Showing posts with label inner peace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inner peace. Show all posts

Friday, February 19, 2016

How to Get Up in the Morning

HOW TO BEGIN YOUR DAY
MORNING MUSINGS
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Good Morning  Dear Reader.

This morning I received a post on one of my groups which said that a Doctor has advised that:


The First 3 minutes when you wake up in the morning are critical  and  you must not get up in a rush  but take your time getting up from bed as follows:

1. Lie in bed for at least one minute.

2. Slowly get up and sit in bed for another minute.

3. Lower your legs on the floor and sit on the edge of the bed for another minute.  

These 3 minutes of slow movement and gradual activity will ensure adequate blood flow to your brain  and prevent your brain becoming anaemic (which may happen if you get up suddenly in a rush which may result in lack of adequate blood flow in your brain).

Maybe – this is the reason my grandmother taught me to say a prayer the moment I woke up before putting my legs on the ground – so that I do not get up in a rush and I do not stand up suddenly. 


Most rituals have some significance – but – most of us perform rituals without understanding their significance.

So – since the time I was a small boy – I recited this small prayer the moment I woke up in the morning while lying in bed with my eyes closed and my palms over my eyes  just because my grandmother had instructed me to do so. 

Only later did I understand the significance of this waking up ritual”.

Yes – ever since I remember – I begin my day with a small prayer of gratitude to Mother Earth.

I did so today too.

This helps me get up slowly.

Yes – I slow down at the beginning of the day – and then  Carpe Diem – I Seize the Day.


Remember – you must never get up in a hurry.

Here is the morning prayer to which will enable to you to get up slowly and then seize the day.

Even if you are not the “praying type – remember to get up slowly – the moment you wake up in the morning – you can spend the first few minutes lying down in bed with your eyes closed thinking interesting thoughts – and then slowly get up and start moving.

BEGIN YOUR DAY WITH A PRAYER OF GRATITUDE TO MOTHER EARTH


Karaagre Vasate Lakshmi Karamadhye Saraswati 

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मिः करमध्ये सरस्वति  

Every morning the moment I wake up at dawn  I open my eyes  I put the two palms of my hand together – I look at my palms – and I recite my Morning Shloka  this prayer was taught to me by my late maternal grandmother when I was a small boy.

Then  after reciting my morning prayer I close my eyes and – with the palms of my hands on my eyes – I continue to lie down in bed – and I think about what I am going to do during the day. 

After a few moments  I move my hands all over my body to warm up and pep up my circulation  to energize myself  and then  I  get up – and I say Carpe Diem  and  yes  I seize the day and make the most of it.


Here is the morning prayer:

Karaagre Vasate Lakshmi Karamadhye Saraswati

कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मिः करमध्ये सरस्वति 

Just click below and hear this meaningful and melodious prayer

The prayer is very short  just 2 minutes. 

The Sanskrit Prayer  the English Transliteration  and the meaning in English are given below too. 

Dear Reader  first click the song below and hear this short prayer.

(After hearing the prayer please read the meaning of the prayer and my views)





कराग्रे वसते लक्ष्मिः करमध्ये सरस्वति 
करमूले तु गोविन्दः प्रभाते करदर्शनम् 
समुद्र-वसने देविपर्वत-स्तन-मंडिते 
विष्णु-पत्नि नमस्तुभ्यंपाद-स्पर्शं क्षमस्व मे 

Karaagre Vasate Lakshmi Karamadhye Saraswati,
Karamuule Tu Govinda Prabhaate Karadarshanam,
Samudravasane Devi Parvatastanamandale,
Vishhnupatni Namastubhyam Paadasparsham Kshamasva Me


Meaning of the Shloka in English

The front part of the hands (the finger tips) is credited to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. 

The middle part or palm is credited to Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning.

The Root of the hand (the part of hand near the wrist) to Govinda (the name of  Lord Krishna, an avatar of God Vishnu). 

So, every morning, one should have a reverent look at one's hand which represents sincere labour. 

I bow to Mother Earth, who has mountains and jungles on her body and whose clothing is made by the ocean. 

The wife of Lord Vishnu, please pardon me for touching you with my feet.


RISE AND SHINE


HOW TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING

Never use an alarm clock which wakes you up in a disturbing manner.

Never get up in a hurry after you wake up.

Get up naturally  and gradually open your eyes. 

And then 
 as sleep goes away  and you slowly come to your senses  just hold your palms above you  look at them  and say this morning prayer (or any inspiring thought you like). 

