The world of matter does have an impact on the mind. Equally, a strong mind can have a massive impact on matter, including our own bodies, which are made up of the five elements. Weak and negative thoughts hurt us and make us unstable and unable to resolve issues in the best possible way. We need to strengthen our minds and make our thought processes powerful. Determined and positive thought patterns are the basis of being able to find solutions to the many situations we find ourselves in.
We need to keep both mind and body active and healthy. Exercise has proven to be vital for the health of the body and mind. Just a walk of fifteen minutes does wonders, but thirty minutes of exercise each day, whether it be through walking, cleaning, dancing, improves brain function. Good food also is needed to maintain maximum physical health, and nutrients are needed for the brain too.
Apart from regular exercise and eating well, the other essential activity for body and soul is meditation. In meditation we engage with the power of the spiritual self, the soul, and bring that power into our everyday living. Neuroscientist have shown what a powerful impact meditation has on the brain. Experiments with groups who were asked to meditate over a few weeks have shown increased growth in neural tissue in the front of the brain, giving more complexity to the working memory and the ability to see nuances of situations more clearly. The amygdala, which is responsible for regulating anxiety and aggression, became smaller, resulting in a calmer approach to life and less stress. The hippocampus, responsible for memory and learning, became larger and consequently, more complex and efficient.
Meditation then, helps us to become more compassionate, less stressed, and have fewer incidents of depression and anxiety. The ability to concentrate increases, and an overall sense of well-being and happiness is experienced, leading ultimately to a higher quality of life. The new neural masses created bring greater ability to find solutions to the problems we encounter in life.
The brain is a physical organ, the soul though, is an eternal conscient point of light sitting in the forehead behind the eyes, approximately 2.5 centimetres into the brain. Whenever we become aware of the self in this way, as light, we begin to access the unique powers within. We access the qualities of love, peace, purity, wisdom, and joy, and all the myriad other qualities that stem from these core attributes of the soul. Our purpose in life is to be all that we can be, and fulfil our whole potential. For this we need a deep relationship with God; the only relationship that can fulfil our spiritual needs – and the way to self-actualisation. By recharging the soul through this connection with the Sentient Being of Love, new and powerful neural circuits are created and we naturally become full of well-being. We are happy to get up every day, do something productive and give our world our helping hand – finding our unique place in the universe.
Lygia Monteiro is a Brahma Kumaris Rajyoga teacher, based in London.