Change of direction

In June 2023, I felt completely lost—physically drained, mentally exhausted, and worn down by ego-driven attitudes that blocked progress. It was painful to watch health being marketed through fear, supported by the vocabulary of modern psychiatry. The only thing that kept me grounded during that phase was my practice of Yoga. On an impulse, I signed up for a Yoga Instructor Course (YIC), eager to change direction as quickly as possible. I was even a little annoyed to learn that the batch would begin only a month later, in August.

Those two months of the instructor course opened my eyes to a much wider world—Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, yoga texts, chanting, Indian culture, history, and so much more. Completing YIC felt like catching the first glimpse of the vast streams of Yoga and our Shastras. Wanting to go deeper, I enrolled in the MSc Yoga program. 

January 2024: Back to student life once more—only now, my motivation was entirely different from what drove me during my BE (Computer Science) and MBA.

This time, my decision came purely from a desire to learn—not from career considerations, peer pressure, or thoughts about security and earnings. Three semesters have passed, each filled with fascinating subjects and concepts.

A program like this depends entirely on how deeply the student chooses to immerse in the learning process. We journeyed through Samskritam (right from Varnamala), the six Darshanas, anatomy and physiology, Yoga philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, theories of consciousness, comparisons between modern and Yogic psychology, various holistic healing systems, and the Narada Bhakti Sutras. Our fieldwork at Arogyadhama offered profound insight into the role of Yoga therapy in supporting recovery from psychosomatic conditions.

When the third-semester results were announced last night, I felt a mix of satisfaction and melancholy—relief at having come this far, yet a quiet sadness that the course is nearing its end, with only the final research thesis left.

Learning never begins and ends within classrooms or Zoom calls. These are merely seeds. True learning grows from interest and curiosity—they nudge you to read further, listen more, explore deeply, and continue sharing along the way.

A structured approach to learning matters at any age, whether you are 14 or 44. And when the subject itself inspires you, the joy it brings is truly incomparable.

Having worked in the IT industry since the early 2000s, I’ve witnessed its evolution over the past two and a half decades. Honestly, the work culture of the 2000s—and much of the 2010s—felt healthier and more fulfilling, both in terms of professional growth and overall harmony. The hustle-driven mindset that has dominated the last four to five years is simply not sustainable, either for individuals or for organizations. It’s not just the extended work hours; it’s also the shift in attitudes toward aggression and a “business-at-any-cost” approach. Leaders and mid-senior professionals need to pause and reflect on the long-term consequences of such a trajectory.

Sometimes, we need to trust our instinct when it repeatedly tells us that a certain path isn’t right. We also need to trust our curiosity and venture into areas that lie outside the familiar and comfortable. In our 20s and 30s, obligations and responsibilities naturally take priority. But if we carry the same relentless hustle forward, life begins to blur and our inner vitality gradually fades. By the time we reach our 40s, taking a pause to reflect, creating space to question, and having the courage to realign becomes essential—before it feels too late.

I’m thankful to God that the chance to realign came in my 40s—better late than never.

The Power of Senses

 In Viveka Chudamani, Adi Shankaracharya reflects on the five senses in Verse 76, illustrating his point with five vivid examples:

A deer is undone by its attachment to sound.
An elephant is overpowered by its sense of touch.
A moth is drawn helplessly to what it sees, especially sources of light.
A fish falls prey to its irresistible attraction to taste.
A bee is captivated by the fragrance of flowers, its sense of smell becoming its downfall.

In each of these creatures, a single dominant sense becomes a vulnerability that enslaves them.

Shankaracharya then poses a striking question: what fate awaits a human being who is attached to all five senses at once?

We can already see the consequences. Our excessive fascination with taste alone has led to widespread deterioration of physical health. Overindulgence in the other senses is expressing itself as a rise in various mental and emotional disorders.

Modern technology only accelerates this. Apps that track engagement care little about how much we strain our sense of sight. OTT platforms that promote binge-watching are unconcerned about the relentless stimulation of sight and sound.

