einstein's relativity. Reflect for a moment - While painting Mona Lisa, was Leonardo worried about the recognition and financial benefits which he is going to acquire with this painting? Did Einstein discovered Relativity for gaining fame and probably a Nobel Prize? Clearly NO. They did it in mere love for the process. Leonardo was fully dissolved in the process of painting which he does it, and Einstein's genius has it's origin in his relentless passion to unravel the mysteries of universe in mathematical terms. Likewise, you take any great achievement, any great art or literature work, you have to agree that it is originated from an artistic mind. A mind which was fully absorbed & found joy in mere process rather than a mind which worried about results. All of those masters were artists, in that sense. Likewise, you can be an artist in your life - performing your day to day activities artistically.

Let me wind up with an observation from Dr.Martin Luther King Jr, which precisely was my chief motivation for this post.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted or as Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say ' Here lived a street sweeper who did his job well.' " - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.