June 2018

Simply living

International Day
of YOGa

DAAJI oN: Selfish love - selfless love

The mental side of sport
www.heartfulnessmagazine.com
 Heartfulness
Creative Team

Editorial Team – Meghana Anand, Sylvie Berti Rossi, Genia Catala,

Elizabeth Denley, Emma Ivaturi
Design Team – Hélène Camilleri, Emma Ivaturi, Uma Maheswari, Subroto Mukherjee
Photography – Mark Basarab, Kenan Buhic, Daiga Ellaby, Gemma Evans, Chinh le Duc,
Toa Heftiba, Thananchai Jaipa, David Marcu, Annie Spratt, Stefan Stefancik,
James Thomas, Anastasia Yilmaz
Art – Claire Bigand, Anne-Grethe Kausgaard
Writers – Megha Bajaj, Elizabeth Denley, Barbara J. Levin O'Riordan,
Kamlesh Patel, Neelam Shivhare, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ravi Venkatesan
Interviewees – Devinder Singh Bhusari, Dr Gary Huber, Dr H.R. Nagendra

ISSN 2455-7684

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The views expressed in the contributions in this publication do not always reflect those of the editors,
the Heartfulness Institute, or the Sahaj Marg Spirituality Foundation.
 Contributors

Dr H.R. Nagendra
Chancellor of S-VYASA University, Bengaluru, and President of the Indian
Yoga Association, Dr Nagendra has been at the forefront of research into
the benefits of Yoga on health and well-being since the 1980s, combining
the best of the western scientific approach with the Yogic and Vedic
traditions of ancient India. He has received many awards and honors,
both in India and on the international stage, including the Global Peace
Award from the World Peace Council in 2015 and Padma Shri from the
Indian Government in 2016.

Megha Bajaj
An award-winning author, film writer and revolutionary educator, Megha
Bajaj is the co-founder of Miraaya Holistic Growth Center, a premier and
one-of-a-kind organization whose ‘soul’ purpose is to prepare children to
be life-ready and not just exam-ready. With over 25,000 followers on her
social network pages and two popular books in her name, Megha believes
that her journey as a seeker has just begun. Her writings are soothing and
inspiring in a way that they touch and evoke responses from deep within.

Devinder Singh Bhusari

Ranked #1 in men’s tennis in Asia in the under-14 category; the first
player from India to be included in the World Junior Team; co-founder
of the Shaishya Tennis Academy, Gujarat, India; these are some of the
laurels that Devinder Singh Bhusari has feathered in his cap. In addition
to being a very successful tennis player, this young prodigy also received an
MBA degree from one of the premier B-schools in India. What keeps him
inspired and grounded amidst success and his current work is meditation.
Elizabeth Denley, Rishabh Kothari
Meghana Anand, Sylvie Berti Rossi
Genia Catala, Emma Ivaturi
THE PROMISE OF YOGA

Dear readers,

In this issue, we celebrate International Day of Yoga on 21 June, now in its third year.
We feature an exclusive interview with Dr H.R. Nagendra, President of the Indian Yoga
Association, and bring you glimpses of last year’s celebrations on 21 June in different parts
of the world. We interview Devinder Singh Bhusari, an ace tennis player who has made a
career guiding young talent, and Dr Gary Huber, an expert in integrative medicine. Llewellyn
Vaughan Lee opens us to the art of cleaning, while Anne-Grethe Kousgaard's paintings are
inspired by the beauty of nature. Daaji continues his series on Ashtanga Yoga, focusing this
month on the most profound limbs, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.

In nature, certain elements are able to dissolve into one another to become one. For example,
have you ever wondered why a solid cube of salt or sugar easily dissolves in water while oil
remains floating on the surface without mixing? The answer lies in their inner constitution.
Similarly, by practicing Yoga, our inner constitution is molded so as to dissolve into the
Ultimate. This International Day of Yoga is an opportunity to pause, practice, experience,
absorb and dissolve.

The editors
10 24 34

interview
Sport

focus
Devinder Singh Bhusari
The Mental Side of the Game
Part 1
36
Yoga
Heartfulness Around
thought
the World
12 in action
International Day of Yoga Business relationships
Dr H.R. Nagendra Ravi Venkatesan
Yoga The Heartful Negotiator
16 Part 5

26

in the field Teamwork

Elizabeth Denley
10 Tips for Working
With Others
Capt. Mahendra Singh
Heartfulness on the High Seas 32
08
42 52 66

taste of life
Nature art
it changes Anne-Grethe Kousgaard
Leaf Patterns - an Art Essay
68
everything be
inspired
Heartfulness Asanas
Bhadrasana
Spiritual Ecology
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
72
Cleaning
Being Present
44 Megha Bajaj Integrative medicine
When I Walk, I Walk Dr Gary Huber
Forgiveness Meditation & Health
Barbara J. Levin O'Riordan 54 Part 1
Choosing to Believe 74
49 Science of Spirituality
Ashtanga Yoga
Samyama - Part 1
Daaji on Inner Focus what's up
58 78

desk of Daaji
82
I n the field

Heartfulness
On The High Seas

Captain Mahendra Singh

Commanding Officer,
MT FF Endeavor

8
There are 25 to 30 persons A ship at sea is a world away Soon all the personnel were
employed on-board a ship for from the world. Though life at introduced to Heartfulness
up to 8 months at a stretch, sea seems very quiet from the Meditation. When we finished
away from family and facing viewpoint of a person on land, the first session, everyone was
various challenges at sea like in reality it is full of action. astonished with the kind of
bad weather, extended hours of Many times we have to push experience they had, which
working, commercial pressure, the boundaries, as the staff reset and refreshed them as if
different cultures, and language sailing on the ship handles someone had waved a magic
and national barr iers. I n all emergencies and affairs. wand. Upon completion of
addition, we are challenged with This makes us stressed and the introductor y sessions,
meeting the high expectations disconnected, with health issues meditation sessions were held
of shipping companies, frequent at times. Seeing all this, I had the every Sunday and Wednesday,
audits and inspections by third instinct to initiate a Maritime as well as individual sessions at
parties and callings of the Mobile Center where everyone other times.
government, breakdowns of could practice Heartfulness
instruments and machineries Meditation, develop peace, joy My personal experience is that
at sea, emergencies like fires, and connectedness, and thereby Heartfulness Meditation is
collisions, grounding and piracy, improve their work efficiency a means to liberate ourselves
and other medical emergencies. and manage stress in a better from complexities, anxieties,
way. fear and stress, and in turn fill us
with joy, happiness and love. In

Hea r tf ulnes s
organizations like ours, where work stress is very Visitors from Japan have experienced Heartfulness
high, it is like a Ram-vana (the arrow of Lord on board the ship, when we visited Chiba, Tokyo,
Ram), which never fails to find its mark. Before I as have dozens of British, French and Russian
had to shout to get things done in a proper way, Navy Commandos, on-board to safeguard the ship
but now I don’t feel like shouting even if there in piracy-prone areas. The maritime community
is cause for it. Heartfulness has transformed me. is thankful for Heartfulness on the high seas, far
beyond the reach of land. 9
In the shipping industry, employees are rotated
among the ships in a company and very few go
back to the same ship. There is a change of staff
on-board a particular ship every 4 to 8 months, so
now Heartfulness sessions are conducted regularly
for newcomers. Till now more than 200 seafarers
have experienced Heartfulness and whenever they
sign off the ship, the contact details of the nearest
centers and trainers are shared with them so they
may continue during their leave.

The effectiveness of Heartfulness Meditation

is seen in that our ship has received the ‘best
performing ship’ prize twice out of 120 ships.
Many of the shore authority officers who come on
board for official visits in different countries tell
me that they feel positive energy and good vibes
on the ship. Once a pilot who boarded the ship
in Ruwais, UAE, wrote to the shipping company
that on this ship everything is in order, and the
staff is competent and the atmosphere very serene.

June 2018
 focus
yoga

Yoga takes you into the

present moment, the only
place where life exists.

Patanjali
 rou nd

a
2 1 June 201 7

the w
Heartfulness ld
or

As Heartfulness is a practice with its roots in Yoga, Heartfulness

Institute has been honoring and celebrating International Day
of Yoga on the 21 June ever since its inception in 2015. There
h ave b e e n m a ny c o m m u n i t y eve nt s a ro u n d t h e wo r l d , w h i c h
have brought Hear tfulness together with various other groups
and organizations in the spirit of ‘union’ to offer the benefits of
Yoga to everyone. The momentum has been building every year.
In this visual journey, we share with you some of the events of
2017, highlighting just a sample from different parts of the globe.
The events planned for 2018 will touch even more hear ts, and
we invite you to join us wherever you are in the world.
http://iyd.hear tfulness.org

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Yoga

OMTO Distillery, Toronto Canada

Sydney, Parliament House,

Australia

300 people showed interest to know about

Heartfulness, some 50 people experienced
Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation in
our booth and many more when Heartfulness
was conducted from the main stage at noon. On the evening of 21 June 2017, in Sydney,
It is our third time being part of the OMTO Australia, International Day of Yoga was
event, and it is a very good partnership. New celebrated at Parliament House, with a
seekers see us as part of the Toronto Yoga program organized by the Indian Association
movement. of Australia for state parliamentarians,
consuls and other dignitaries and friends. 13
Our Heartfulness team guided the audience
Munich, Germany through Heartfulness Relaxation and
Meditation.

Uttarakhand, India
A full-day program was sponsored by A Heartfulness Meditation
the Consulate of India in Munich with Workshop was held from 19 to
many Yoga associations participating. 21 June 2017 for the employees
The program began with an opening and family members of a
ceremony, oil lamps being lit by the hydroelectric project in the
representatives of the various Yoga Himalayan state of Uttarakhand,
associations, including Heartfulness. India.

June 2018
 Yoga

Trafalgar Square, London, UK

In London’s iconic Trafalgar Square, on the hottest day of 2017, 40 volunteers
from Heartfulness, UK, set up their stand to welcome thousands of visitors to
the International Yoga Day 2017 event hosted by the High Commission of
India. They gave interviews to national and international media as well as an
experiential session of Heartfulness from the main stage.

14
Heartfulness meditation for NCC cadets:
Hyderabad, India

On the occasion of International Day of Yoga 2017, the National

Cadet Corps Directorate in Hyderabad celebrated with all their
cadets across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, including half
an hour of Heartfulness Relaxation and Meditation along with
the standard protocol of Yoga as mandated by the Ministry
of AYUSH. In most of the centers, Heartfulness Institute
provided a Yoga teacher to conduct the standard government Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
protocol and then a certified Heartfuness trainer introduced
thousands to Heartfulness Meditation.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Yoga

Because of this wonderful experience, a bigger

event is being organized for 2018.

