Discover your inner beauty to rejuvenate mind, body and soul. More than looking young, it is about feeling young

Shahnaz Husain

My latest book, The Book of Absolute Beauty, regards ?a beautiful woman as one who values herself physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually.? Yes, true beauty envelops all these aspects within itself. The state of one reflects on the other. There is yet another intrinsic dimension to it ? the soul which determines one?s inner beauty.

It is more a part of us than the body and the mind. To be a complete person, you not only have to work on your external beauty, but also develop your inner beauty. If we look around us, we find that all creation is filled with beauty of the soul. We are attracted to nature because it has harmony. Look at the setting sun and see how the different colours blend together perfectly, in harmony. For us too, a harmonious combination of body, mind and soul is as essential.

When I talk of the soul or the spiritual aspect, I am not talking of good and evil, or sin and virtue. I am referring to the inner self and its discovery. When you discover inner beauty, or the self, you will find that make-up, grooming, clothes, jewellery, etiquette are mere superficial embellishments. In fact, there is no need for these. Your inner beauty is actually the foundation of your personality and external beauty. In fact, the discovery of the inner self will be a kind of empowerment. To find the inner self, you have to find the silence that exists within you.

Beyond the cacophony of the mind, there is a silence and that is what we must discover, to know the self and to find harmony and peace. Actually, we allow our mind to control us, whether it is our thoughts and feelings of fear, guilt, envy, our memories of the past or our worries of the future.

The ancient sages of India advocated yoga, pranayama and meditation, to find inner beauty, or what is called self-realisation. You can start with simple breathing and see how it actually helps to silence the mind and bring about a feeling of calm. Remember that the silence and calmness already exist within you.

So here are some pointers:

Plan your day. Start with 10 minutes of stretching exercises or a brisk walk. Then do deep breathing exercises for 5 minutes, followed by meditation for 15 minutes. Exercise gives you strength, energy and stamina. It helps to reduce mental stress and promote a sense of well being. It also helps in getting deep restful sleep. Meditation is another useful way of coping with stress. Even the West is following yoga and meditation. According to Swami Vivekananda, ?The science of breathing is the working through the body to reach the mind.?

Deep breathing really helps. You do not need to adopt the yogic posture. You may sit in a comfortable chair, with feet flat on the floor. Your body should be relaxed. Close your eyes and begin breathing, slowly and with ease. Allow your mind to follow your breathing as you inhale and exhale. Breathe in slowly and deeply and then breathe out slowly. Concentrate your mind on your breathing by observing the inhaling and exhaling of breath. You can continue breathing this way for two minutes. If you begin to feel relaxed, continue for another few minutes. You will notice that your mind and body have relaxed and you may even find that your mind is much quieter. Focusing your attention on your breathing has pushed all other thoughts away for a few minutes.

This itself can lead on to meditation, which is basically concentration of thought. With eyes closed and continuing breathing in and out slowly and deeply, concentrate your thought on any one thing ? God, any deity or ?guru? or the sun, rose, or even a bird. You will find the mind wandering, but all you need to do is to bring your thought gently back to the object of your concentration. Gradually, you will find that your powers of concentration improve.

Breathing exercises and meditation are like putting on make-up. As you practice everyday, you will get better with it, find relaxation, calm and peace. When you have practiced breathing and meditation for some time, you will probably find that your mind is much more alert. You seem to have more physical and mental energy. You will develop a new perspective on problems and issues,one with more clarity and less ego. Indeed, meditation is much more effective than all the beauty potions and cosmetic treatments to preserve youth. You will not only look younger, but actually feel the youth and vitality.

Source: Financial Express