Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Tips: We often try to stay positive ‘always,’ but this can become another issue. The idea of always being positive can make things worse. Life has both good and bad moments, and that’s completely natural. Instead of forcing positivity, it’s important to discover our inner strength. When you realise there’s a higher power, a force that protects and provides, you can stay centered during both good and bad times. Even if you temporarily lose your balance, knowing this higher presence will help you bounce back quickly.
The Power of Service (Seva), Spiritual Practices (Sadhana), and Chanting (Satsang)
Gurudev suggests that prioritising service, spiritual practices, and chanting can greatly change our mindset. These practices make us naturally happy, content, and more useful to others. Over time, we begin to feel more at peace without having to force ourselves into a positive frame of mind. Usually, when you are happy, it can lead to restlessness. But when you are unhappy, you tend to become more focused and deep. Spiritual life teaches us how to balance these two states—being happy, alert, and in touch with our deeper self. This balance is possible when we focus on our prana, or life force energy.
Managing Your Life Force (Prana)
Our prana, or life force energy, holds the key to a calm mind and emotional health. When our prana is low, we feel low, uninterested, lethargic, and even depressed. Sometimes, when the prana is too low, people may even experience depressive or suicidal thoughts. On the other hand, when prana is high, we feel enthusiastic, hopeful, joyful, and full of energy. All qualities like commitment, courage, compassion, and confidence arise when prana flows freely. This central subtle energy channel, called Naadi, gets activated through spiritual practices like yoga, pranayama, and meditation.
How Does One Increase Their Prana?
Our prana can get drained by excessive use of the senses, overeating, lust, or obsession. To increase prana, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar advises eating light, fresh, and vegetarian food. Practicing breath-focused techniques such as pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and meditation can help replenish your energy. Taking time for silence, doing selfless service, and getting enough rest and sleep are also effective ways to boost prana. Being around an enlightened person and engaging in wisdom-filled activities can uplift your state of mind and energy levels. The simple rule is: the more prana you have, the more energy you’ll feel, and the less negativity will impact you.
Shake Hands with Negative Thoughts
Instead of fighting negative thoughts, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar suggests shaking hands with them. In our attempt to always stay positive, we often try to resist negative thoughts. However, this only makes them chase us like ghosts. By acknowledging these thoughts and saying, “Come sit with me,” we allow them to lose their power. This simple acceptance can help the negativity fade away quickly.
Start Your Day on a Note of Greatness
Each morning, think about great enlightened masters. In Sanskrit, the term “pratah smarami” refers to people who should be remembered first thing in the morning. The reason we remember them is because our morning thoughts set the tone for the entire day. By thinking of these great beings, we align our mindset with their virtues. This helps to ensure a positive, meaningful start to the day.
Your Company Matters
Gurudev highlights the importance of the company we keep. When someone complains, you might find yourself listening, sympathizing, and then complaining too. This is due to the mirror neurons in our brains. These neurons pick up the energy of those around us, and 25% of our behavior mirrors theirs. So, if you are around someone angry, you may begin to feel angry too. On the flip side, being around positive and inspired people will help you mirror their uplifting energy.
Stop Identifying with Negative Emotions
Often, we believe we are victims of our emotions. We say, “I feel like this” or “I feel like that.” But emotions come and go, just like clouds in the sky. The clouds are not the sky, and similarly, you are not your emotions. When we start identifying with our emotions, we create unnecessary suffering. But if we let emotions come and go without attaching ourselves to them, we can stay detached from them. This way, we witness the emotions without getting overwhelmed by them. Just allow them to pass.
Take Every Problem as a Challenge
Lastly, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar suggests seeing every problem as a challenge. If you approach life with this mindset, no one can steal your smile. When you face challenges with confidence, knowing you have the energy and enthusiasm to overcome them, life takes a completely new direction.
By embracing these teachings, we can manage our emotions, boost our prana, and stay positive—no matter what challenges we face. The key is to remain balanced, engaged in spiritual practices, and confident in our ability to navigate life’s ups and downs.
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