What is Life?

A journey is the most common analogy for life. Several images come to my mind when I think of it that way. One is that of a train journey. You go with time as it takes you to places and enjoy the scenery as you move. Another one is that of a stream that begins somewhere and ends in the ocean. In all of these metaphors we are going with the flow. Where in this do we direct or lead the game? In this regard, I came upon a more appealing definition of life... It is this moment.

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life" - Omar Khayyam.

The mind is a tricky instrument. Our thoughts are such that, at times, it takes us to places without our knowledge until suddenly we look around and think "how did I end up here?".

One of the main reasons why we lose time is because our mind is not aware of the present. It constantly travels back in time to get stuck in a loop of past events. If not, it's exploring the multiple realities possible in the future. These memories and imaginations exist only within us and we fail to realize that thinking over it is not gonna change anything. For change to happen, you must get your head back in the now. This moment.

Sometimes the most basic function is the most powerful. Concentrating on your breathing is all it takes for a person to bring their thoughts back to them. Yoga and meditation works on this fundamental process. The benefits of this simple act of inhaling and exhaling can never be overstated. Our ancestors must have already discovered the true potential of this gift of God, else they wouldn't have developed yoga, meditation or even ayurveda. I feel that research on this will improve our lives in all spheres.

If I start on the topic of meditation, there won't be an end to this post. Hence, we'll keep that for another day.

Before I go, just close your eyes. Take a slow and deep breathe in. Exhale and let a smile spread across your face as you do it.. Now open your eyes... This moment is yours. This is your life.