जब आप बाहर नहीं जा सकते हैं तो अपने भीतर जाएं When you can t  go outside find yourself within

RIHAN ANSARI (9927141966)

Today when you are unable to go outside, practice,Aatma,Chintan, Aatma Manthan, find yourself by exploring yourself within, and ask yourself, who am I??says Devi Neha,Saraswatji, world renowned Hindu Bhagwad Katha and Gita Scholar. With the dangers outside and the restrictions we are facing today, Deviji believes we should all use the,time we have, to find ourselves.Daily life keeps us busy, busy every moment, where our minds and bodies are never still.Whether you?re a student, a worker, a house husband,or wife, or a Bhagwad Katha and Gita Scholar who spends much of her time travelling all over the world, being the centre of attention in crowds of thousands. ?I, like so many of,us, find that we have so many things we want to do, but we simply never get the time,? deviji says. ?And many of these things, they may not be huge, changing the world type,.things, they may be as simple as spending more time with family, indulging in a hobby, or learning something new. So today, when many of us have so much more time, we,.must immerse ourselves in those things we never found time for, and through this, we will be one step closer to finding ourselves.?Covid-19 has locked down countries all over the world, and we asked Deviji about her daily routine, and the advice she gives us.?Our lives are not locked down. Love, relationships, learning, imagination, creativity, kindness and hope are just a few things the worldwide,lockdown, has,failed to lock down,says Devi Neha Saraswatji.?Whether you are working from home, or have lots of free time,there are many things we can do from home. We should give much more time to our families, for one thing this virus has taught us, is the things we mis the most are the freedoms we do not have, and those people, who are no longer with us. Spending time with our parents, our children,caring for our elderly- these build character, it brings us one step closer to finding ourselves. We should give time to God. As Hindus, we should spend time in daily prayers, reciting mantras, and reading the Bhagwad Gita every day.Committing to God keeps us positive, and in a way, distracts us from our disappointments and sorrows.I know many people have plans which have,.been ruined in these times, even my own-I was planning to travel to the USA and UK for events. Many have even lost loved ones, and my thoughts are with their families. Whichever religion you may practice, commit to learning more about it, following sacred texts. For our victory over this virus, and every hardship which lies in front of us, relies,.on God?s grace. Allow yourself time to mentally relax. Practice yoga and meditation, keeping your mind still. Yoga and meditation does not need to be advanced-you should start by finding yourself a quiet space, sitting with crossed legs on a mat, closing your eyes, and concentrating on your breathing. We are so lucky to have the internet today, so watch videos, and learn yoga and meditation-your mind and body will be thankful for the rest of your life. Mental relaxation also means indulging in things you enjoy-hobbies and learning new things. Personally, between reading my Bhagwad Gita, speaking to members of the community who have reached out to me for help, fundraising in any way I can for relief funds and speaking to the media, I have learnt how to make prashad items-cooking sweet and savoury treats to offer to God. I could never have guessed I would enjoy cooking so much! But also keep yourself active-keep your mind and body active.Our bodies are temples,and the mind is the controller. If,.we take care of one and not the other, we cannot fight any virus, any ailment,and when the time comes,we cannot return to normal lives,Going forward,my advice to everyone is to not lose hope-this is a hurdle which we must overcome and learn from-God may be signalling that we need to do more in our daily lives to look after mother Earth,as today,the air and water are much cleaner,and we must continue to look after the Earth once this lockdown is eased. Maybe the lives we lived in the past were damaging to ourselves,the people around us, the world. Use this reflection period to understand who you really are behind the persona we show to the world,ask yourself,who am I?Most,importantly, take care of yourselves, your families,mentally and physically, never losing hope leaving all sorrows to God and to keep are with their families. To learn more about Devi Neha Saraswatji, visit www.devinidhinehasaraswat.com, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.