#3

After waking up with my daily alarm, I got ready and before leaving, grabbed some bread loaves and milk cartons for the dogs. Since these are rainy days, my sling bag always contains an umbrella. As I eased into lift, I put on ear plugs and selected my favorite playlist. My mornings are filled with happiness.

While walking a few steps away from feeding the dogs, I saw a graceful elderly woman trying to cross the road. After a general greeting I went close to her and asked her to hold my hand. She agreed and crossed the road. Also, she told me she attended sat sang with her friends every day, but that day the person who usually accompanies her hadn't shown up. My smile spread across her face, as I continued on my walk. The sight of her reminded me of my maternal grandmother. She would wake up at 4am; take cold baths even in winter season. Worshiping and meditating in the morning were her daily rituals. From our early childhood, my elder siblings and I have heard from her that the time before sunrise is called "Brahm Muhurt," or it is the Creator's time. She would always emphasize on the importance of harnessing the energy surrounding us by awaking early in the morning as it regulates the entire universe. It's a memory I'm sure I hold dear, telling us moral stories and always admonishing us to use humbly and courteous words--avoiding those that reinforce ego. Mind becomes more productive as it works uninterrupted in the morning. My mom’s theory of eleven hands accomplish any activity faster and successfully done in the morning, arrogated very well. My elder sister, being a science student had also been my science teacher in school and often emphasized that at different times during the day, one kind of brain wave will dominate. In the daytime, higher beta waves result in a less attentive state. Contrary to this, we go into an alpha state during early morning hours naturally, so we feel more focused and productive in doing so.

Continuing on my way, I walked past a nursery. This sight reminded me of a beautiful garden I grew up with in my childhood home. My dad who was a daring and upright army officer, had immense love for nature. He had grown many medicinal plants like aloe vera, ashwagandha, fennel seeds, asparagus, mint, coriander, and many more including different kinds of roses too. He loved plants just like his kids. Our beautiful garden was the place where one could relax, find peace and joy.

In addition to being the most educated couple in the neighborhood, neighbors often sought my parents' advice for any issues they faced. They once had family friends over at their house and my father was explaining to them that our conscious mind is like a gardener who plants seeds, and our subconscious mind is like soil in which the seeds grow. As a child, I couldn't comprehend the meaning behind those words. As I look back on those words today, I realize how profound their meaning was. If we want a beautiful garden, we plant seeds and take care of it regularly. Similar to this, if we want to keep our minds positive and stable, we need to care for them constantly. We must plant right kind of seeds of positive thoughts, opinions and concepts, wiping out harmful weeds which are negative thoughts and actions. They can completely destroy our mind and ruin our life. It's better to remove them when they are small and manageable. With our actions we give additional power to the seeds of any kind to grow more and more. As a result, we should be careful of what we think, what we say, and most importantly how we act. We should be careful when catching seeds from other people, only positive ones with alacrity.

Occasional intrusive thoughts are normal. They can be distressing, but they often pass as quickly as they intruded particularly when we don’t engage with them. Nature does not betray a loving heart, and that's something I can attest to. Nature's beauty can make you happy by releasing dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin into your body. Trust me mine are triggered everyday while on my morning walk leaving me cheerful and contented.