GOA PRACTITIONER FEATURE : SILVIA, KAMBO PRACTITIONER
-By Silvia; Kambo Practitioner
Kambo is a skin secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolour frog, also called Giant monkey leaf frog or Sapo. It is used by many indigenous tribes of the Amazon jungle in shamanic rites as a purification rite - to strengthen the immune system, to boost stamina, to destroy the malaria virus, dengue fever, yellow fever, snake bites, scorpion poison and spider poison. It is also used to cleanse the body of parasites from the colon and stomach, to get rid of negative energies trapped in the etheric light field (the aura) and to gain physical strength, spiritual and mental clarity, synchronicity, good luck and enthusiasm for life. It is the natural antibiotic of the jungle. It is applied to children from 3 years old up to people of old age to prevent and to cure diseases.
History of Kambo
A Kaxinawá tribe from the western Brazilian Amazon tells that the people of the village got very ill with a virus that was killing them. Their Shaman Kampu had done everything that was possible to cure them. All medicinal plants and roots known to him were used, but none helped to destroy the virus. The shaman Kampu then decided to take Ayahuasca on his own, went deep in the forest and asked the grandmother spirit of Ayahuasca - which is a manifestation of the great spirit itself - to help him find a medicine that would destroy the virus that was decimating his tribe.
The grandmother spirit brought a frog to his hand, showed him how to get its white secretion and was taught how to apply it. Returning to the tribe and following the guidelines he had received, the shaman Kampu was able to finally destroy the virus and cure his tribe. After his death, the spirit of the shaman who first discovered this medicine has started living within the frog medicine itself and the indigenous Amazonian tribes began to use its secretion to stay active and healthy.
They use it regularly to prevent and cure diseases and called the frog medicine Kambo to honour the spirit of the shaman Kampu. They strongly believe that the shaman’s spirit lives within the medicine itself. So when we receive Kambo medicine, we establish a connection not only to the frog spirit but with the shaman spirit too who can send us insights. It is essential to stay completely open, to have full trust in the medicine and to let the medicine do its magical cleansing work. The spirit of the Shaman can send us messages, so full openness and trust is recommended during the process.
Usages Of Kambo
a) At the Physical Level :
Kambo detoxifies the body, strengthens the immune system and activates self-healing within the body. It is a natural antibiotic, antiviral and anti fungal as it kills bacteria, viruses and fungi. It is anti-inflammatory, it cleanses the blood and it can improve general well-being.
Studies show that some bioactive peptides in the Kambo can be very effective in healing Alzheimer, Parkinsons Disease, infertility, hepatitis A, B and C, cancer, AIDS and other serious conditions.
Although there is no doubt of the wide range of uses of Kambo, it is necessary to find the right treatment specific to each person and condition. The regularity of treatments and correct dosage are also vital in order to have the most continuous beneficial effects.
Kambo also helps many people with a variety of conditions including allergies, skin diseases, asthma, rheumatism and joint disorders, chronic pain and infections, malaria, diabetes, epilepsy, depression, post chemotherapy disease prevention and many more.
Kambo helps to induce a state of Purge, something that is also induced with many yogic and Ayurvedic practices. In Shamanism, a lot of shamanic medicines include Purging. Purging is the physical act of letting go. A lot of people are scared of purging because they are afraid to let go. But it’s a very simple act, one of flushing out of water from the body. The water can come out both clear and colourful. Each colour represents a different kind of cleanse, of a different organ that is being cleansed. Later, the water in the bucket can be analysed to understand what has been extrapolated from which organ.
When administered, the medicine travels to the bloodstream through the skin and at first it reaches the liver. Often, people can feel the liver being cleansed. The water that comes out after the liver is cleansed is green in colour. Similarly, other organs emit different colours.
b) At the Energetic/Spiritual Level
The tribesmen of the Amazon believe this medicine will clear themselves from ‘Panema', which is the word that is used to refer to negative energies/entities. Kambo is a cleansing agent for it and after the treatment most people feel a strong optimism and clarity of mind. They feel recharged in strength and stamina and capable to achieve their goals. Everything flows better in life after taking Kambo and synchronicity is more present.
The tribes live in the virgin primary forest and are not exposed to the amount of toxicity that we experience in the western world - toxicity in the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the radiation we are exposed to, etc.