Many students are now aware of meditation in

Lille. We do weekly Heartfulness Meditation
Lille, France sessions in EDHEC Business School, Sciences
Po Lille, Université Catholique de Lille, and a
Lille is a town in the North of France with a rich few other colleges. EDHEC’s students created a
history, notably being occupied during two world student association in the school called Inside-
wars and as an industrial center for textiles and Out, to offer meditation sessions to the students
coal. The local people went through very hard every week (Inside), and to create events to
times economically and socially last century, but promote meditation in local businesses (Out).
Lille has been experiencing a great renewal in Many students and staff from companies come to
recent years. There are now more than 150,000 these outside events to experience Heartfulness
students in the area, and many hearts are opening and Mindfulness meditations.
to meditation. For the International Day of Yoga,
21 June 2017, a Yoga and Heartfulness Meditation One mother told us that her children could
sessions was organized in the park. Through a recognize if she had been to meditation on Friday
Facebook event more than 200 people came, and because she was more relaxed during the weekend.
1000 people replied that they were interested to One of her children recently said, “Mum, please 15
come. There was such a happy and peaceful energy. relax! You should go to your meditation session. I
People experienced both Heartfulness Meditation am sure you haven’t been this week. Don’t forget
and physical Yoga, and were very happy. Many to go next week, because you’re so cool when you
stayed to listen to a lovely bansuri flute concert. go there.”

Trieste, Italy

Meditation on the seafront

was organized by the Trieste
Heartfulness Center to
celebrate International
Yoga Day. The center invited
other Yoga associations in
the city to participate. The
meditation session was held
at 9 p.m., when many local
people go for an evening
stroll along the seafront
promenade.

June 2018
YOGA

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Yo ga

(yo' g e )

DR H.R. NAGENDRA, Chancellor of S-VYASA University

and President of the Indian Yoga Association, speaks about
International Day of Yoga and the impact Yoga is having globally.

17

Q Good morning sir. We would like to

start with a very personal question.
Are we really moving towards Reality with all
the research that we do? The immediate answer
You were a scientist with NASA, and chose was, “No.” So what was the way out? These were
to come back to India to dedicate your career the questions that were being raised among the
to spreading Yoga. What really prompted faculty and students.
you to do this?
Then I got in touch with a professor of
The search for Reality. When I started doctoral chemistry who was very well-versed in Sanskrit,
research I asked, “What is the real purpose of the Upanishads etc. Through these interactions,
the research that we are doing?” We talk about I started getting a new direction from the
a Doctorate in Philosophy, a PhD, but are we Upanishads. They tell us that you have to go
doing philosophy? What is the whole idea? And beyond the physical. What we were doing in
it all came down to the idea that the search for science is essentially all about the physical
Reality is the objective of the research being world. And now a time has come where science
done. is moving beyond the physical, to understand

June 2018
 Yo ga

the deeper dimensions of this creation. What I feel that health and
is prana? What is the mind? Can the mind
exist without the brain and the body? What is
education will be very
the intellect? What is the relationship among much impacted by Yoga.
the mind, the emotions, the intellect and
consciousness? Do gods and goddesses exist?
Swami Vivekananda said
Into this field of subtlety and causality, science that the entire education
has started moving, and it was all here in the
Upanishads thousands of years back.
system has to be remolded.

I found the complete answer to all my questions,

the Upanishads attracted me and I entered into this
field. I had gone abroad to see what were the best
institutions and the directions science was taking,
how technologies were moving, and what I wanted presented so nicely that it almost hypnotized
to study. After that I came back to India to continue everyone. 183 countries approved his suggestion
this process. I joined the Vivekananda Kendra in that 21 June should become the International
Kanyakumari to train people in this direction. The Day of Yoga. He was telling me that the most
head of the organization, Eknath ji Ranade, told surprising thing was that 45 Islamic countries came
18 me, “Now your direction is here, and you have to forward offering their support. This global support
train youngsters.” That is how I became the director opened up the possibilities for Yoga throughout
of training, and I stayed there for fourteen years the world in an unprecedented way. Now the
before my current work started here at S-VYASA. scope has spread everywhere.

Q
There are a lot of Yoga institutions in India and
So it was the quest for Reality that abroad, and he wanted to synergize their efforts,
drove you. as they were all working in isolation. Therefore we
formed the Indian Yoga Association, of which I
Yes, from mechanical engineering to human am the President, and here you will find most of
engineering. the main sansthas of India. This is how the synergy
started growing.

Q What role do you see Yoga playing,

especially in health and education, in
I feel that health and education will be very much
impacted by Yoga. Swami Vivekananda said that
the years to come? the entire education system has to be remolded.
What is happening today is essentially Britannic
Thanks to our Prime Minister, Yoga has now spread education. There should be man-making education
all over the world. One single speech by him at the and nation-building education and for that Yoga
UN Assembly, giving the holistic position of Yoga, is the right way. Meditation is the right way of
not just as a physical exercise or other individual doing it. So we must build this dimensionally into
things, but as the science of holistic living, was our education system.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Yo ga

So our Prime Minister said, “It should not

be just one day of practice on 21 June by the
largest number of people, but it should go into
our education system.” So we work with all the
main government institutions to integrate Yoga
with education at the center. For example, in
India the National Council for Teacher Education
(NCTE) is training 1,300,000 teacher educators
every year in pre-primary education. Then we
have the National Council of Educational
Research and Training (NCERT), for primary
and high school level, and the University Grants
Commission (UGC) for higher education. In
all these organizations, the committees have
welcomed us, and we have gathered a number of
Yoga masters to develop a syllabus, a curriculum,
which will be compulsory.

Initially there was some resistance, and a group

of people took it to the courts. But the Supreme 19
Court ruled that Yoga is good for everyone, and
has now approved a Yoga syllabus for schools.
The Yoga syllabus aims to bring about the total
development of the personality, at all levels.

The second dimension is the health scenario.

Modern medicine deals very effectively with
infectious and contagious diseases, but the non- find the solution. Yoga and AYUSH systems
communicable diseases like arthritis, diabetes, have been doing that over the last 40 years and
hypertension, heart disease, epilepsy, migraine, publishing their findings with wonderful results.
irritable bowel syndrome and cancer have ruined It has been put into the framework of modern
the possibility of bringing health for all by 2010. scientific research.
So the WHO did not succeed in its endeavor.
Swami Vivekananda said : combine the best of the
Why is this so? Because these modern ailments East with the best of the West. The best of the
are not really physical. Our knowledge base in West is modern scientific research, and the best
the physical may be total, but these diseases result of the East is our wisdom way. The two have to be
from mental restlessness, emotional disturbance, combined. This is how we started our movement
and deep-rooted psychological conflict. It is a set and we started publishing papers in the best
of lifestyle diseases. So unless you bring about a journals of the world. In 1986 we published the
totality of lifestyle normalization, you will not results of a four-and-a-half-year study on the

June 2018
 Yo ga

And now a time has come where science is moving beyond

the physical, to understand the deeper dimensions of this
creation. What is prana? What is the mind? Can the
mind exist without the brain and the body? What is the
intellect? What is the relationship among the mind, the
emotions, the intellect and consciousness?

effect of Yoga on bronchial asthma, and all of a

sudden there was acceptance worldwide that Yoga
Q How well is the age-old tradition of
Yoga being received by the modern
20 could be used to treat asthma. scientific community ?

Then we brought out a book, Yoga for Common Earlier there was a lot of resistance, because people
Ailments. So for 18 different ailments, how do thought:
you bring Yoga in its full perspective? When that 1 Yoga is Hinduism
book came out it was published simultaneously 2 Yoga does not have a base
in London, Sydney and New York. Then it was 3 Yoga is some sort of physical exercise,
translated into many languages and became a and they started distorting all sorts of physical
bestseller. Now it has become a sort of textbook. exercise into Yoga and bringing in animals as well,
Now we have produced almost 500 publications with dog yoga, cat yoga and what not.
like this. Comparing all the institutions, no one
else has been able to do this amount of research. So there has been a great need for revamping
In the field of Yoga worldwide, our contribution is and bringing the essential language of Yoga to
probably between 50% and 70% of the total. That is the world at large. And that is what our Prime
why we call this organization Swami Vivekananda Minister did in such a big way. So three years
Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana or S-VYASA, as back, on International Day of Yoga, 21 June,
it is a research organization. around 1,800,000 people practiced this common
protocol in India, and throughout the world people
practiced in almost 130 countries. Last year in
India we had around 2,800,000 practicing and
this year our target is 4,000,000. And we hope
that all countries will participate.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Swami Vivekananda said: combine the best of the East
with the best of the West.

Our Minister of External Affairs has been very Free Hospital in London we worked on diabetes
bold in following up to promote Yoga Day abroad. in the 1980s. Then at the Middlesborough General
We want to share our tradition. Hospital in the UK we worked on arthritis. After
this, at the University of California, San Francisco,
we worked on pre-diabetes and HIV. Then in Los

Q
Angeles we worked on irritable bowel syndrome.
Can you speak more about the The biggest center for cancer research is the MD
impact of Yoga on non-communicable Anderson Cancer Center, so there we have our
diseases, like diabetes, cancer etc.? Can work on cancer, especially breast cancer.
Yoga offer a solution ?
In this way we spread our wings throughout and
What we did was to develop collaborations with went to the best research institutions in the world
the topmost institutions in the world, so that to establish the efficacy of Yoga as an adjunct to
acceptability is easy. First of all with the Royal conventional medicine. This is how Yoga was

June 2018
 Yo ga

That’s the beauty of Yoga. inspired. So the entire thing has to be brought
with modern scientific research because everywhere
If you are a computer engineer, people want evidence.
it helps you to become more
Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in India
effective as a computer now; China is number one and India is number
engineer, because while doing two. But we are racing to go beyond China, and
the expectation is that by 2024 we will become
Yoga you will reduce number one in the world. Can we prevent that?
your stress. We were very keen to find a way. So I said: let the
government join hands with Yoga institutions and
bring about a positive change, and we took up a
project about two years back where we screened
around 250,000 people in six cities all over the
brought into the health field, particularly in cities. country and gave them three months of Yoga.
We have also been doing the same in India, with Their medication started coming down, sugar
all the institutions here. In all the hospitals we levels were getting normalized, and there were
have our Yoga teams supporting patients and doing wonderful results. Based on this study, we are going
research. Recently we wanted to bring this work to take the Yoga module that we have developed
22 into the All India Institute of Medical Sciences as a national program. The Minister for Health
(AIIMS). So I gave a talk and they said they were and Family Welfare announced that this program
very fascinated and would start working with us. would be taken up nationally.
Fortunately there was some space available in their
tower, so they gave us around 4,000 square feet to Now he wants us to focus on cancer control, which
establish an advanced center for integrative medical he has given as a mandate for this year. It is called
research. When we started, all the departments the integrative cancer project, and it is much bigger.
came with so much enthusiasm, so now there We will be doing this in 125 districts, scanning
are 24 research projects going on there. In the 20,000,000 people. So we are seeking the help
next two to three years, AIIMS will produce a of all the different Yoga institutions because we
lot of research findings in this field. It will be a have to scale up. We need the entire country to
wonderful result. benefit from what we have found here in a small
way. Once we do that, it will be a direction to the
AIIMS is the topmost research institute in the whole world on how Yoga is useful for health.
country, with the best brains, the best equipment, There is a holistic vision to see that it brings
the best infrastructure, and the largest number of about the delivery of a proper health care system.
patients. When I asked them, “Are you producing We should be very efficient and give immediate
papers in the best journals? How many papers have relief to people, with no side effects and, most
you published in good international journals?” they important, cost effectively.
said, “None.” So I told them, “This is what you
have to do.” Recently we have started publishing
papers in the top journals, and now they are all

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Yo ga

accept. For example, now Yoga has been accepted,

meditation has been accepted, but Ayurveda and
Homeopathy are not yet accepted. So when we
start integrative centers in different parts of the
world, people have no problem with Yoga but some
still do with Ayurveda. So we have started doing
a lot of research in Ayurveda and other systems
also, to see that they also come to the forefront.
That is the dimension today.

