An Infinite Connection

Over the past couple of years, I’ve seen a lot of my friends and other Dilliwaalas gravitate towards meditation. They all have their reasons- coping with daily stress, a life-altering event, or just an attempt to find a spiritual connection. And there are different forms of meditation as well. For some it can be running, singing or chanting. For Arshiya Khanna, it’s the practice of Sahaja Yoga. She recounts her experiences from this practice that’s gained a loyal following world over, and what it is to have a divine connection with oneself.

We all have heard the phrases “It shall all work out”, “Everything happens for the best” and similar quotes from the wise, the self-help books, the mentors and teachers. While the advice seemed utopian at first, a period of confusion and a quest to realize the truth behind all these sayings has become ostensible now. This ‘now’ is a state of the ‘present’, where I’m not dwelling on the past and regretting my actions, nor trying to fix and predict the future, but thoroughly enjoying this ‘now’.  This ‘now’ is a feeling of liberation, like someone magically dissolves your thoughts and your mental ramblings. The eventuality of a situation or the past doesn’t matter anymore; it is eliminated as the empowered ‘present’ state comes into being. This feeling of control over your thoughts is unparalleled. The anxieties now cease to exist and instead I am swept by a wave of love. To most people, and myself even, this scenario seems impossible because of the rat race we’ve become a part of. But through my learning and understanding of meditation, I have experienced this state of thoughtlessness, which makes one more conscious and aware of their surroundings.

This ‘thoughtlessness’ I spoke of has come to me through my practice of Sahaja Yoga, a form of meditation that I, along with thousands of people from all over the world humbly practice. We often speak of connections, of relationships with others. But through my practice I’ve come to believe at there is nothing more powerful, there is no bigger asset than sharing a deep and devoted connection with your inner ‘self’. It’s commonly believed that in the heart resides the ‘spirit’ and this ‘spirit’ is a reflection of the energy that guides our daily activities. When I finally realized the significance of this connection with ones inner spirit, I’ve had the opportunity of experiencing this state of ‘thoughtlessness’, even if it lasts for just a few seconds. These moments are blissful and extremely relaxing. Over the years, it has become an enjoyable part of my day; a day otherwise devoid of any rituals or exercise. It’s a simple way to establish a connection with this ‘inner self’- all I do is sit comfortably on a chair with my palms inverted upwards resting on my lap, and transcend the 5 senses flowing into a 6th dimension of sorts where I can feel energy flows {vibrations} on my fingertips and on the top of my head. I learnt that this flow of energy I was experiencing was in fact a physical manifestation of my inner subtle body or the ‘spirit’. And it really is a remarkable feeling, to be able to understand and observe ones energy whether it’s positive or negative, strained or relaxed.

They also say “To understand others, one needs to understand oneself”, and the truth behind this saying becomes more apparent with my practice. As I began to understand what was going on inside me, I found a way to reason and rationale with what was going on inside everyone else. We’re all essentially a part of the same whole; the universe if I can call it, but separated by time and space. You know those moments when you feel like you’re separate, apart even, from everyone else? You feel imprisoned, restricting your affections to only those near and dear to you. Meditation changes this. Once you establish this connection with your spirit and your energy, aligning yourself to the higher power that guides you, the true meaning of life dawns on you. We’re conditioned to withhold ourselves, to withdraw from our surroundings. Now, I find myself embracing life around me and widening my circle through compassion. That’s what I like about my practice- I’m not being told to abide by system or a belief. I’m experiencing it, for myself, in a tangible manner.

Sometimes we overestimate our finite minds, and forget that there’s an infinite cosmic world that we stand to gain from. I struggled with this as well, till through meditation, I found a way to connect myself with this ever-powerful force. I’ve come to realize that everything really does happen for our own good, that everything we’re endowed with is for a purpose which we may not understand right now, but someday, sometime, at hindsight it’ll all make sense.