There is an anecdotal tale about how one person stumbles upon a magic lamp. Remember Aladdin? Yep, something like that. But this one does not get a friendly and cute Genie like the cartoon. This Genie can grant the person’s wishes, but if left idle, it can kill the person who released it from the lamp. The man’s guru advises him to keep the Genie engaged when not in use by going up and down a pole. This anecdote is a lesson on how to keep the mind engaged. If channeled properly, it can work wonders. If left idle, it can be fatal.

The mind desires novelty. It needs constant engagement and occupation. I sometimes like to complement my Yoga Sadhana with runs. Of course, a novel occupation such as running is supremely beneficial for health as well.

I do not know where and how the idiom, ‘sweating like a pig,’ originated. All I know is that it denotes someone sweating profusely. And I also have read that pigs roll around in mud to cool down. I wish I had learned this lesson a month or so back. Not to roll in the mud, even though that can also be useful, but to cool down! This is the humbling aspect of life— sometimes, you can learn from even pigs.

Back in the last week of July, I went for a run. Considering the humidity in Delhi around that time, I was the huffing and puffing manifestation of the idiom— ’Sweating like a pig.’

Ideally, or say, quite necessarily, one must cool down after an intense workout or run. Even in Yoga Sadhana, doing Shavasana at the end of the practice is a must.

But, here I was in a rush. I did not have the time to cool down or, for the sake of Instagram, even click a selfie. Tsk. After just a few quick stretches, I sat down in the car to return home. I had the wisdom of not turning on the AC in the car, but I was still sweating when I reached back home. Again, not wanting to ‘waste time,’ I had a quick bath. Such was the day that I could still feel the sweat trickling down my body as I was pouring water over myself. After that, I quickly rushed to work, and this time, I did turn on the AC in the car.

Now, a week before this ‘bhaagam-bhag,’ I was feeling slight discomfort in my throat. While driving to work, I was thinking to myself that I may be challenging the body too much here. Such rapid temperature changes are not suitable. Well, at least I got one thing, nay thought, right in the day’s circus, even if it was a thought too late.

By the evening, I started feeling feverish, and the early signs of cold had kicked in.

And from then on, I was forced to stay indoors and rest for the next two weeks, for that is the amount of time recovery was needed.

Skipping 10-15 minutes of recovery cost me two weeks of my time!

Talk about teaching and driving home a lesson, Universe!

Honestly, this particular lesson was a hard pill to swallow. I did not expect the cold and fever to linger on for so long.

However, I did take out time to play Spiderman on my PlayStation, and Mum reckoned that led to the healing taking longer than it should have. I selectively choose to ignore the logic here. It may have taken longer to heal, but Mr. Negative is in jail, and New York is safe, mum.

But upon recovery, I have discovered the absolute joy of slowing down in my day-to-day activities. I consciously use the word joy here because I have noticed how we, or at least I, have more time than I always assumed.

Taking out a few more minutes to relax not only cools down my body, but I also get to spend time connecting to the soil, trees, and nature. As per yogic teachings, doing so balances our Muladhara, or the root chakra, and ushers in stability and enhancement of overall bodily health. In all my years of running, I rarely took the time to do that. More often than not, it was always stretch, run, stretch, and leave. Admittedly, often even skipping the stretching part, which is not recommended at all.

Not just in fitness-related activity, I have noticed this lesson of slowing down and easing up trickles down and helps in my other activities as well. I have noticed I am no longer looking to do an act just for the sake of it and to tick another to-do thing off my list. Instead, I try my best to do it with joy, engagement, and absorption.

SILVER LINING

I am fascinated as to almost always inevitably, there is a hidden lesson or message from the universe in an adverse situation. Right now, I feel immensely grateful for those two weeks of sickness.

Why?

Because the time when you are down and out can be supremely useful to understand yourself. Being sidelined from the frenzied pace of modern life, one is forced to be with oneself and confront one’s mind and predominant thoughts. Most importantly, for someone like me who claims and projects himself to be spiritual, it is a test of how I handle myself. Or, in other words, how I apply all my spiritual teachings and gyaan that I dish out through such platforms on myself. I say so because it is easy to wax eloquent about the benefits or the glories of philosophy and spiritual practice during the easy times. The real test of what we have absorbed comes only when challenges enter our lives.

It is also wisely concluded by the author of the divine book, Ram Charitra Manas, Goswami Tulasi Das jee:

‘The real test of one’s patience, dharma (purpose and duty), friends and partner is during the hard times.’

One cannot determine or predict when calamity, sickness, or some adversity will occur in our lives. But these times inevitably lead us to a better understanding of life, ourselves, and the mind.

A conscious human being is always grateful for strife for the growth accompanying it.

I can even relate to Queen Kunti’s prayers to Shri Krishna in the Srimad Bhagavatam Purana (1.8.25), wherein she asks for more troubles and strife as a wish. She reasons that such times lead to a deeper connection with the divine.

LOOKING AHEAD

I had not asked for the sickness but definitely contributed to it through my actions. Karma works majorly like that. We need to continually recall or remember what we may have done to deserve what comes to us— both good and bad but life is uniformly following the action-reaction principle.

The sickness was irritating and frustrating at times, but I am seeing how I am much more alert about my overall health, besides the extra attention on cooling and slowing down.

Thanks to my journals, I also noticed how the rainy season had often led to sickness in previous years, and so from now on, I can be even more vigilant next time.

I wonder if I can now use this lesson when life again poses a challenge, a setback, or some other unwanted incident occurs.

Can I equip myself to look for the silver lining or the gift that life presents me via the challenge?

Can I allow myself to believe in the idea of a benevolent universe?

Can I dare myself to wonder if life is happening for me, rather than to me?

Only time will tell.

But for the sake of my mental and spiritual well-being, I sincerely hope I can.

Tell me, how did you find this story? Could I spark some ideas worth adopting?

Have you ever observed that a supposed setback turned out to be a blessing?

I am eager to read or hear your response.

Thank you so much for your engagement of time on this piece.

God bless you with vibrant health.

Kushagra