In the Western culture we use Kambo to heal and work with diseases like:
-CANCER
-HEPATITIS A, B & C
-MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
-ALZHEIMER
-PARKINSON DISEASE
-ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND PHARMACEUTICAL ADDICTIONS
-SKIN DISEASES: PSORIASIS, ECZEMA AND SEVER ACNE
-ALLERGIES
-CHRONIC PAIN
-HIV
-POST CHEMOTHERAPY
-DISEASES OF THE SOUL: DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
-DARK ENERGIES TRAPPED IN THE ETHERIC FIELD
After the ceremony you will experience:
-INNER PEACE
-CLARITY OF MIND
-INCREASED ENERGY LEVEL
-HAPPINESS AND WELL BEING
-PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND INCREASED STAMINA
-GROUNDING FEELING
-HUMILITY
-STRONG CONNECTION TO MOTHER NATURE, THE ANIMAL KINGDOM AND THE PLANT KINGDOM
-STRONG OPTIMISM
-EASIER TO ACHIEVE GOALS
-SYNCHRONICITY
-LIFE FLOWS BETTER AFTER KAMBO
c) At the Individual Level :
The outcome of the treatments can vary in their effects as well as in the amount of time it may take to feel those effects. Everybody is different and so every session can be a bit different because Kambo works on many levels and it is unique.
To gain true long term benefits of healing, it is advised to make healthy lifestyle changes in addition to the treatments. It is not truly beneficial to take Kambo and continue an unhealthy lifestyle because the problem that has been treated would most likely present itself again.
DOSAGE
The first time we receive Kambo 3 dots - also called gates - are applied.
The first time we encounter the medicine, 3 treatments in a Moon cycle of 28 days are highly recommended to maximise the cleansing effect. It is most powerful when 3 sessions within a week are received.
TREATMENT PREPARATION
It is advisable to stick to a light diet at least two days prior to the treatment and two days after the treatment for a total of five days minimum. You should stay away from deep fried and very spicy food, or food that is hard to process. Furthermore you should renounce alcohol, drugs (if not in a case of addiction), sexual activities (it includes masturbation), sugar, red meat and caffeine. This can help to have a much deeper cleanse and to benefit more from the treatment.
Kambo has the best effect if you use it on an empty stomach. Therefore you should not consume any solid or liquid food for around 6 hours prior to the treatment and drink only water.
During the treatment it is also advisable to wear comfortable clothes and a sleeveless shirt.
It should be taken into account that the whole treatment may take up to 3 hours and it is advisable not to have any schedules after the session as in some cases you may feel to rest and have time for integration.
TREATMENT
Shortly before the treatment you have to drink around 2 to 2.5 litres of warm water and 1.5 to 2 litres during the cleanse.
This will help you a lot in the process of throwing up and release toxins.
After that, a tamshi (a thin vine which is traditionally used to make baskets) or incense stick will be set on fire and blown out. The glowing end will be used to burn the skin superficially. After that the burned layer of skin will be removed and the secretion will be applied onto the gates. For this purpose the secretion on the stick will be softened using a few drops of water or saliva and rolled into little balls. To each burn one of the balls will be applied.
Depending on the skin type and on the aftercare these burning marks may be visible for a few months afterwards.
EFECTS
The effects will be noticeable shortly after the secretion is applied onto the burned area (usually after 1 to 10 minutes).
The Kambo medicine goes straight into the lymphatic system and from there into the bloodstream.
The effects can differ from person to person and from treatment to treatment.
In most cases, the first effect is that the blood flushes up into the head and ears. This will be perceived as heat in the facial area and the rest of the body. Sometimes this can be accompanied by a faster heart beat, very often followed by nausea and vomiting. Usually the water you drank before comes first, followed by a variety of slimy, milky, yellow, orange, green, dark green, brown or sometimes even black liquids and bile. There is also a need to defecate quite often. There will be often a swelling in the facial area and the neck region. The intensity of these swellings can vary, but in most cases it will subside relatively fast. Expectorant cough (especially when dealing with lung disease) can also occur. The treatment is often accompanied by sweating - this is just another way for the body to get rid of toxins.
