16 million views Ted talk - insights on our brain functioning

Last time I had sent a mail on “Taking responsibility for the Energy you bring into any space” by Elizabeth Gilbert.

It contained a link to a TED Talk by Dr Jill Bolte Taylor. This talk has received more than 16 million views. I found it very insightful so I bought her book: My Stroke of Insight – A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey

   

Dr Jill is a neuroanalyst. She had a stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain & lost all ability to walk, speak, understand, read etc. It took her 8 years to fully recover. The TED talk and her book are her experiences during those 8 years.

When Jill had her stroke, she lost all function in the part of her brain that distinguishes "self" from "other". She lost the ability to tell where she began and the rest of the world ended. There were no boundaries, no borders. All she could see was pure molecular energy. While she was recovering in the hospital, doctors and nurses would walk in and out of her room all day, and the only thing she could distinguish about them was their energy — the anger, or grace, or kindness, or resentment that each person brought into her presence. Some of that energy was healing and helpful, obviously...some of it was decidedly not.

Her book talks about how since birth, right brain is fully mature, makes us feel connected with the whole, keeps us in the moment and processes in the moment. Probably that explains why young kids, upto 2 or 3 years of age, are blissful. They are still experiencing oneness with the flow. The left brain however, is blank at birth. Kids learn from their surroundings and start installing various applications in the brain: my name, my identity & existence, how I am separate from the others. The left brain allows a person to relate to this world through a shared reality.

It is the right brain that makes us experience love, joy & happiness. Left brain will let us experience winning, ego, analysis, competition, material success.

My father had a stroke in June 2012 on his left hemisphere. This book has helped me in understanding what he might have gone through. I looked at him so far as someone who has lost his speech, walk etc. (judging only by my left brain perspective). Now I know that his right brain is intact and he can still be in the moment.

Another interesting part in the book is on “experience of anger”. Dr Jill says:

“It takes less than 90 seconds for one of these emotional programs to be triggered, surged through our body, and then be completely flushed out of our blood stream. My anger response, for example, is a programmed response that can be set off automatically. Once triggered, the chemicals released by my brain surges through my body and I have a physiological experience. Within 90 seconds from the initial trigger, the chemical component of my anger has completely dissipated from my blood and my automatic response is over. If, however, I remain angry after those 90 seconds have passed, then it is because I have chosen to let that circuit continue to run. Moment my moment, I make the choice to either hook into my neurocircuitry or move back into the present moment, allowing that reaction to melt away as fleeting physiology.” …” If you approach me with anger and frustration, then I make the choice to either reflect your anger and engage in argument (left brain), or be empathic and approach you with a compassionate heart (right brain). What most of us don’t realize is that we are unconsciously making choices about how we respond all the time. It is so easy to get caught up in the wiring of our pre-programmed reactivity… By paying attention to the choices my automatic circuitry is making, I own my power and make more choices consciously. In the long run, I take responsibility for what I attract into my life... It is liberating to know that I have the ability to choose a peaceful and loving mind (my right mind) whatever my physical or mental circumstances, by deciding to step to the right and bring my thoughts back to the present moment.”

May this video and the book bring a new level of peace & centering within you.

With lots of smiles,

Rohan

Bringing the light to every situation

Hi, 

 

Recently I came across this Facebook post by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’

Years ago I was on the midtown cross-town bus in NYC, in evening rush hour, in January, in the sleeting wind and rain… The bus moved at a crawl, and everyone on it seemed depressed. It would've been far faster to walk across town, but the weather was too godawful to bear. Everyone was definitely hating their life that day.

When we reached 10th Ave, the bus driver made a surprising announcement.

He said, "Ladies and Gentleman, we are now nearing the Hudson River. I'm going to ask you to do me a favor. When you get off the bus, I'm going to hold out my hand. As you walk past me, I want you to drop your troubles into the palm of my hand. I'll take your troubles for you, and when I drive past the river, I'll throw them in. The reason I want to do this is because you all seem like you've had a bad day, and I don't want you taking all your worries and sorrows home to your friends and families now. Because they deserve better than that, don't they? So you just leave your troubles here with me to dispose of, and you all go have a wonderful night, OK?"

The whole bus — the whole grumpy lot of us — broke into laughter. (Some of us, myself included, might have even shed a tear or two.) And one by one, as we filed off the bus, we dropped our troubles into the palm of this good man's hand, and we stepped off the bus with smiles on our faces.

What that guy did? That's the best and most powerful example I've ever personally witnessed of TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENERGY THAT YOU BRING INTO A SPACE.

The quote I've posted here today is from the great Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor, a neurologist who had a stroke, and who wrote about it in her beautiful book MY STROKE OF INSIGHT. (If you aren't one of the 15 million people who already watched her incredible TED Talk, here it is)

When Jill had her stroke, she lost all function in the part of her brain that distinguishes "self" from "other". She lost the ability to tell where she began and the rest of the world ended. There were no boundaries, no borders. All she could see was pure molecular energy. While she was recovering in the hospital, doctors and nurses would walk in and out of her room all day, and the only thing she could distinguish about them was their energy — the anger, or grace, or kindness, or resentment that each person brought into her presence. Some of that energy was healing and helpful, obviously...some of it was decidedly not. When Jill recovered enough to do so, she asked for a sign to be written, to hang outside her room: TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ENERGY THAT YOU BRING INTO THIS SPACE.

Oprah told this story the other night at The Life You Want Tour, and I loved it.

You've heard me talk before about BRINGING THE LIGHT to any and every situation. That's what it's all about. This is the same deal. That's what the bus driver understood that day on 10th Ave — that the crosstown midtown bus was HIS SPACE, and that he needed to take responsibility for its energy. So he turned that energy around, and managed to transform people's gloom into pure grace.

