It is vital to learn what keeps us well. As children there’s not a whole lot that is required- the body itself is very resilient to injuries and accidents. We require love, support, and a nurturing learning environment where we can explore the world. Babies spend a lot of their time sleeping and have a close connection to Waheguru as they have not yet learned their complete immersion into maya yet. Compare that to the elderly where a fall from standing can be dangerous, where they require less sleep, the nutrition needed is different, etc. What we need to be well will change over time. Yet it seems a lot of people spend most of their lives not knowing or paying attention to these things. Maybe people take for granted if there’s nothing horribly wrong then it’s fine, and they prefer not to take any preventative steps. Sometimes it’s too late by then.
Most of us know that food/water, exercise, sleep, rest, sunshine, and breathing keeps our bodies healthy. Each person has a different balance that allows them to function at their absolute best. Maybe certain types of exercise are more appealing to you than others- you prefer being out in nature vs. inside, or you prefer strength vs. flexibility training, short bursts of intense exercise vs. long marathons, sports vs. individual activities. Food is also unique to us, because we have to choose what will keep us the best energetically and the strongest form of ourselves. I’ve found that what keeps me well is being able to cook my own meals- to know what’s going into my food and making sure there’s enough protein. I know it’s a lot of work to meal plan, get the groceries, and do the dishes but the alternative is simply just not a strong, healthy version of me. This again will vary person to person, as I know some people that use a lot of pre-prepared meals/frozen meals, and some that go to the extent of growing their own food. I knew I got serious about it when I bought a kitchen scale and thermometer. Some people might not need as much sleep, some might need specific circumstances to ever be able to comfortably sleep. I think we definitely have to consider our situation- how busy is your job, how time-consuming are these activities, how busy is your home life, how many other people are you responsible for. Someone who is struggling on the poverty line will have a really hard time focusing on higher level wellness tasks. I hope that we don’t leave ourselves behind, because we have to do things that help us keep our bodies at their best. Even for people in professional fields, who wouldn’t struggle financially, there is a workaholic culture that might keep them from spending their free time protecting their wellness. This summer I had no dark circles under my eyes, and a pink color in my cheeks for the first time in years. It was a year’s worth of effort to help myself figure out what keeps me well and make it happen, and then I spent the summer off doing things I enjoy. I knew that after 10 years of student life I would have so much about myself to explore, so much rest needed, so many habits to change. Regular massages helped. Decluttering helped. It was huge progress. For the last month though I started cutting corners and I noticed it almost immediately. We can’t neglect what the body needs and not experience it’s consequences. Remember when it comes to sewa, taking care of this body is a sewa. It is a service of You. I think back to that day I posted about- You are the carrot, You are the one cutting it, You are the one feeding the family.
The soul is actually already one with God. It is not the area that needs work, it is the mind itself so we will skip to that.
The mind is probably the most complicated thing to take care of. It incorporates so many energies- creative, emotional, intellectual, sexual, social, spiritual, etc. We need joy, connection, belonging, and love. We are dealing with memories of the past, thoughts of the present and dreams of the future. It is the mind that creates conflicts, the mind that finds peace. The mind is the one that travelled through 8.4 million lifeforms to finally get mukhti in this lifeform. The entire purpose of our lives revolves around the health of our mind and its journey. In Sikhi we say the mind is made of the man (thought), chit (memory), budh (intellect, reasoning), and ahankar (self-identity). When we live in compassion, contentment, forgiveness, instead of fear, gossip, hatred, anger or ego, then we are walking in the right direction. Then we serve others like Bhai Kanhaiya Ji served others. The mind is at it’s healthiest and best when it completes it’s journey and realizes Waheguru, when it can listen to Naam. This is why simran, paath, kirtan are all ways that keep us well. They remind us of how to get to that path so the mind can be fulfilled, while being creative, expressing emotions, connecting spiritually and socially. Personally when I pluck the strings of my rabab I’m in a different world, it totally vibrates into my inner being.
One of the other things that comes up with the mind is our “basic needs.” There was a great post from “Sikh your Mind” that talked about Maslow’s hierarchy. We talked about how his triangle hierarchy doesn’t match Sikhi in past posts, but it turns out actually his hierarchy was not a triangle where you fulfill one step and then another. It is described here as a sailboat. Check out the picture by Andy Ogden to the right. Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman describes “with holes in your boat you can’t go anywhere. All of your energy and focus is directed toward increasing the stability of the boat. The human needs that comprise the boat are safety, connection, and self-esteem — security needs that, under good conditions, work together toward greater stability…The other needs that comprise the sail — love and purpose — build on the fundamental need to reach higher levels of integration within oneself and to contribute something meaningful to the world. Note that the need for love that is part of growth is different than the need for connection that is part of security. At a higher level of love, we can love people we don’t even feel a great connection to, and can care for those we may have never even met.” He describes that Maslow’s concept was more of an integration and not about doing one step then another. I really also like how he describes that love is a part of that need for growth, and is about that higher level of self-integration. I feel like that fits in with the idea of our laavan- that we are walking a spiritual path of transcendence with our partner.
Lastly, I think Covid is a huge factor in wellness, especially given the isolation. We might even not see people at work as we work from home via telephone and video. I personally find even though I go to work and see people, that I miss the touch- hugs, shaking people’s hands, I miss connecting at the Gurdwara and singing shabads with the other girls doing kirtan. We missed the Vaisakhi celebrations and now we will miss the Diwali ones as well. We will not be able to gather for remembering the shaheedis of the Chaar Sahibzaade. It's going to be harder as winter comes because restrictions will get tighter and we won't be able to spend time outside with others in minus 35. The shabad Mitr Pyare Nu really spoke out to me today- Guru Ji expresses his gratitude for God, rather than a sadness for a loss of his family. So during this time, may we remind ourselves that we have our Guru and the Supreme Being who knows all. There is You everywhere, so the feeling of loneliness is probably just a trick of maya to prevent ourselves from the true realization. As we miss our physical sangat- the people we grow with, and learn from, we just have to do our best. This too was written. Do what you can with masking or social distancing or virtually.
What keeps you well? What keeps you healthy during covid?
References
https://www.facebook.com/sikhyourmind/posts/2714717972144716
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