«Calm, only calm!» — Carlson exclaimed when something started to go wrong, and turned any problems into a reason to play and have fun. According to the President of the Center for Indian Culture Shri Prakash Ji, this is exactly how — calmly and positively — one should respond to troubles. And this easy attitude to life can be learned.
Psychologies: Often in response to our violent reaction, we hear: “Relax!” But does this advice help?
Shri Prakash Ji: Yes, the word «relax» can be heard all the time. I’d rather say, «Calm down, everything will be fine.» If we talk about physical relaxation, then asanas will help here: they are performed in a certain rhythm, with breath control, with a smooth alternate change of postures, and as a result you feel much better. But in order to achieve inner peace, we need meditation and prayer addressed to God, the Creator, the Higher Mind.
— How to change your way of thinking and stop attaching great importance to problems?
— First, try to force yourself every time, as soon as negative thoughts appear, to think about good things. It is better, of course, to think about something higher — about the Universe, about the universe, because on the scale of the Universe, our problems are insignificant. Secondly, try to devote at least 10-20 minutes in the morning and evening to meditation. It gives a positive attitude, energy for further action, suggests a way out of the situation. Thirdly, you need to stop putting your problems above everything and everyone, learn not to focus on yourself.
— Yogis and mystics give up a number of things and habits in order not to become attached to the temporary and achieve harmony with themselves. Can an ascetic help those who want to find peace of mind?
— True yogis are really not attached to anyone or anything. They come to Earth out of great mercy and compassion for people, to help them, to show the way to God. If we talk about people who want to change themselves, then asceticism is not a way to find peace. It is internal and external, real and ostentatious. Internal asceticism is when a person is not bound by anything inside, today he drives an expensive car, and tomorrow he walks, and this does not bother him. To achieve this state, you need to engage in spiritual practices for many years.
Inner peace comes to those whose mind is calm
Sometimes people, in order to show their spirituality, demonstrate external asceticism — they dress differently, eat differently than everyone else. But in their hearts they are far from ascetics, their thoughts are often occupied with discussions and condemnations. It won’t lead to any peace of mind.
Inner peace comes to those whose mind is calm, whose actions are right, and whose words hurt no one. This is the perfect formula!
— They say that often our aggression or anxiety in response to some event is a spontaneous, unconscious reaction. Can yoga and other practices help us get to the core of the problems?
— Of course: yoga as a philosophy of life can provide answers to many questions. Do you know why Indians always smile despite the fact that many of them are poor? Why don’t they complain about the hard fate?
They know from childhood that everything that happens to them is their life, their destiny, their karma. And you can change it only by changing the way you think. Any thought — both negative and positive — goes into the subtle world and becomes part of the pattern of the future destiny. The same is true with words and actions. Interestingly, negative thinking does not give the same pattern as negative actions. Actions and words produce more results than thoughts. But this does not mean that you need to think about the bad. We must try to think positively.
Over the past 25 years, many people have come to see me. Most of them complained about their hard fate, about how unfair the world was to them. They said: “How could God punish me like that?!” This is where the main secret lies: it is not the world that is unfair to you, it is not God that punishes or encourages — it’s all about your karma. And only thanks to spiritual practices, meditation, prayers, you can improve it and change your destiny.
— Yoga is popular all over the world: it is believed that asanas help to achieve peace and improve well-being.
— Yes it is. Yoga helps to keep the body in great shape until old age. Asanas are aimed at ensuring that all the energy centers of our body are included in the work, and therefore almost all diseases are treated with their help. If traditional medicine is supplemented with asanas, this contributes to a speedy recovery. Asana complexes such as Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) and Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation) are popular in rehabilitation centers. In the morning, these asanas allow you to cheer up, and in the evening they relieve fatigue and help you calmly go to sleep.
What asanas are suitable for relaxation?
For example, Shavasana. It can be practiced several days a week for a few minutes. Other asanas should be done on an empty stomach. Many people think that 3-4 hours should pass after eating, but I am sure that the best time for them is in the morning, right after waking up, when the stomach is empty. But for Shavasana, this is not necessary. It can be done any time you have the opportunity.
It is important to try to turn your attention away from your body and focus entirely on your breathing.
You need to lie on your back on a flat surface. Stretch your arms along the body, slowly take a few even breaths and exhalations. You need to focus on breathing and for each inhalation and exhalation mentally repeat the mantra, if you have one, slowly, lingeringly. It is important to try to turn your attention away from your body and focus entirely on your breathing.
If you do this asana in the evening, you will have a good, deep sleep, and if you repeat it regularly during the day, you will learn how to switch off negative thoughts and quickly replenish energy.
What simple ways help you relax after a hard day at work?
– It is useful to spend some time in meditation, and also to reflect on the past day, analyze it, your actions, honestly admit your mistakes and try not to repeat them. In Hindi, this is called chintan, pure reflection.
What are the benefits of meditation? And how to learn to meditate?
Meditation teaches concentration. Of course, this does not always work out: at first, endless thoughts and memories overcome. The main task is to stop the flow of thoughts, not to think about anything. During meditation, only two should remain — you and God (or Light — whichever is closer to you).
It is better to meditate to the east, in the morning and in the evening, at a certain time. You need to focus on the heart chakra or on the third eye chakra, imagining the image of God or Light. The light is better represented by a golden hue, the color of the full moon. The duration of meditation depends on you, you can start with 10-20 minutes. Over time, you can devote 1,5-2 hours to this practice, then you can truly appreciate its effectiveness.
Morning meditation sets you up for the coming day, and evening meditation helps you be more tolerant of the mistakes made during the day. By meditating regularly, you will notice that you have begun to react differently to what is happening — wiser and calmer.