The intellect—which is meant to regulate and guide the senses—is gradually becoming dull, making genuine reflection and critical thinking rare.

Regaining this lost mastery requires what Swami Dayananda Saraswati calls “internal leisure”, a quietening of the mind that allows the intellect to sharpen and reclaim its natural authority over the senses.

How can “internal leisure” be possible in a world where leaders glorify 70-hour workweeks and productivity is judged by the number of hours spent in the office—regardless of how many tea or smoke breaks one takes, as long as one is physically present?

It is no surprise, then, that the weekend makes one weakened (to borrow Swami Paramarthananda’s phrase), as many of us overindulge in those two days to make up for the absence of real leisure throughout the week.

Yoga Philosophy - the fundamental approach

 One of the most prominent gadgets on our kitchen counter is the microwave oven. It offers multiple features and functionalities and comes with various modes, such as grill and convection. But the most popular use case is to reheat leftovers. In many households, the rest of the functionality is hardly explored.

Yoga offers complete transformation and evolution of a human being. This profound wisdom enables all-round personality development of the individual - physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual wellbeing. But it is unfortunate that we end up relying too much on one aspect of it - Asanas, leaving the rest unexplored.

One of my Gurus often refers to an analogy - our present approach to Yoga is akin to chopping off the wings of an airplane and driving on the road to buy vegetables from a nearby shop.

The extreme focus given to physical aspects dilutes the entire philosophy. Success in Yoga Sadhana is often projected as one’s smooth performance of complex twists and turns and headstands, shot in exotic locations and presented as beautiful reels.

Sticking to the traditional approach, with the backing of the right scriptures, is the need of the hour.

Otherwise, the appropriation by the West will continue in full steam and froth with ridiculous ideas like beer yoga.

Festival patterns

 Festival season has begun for those who follow the path of Sanatana Dharma (also commonly referred to as Hinduism).

Patterns that repeat every year:

Certain businesses - “I will ridicule your beliefs and traditions, but hey, I do need a share of your wallet allocated for festival spends. Here are my attractive festival deals!”

Certain political parties - “An opportune moment to appease people of other faiths. Let’s come up with some announcements and see if they create any effect among the majority. If at all a few make noise, we will use our tried-and-tested playbook and convert a devotion-based, religious festival into a cultural event”.

Certain cinema actors - “Do I really need to post wishes for this festival? Will that have any leverage or increase my fan base (or voter base for the future)?”

Fake environmental activists - “I need to put on my savior hat and raise my voice now on air pollution, water wastage, noise pollution, animal welfare, and protecting nature....this is the right time to speak about climate change”

Fake minimalists - “Why do people spend so much during festivals? Too much consumerism at play, buying flowers and fruits.”

Certain health influencers - “Modaks are so carb-heavy. Try avoiding it or eat only 1/4th of a piece if your mother insists. Or else your weight might go up by 1 kg the next day!”

Pseudo feminists - “Women are slogging so much during these festival days, waking up early, cooking an elaborate meal for the family, cleaning the house, doing Pooja, etc....Men do nothing...It’s sheer patriarchy.”

Certain IT employees in their 20s - “Ah finally, a mid-week break...I can wake up late and just chill.”

Certain parents in their 30s - “If we take the Mon and Tue off, we will get a 5-day long weekend. A drive to Coorg is sure to be relaxing. Kids will also have a lot of fun.”

70s and 80s kids - “That festive vibe is missing these days. Visiting grandparents, playing with siblings and cousins, eating a lavish spread followed by a nice afternoon siesta.....Sigh!”

Not a post to judge or crib...I have been that “certain” IT employee and parent in the past. I have also fallen prey to the narratives of the “-ists”.  However, since the last 10 years, I am making a conscious effort to return to my roots and I look forward to every festival.

Festival days break the monotony of mundane routines.

Festivals help nurture the relationship between us and God, to surrender and connect with God.

