Anchor

 I was watching a youtube video. (As I have exhausted all the OTT serials, I have to resort to this). There was a video which lured me in - something about the secret of success of certain guru - swami. I will not name him. I was happy and excited - aha, I will get some dirt on this person. But no, it was not dirt at all.

The youtuber was explaining why that guru is so successful and so popular with students. He said that the guru is providing some tools - like dhyna, vyayama which just act as anchors for the confused, stressed and worried kids.

I can totally relate to that. My latest shift back to bhakti - some shloka recital to be precise, is helping me a lot. If I don't spend that time in trying to recollect/read those sanskrit words and lines, I will be engulfed by real dark clouds of self doubt, worry, what-ifs and finally fear and assorted dark thoughts. And the process of chanting something applies a thin layer of insulation to this process - remember odomus people used to apply to protect them from mosquito bites?

Now instead I spend few minutes in these recitals,  few more minutes in yoga. Which means those many minutes less of self doubt and self loathing. It may even break the spiral to some extent. So during the rest of the day, I am calmer. 

Even in trying situations, I am able to keep my cool, to some extent. 

Let me bring back my kutarka and tell that if instead of Sanskrit shlokas which I only half understand, if I utter lines from some other unknown language, it might prove to be equally effective.