Q One last question, sir. Do you have any

message for the younger generation ?

To youngsters I would say that Yoga has a message

for all. I invite them on International Day of Yoga
to take up the simple module offered and practice

Q
it. Once they do the practice they will start growing
I was reading somewhere, sir, that Yoga very nicely in their own respective field. That’s the 23
practitioners don’t need proof; it is beauty of Yoga. If you are a computer engineer, it
only for the external world that we need to helps you to become more effective as a computer
provide the impact analysis to convince them. engineer, because while doing Yoga you will reduce
your stress. So all the IT companies have started
Many people think that way. Yoga and the Vedas using Yoga to help their employees relax. Like
are thousands of years old, whereas a western that, Yoga has its application in all fields. So the
allopathic medical center may only be 400 years youth of today are welcome to start doing the
old. That is one way of thinking. But we also have practice by participating in International Yoga
to update our tradition, and to go on updating Day. Start doing the practice for yourself, and it
according to the times. There are things that were will bring about changes. It will bring about real
relevant 5,000 years back, 1,000 years back, 300 transformation.
years back, which may not be so relevant today.
Our requirements will be quite different. So we
have to tailor our approach to the requirements Interviewed by Prasanna Krishna
of modern society, with the types of modules
and other things we offer. This is what we are
trying to do.

Research is very necessary, and once we show

the results of the research the whole world is
going to accept. Otherwise, many people will not

June 2018
 in action
Thought

A clear and innocent

conscience fears nothing.
Queen Elizabeth the First
 the
heartful negotiator
Part 5

Clarity, Thoughts and Ideas

- Mind Games

In the previous four articles of this series RAVI VENKATESAN reviewed a conceptual framework
of the heart and mind vibrational field, and explored the four main emotional dualities that exist
within the field of the Heart, and how to manage these during negotiations. In this article he will
expand on the fifth duality, Clarity versus Doubt, and explore thoughts and ideas in more depth.
26
Thoughts & Ideas
Ego perception - Me vs We
Intellect - Logic and Reason
Mind - Ad hoc ideas and wandering Clarity versus Doubt
We often hear comments like, “His judgment
was clouded,” “She wasn’t thinking clearly,” etc.
In negotiations more than anywhere else, we
sometimes feel a block in being able to perceive
Feelings & Emotions things clearly. This is all around clarity versus
Clarity vs Doubt doubt or confusion. This duality is right at the
intersection of the heart and mind and decides
Fear vs Courage Love vs Anger how effective the processes of the mind will be.

Peace vs Restlessness Greed vs Contentment

Prior Disposition
Worries and Concerns
Desires
Likes and Dislike
Guilt

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Bu si n ess re l a t i o n sh i ps

To understand the dynamics of clarity versus doubt, consider a simple negotiation between a parent,
Janet, and her son Jason’s teacher, Joshua. Joshua wants to retain Jason for an extra year in the 1st
grade, as he believes he is not keeping up. Janet believes that she can provide him a little help and he
will do fine, and that Joshua is way overreacting to some minor challenges with Jason’s assignments.

Janet : H i J o s h u a , I g o t y o u r e m a i l Joshua: I apologize if I offended you. My intent

recommending that Jason be retained an extra wasn’t to be insensitive. I only want to support all
year in the 1st grade. I know he had challenges parents the best way possible. My concern is that
with a couple of assignments, but this sounds like if we let Jason go to the second grade, in spite of
an overreaction. I can help him keep up. Please the challenges he had this year, he might struggle
consider letting him progress to the 2nd grade. even more and get demoralized. If he repeats a
year now, he may become more confident for life.
Joshua: Janet, I know you have a hard time
as a single parent in looking after your son. We Janet: I am sorry I reacted that way. It has been
have to be objective though; Jason will have to hard to juggle my job, Jason’s needs and the rest of
repeat the year. my life. I see your point. I am just worried about
being seen as a failure as a parent.
Janet: First of all, this has nothing to do with 27
my marital status. I know what I am doing as a Joshua: I understand, but let’s put Jason first.
parent. I also know that when the same thing I am open to him progressing, if you feel you can
happens with other kids, they are not asked to truly support him more next year. Will you please
repeat the year. You just seem to be biased against take a day to relax, and with a calm mind consider
my son and me. my recommendation.

Janet comes back the next day with the following message: “You are right. I wasn’t thinking clearly.
I cannot let my fears about how I will be perceived impact my judgment in doing the best for Jason.
When I calmed myself down and tried to listen to my heart in terms of the best decision to make, it
was clear that your recommendation is the right one. Thank you very much for being patient.”

This short scenario is loaded with insights for us. Remember the vicious and virtuous cycles of
opposites we discussed in the last article.

June 2018
 Bu si n ess re l a t i o n sh i ps

LOVE H ate
Courage Fear

Peace restlessness
Clarity doubt

Contentment greed

In this scenario, we saw both of these cycles. Later as Joshua apologized and articulated his
Initially Joshua’s comments about being a single perspective more carefully, she felt more content
parent, and seemingly hard line on having Jason with his apology -> She calmed down -> She felt
repeat the year, threw Janet into a negative spiral. more positively towards him -> She felt like she
She wanted Jason to progress (discontent) -> She could muster courage to make the right decision
became restless as the conversation wasn’t going -> A timeout let her listen to her heart and decide
how she wanted -> She got angry at the “single with a clear vision.
parent” comment -> She was afraid that she would
be perceived as a bad mom -> Her judgement was
28 completely clouded. She lashed out!

What is fascinating is that both the vicious and virtuous cycles in this case were each triggered by
one single comment on Joshua’s part.

Here are some suggestions on managing clarity versus doubt:

• Frequently check internally, asking yourself, “Am I thinking and perceiving clearly?”
Be alert to the downward spiral of discontent -> restlessness -> anger -> fear -> doubt.
• If you feel emotions are clouding your judgment, or the other person’s, then take time out.
• Try and listen to your heart. The best clarity comes from a clear heart. This voice gets stronger
as you listen to it more.

Thoughts and Ideas the mind. Consider the statement that, “We feel
way before we think.”
Now let’s explore the thoughts and ideas in the
mind. Remember that learning how to manage Let’s explore the more important idea in the mind,
feelings and emotions in the heart is foundational our ego, which simply put is our mental model
to being able to manage thoughts and ideas in of ourselves. This model is constantly updating

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Bu si n ess re l a t i o n sh i ps

29
and going through micro refinements, though Rarely do we stay in the 4th ego state of ‘I’m OK,
it has a long-term state, which manifests as our you’re OK’, which is exactly where we need to be
perception of ‘Myself versus Others’, in other for Heartful negotiation.
words, the ‘Me versus We’ mode of operation. I
deliberately use ‘Me versus We’, but let’s begin by Let’s consider a short scenario to understand the
first understanding the ‘Me versus You’ perception impact of ‘Me versus We’ in negotiation.
that we carry.
Colin is the founder of SmartOffers, an exciting
Almost always, we consider ourselves to be right software startup that presents shopping suggestions
and the other person wrong, ourselves to be good and offers to users on their mobile phones, based
the other person bad. We also often consider on their locations. He is meeting with Kim, who
ourselves weak and the other person strong, or runs the merchant offers business for a very
vice versa. Thomas A. Harris postulates in his large multinational corporation. If the meeting
bestseller I'm OK – You’re OK that we stay in 4 is successful then Kim’s company could acquire
ego states: Colin’s startup, which would provide significant
financial benefit to him.
I’m not OK, you’re OK
I’m not OK, you’re not OK
I’m OK, you’re not OK
I’m OK, you’re OK

June 2018
 Busi n ess re l a t i o n sh i ps

Kim: Colin, it is exciting to meet with the founder straight first, you are meeting with me because
of such an exciting new startup. Congratulations I have built something innovative that larger
on the idea and getting this far. companies like yours struggle to build.

Colin: Kim, great to meet you as well. Not Kim: That may be true, but coming up with a good
sure what you mean by getting this far, though. idea and scaling it are two different things. I have
We have multiple pilots with real customers, and decades of experience with taking startups and
everyone likes our product. making something real out of them. Frankly, we
get approached by dozens of companies pitching
Kim: Of course, great work. I meant that you did their innovations.
great getting it to some free pilots, but it will take
a lot more experience and support to get customers Colin: Let’s not do business together. I find
to pay real money for a product like this. your approach arrogant and not appreciative of
what I have accomplished.
Colin: I do have a lot of experience in this space,
and two patents as well. I feel like we’re getting Kim: I am sorry you feel that way, but my time is
off on the wrong foot here. Let’s get something limited, and I get a lot of these ideas coming my way.

This is a classic case of a negotiation dying even before it has a chance to get started, because of ego.
Not everyone in business operates this way, but this happens way more than any of us would like to
30 believe. Arrogance and egotistic behaviors kill more deals than anything else. The consequences are
unfathomable. A poor country doesn’t get the aid it needs because the Prime Minister who went
to negotiate with a rich neighbor felt like she wasn’t treated as an equal. Millions suffer because of
one person’s ego. Two countries go to war because one leader insults the other publicly. In this case
thousands die because of one person’s ego. Hostages are killed because one negotiator wanted to be
tough, and let his ego get in the way of continuing dialogue. A disease assumes epidemic proportions
because the leader of the militia in control of an area will not provide access to humanitarian aid, as
it may make him appear weak.

