Thursday 30 October 2014

EVERY STEP BECOMES IMPORTANT…
A note on mindfulness and nature trek… have a look. 



While trekking on a small  or a big mountains, we get embroiled by mindfulness automatically. Mindfulness captures  us with every step we want to climb up or climb down as we have to take care while trekking; when we see that there is a slanting steep slope we become more and more alert, and try our best to put our foot forward with extra care. We try to avoid all obstacles, even small stones, or the places from where we may get sliding down. We use all our knowledge whatever we have regarding climbing while trekking. We apply all our concentration and focus to move. We try our best to avoid distractions as we understand about it. And take every step as mindfully as we can. 

When we are completely in our own present moment awareness, We experience all that is happening around at the same time.  The smell of the trees and the grass, the colours of the whole atmosphere, The changing of brightness of the sunlight, The due on the leaves, hues of the sky. That make us think and feel in deep. 

Our all sensory organs are activated. As our nose with the aroma of the grass and  flowers, eyes with all different colours around, ears with the sound of our footsteps, crumpling noise of dry leaves, birds chirping, animal sounds, and any sound we make there, the music of the nature and the music played by our trekking partner,  our feet are connected with earth, and our hands with some trees or big  stones or other group members hands for support. Sometimes support is available but we feel we don’t need it, we can still manage, sometimes support is not available but we need it. What an irony!! 

Recently I had a wonderful experience while trekking, We all me and my family members were visiting a place which was supposed to be untouched and full of scenic beauty. As soon as we entered there, There was a very different aroma of yellow flowers in the valley, the whole valley and the mountain was surrounded by the fragrance of those yellow wild flowers,  I still remember the aroma;  it was little spicy, balmy, little medicinal ; I tried to find out the reason behind it but it’s still pending. 

May be it has some medicinal qualities. But with that all Yellows, the Valley was really looking friendly. As if it was suggesting us to be friendly with it all the time. While taking care of you ; also take care of the valley. Clean it, and save it. And I came across with a very difficult slope, My Nephew helped me getting down from there what a friendly gesture he showed. Wow! 

My brother in law caught our attention towards a fast movement, and it was a small snake, it went under a big stone, and then he went from there, that snake  was unexpectedly fast; it went from there and made us feel free and safe again, My husband said, we actually should not  complain since we had entered in his territory. We tried to find out his species, with what we found, the colour and his speed but we could only thought that he was poisonous. Anyways we were delighted that, we could complete our trek ; and learned a big lesson and that is, sometimes, every step becomes very important.  what say?


The Valley we could see from far...


When we went little near by and could find this beautiful yellows!!!


And that is how they were from our very close...



Saturday 4 October 2014

चेतता नर सदा सुखि .

AN ALERT HUMAN BEING IS ALWAYS HAPPY.


This classical saying is said in GUJRATHI and SANSKRIT; which was said by DADAJI, our friend MANEESH’S FATHER, as blessings to my daughter RAHI. DADAJI AND DADIJI, both had come with us to drop my daughter to her DORM. And they said they will say only one thing to her and that is, “चेतता नर सदा सुखि !!”


It was so meaningful, and important blessings for a daughter who was going to start her stay in the hostel. I remember all those blessings given to me by many of elderly people around me. ..

“यशस्वी हो , i. e. Become Successful. “ , “ सतत पुढे जात राहो . i.e Keep moving forward always. “ , or “पहिला क्रमांक येउ दे. , i.e. May you stand first.

So many like this can be said , But ALERTNESS is really something. I found that it has a very deep meaning, Meaning of life. It speaks about PRESENT MOMENT AWARENESS, MINDFULNESS, DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION, AND CONSEQUENCES AT THE SAME TIME. WOW!!



It helps us in everything, while planning a day, driving a vehicle, keeping important things, making lists to remember, scheduling, writing questions, and timing while chitchatting, keeping good health, eating on times, getting your health checked on time, Focusing and Refocusing,  and so long and so forth.


I loved this saying so much that I am bringing in my own life by adding it in to small small things.  I realised that I am not taking that extra effort to keep myself on toes. So I am trying my best to do that. And It is helping.  So let us help ourselves by saying us every time, “चेतता नर सदा सुखि “.