A Natural High - getting more of a good thing!

​Dear All,

There is a popular myth that everybody only uses 10% of their brains*. Science has shown this myth to be a false one and that, in fact, we are using 100% of our brains. But what if there is some unintended truth in the original myth?

You could be using 100% of your computer but you'd clearly be missing something if you were doing this without an internet/wi-fi connection. This is what has been shown in sahaja yoga. The kundalini energy is that internet/wi-fi connection.

In the past couple of weeks we've looked at specific practices of 5000+ year old hatha yoga, compared it to our related experience in sahaja yoga meditation and can see how the physical wellbeing we're getting may be just a little bit of what could become a lot for many people in the future, whether or not they practice yoga or meditation.

But it's not just about improved physical health and looking younger. The kundalini, through your daily practice of meditation, is also switching on some lights in the brain.

Neuroscience knowledge about the brain is at the beginners stage. In this 14-min clip: Brain science of the future, Shri Mataji explains the connection between the cervical plexus ('vishuddhi') and the limbic system/brain ('sahasrara') and how the kundalini energy awakens dormant faculties in the brain.

The faculties that Shri Mataji refers to in particular are : 'the attention becomes enlightened' and 'collective consciousness'. We've discussed both these faculties previously but just to remind you: the enlightened attention is the attention that has the power of action in it and collective consciousness is being able to feel your connection to the whole. So these are two things you can do now that you couldn't do before.

Also described by Shri Mataji in the clip is the flow from the top of the head that creates the feeling of relaxation when you meditate. It's this sense of relaxation which can develop, with the daily practice of meditation, into the meditative bliss or natural high that some of you may feel. There's even a basis for this in science.

For a long time scientist couldn't understand why there are opioid receptor sites in the brain. Opioid receptors are what bind to the active  ingredient in recreational drugs to give the feeling of a high**. Surely, human beings weren't designed to all become drug-takers? Then scientist discovered that the body produces it's own opioids or endorphins that can come from eating chocolate, falling in love or running (runner's 'high').

But these don't sustain, may have side-effects and are drugs of another sort. The potential for the high that the brain has built into it is what is being actualised when the sahasrara is being opened out by the sahaja yoga meditation.

Recently, Science and Social Science have become engaged in the study of anti-aging and human happiness respectively. Both could be on the right track. And you have a headstart. To get more of a good thing and get to your natural high just keep meditating :o).

See at group meditation on Tuesday.

Regards

*We only use 10% of brain myth - Neuroscience for kids

** Drug action in the brain