Here are a few tips to manage our egos through negotiations:

• L eave it off the table – the other party praising you and inflating your ego should not be a
prerequisite or a factor of negotiation.
• Shift yourself from the ‘me’ mode to the ‘we’ mode. Don’t just think from the other person’s
perspective, but truly approach the negotiation as a team trying to solve a problem collaboratively.
• Be alert to the mode you are in, if you find yourself slipping into ‘I’m OK, you’re not OK’,
or ‘I’m not OK, you’re OK’, or “I’m not OK, you’re not OK’ ego states, gently center yourself
with a pause, and come back to ‘I’m OK, you’re OK’ mode.

We’ll continue to refine our techniques of managing the ego in subsequent articles where we understand
other mental processes and how to manage them. Till then, observe the ego state you are in, even in
day-to-day interactions, not just high stakes negotiations.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 31

June 2018
 10 tip s
for Working With Others
Despite all the gadgets, technologies and virtual working styles in most modern
offices, it is still relationships that matter most. Here are a few tips from
ELIZABETH DENLEY on creating effective working relationships and teams:

1 Meet face-to-face when possible.

Effective teamwork needs the 2 Look for everyone’s genius.
human touch.

4
Listen.
You will
learn a lot!
3
Be open and welcome
different points of view and
styles of working.
 5
When you speak, let your voice radiate
calmness, cooperation and
trust, without defensiveness,
roughness or aggression.

6 7
Be willing to see past your own Be patient. Pause.
agenda. Harmony matters more Be poised.
than bein g right. All situations Center yourself
are opportunities to expand your when necessary.
consciousness.

9
When there are differences of
8 opinion, take up the challenge of
integrating them into a higher
Consciously let go of any synergy. A strong collective vision
negative reactions and transcends individual perspectives.
conflict that arise. The whole is always greater than
the parts.

Before sleepin g at night, scan the

10 events of your day. How can you
do better next time? Resolve not
to repeat mistakes and then you
will sleep with a light, happy
disposition.
 When considering the stature of an
athlete or for that matter any person,
I set great store in certain qualities
which I believe to be essential in
addition to skill. They are that the
person conducts his or her life with
dignity, with integrity, courage, and
perhaps most of all, with modesty.

Sir Donald Bradman

interview
 The Mental Side Of

part 1
the game

36 DEVINDER SINGH BHUSARI

made it big on the international tennis
circuit. In 1999 he was ranked Asia no.
1 in the under 14 category, and he has
the distinction of being the first ever
Indian tennis player to be invited by the
International Tennis Federation (ITF) to
be a part of the World Junior Team to
the USA in the same year. But then, as
a young adult, he chose to take his career
in tennis in a different direction. Today,
as part of a team of experts, Devinder
successfully coaches young talent in the
Shaishya Tennis Academy in Gujarat,
India, and offers counseling to students
and their parents. This strengthens them
in the sport and grooms them to face the
challenges of life at large.

Hea r tf ulnes s
Q What attracted
you to tennis, Devinder?
today I am in this profession
of tennis coaching and tennis
But at the age of 21 or 22 I
had the question: What do I
What led you to pursue counseling. want to do? And as I already
it as a full-time vocation? explained, at the age of 22 I

Q
stopped playing competitive
My journey as a tennis player, tennis and started exploring
even the career that I am Did you ever feel what I really wanted in life.
pursuing now, started because pressured, or was there After that things changed, I
of my father. He wanted me any clash between what changed – not radically, but
to be a sportsperson. He you wanted to do and I found a balance between
had wanted to be a cricketer what your father wanted what my father wanted for
himself, so in a way he wanted you to do? me in life and what I want,
to live his dream through me. and kind of combined the
And he wanted me to be a I was motivated and two. I’m leading a happy life
cricketer, and like a lot of inspired, actually. He used right now!
other Indian kids my journey to put pictures and newspaper
also started with cricket at the articles in front of me, or we During my MBA, I secured
age of three-and-a-half. He would watch cricket matches a placement with Indian Oil
motivated me, and later on I together on television, and Corporation. My parents
went into athletics and then I would see the laurels that were super happy but I was 37
to tennis. I started playing sportspersons got for the dissatisfied; I wanted to do
tennis well, and I played country and for their friends more. My father, especially,
competitive tennis at the and families. My father wasn’t in favor of me quitting
international level. I think in used to say, “People usually the job. It took six months
those years growing up, tennis come into this world and to convince him to let me
and academics were the only do something just to lead get into the field of tennis
two things that I did. a normal life, get married, coaching.
have children and so on. Your

Q
Later on during my post- life should be different. You
graduate days, as I was trying should become something.”
to figure out what I was really So that message stuck in my Oh, beautiful. So
good at or what I would like mind – that he wanted me to how did you go about
to do, my heart guided me to be different, he wanted me finding that balance?
realize that I really got a kick to be a sportsperson. I liked
out of training and mentoring sports so there was never a It was very important to know
others. So after I did my clash between what I wanted what my strengths were. What
major in human resources, I to do and what my father is it that I really wanted to
combined the two things that wanted me to do, until I was do in life? I had started
I really wanted to do: training 21 or 22. I guess since birth practicing meditation at the
and mentoring young kids and I was just very obedient to age of 19, while I was doing
adults and tennis. That’s why my parents! my Bachelor of Commerce.

June 2018
38

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Spor t

Meditation helped me to be in and coaching at Shaishya from me. I counsel the kids,
touch with myself. Of course Tennis Academy. the players, and I counsel the
it helped me on the tennis parents also on a variety of
court, but it also helped me In tennis, the difference topics like the mental aspect,
off the tennis court, because between players at the highest planning their tennis and
I came to know who I really level is a mental one. It is not tournament schedules, and
am, what are my strengths, so much physical, it is not so even queries regarding their
and what is it that I really much technical or tactical academics. So it’s more like
like doing. as mental. Experience had being a tennis doctor.

Q
taught me that very few people
At that point in time I knew a actually train kids mentally.
lot of people who were really And to train kids mentally, Are there any
struggling with the question you don’t need to necessarily specific tools or steps
of what to do in life, whereas that you use, or a
in my case, the more I came cu r r i cu l u m t h a t yo u
to know about myself, the What I tell my follow, while counseling
more options actually started your students and their
opening up. So I never felt students is that at parents, especially on the
lost, or had the question, the end of the day mental front?
“ W hat am I going to do 39
next?” In fact I knew that I it’s just a sport, That’s a great question. Mostly
could do this, or this, or this. it’s just a game. So people look at a game like
It was all about choosing the tennis as a physical sport. But
best option. So that was the when I counsel the it came to me with experience
beauty of meditation. kids on the mental that, at the end of the day, it is

Q
largely a mental sport. I know
aspect, there’s a so many kids who would play
What is tennis whole set of values well during practice, but in a
counseling? How do you match they would just fizzle
do it in Shaishya? that I bring in. out; they wouldn’t perform
well. So how to train these
When I entered into coaching, kids on these mental aspects?
I joined my own coach, do it on a tennis court; it can
Shrimal Bhatt, and started be done off the tennis court, What I tell my students is
coaching with him. At the it can be done in an office or a that at the end of the day it’s
same time I founded a small classroom. So I started tennis just a sport, it’s just a game.
firm called Samasam, which counseling. In fact, if I look So when I counsel the kids
means ‘balance’ in Sanskrit. back, most of the students on the mental aspect, there’s
Within that I incorporated who have come back to me for a whole set of values that I
the idea of tennis counseling. tennis coaching are the ones bring in. The better character
Of course now I do counseling who actually took counseling and perspective the child has

June 2018
 Spor t

16-year-old boy playing at the

level of international juniors.

I have also been fortunate to

work with a couple of other
players, one of whom is a
national champion. This boy
was in 10th grade, and in one
of the unit tests leading up
to the final board exams he
failed, and his parents were
pretty concerned regarding his
future and what to do. So first
I spoke to the parents without
the child, and then we brought
the child in and worked out

Q
a timetable. We worked out
the priorities, keeping the
towards life and towards Can you share right perspective and trying
40 sport, the better they’ll do some practical examples to find a balance between his
in tournaments and be able of drastic changes in academics and tennis. The boy
to handle the pressure. The students through this finally did well in his board
pressure in tennis, and even in type of counseling? exams, and then he actually
life, comes from misdirected went on to win a national title
perspectives or misdirected There was an instance where and a couple of back-to-back
ambitions. Tennis is not one boy would get ver y international titles last year.

Q
about winning or losing; a angry on the court, and in
tennis match should be able certain cases he did not have
to bring out the best in the the adequate work ethic or That’s fantastic.
child. I think that is also willpower to do the exercises. So do you use meditation
what challenges in life are So we started meditation as a tool regularly in your
all about. So in counseling sessions with him during the counseling program in the
sessions, all the time we keep last four months, and there is academy?
reflecting back to what life actually a clear improvement.
is all about, and how tennis The graph in terms of his No, not for every child because
is just a miniature real-life efforts and work ethic is most of the children who come
situation without the real-life only moving upwards. He has to me are less than 15 years of
consequences. I am speaking become so particular about the age. Lately there is a relaxation
about tennis, but it applies to way he does things, we can see technique that we have been
all sports. him motivated, and he plays at using on the court sometimes
the international level. He is a for the kids after the sessions,

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Spor t

to help them relax, to help

them focus. A lot of kids really
Q What changes
did you observe on and
a game. There are challenges
involved, and the challenges
like it, and some of them apply off the court once you should make us better as a
the technique on their own. started meditating? person, as a human being.

In fact the reason I took to A lot of things! Some of the So meditation has given me
meditation was that in the small things were: better the right perspective on life,
middle of a match I would control over my emotions, as to what life is all about.
get so many thoughts. Some clearer focused thinking, And once you have the right
of them were irrelevant, precision, and better efficiency perspective, it puts all the
unnecessarily putting me in whatever needs to be done. other facets or all the other
under pressure. I think the So that’s at the lower level. parts of life in proper place.
best way to tackle pressure But at a higher level, you need You are able to prioritize very
in a tennis match, or in life, to have a right perspective well. I do have a lot of duties,
is to get your thinking clear, towards everything. So I and meditation helps me to
and that is what meditation keep talking to the parents stay centered, focused, and I
essentially does. Once you are and to the children about am happy and enjoying life.
able to regulate your mind what is the right perspective
in a positive direction, most towards tennis. And the right To be continued.
of the things get sorted by perspective is to take it is as
themselves. Interviewed by
Meghana Anand

June 2018
 everything
it changes
If water derives lucidity from stillness,
how much more the faculties of the
mind! The mind of the sage, being
in repose, becomes the mirror of the
universe, the speculum of all creation.

Zhuangzi
 Cleaning
44
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

I
n the busyness of our contemporary life we are drawn into ceaseless activity that often separates
us from the deeper dimension of our self. With our smart phones and computer screens we often
remain caught on the surface of our lives, amidst the noise and chatter that continually distract us,
that stop us from being rooted in our true nature. Unaware we are drowned deeper and deeper in a
culture of soulless materialism.

