Meditation
has become an essential part of most holistic health programmes. Enlightened Masters have also shown that
meditation produces beneficial effects such as reduction of tension, lowering
of blood pressure, relaxation of muscles, increased concentration and work
efficiency, and increase of immunological resistance to diseases.
Service
to others, music, prayer—all are forms of meditation—make the blood flow with
serotonins—the happiness chemical. Hindu scriptures enjoin five types of
service known as pancha-mahayajna—service to gods; service to sages; service to
ancestors; service to humans, guests and the poor; and service to animals. A
traditional Indian home, at dawn, feeds ants with the rice-flour rangoli drawn
near the threshold, and crows and cows with leftover food.
Eating should
be regarded as a sacred act. In an
orthodox Hindu home, food is offered to the family deity first and is then
consumed as prasad or offering with the diety’s blessing. There is a basic
similarity between the rituals involved in offering food to the deity and those
involved in eating oneself. In both
cases, food is offered as oblations to the five pranas regarded as five
fires. Even if one does not follow this
ritualistic concept, one should make eating a fully conscious and peaceful act.
Hurry, worry, anger, distractions and chattering should be avoided while eating.
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