Dharma (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     What is your purpose?  What does your energy guide you towards?  Is it helping poor people, taking care of animals, or designing gadgets?  In Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra explains that dharma is a person's work or profession, his higher purpose in life, and the spiritual ideal to which he is committed.  The root word of "dharma" means to "up hold" which in the broadest sense, dharma upholds the universe.  Therefore, the ultimate way of avoiding aging and death is to live in dharma, explains Chopra because you are upholding the universe, which is timeless.
      My dharma is to bring tools to add more joy and love into your life with ease and joy.  I believe that certain tools can bring awareness into your life so you can feel more whole.  All the self-help books that I blog about have great tools and unique ways of finding your inner peace and strength.  Another tool that I created is Pure Qualities.  I believe that practicing certain life-giving qualities (love, truth, joy, trust, forgiveness) throughout the day you can add a deeper understanding to life, a greater bond with others, and more love into your life with daily practice.  What is your dharma?

Be as a Child (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     Have you wondered how to live life more authentically and in the moment?  Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind gives us three exercises to achieve this state of timelessness.

1. Experiencing and trusting emotions:  Write down several feelings you have throughout the day, positive or negative. This will bring you in the present moment and allow you to get in touch with your authentic feelings.  Chopra states, "Yet nothing is more important than experiencing your feelings.  They are the most spontaneous part of your makeup, the most primary expression of your awareness as it relates to the world."

2.  Remaining centered amid chaos:  Take 5 minutes before the 2 most hectic times for you during the day.  Close your eyes, focus on your breath for several minutes.  Then, place your awareness on your chest.  Stay in this silent moment for a few minutes.  This will aid you in finding your center when confusion is around you.

3.  Being childlike:  Choose 2 activities that you did as a child to do tomorrow.  ie. hopscotch, baking muffins, reading a children's book, watching a cartoon...In this place, find the intrinsic aliveness and joy of just being.

When we experience the above exercises they bring us back to our awareness and wholeness.  Creating an ageless body and a timeless mind.

How Can We Be Timeless? (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

    Why are we alive?  Why do we die?  Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind states, "Death is ultimately just another transformation, from one configuration of matter and energy to another."  He explains that death, while a mystery, still tells us that there isn't a time that we remember of ever not existing.  Therefore, death, being finite, is only a belief passed down from our parents.  He encourages us to see ourselves in terms of timeless, deathless Beings; that true immortality can be experienced here and now, in this living body.  The key is how you metabolize your experiences and ultimately your time.

3 key beliefs for being an ageless body, timeless mind:

1.  There is plenty of time
2.  Your intelligence occupies no physical space
3.  Death is a form of change

As the famous guru said, "People have a wrong idea about death.  They see it as an end, but it is really a beginning."

Breathing (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

      Notice your breathing.  Is it shallow and short or deep and meaningful?  Take a deep breath in and exhale.  How do you feel now?  "Breath is the junction point between mind, body, and spirit." states Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.  Changes in our feelings are directly correlated with our breathing.  Chopra explains that anger produces shallow inhalation while fear creates rapid, shallow breathing.  On the other hand, joy induces more regular breathing.  In moments of beauty or revelation, it can stop for a moment, such as in a breathtaking moment.  The beauty of recognizing our breath is that we can alter our emotions to our advantage.  When you are angry, nervous or feeling agitated, take a moment for several deep breaths says Chopra.
     When I was younger I would throw temper tantrums.  I would be crying hysterically and breathing shallow, short breaths.  Someone stopped me one time by asking me to take several deep breaths in and out.  Surprisingly, I was calmed by the third inhalation.  The link between our breath and emotions exists.  The next time you want to calm yourself try taking several deep breaths.  I know I will.

     

Use it or Lose it (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

      Studies show that aging is vastly unique for each individual.  Chopra, in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, points out that, "If we consider how to improve physical and mental function every day for the rest of our lives, three values emerge that must be part of everyone's intention:

1. Longevity itself,  since life is a primary good
2. Creative experience, which keeps life interesting and makes us want more of it
3. Wisdom, which is the collective reward of long life

     It's what we do now, routinely,  that will have an affect on us in our older age.  Chopra explains that it's the "Use it or lose it." philosophy.   If you do a lot of problem solving in your daily work then this will be a skill kept throughout into old age.  What type of skills and abilities are you doing now that will aid you later?

Living past 100 (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     It is possible to live past 100 years old.   The Abkhasians have been proving this for countless years explains Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.  Most of them work into their late 90's!  One man, at the age of 104, attributes his long life and good health to God, the mountains, and a good diet.  Most of them eat much less than Americans, ranging from 1500-2000 calories per day.  Some other factors they contribute to are; not being rushed; no deadlines; not working to exhaustion.  Truly, they feel and live by the rhythm of life.
    My dad used to say, "You are what you eat."  There are so many chemicals in our food that are having an affect on our health and our longevity.  I heard good advice this morning, eat what God has made not what man has made.  In what ways could you cut down on your intake of human made food?  What would it be like to live past 100 with good health?

Calorie Restriction and Long Life (Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Chopra)

     It's been proven that sticking to a 1200-1400 calorie diet can increase the length of life, although proof of why is still unclear, explains Chopra in Ageless Body, Timeless Mind.  Although, it seems unlikely that many people will undertake this type of restricted diet, occasional fasting also has benefits.  Chopra states, "In India, there is a tradition, centuries old, that longevity can result from taking little or no food one day a week (in the form of fruit juice, warm water with honey, or low-fat milk."  The idea is that you are allowing your digestive system to rest and flush out accumulated impurities.  This is not proven by modern physiology but spiritual tradition boasts longevity to people who adhere to this.
     I can see the logic behind this practice of a weekly fast.  When I have fasted in the past (for a day) it was tough, yet spiritual and empowering.   I haven't fasted in a long time because, frankly, I'm chicken.  What would it take for you to cut down on your caloric intake for one day or even a meal?