At this time I find it more and more important to have outer activities that can connect us to what is
more natural and help us live in relationship to the deep root of our being, and in an awareness of the
moment which alone can give real meaning to our everyday existence. Over the years I have developed
a number of simple practices that bring together action and a quality of mindfulness, or deepening
awareness, that can nourish our lives in hidden ways. These activities, like mindful walking, cooking
with love and attention, can reconnect us with the web of life, our natural interconnection with life
in its beauty and wonder. They can help us ‘declutter’ our outer life and instead become rooted in
what is simple and real. One of these practices, which combines action with mindfulness, is cleaning.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 The art of cleaning is a simple
spiritual activity that is often
THE ART OF CLEANING overlooked. The image of the
monk sweeping the courtyard
has a deep significance, because
Bamboo shadows sweep the stairs, without the practice of cleaning
there can be no empty space, no
But no dust is stirred. space for a deep communion
with the sacred. Outer and
Moonlight penetrates the depths of the pool, inner cleaning belong to the
foundation of spiritual practice,
But no trace is left in the water. and as the monk’s broom touches
the ground, it has a particular
—Nyogen Senzaki relationship to the Earth. We
need to create a sacred space in
order to live in relationship to
the sacred within ourselves and
within creation.

In today’s busy life cleaning 45

one’s home is often considered
a chore. We may spend time and
energy (and expensive products)
in our daily ritual bathing, but
the simple art of cleaning our
living space is rarely given
precedence. Our culture calls to
us to use products that will kill
all of the ‘germs’ that surround
us, products that are often more
toxic than the germs, but do we
give attention, mindfulness, to
caring for the space in which we
live? Are we fully present with
our brush or vacuum cleaner?

June 2018
 Spi r i t u a l e c o l o g y

But if we are to
practice spiritual
ecology, if we
are to include
the spiritual in
our ecological
awareness, we
need to bring a
greater awareness
to all the debris
we leave behind.
We need to learn
how to clear up
after ourselves,
how to keep an
46 empty space
– how to be Once I realized that everything up in a family without love or
attentive in our is part of one living whole, that care, I feel this need especially
cleaning. nothing is separate, I understood strongly, but I sense that it
how everything needs care and comes from a deeper knowing
attention. I bring this feeling of how everything is part of the
and awareness into my cleaning. fabric of love – that creation is
Cleaning a table, dusting a woven out of love. And so when
shelf, I give attention and love, I clean I am also looking after,
because everything responds caring for, what is around me,
to love and care – not just knowing that it too needs to
people, or animals, or plants, but be loved.
everything. I feel strongly that
just as I should only have what I must admit that I love to
I need, I should only have what clean. I find cleaning deeply
I can look after, love, and care reassuring. Personally I love
for. It is a simple recognition of emptiness, inner and outer space.
the sacred that is present within In cleaning my living space I
everything, and a way to live am creating emptiness, clearing
from the heart in everyday life. up the debris that so easily
Maybe, having been brought accumulates. And when one

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Spi r i t u a l e c o l o g y

cleans with love and attention the next person who entered. The Just as ritual
one is not just vacuuming the therapist had no understanding bathing prepares
dust, but also the psychic debris,
even the worthless thought-
of psychic cleaning. Sadly it had
not been part of his training or
the worshipper,
forms that stay in the air. practice. The air was dense with or just as we may
Because our culture only values discarded psychic contents. take off our shoes
what it can see and touch, we at the entrance
do not understand this invisible This is not uncommon. Often
accumulation. But it is real, and people who do healing wash
to a temple
without conscious attention it or shake their hands afterward, or mosque (or
clutters our life more than we but then the illness just goes even a friend ’s
realize. Just as ritual bathing
prepares the worshipper, or just
into the water or into the air,
to be drunk or breathed by
home), cleaning
as we may take off our shoes another. When my teacher is an important
at the entrance to a temple was in India with her Sufi preparation for
or mosque (or even a friend’s sheikh, she would sometimes living with the
home), cleaning is an important witness him performing a
preparation for living with the healing. She noticed that after
sacred in our
sacred in our daily life. each healing he would cup his daily life.
hands and bring something to 47
When I first started lecturing, his mouth. She realized that
traveling over America, I would he was inwardly digesting the
stay in people’s houses. At the sickness that he had cleansed,
time I was lecturing mainly to so that it would not just stay
Jungian psychology groups, and in the air and attach itself to
so would sometimes stay in the another person.
house of a therapist. I remember
one night being given a bed in Ecological awareness teaches us as little as possible in their
the spare room, which was also the importance of recycling and garbage bins for the landfills,
my host’s therapy room. After composting. The waste from our and work to safeguard the food
a few restless hours I gave up daily lives should not be allowed and water supply, and this is very
trying to sleep and realized just to accumulate in a landfill. commendable. But if we are to
that I was lying in the psychic Nor should it be allowed to get practice spiritual ecology, if we
soup of all of his patients. into our water, which in a less are to include the spiritual in our
Through his therapy work he visible way is becoming toxic ecological awareness, we need
brought unconscious feelings with all the tranquilizers and to bring a greater awareness to
to the surface, brought shadow other drugs that go through our all the debris we leave behind.
dynamics, anger, and depression system into the water, affecting We need to learn how to clear
into consciousness. And so they and mutating the fish. There are up after ourselves, how to keep
were floating around the room, many ecologically aware people an empty space – how to be
waiting to attach themselves to who make it a practice to leave attentive in our cleaning.

June 2018
 Spi r i t u a l e c o l o g y

When we bring a quality of spirits so that the couple have a

attention in our cleaning, the happy marriage. These ancient
psychic debris can be absorbed rituals carry an understanding
along with the dust. Often the of the inner worlds and how
attention is linked to the breath, they can affect our daily life. In
so the two work together.1 When the practice of spiritual ecology
we work this way the debris does we are not just working with
not harm us, and I have found a the outer physical world, but
deep satisfaction in this practice. also the inner worlds, and we
need to respect this. We need
Our present culture teaches to relearn how to live lightly, to
us to accumulate, but not how leave as little debris behind us
to make empty. But for real as we can. We need to relearn
spiritual work in the inner and how to sweep with our broom.
outer worlds, in order to give It is simple good housekeeping,
space to the divine, in order to more important than we realize.
return to the sacred, we need to
practice a certain purification in
our daily lives. We learn to eat
48 consciously, to be attentive to
our outer environment, to sweep
our courtyard. We also need to
learn how to clean our house,
both physically and inwardly.
Just as we need to learn to
empty our mind in meditation,
to clear away the clutter of
unnecessary thoughts, so do we
need to consciously clean our 1
In the Sufi practice we work with
living space. Dusting, sweeping, the heart, and so darkness and
vacuuming with attention, we debris are also absorbed through
the heart, with love. Sufis are
bring a certain awareness to
sometimes known as ‘sweepers’
the ground of our being. This because they sweep up the debris,
has to do with respect for our the dust of the world that others
environment. leave behind.

In some old Celtic rituals after © 2017 The Golden Sufi Center
a wedding the couple walk to Adapted from Spiritual Ecology:
the celebration proceeded by a 10 Practices to Reawaken the
young boy and girl with brooms, Sacred in Everyday Life.
who are sweeping away the evil www.spiritualecology.org

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Choosing
to Believe

BA R BA RA J. L E V I N O’R I OR DAN makes us e of an

ol d e m oti on a l wou n d to l ear n how to fo rgi ve, and how
to a c t i ve l y m a ke c h oi ces t hat l ead to heal i ng i nstead of 49
foste r i n g res ent m ent and hur t .

I saw that in
A
fe w weeks ago, I I started by remembering that I
remembered having am now older than the person shaming me
been painfully shamed was when they shamed me and,
by somebody. This happened therefore, can see the matter
the person had
many, many years ago. I think from a more adult perspective.  forfeited an
that I was still in my teens, opportunity
and the person who shamed
me was quite a bit older. We
I saw that in shaming me
the person had forfeited an
to teach me.
were in a situation where oppor tunit y to teach me. Recognizing that
they were my ‘superior’ and Recognizing that fact helped fact helped me
held power over me. This me to heal my own shame. I was to heal my own
person died a few years ago.  not stupid, as the person had
implied, but simply needing to
shame.
After venting my anger by telling learn something. The person had
my story to some friends, I just made an unfortunate choice
began my process of forgiveness. – to belittle rather than teach.

June 2018
 Ac t i ve fo rg i ve n ess

50
 
Then I made a I recognized that this person, as I kept having an image of
choice. is true for anybody when they
hurt another person, was coming
the person who had shamed
me. I had the idea that I was
from a place of pain and need. doing them a disservice by
I chose to believe holding a gr udge against
that the soul I also considered that maybe them. In my imagination I
of the person the person had been having had the idea that they wanted
a bad time that day and that to be more deeply forgiven.  
who had hurt I, a young kid, might just
me was seeking have been getting on their Then I made a choice.
forgiveness. nerves. That did not excuse
them, but I could sympathize. I chose to believe that the soul
of the person who had hurt
Finally, I wrote a letter about me was seeking forgiveness.
the matter, which I purposely Perhaps they had even prayed
did NOT mail. for the old memory to return to
me as a way of bringing about
Still, the forgiveness process was forgiveness. Perhaps the memory
not complete. There was still no had come so that I might heal
love in it. myself of the old wound, and

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Ac t i ve fo rg i ve n ess

also so the person might ask clean your office – have power Surely every
for and be forgiven and healed.   and can stay with them all
their lives.  Any opportunity
soul eventually
When I chose to believe those to belittle one of those persons seeks forgiveness.
things, everything changed. is also an opportunity to teach, And perhaps
I chose to believe that the
enrich, and empower them.”
the world needs
person was repenting all the If any body c an hear and a bit of benign
times in their life when they remember that, I will be a bit pretending as its
had belittled other people; more healed, and I choose to wounds become
that the person was planning believe that so will the person
a new life in which they did who hurt me.
increasingly
not shame others as a way of critical.
anesthetizing their own pain. I I think I can also choose to
chose to believe that their soul believe that any person who
was seeking relief in this way.   hurts me in the future is already,
in the very act of hurting me,
I am now choosing to believe also beseeching my forgiveness.  
that this person and I are joining
together in the effort to right In Man’s Search for Meaning, seeks forgiveness. And perhaps 51
what was wrong and create Victor Frankl states that it the world needs a bit of benign
something new. If our hearts can is our right to choose beliefs pretending as its wounds
come together in a shared effort that enhance our humanity, become increasingly critical.  
to correct what had been broken particularly if the choosing
and mistaken, our story, which is conscious. When he was This exercise in choosing to
began so many decades ago, incarcerated in a concentration believe helped me to change.
can still have a happy ending.   camp, for example, he chose to It seems that my own world has
respect himself, to believe that he expanded. I am now considering
So, in the light of all that, I am would someday be liberated, and what other beliefs I might
asking you, readers and friends, to believe he would write a book choose that will strengthen me
to consider this message. I based upon his experiences at the and others, and help us to grow.
choose to believe that the camp that would help others.  In Which beliefs do you choose?

 
person who once shamed me fact, Frankl was liberated, and
is now joining me in speaking it: millions of people have read
and been helped by his book.
“Your words to people who
are subordinate to you – your Some might state that choosing
employees, your pupils and to believe as I did was only an
students, your children, your exercise in pretending.  But, how
parishioners, the people whom far wrong could I have been?
you mentor, and those who Surely every soul eventually

June 2018
be insp ire d.
A human being is
a vessel that God
has built for himself
and filled with
his inspiration so
that his works are
perfected in it.

