A talk on yoga and how to transform your relationship with big cities
A Mindful walk and contact with Urban Nature – How to develop mindfulness and transform your hate/love relationship with big cities
Traffic Jam, honk, sirens crowded places, insane e-mails, ate least 10 WhatsApp useless groups, compulsory social gatherings that you feel like you just can’t say no. Family affairs, bank lines, your car broke & you just have to commute on the rush hours and simply can’t find a way to sit.
Life in a big city it’s not easy, and we struggle to find balance. What is balance? you would answer me probably “ The person who invented that was meditating long hours doing his own thing in a lovely cave up in the Himalayans” That is impossible in a big city like Bombay, São Paulo, New York or Seoul. Believe me I have lived in all these cities and I tell you I have met so many people as peaceful as yogis in the mountains. Here are a few of the things they do to keep sanity while fighting for their dreams.
- Make sure you wake up earlier than everybody else
Brahmamuhurta according to Yoga masters is the ideal and most powerful time to meditate – 1h30 before down- is the pick because of the stillness of the mind, take advantage of this Vedic knowledge and put it to practice. Try and few the difference. Perhaps go to bed one hour earlier and try your best to create a routine for yourself would be ideal.
Most of the people break down or explode because they simply keep swallowing up unwanted duties – probably because they don’t know how to say NO- and they missed their precious me time to do whatever they want. By waking up before anyone else you don’t have to feel guilty, you just do what you have to do.
- Chose a morning Ritual
This could be starting from a light brisk walk followed by stretches, Yoga practice w/ pranayama and 20-minute meditation at least. Writing in your journal & reading up am spiritual or self-development book. Working in your life project, even if –for NOW- It’s Plan B, you are moving ahead with it by dispending quality time to it daily.
- Find NATURE around you
You can start by giving your house nature touch by getting real indoor plants – and taking proper CARE OF THEM, but don’t worry indoor plants don’t require that amount of water every single day. SPREAD them around!
Other really good alternative is to find a park or garden that you can “scape to” walk bare foot, lie down on the grass and give yourself proper rest and healing time. Most of the big cities have such a place. Search for one and make it part of your ritual to spend as much time in nature as you can.
Hug a tree, feel the early morning sunrays touching your skin, feel the breeze of the air and get as much time in natural waters as you can.
- Exercise daily aspects of Gratefulness
Remind yourself every morning of what are you doing there and why are you living in a big city. Visualize your dreams and make sure you are walking the right path and are where you need to be to achieve them. Sometimes we just get lost, we get used and go years and years doing things un aware or unawaken. Allow your check out every day and watch your behavior and actually see if you are doing what you have to do or walking towards where u want to be. If so, exercise the true feeling of gratefulness by finding moments to cultivate and positively soak yourself on things that makes you feel grateful to be alive. Do thinks that makes you happy – and that actually don’t harm you-
- Take a break away
In case you can, at least 1 day a week or 2 days every 2 weeks go to the country side, mountain or beach. Nature heals and gives the human being a sense of awareness and sanity found nowhere else. Whenever u need to take an important decision try to be in touch with nature for few hours or days and then with a clear mind go ahead and do it
- Absorb healing nature properties from your food
Try to eat as much fruits, vegetables, green leaves as you can, avoid non vegetarian, industrialized and over spicy food. The bio energy from satvic food will increase the satvic qualities in you and you will feel much more calm than before
- Do something that makes you deeply happy and get you back in touch with a childhood wish
Remember when you wanted to play drums, or that harmonica or guitar? Or when you loved to play volleyball or soccer with your friends, and what about dancing? do something with no pressure to make it right, but do an activity for the joy and fun it brings.
Put a few of these to practice and let us know how you feel ☺ Happy Living
Om Shanti
Love&Light
