The world today is not what it was 100 ago.
It also won’t be the same 100 years from now.
As we continue to undergo immeasurable change, the future of humankind has become increasingly unpredictable. In the midst of barely surviving a pandemic, we remain somewhat helpless. I often wonder, if we can modernize ourselves to the extent that we have, why can’t we put the same dedication into purifying, perfecting and becoming better versions of ourselves?
Sahaja yoga meditation has done this for me. I have been practicing it for more than a decade and have benefited by it in ways I could not have imagined.
My parents started practicing sahaja yoga meditation and found it to be one of the most rejuvenating and vital aspects of their lives. They, in turn, encouraged my sister and me to meditate every day.
It has since helped me to combat everything from high expectations to being able to pay attention in school. It also has allowed me to excel in almost everything.
I made some of my best memories when I got to experience life outside of the United States by going to a meditation school in India for two years. Coming from India, the land of yoga, my family always has treasured sahaja yoga meditation. It has been a significant part of our lives wherever we went and continues to shape a large part of who we are.
What is sahaja yoga meditation?
The practice is simple and spontaneous, boasting benefits including stress relief, a higher level of awareness, peace of mind, an increased attention span, improvement in self-esteem and the development of balance in life.
Rooted in ancient spiritual knowledge, sahaja yoga was founded by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. Born in India in 1923, she discovered an easier way of raising the kundalini (inner spiritual energy) through meditation — a process known as self-realization.
She dedicated her life to spreading peace and advocating for a higher mental awareness. As she traveled around the world, addressing issues and comforting others, she became known as “the mother.” She also was honored in recognition of her work with the Nobel Peace Prize.
What happens when you meditate?
As you meditate, you receive connection to energy. Once you become more familiar with this practice, that energy can be felt on the palms and fingertips.
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Long-term, sahaja yoga meditation can help people feel a greater connection to themselves by enlightening the pure spirit, located behind the heart. When this spirit is enlightened, people tend to feel joyful and are able to understand and improve themselves with greater ease.
Put simply, sahaja yoga meditation develops a higher awareness in people, enabling them to see things from a different perspective.
Through it, I’ve found remarkable interest and success in school.
Just like everyone else, I never particularly adored homework, and I still don’t. But I can say that my love for learning has vastly increased.
A great example of this would be how I got through the past year of high school. With honors classes, clubs and sports, socializing, virtual learning and keeping up with a stressful COVID-19 environment, performing well academically was something I and others struggled with. The year was all about finding motivation in the things I did everyday.
Although the world was engulfed in a dark mess, I was able to find my light through meditating every day. It helped me find the motivation to carry on and keep working hard, while learning about the things that fascinated me.
It also helped me stay attentive and focused when I wanted to get things done. By the end of sophomore year, I realized I’d gotten through such a crazy time while maintaining the highest rank and cumulative GPA in my entire grade. I owe sahaja yoga meditation for helping me stay healthy, accomplish so much and enjoy my time, in the midst of a pandemic.
Growing up, the knowledge and access to meditation has blessed me immensely, but I don’t think I ever truly acknowledged its importance as much as I should have. Today and now as a junior in high school, I feel complete and grateful for everything because of sahaja yoga meditation.
When I look around, I realize many people my age are mentally struggling, unhappy, unsatisfied or seeking a greater purpose in their lives.
People often categorize teenagers as bad decision makers, criticizing them for recklessness or misguided actions. This, I believe, is because being a teenager makes you vulnerable to the extensive amount of negativity in today’s world.
As teenagers, we tend to face all kinds of problems only because we seek thrilling experiences, things that can satisfy a thirst for freedom and release us from high everyday expectations.
I find that sahaja yoga meditation solves much of this problem by supplying teenagers and people of all ages with the satisfaction and joy they never knew they needed.
After all, it isn’t just about overcoming mental barriers and day-to-day struggles. It’s about instilling a sense of joy and purpose in people’s lives — just the way it did in mine.