Hildegard of Bingen
 When I W
al k , I w a l k

54

MEGHA BAJAJ tells a beautiful simple story about a monk and his disciples, and
relates this to her own experiences of the power of now, the present.

S
tories can teach in ways that only stories monastery. People sought him from all over the
can teach. For days I had held a question world. The scaling heights, the brazen winds, the
in my mind about how I can progress on wild animals – nothing could stop them from
the spiritual path. Last evening, finally, the answer flocking to the monk – for they knew he could
came with the birth of this story. Through me, pave the way to peace for them. However, after a
and for me, this story has become a milestone. A few days, many got restless and left. The reason?
realization has become my realization. Perhaps, The monk hardly spoke. He just carried on in his
it can become yours too. usual fashion. For many, this was hard to deal with.

Years ago, when finding peace was still the most The great monk had a merry laugh and a twinkle
important quest for all, there lived a great Buddhist in his eye. He seemed ancient and yet just like
monk. High above the mountains iced by snow, a child. He never invited anyone and he never
and sprinkled by cherry sunrays, was his little refused anyone, and when someone did come he

Hea r tf ulnes s
 B e i n g prese nt

If I can learn to do what I am

doing, and immerse myself in
it completely, meditation will
cease to remain a part
of my day. It will become a
part of me. And gradually, it
will become me.

55

made sure his home was their home. Many came, Either way, the night would rise only when all
many went – but a few, a small group of eleven, the doubts had drowned.
stayed behind. The monk knew he had finally
filtered the ‘seekers’ from the ‘questioners’. This During one of those twilights, the youngest girl
was the group who had left everything to find in the group, Mira, asked him, “Beloved one, tell
peace, and they wouldn’t return knowing about me the secret to your peace. I want to know.”
peace, they would return knowing peace ! The Knowing that the words that would follow could
monk did all that he needed to in a day, while change their lives the entire group moved closer.
the group followed around, hoping to get a cue Silence fell over them as the monk replied, “When
as to how they too could be in constant blissful I walk, I walk.” The seekers moved closer still. They
union with their Lord. wanted to know more. They wanted to transform.
Something told them that the answer would be
In the evenings the monk would sit under a tree, revealed. The monk, however, spoke no more.
while the group gathered around him. Some He just sat with his eyes skywards, wondering
put their head in his lap and he caressed them at the stars.
lovingly, while others were content to just watch
him from afar. The seekers asked questions and The seekers were disappointed. They had thought
sometimes the monk would answer at length, some profound, complex secret would be revealed.
and sometimes he would choose silence to speak. But no, the monk had just spoken a single sentence:

June 2018
 B e i n g prese nt

When I walk, I walk. What could this mean? All

of them went to sleep that night with questions
chasing his words around … answers nowhere
in sight.

The next day, the monk went about his day as

always and the seekers followed step. As he
plucked the weeds out of his tiny garden, the
group helped. The monk smiled to himself as he
sensed a peculiar restlessness in the air. However,
no one said anything. They had already learnt
that answers would come only when answers
would come. Usually one amongst them would
stumble upon the answer to the monk’s words
and share his realization with all the others. The
group would internalize it, ponder upon it, and
wait until the realization became a part of them.
56 Today, however, revelation didn’t seem to be in
the mood of befriending any of them.

The guru chuckled silently and asked the young

girl, “Mira, what are you doing right now?”
The beauty about this moment Surprised by the monk’s question, she replied,
is that when you are in it, “Helping you pluck out the weeds, beloved one.”
He smiled and asked, “What else?”
completely and absolutely, Mira spontaneously replied, “Nothing else!”
nothing else matters.... All The monk asked, “Are you sure you aren’t doing
anything else?”
that exists is the activity that Mira thought for a minute and said, “Well, I am
you are involved in and you. thinking about your words.”
“And?” asked the monk mischievously.
Get immersed even further “Umm … wondering what is there for dinner
and nothing but the activity tonight,” replied Mira with a giggle.

remains. You dissolve. And in The monk smiled and said, “When I am plucking
those moments, when there is weeds, I am plucking weeds.” And with that he
went back to doing this chore with the same
no ‘you’, what is, is. And that intensity that he used to meditate, or eat, or watch
‘is’ is peace! a sunrise, or speak with them.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 B e i n g prese nt

The entire group spontaneously burst into smiles. You dissolve. And in those moments, when there
This was the first time that they had all understood is no ‘you’, what is, is. And that ‘is’ is peace! It
something together. Restlessness changed into sounds almost too simple to be true, doesn’t it? Too
excitement, and within moments, excitement commonplace. I always believed finding peace was
became peace. The little group of twelve – one a treacherous, arduous, difficult process, however
master and eleven disciples – plucked weeds as I now realize that it is so simple that we miss it.
they plucked weeds, that afternoon.
I always wondered what the difference was
Ever since this story wrote itself out, the very between me and a monk. Now I know. Even while
perspective with which I look at life has changed. meditating I am thinking, planning, scratching
Queen of multi-tasking, I believed I should not and wondering. A monk, even while thinking,
waste a single moment of my life. I packed in as planning, scratching and wondering is meditating.
much as I could in every second. I watched movies If I can learn to do what I am doing, and immerse
while exercising. I had breakfast while reading myself in it completely, meditation will cease to
books. I enjoyed a sunrise while chatting on the remain a part of my day. It will become a part of
phone. At any given point I was involved in at me. And gradually, it will become me.
least two or three activities … and I wondered
why I wasn’t enjoying any. Usually when I write it is while sipping a masala 57
chai, chatting on Facebook and checking my mails.
When I walk, I walk. So simply answered the Today, as I write, I write. I can feel the difference.
master. Since yesterday I have been doing this. I can almost experience you sitting beside me, a
When I ate, I ate. When I was with my husband friend, a fellow seeker, as together we live this
Arun, I was with Arun. When I listened to music, message: When I walk, I walk.
I listened to music. Initially it almost appeared
too difficult to do just a single thing at a time. I
felt restless. I felt irritated. But I didn’t give up.
As I pursued a single activity long enough and
gave myself to it completely, I realized something
within me suddenly shifted. No longer was I living
in the past or the future – rather I fell into the
coveted ‘now’, the ‘as is’, the ‘present continuous’.

The beauty about this moment is that when you

are in it, completely and absolutely, nothing else
matters. The unpaid bills, the chores for tomorrow,
the aching knee, the worrisome child – in the now
none of these exist. All that exists is the activity
that you are involved in and you. Get immersed
even further and nothing but the activity remains.

June 2018
 PRANAYAMA PRATYAHARA
Breath Inner Withdrawal
Regulation

DHARANA
Mental Focus

Ashtanga
ASANA
Posture

NIYAMA
yoga DHYANA
Meditation

Regularity
Observation

SAMADHI
Original Condition
(Balance)
YAMA
Good Conduct

What if someone told you there was a simple set of practices that could help you manage every aspect
of your daily life, and at the same time take you to a level of human potential beyond your wildest
imagination? Would you be interested? Most people would at least be curious.

That is in fact an accurate explanation of the practices of Yoga, but most people don’t realize it. Yoga
includes a holistic set of practices for overall self-development and the well-being of the body, mind and
soul. A few thousand years back, the great sage Patanjali compiled the current yogic practices of that
time into a simple framework consisting of eight parts or limbs, and that framework is still used today. It
is known as Ashtanga Yoga.

But the practices of Yoga have evolved since Patanjali was alive, in response to the needs of the time and
especially during the last 150 years. So in this series DAAJI explores each limb of Yoga in the light of
the modern day yogic practices of Heartfulness. He shows us how to integrate inner spiritual practices
with living in the world and refining our personality, so as to create that true state of Yoga – skill in action
and integration of the spiritual and worldly aspects of life.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 SA M YA M A
Dharana • Dhyana • Samadhi

Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are the final three limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga. There
is no clear separation or definition among them, as they weave together to define the inner
spiritual practices of meditation, known as Raja Yoga. These three limbs focus on the real
purpose of Yoga and they are the practices of the inner journey known as the spiritual yatra.
In the remaining articles of the series on Ashtanga Yoga, Daaji helps us to understand
the role of Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, and how they take us to the culmination of Yoga
– union or osmosis with the Ultimate Existence.

We have so far explored the first five limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga – Yama, Niyama, Asana,
Pranayama and Pratyahara. Each has its purpose, and together they help us refine our thoughts, actions, 59
posture and energy, including the breath, and direct our senses inwards to the field of consciousness.
All this prepares us to go deeper into the heart and mind. Through Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi,
we open up the potential of the subtle bodies and finally go beyond these, eventually to the Absolute
state. If you can visualize a human being as made up of matter, energy and the absolute state of
nothingness – body, mind and soul – then we are now moving away from the world of matter into the
realm of subtler and subtler forms of energy until eventually we reach the center of our being, which
is the Absolute nothingness at the base of everything.

PATANJALI’S SUTRAS
3.2: Tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam
There are many Sutras about Dharana, Dhyana
and Samadhi in Patanjali’s seminal research. Here When there is an unbroken flow or uninterrupted
are a few that are relevant to this article: stream of knowledge in that object or part of the
body, it is called Dhyana.
3.1: Deshah bandhah chittasya dharana
3.3: Tad eva artha matra nirbhasam svarupa
Dharana is the process whereby the mind holds shunyam iva samadhih
on to some object, either in the body, or outside
the body, and keeps itself in that state. When only the essence of that object, place, or

June 2018
 Scien c e of spi r i t u a l i t y

point shines forth in the mind, without any form, parinamah occurs in the transition stage
that state of deep absorption is called Samadhi. where the rising tendency of deep impressions
It comes in meditation when the form or the converges with the subsiding tendency, and the
external part drops off on its own. attention of the mind field itself.

