Balance in the chaos

Corona anxiety is a thing now. As lockdowns extend and people grapple with their insecurities and worries, the trend of seeking inner peace and wisdom from the philosophies of the East has gained further ground.

Shifu George Thomas

To find joy, look east and see within, said the wise.

For long, the answers to the unknown have been laced in the riddles of the East (for lack of a better term). Its romanticism continues to net many and transforms them from novice followers to ornate flowers that bloom to emanate joy, for their own selves as well as for others, while they stand on the pedestal of oriental realism.

Off late, the trend of seeking wisdom from the East has resurrected — of course, it has always been lurking around; peeking to fame in the West and elsewhere with a celebrity endorsement or when a book hits million-plus reads.

Whether the method is artistic, physical or something related to productivity enhancement — the entire focus in Eastern philosophies is on inner strength, the joy of discovery and living in the moment. All of which are today more relevant than ever.

Whether it is Ikigai to help find the purpose of one’s life or Konmari, which helps declutter, organise and optimises, or rather, boosts efficiency, the methods of the East are tailored for universal use, but manage to fit individual purposes.

As the pandemic forces us to stay put inside our homes and struggle with our thoughts, worries and insecurities (willingly or unwillingly), it is perhaps a good time to indeed look eastwards and extract some calm out of the chaos that has descended upon us.

Better emotional health

Founder of Inspiring Evolution and a Positive Psychology coach Baldeep Kaur quotes Socrates; ‘the life which is unexamined is not worth living’ and says that the mission of Positive Psychology is to research the core concepts of Eastern methods such as Tai Chi, Origami, etc., and utilise them to cultivate greater emotional health, happiness and productivity.

She goes on to add that these methods have a positive effect on an individual’s mental and emotional health and result in improved quality of sleep, a greater ability to cope with stress, raised self-esteem, a lengthened lifespan and more effective functioning on a cognitive level.

Speaking of mental sharpness, developing a sense of three-dimensional space enhances imagination and helps in solving complex problems and there’s no better way to do so than Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding.

Artist and Origami expert Himanshu Agarwal says, “Origami is like meditation to me. It’s simplistic and minimal. You just need a sheet of paper to make your art. When you fold a single sheet of paper, you are one with the medium. This is something, which can be achieved and enjoyed by a rank beginner. If someone were to learn sketching or painting or sculpting, they’d have to practise with dedication for years to see results. With Origami though, they could enjoy the process and the result within a few minutes. There is a sense of achievement that ‘I made it by myself from a sheet of paper.’”

Stress buster

This sense of achievement helps to raise one’s confidence and self-esteem. Origami is a very effective way to practice mindfulness. The simple movements of engaging with paper with your hands and the visual result that emerges, all offer excellent ways to experience mindfulness and to reduce stress, says Kaur, who goes on to add that there has been a significant increase in interest in Origami workshops or online courses for adults as such learning experiences deliver a unique experience of tranquillity and movement.

Himanshu dispels the myth that Origami is only for kids, and says “many think that Origami is something that we did in school as a craft. However, I’ve been doing Origami for 30 years now and have enjoyed it as a child and as an adult.

I know many elderly people who fold because it keeps their mind alert. It improves hand-to-eye coordination, you’re using your fingers and this helps in improving fine-motor skills.

There are many benefits but the biggest is that you are creating something and putting it out in the universe as positive energy.”

“There are different genres of Origami for everyone to enjoy. For example, you could make a cube with six sheets of paper by creating and interlocking modules, without cutting or glueing. It’s a puzzle! You visualise the cube in 3D, and with patience, you can solve it. You’re proactively involved in the process. Folding does teach patience. Some of the advanced sculptures take 12-15 hours of non-stop folding, because the paper is springy and will open out if you are impatient. So, just take a sheet of paper, fold something and enjoy while staying at home,” he says.

Being mindful is everything

Another key aspect of these Eastern methods is self-realisation and healing by practising mindfulness that is innate to these philosophies.

Kintsugi, for example, is the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold. Its philosophy speaks volumes about embracing the past, living in the moment and appreciating life for all its beauty — even the broken can be made beautiful.

Ikigai, on the other hand, makes you dwell on questions, which ultimately lead you to discover the purpose of your life. This discovery and fulfilment will eventually result in a healthier, happier life.

These methods also focus on productivity. Marie Kondo’s Konmari method, which takes the approach of decluttering things category-wise and keeping everything minimal, helps one attain efficiency and also make one realise about being grateful to what one has, leading to enhanced utilisation and productivity. Organisation expert Marie has her show on Netflix where she helps people declutter and “find joy”.

Kakeibo, a Japanese budgeting method, helps one save money. It’s about keeping ledgers and making entries in it according to categories and at the end reviewing to find out how much went where so that for the next period you can plan to efficiently utilise your money. Kakeibo ledgers have, in fact, become popular.

Mind-body coordination

Kaur brings this to light while saying, “one area of wellbeing that has been grossly overlooked is the positive benefits of the movement of the body on a person's overall emotional and mental health.”

Tai Chi, she says, nurtures the focal power of the mind while mobilising the body, and in it, synchronized movements are guided by mindful attention on our breathing patterns, postural alignment and situational awareness, both inward and outward.

This quintessential mind-body practice is not only beneficial for promoting physical health, but also for promoting peaceful and positive states of being. It results in an increase in positive emotions as well as helps fight negative states, such as depression or anxiety, she adds.

Shifu (teacher in Chinese) George Thomas of Tai Chia Academy India, who started martial arts training about four decades ago, says “Taichi is a complete exercise for the body and mind.” Listing out its benefits, Thomas says that with regular practice, the immune system can be strengthened, apart from calming the mind and strengthening the heart, lungs and other organs, while toning muscles, strengthening ligaments, tendons and bones.

He says, “Tai Chi is a spiritual martial art and it is an internal art form for the self to live mindfully and to co-exist with all beings on this planet.” Often, we don’t find many teachers for such methods in India. For Thomas, the search for a Tai Chi teacher began in 1983 and it was only in 1995 that he met one and started lessons. Not everyone understood him though. Thomas shares that 25 years ago when he would practice on the beach or in the parks, people used to stare at him and pass remarks. Today, the art form is popular, and so far, he has trained at least 30,000 students.

Kaur cautions that one has to commit to such Eastern practices daily, much like brushing one’s teeth.

“A very effective way to make that happen is to start small. Start with a 10-minute self-care routine to add such Eastern methods into your life. Once you achieve that, increase your self-care routine’s duration or frequency so that your brain accepts this new habit easily and turns it into a lifelong practice,” she says.

This is seconded by the Shifu, who quotes a Chinese saying: “A small divergence, in the beginning, will lead you a thousand miles away from your path in the end.”