46 posts tagged with "self-awareness"

Body & mind​

In one of the guided meditation sessions, I was gently nudged towards thinking about body and mind. Especially, differentiation between our association with the question of - who am I? Am I the body, the mind, both?

Building upon the narrator, I am my mind and the body is something which I control. The control varies over age, circumstances, health and more. The explicit relationship between mind and body is the perception of self in the reality.

Honor your body​

There are trillions of cells in a human body. The number estimated is around 37.2 trillion cells in a human body.

It is fascinating that we have such a complex machinery at our disposal. In daily life, we tend to forget that we have something magical going on in our body at every moment.

Honor your own body, your body is the most precious gift from nature.

Levels of Anger​

Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong. While, being angry towards something might not be in my control, how I react to anger is under my control. Anger can be of different levels, like:

• Passive-Aggressive Anger
• Assertive Anger
• Openly Aggressive Anger

Identifying my Anger​

Today morning I was angry about two men who were reckless and quite unperturbed by their actions. Instinctively, I made some noise to avoid collision but they were quite involved in their action to pay heed to the warning. While I let it go within 5 minutes, I later realized the sequence of thoughts in my mind.

Letting go of any emotion - pleasure, joy, happiness, amusement, pride, awe, excitement or ecstasy - is important for staying at my core. During the rush of anger in the morning today, I felt that I could disassociate my mind and my anger. It was as if I was looking at me as a third person with a bird's eye view. I asked myself the question - Is is worth my morning to pursue my anger?

It is definitely a new experience for me. I had heard about it in guided meditation sessions but never experienced it personally.

It is wise to direct your anger towards problems -- not people; to focus your energies on answers -- not excuses.

Spring time​

String is the season full of life, growth and activity. It is a season that is marked by warmer temperatures, longer days, and the blossoming of flowers and trees. And Holi, in a way, marks the beginning of Spring season.

Intelligence in plants​

Plants are intelligent, albeit in a different way, but they are able to sense and respond to their environment, communicate with each other through chemical signals, and even solve problems. The next time you see a flower or plant bending towards sunlight, growing towards water - be amazed by the existence of intelligence all around is. In a way, isn't that what life is all about?

Converting for good​

Many a times, we take decisions which are tough, binding and for life time. These are moments of conversion, and if supported by willpower and change of identity, they are permanent. Some examples of converting are:

• Picking a new hobby - cycling or running
• Quitting smoking for good
• Becoming a reader

Zeal of the converted​

The process of converting from an old you to a new you is confusing, scary and comes with a lot of temptations. Building a new habit is tough, it is slow and requires an honest conversation with your self. But after you convert, it becomes pride and something you are indeed proud of. The converted you is zealous for the following reasons:

• It is energizing to do something new, hard and personal.
• Being successfully on the other side gives you immense confidence and self worth.
• Having struggled and failed, you are more willing to help others in their journey.

A zealous and converted me talking about morning swimming

Swimming Routine​

I book my swimming sessions using Fitso. While I started learning swimming in March 2022 - at the age of 33. I have started enjoying it a lot, because:

• It is a new skill that I have picked up after college
• I have struggled to improve but persisted for a year now

50 minute swim slot​

I choose before entering the pool either of - 1km, 1.5km or 2km swim for the day. I have found that the act of choosing before helps me to push myself to reach the goal. A 50 minute swim is reasonably long and you can easily do 500+ active calories in the session.

Flow state while swimming​

Since the last 6 months, I have been able to attain a flow state while swimming relatively swimming. Some of the benefits which compound over an year:

• You cannot talk or listen to under water
• You cannot check your phone
• You start observing self talk
• You build a routine of talking to yourself

What I currently think about while swimming​

I have recently started swimming in the morning at 6 am:

• I remind myself about who I am, where I am. It helps me orient myself in the morning. It goes something like: I am Gaurav Parashar, son of Abhay & Jyoti Parashar, currently in Gurgaon ..
• I remind myself about the day, date & month. This forces me to zoom out time to a monthly scale.
• During one of the guide meditations via YT, I learnt how visualizing your loved ones increases the satisfaction of the day. I think about family, friends, people I have met.
• I keep going back to thinking about work, and every time that happens, I gently guide it out of my thoughts.

Swim, 2 Mar 2023

A unique experience was meditating at Langkawi Sky Bridge - I could feel that the curved cable-stayed bridge vibrates/oscillates ever so slightly.

Observing weather and mood​

Temperature, humidity, wind, air quality, sunshine/radiation play a very important role in how I sleep, feel and focus during the day. Observing the extremes in daily life is easier:

• Winters in Delhi NCR and Gurgaon lower the mood due to the smog and temperature
• Hot wind (loo) and extreme heat in summers of Rajasthan increase the stress in my body
• A super cold blast from air conditioners reduces my focus on work

Weather or Seasons by City​

Looking back, the weather of Bangalore throughout the year or Springtime in London has been the most satiating weather I have experienced. The reasons are:

1. Mood is upbeat throughout the day
2. Productivity per hour is high
3. Deep work is easier due to higher focus

Ideal City Hopping for me​

1. Spring in London
2. Summer in Bangalore
3. Fall in Gurgaon or Dubai
4. Winter in Jaipur

Bluewaters Bay, Dubai 2019

A unique experience was meditating at Langkawi Sky Bridge - I could feel that the curved cable-stayed bridge vibrates/oscillates ever so slightly.