3.4: Trayam ekatra samyama 3.10: Tasya prashanta vahita samskarat

When the three processes of Dharana, Dhyana, The steady flow of this state of nirodhah-
and Samadhi are taken together as one, on the parinamah continues by creating the habit of
same object, place or point, it is called Samyama. doing the practice day after day.
The form has vanished, and only the meaning
remains.
3.11: Sarvarathata ekagrata ksaya udaya
3.5: Tad jayat prajna lokah chittasya samadhi-parinamah
Through the mastery of the three-fold process of The mastery called samadhi-parinamah is the
Samyama, the light of knowledge, transcendental transition stage in which the tendency to
insight and higher consciousness come. multi-pointedness subsides while the tendency
to one-pointedness arises.
60 3.6: Tasya bhumisu viniyogah
3.12: Tatah punah shanta-uditau tulya-
Samyama is gradually applied to the finer planes, pratyayau chittasya ekagrata-parinimah
states or stages of practice.
The mastery called ekagrata-parinamah is the
3.7: Trayam antar angam purvebhyah transition stage in which one-pointedness of
consciousness arises and subsides sequentially.
These three practices [of Dharana, Dhyana and The idea of time vanishes, the past and
Samadhi] are more internal than the previous five present are as one, and the mind is said to be
practices. concentrated.

3.8: Tad api bahir angam nirbijasya 3.35: Hirdaye chitta samvit
They are, however, still more external than the By practicing Samyama on the heart,
real Samadhi, which does not have an object or knowledge of the mind is attained.
even a seed object on which to concentrate.

3.9: Vyutthana nirodhah samskara Patanjali describes Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi
abhibhava pradurbhavau nirodhah ksana together, because he considers them progressive
chitta anvayah nirodhah-parinamah and interrelated aspects of concentration or
inward settledness. Meditation generally starts
That high level of mastery called nirodhah- with Dharana, a supposition. This supposition

Hea r tf ulnes s
 61
or sankalpa initiates the flow of intention with expands, that ability to contain eventually becomes
thought energy and direction. As that intention so vast that we are able to contain God within us.
moves deeper, diving into the field of experience of
the heart, we move into Dhyana or meditation. The At the beginning of the Heartfulness meditation,
outcome is Samadhi, or absorbency in the object we make the supposition that “the Source of
of meditation. And the quality of the Samadhi we Divine Light within my heart is drawing me
experience depends on the field we create through inwards”, and we then gestate, envelop, hold
this process of meditation. and nurture that supposition. Dharana results in
concentration because there is an unbroken flow
towards one thing that is contained and nurtured
DHARANA in the heart. There is some effort involved, through
the process of sankalpa directing the flow of
Dharana is often translated as ‘concentration’, and thought, but the ideal is to cultivate a capacity
certainly that is one part of it. But its meaning is for effortless effort. This supposition guides our
broader and far more interesting than simply the consciousness into the current that is flowing
ability to concentrate with one-pointed attention. inwards to the Source, so we are moving towards
Dharana also covers the ability to contain, to hold, the goal of complete oneness with the Divine
and, like a womb, to nurture in the same way that Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, 2016. Commentary
1

Mother Earth gives birth to trees from seeds on the Ten Maxims of Sahaj Marg, Shri Ram Chandra
that are planted in her soil. As our consciousness Mission, India

June 2018
62

Principle. Holding and affirming that spiritual How does this practice of Dharana resonate in
goal in Yoga is Dharana. the field of universal consciousness? When we
sincerely take up the goal of becoming one with
Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur has explained it the Ultimate state, the centripetal flow creates a stir
as follows1: in the Infinite. Divinity itself becomes convinced
of our one-pointedness of purpose, of our earnest
It is very essential for everyone to fix their thought, intent. Then it is no longer simply ‘me’ moving
at the very outset, upon the goal that they have to towards the goal; the dynamic changes to that of
attain so that their thought and will may pave the a lover and the Beloved, where attraction is from
way up to it. It has been observed that those on the both sides and the distance between lover and
path of spirituality who did not fix that final state Beloved becomes less and less. Closeness goes on
for their goal have definitely remained short of the increasing and this eventually leads to mergence
mark because, before arriving at the final point, they in the Ultimate, assuming the form of the latent
mistook one or the other of the intermediate states to motion that existed at the time of creation. Our
be the final point or Reality, and stopped there. Thus intention, our ideal, results in intense longing,
they suffered merely for not having fixed their goal. craving and impatience, and this is much more
Even in worldly matters, so long as a person does than mere concentration. Dharana keeps our
not keep their object in view, their efforts are never meditation fixed upon the final goal, and this is
so intensified as to ensure success. vital to bringing about the final state.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Sc i e n c e of spi r i t u a l i t y

This same aspect of Dharana also allows us to hold open, loving heart connected to the Divine and
and enliven the inner states we receive during every thus supported by the Divine Will. This is also
meditation, so that they become part of us. This the secret behind the potency of prayer. When
way, the gifts we receive in each meditation can be Dharana is prayerful, offered in a vacuumized pure
absorbed and their qualities become second nature. heart, then the Divine flows in and automatically
draw the attention towards the Ultimate. Any
thought or intention offered in this state is bound
SANKALPA to reach its target.

In fact, Dharana is integral to every aspect of

Heartfulness practice, because it is the fuel TRANSMISSION
underlying sankalpa or subtle suggestion. As
Swami Vivekananda simply puts it, “What is Heartfulness Meditation is aided by Transmission,
thought? Thought is a force, as is gravitation or which facilitates effortless inward focus, because
repulsion. From the infinite storehouse of force it has come from the Source itself. It naturally
in nature, the instrument called Chit takes hold turns our attention deep within to be in osmosis
of some, absorbs it and sends it out as thought.” with the most sublime Samadhi from the very
beginning. As mentioned in the last article on
With sankalpa we can utilize the power of thought Pratyahara, personal transformation is from the
in a very effective way. When we master this art inside out, from the state of Samadhi outwards. 63
of Dharana, sankalpa becomes so potent because We are given such support so that the journey is
it is the subtlest suggestion resonating in a pure, one of effortless effort.

When we master this art of Dharana, sankalpa becomes so potent

because it is the subtlest suggestion resonating in a pure,
open, loving heart connected to the Divine and thus supported
by the Divine Will. This is also the secret behind the potency
of prayer. When Dharana is prayerful, offered in a vacuumized
pure heart, then the Divine flows in and automatically draws
the attention towards the Ultimate. Any thought or intention
offered in this state is bound to reach its target.

June 2018
 Sci e n c e of spi r i t u a l i t y

RESEARCH He says, “The science of Raja Yoga, in the first

place, proposes to give us such a means of observing
The yogic science of inner revelation depends on the internal states. The instrument is the mind
Dharana. From an initial supposition, we meditate, itself. The power of attention, when properly
diving deeper into the universal consciousness guided, and directed towards the internal world,
of Samadhi and then resurface at the end of the will analyze the mind and illumine facts for us. The
meditation to observe, record and infer what powers of the mind are like rays of light dissipated;
we experienced and what changed in our inner when they are concentrated they illumine. This is
state. Without Dharana nurturing the initial idea, our only means of knowledge.”
and allowing it to deepen and unfold during the
process of meditation, such revelation would not This is the potential and beauty of Dharana.
be possible. In fact, the reason why many people
cannot ‘read’ their inner states is because they
do not cultivate Dharana during meditation. To
do so requires exercising the cognitive functions
of the manomaya kosha and vignanamaya kosha,
observing with full consciousness, and integrating
the knowledge received by the mind in new and
creative ways. One way to develop this capacity
64 is to write a journal after each meditation, noting
down what happened. Another way is to actively
use meditation as a tool for research, by offering a
question or a supposition to be explored through
expanded consciousness during meditation. The
mind in a meditative state is able to gestate an
idea or problem with a much higher and broader Known to many as Daaji, Kamlesh
perspective than rational logic can achieve. Patel is the fourth guide in the
Heartfulness tradition of meditation.
In fact, expanded consciousness generally leads Embracing the many roles of a
to inspiration, which is also how most great modern-day teacher, he has that
discoveries have occurred in the realm of science, rare capacity to dive deep into the
and how most artistic masterpieces have been center of his existence in the heart,
created. For example, Kekulé’s dream led him to and simultaneously have a scientific
the discovery of the benzene ring, the Archimedes approach to original research in the
Principle was discovered while Archimedes was field of meditation, spirituality and
relaxing in a bathtub. human evolution. He is a prolific
speaker and writer, and you can read
Swami Vivekananda explains clearly in the his latest book, The Heartfulness Way.
introduction to his book, Raja Yoga, that Yoga is To learn more about Daaji, go to
the science whereby we gain direct experience and www.daaji.org.
perception of the inner states of a human being.

Hea r tf ulnes s
 Centre for Mindfulness
presents:
India

Mindfulness & Heartfulness

Free Webinar Lecture Series

Learn about mindfulness & Host:

heartfulness from world leading Amir H. Imani
teachers and researchers Director, CFMIN

Website: mindfulbeing.in l Email: [email protected] l Facebook: @cfmin l Instagram: @cfmindia

Vasco Gaspar Helle

Laursen

Victor Kannan

Janice Marturano Judson

Willem Brewer
Chris Germer
Kuyken

Richard Davidson
Nancy Bardacke

Jon Kabat-Zinn
Saki Santorelli
taste -o f - life
When you begin to meditate on a regular basis, you will
start to notice that thoughts and feelings that may have
been building up inside of you are gently released and
you reach the quiet place that was always there, waiting
for you – the place of pure awareness. It is there that you
will experience peace, healing, and true rejuvenation.

Deepak Chopra
68

Hea r tf ulnes s
 69

leaf
patterns
An ar t es say by
A nne- G rethe Kousgaard

June 2018
 Na t u re A r t

70

W
hen I create
new paintings or
sculptures, 'playing
seriously' is key for me. I forget
everything about art and simply
create those conditions where I
feel totally free and in tune with
Nature. Without ambition, I
just have fun!

In these paintings, dried leaves

and different handmade stencils
have been used in many layers.
My background as a textile
printer comes out in this series.

www.agkousgaard.dk

Hea r tf ulnes s
Na t u re A r t

71

June 2018
 Heartfulness Yogasanas

bhadrasana
Sthithi
Dandasana:
Initial Sitting Posture Asana: Bhadrasana
Sit erect with the legs stretched Stage I
forward and heels together.
Come to Dandasana. Widen the thighs and lower the
Keep the spine, neck and head knees gently, until they touch
erect. Fold both legs, join the soles and the floor.
72 keep the heels and toes together.
Place the palms on the floor, by Sit erect, stretch the spine
the sides of the thighs. Pull the legs inward by drawing upwards, close your eyes and
the heels closer to the body and maintain this posture with
Gently close your eyes. bending the knees outward. gentle, long and deep breaths,
in and out six times.
Sithila Dandasana: Interlock the fingers to hold
Sitting Relaxation the toes and front part of the
Posture feet. Keep the trunk and head
straight.
Sit with the legs stretched
forward and feet apart. Draw the feet inward towards
the body little by little, until
Slightly incline the trunk the heels are in front of the
backward, and support the body perenium, bending the elbows
by placing your hands behind outward.
and fingers pointing backward.
Let your head hang freely
behind or rest on one of the
shoulders.