Wherever you work, wherever you live, wherever you shop, exercise, study, travel — wherever you go — take note of the energy that you bring. Pause before you enter into any space (from the dentist's office, to your cousin's house, to a cathedral) and ask yourself what you're bringing in there.

Identify your energy, and take responsibility for it.

Whatever needs to be thrown in the river, by all means: toss it.

A facebook post by Elizabeth Gilbert

Hope this inspires you as it did for me.

With lots of smiles,

Rohan

selecting picture for Diwali greetings

Sending you love & light

This Diwali, may your light shine brighter within you. May your cup of joy always overflow and spread to your dear ones & all those who come in your orbit With love & smiles, Rohan & Ruchi

Some useful practical affirmations for life

Hi,

 

Let this blog find you connected with the power of your intent & declaration.

For past many years, we have experimented with the power of what we say and think within. We found, our words & thoughts hugely impact all our life experiences.

Most of us have a continuous self-talk going on in our mind. Many times this internal conversation may be judging / berating self, feeling restless, or announcing scarcity of time, money, resources… Or we feel guilty that we are not giving time to xyz, kids, family, near & dear ones, passion, or our core purpose of life. What we have found is that we can override this self-talk by some affirmations and be the commanders of our life experiences!

We have shared these affirmations overtime, with many of our friends & workshop participants. You may find them useful too.

Read these affirmation with lot of love & compassion for yourself – daily. Add / edit as appropriate for you: be sure to use positive words, be specific and say what you really want to happen in your life.

Love & accept self I accept myself. I love myself & cherish my human form. I am at peace with myself. I am a perfect creation. The creator is within me & I am the script writer of my life. Every situation I come across has been crafted by me to learn & become wiser & stronger. Illness I revoke & cancel any invitation ever given to any illness.  I choose to be well. I request my body system to heal itself immediately. I promise to nurture it from now on. Unwanted situations / jam I revoke & cancel any invitation ever given to this situation / jam. Let a white light & love energy pass through all concerned with this situation & purify their configuration. Let me be guided to resolve it. I choose to learn from it & raise my awareness. Turbulence / unknown I request the creation for the strength and wisdom needed to support me in tough times. I accept and include the unknown with power and grace to accomplish my true purpose in this life. I release all disruptive emotions & thoughts in me to the void of the universe. Create a future Let today be one of the most fabulous days of my life. Let me discover many new capacities of mine today. Let me connect to progressive energies and ideas today. I choose to live a life full of vitality. I choose to have my body, mind & spirit all working perfectly at all times. I take total accountability of my life. I request creation to guide me & connect me with my true passion & a professional expression. I choose to harness my true potential & fulfil my purpose in life. I choose to shine like a star & encourage others to shine out of their own light. SO IT IS NOW.

Please note that when powered by true intent & love for self, these affirmations come into action. When read for the sake of reading, they remain just words.

With lots of smiles,

Rohan

Lunch with God

Hi,
Let this blog find you accepting with grace various gifts of this life. Here is a short story:

A little boy wanted to meet God. He packed a bag with two sets of clothes, some cakes and started his journey. He walked a long distance and felt tired.

So he sat in a park on the way and opened a cake packet to eat. Then he noticed an old woman looking sad nearby, so he offered her a piece of cake.

She gratefully accepted it with a wide look and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy longed to see it again. After some time he offered her another piece of cake. Again, she accepted it and smiled at him.

The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy was frightened and he got up to leave. Before he had gone more than a few steps, he ran back and gave her a hug and she kissed him with her prettiest smile.

When the boy opened the door, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you look so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God."

Before, his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen in my life!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and asked, "Mom, what did you do today that made you so happy?

"She replied, "I ate cakes in the park with God." Before his son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Remember, nobody knows how God will look like. People come into our lives for a reason, for a season, or for a lifetime. Accept all of them equally! AND LET THEM SEE GOD IN YOU!!!!

(source: anonymous)

May this story inspire you to share your day with others spreading joy & smiles.

With lots of smiles,

Rohan

To search inside or outside? A Sufi story

Hi, 

 

Let this blog find you searching for and finding bliss in life. Here is a short Sufi story by OSHO:

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One evening, Rabiya - she was a famous Sufi mystic - was searching for something on the street in front of her small hut. The sun was setting: slowly, slowly, darkness was descending. A few people gathered. They asked her: What are you doing? What have you lost? What are you searching for?

She said: “I have lost my needle.”

The people said: “Now the sun is setting and it will be very difficult to find the needle, but we will help you. Where exactly has it fallen? Because the road is big and the needle is so small. If we know the exact place it will be easier to find it.” 

Rabiya said, "It is better not to ask me that question - because in fact it has not fallen on the road at all, it has fallen inside my house."

The people started laughing and they said, "We always thought that you were a little insane! If the needle has fallen inside the house, then why are you searching on the road?"

Rabiya said, "For a simple, logical reason: Inside the house there is no light and on the outside a little light is still there."

The people laughed and started dispersing. Rabiya called them back and said, "Listen! That’s exactly what you are doing: I was just following your example. You go on seeking bliss in the outside world without asking the first and primary question: Where have I lost it? And I tell you, you have lost it inside. You are looking for it on the outside for the simple, logical reason that you senses, your ears hear outward, your hands reach outward; that's the reason why you are searching outside. Otherwise I tell you, you have not lost it there - and I tell you on my own authority. I have also searched on the outside for many many lives, and the day I looked in, I was surprised. There was no need to seek and search; it has always been within.”

(A story by OSHO)

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Warm regards,

Rohan