<p>It’s good to live like a boat on the water — float when life is smooth, bob up and down when life gets choppy; If some water enters the boat, let it evaporate in the bright sunlight of kind and beautiful thoughts. Since it is not easy to suddenly generate kind thoughts in difficult circumstances, our ancient sages who had finely tuned senses plucked sounds from benign vibrations crisscrossing the universe and taught them as words to chant when things got tough. So, chanting of a mantra is basically a self-compassion exercise.</p>.<p><strong>Chant away</strong></p>.<p>If chanting is done silently, it brings a lovely lull in the mind. If done aloud, its vibrations calm those around us as well. However, while the mind has stilled all thinking, the heart may continue to throb with sore, sad feelings. And as we continue to chant and as we continue to think kind thoughts, they vibrate soothingly through our jumpy nerves and gradually… gradually the heart calms down, too.</p>.<p>Recent research at the universities of Exeter and Oxford showed that kind thoughts slowed the heart rate and sweat response. When the heartbeat is slow and steady, it means there is less pressure on the heart to perform and it remains strong, at ease and healthy. We sweat when we are tense and kind thoughts take away the threat and reassure the fearful feeling. Thus, we relax, feel safe and don’t perspire. With this knowing, with this understanding, we can certainly make kindness and health our aim, our way of behaving and being. Recently, I learned from a master: be kind to your mind. Meaning: let your mind operate freely. Don’t suppress it. Don’t fight it. If anger is suppressed, it can implode inside, for example. It’s the same with all other negative feelings. Go to an empty room and express these feelings. Experience them and let them go. Then distance yourself from your mind. Tell your mind, “I watch over you but I am not bound by you.” You watch, you become a witness, and you don’t get drawn into agreeing with the mind. You don’t get tugged into criticising with it, venting anger with it, or feeling threatened along with it. You watch it disinterestedly, quietly, without adding fuel to its fire. You chant, you invoke kind thoughts or ready beautiful life-enhancing verses/words.</p>.<p>If the mind is insistent and still loud in blaming somebody or some circumstances, play the divine’s advocate and say reasonably, “There is a reason for this behaviour, it’s okay, it’s fine”, or “This had to happen. It will pass. Don’t worry”, and then you leave it…leave it…leave it… Remember: when you leave it, you release yourself. When you leave it, you heal yourself.</p>.<p><strong>Cool & calm</strong></p>.<p>Bring back kindness to the mind by getting into the habit of seeing the good in every person, in every situation. Recently, a friend suffering from insomnia went shopping for a particular kind of pillow so that she could sleep better. After a long search, she finally found one in the shop, paid for it and came home happily. However, when she tore open the packing, she found that it contained two baby pillows instead of the single big one she had chosen. Instead of griping over the shop’s error, her first thought was “Oh, so sweet! I can gift these to two babies!”</p>.<p>Life is amazing, mysterious, and sometimes crazy! Things happen to you, things happen through you and, sometimes, things just happen. Be happy, be content, be giving. When we don’t impose conditions, we are kind, giving and loving, and life is much easier to live. When we mould a mind which never minds, we foster a heart which never hurts. So, let our boats sail the seas, always abundantly stocked with their cargo of kindness. And maybe, just maybe, even the storms will become gentle and serenade us as friendly breezes on our voyage…</p>
<p>It’s good to live like a boat on the water — float when life is smooth, bob up and down when life gets choppy; If some water enters the boat, let it evaporate in the bright sunlight of kind and beautiful thoughts. Since it is not easy to suddenly generate kind thoughts in difficult circumstances, our ancient sages who had finely tuned senses plucked sounds from benign vibrations crisscrossing the universe and taught them as words to chant when things got tough. So, chanting of a mantra is basically a self-compassion exercise.</p>.<p><strong>Chant away</strong></p>.<p>If chanting is done silently, it brings a lovely lull in the mind. If done aloud, its vibrations calm those around us as well. However, while the mind has stilled all thinking, the heart may continue to throb with sore, sad feelings. And as we continue to chant and as we continue to think kind thoughts, they vibrate soothingly through our jumpy nerves and gradually… gradually the heart calms down, too.</p>.<p>Recent research at the universities of Exeter and Oxford showed that kind thoughts slowed the heart rate and sweat response. When the heartbeat is slow and steady, it means there is less pressure on the heart to perform and it remains strong, at ease and healthy. We sweat when we are tense and kind thoughts take away the threat and reassure the fearful feeling. Thus, we relax, feel safe and don’t perspire. With this knowing, with this understanding, we can certainly make kindness and health our aim, our way of behaving and being. Recently, I learned from a master: be kind to your mind. Meaning: let your mind operate freely. Don’t suppress it. Don’t fight it. If anger is suppressed, it can implode inside, for example. It’s the same with all other negative feelings. Go to an empty room and express these feelings. Experience them and let them go. Then distance yourself from your mind. Tell your mind, “I watch over you but I am not bound by you.” You watch, you become a witness, and you don’t get drawn into agreeing with the mind. You don’t get tugged into criticising with it, venting anger with it, or feeling threatened along with it. You watch it disinterestedly, quietly, without adding fuel to its fire. You chant, you invoke kind thoughts or ready beautiful life-enhancing verses/words.</p>.<p>If the mind is insistent and still loud in blaming somebody or some circumstances, play the divine’s advocate and say reasonably, “There is a reason for this behaviour, it’s okay, it’s fine”, or “This had to happen. It will pass. Don’t worry”, and then you leave it…leave it…leave it… Remember: when you leave it, you release yourself. When you leave it, you heal yourself.</p>.<p><strong>Cool & calm</strong></p>.<p>Bring back kindness to the mind by getting into the habit of seeing the good in every person, in every situation. Recently, a friend suffering from insomnia went shopping for a particular kind of pillow so that she could sleep better. After a long search, she finally found one in the shop, paid for it and came home happily. However, when she tore open the packing, she found that it contained two baby pillows instead of the single big one she had chosen. Instead of griping over the shop’s error, her first thought was “Oh, so sweet! I can gift these to two babies!”</p>.<p>Life is amazing, mysterious, and sometimes crazy! Things happen to you, things happen through you and, sometimes, things just happen. Be happy, be content, be giving. When we don’t impose conditions, we are kind, giving and loving, and life is much easier to live. When we mould a mind which never minds, we foster a heart which never hurts. So, let our boats sail the seas, always abundantly stocked with their cargo of kindness. And maybe, just maybe, even the storms will become gentle and serenade us as friendly breezes on our voyage…</p>