Balancing your life by Living Simply is about simple living, a simple daily routine, and living in the moment with awareness, says the writer
The words of Lao Tzu, the seventh century Chinese father of Tao, have been lovingly treasured for centuries: “I have only three things to teach: simplicity, patience and compassion―and with these three you can go a long way.” Words of loving wisdom which have been passed down to us today to guide us in living our lives.
As a teacher, I think I too have only three things to teach: meditate, exercise the body-mind, live simply and with these three our health will go a long way.
Simple Living is about living consciously and in the moment. Consciousness is about awareness and this “Simple Living” process helps you to raise your awareness of how you’re living your life―and teaches you to live in the magic of life unfolding. And here are the steps:
Step One:
Meditate. Give yourself time for deep inner nurturing and nourishing.
Step Two:
Go to the ‘sweetspot’ regularly! Listen to meditative music. The ancient yogis believed we have a little sac of amber nectar (the nectar of the Gods) deep within our brains, at the pineal gland. The way to connect with our ‘sweetspot’ is through relaxation and music, raising our vibrations.
Step Three:
Practice Right Diet: Dietary control is very important in living your life with simplicity. We should eat those foods which contain the most life force energy and which feed our body-mind emotions and spirits. Traditionally, vegetarianism suits the body-mind of a meditation and yoga practitioner―but books such as Eat Right 4 Your Type have taught us that not everyone can be vegetarian, vegan or eat raw food diets. Understanding a little about the Ayurvedic doshas can also be very illuminating! Learn what you can about your body and what foods are going to bring you optimum health. Eating little and often suits the body when we are attempting to bring balance and allow consciousness to flow.
Step Four:
Practice Mindfulness: This implies focused concentration. Be fully aware of your actions throughout the day, being in the moment as much as possible. Becoming familiar with the 7 Spiritual Laws of Yoga is very beneficial and can give you a daily framework for your mindfulness practice.
Step Five:
Get Inspiration: Read uplifting books, watch inspiring DVDs, and listen to beautiful poetry and teachings. Spiritual masters throughout the ages have always insisted that the dedicated practitioner, especially meditation practitioners make satsangs, and teachings of the Masters, an important part of our sadhana, our practice, which teaches us humility.
Step Six;
Spend Time in Self-care and Self-nurturing: This is time that you spend alone. Make time for time with yourself. Ayurvedic self-care rituals are a wonderful way of doing this: for example making a weekly ritual of self-massage prior to visualisation and relaxation. Investing a little attention, time, money and care in your practice space adds immeasurably to the quality of your experience.
Step Seven:
Daily Intention: Focus on a simple, positive goal each day. This will teach you about the power of intention in your life.
Step Eight:
Express Yourself Creatively: Art, music, beauty and writing were all important to the ancient yogis, because they said we experience the thrill of the vibration of the Universe through creativity―Universal Life Force Energy is creative energy. Journal regularly if this is your only means of creative expression.
Step Nine:
Slow Down: You can only experience the miracle of life and living, seeing the magic in life, if you slow down. Learning pranayama breathing is wonderful for this, as is appreciating your senses. In yogic meditation, you withdraw your senses to heighten your sensitivity. Life then becomes an experience to be lived, and not just something that we have to do.
Step Ten:
Move: Move your body-mind regularly. Allow energy to flow through your body-mind and emotions. Make your body-mind a more comfortable place for your spirit to dwell.
Go through the above steps slowly, introducing one step at a time into your routine until your life has transformed.
Practice for many years has proved to me and other teachers that the values of simplicity, practice, time and dedication work for us very beneficially to enrich our experience of life. Practice may not be easy, but it’s the only way for some of us. Balance comes when you know in your heart that this way is right.
Thirty years in her own practice and teaching meditation now for more than 25 years, Ireland-based Susan Ni Rahilly’s Hatha Yoga teaching is inspired by Zen.