Prana: The life energy

Dr Suman Bharali (dr.s.bharali@gmail.com)

Every person has a period in their life when they are full of zeal and zest. They put forward their best effort and performance in whatever they do. They are full of energy and vitality. They excel in sports, music, art and craft, studies, social and communication skills etc. They are at the peak of their health, happiness, relations and confidence. They are optimistic and enthusiastic. They prepare and practice as good as they can to do their task in the best way. At this time, they are highly focused on their goal and have the courage and determination to reach their maximum potential and expand their limits.

But when things don't happen as expected and there might be some disease, accident, some kind of loss or setbacks; gradually the fighting spirit is diminished. It can happen even after achieving a long-term goal when there the person cannot find a purpose to continue the hard work. Instead of giving the best performance, they try to just get it done somehow. Soon the person becomes doubtful about his or her capabilities and becomes confused about where to focus. Soon distractions and short-term pleasures attract them and they get trapped. They lose curiosity to learn and hunger for excellence. The daily repetition of the same routine and lifestyle makes them burn out. They have no excitement to wake up the next day to do something interesting. They get lost and find no meaning in their activities. They give up training, learning, preparation and practice to develop. Life becomes undisciplined and their willpower gets weak. They are aware of their bad habits but ignore them and pass the days as usual. There is no consistency or relentlessness in their activities. They care less about their physical fitness, mental relaxation or social interactions. They lose interest in personal hygiene and grooming, dressing sensibly or staying presentable and communicating consciously. They start procrastinating their work and cannot manage their time properly. Their eating and sleeping habits are altered and there is no fixed time for them. Their circadian rhythms are disturbed and there is no awareness of day and night. Nowadays mobile phones are full of apps, social media, games, shopping and OTT platforms which are addictive. Once a person gets entangled in the virtual world, they lose awareness of time and space. Gradually they cocoon themselves in their little rooms and get disconnected from the vast and diverse universe. Being addicted to comfort and short-term easy pleasures, they cannot see the time and life slipping out. As time goes by, they find themselves lagging in many areas. Their knowledge and skills get rusted and their efficiency declines. High performing and confident individual turns into an unproductive, lazy and insecure one.

At first, they blame other people and circumstances or complain about the system and society for their condition. They find an excuse and defend their behaviour and bad habits. Soon they realize they have betrayed themselves and their loved ones by not utilizing their potential. Their dreams are unfulfilled and their responsibilities are ignored by them. They are full of resentment and are ashamed of themselves. When this awareness comes the person starts thinking about fixing their life. They realize that they are responsible for their lives and they have to make them better. But they find it an uphill task and they lack the energy to do it all at once.

To regain the lost confidence and energy one has to start taking small steps. They have to start immediately wherever they are. They should be determined to change and be consistent and sincere. Daily incremental improvement will soon boost their self-esteem and they will soon become hopeful. At first, it will be hard to leave the comfort zone and addictions. But one has to practice tough love and start following some discipline. One has to give up the bad habits and inculcate some good ones. For this, the person will require strong willpower and life energy or prana.

It should be understood that everybody derives energy from the universe, utilizes it and returns it to the universe. The Law of thermodynamics says the total energy in the universe is constant and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be transformed from one form to another. So, the energy a person needs is present in the universe, only he or she has to become aware of it and start to extract it. For this one has to synchronize their internal micro-universe with the outer macro universe. When there will be connection and harmony between the two the energy will start flowing. They have to increase the synergistic activities to receive the universal energy and reduce the antagonistic activities which block the flow of energy. That's why it is said that when we live consciously, we find the whole universe loving and blessing us.

Self-love is the first thing in the process of self-improvement and self-development. A person has to see his or her potential and worth. They need to have a good daily routine. Wake up early and do some physical exercise to improve circulation throughout the body. When each organ of the body will get good blood flow the whole body will function at its best. The stiffness and lethargy of the body will be reduced and the person will be active. Then personal hygiene and grooming should be focused on. Every day one should get themselves ready nicely and stay presentable. Dressing and accessories should be sensible and according to the occasion. One should try to be punctual and finish the tasks within the allotted time. Hard tasks should be finished first when the energy is maximum.

