Mystic Time : Part Three, Optimizing The Waiting Chore

In Part Two we explored simple yoga methods to overcome fear when faced with situations that trigger the adrenaline hyped up fight-or-flight reaction. The techniques of shifting the point of focus using affirmations and relaxation using breathing are meant to limit if not eliminate any element of fear that may interfere with the positive effects of adrenaline on the mind or body in such situations. They can also counter effects of anxiety such as "butterflies in the stomach" or mind-blocking nervousness while anticipating an event. Anxiety and nervousness are the products of the slowed perspective of time caused by adrenaline as the body and mind become hyper-concentrated on the task ahead. While these are for imminent fight-or-flight situations ( Click Here to Read Mystic Time Part Two), adrenaline is also the drug of choice that the body produces when we are excited about an event yet to happen and that may still be distant in time.

The waiting game in these situations can be agonizing at times and almost always frustrating. Usually the event is some form of entertainment. The event itself usually does not require much in terms of our performance, we just have to attend and enjoy– like going to watch a much awaited for movie, a much anticipated party, meeting or vacation and such. Even if the event is hours or days away, the excitement that adrenaline causes is the source of "tunnel concentration". Tunnel concentration, like tunnel vision is when we are acutely focused on only one particular subject that nothing else matters. Tunnel concentration can make us become so focused on one subject that all other matters, no matter how important can easily be ignored. As soon as tunnel-concentration starts time will be perceived moving slower (Part One of Mystic Time reveals a connection between the perception of time and concentration) and the waiting game starts.

The wait which is always too long is exasperated by concentration which slows the perception of time further. The main problem apart from the fretting caused by the wait is the inability to do anything else but wait. This renders one so debilitatingly helpless to whatever else that needs to be done. The waiting becomes an unproductive use of time. Even if you tried to make the time productive it might not prove worthwhile because you will have to tussle with the tunnel concentration.

Here is an example of a tunnel concentration situation. Nathan is going to his college alumni party that he had been eagerly waiting for. He is excited about catching up with his old college mates and wants to make a great impression. Two days before the party while still in a more normal  level of excitement he decides exactly what to wear and when to leave. Moving forward to hours before leaving for the party he begins to feel the adrenaline rush of excitement. At this point all he can think about is what it's going to be like at the party. He rehearses conversations he is going to have and how he would introduce himself and so forth. All other priorities or chores that he had set out to do before the party becomes inconsequential. When he tries to do any of the chores, like something from work the tunnel concentration on the party renders the effort pointless. So instead of fidgeting around he tries to get some rest, but with adrenaline flowing in the system even resting is a struggle. The mind is just too active and the wait is starting to get to Nathan. He keeps looking at the clock hoping miraculously that it is almost time to go, but time seems agonizingly slow. With all this waiting, the excitement becomes exasperating. So to use the time Nathan decides he should tryout the suit he is going to wear for the party. He had decided what he was going to wear earlier. He puts the suit on, everything seems fine but....the tie! Something seems off with the tie. He goes to his wardrobe gets out all his ties and puts on one after the other and simply cannot find a suitable one. Here again is another symptom of tunnel concentration. Tunnel concentration is not a good state of mind to be in to make decisions. It is a great state of mind to be in when executing a plan of action but the worst time for revisiting decisions or to do planning. Because Nathan's mind is hyper-concentrated every tie he puts on seems to be flawed. He can always find the proverbial black spot every tie he puts on. Nevertheless time passes albeit unproductively, until it is time to leave for the party. So Nathan does his final prep, and when it comes to what tie he is going to wear he goes with original decision. At last Nathan is at his eagerly anticipated alumni party and has a gala time. Next day in a moment of retrospect while playing catch up with his chores he wonders why he couldn't have got all those chores done instead of wasting the time needlessly. It doesn't makes sense in retrospect, but considering the incapacitating tunnel concentration effects of adrenaline in certain situations, the wasting away of time was only natural.

In yoga philosophy tunnel concentration is called a vritti. Vritti, literally translated from Sanskrit is whirlpool. These whirlpools in the mind can suck and contain all the resources of the mind and body toward a single point of focus. In many situations this function of the mind of creating vrittis as a natural effect of adrenaline is very helpful. A student writing an exam will find a vritti very helpful because her mind will be very focused and all the faculties of the mind–memory, intellect, creativity–will be primed and ready to serve efficiently. Likewise an athlete waiting at the starting line will be in a vritti which will eek out every nuance of required resources from the body and mind and keep it tweaked for optimal performance. However in the "waiting chore" vrittis are never useful, except perhaps for a short period just before an event.

