Living Wisely Living Well | With Asha Nayaswami

View life as a mountain to be climbed, each upward step a move closer to the top, and to perfection. Welcome any difficulties you encounter on the way. Each time you face a test bravely, your strength will increase. Concentrate on what is required of you at each step of the way, for you to reach the summit.

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A key to introspection is to focus on the rhythms of your breath: on its calmness or rapidity; on its force of flow; on the location of that flow in the nostrils; on each pause between the breaths; on the relative length of inhalation to exhalation (in sleep, for instance, exhalation is twice as long as inhalation). Your breathing is a reflection of your mental state. As you watch it, you will find yourself becoming inwardly calm, and your stillness, in turn, will deepen your introspection.

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To overcome fear of misjudgment by others, think of (and speak to) them kindly. Your fears will then move from self-concern to an expansive interest in their well-being.

State your opinions impersonally, but not too forcefully lest you draw attention more to yourself than to your ideas. Where deep conviction is concerned, however, speak also with the vigor of commitment.

A key to introspection is to focus on the rhythms of your breath: on its calmness or rapidity; on its force of flow; on the location of that flow in the nostrils; on each pause between the breaths; on the relative length of inhalation to exhalation (in sleep, for instance, exhalation is twice as long as inhalation). Your breathing is a reflection of your mental state. As you watch it, you will find yourself becoming inwardly calm, and your stillness, in turn, will deepen your introspection.

When teaching or advising others, feel that you are only sharing with them your ideas, your knowledge, and your experience. Never be condescending or didactic.

Think of this day as a friend. God gave it to you; He wants you to be happy in it. If it rains, tell yourself, “God wants to cleanse me, through this downpour, of all impurities.” And if the sun shines, think of its warmth as God’s encouragement to you to do your best in everything.

Treat your friends as though you had much to learn from them. There is no surer way of losing a friend than to let him feel you need nothing from him.

Bring peace first to your own heart, then send it out on gentle rays of light to all the world. The more you radiate your peace outward, the more you’ll find yourself protected from all harm.

Be patient with people. Remember, it takes incarnations to emerge from the pit of delusion. Think how long it probably took you to reach your present level of understanding, and how long it often takes to rid oneself of even one major flaw.