“Disclaimer: This is something I have written from my experience and understanding, it may or may not be the same to everyone and anyone who may try it. In any case, I am curious to know your experience and opinions too.”
“Hey,
It takes 21 days to build a neurocycle………..”
What’s a neuro cycle? I have no clue. I have read that it takes 21 days to make a habit. Maybe it is saying the same in fancy lingo?
“….importance of power of belief, attraction, positivity…..ta ta ta ta Deepak Chopra…I’ll be adding you to a group for 21 days…meditation….… task……….. Let me know if you are interested………………..” sound good!
“Hey! What’s this? I want to participate.” I pinged. It was a forward I got from Amruta and my thoughts as I glanced through the text it contained.
“Yo!” came her brief response.
“Soo…?” I ask curiously waiting for some explanation.
“I’ll add you to a group. I am a part of another group.” She said patiently.
I went back to the forwarded message to understand the know-whats and know-hows of the whole thing. It was a 21 days’ exercise for which you become a part of a Whatsapp group, every morning at a fixed time, the admin gives you a task and a guided meditation audio which lasts for about 15 minutes. You get 24 hours to complete both of them and once you finish them, you send “done” to the group. And so it continues for 21 days. No other communication in the group with other members, no good morning flowers, no meme sharing and no forwards with cures for COVID. Clarifications could be made through the admin privately. Fair enough!
There is also the clause of removing people from the group if they fail to complete the task. I did away with it because the object of the whole exercise is ease and I did not want this to be a strict chore like finishing school assignments. But if they wanted to leave they were free to.
What are the tasks?
Like I am going to tell you here! It is no Tri-wizard tournament and there is no Goblet of Fire waiting for the grabs. It is an exercise which takes about 10 minutes.(I take longer because I love writing, the act, the process, the consequence, everything about it). Each task takes you through every aspect in your life – your family, friends, non-friends (Note that I am not using the word enemy), income, dreams and desires. It makes you think about them, systematically dwell on them and compel you to scrutinize it with a new approach.
About Meditation:
“When you can’t go outside, go inside” ~ Zita Fontaine.
While some of us know it and have appreciated its perks, I learnt that most of us are new to it and shirk from it for the sole reason that it seems like a tiresome task. What, empty your mind? Like, not think at all? How is that even possible! It’s not my thing. While attempting to empty your mind maybe exasperating, meditation is not. Wait, isn’t that the same thing? Well, not really! It is directed and selective thinking. You do it all the time. Has it ever happened to you that you were watching a movie and totally missed out on that chore your mother asked you to do? Of course you heard her saying something and even responded! But couldn’t quite recall what it was! You were so engrossed in the movie your mind was wholly devoted to it. You listen to a song, watch a movie, play pubg, read a book, make art and you immerse yourself in it. Your entire thought process is directed at one thing at that time that other things don’t matter.
Since it is difficult to do this when there is no such activity to engage you in, you begin with a guided meditation. The audio given is for about 15 minutes, it is completed in no time. You concentrate on the voice of the speaker, and what he says and just surrender to him following his instructions. You will get distracted, but the goal is to actively bring back your thoughts to just one thing, say your breathing or a chant of a mantra and fixate on it. The purpose is to keep trying, even if it means to sit still for that stretch of time. Over time it doesn’t seem so hard.
Passing the torch
I asked a few of my closes ones who I thought would be supportive and open minded if they would be interested to take part, not that I was afraid of hearing a no from asking several people (okay, maybe a little, I was), it was more so because: 1) I was new to the whole thing myself, 2) I was not sure I knew enough to be answering to more people than that at once. I needed people with patience and faith and who would be ready to invest their time to it. Happily enough four of them agreed to join me in this journey. I suppose the purpose was to overcome these mental barriers as well. And I did it! The result there too, was unfailingly liberating. Knowing that people believe in you is comforting and making a difference to even one person is a delight! They passed it further on and I could see there were many who liked it too.
The results are for you to seek and discover.
What did I discover?
The audios were comforting to the mind and kept me going through till the end. It was just what I needed at the moment. Ever since I got into the exercise it seems like my life is getting reorganized, things seem to be falling in place. Even at this time of uncertainty, I am learning to be calm and I have a stronger hope that good things will come my way because I will make them to. I have that power. The more you let go of your fears, apprehensions and worries, the more space you make for the things you attract into your life same as you delete unwanted apps in your phone to make space for useful ones.
The tasks did not seem like a big deal initially, but as the days wore on, I could see what they had been doing to me. I learnt to discard the superfluous thoughts and gain clarity. I feel like I am emptying the cluttered debris from my mind into the pages and I feel lighter.
We question, we doubt, we try to explain things logically which is okay. But we also need to unlearn some things so that we can learn new things. We need to learn to let our minds rest.
I am basking in the glorious shine of abundance I am attracting towards me.
Tested and approved!
-Nivedita
The Pensieve 