Mind body interconnection
According to Indian philosophy, our body and our psychological self are interconnected, with the psychological self having four dimensions: Manas (perceiving mind), Buddhi (Intellect), Ahankara (Ego), and Chitta (Memorizer). This perspective offers new insights:
- The psychological self is not confined to the brain; Memory is stored within every cell in our body.
- Nurturing intellect (buddhi) alone is insufficient for overall wellbeing
- Our identities (Ahankara) of who we are, shape our perspectives and must be addressed for healing the body and the mind.
Mind and body cannot be viewed in isolation. Working on one also needs working on the other.
“The body is just the external crust of the mind….We shall find how intimately the mind is connected with the body. When the mind is disturbed, the body also becomes disturbed.” – Swami Vivekananda, the most influential Indian monk and philosopher of the 19th Century
Being a star player
Some top performers struggle to transition from being individualistic to being a team player. They liken the shift to going from being Virat Kohli to being like MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma. Their struggle stems from the fear of giving up their focus on their performance. The real question is whether a star performer, like Kohli, is truly individualistic in a team sport. While star players can solely focus on their performance, they won’t succeed if they don’t realize they are part of a team sport and don’t pay attention to their team’s needs.
“The target for every great champion is to play for the team.” – Antonio Conte, Former soccer champion and coach
Open to inspiration
Inspiration is valuable and yet mystical. It can come from within and outside. Yet I have often wondered when inspiration strikes us. I have recently realized that it comes when we allow it to happen by
- Letting go of our preconceived ideas
- Being quiet and open to uncertainty
- Connecting the dots
- Working on our ideas
While there are many moments in a day that come to our awareness, nothing can inspire us unless we have allowed it to happen.
“I get inspiration from a lot of things around me – nature, hills, people, and even insects.” – Ruskin Bond, Renowned Indian Author