Years after I finished giving exams I often dreamt I was still in the exam hall, giving an exam only — horror — the nib of my pen was made of an elastic substance, and wouldn’t write!

You are perhaps facing the dreaded hour. You may have a month left or just 15 days or none at all. And may be panicking because you loafed through the year, were demoralised by a subject’s difficulty or teacher’s attitude and your execution may seem imminent. So here are a few tips from the spiritual realm that will help.

*Devadhara Healing Memory Stimulator: In this technique, before you start studying rub both your hands together for 30 seconds, rub your palms together, make it a point to focus on the sensation of your fingers being rubbed together too. Then clap your hands vigorously thrice. This stimulates all chakras, and specially the memory chakras.

*Colour magic: Colours have an effect on blood pressure and mental alertness. Two colours, yellow and blue are especially useful. Yellow keeps the mind alert. Blue calms and helps you understand clearly. So when you are studying imagine a yellow light pouring down on you, this will keep you more alert. Then when your mind has absorbed to its full, imagine a sky blue light, washing through your head. 

*Rub the temples: In this technique, just rub the temples of your forehead, very lightly in circular movements. It stimulates your ability to understand new concepts.

*Grandma’s coconut oil head bath: Twice a week, when you are ready for a break, have a coconut oil head bath. It cools overheated minds beautifully.

*Planning: Now many think being methodical is boring. Untrue. No sky diver jumps without checking equipment. Ask an elder or a friend to read through the exam papers of the last five years. Now, pick the questions that repeat themselves the most. Study those subjects first.  They will usually cut down your load by as much as 80%.

Now plan your study sessions. Break up your study periods into 20 minute bursts. Start by calming your mind or using the Devadhara Memory Stimulator.  Read for 5-7 minutes then follow that with a review.

Ask yourself quick questions about that section. Now take a five-minute break. No more than five-minutes. Wash your face. Stretch your body, especially your shoulder muscles. Go to the terrace/balcony or play with your dog or cat.

Then return to your studies. After three such sessions take a longer break of 20 minutes to half an hour.

nHaldi, the secret herb: Many herbs and vitamins amplify brain alertness, one hides in your kitchen —  haldi! Ask ma to add a little more haldi to your food and every morning give you a thin buttermilk with a quarter tsp haldi, a few jeera seeds and some ginger (1/4 tsp). These herbs help stimulate digestion and also have a specific effect on the navel (thinking mind) chakra.

nFeed, but don’t overdo: Because we use the same chakra to digest food and digest ideas, ensuring your stomach is full but not overfull, enhances studying.
nHigh protein fights yawns: As a quick tip, high protein diets counteract sleepiness.

*Take breaks: Remember to sleep. We do most of our thinking when we sleep. Ideas get shuffled around, absorbed during sleep. So remember you must get a decent night’s sleep.

*Panic fighter: Many go into a tizzy just before exams. Usually, panic is associated with the solar plexus chakra freezing open. Put both hands in front of your solar plexus. And breathe deeply and let out your breath slowly.

*The it’s-gone-out-of-my-head-problem: This hits even the brightest in the exam hall.

Don’t worry, every single thought and experience we have marks the spirit mind. All you have to do is retrieve it. Sensibly go from that question and answer another one. In minutes the knowledge will return. But the entire subject may seem to be blanked out.

What do you do? Remember yourself reading the subject. Imagine that image is the cover of a book. Now imagine that you place that book into your brain from the back of your head. Let a minute pass. Imagine you open the book and find the knowledge coming into your mind.

*Pray to God: Or believe in ‘knowing’. God is the all knowing one. And so prayers tap into the library of all wisdom. Alternatively you may not believe in God. Then you may pray/ meditate/connect to knowledge itself. Here is a Devadhara prayer for atheists.

Imagine a diya on the summit of a great pyramid of books. Bow before it or an image of blazing light and aloud or mentally say this powerful aura command: “Brighten my mind. Brighten my life. Brighten my world. Brighten. Brighten. Brighten.”