Eye discharge, chills, cramps, dizziness, numbness in the hands and physical weakness can occur symptomatically. In some cases someone might feel a need to cry in order to release emotional and energetic blockages. The symptoms might vary in quality and quantity depending on the individual, the area the medicine will work on and the dosage.
Usually the most intense part of the treatment will only take between 30 to 45 minutes and only in very few cases it might take a bit longer or a bit shorter.
POSITIVE EFFECTS
The positive effects of the Kambo can sometimes be perceived straight after the treatment or in some cases it can take a day to feel an increased energy level, inner peace, clarity of mind and healing in the body. Some people report that their well-being improves from day to day, or in some cases that it even takes up to a week for an improvement to become noticeable and in some other cases it may take another session to reach the desired positive effect.
INTELLIGENT MEDICINE
The effects of Kambo always differs depending on the person and intervals of treatment. Even though the effects of Kambo could sound unpredictable, it is best to keep in mind that it knows exactly what it does, where it needs to begin the process, how long it will take and what is necessary for the patient.
SIDE EFFECTS
When taken with an experienced practitioner trained by a Shaman, Kambo is very safe, although in some very rare cases, the immune system may first drop down and the cleansing process may continue for a couple of days before one would experience the beneficial feelings of the medicine. This may happen after a very intense cleanse or when there is a more serious illness to heal.
In some cases, especially when one is having low blood pressure, the person may faint during the session and this is why it is necessary to provide a safe space for the treatment as well as having an experienced person to facilitate the healing.
All in all, you will go through a short "discomfort" during the treatment and excrete a lot of toxins through all pores. Even though you might feel weak after this process you will recover quickly.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD ONE TAKE KAMBO?
This can be very individual in practice, depending on the persons needs and the health situation, so it is necessary to have a talk with the practitioner prior to the treatment.
It is recommended to use Kambo more often than once, because Kambo cleanses layers after layers each time. There are several ways how Kambo can be taken and they may vary from different tribes and practitioners, for example it can be taken in the form of a “Dieta”, for several days in a row (especially when dealing with bigger issues), once a week, three times in a lunar cycle (28 days), for new moon or similar. In this way you reconnect to the previous treatment and experience an even deeper cleansing. In many cases you have to increase the dosage if the intervals between the treatments are short because Kambo stays in the system for some time carrying on its work. In case of a long interval between the treatments it is recommended to start again with a smaller dose and very often one will feel intuitively when it is the right time for the next Kambo treatment.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
The Kambo secretion based on human use was first researched and described by western scientists John Daly, Vittorio Erspamer and their team, published in 1992.
Vittori Erspamer already published an article based on his studies of peptides in Phyllomedusa skin “a huge factory and store-house of active peptides” in 1985. These bioactive peptides are also the reason why the pharmaceutical industry is so interested in it, and developing a new medication from one of the peptides could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. There are already some patents existing on some of the peptides.
Here are some of the peptides found in the secretion:
adenoregulins, bradykinins, tachykinins, caerulein, sauvagine, tryptophyllins, deltorphins, dermaseptins, dermorphins, phyllocaeruleın and bombesins.
More information about the scientific research can be found here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Phyllomedusa+bicolor
Scientific studies on the Monkey frog medicine (Kambo) at Queens University in Ireland show that Kambo heals over 70 diseases:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-13676752
Silvia is a holistic practitioner who facilitates various ceremonies including Kambo, Sananga and Rapeh. She also conducts Soul Therapy Sessions, a sound healing modality in which specific sound and frequency are used to improve health and emotional, psychological, spiritual, physical, social and mental well being. Soul therapy is a bioresonance technology that works on your energetic and electromagnetic fields. It’s the science of metatronics that brings light into matter and modifies it’s frequency. Silvia is currently currently traveling in India. You can find her on Instagram, if you would like to know more.
*Disclaimer:
We support educated and informed discourse on the topics relating to holistic health, the consciousness and the altered states that you can experience it in. We do not encourage illegal activities. Any information we provide is for education and information only. This site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or any new holistic or heuristic practice you plan to participate in.
