In a fast-paced world today, we seem to have lost our ability to connect with various dimensions of our lives leading to stress, unhappiness and drift. The biggest casualties have been our conscience, reflections, ambitions, love and empathy. Happiness is the sum of satisfaction that we derive from our mind sometimes, from the heart sometimes and sometimes from both. Happiness is linked to our desires and their realization. Lack of happiness is the variance between “Desires” and their “Realization” that results in stress.
The brain’s two lateral halves have Neurons as Receptors which are used for various bodily functions. Whereas the left is in charge of the rational functions, the right controls the emotional functions. Development of “Heart Full” and “Mindful” abilities in a 3D sequential environment and the most ideal form of human development. Unfortunately, we have little time for reflection and are increasingly losing our ability to make personal choices. We are merely driven by digital and social media which will only further deepen ahead, with more adoption of Artificial Intelligence.
We either have poor desires or have desires that make us feel poor, both of which result in loss of happiness and peace. ‘Peace again’ needs cleansing of the mind and the body. That needs a connect with the self. However, we look for it outside our boundaries in therapy centres and SPAs. Does it help?
Our lives, most of the times are sedentary, we eat food that should never be eaten, we live on medicines that are chemicals, and we abuse our mind, body and soul till they rebel. The toxins that accumulate generate stress and early death.
Metabolism, a chemical process that converts food into energy maintains life, and leaves behind toxins that are flushed out through the openings in the body. Disease can hinder the process. Whereas allopathic medicine treats the symptoms, our ancient medicine and ‘yoga vidya’ treats the cause and hence is more lasting. ‘Panchkarma’, the five procedures in Ayurveda such as Vaman, Virechan, Basti, Nasya and Raktamokshan help eliminate the toxins from the human body. ‘Yogic Kriyas’ such as Kapalabhati, Neti, Trataka, Nauli, Dhouti, and Vasti help us lead a healthy and contented life.
There are several Panchakarma centres in the country that offer a host of services for fancy price tags. Do they also provide a lasting balm to the toxic soul? Are the toxins really flushed out? Are the procedures only adding to a feel-good factor? These will be the questions unless there is a spiritual connect of the mind and the body in everything we do. Once out of the therapy centre, we tend to get back into the routine, till the next detox happens.
Life pressures are sometimes unsurmountable and lead invariably to health issues and accumulation of toxins. Even as we fight the daily life toxins, technology has greatly added to the stress with digital toxins. AI has locked up our ability to think and reflect. Human, social and emotional aspects have been hypothecated to apps. Mind mapped digital media constantly pushes choices put up by marketers in our lives. Social media has virtually invaded our lives. We are so addicted to smart phone features like editing a film on the fly that we rarely reflect. An individual may be unable to even recall by the evening as to what he or she liked on a social media post or page. Isn’t our objectivity losing ground to ‘false aspirations’?
Friends have turned foes. Families have lost the personal touch. No one interacts, only to stare blankly at the mobile screens. Fake forwards have invaded personal lives. Hands free mobiles have turned us into zombies. The induced stress has caused eye strain, affected quality of sleep and increased migraine headaches. We see today increased number of ‘attention deficit hyperactivity disorder’ (ADHD) cases in teens and young adults.
Our journey today is from ‘No Where’ to ‘Now Here’ No one knows ‘where to’ from ‘here’. Is it not time we launched a movement against technology addiction? It must start in schools. Development of personal, social and emotional aspects have lost importance for us. It’s time we begin a journey of ‘digital detox’. We must voluntarily refrain from using our smartphones, computers, hand-held devices, Internet and social media platforms. That will be the ‘Digital Panchkarma’ we need.