6. Keys to De-addiction

6. Keys to De-addiction Do those dependent on alcohol have it in them to stay half-an-hour without alcohol? Alcoholism is a pestilence and I was afflicted by it for several years. The disease impacted me immensely. It was only my wife and parents who stood by me, offering support in my most trying moments. My wife enrolled me for the Part 1 course of the Art of Living while I was posted at Jaipur. Winter had arrived in Jaipur and the weather was chilly. Any stock individual would have preferred the warm climes of a quilt. Yet my wife faithfully dropped me to the centre and picked me up from there for seven days when I had undertaken the course. Like a zombie I used to attend the course. Addicts need to upend the pyramid, detoxify their minds and bodies and once again discover love in their lives. It is paramount that they discard feelings and emotions of futility, guilt, inadequacy and self-rejection. They have to strengthen their minds and make it robust to eschew dependency on alcohol. Such craftsmanship and techniques are encompassed in the Pragna programme of the Art of Living and is providing succour to addicts. Various Art of Living programmes address different sections of society to provide alternative and holistic therapies to ameliorate the physical and mental conditions of overwrought people. How does one conduct the course for hardened alcoholics and drug addicts, who are in a perpetual state of self-denial? They look at the teacher in the most disgusted manner possible, with disbelief writ large on their faces. Courses of the Art of Living for addicts need to be supplemented with regular follow-up sessions. The breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya and the knowledge points of Gurudev begin to unfold, with a salutary impact on the minds of the addicts. Slowly, the determination to metamorphose and transfigure their lives and eschew dependency on the substance begins to develop. What really touches the heart is when an addict takes the first step. They break down as they seek help. “Sir, aap humko chod kar jaoge toh nahin?” (Sir, you will not forsake us?) “Sir, aap roz aoge na?” (Sir, will you come and meet us every day?) is the common refrain, as they develop a bond with the teacher. One recalls the gloomy but riveting movie, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest; how the inmates lodged in a mental asylum had reached a state where they were determined to break the bondage and run away. Similarly, the youth and middle-aged persons with families and children back home yearn for love and affection and pine to be with their loved ones. The addict becomes determined to break the four walls of the rehab centre. Normally the mind of an alcoholic borders on futility, guilt, a gargantuan burden of inadequacy, self-rejection, self-depravation and self-dejection. After the initial treatment at the rehabilitation centre and subsequent exposure to the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya they began to believe in the “Power of Now”, the efficacy of “Living in the Present Moment”. Every day is a new day, a harbinger of hope and the addicts realise their self-worth and the “Power of Love and Acceptance” and begin giving themselves positive strokes. The concepts of the “Power of Now” or the “Present Moment” have been postulated by several masters of the past, in the oriental and occidental world. In India, Maharishi Patanjali, Gautama Buddha, the Advaita saint Adi Shankara have written and spoken about it extensively. In present times the quintessential rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya transmogrifies the human mind to the present. Authors like Eckhart Tolle, Robin Sharma, Deepak Chopra and Louise Hay too have emphasised on reengineering the human mind to remain in the present moment to combat various challenging situations in life. In Gorakhpur is a centre run by a doughty lady whose husband was an alcoholic. As a goodwill gesture the couple inaugurated the centre and have made it their mission to provide shelter and comfort to those suffering from alcoholism. The inmates of the centre could remain half-an-hour without alcohol, can you? This is the question that resonates in my mind, the question I pose to any addict. The answer is simple; it is possible only through surrender to a higher power, the supreme intelligence of the Universe. “If you keep on drinking rum, the world will soon be quit of a very dirty scoundrel,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson. 7. The Precious Gift of Life Life is something very precious, a divine gift given to us by God or nature. Do humans realise how high – priced is it? When we wake up in the morning, are we in a tearing hurry to accomplish all the unfulfilled tasks of yesterday and or do we bow down and touch Mother Earth, feel it? Do we spend some quality time embracing nature, take a few deep breaths, spend moments in solitude, and feel the silence encompassing us? Are we grateful for our existence or do we mechanically hit the gym, head for the kitchen to have the mandatory morning cup of coffee? Life is