Chemical Satori
- Vaibhav Singh
a blowing conch between azaan and aarti,
shrieking parrots replace
HKV's nightly bass,
day warms in my veins
night's mdma, cocaine
on a little terrace in Green Park
dish antennas swivel like
sunflowers to the sun
two basking dogs
empty bottles of dark rum
a special grace
this winter sun upon my face
behind my closed eyes time congeals
a moment in amber
that ancient pond
another frog jumps in
a likely story,
chemical satori,
i realise I am all that I see
I become this and this becomes me.
This poem came to Vaibhav unbidden and complete after a night of excess. It describes a feeling where the boundaries between the subject and the object disappear.
I met Vaibhav at the Kalaripayttu classes I attend in Anjuna, Goa. He is a martial artist, writer, potter and dentist. His book which he hopes to complete by 2024 is called " a series of small adjustments"
His clinic, located in North Goa, is called Transcendental. Does this then make him a Transcendentist?
GOA COMMUNITY FEATURE : NEPTUNE CHAPOTIN (WORLD HARPS)
Neptune’s first connection with the mouth harp was forged when he discovered one in his mother’s bedroom around the age of twelve, a small Afghani ‘Chang’ that she had picked up in Afghanistan while hitchhiking from Paris to Kashmir on her first trip to India in 1969. Born in Anjuna, Goa to French and American parents and then raised in California, Neptune has spent much of his life traveling since an early age and has been based in Goa since 1999.
In 2003, Neptune finally came across his own first mouth harp in a music shop in Tamil Nadu and began actively playing and teaching himself how to produce as many different sounds as possible from this tiny instrument. He discovered a passion for collecting Mouth Harps from various countries of the world and began selling them as the fruits of his travels. This is how the #TheWorldHarpsCollection came into being as World Harps - Mouth Harps from Around the World.
Neptune's journey progressed further as he began performing and selling his harps at music festivals and markets across the United States and India. In 2010, he embarked on his first solo backpacking trip across Europe where he chanced upon meeting several traditional artisanal mouth harp makers in person along his way. With these visits he recognized that every mouth harp produced by the different makers around the world carries a unique story of each individual artisan, along with the essence of the cultural history of mouth harp making in their respective countries.
Through his work Neptune focuses on carrying forward the personal essence of each maker to every person who chooses to purchase a mouth harp from World Harps. Here is a picture about the time he met the Drymba maker Shatruk in Western Ukraine.
Click to read the full story on World Harps : Instagram
Infused with a mastery of rhythmic diaphragm, trigger, and tongue control, Neptune Chapotin’s signature style of Mouth Harp playing ranges between dreamy melodic modulations and percussive trance beats saturated with resounding acoustic reverb.
Playing for close to twenty years and ranking amongst the world's most acclaimed Mouth Harpists, Neptune is a medalist of the title of “World Virtuoso” earned at the 7th International Mouth Harp Congress held in Yakutia, Siberia. He is a member of the band Third Pulse, and is also the founder of the World Mouth Harp Festival of India.
Currently, he is in Goa performing as well as teaching workshops structured with pedagogic expertise by means of a step-by-step dissection of his own personal techniques. Neptune’s style of instruction is a comprehensive presentation through a simplification of the fundamentals of Mouth Harp playing. His next workshops is scheduled to be conducted at Mojigao in North Goa on the 28th of February.
Neptune still regularly travels around the world searching for the various makers of this global instrument, with a focus on exploring individual traditions and techniques of Mouth Harp making. Through his work of acquiring Mouth Harps for the World Harps Collection while spreading instruments and knowledge, Neptune continues to play a significant role in raising awareness of the Mouth Harp as a contemporary instrument in society today.
Visit him at the Goa Collective Bazaar, every Friday at Hilltop, Vagator.
Touch-Me-Not, I'm Anxious!
-SANYA SUNDAR
My first fascination with the plant kingdom began with the Mimosa Pudica, or fondly referred to as the ‘touch-me-not’. A trail near my mother’s house was lined with them and as a little kid, I spent many hours interacting with them.
The leaves of this ‘sensitive’ plant close when stimulated and then re-open a few minutes later. This reflex may have evolved as a defence mechanism to disincentives predators, or alternatively to shade the plant in order to reduce water loss due to evaporation . There are other species in the same genus, like the mimosa hostilus, that visually appear to be extremely similar, except for this tiny detail. Very often, while clinging on to the larger picture, the tiny details can be missed and this causes a world of a difference in your perception and experience of reality.
