All About Deepak

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a Times Talks, where New York Times reporter Katherine Rosman interviewed integrative medicine and personal transformation guru Deepak Chopra. It was a very intimate setting where, over the course of an hour, Chopra reflected on the mind-body-spirit connection, how to maintain calmness in the face of growing anxiety in the culture and how to navigate the explosion of technology and other distractions that take us away from the present moment. He was also promoting his most recent book, You are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and why it Matters.

I felt compelled to share the experience with my readers because so many of the points Chopra made resonated with me. Moreover, as a practitioner of mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation, not only could I relate to what Chopra was sharing, but it was great to have a reminder about patience in maintaining practices that may take time to enhance our well-being. I was most in awe of Chopra’s demeanor during the interview—to say that he emanated calm is an understatement. Every gesture and mannerism he had, from the tone of his voice to the movement of his body suggested not only great focus but deliberation and mindfulness.

The most significant takeaway that I can convey is the theme of staying in the moment. As audience members asked him question after question about how to manage anxiety, how to deal with the turbulent political times we are living in, how to relate and connect with others—a growing theme was the idea of staying present in the now. As Americans, we are very future-orientated, so oftentimes we have the mindset of having to get through a list of obligations or achievements before we can enjoy or feel better about things. “Just wait until I lose that weight—or get that new job” or fill in the blank, as our inner voice often tells us, and then things will get better. The practice of mindfulness—whether through a sitting meditation or a more active yoga movement—is meant to keep us grounded in the present moment. The present moment, Chopra reminded us again and again last night, is ultimately the only time each of us has.

Mindfulness is so challenging in our culture today because we are bombarded by a barrage of gadgets and attention drainers that serve as distractions away from the now. And yet, the brain research has consistently identified that we are not well wired for multi-tasking—when we engage in multiple tasks simultaneously, we are under-performing each of them and only attending part of our attention to what we are doing. It is challenging in a cultural environment where more is more to actively seek a simpler practice—to take a step back and either unplug from our gadgets or at least attend to just one stream of stimulation at a time.

The theme of Chopra’s talk is consistent with research that has identified that positive emotions may extend life (as reported by Brody, 2017). For example, mindfulness techniques that ground individuals in the present moment can help to combat anxiety or negative emotions. Similarly, Chopra was highlighting the significance of focusing on positive emotions—such as gratitude. Research has uncovered that a focus on positive emotions can even help in the prognosis for patients diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. For instance, one program that developed a framework of eight skills to help foster positive emotions in patients who received a devastating health diagnosis has found very fruitful results. These practices include such simple habits as “recognize a positive event each day” and starting a gratitude journal (Brody, 2017).

I have found that writing in a journal daily can be very therapeutic. Any opportunity one can take for introspection and self-reflection—whether through a sitting meditation, a walk in nature (without headphones or external stimulation) or writing quietly with oneself—can have enormous benefits for our overall health and well-being. So wherever you are, and however you are feeling in this moment, ask yourself where in your life you can create the space for mindfulness, and start right now.