<p>Now’s a good time.</p>.<p>Maharishi P’s ‘atha’, the first word of the Yoga Sutras, is a clarion call to do something — NOW. Ever thought about how powerful that word is? ‘Now’ is the opposite of procrastination, laziness, a reluctance to commit to something, the desire to duck what you know you should do, the unwillingness to do something (even though you know that it is the right thing) that is inconvenient, unpleasant or difficult. ‘Now’ is the first step of a disciplined life. (And guess what an alternative meaning of shAsanam is in Sanskrit? It has the same meaning that ‘anushAsan’ has in Hindi – discipline!)</p>.<p>Is there something you have been wanting to do for a long time that you just haven’t because you haven’t said ‘Now!’ to yourself? Maybe you want to break a bad habit, like putting off school assignments until the day before submission, or develop a good one, like telling yourself nice things about yourself each morning instead of thinking about everything that’s wrong with you. Maybe you need to reply to your grandma’s WhatsApp message (you haven’t done it yet because you have gotten too used to taking her for granted, even though you often feel a small stab of guilt every time you think about it). Maybe you should have apologized to a friend a week ago for something you did. but your giant-sized ego isn’t letting you do that (which means you have been skulking in the school corridors to avoid him, thus putting yourself through all kinds of unnecessary anxiety).</p>.<p>Whatever it is, make a resolution to do it — now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not after your exams, not once you are back from your Goa trip, but now. Obviously, you can’t change a bad habit in one day, but you can certainly make a start towards it. Too many good intentions have fallen by the wayside because the intender waited too long to implement them.</p>.<p>If some of it seems too daunting, start with something small and doable – like responding to that message from your grandma. Or even sitting down and making a list of the things you need to do but have been putting off, mainly because your mind is too scattered. But do NOT stop there. Tick off at least two or three items on the list NOW. See how that makes you feel. Mark the tasks you will complete tomorrow, and do them. Give yourself a very strict time limit to finish (or begin, if it is a habit you are trying to cultivate) all the tasks on the list. At the end of the day that you are supposed to complete the tasks, tear up the list. If there are still unfinished tasks on it, too bad. You had your chance, and you didn’t take it. </p>.<p>Don’t sit around feeling bad about that, though — that’s a waste of time. Instead, give yourself another chance. Take a fresh sheet of paper, and make another list, marking some items as things to be done immediately, and do them. Repeat the process as many times as it takes for ‘NOW’ to become a habit. On the day you tear up a list with ALL the to-do items on it ticked off for the very first time, celebrate. Sit back with your favourite snack, and feel your self-esteem soar.</p>.<p><span>Excerpted with permission from ‘The Yoga Sutras — for Children’ by Roopa Pai, Hachette India.</span></p>.<p><strong>In conversation with the author</strong></p>.<p>1. What inspired ‘The Yoga Sutras’?</p>.<p>During the Covid lockdown, I decided it was high time I began working towards ticking off another item on my wishlist — learning Sanskrit. It was my Sanskrit teacher who directed me to a wonderful online lecture by yoga and Indian philosophy scholar, Dr Vinayachandra Banavathy, on Maharishi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. As I listened, I was blown away by the stunningly simple proposition of the Sutras — ‘calm your mind, and the riches of the universe will be yours’. That was when I felt the first frisson of the tingle that usually precedes the thought, ‘I should write a book for kids about this!’</p>.<p>2. What can kids expect from the book?</p>.<p>‘The Yoga Sutras’ can be seen as the practical workbook that accompanies the theory lessons of the Gita and the Upanishads. It not only tells you that reducing the number, frequency and intensity of your thought-waves will help you calm your mind, but also gives you instructions on how to achieve that formidable goal. In my book, in boxes titled ‘Do It!’ and ‘Think About It!’, young readers (and older ones!) will find activities and exercises adapted to their 21st century lives that will help them turn their mind-lakes from muddy waterholes into clear mountain pools.</p>.<p>4. What are your book recommendations for kids?</p>.<p>I grew up reading anything I could get my hands on. I would recommend that young readers today do the same — instead of sticking to one author or genre, read eclectically, picking from fiction, non-fiction, books by Indian authors, books by non-Indian authors... knock yourselves out!</p>