One should keep their living space clean and well organized. As it attracts positive energy and helps it circulate properly. All the unnecessary things should be discarded from the living room. There should be proper ventilation and lighting. Items which increase positive energy should be kept in the room. Every person should make their bed daily in the morning and before sleeping. Minimalism increases free space in the room and the mind remains free of distractions.

One should give importance to their diet. In Ayurveda, it is said that if your diet is proper there is no need for medicine and if the diet is improper medicines have no effect. Never put some bad stuff into the system which will hamper the functioning. A proper diet enhances strength, complexion, happiness and longevity. The diet should contain all the necessary nutrients including proteins, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and dietary fibres. Most of the packed food contains preservatives, colours, artificial flavours and other chemicals which are harmful to the body in the long run. Each meal should be taken timely and one should not eat before the previously eaten food has been digested properly. Food should be prepared, served and eaten with a pure and good heart without any stress. The kitchen should be clean, ready with all ingredients and full of pure energy.

Sleep is another important factor. During our active state or stressful state, our brain waves are of high frequency. If we continue to have such brain waves for long our brain functioning will be hampered due to fatigue. That's why we need proper sleep so that it can recover and repair itself from fatigue. During sleep frequency of our brain waves decreases thus it relaxes the mind as well as the whole body. Therefore, after a night of good sleep, we feel healthier, happier and sharper. We can think clearly and perform our tasks efficiently and stay happily.

According to age, a human needs a different amount of sleep. Infants sleep 18 to 20 hours; it is necessary for the development of their brain and body. Gradually children need less sleep and an adult need around 8 hours of sleep. Pregnant women, diseased or weak persons, persons doing heavy physical activity or students who are studying or doing other stressful mental activities need more sleep. Such a person can sleep for a couple of hours a day as well. Though sleeping at day should be avoided by obese persons or persons having diseases due to sedentary lifestyle like diabetes etc. a few hours of deep sleep, relaxes and recharges the whole body and mind and is a must for healthy living. There should be fixed sleeping and waking times. People should not spend a lot of time in front of the bright light of electronic devices before sleep and keep such devices away from the bed before sleeping.

Emotional well-being is most important for a person for peace and prosperity. Every emotion affects our breathing pattern. By controlling our breathing, we can control our thoughts and emotions or the mind. Pranayama also helps in detoxifying the body by expiration of latent gases and renews the lungs with fresh air with oxygen. By proper pranayama, we fill our body with fresh oxygen which is carried to different parts of the body and supplied to every cell of different organs. Thus, every organ gets adequate oxygen and functions at an optimal level. Otherwise, there is hypoxia, degeneration and diminishing organ functions. Thus, the body does not function at its full potential.

Meditation helps in clearing and calming the mind from the constant bombardment of thoughts. This is very much important for getting rid of negative thoughts and giving the mind rest. When our mind is devoid of previous impressions and prejudices, we become aware and understand things better. We can take the right decisions and act accordingly. In such a calm and rejuvenated mind fresh ideas pop up and new knowledge can enter.

One should not live in isolation and try to interact with family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues and other people whom they met every day. One should stay aware of the environment, time, space and people around them. All humans are interdependent, one cannot survive alone. So, understanding people, proper communication, compassion and cooperation are necessary.

For expanding the mind and purifying the soul one should travel and visit different places. When one sees the vastness and diversity of the universe their vision is broadened. The false ego is dissolved. One meets new people, learns new things and finds new ideas. Doing religious rituals and prayers also increases positivity within a person. Their hope and courage increase. One should have faith and know that the Universe provides everything to the seeker. Nature loves and takes care of everyone. So, one should be connected with nature and live in harmony with other living beings. When the life energy increases the person attains peak physical fitness, mental peace and strength, pure soul, liked by other people, taken care of by the nature and blessed by the Universe. In such a person all-round development happens and they utilize their potential maximum for benefit of everyone and everything in the Universe.