Tools for working with the challenges of the Aquarian Age
In the previous two articles (first, second), we discussed the topic of changing astrological Ages in detail. We realized that today humanity has confidently entered the zone of influence of Aquarius Age, which is significantly different from Pisces Age.
Information overload, time pressure, mental burnout and viral diseases are the reality that we are in now, and there is no getting away from it. There is no turning back. All we can do is adjust to the current reality. To do this, we will need a kind of holistic approach that will help us adjust our pace of life to the current rhythm of the universe. Of course, I am going to talk about yoga, because it is the one that has the necessary resource. Although I am sure that there are other ways to work with yourself besides yoga, which I am not an expert in, unfortunately. Each to his own, as they say.
So, let’s go over the above challenges of the current Age once again, but now let’s look at what specific yoga tools will help us deal with each of them.
First on the list of characteristics of the Aquarian Age is information. Lots of information. It is everywhere today and in various formats – video, audio, text and illustrations. In the computer, on TV, on the phone, and all around us. It literally falls down into our subconscious by the tonnes of terabytes, turning there, at times, into a useless and disorderly mass. As a result, we lose our focus of attention and our orientation toward true knowledge. We are simply not used to so much data.
In order to deal with this uncontrolled flow, we first have to learn how to regulate its amount. Yes, yes, we have to learn, because we don’t know how to do it today. We have never needed it before, it was the way opposite – our mind was tuned to receive it as much as possible, because there was always not enough of it, information. Now, a lot of effort will have to be made to readjust our behavior by moderately refusing the available abundance. To do this, it is necessary to pay attention to how we spend our free time. Obviously, we should not spend it entirely on television, social networks, or listening of music. This is not rest, but rather meaningless mental work, even if we don’t realize it right now. To really relax the mind, it’s important to leave some space during the day outside of any gadgets, especially in one’s native environment, which is nature. Allow yourself small daily walks in the park, without the phone, combining this with live communication with family and friends – it will already greatly relieve your mind. Also, in addition to the moderate consumption of information, periodically need to organize in his head and general cleaning. Vipassana events, when you get away from society for some time to a solitary place, in order to immerse yourself completely in your inner world (with the help of meditative techniques), will help you in that. In this way, you will be able to keep your head relatively clean and not allow “undigested” thoughts, emotions, desires and frank information garbage to accumulate there.
“Don’t let the noise of other people’s opinions interrupt your inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you really want to be”. Steve Jobs. Photo: Internet
Once you have managed to adjust the principles of information hygiene, it is important to understand that even this will no longer be enough for a successful life. The problem is that in one way or another, every day we are confronted with multiple choices of a completely different type: professional tasks, family matters, personal growth. The quality of our lives depends on each of these choices, so we have a corresponding responsibility. But how do we know where the truth is and where the lies are, when there are a huge number, sometimes diametrically opposed, opinions on any pressing issue on the web. Take, for example, the topic of nutrition. How many theories, concepts and statements are there, with one or the other side of the rather authoritative sources. Some say that in the human diet should always be meat, others say that it is only harmful, and others put an emphasis on a raw vegetable diet, the fourth on interval fasts. Who to believe?
The bitter truth is that the intellect will not be able to give us the answer to this question. It will endlessly process all possible options until it overloads our central computer (the brain), wasting too much time and energy on a simple task. So what to do? Develop intuition. Only your intuition will tell you what is and will be relevant to you right now. Practice meditation, and this practice will help you calm and elevate your consciousness. In this state, you will perceive information on a completely different level. Your inner voice will clearly sound from the depths of your soul, unmistakably guiding you in the right direction. Any arguments on the Internet won’t throw you off this path at all.
“When water is poured into a cup, it becomes a cup. When water is poured into a teapot, it becomes a teapot. When water is poured into a bottle, it becomes a bottle. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” Bruce Lee. Photo: internet.
Okay, the problem has been solved – limited consumption (daily mindfulness), periodic cleansing of the mind (retreats) and developed intuition (meditation) will help to deal with this challenge. The next challenge is the rapid speed and volatility of life. Who suffers most in such conditions? People who are used to clinging to the old. Those who find it difficult to accept the new, whether it be new technologies, unexpected economic and political situations, fashion trends, or any other social phenomena. Unfortunately, in the Aquarian Age these people are really doomed to continuous trouble, and not only for themselves, but also for their loved ones (who likes to be around a perpetually complaining or indignant person). But why do they cling so tenaciously to the old, if it makes them very uncomfortable? Because their minds are hardened, they do not have the mental flexibility and openness of mind that all of us (including them) had when we were young. As a result, they are comfortable and want to stay in one place, but in the Aquarian Age such behavior will not lead to anything good.
However, it is possible to work with this and very successfully. The yogic practice of asana (Hatha yoga), for example, handles this very well. We know that everything in our body is interconnected. The body is in close connection with the mind. By getting used to suffering discomfort on the mat, fixing this or that uncomfortable position of the body and increasing its flexibility, we also become more flexible mentally. Accepting a new situation and being able to adjust to it quickly is not very difficult for a yogi, because it’s so similar to his daily practice. It really works and the experience of millions of people in the West today has proven this. A person is really capable of maintaining flexibility of mind and body up to a very advanced age, if yoga has become a lifestyle.
“We unleash the energy we need to succeed and balance ourselves with the inner technology that can change the frequency of the mind and the state of the brain.” Yogi Bhajan.
Having overcome the first two challenges (information and variability), we have already insured ourselves to a certain extent against the third challenge – mental health problems. After all, our mind is now clean and flexible to a certain extent, and this is already very good. But where can we get so much energy so that we can maintain a rapid pace of life? Sometimes this is exactly what we miss – we understand everything, we know where to go, but we have no energy, neither physical nor mental. The practice of yoga can help us here. For example, the Kundalini Yoga technique generates a lot of energy and sharpens the mind in a constructive way. Here we use a wide range of powerful tools, which restores our resource state in a short period of time. Breathing techniques fill the body with power, mantras regulate the work of the mind on a vibrational level, affirmations program the subconscious, and the collective practice gives confidence to the surrounding society. As a result, one has the power and energy to move through life with confidence, listening to one’s inner voice, and fulfilling one’s destiny.
In addition, in yoga there are some guidelines for the proper conduct of a yogi. By observing these rules, one keeps one from accumulating unfavorable karma and wasting energy (because no matter how much energy one generates, all is in vain if one uses it irrationally). These recommendations in yoga are called “Yama and Niyama” and constitute a certain code of moral rules and restrictions, which form a reliable spiritual core in one’s inner world. This list includes such items as: refraining from violence, stealing, greed, deceit, and cultivating a sense of satisfaction with what you have, persistence in practice and deepening of knowledge, control over displays of feelings and emotions, as well as observing purity and dedication to the Supreme (whatever name you may give him).
Thus, by gradually integrating the yogic methodology into our life (far beyond what I have listed here), you really can adjust qualitatively to any challenges of any Age. After all, in the end, all this is invented solely for our development, the evolution of the soul. The problem is that sometimes we don’t understand/acknowledge this, trying to adjust the Universe to our own ego. But that’s what life is all about – learning life lessons and gaining wisdom by being reincarnated over and over again.
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