Mental Fitness

When we choose to reflect upon ourselves within the vastness of the universe, it would seem as if we are as nothing.

But as a conscious intelligence with Free Will, each of us represents a formidable potential for creativity and for better comprehending the Universe in which we live as well as becoming aware of the ability we have to contribute to it.

Our Free Will is the Power which gives us the gift of Choice and the capacity to create what our minds conceive. Any limitation is only defined by our imagination.

Free Will is an exciting human faculty. It allows us to determine choices and how we wish to enjoy and spend our lifetime and in what direction of creativity we wish to exercise our skills.

The gift of Free Will can also seem daunting when we realise that we can no longer blame anyone or anything for our situations and circumstances, for our thoughts, feelings and actions.  We are all now experiencing the reactions to our past actions and choices.

We must accept with Free Will comes personal responsibility; self-determination, self- consciousness – and the sense of potential self- awareness and self empowerment on every level of our being body and soul. This is when we arrive at our maturity as a human being to herald a time when we know our personal freedom and can determine the application of our personal power.

To succeed in valuing Free Will and employing our inner power constructively, we need the guidance and inner wisdom of our soul that directs us through the confusions of life by the faculty of intuition.

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Union with the Divine ! this is a phrase common to human aspiration and the inherent desire we have to realize truths through our own direct spiritual experience.

All of us long for profound, conscious realisation and confirmation of our beliefs.  It is natural that we seek to have a direct relationship with our Maker. To have an intimate inner knowledge of the Source of our life energy helps us to feel spiritually secure. Without this inner element, life can remain incomplete.

 Most of us seek a degree of spiritual knowledge and understanding and have faith that it is our own spiritual experience that will confirm that knowledge. We have already arrived at some preconception about what constitutes God and Divinity and these are exercised when we start to meditate.

 Our concepts of God and our relationship with the Divine are not all identical.  Some of us see the Divine as the Great Creative Fire and consider ourselves as little sparks of that same element

 “As from a glowing fire, kindred sparkles come forth thousand-fold,

So from the Eternal, manifold beings are born  and return also.” Manduka Upanishad

Others conceive God as the Divine Ocean of Life and themselves as a mere droplet of that same element of water

  “The dewdrop slips into the shining sea….” Buddha

Some people consider themselves as part of the universe and all manifested natural life and may seek to experience that Oneness by achieving harmony of being amongst the outwardly manifested world of supreme Nature.

Some yearn to identify themselves with the great force of Love and seek only to free themselves from the limitations of personal love to find a new identity as part of the eternal heart -beat that radiates Divine and Infinite Love.

There are of course many approaches to this most important and sacred relationship a human being possesses. Whilst determining our approach, we claim privacy and respect the privacy of others.  So our serious thoughts and attitudes to the ultimate Creative Intelligence are rarely expressed to others, until we feel a strong spiritual bond of understanding.

As to our manner of spiritual communing, this is also our private choice. Some of us elect to meditate in solitude, others in groups and formal religious ceremony and church ritual. No matter what way we choose, we find that meditation and prayer are inherent and are required to develop a state of stillness of both body and mind.

Meditation becomes our most vital means of distancing ourselves from worldly matters and identifying ourselves with our higher consciousness.  It provides us with the opportunity to put in perspective lesser issues and to gradually elevate our minds much as the direct upward movement of an elevator lifts us to a higher level.  In order to do this, we must first achieve body comfort and stillness and so rise above the body awareness to our subtler emotional and mental planes and feel in touch with our soul consciousness.

Following some degree of effort in concentration of thought is the receptive or ‘listening’ stage in meditation. This is a state of awaiting response. It is an effortless time where we experience an influx of new thoughts and experiences associated with our spiritual purpose.

There are good times when this process happens smoothly and difficult days when we cannot elevate to the desired mood. Positive experiences become our encouragement. These moments may come through psychic realization, dreams  or times of clear thought and intuition. As with everything else, it becomes easier as we become familiar with our different states of awareness in meditation.

It is through meditation that we arrive at personal experience and absorption in the quality which we seek to strengthen.  We have opportunity to discover a proven reality of the ideas we say we believe in.  We can find proof of our philosophy or sometimes that which confounds it, to cause us to modify our attitudes towards greater issues of life.

More expansive that prayer alone, meditation offers a two way communication between our lesser self and the higher self and between our personal consciousness and God.

We are free to develop our own life link with our Creator. This is usually established best through a simple mental approach and with patience, bearing in mind that it is our breath that provides the most obvious and ever present line of communication between the physical world and the invisible spheres of the Divine. 

