Make your Home an Ashram

 

Photo Credit: Self

Make your Home an Ashram

Since the end of March last year, we have been forced to stay at home. From February this year, life itself became a huge challenge as tragedy after tragedy befell the family, as a result, my wife and daughter went to stay with her brother for providing moral as well as personal support. I was left alone at home. I could have taken this either way, but I felt this was an opportunity to learn to live alone, no better way to have alone time – it was as if God willed me to have this alone time! Every time the family came back, we would get a midnight call and we would all rush back to Thane to manage the latest crisis! We have had four midnight calls this year – all ensuring that I continue to stay alone!

While living alone, the biggest challenge was cooking – my wife said she would arrange a tiffin – I declined the offer and said I would try cooking. The result is I can now cook reasonably well, a new life skill added to help me live independently – now isn’t that something! I now enjoy cooking – realising that it is not rocket science – if we get the basics right and learn to mix the various masalas in the right proportion, we get a very tasty meal every time!

I have been waking up early for a long time – the day begins at around 3am and ends at around 10.30pm. The days starts with meditation, yoga, cycling, sweeping and swabbing the floors (good exercise believe me), then cooking breakfast and lunch (I don’t eat dinner), and I sit in my home office by 9am – this daily schedule has enhanced the energy in the house to a remarkable level. In the October heat I did not find the need to switch on the air conditioner, in fact I have had it removed from my room as the room itself remains cool throughout!

This daily schedule of meditation and then passing the rest of the day in a state of meditation has created peace at home and it has become a kind of sanctuary that whispers words like blissful and escape – just like those tempting holiday ads which keep popping up on your screen and have your mouth salivating for that getaway!

Keep your house clean and tidy with everything in its proper place – this helps stabilise the energy in the house – it gives anyone who comes a good feeling. Prepare and eat healthy meals right on time – as you would in the ashram – this automatically makes you disciplined and keeps you healthy too in the bargain. Sleep well with a relaxed frame of mind, a good refreshing sleep will help you relax both your mind and body. Try to avoid gadgets for some time every day – this disconnect will give you the maximum benefit of helping you to be with your own self!

When your home is an ashram, every day of the year can be an escape from the daily grind, even if only for a few minutes at a time. Your home can become the kind of place that invites you to be reflective, to relax, to meditate.