<p>Now’s a good time.</p>.<p>Maharishi P’s ‘atha’, the first word of the Yoga Sutras, is a clarion call to do something — NOW. Ever thought about how powerful that word is? ‘Now’ is the opposite of procrastination, laziness, a reluctance to commit to something, the desire to duck what you know you should do, the unwillingness to do something (even though you know that it is the right thing) that is inconvenient, unpleasant or difficult. ‘Now’ is the first step of a disciplined life. (And guess what an alternative meaning of shAsanam is in Sanskrit? It has the same meaning that ‘anushAsan’ has in Hindi – discipline!)</p>.<p>Is there something you have been wanting to do for a long time that you just haven’t because you haven’t said ‘Now!’ to yourself? Maybe you want to break a bad habit, like putting off school assignments until the day before submission, or develop a good one, like telling yourself nice things about yourself each morning instead of thinking about everything that’s wrong with you. Maybe you need to reply to your grandma’s WhatsApp message (you haven’t done it yet because you have gotten too used to taking her for granted, even though you often feel a small stab of guilt every time you think about it). Maybe you should have apologized to a friend a week ago for something you did. but your giant-sized ego isn’t letting you do that (which means you have been skulking in the school corridors to avoid him, thus putting yourself through all kinds of unnecessary anxiety).</p>.<p>Whatever it is, make a resolution to do it — now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not after your exams, not once you are back from your Goa trip, but now. Obviously, you can’t change a bad habit in one day, but you can certainly make a start towards it. Too many good intentions have fallen by the wayside because the intender waited too long to implement them.</p>.<p>If some of it seems too daunting, start with something small and doable – like responding to that message from your grandma. Or even sitting down and making a list of the things you need to do but have been putting off, mainly because your mind is too scattered. But do NOT stop there. Tick off at least two or three items on the list NOW. See how that makes you feel. Mark the tasks you will complete tomorrow, and do them. Give yourself a very strict time limit to finish (or begin, if it is a habit you are trying to cultivate) all the tasks on the list. At the end of the day that you are supposed to complete the tasks, tear up the list. If there are still unfinished tasks on it, too bad. You had your chance, and you didn’t take it. </p>.<p>Don’t sit around feeling bad about that, though — that’s a waste of time. Instead, give yourself another chance. Take a fresh sheet of paper, and make another list, marking some items as things to be done immediately, and do them. Repeat the process as many times as it takes for ‘NOW’ to become a habit. On the day you tear up a list with ALL the to-do items on it ticked off for the very first time, celebrate. Sit back with your favourite snack, and feel your self-esteem soar.</p>.<p><span>Excerpted with permission from ‘The Yoga Sutras — for Children’ by Roopa Pai, Hachette India.</span></p>.<p><strong>In conversation with the author</strong></p>.<p>1. What inspired ‘The Yoga Sutras’?</p>.<p>During the Covid lockdown, I decided it was high time I began working towards ticking off another item on my wishlist — learning Sanskrit. It was my Sanskrit teacher who directed me to a wonderful online lecture by yoga and Indian philosophy scholar, Dr Vinayachandra Banavathy, on Maharishi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. As I listened, I was blown away by the stunningly simple proposition of the Sutras — ‘calm your mind, and the riches of the universe will be yours’. That was when I felt the first frisson of the tingle that usually precedes the thought, ‘I should write a book for kids about this!’</p>.<p>2. What can kids expect from the book?</p>.<p>‘The Yoga Sutras’ can be seen as the practical workbook that accompanies the theory lessons of the Gita and the Upanishads. It not only tells you that reducing the number, frequency and intensity of your thought-waves will help you calm your mind, but also gives you instructions on how to achieve that formidable goal. In my book, in boxes titled ‘Do It!’ and ‘Think About It!’, young readers (and older ones!) will find activities and exercises adapted to their 21st century lives that will help them turn their mind-lakes from muddy waterholes into clear mountain pools.</p>.<p>4. What are your book recommendations for kids?</p>.<p>I grew up reading anything I could get my hands on. I would recommend that young readers today do the same — instead of sticking to one author or genre, read eclectically, picking from fiction, non-fiction, books by Indian authors, books by non-Indian authors... knock yourselves out!</p>
