In 2011, a team of Harvard researchers ascertained that mindfulness meditation can alter the brain. Quality sleep, calmness and enhanced concentration are well-known exploits of meditation. That it can change the physiology of the brain is mind-blowing and backed by science. 

The research concluded that a mere eight weeks increased cortical thickness in the hippocampus (the seat of learning and memory). It also decreased the brain cells in the amygdala (responsible for fear, anxiety, and stress). What does it mean for you? Meditation can do wonders for reducing the symptoms of depression, anxiety and the likes. It guarantees a happy disposition, better decision-making and generally improving the quality of life. Mindfulness enables you to engage with the present and gain from the opportunities.

Being in the moment lets you swim with the current, as Swamiji would probably put it. During the All Things Guru event, Swamiji shared, “The reason why most people are not where they want to be in their lives is that life gives an opportunity but most of the time, instead of availing it, we are thinking of other things. And when life is trying to get us to do something else, we want yet something else from life. This struggle is swimming against the current.”

Meditation might not be the ultimate pill to fix everything that’s wrong with life; it’s close to a panacea, though. It opens the door to success and walks you through it.

And here are some more tips for a successful life. Happy reading! 

Wisdom from Swamiji

Four Traits of Successful People: People who create opportunities approach things differently, writes Swamiji. Four insanely simple yet vital lessons to turn the tide in your favour.  

The Successful and Successfool: “Some are successful, some, full of success. Some succeed but do not know it. Some are fulfilled by their success, others are only fooled by it”. Which one are you? Let Swamiji help you figure. 

People who create opportunities approach things differently, writes Swamiji. Four insanely simple yet vital lessons to turn the tide in your favour. tell a friend

Transformative Experiences

The Purpose of Human Life: Animals and humans both have a life. The differentiator, writes Jagadananda Das, is that the animals do not know the purpose. The human life is meant for self-realisation and becoming one with God. Avoid metaphorical violence and suicide, read the article. Make the gift of human life a success. 

The Art of Learning: Roma Tambaku picked up the harmonium after a long time. She decided to take it a notch higher than just a hobby by taking the exams. On this journey, she learnt a new skill and the secret to mastering any skill. Handy tips here!

You Should (will) Dance: It was the first year of college. Freshers were asked to participate in the Talent Fest. Vamsi Krishna Anyam went to audition for the dance show. He was rejected at first. However, one senior changed it. This is the story of small words of encouragement changing a life, successfully.

The Ups and Down of the Journey: Harshita Goyal met with a dreadful accident months ago. The happy-go-lucky traveller was bed-ridden in the blink of an eye, unable to move her limbs. She writes about her struggle. More power to you!

Gold Glitters: Anu lost her gold bangle and phone in two separate incidents. Thugs also snatched her husband’s gold chain one day. These bitter incidents have induced fear of strangers in Anu. She is also looking for ways to get over her attachment to gold. 

Milarepa: A Murderer-turned-Yogi: Darshit Talsaniya writes about an incident from Tibetan siddha Jetsun Milarepa’s life. Revenge is self-harm.

My Guru in Work-Life — Azim Premji: Hetal Sonpal shares a few lessons he learnt while working in proximity of the founder of Wipro, Azim Premji. A real leader delivers than indulging in management theatrics.  

The Happiness of the Guru Matters the Most: Veer Saini has been going places, owing to his writing skills. The 10-year-old wise boy was chosen by his teachers for a writing competition. He fell ill, but the universe came together to see him through. He was able to submit the project just in time. And that was a great relief because it put a smile on his teacher’s face. That’s all. That’s what surrendering to a guru looks like; that’s what working hard and leaving the result to God looks like. Thank you for the lessons, young man. 

The Murderer-turned-Yogi and other terrific stories for a more successful life. Don't forget to subscribe tell a friend

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I am thrilled to know that you loved our special article where experts shared tips on de-stressing. We are engaging more experts to share insights and personal stories. The hope is to learn and grow. 

Some of you are wondering about my meditation practice. Let me confess, I haven’t done any regularly. I have been postponing enrolling for The Art of Meditation course by the best, because I fear I won’t stick to it. That is going to change. I will take tiny but consistent steps towards shaping my brain mindfully through meditation. I am reading this wonderful book on the Kaizen method to bail me out of midway meltdowns. More about it soon. 

How do you ensure consistency in the face of distractions and temptations? Give me tips, y’all.

Until next…

PS: Due to a tech glitch, the newsletters are landing in the spam folder of your mailbox. I request you to mark os.me mails as ‘not spam’ until we fix it. You don’t want to miss out on Swamiji’s wisdom and my love letters to you 🙂