The challenge is to find an answer for how to achieve a calm, peaceful and happy life in this scientific modern age of physical comforts and psychological stress. The answer is there. Spirituality is the only answer but one has to know and understand the concept of spirituality first.
What is spirituality?
Is it prayer to God, chanting or rituals and religion? Spirituality is none of these. The goal of spiritual life is peace and happiness.
Spirituality comes from the word spirit or the Latin word spiritum. Let us look at the meaning of the word spirit. Spirit has many meanings. One meaning of spirit is zeal or enthusiasm. If you have spirit or zeal in life you are spiritual. To have a goal in life and to pursue it with spirit is spirituality.
Another meaning of spirit is the mind. Even when we have a goal in life we feel it is difficult to achieve? It is because the main obstacle in spiritual life is our own mind. This problem is of each one of us and this problem has been there through out our civilization. Arjuna in the battle field listening to Krishna's teaching complains-"O Lord, Mind is extremely restless and is very hard to control. It is dangerous, strong and forceful. Controlling the mind is as difficult as trying to catch air with your hands." If Arjuna is complaining of restlessness in the presence of Krishna, are we all not facing the same problem? To have a calm and healthy mind is to be spiritual. In the modern times many suffer from psychosomatic diseases. Most diseases arise from wrong eating or wrong thinking. If we can take care of our minds we are spiritual.
Another meaning of the word spirit is the breath. Breath is the symbol of life. From the time we are born we have been breathing. Plants, animals, insects all breathe. If breath stops it is death. A little disorder in breath can effect the functioning of the whole body. I was born as a premature baby with breathing problem and I suffered through my childhood and most of my teen age. Breath is our beauty, strength and brain power. Human brain consumes a large amount of oxygen. Breath is the food of brain. During sleep breath is peaceful and rhythmic and during sleep one is in bliss.
Breath and mind are correlated. A yogic scripture says,
Chale vate chalat chittam nischale nischlam bhavet
Yogi sthanutvam apnoti tato vayu nirodhayet.
If the breath is restless the mind is restless and if the breath is calm the mind is calm. By the control of breath the yogi attains the calmness of mind.
Most of us do not know how to breathe correctly. To breathe in the right manner and achieve calmness and peace of mind is spirituality. If you want a healthy body and healthy mind and be successful you have to be spiritual. Peace spreads from one to another. If you are peaceful the world will be peaceful. In the same way when you are agitated the world also looks agitated.
What then is the practical means of happiness and health? There is a direct correlation between breath and life. On an average we normally breathe 21, 600 times a day. One breath of one inhalation and one exhalation takes four seconds. When one is agitated the rate of breath increases. When one is in an examination hall or facing an interview board or is angry the rate of breath can increase from 15 to up to 40 times per minute. When one is sleeping and the breath is deep and rhythmic the rate can reduce from 15 to up to 8 times per minute. When you get up in the morning you feel the body and mind rejuvenated and peaceful. If you change your way of breathing the quality of life will change.
My Master used to say,
Decrease your rate of breathing. If you know how to do it you are spiritual.
Life is a constant struggle and challenge every moment. If we can correctly regulate the breath we can face the challenge better with new strength. By correct breathing more oxygen goes to the brain, there is less fatigue and the capacity to work efficiently increases.
My Master Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji of the lineage of Kriya Masters left his physical body at the age of 95 in the month of Dec in the year 2002. He was an engineer and worked in the textile industry but later left his job in search of higher truth. He lived at Puri teaching Kriya Yoga, and later went abroad to spread the teaching of this practical and efficient method around the world. Kriya yoga teaches the science of breath, of breathing through the different chakras or the energy centers in the spine and brain and perception of light and sound. It gives all round development and calmness of body and mind. The breathing technique is combined with yogic asanas and mudras which give sound health of body and mind. Paramahamsa Yoganandaji was the first among the Kriya lineage of Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya and Shrityukteshwar to go to USA and other countries to spread this kriya message. The teaching is well accepted abroad and millions of people are now practicing this around the world with the blessings of saints and sages. Our brain is like a computer. It is the play ground of the mind. Brain and spine together are responsible for all functions of the body and mind. Practicing kriya yoga for 15 to 30 minutes each day will help in regulating the breath and energizing the brain and spine which will result in a healthy body and mind and a happy life.