Anxiety is a very important emotion that helps protect you from harm. In our Hunter gatherer ancestors, this was short lived and beneficial as it would kick in the fight or flight response at the sign of an external threat to their survival.
In modern times though, most of the threats are not immediate nor are they threatening our physical existence at every single moment. They are mostly percieved threats, mostly more psychological than physiological in nature; fears and worries of the past (what happened earlier that could happen again) or future (what might happen tomorrow) that threaten the image or ego we have painstakingly built up to maintain our perception of reality and continue functioning in society. As a result, anxiety causes this quick and simple threat detection system to become hypersensitive, changing the behaviour of the attentional spotlight in a way that does harm. We lose track of our focus and begin to be affected by anything that shows even the slightest form of threat. When one is only focused on threat for an extended period of time, it can affect the the information processed by our consciousness, flooding it with extreme, unfavourable and unhealthy perceptions.
The interesting detail is that though our definitions of threat have evolved from that of our ancestors, the physiological response remains the same. When you perceive the existence of a threat, there is an increase in cortisol in your bloodstream, which in turn goes and sits in your serotonin receptors, thus creating an imbalance in your serotonin production. Serotonin is your mood stabilising hormone. Increased levels of cortisol in your blood stream over extended periods of time will eventually lead to many further complications that affect both your perception and processing of reality. If that’s not enough, prolonged periods of anxiety leads to increased inflammation that can eventually end up compromising your over worked and over tired immune system, opening the floodgates to a swarm of physical symptoms and further complications.
Understanding this little detail helps me in may quest to change my relationship with anxiety drastically. It’s not a form of avoidance or denial of the threat, but rather, an awareness of entering into the fight or flight mode. With such an awareness I am motivated to work with tools and practices that complement the lowering of my cortisol levels and regaining balance of my serotonin levels. It can make a world of a difference to understanding my intensity of my perceived threats and have better control over my responses. By becoming self-aware of my anxiety, I am able to influence my attention and focus, I work towards preventing a distortion of my reality, understanding my fears better and upholding my belief structures in a healthier manner.
Effective & safe use of tools like yoga, breathing, meditation, mindfulness practices, artistic expression, CBT Training, a walk in nature, a swim in the sea, any form of active meditation, certain kinds of foods, a conversation with a trusted friend or family member, listening to music or watching content that reminds you of happier and less anxious times, can all help reduce cortisol levels and up your serotonin, thus helping you get back to your centre and reopen in a short while, just like the mimosa pudica.
Legally approved psychedelic research also suggests that safe, informed, appropriate and/or monitored use of psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin (Psychedelics are illegal in certain countries. The benefits of Marijuana in working with, understanding and managing states of anxiety have also been widely written about and documented. The cannabinoid properties in Cannabis has also been used since ancient times (the Ayurvedic name for the same is Vijaya) as it has proven to have anti-inflammatory and anxiety relieving properties among various other benefits. However, psychedelic substances are not legal in many countries so do research the legality of the same in yours if you choose to work with them in managing your anxieties.
In conclusion, we go back to the Touch-me-not plant for inspiration. The specimens of Mimosa residing in Kew Gardens were observed and it was noted that they no longer curl up to the nudging fingers of countless human visitors that enter it’s space everyday. As expected, they have been touching these plants to see them perform their trick, and over a period of time, the plants have ceased to respond. It would seem to me that the Mimosa plants have learned that being touched repeatedly is a disturbance, yes, but one with no life-threatening consequences and therefore requiring no reaction.
Looks like this inconspicuous plant continues to teach me lessons even after all these years.
This write up is dedicated to my younger sister. Growing up, she was nicknamed “Thotta-Vaadi”, the Malayalam term for the “touch-me-not” plant, primarily because she was very sensitive and would cry at the drop of a hat. While that was true, I enjoyed calling her the name for very different reasons. After 5 years of being the only child, her arrival was very special for me. A friend for life, and one who happened to remind me of my first friend from the plant kingdom.