Gently close your eyes.

Hea r tf ulnes s
Stage II Stage III Benefits:
Breathe out, arch the spine Breathe in, stretch both arms Bhadrasana strengthens the
and slowly bend forward in up over the head. muscles of the groin and pelvis;
Bhadrasana.
Breathe out, bend forward and Also strengthens the thighs,
Try to touch the forehead on try to touch your forehead on hips and buttocks;
the floor. the floor. 73
It is good for developing
Close your eyes, and maintain Gently close your eyes, maintain flexibility in the legs;
your posture with gentle, long the posture with slow, long and
and deep breaths, in and out deep breaths, in and out six The flexed knees stretch and tone
six times. Breathe in and slowly times. the muscles running along the
come back to Bhadrasana. inner thighs. Gives elasticity to
stiff knees, hips and ankle joints;

Keeps the kidneys, the prostrate

and the urinary bladder healthy;

Has a beneficial effect on the

muscles and ligaments of the
urogenital regions, promoting a
supply of fresh blood; and

Calms the brain.

June 2018
 Meditation
+ Health
DR GARY H U B ER
s hares hi s t ho ught s
wi t h VI CTOR
KANNAN o n heal t h
and wel l -b ei ng , how
med i t at i o n b r i ngs
ab o ut i mp roved heal t h
o utco m es, and how
74 to i ntegrate s i m p l e
med i t at i o n p ract i ces
i nto a t reat m ent p l an.

++
+
Hea r tf ulnes s
+
+
 Inte g ra t i ve me d i c i n e

Q Dr Gary Huber, welcome.

awesome, but if you really want to be healthy, we
don’t do that very well.

Thank you. So quite simply, Integrative Medicine is the

integrating of everything in your life: sleep,
exercise, stress, diet, whether or not you meditate

Q You were an Emergency Medicine

physician for 20 years before evolving
etc. All these things are the reason you have
hypertension in the first place. So all other
concerns outside of traditional medicine actually
your practice to Integrative Care. You help you to get healthy, and can reverse your
lecture on hormone replacement therapies, diabetes, reverse your hypertension, and improve
cardiovascular care, sports medicine and the quality of your life.
other integrative topics at the American
Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. You
have developed the Hubert Healthy
Weight Loss Program that also works
to reverse metabolic syndrome. You are
Q Is this also the same as ‘personalized’
medicine?
also a clinical professor and preceptor at
the University of Cincinnati, College of That is a new term. You will also hear ‘holistic’,
Pharmacy. Last year you were also named ‘integrative’ and ‘natural’, and now it has moved 75
a ‘Leader in Medicine’ by the American towards ‘personalized’ with the advent of genetic
Health Council. testing. I can look at your genetics and customize
your treatment plan, based on what your body is
So what is Integrative Medicine and what predisposed to do, based on your genetics.
is new about it?

Integrative medicine is the incorporation of

multiple disciplinary elements of life. As a
mainstream traditional family practitioner, we apply
Q In this context, I hear a lot about Yoga
and meditation, along with Mindfulness,
drugs to try to control symptoms. In integrative wellness and health care, so how do Yoga
medicine, we still have drug therapies, we still and meditation fit into personalized
have X-rays and testing, but we do much more, medicine?
because there are some things that we don’t do
very well in mainstream medicine. This is what We need a Webster’s dictionary to clearly
my 20 years in Emergency Medicine taught me. understand what all these terms mean. Is Yoga
We do some really cool stuff, for example if you meditation? No, but the two are often linked.
have an emergency or something acute, we are Meditation can be a part of Yoga, but not all
Yoga has meditation. Meditation is, of itself,
+
+
something that is very healthy for our bodies.

+ +
Exercise is something different, religion is
something different, and I think that for every

June 2018
 Inte g ra t i ve me d i c i n e

individual there is blending of all those different may have a different answer. When I talk with
ideas and concepts. your colleague, she tells me that dawn and dusk
are the two best times, and it is good to meditate

Q So do you think meditation can help

in maintaining better health?
for at least 20 minutes, maybe more.
For my patients, I am trying to get them to
meditate daily. Do I meditate every day? I am
not going to lie – I wish I did. I miss a couple
I believe that infinitely, because there is science to of days a week. But I tell my patients, “Meditate
show it. At the end of the day, I am a scientist, I every day.” I don’t want to put up barriers so,
am a physician, and I need to see some evidence. “Morning, noon or night, just do it. If 8 minutes
What excited me about meditation when I first is all you can muster, that’s great.”
started reading about it, were things like how it
lowers blood pressure. I am one of those people There’s a little book I often recommend to my
who needs proof. There is abundant proof that patients called 8 Minute Meditation by Victor
meditation has a huge impact on health, and Davich. I love this book because it is simple. It’s
it is critical today more than ever because our that ‘Keep it Simple, Stupid’ KISS principle of
lives have unraveled with technology, and with life. If I can encourage them to start, once they
the pace of life and the stress that we induce get their toe into the water and see how rewarding
in ourselves. it is, they will want to dive in.
76
If we are going to do things that make us unhealthy,
which we are more than willing to do, and have fun
with it … “Give me that processed food,” “Give
me those doughnuts,” “Give me that coffee full of
Q Dr Richard Davidson, from the
University of Wisconsin, Madison, talks
sugar,” “Let me watch movies endlessly because about the 8-minute meditation helping
I can stream them on Netflix.” We are willing to in terms of chemical composition of the
do things to unravel our health, so what are we brain. So does a short 8-minute meditation
willing to do to reconstruct it? I think meditation help improve mood?
offers a wonderful tool to help combat some of

+ that stress.

Q How often should we meditate and

for how long?
+
+
+ +
Ask 10 different experts and you will get 10

+
different answers. From my perspective, I am
just trying to get people to accept the concept,
and put it in their lives. People like yourself, who
have a very rich history in the field of meditation,

+ +
Hea r tf ulnes s
 Inte g ra t i ve me d i c i n e

Absolutely. There have been studies that measured They stop the DNA from unraveling, so telomere
those things. Here are the two interesting things length is a sign of health and longevity.
I want my patients to understand:

You don’t have to be a yogi. You don’t have to

meditate three hours a day for 10 years to get
benefit. Research has shown that just 5 hours
Q Ant i - a g i n g m ay p ro b a b l y b e
misunderstood by people to mean, “I
of meditation – 15 minutes a day for 20 days – want to become like a 20-year-old again.”
produces benefit. Is that possible?

Everything you would want to improve in your No, that’s not going to happen. I often tell people,
brain has been demonstrated to shift in that “There are certain things that are inevitable. As
direction with meditation, e.g. increase in brain- you grow older you are going to have less hair
derived Neurotropic Factor, increase in GABA and less muscle, and while you can work on those
levels, reduction in glutamate, hippocampal things they will not be like they were when you
enlargement etc. So if you said, “I want to build were 22.” I joke with my patients about hormone
the perfect brain that ages wonderfully,” meditation replacement therapies: “I can’t make you 25 again.”
moves all those markers in the right direction. We are going to age. I want to age, but can I do
it with a lot of zest and vitality? That is the key.
That is why I get excited, because I have proof. I want to be 80, but I want to still be on the golf 77
course, not in a nursing home. I think meditation

Q We have done research at York

Hospital showing significant improvement
helps us age more gracefully and retain our capacity.

To be continued.
in telomere length of people practicing
Heartfulness meditation. Telomeres are Interviewed by Victor Kannan
markers of aging or anti-aging .

+
They are. For those who don’t know, telomeres are
the end of your DNA. The analogy often used is
of the little plastic tip at the end of your shoelace.

+ +
 what's up
C E L E B R AT E W I T H U S

Yoga Day
Join us on 21 June 2018 to celebrate all things Yoga.
Meditate in the park, learn a simple set of Asanas to keep
your body supple, or just learn to relax. Find an event near
you at
http://iyd.heartfulness.org

78
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Teacher Training
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Post Graduate Diploma
in Advanced Yoga
Learn to teach the eight limbs of
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Meditate On the Go Upcoming course: Chennai

August 1st to August 29th, 2018
Meditate with a Heartfulness trainer heartfulness.org/yoga-trainers/
anywhere anytime. [email protected]
www.heartfulness.org
Download on Android or iOS
[email protected]

Hea r tf ulnes s
 B ook N o F u rther
The Heartfulness Way
In this uncommon text, you will discover a special
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known as yogic transmission. Together, they awaken the
depths of human potential and initiate a mystical inner
journey. In this process, the heart becomes a perennial
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Releasing on June 1st all over States and Canada
Pre-order at www.theheartfulnessway.com

M astering B eing
3 masterclasses 79
Learn the Heartfulness Way in 3 free meditation masterclasses
taught by our global guide, Daaji. In these online masterclasses,
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S t u dy B u ddy

You-niversity
In this video series, you’ll learn tools that help you live a happy and fulfilling life:
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A Heartfulness and Udemy Video Series. Register today.
daaji.org/udemy/
Limited time offer: 50% discount

June 2018
 I nner H arvest

H eart marks the spot

Find a Trainer
Find a Heartfulness
Meditation trainer
near you!
Danish Retreat Centre Explore centers
Press pause on the pace of everyday life and take & ashrams to find
time to connect with your Self. Experience the inner your groove in group
peace and mental clarity that come with a deeper meditation and events.
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Retreats are silent and last three to 15 days; retreats heartspots.heartfulness.org
for men and women are separate. Several secluded [email protected]
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their own meals in the retreat center's kitchen.
The retreat center's is open to all who have practiced
enjoy
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80 one year. For more information
More Magazine, Please
please send an email to: To order copies online -
[email protected] May 2018

single, 12 months subscription and

Simply living 24 months subscription -
please go to:
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for life subscriptions@
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How to be
P RE S E N T
B
Printed copies will be available
A
at selected stores, airports and
LOOKING INWARD : Daaji on the yogic practices of Pratyahara

L HUMAN FLOURISHING : Vasco Gaspar on Mindfulness and beyond

www.heartfulnessmagazine.com

A newsstands, and at Heartfulness

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 REALIZE the JOY of a HEARTFUL LIFE

“The Heartfulness Way offers

an eminently clear and
practical path to the Divinity
that lies within each of us.”
—ROBERT SCHWARTZ,
author of Your Soul’s Plan and Your Soul’s Gift
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