What is the antidote to the mind-narrowing tunnel concentration or vritti? Yoga provides a number of techniques to cure vrittis. Yes, there are different types of vrittis caused by different faculties of the mind.  For the "waiting chore" the most effective and efficient cure is provided by a particular series of hatha yoga exercises. This series has three poses, and mystically these yoga poses work with the second chakra (spiritual centers) within the spine. The second chakra is the svadishtana chakra. This chakra controls moods, emotions and some intellectual function. All vrittis are generated out of some kind of emotional energy in the mind. These yoga poses, namely janu sirshasana and paschimottanasana, effect the second chakra directly and balances all the energies within this chakra. While these yoga poses are are done tunnel concentration will unravel and dissipate naturally; and the subconscious mind will go through what I call a 'master reset'. After the master reset one will gain a quiet composure and the energies of the mind can be ready to be directed into whatever needs to be done. Below is a youtube video from on my hatha yoga tutorial that explains and will guide you on how to perform these yoga poses.

Let's go back to Nathan's scenario before he left for the party to learn where and when he should have done these yoga exercises to prevent getting stuck in a vritti. He has got a few hours to go and had earlier planned to get some chores done. He wants to get the chores done and rest before going to the party but realizes that the excitement he is feeling in anticipating the party is starting to cause tunnel concentration. Upon this realization he takes five minutes and does the three yoga poses. One of the amazing things about practicing hatha yoga is that despite Nathan being a novice yogi and is unable do the poses very well, in fact he has to use a small towel because he cannot touch his toes with his fingers in the foward backbend, the unravelling of the tunnel concentration still occurs. While he bends forward he visualizes bright yellow colour and takes slow, relaxed, deep breaths and exhales equally slowly. He holds each pose stationary to the level he can bend comfortably and does six cycles of breath before moving to the next pose. When he finishes all three poses he feels relieved from tunnel concentration and has all his mind faculties back at his disposal to do as he pleases. Whenever he finds tunnel concentration creeping in, he does another round of the yoga poses and he quells the vritti again. Thus the optimizing of the waiting chore.

Mystic Time : Part Two, Managing the Fight or Flight Situation - Countering Fear

In any fight or flight situation, the adrenaline pumping into our bloodstream can cause all sorts of physical and emotional reactions. One these is that time seems to slow down. As we get ever closer to an anticipated event, the passing of every minute seems to get longer. If we are positively excited about what is about to happen this is good, we will be roaring to go like a racing car waiting for the lights to turn green. However if we are fearful, the fear can be both dangerous and counter productive. In such cases how does one manage the fight or flight situation to his or her advantage? In yoga two techniques come in handy. One is relaxation, the other is moving concentration to an alternate point of focus. (Click Here to Read Mystic Time: Part One)

Let us look at the first situation where we need to relax. Such situations are when we are either anxious and/or fearful of upcoming proceedings and their outcome. The waiting or anticipation is exasperating. Some examples of these kind of situations are being stricken by stage-fright, panic-attacks because of phobias, facing an examination, waiting to give a presentation or even for soldiers or policeman waiting for an imminent battle.

In these situations relaxation techniques especially breathing comes in very handy. It may be counter productive to eliminate the reason for the anxiety entirely, but fear does no good. If one is simply anxious and can transform this feeling to a calm concentrated poise, this is optimal management of the situation. Anxiety can be turned to positive excitement or calm poise by visualizing or affirming a positive outcome of the event or situation. The fear can be eliminated using simple breathing and visualization technique such as the one below.

Take a deep breath and fill up your lungs with as much air as you can possibly hold. Then hold the breath in for about two seconds. After the two seconds, begin breathing out as slow as you possibly can through your nostrils only while visualizing bright blue colour of clear sky. Try to make the exhalation last between fifteen to twenty seconds. You can also affirm to yourself of the positive outcome you are anticipating as you are doing this. If it suits you better the visualization of sky blue can be replaced with a prayer. Do this either for 6 or 9 cycles of breath and you will feel the fear dissipate without loss of concentration or other positive heightened effects of the senses that adrenaline causes. You would be in a state of poise as that of a zen master. You will still feel the slowed perception of time, but it will be to your advantage as positive energies flood the body and mind during the wait. (Click Here to Read Mystic Time Part One)

Mystic Time : Part One, The Relationship between Concentration and the Perception of Time

In my study of time as a mystic, I have come to the conclusion that the perception of time is connected to the degree of concentration. This relationship between time and concentration is an inverse relationship, where the higher or more acute one's concentration, the greater the degree one will perceive that time is slowing down. This relationship between concentration and time effects all of us and to a mystic the fact that the perception of time can be altered means that time is an element that can be mastered.

Of course the perception of time slowing down or speeding up time does not have anything to do with the clock. One second remains a second, but concentration gives the ability to get more things done in that second. In other words we become more efficient and use the time more productively, which in turn makes us perceive time moving slower. At the opposite end of the spectrum, when we are not concentrating on anything in particular, for instance when we are relaxing or enjoying something effortlessly (like watching a movie), it can seem as if time sped up. Before we realize it two hours has gone past when it felt more like an hour.