Healing and Somatic Therapy
- ALINA GUFRAN
Somatic healing can be defined as healing from trauma by listening to one’s body. When you experience something traumatic, the stress response can store itself in the nervous system and persist for years, sometimes, even a lifetime. Somatic therapy is defined by its use of the connection between a person’s mind and body to then apply psychotherapy and physical therapies during treatment. Therapists who practice somatic therapy believe a person’s inner feelings impact their physical form. They use mind-body exercises to release pent-up trauma from the mind and the body.
Somatic therapy focuses on a person’s physical and mental connection during treatment and can be done in both an individual and a group therapy setting. It can be used to help address both physical and psychological symptoms of certain mental health issues, including:
Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Grief
Addiction
Trauma and abuse
Problems with relationships
Sexual function
Key Somatic Therapy Concepts
Grounding:
Grounding is a body-based technique that refers to a person’s ability to experience themselves as deeply embodied in the moment. It involves a person sensing their physical form, engaging their senses, feeling their feet on the earth, and ultimately, calming down their nervous system.
Boundary development:
Boundary development entails having an individual focus on the present moment, empowering them to stay responsive to their changing needs, and develop clear boundaries. It helps one respond in a way that feels strong and protected.
Self-regulation:
Emphasizing the importance of mindfully staying connected to the body during stressful emotions or sensations. The goal of self-regulation is to develop an awareness of physical sensations, with the intent to regulate (or respond effectively to) emotional intensity and be able to come back into the present and not operate from a position of flight or fight response.
Movement and process:
Somatic therapies tap into an individual’s capacity to heal by listening to their body. Postures, gestures, and use of space all provide insight into a person’s experience, and in somatic therapy, they are encouraged to mindfully engage with their impulses to drive a resolution.
Sequencing:
When tension begins to release, the movement of emotion can happen throughout the body. Tension may build in the belly, move to the chest, and finally settle into tightness of the throat, or alternatively, tension may be released via tears and result in an ability to breathe more freely.
Titration:
Titration refers to a process of experiencing small amounts of distress with the goal of relieving pain. As one slowly begins to revisit past trauma, your therapist will track your body’s response and the sensations they bring up. They will check in about how you feel in addition to watching your physical response, breathing changes, clenched hands, or shift in tone of voice.
EFT or Tapping:
The basic technique requires you to focus on the negative emotion at hand: a fear or anxiety, a bad memory, an unresolved problem, or anything that’s bothering you. While maintaining your mental focus on this issue, use your fingertips to tap 5-7 times each on 12 of the body’s meridian points. Tapping on these meridian points while concentrating on accepting and resolving the negative emotion, will access your body’s energy, restoring it to a balanced state. You begin by identifying the problem you want to focus on. It can be general anxiety, or it can be a specific situation or issue which causes you to feel anxious. Consider the problem or situation. How do you feel about it right now? Rate the intensity level of your anxiety, with zero being the lowest level of anxiety and ten being the highest. Compose your set up statement. Your set up statement should acknowledge the problem you want to deal with, then follow it with an unconditional affirmation of yourself as a person.
My personal journey into psychosomatic healing began with several factors pushing me to a breaking point. The pressure of surviving as a working artist in India’s most expensive city, trying to strike the balance between money and art, several addictions like smoking and alcohol, a generalized anxiety disorder, lack of exercise and self-love and poor impulse control. After the disintegration of one of my longest standing relationships yet, I finally ventured into therapy with a holistic psycho-spiritual therapist where I experimented with a few healing modalities to see what suited me, apart from the cognitive work we set out to do. I tried working with a psychiatrist once before but I found that experience to be cold and scientific in it’s approach. Such a take on my problems was not something I resonated with and responded well to. Over two years, I’ve learnt a few things along the way and it’s helped me immensely to change my relationship with the world, and more importantly myself. Needless to say, I do have days which are more lows than highs but at least, a steady practise of certain tools have ensured that I am not battling fires constantly.
Shift your consciousness with Meditation & Mindfulness Practices
By Sue Castellino (@suecastellino)
Over the last few decades, there has been a conscious focus on understanding mysticism through science and well-being practices. Some of this intrigue was born from observing the increasing levels of anxiety and stress, thus needing to go deeper into who we are as humans. In India, the concept of meditation is not a new one and many grow up with a basic working idea of it. However, practicing mindfulness is a largely new concept in the sub-continent, and it has picked up momentum for the amazing results that practitioners experience. So how different are the two?
