'Being what we are doing'

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being in the presence of a great yoga master, Yogi Amrit Desai. Since then, his words of wisdom "being what we are doing" have not left my consciousness. Being what we are doing means being, living, acting, expressing, breathing whatever we want to see in our lives and world.

Too often, we complain about the sorry state of our beautiful country, Jamaica, yet do nothing to help change it. We worry about our health yet continue to eat toxic foods and maintain unhealthy lifestyles. We say we are always stressed, tired and depressed but we never take time to rest or nourish our souls.

Be at peace

It was Gandhi that said, we must "be the change that you want to see in the world". Long before quantum physics became a buzz word, Gandhi knew that in order to have peace in his country, he needed to be peace. Martin Luther King said, "Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek but a means by which we arrive at that goal." So, if it is peace we are seeking, why not become more peaceful? If it is love we want, why not be more loving?

Never underestimate the power of the mind in assisting you to become what you want to be. Trust me, if you are constantly filled with fear, anxiety and negativity, you will attract the same into your life.

Positive affirmations

The best way we can create change in our lives is to change our thoughts. Science has proved that meditation and positive affirmations can transform the way we think about ourselves and see the world. By becoming still, we are able to witness the way our mind works and by observing when we are engaging in negative thoughts, we are able to change them. By changing the mind, we change our outlook and we change our lives. By changing our lives, we are able to change the world around us. Just imagine if every citizen in our incredible country for one week had only thoughts of peace?

Here is a simple five-minute meditation you can do to become peaceful. Sit with your spine tall and your eyes closed in a comfortable seated position. Take 10 long, slow deep breaths, breathing in for a count of five and exhaling for a count of five, in and out of your nose. As you breathe, simply observe your thoughts like waves rising and falling without judgement or labelling. At the end of 10 breaths, allow your awareness to drop into your heart centre. For the next few minutes feel a deep peace rising from your heart and spreading to every cell of your being. Feel peace, be peace and let us all endeavour to be what we are doing!

Sharon McConnell-Feanny is a certified yoga instructor and co-owner of Shakti Mind Body Fitness in Kingston. She has more than 25 years' experience in health and fitness; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.