Our mind is like a sponge...we must not let it get clogged!

The picture in this blog is of the sponge in my vacuum cleaner. I am supposed to clean it quite often but this time I left it for couple of extra months. It got so dirty and clogged up and I started sneezing as soon as I opened it. I managed to wash it and got it nicely cleaned up :) This experience taught me a very important lesson which is the topic of today's blog.

One of the tendencies of our mind is to act like a vacuum. It picks and absorbs stuff from it's environment using the 5 senses. Our job is to be aware of this tendency and make every effort to keep it clean. Unfortunately these days, we are constantly bombarded by stresses from different sources and unless we have a good tool or technique to get rid of them we end up absorbing and storing them in our mind - just like how the sponge in my vacuum stores dust. These stresses are destructive in nature and many times act as a catalyst to cause or exacerbate many types of health issues.

Physical health: At the physical level, stress is plays a key role in the development and progression of all major diseases including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and lung diseases.

Mental health: On the mental level, the impact of stress is equally devastating. Long-term stress increases the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, substance use problems, sleep problems, pain and bodily complaints such as muscle tension.

Emotional health: On the emotional level, stress can lead to anger, guilt, sadness, fear, hatred, jealousy and sense of victimhood.

One of the best ways to keep our mind clean and stress free is by using the power of our own breath - more specifically through breathing exercises. It's been proven through many research studies how breathing exercises can be helpful for our respiratory health, lowering inflammation as well as eliminating stress.

I highly recommend reading the most fascinating book written on the amazing healing power of breath. It also happens to be a New York times best seller, "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" by James Nestor. It came out in summer of 2020. James studied and researched breathing techniques from across the world for a long time and shared the best ones that had the biggest impact on him in this book.

I personally have been practicing SKY breathing technique. A very powerful breathing technique that James has shared in his book. Just few minutes of daily practice of SKY has significantly lowered my stress levels and strengthened my respiratory health.

There is a online session of SKY happening next month. You can book your spot by clicking here "SKY Breath Meditation" .