The world around is always on the move. Many of us do not look around us. We are staring at our phones continuously. I am surprised that many of us have so much to speak about. I see people going for a walk, going to work, driving, at the beauty parlor, at a restaurant and they all have one thing in common. They are on the phone. I seem to among the few, who is not gawping at the phone. If only we could take time off from our phone, shut off the visual and auditory stimulation coming from it, and appreciate what is happening around us.

Hear the birds singing. Look at the pets going for a walk. Look out for a monkey eating a banana. Watch his fingers and observe how cleanly he eats it. The only thing is he does not know how to bin it. In a restaurant observe what others are eating. Appreciate the presentation of the food. In a patisserie, admire the pastries and in a sweet and savory shop look at the different kinds of sweet being sold. Look at shop windows, and acknowledge the taste in the decoration of the items. There are so many things we miss, when become indifferent to our surroundings.

A yogic pick-me up

Make it a habit to give thanks for waking up in the morning. The mantra is Dhanya Vad. It means that one feels gratitude and when one is grateful then one finds grace. This leads to blessings in one’s life. When one does that, it removes the anxieties which are crowding one’s mind. Even if one has not slept well, it removes the unrest one feels.

Next chant a mantra eleven times before getting out of bed. One can use any mantra, Aum, So Ham, Shanti or Aim Hrim Klim. Do not be in a hurry, and just concentrate on your normal breathing. Next visualize your breath going in through the left nostril and coming out of the right nostril, and then visualize the breath going in through the right nostril and coming out of your left nostril. Do this eleven times. Now you are ready to face your day.

Aim Hrim Klim

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