Consciousness
Inner Engineering
Sadhguru, founder of non-profit spiritual organisation Isha Foundation, explains the science and technology for inner wellbeing.
24 July 2020
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For several years I have been drawn to be in service to others – to share what I know about the changing climate, the way I see life and the world we live in and why we must strive to always be the best possible version of ourselves.
What drives me to want to help others, and do you have it too? Is it the only way we can come back to wholeness?
It seems to me the most fundamental aspect of the human experience is to be joyful and happy in relationship with everything around us; with other humans, places, animals, nature – you get my drift.
When we are feeling happy, life becomes a beautifully enriching experience.
Does this start with being happy with ourselves first? The obvious answer is yes, but what does that actually mean?
Isn’t what makes us happy different for everyone? Well actually, no – I don’t think it is.
For me happiness is a feeling that can be enriched by people and the environment, but if we let those outside experiences dictate how we feel then we are not in control of our own experiences and how they affect us.
Only when we are sufficiently balanced, comfortable and happy in our own bodies, minds and emotions can we be truly happy with others.
We are in control of our thoughts and feelings; they don’t just wash over us (unless we let them).
We are able to choose whether we have that thought or not, feel that emotion or not.
Of course sometimes there are extremes which are much harder to control, and receptive feelings can become habits or even addictions.
My point here is that we can choose to have a feeling or thought or not, and I have found this – taught to me by my yoga and shamanic teacher – to be key to my own happiness.
It’s great to recognise that those thoughts are what creates our experiences; if we think negative thoughts, this will create negative experiences.
Have a happy thought, or even one full of gratitude and appreciation for what you have right now in this moment, and it will bring more situations for you to be happy and grateful for. It really is that simple.
Go on, give it a go – have a practice every day, and let that practice infuse every moment.
The practice that helps me is a kriya, a simple process or technology using breathwork, sound and meditation.
I start the day with a cold shower, and then find a quiet room to sit and breathe with intention to cleanse my mind and my body.
By holding one nostril and breathing out and in again, then swapping nostrils for around five minutes, I am able to cleanse my mind.
I then chant 21 Oms; starting with a wide-open mouth, I get the sound right into my base and then slowly close my mouth to a hum and let the sound move through my body upwards and into the skull to give my body and energy a cleanse and reboot.
I end with some fast, short breaths for two minutes and then hold my breath for as long as I can before exhaling, holding again empty for as long as possible and then slowly releasing.
After this process I sit quietly with a still, clear mind for around five minutes.
This works for me; it keeps my stress levels low and my happiness levels high, which leads to a much happier person inside.
I hope this also helps me to be a happier person with everyone I come into contact with that day.
It’s important to say that I’m very lucky to have a beautiful family that creates this time for me each morning, so I can be a better version of myself every day.
So in the spirit of gratitude and appreciation, thank you to Katie and our children for giving me this space each day.
Do try and give yourself some time each day to reconnect with you. It can change everything.
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