Transcending at Midnight!

It’s over a little 12 am in the night and I was heading back home after having a heavy dinner with my family. Sitting in the front passenger seat, my brother was on the wheels. My parents and elder sister were sitting in the back seat and as per the norm, they had comfortably fallen asleep.

Driving the car through CR Avenue, we could see the huge, enthusiastic crowds flocking to the Durga Puja Pandals. The lights and creativity used was indeed commendable. Light R&B music was playing in the car and the traffic was a deterrent in unlocking the full potential of our brand new SUV. A fully loaded snack feast at a south Kolkata club, followed by a delicious and scrumptious dessert retreat. Tutti Futti, Hot Chocolate and Caramel Tart – each one of them incomparable and irresistible. Though I do not have anything cold, hot chocolate and caramel tart were my saviour on the dessert retreat.

On my eternal quest for keeping a balanced meal (Sattvic) on a daily basis, sometimes a few cheat days were not much of a botheration. Nevertheless, the heavy chocolate retreat had got a toll on me and others too obviously! Lethargy and dizziness had kicked in, the head was also a little heavy. Given the late hour of the night and the meals, it was not uncertain for anyone to feel like this. I was just eager to go back home and take a dive into my bed. However, I decided to close my eyes and do what always gives me the best experiences in life – Meditate.

So I closed my eyes and took the attention to my breath. Having learned a few simple techniques from the Yoga Vasishta, I observed the upward and downward flow of prana and took my attention to the Kundalini. Prana in simple terms is the life force energy flowing inside your body and outside. It is all encompassing. Kundalini is a channel where this energy originates inside the body. Before I could even contemplate too much on it, I had already slipped into meditation. Slowly and steadily I was able to become aware about the subtle aspect. It must have been just over a ten minutes or maybe even less that I felt transcendent. Though Arijit Singh’s music was playing in the car, traffic was choked, for a few moments I was beyond the happenings all around.

It was only slowly and steadily that I was regaining the awareness of the gross existence. For a few moments a while ago, everything had just seemed to be like space – silent and limitless. As soon as I opened my eyes, I just dwelled on the state of my mind. The dizziness was gone, lethargic seemed to have evaporated and the mind also felt rejuvenated. Though this was nothing new, I was myself amazed observing the subtle state of my consciousness.

This experience reactivated my quest and sincere wish to make more and more people learn the simple art of meditation. I realised how important it is for people to have this knowledge. More than that how much relaxation and deep rest it can bring even at the midnight hour! (It’s already 2am in the night while I am writing this and I feel almost as fresh as just woken up!).

P.S. – It is actually a little coincidence that early in the day, I was thinking to write another blog and here it is. My earlier blog – A Thousand and one days of Celebration had been liked by many. Hope this too motivates people to meditate and stay happy!

• Expression Bites