Bits of life

A-6 Words-975

the techniques of Yoga. My love for the Vedic practices of yoga in India had increased many times and filled me with rightful pride in being an Indian. I loved my month long stay at the yoga school. One of the most fascinating things I had learnt while I was living in the school premises was about Pranic healing. This was of Chinese origin. It grew and developed in India as well. It was some kind of telepathic skill a person possesses. No, don’t mistake it to be magic of any kind. Anyone with a strong concentration and a clear and sincere mind could achieve it. It treats the physical body of the patient with prana or energy-body of the healer. I had seen it being done. A man with paralysis affected hands was treated effectively with pranic healing method. I saw a monk who had this ability, holding both the hands of the patient and closing his eyes. It looked as though he was praying but it was actually single minded concentration transferring energy from the healer to the patient. Amazing, isn’t it?
The monks were a lot of fun, especially, an Australian monk named swami Nityananda. Anyone with an intention to become a monk was given a special name by the Swamiji, the head of the institute. He was telling me not to worry about exams and syllabus. He used to say,

“You do your work sincerely, and leave the result to time and God.” In other words he was asking us to work with detachment, work without expecting a reward, work to better your own self, and not to impress others.”

He wrote three books on the spiritual aspects of yoga, Pranayama and meditation. In all these three aspects, concentration is a rule of the thumb. Pranayama demands concentration on the way the breath travels in and out of nostrils. In other words, it means breath control. Several diseases like asthma, allergies of any kind, brain related diseases, blood pressure are successfully treated with Pranayama. One should have time and patience to practice it every single day for at least fifteen minutes.
Meditation is also concentration but with a slight difference. This combines breath control and concentration on how the breath travels downwards from nostrils to the chest and to the navel and upward from navel to the chest to the nostrils. The outgoing and incoming breath should be noticed and followed without letting the mind to waver. If you go on practicing it daily for fifteen minutes, you will develop concentration and other abilities like control, balance and calmness that go along with it. Controlling the breath becomes a second habit once you practice it daily.

Meditation is to get back the mind from thinking of unnecessary things. Our minds are like monkeys. They never stay at one place, never allow you to be strict or follow a particular pattern. There is no such thing as discipline in such minds. That is the difference between a clever student and a dull one. Mind is the same in every person. What is different is the way you handle it, keeping it under control. Meditation develops that single minded concentration. For a physiotherapist, I feel these aspects of the body and mind are of great value and use.

Since then, I learnt to work with the idea of helping others to live well, to live happily. After coming home from the school of Yoga, my mind was free, free from being affected by others’ comments. My focus was and always will be my patient. Another important factor that helped me in reaching my goals was, reading. I realized its value in my mature age. Reading helps you understand, to think and to formulate your own strategies. Reading lends you the strength to argue and establish your point with standard references. I read books on various medical doctrines practiced in ancient India. If nothing, they were informative, intelligent and debatable on various aspects of human anatomy and psychology.

Oil therapy, the hereditary profession of our family has its roots in the medical practices followed by Indian doctors during the Vedic time, that is, thousands of years before Christ.”

We have almost reached home. That was an interesting hour listening to the sweet voice of Ashley as she narrated her experiences with the Indian physiotherapist, Mr. Sharma.

Ashley said, “OK Jim, here we are. Hope to see you soon. Mr. Sharma educated me in different ways. I have posted all that I learnt from him in a journal. I can lend it to you, if you want to read it any time. In the meanwhile enjoy imagining our marriage and wedded life,” she joked,
her eyes crinkling. I loved the way she came up with a new thought about our life together in future. After parking the car in the drive way, I came around to open the door for her. I kissed her by the cherry tree that had effectively hidden us from the public eye. She closed her eyes, rested in the circle of my arms and absorbed our moments of joy and ardor.

“You are invaluable Ashley. No wonder, even at a tender age, I recognized it and wanted you to belong to me,” I said with emotion. She smiled in an understanding manner and let go my passionate embrace, and waved good bye before melting away into the gathering darkness.

I stepped inside the hallway and shedding my shoes, walked into the living room. Everyone seemed retired for the day. It was quiet in and around the house. It looked as if everyone had their dinner. I felt as though a new beginning for me, uncle John, Oliver and Jake was in the stars. Perhaps very soon, a way out of this dense smoke created by the thieves and goons at