A clear analogy on the relationship between time and concentration can be found in the evolution of microchips. As microchip design becomes more efficient in cramming more and more transistors in ever smaller spaces computing power increases tremendously. As the microchips clock in faster processing times it is explained that the perception of time for the computer (if computers have consciousness) slows down. That is, if a computer gets a new and more efficient microchip than its previous chip, and if the computer somehow could perceive, it would feel as if time had slowed down because it can do more in less time.

Before I get into the application of the ability to contort the perception of time let me first qualify the mystic hypothesis that the perception of time can sped up or slowed down. One of the most powerful concentration drug that is manufactured by our body is adrenaline. Adrenaline can bring our mind to such an acute point of focus that we can shut off all other unrelated perceptions or distractions very effectively. The most common situations when adrenaline gets secreted in high doses into our bloodstream is either when we are anxious or excited, also known as the fight or flight reaction. In both these cases one can perceive that time has slowed down considerably.

Lets take anxiety. Whatever the reason for anxiety, doesn't anxiety make time slow down as we anticipate an event. This kind of anxiety is caused by events that we rather get over with quickly. We may be afraid of the outcome or hopeful of a positive outcome from the event. Either way it will seem as if the wait is too long. Adrenaline also is the base of excitement, where we cannot wait for some event to occur, where any amount of waiting seems just too long. During these times the mind is so focused on the event that its ability to multi-task is shut off and all one can do is wait anxiously by pacing up and down or fidgeting with something.

In the next installment of Mystic Time: Part Two will will look for yoga solutions to managing some adverse fight or flight conditions.

The Value of Natural Disasters

There is a mystical perspective known as the mountain top perspective. Quite simply it is derived from the fact that from high vantage points such as the summit of a mountain the view is always majestic. Even the path up to the summit that is riddled with dangerous, life threatening challenges look awesome from the summit. Imagine if we had seen the tsunami from such a point of view. From this perspective where the trials of people down on the street are invisible to the naked eye, the tsunami would look awesome. However this perspective is not enough to quell the quandaries, for it simply does not acknowledge the pain and suffering because it does not see it. A broader perspective is required, and this can be found in outer space and time. From outer space Earth is a precious sanctuary of biological life. Compare earth to the extremely inhospitable climate of space and the rest of the eight planets in the solar system, (perhaps seven planets since the status of pluto is being debated) and their moons and the wonder that is Earth is obvious. We must also take into account that Earth today is a product of billions of year of violent geological history. Compared to what science has discovered about its terrific past, our earth today is placid and pleasant, even if it rattles our lives on occasion. Armed with this perspective of outer space and time lets go back to the questions, "Why this tragedy had to happen?" and "What do we do to deserve such fury of nature?"

Why do natural disasters have to happen?

We live in a planet whose ability to sustain life is based on balancing extreme conditions. Whether we accept that the perfect distance we are from the Sun that allows water to exist in liquid form in most parts of Earth is a coincidence or divine design, it is just as important that our planet spins on its axis at the rate that it does, for our lives exist on Earth because of these and many other intricate balancing acts of nature. We are of course directly impacted by this valuable duty of nature. For the most part we take Earth's climate for granted. The bigger picture that we are living in this beautiful sanctuary of life easily escapes us. So comfortably do we succumb to the lullaby of Mother Earth that it seems cruel when she becomes a tempest on those rare occasions. However these violent events of nature are important to all of us in some way or another so that we can continue to enjoy those mainly wonderful placid days of living. Like parents who have to be stern with their children on occasions for some good reason, Mother Earth has to shake and rumble, spew molten rocks and ash, create storms of all variety on occasion to maintain her balance that makes our living possible. Perhaps global warming has a role to play in the recent spate of strong earthquakes and this is just one way Earth is balancing out access heat. Earth's weather and nature are still mysteries that have much to reveal as to their dynamics. Who is to question why Mother Earth does what she does? This is simply who she is, and it is for us to accept the inescapable fact that we live on Planet Earth and we are of Planet Earth.

What do we do to deserve this?
Nothing, we all deserve this as part of living on Earth. If we can accept the mostly peaceful days of living that most of us six billion humans enjoy with regards to the weather, then we should also expect to endure some sort of trial that nature will offer, not to test nor deliberately be cruel to us, but to help maintain the equilibrium on Earth that we all cherish.  If we have to go through some kind of natural disaster on those rare occasions, then our endurance counts as a sacrifice for the entire race of life on Earth. I believe because of this we should refrain from judgements of any kind on the people who have to endure natural calamities for their sacrifice is important to all life on Earth. If anything we owe a debt of deep gratitude to them. It should also remind us that when we plan our life we must be proactive in anticipating natural calamities in our locale. No part of earth, ocean or atmosphere is exempt from the docile and destructive forces of nature. Thus, part of living positively on Earth is accepting the responsibility that we must prepare for all possible eventualities in our area.

This blog is part of a Life Postive Forum titled, The Rejuvenating Powers of Nature. Click Here the rest of the content of this forum at my Pondering blog with the same title.

A HELPFUL E-BOOK ON PREPAREDNESS