a huge university which imparts esoteric knowledge, but as we are caught up in the rigmarole and the fiercely competitive struggle, we are unable to differentiate chaff from the grain. Yes, for sure morning exercise like a walk, a jog, hitting the gym or executing the chores are essential, but it is equally important to slow down the pace of life and become grateful to the universe for its vastness and its exquisite grandiose geometry. We fail to appreciate the rays of the rising sun which provide us with the warmth during our early morning walk, the wafting clouds, the formation of a rainbow, or a brood of hens. Pierce Brosnan, who wielded guns and girls with remarkable felicity once remarked, “I realise how precious life is, probably because I’ve seen how it can be taken away.” The bounty of nature can be cherished and appreciated only by extenuating the mindless chatter of the mind. Perspicacious observation, unfailing practice of yoga, meditation, mindful breathing and walking over a period of time edifies the mind to develop aesthetic qualities in ourselves. As the cloud moves across the sky, so do moments in our lives. We need to be in harmony with our thoughts, actions and also realise the ephemeral nature of events. When this percipience dawns on us we look for the nuggets in life nurturing and nourishing them. Once a student approached his Master and complained that he could not meditate as his body ached, he felt distracted or asleep and was extremely disconcerted. The wise man smiled and merely said that this would pass. After some days, the tutee was in an ecstatic mood and apprised his teacher that the meditation was wonderful and he had an experiential feeling. He could observe stillness in the mind; see shimmering light and experienced levitation. The Master merely smiled and added that even this would pass. The human mind should grasp the transitory nature of existence to appreciate the inexhaustible journey of life. Life should be treated as a celebration and as a precious gift, since it is fleeting and transitory in nature. Therefore, the journey of life ought to be made into a jollification and carouse it with uniqueness and precious moments which can be cherished. The sacrosanct premise of life therefore should be to focus on its truly celebratory nature and savour its prepossessing moments. Negative emotions spoil the party and have an adverse effect the body, soul, mind and its psyche. Humans should create a space where they are joyous, in love and enjoy their peace and freedom. For all this to happen, we need to increase our prana/ energy levels manifold. We derive energy from food, breath, rest provided to the body and by maintaining a calm and meditative mind. These sutras or tenets are imparted during the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living. To learn more about the secrets of the sutra a seeker can undertake the course. However, the prana / energy level needs to be sustained to nurture the precious moments of life. Humans have to treat their minds and bodies as sacred. Desecration of the place of worship infirm the body and mental atrophy too sets in. As discussed earlier, upon waking up in the morning do we head to the kitchen for a strong cup of coffee? We have conditioned our mind and bodies to be addicted to that beverage, though nutritionists suggest that an ideal, beverage for the body is plain water. Early morning blues can be combatted with warm lime water laced with honey. It is efficacious for human body to have a few glasses of this elixir of life. While veganism is on the rise world over, simple vegetarian fare which includes plenty of fruits is extremely worthwhile to massage the digestive system. A sattvik diet helps in increasing prana levels and also in meditation. The purpose of Yoga is not just performing physical exercises but to ultimately do pranayama and meditation. This helps is assuaging the mind so that we are in a position to recognise and appreciate life’s precious journey. Physical sciences till recently were all about matter and particles. But newer studies now reveal the mysteries of science have transcended the boundaries of matter and dwells on waves and its patterns. Waves connect us to science and also to people. A congruous atmosphere attracts like-minded people who are uplifting in their thoughts and behaviour. These positively inclined people provide the necessary direction through Laws of attraction to shore up our thoughts on the amplitude of life. While acknowledging the precious nature of life, we need to harness the potential further by choosing a passion. This is an outlet from the dreary ho-hum of life and we can appreciate the droplets on the petals, a nest built on our roof or a koel bird singing mellifluously. If we close our eyes and open our minds, we can attract all these sounds instead of the cacophony of gizmos surrounding us. In this age of a wired world which operates on google plus to the power of infinity, humans need to break the chains of bondages and develop a harmonious dwelling place where people care and share making life a truly momentous journey …