Namaste – Oprah & Deepak Meditation Challenge Day 14

The true meaning of the term ‘Namaste’ was revealed to us on the last day of the second week of the Miraculous Relationships meditation challenge hosted by Oprah and Deepak Chopra. The powerful and enlightening knowledge of seeing and honoring each other as spirits, as opposed to just our physical selves, changed the way we perceive things.

Seeing through the eyes of the Soul

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been made aware of my true self and how I can use the light and energy within me to manifest more love in my life. Today, we focused on exploring the divinity that is inside each one of us. Can you imagine how our relationships would change when we see beyond the physical bodies of everybody around us and try to see them as spirits – their true selves. Relationships can become more fulfilling only when we begin to see with the eyes of our spirit. The foundation of this was laid in the first week as we became aware of who we truly are and how to love and nurture ourselves. Now, the time has come to use this awareness and knowledge to see the divinity in everyone around us which would mean that we try to see past the temporary identities we associate them with.

So what we need to try to do is to see others like our spirit would. If feelings of judgement or alienation arise, we must constantly remind ourselves that they are only present because our ego and physical selves are limited. Release such thoughts and bring back your concentration on seeing through your spirit. In short, start living from inside out.

The centering thought for the day was:

I see through the eyes of my soul.

Relationships Gone Sour

Emotional disturbance in some of my relationships has made this challenge a little difficult to me. It is almost like I am getting to test each and every lesson we are taught daily, and see how effective they are. Today, Deepak mentioned troubled relationships in his discourse. Some relationships get to the point of being self-destructive at the ego or personality level. The only way to deal with them is to see with the eyes of the spirit. It has got to be the most difficult thing to do but there is something else that helps with such relationships. The knowledge and awareness gained in these two weeks empower you to be able to differentiate between your ego and your true self. Every time a relationship hurts me, I feel I spend lesser time getting over it and moving on. The knowledge that my physical self is bound to be affected to worldly affairs and turning my attention within, makes it easier to forgive and forget.

Namaste

The word ‘Namaste’ was probably introduced to me as soon as I was old enough to interact with people. Being an Indian, ‘Namaste’ has always been the greeting with which I met, welcomed or took leave from people, with folded hands. Just like myself, my kids have grown up knowing that word forever. It meant nothing more than a greeting. Until today, that is. I was awakened to the real meaning of ‘Namaste’.

The Sanskrit word ‘Namaste’ means ‘The Spirit in Me Honors the Spirit in You’. It is a way to recognize that we are all created out of the same infinite, divine spirit. As Deepak says, “We are souls first and persons second”. When we reverse this equation and deal as persons first, there are bound to be disagreements, because each of our egos and personalities have different agendas of their own. It becomes inevitable, then, to get caught up in the struggle for control and approval and the need to be right. Quoting Deepak again, “Relating to each other as souls opens the door to miracles”.

Or as the Persian Poet Rumi said:

“Beyond our ideas of right-doing and wrong-doing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’ doesn’t make sense any more.”

Meditation

So Hum or ‘I Am That’ is a simple, yet powerful mantra that reminds us that we are ‘That’ or the Soul. Each day, Deepak reminds us that the mantra should flow with effortless ease. I meditated on the mantra on the rhythm of my breath. ‘So’ as I inhale….’Hum’ as I exhale. With every exhalation, I find myself getting more and more relaxed and entering a realm away from that of my body. My efforts continue to let go of my physical body and let my soul become one with the surroundings. This mantra makes it close to possible. As always, when the thoughts start running away, I bring them back silently and then go back within again.

Namaste.