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Psychology = “‘The science of the mind, or mental states and processes; the science of human nature…”

WHAT IS HUMAN NATURE?                                           

Western psychology is a relatively recent science which, although valuable in basic matters regarding behaviour, personality and the general function of the mind, in no way claims knowledge of, or allows for the existence, let alone the study of the soul and spirit of the human being. It has made great advances in the study of human behaviour and mental diseases but has not found answers enough to cope with the mental aberrations which torment society and which are on the increase.

Many of these abnormal conditions of mental disease in the community have been created by drugs of all kinds, chemical pollutants, alcohol and unhealthy nutrition to which there is no answer but by rectifying these negative habits and conditions.

In this regard the Yoga approach satisfies this need. It concentrates upon the individual building and maintaining a healthy body and brain through a healthy lifestyle. It also involves establishing emotional stability, development of intellectual skills and talents, right habits of thinking, soul satisfying work and occupation, and a satisfactory spiritual way of life that allows for both duty and pleasure.

If the body is not nourished properly, the brain is not being nourished with an adequate and rich blood supply. It is not possible for the brain to serve as a healthy instrument either for creating or transmitting healthy thoughts. The diet of most westerners is totally unbalanced when ‘fast foods’, white bread, chocolate and coca cola have been monitored as the most popular consumer items in supermarkets.

Not only good food but so many other factors as well as those mentioned are equally important and these are fundamental to the teachings of Hatha Yoga which focuses upon physical health. The value of these teachings is acknowledged with the practice of Hatha Yoga becoming increasingly popular world wide.

But our efforts must include equal attention to emotional control and mental discipline if we are to avoid the complex problems of modern times and enjoy total well being. 

Understanding one’s personality and observing good and bad character traits is important, and most people are aware of the simple basis of psychology and the need to be assertive, to offload ‘baggage’ and to keep a positive attitude to life. Although this work is valuable, there is a need for deeper comprehension and to focus upon the entire human being, beyond the personality.

We need to be true to our own deeper nature – our soul and thence to discover our spiritual being.  Only then are we integrating all the facets of human nature that are required in the study and practise of psychology.

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Do

Relaxation-  Practice lying flat on floor if possible either in quietude or gentle classical music. This requires no thinking but feeling awareness only  – Let nature’s vitality flow through and refresh your psyche

Enjoy a professional relaxation massage – to feel energies renewed

Physical exercise followed by a warm shower or bath with lavender or neroli bath oil

Take a series of slow deeper breaths before you decide to become active again – then deliberately inhale the perfume of one of the natural essential oils that appeals to you

Spend 5 minutes in upright position repeating your personal affirmation that inspires and makes you feel happy and strong

Drink pure water – rainwater if possible or drink a pure fresh fruit juice -sipping a little at a time and consciously drawing vitality

Appreciate being alive – Look around you and focus upon the beautiful forms, plants, sky, trees – to realise afresh how wonderful to be alive to learn and to enjoy nature and participate in the Life Adventure

Finally, promise yourself to remain as long as possible in this pleasant mind set or mood. Let nothing disturb you. Let no one have the power to disturb you. Remain calm in whatever circumstances

Attend classes or participate in sports that are directly helpful in lifting your mood –confiding in your therapist, attending  laughing groups, comedy shows, or, listening to favourite melodic music

Be creative – painting, playing a musical instrument, sewing, crafts, singing or skills in a sport

Seek for a skilled psychologist who will help you without recommendation for prescription drugs, many of which cannot claim to cure and many can prove harmful

Find a healthy natural alternative to The Pill that is one proven cause of depression

Any or all of these are positive self determined ways to overcome depression and you will benefit continuing efforts especially when you find what really works for you personally.

Prayer is the universal ‘advice’ or technique to help lift your mood

Don’t

Drink alcohol – it will not help your depression in the long run

Don’t take antidepressant medications –  many will be detrimental to your mental well being

Don’t remain solitary except to practise your private relaxation but enjoy walks and the company of a friend.

Don’t get in the habit of repeating to yourself or to others “I’m depressed ..” or “I’m feeling bad” – this has a negative effect upon the subconscious mind that relies upon positive thought feed-in.

Don’t continue any old habit – substitute a better one!

Don’t seek solace from food – when depressed is the worst time to digest food and your body will suffer

 Don’t try to focus your mind in reading dutiful learning or study but rather choose to study a subject or hobby of genuine personal interest 

Don’t bombard your brain with heavy rock noises or music that is loud and without melody at this is the cause of much depression.

Don’t burden your love ones or take out your moods upon others if you can confide in a psychologist or counsellor who is trained to be impartial and just listen.

REMEMBER 

You are a special and unique person, created to experience and enjoy life as well as to offer your personal gifts and talents to others. Why waste life time?

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