What Is Meditation?
It is a state of being where the mind and body come into harmony so that one can alter their consciousness or as some would prefer to say, ‘enter non-ordinary states of consciousness’, create inner-awareness and achieve a sense of peace. There are many meditation practices, such as chanting, transcendental and guided meditations, or more familiar ones like Zen, Vipassana, and Dhyana meditation in India.
Meditation brings a host of benefits, namely emotional balance, focus, clarity, reduced stress, temperament regulation, and even elevated states of happiness and joy. Speaking about the importance of meditation, the Dalai Lama says, “The way to develop inner peace through meditation begins with the recognition that the destroyer of inner peace is not some external foe, but is within us. Therefore, the solution is within us too. However, that inner change does not take place immediately in the way that we switch on a light, but takes weeks, months, and years.” This is ultimately why people are so drawn to meditation, and after practicing it diligently, they sense a deepening of their overall well-being and a shift in their consciousness, where they experience a richness in their life.
Zen, Vipassana, and Dyana are some of the most practiced forms of meditation in India, as well as globally. Dyana is essentially the word for meditation in Hinduism and is typically practiced and taught alongside yoga. Although it’s not exclusive to the practice of yoga, most people learn about Dyana or meditation through it.
A stricter version of Dyana is Vipassana, which is one of the oldest known practices of meditation in India; it was rediscovered by Gautama Buddha over 2500 years ago. According to Amit Ray in the book, Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style, “Vipassana meditation is an ongoing creative purification process. Observation of the moment-to-moment experience cleanses the mental layers, one after another.”
It is an observation and direct experience based self-exploratory journey that brings one in touch with the patterns and laws that operate on our thoughts, feelings and emotions. It opens up a space to understand how one grows or regresses, produces suffering or frees oneself from it by cultivating increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control and peace. People who practice Vipassana often use it for the ultimate purging of negative patterns and behaviors and the fulfillment of their desired goals.
Then there is Zen meditation, also rooted in Buddhism and is one of the easier meditations to add to a hectic schedule. Easy, because there are no firm set of rules to follow. In simple terms, Zen meditation is about stopping thought and focusing on the mind. Practitioners of this meditation, typically, sit in a lotus position, eyes semi-shut, count their breath, and quieten their minds.
Sounds simple, right?
Stopping thought and focussing on the mind is a lot harder than most people anticipate. Try thinking about nothing for the next 30 seconds. Difficult, right? Now, try thinking of the words ‘tasty french fries’ for the next 30 seconds. Just the words, nothing else.
What you experienced right now, in a nutshell, is a flirtation with mindfulness.
What is Mindfulness?
Being fully present and aware of where you are and what you’re doing without overly reacting to what’s going on in your surroundings: that’s the art of mindfulness. It can even be practised while engaging in the most basic tasks like cooking, cleaning and even while taking a walk. Mindfulness is something any human can do naturally, but it is also practiced and perfected in many forms, meditation included.
Unlike other meditations and practices, being mindful comes naturally to us with a little practice - which is why it has become so popular. There are two main figures at the helm of the mindful movement: they are Thich Nhat Hanh, often called the father of mindfulness, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, known for bringing mindfulness to mainstream medicine. Kabat-Zinn is best known for his Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction meditations (MBSRM) and clinic that have revolutionized the way people perceive meditation, making it a practice that is easy to follow and commonsensical - attributing to its popularity.
However, none of his success would have been possible without Thich Nhat Hanh, who was instrumental in bringing mindfulness from the East to the West. After being exiled by the Vietnamese government for protesting the war, the father of mindfulness traveled the world with his message of peace. Creating mindful communities (Sangas) globally, along the way. Over the years, his peaceful messages and teachings have impacted many political leaders and celebrities such as Dr. Martin Luther King and Oprah Winfrey. Now, at the age of 95 years old, Thay, as his disciples called him, after 40 years of being in exile was living out his ‘transition’ phase back in Vietnam, until his death on 22nd January, 2022. His
So, Mindfulness or Meditation?
There is no right or wrong direction when it comes to diving deeper into your spiritual journey. Both meditation and mindfulness are vehicles that will help you further your discovery to becoming a conscious and aware super-sapien!