After this short prayer of paying obeisance to the Goddesses Laxmi and Saraswati and God Vishnu and expressing gratitude to Mother Earth 
 you must close your eyes  place the palms of your hands on your eyes  and continue to lie down in bed for a few moments thinking about what you are going to do during the day. 

This palming is good for your eyes  and also gives you a sense of inner peace. 

So just close your eyes  place your palms on your eyes  and contemplate about the day ahead. 

(Do not think about yesterday  or about tomorrow  just focus on TODAY)

Then – after a few moments – move your hands all over your body to pep up your circulation – energize yourself – and then get up – say to yourself Carpe Diem – and, yes, you will seize the day and make the most of it.

If your day begins well  the rest of the day will be good. 

Yes  a good morning makes a good day.

As they say: well begun is half done.

More importantly  this helps you live one day at a time.

I try my best to live one day at a time. 

For me  every morning is a new day  a new life

So  I try my best to make the most of it - yes  I make the most of the present day.

Then  at the end of the day – at night  I hit the bed and go to sleep  forget about the day which is over  and gone forever  and wake up to another fresh new day. 

And  when I wake up  I say my morning prayer  get into a positive mood – and Carpe Diem  I seize the new day.

Remember  the manner in which you wake up in the morning decides the quality of your day

So  Dear Reader – do remember to avoid sudden jerky movements the moment you wake up in a rush to get up in the morning. 

Get up slowly after you wake up in the morning – and  you will wake up well.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
1. This is the way I begin my day. You can begin the day in the way it suits you best and as per your beliefs.
2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.
Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

SELF ACTUALIZATION MADE SIMPLE

SELF ACTUALIZATION MADE SIMPLE
Philosophical Musings of a Self-Actualized Veteran
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Literature teaches you more about the art of living rather than sermons and moral lectures.

I learnt more from literature than from high-falutin philosophy or spiritualism.

And of all genres of literature, it is short stories which gave me insightful tips on the art of living and vignettes on philosophy of life.

You must have heard of the term: Self-Actualization”.

I first came across this term in the 1970s when I read about Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs while studying the management module during my engineering course.

We were told that the Hierarchy of Needs has 5 levels of Human Needs:

1. Physiological

2. Safety and Security
 
3. Love and Belonging

4. Esteem
 
5. Self-Actualization

I understood what the first four needs meant – but for many years I wondered as to what was the meaning of the term self-actualization”.

One day I read a fiction short story called THE NIGHT TRAIN AT DEOLI written by Ruskin Bond.

The Night Train at Deoli” by Ruskin Bond is my favourite Love Story.

It is a simple story of inchoate and unrequited love  which happens to all of us in our youth.

An eighteen year old boy meets a girl at a quaint railway station called Deoli  where the train halts for a few minutes.

It is love at first sight.

On the return journey after his vacation, the boy eagerly searches for the girl the moment the train reaches Deoli.

He is delighted to see her on the platform.

They look at each other.

They spend ethereal moments of unspoken love, they delicately hold hands.

Suddenly the guard blows his whistle and the train starts moving.

I have to go to Delhi,” the boy says.

The girl replies, “I do not have to go anywhere.”

This is exactly what I felt one morning, during my walk in the lush green park on the banks of the Mula River, and I said to myself – “I do not have to go anywhere.”  

I felt that I have achieved everything I wanted to achieve.

I have accomplished whatever I wanted to accomplish in life.

I have done whatever I wanted to do.

I am living the life I always wanted to live.

Now  I am satisfied with life  I am happy where I am – I am content with what I have.

And so  I can say to myself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

Now I realize what self-actualization means.

Self Actualization is a state of mind when you can say to yourself: I do not have to go anywhere”.

Yes – you have reached the stage of self-actualization when you can say to yourself: “I do not have to go anywhere”.

You have realized your full potential.

What you can be  you have become.

You are living the life you always wanted to live.

You have reached where you wanted to reach – so now you do not have to go anywhere.

Have you reached this stage of supreme satisfaction in life?

Are you are happy wherever you are?

Are you content with what you have?

Can you say to yourself:

I have reached where I wanted to reach and now I do not have to go anywhere

If you can say this to yourself – you have achieved Self-Actualization.

Self Actualization is when you do not have to go anywhere – you do not want to go anywhere.

Self Actualization is a great feeling.

You can take my word for it.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
1. This is based on my personal experience. It may or may not work for you. So please do due diligence before trying out this technique.
2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:
No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This is a Revised and Updated Version of My Article I DO NOT HAVE TO GO ANYWHERE Posted by me