Festivals are also a way to understand and reflect on the tatparya (significance) using our scriptures.

As a parent, it is my responsibility to pass on the traditions and their importance to my child.

As we celebrate Ganesh Chaturti, let us make it a priority to celebrate with family with loads of happiness, good food and the company of loved ones, keeping in mind, devotion towards God as the foundation.

Book Review: To the beginning of the end of Karma by Meetu Bisht

 

Karma and its workings are intriguing topics, not just for exploration and analysis, but for bringing about fundamental shifts in our behaviors. A deeper understanding of Karma is crucial, so that we don't dismiss it as pre-ordained.

I read the book "Karma" by Sadhguru in 2021, which brought a lot of beginner-friendly clarity. Since then, I have been exploring various other sources to go deeper into this subject. The latest book that I devoured on this topic is Meetu Bisht's "To the beginning of the end of Karma". 

I loved her earlier books - "Living spirituality" and "Why we are who we are". They were filled with powerful insights and nuggets of wisdom. Her nuanced approach to writing keeps the reader engaged.

In her new book, she has unpeeled various layers of Karma in simple language. It is quite voluminous (300+ pages), as compared to her earlier works.

This book is divided into 3 sections. The first section focuses on the nature of Karma, the cause or reasons behind this law, and its principles. The author reiterates throughout the book that Karma is not a force to fear, but a call to action. She defines Karma as the energy of the deeds from the past that manifest as either rewards or challenges in the present. The roots of karma can be traced back to our tendencies (samskaras or vasanas mentioned in our scriptures).  The path elaborated is very much relatable - Tendencies -> Conditioning -> Habits -> Character -> Deeds -> Karma.

In the second section, she elaborates on the method and manifestation of karmas. The purpose of Prarabdha, its intensity, the transformation needed in our responses, and the ensuing closure give more clarity on how one should approach Karma, not through a self-defeating or victimhood mindset, but through graceful acceptance and raising the frequency of response. Someone facing a heavy Prarabdha is offered greater opportunities for self-realization and awakening.

In the third section, more specifics related to the handling of Karma are explained in the context of money, relationships, health, and multiple challenges in life. The chapters on how our ego is the cause of Karma were truly eye-opening. The author has given examples of 19 ways by which our actions and perceptions are shaped by the ego, influencing how we see ourselves and interact with the world. It is a neat check-list to go over and understand how ego influences us on our personality level.

We often wonder how some people are blessed with popularity, wealth, and power, while others are not. The explanation given made so much sense.

"A life of fame, affluence and power is not a perk but a massive responsibility and duty, forming part of a substantial karmic payback.....this is because their soul has undertaken the task of clearing a significant portion of karmic debts......results from multiple debts and rewards of past karma maturing simultaneously".

It is just not possible to pick a few lines as my favorite, as I had highlighted so many lines throughout the entire book :-) But to give a glimpse of the writing, here are a few:

"Opinions are just concepts that feed the ego".

"Personal karma builds when one resists reality, i.e. when thoughts and feelings reflect a rejection of what is".

"The energy associated with money comes from how it is earned and how it is used".

"Our suffering must end with the karmic experience itself, rather than continuing in our thoughts, feelings and emotions long after".

"The more we invest emotionally in what we are going through, the more we remain prisoners of our own ignorant past".

Though the style of writing is simple, each paragraph requires deeper reflection. It is not something that one could just brush through in a glance. When I came back to certain chapters after a few weeks, I realized there were more insights that I had missed in the first read.

If you have read this far, I'm sure you would love this book :-)

The only point of confusion I faced in the initial chapters was that the three aspects - action (karma), visible result (phala), and invisible consequence (punya/papa) are all called as "karma" (which is quite normal, as we use that way in our day-to-day parlance). As I kept reading, I was able to understand the distinction depending on the context.

I will certainly revisit this book multiple times as my understanding evolves.

P.S. This book was sent to me by the author. This review is my honest and unbiased feedback of the book.