Divine Messages - 25 : God Spoke To Me by Elieen Caddy - Life - 1/2

An extract from the book “God Spoke To Me” by Elieen Caddy – Section “Life”

·         THE LIVING FORCE - I AM always there, like the breath that keeps your body alive. Become aware of Me all the time. I AM the living force within your being. I AM Life.

·         THE LIMITLESSNESS OF ME - Become aware that your whole being is filled with My divine Light and Love and Wisdom, that I AM within you, as I AM within every individual. This tremendous power lies dormant within every soul, like a mighty giant. When each soul becomes aware of the truth, the giant stirs in his slumbers and slowly awakens. The tremendous power within is gradually released. There is nothing to fear. See that this power is constantly directed and guided by Me, and never used for the self. When wrongly used, it has to be withdrawn. It may only be used by those who are completely dedicated to Me and to My work. Slowly you begin to understand those words which you have known since childhood: "I and My Father are One". You begin to accept the wonder and truth of them, that I AM within you, that I work through you, that you are My hands and feet, that all I have is yours. This is a breath taking thought and it becomes like a mighty fire within you. You feel the limitlessness of Me; I you understand why you have to expand. You understand why this three-dimensional living can no longer contain or satisfy you, because you seek My limitlessness. I cannot be confined, I AM All and that All is within you. This is something to ponder over. Let it sink in. Glory in it. I AM Life, and you live and move and have your being in Me and I in you.

·         LIFE IS NEVER STATIC - Like the waves of the sea, there is always movement. You move ahead onwards and upwards... and all is as clear as crystal. You are uplifted, you are aware of Me. I AM your all and you know perfection. Suddenly, unexpectedly, you find yourself moving further and further up. Everything becomes clear. Life becomes joyous. There is a purpose and a plan in life. This is where faith and belief are essential. Constant movement is necessary. Every time you make that forward surge, it is stronger, more powerful, and you reach ever greater heights. It is gathering impetus to push you further into those realms of reality where all is Light. I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life. Do My Will.

·         THIS SPIRITUAL LIFE - This spiritual life can be likened to the birth of a baby, which goes in stages. There is expansion going on all the time until the final stage when the baby is ready to be born. The less resistance there is, the less pain. It is not all easy, it is not all pleasant, but the goal is so wonderful, so glorious, that it is all worthwhile. So keep your eye on the goal and know that I AM with you always, even unto the end of time. My peace I give you all. Rest in it when you are weary and the burden seems too heavy. Accept My gifts with praise and thanksgiving.

·         LIVING IN THE NEW - Living in the New calls for constant change, constant alertness, no routine nor ruts! Every time you make a change into the New, you grow more in stature. You need patience, perseverance, love and deep understanding, but they are qualities which I am ready to help you with when you ask for them. So ask constantly. Living in the New is not just something to be talked about. It calls for action, for conscious awareness that you are really doing this, especially to begin with. When you are learning to work something new... driving a car for example... you are aware of every part of it. You constantly have to think of what you are doing, of what your next move is, of what others on the road are doing, whether you are doing the right thing. At times you wonder if you will ever master the art. As you persevere and gain more confidence, you find that you can master it with fewer and fewer mistakes. So it is with living in the New. Every new action and change is an effort, but as you go boldly ahead seeing the joy of it, gaining greater confidence, learning from your mistakes, determined to move on and never slip back, it comes. It really comes. My child, and you begin to know the wonder of it until you have gained complete mastery.

·         MY WORD IS THE BREAD OF LIFE - My Word is the Bread of Life. Therefore, whenever you are hungry, be still and receive of the Bread of Life which gives life eternal. Many wonders will be seen with the physical eye, but even greater wonders by the eye of the Spirit. This is barred from none, but the desire must be great. 

·        

Eileen Caddy’s Web Site – findhorn.org

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Also posted on-line at http://paarshad.blogspot.com.   Previous messages can also be read at the same blog.

Divine Messages – 24 : Say Thank You, It's Healthy !

Say Thank You, It's Healthy ! by Dada J P Vaswani - Appeared in Speaking Tree supplement of Times Of India on March 19, 2011

Be in gratitude always. Your heart expands and it strengthens the immune system, says Dada J P Vaswani

Last month, we celebrated February 18-24 as Thanksgiving Week, but how I wish we all celebrate each day as Thanksgiving Day.

·         I asked my Master once: “When difficulties come, what do you do?” He smiled and said, “I thank the Lord!”

·         I asked him again: “When you are ill, and have suffering and pain, what do you do?” The answer was still the same: “I thank the Lord!”

·         I asked the third time: “When you are passing through the storm of life, what do you do?” Again, he said: “I thank the Lord!”

·         Let us thank the Lord in all conditions and circumstances of life. In illness and in adversity, let the words, “Thank you, God,” be on our lips all the time.

Whenever I tell people about the ‘thanksgiving therapy’, they invariably ask what therapeutic value can thanksgiving have. “We don’t see any connection between health and thanksgiving,” they say. I simply tell them, “When you thank God or thank a fellow human being, your heart expands. This strengthens the immune system.”

According to medical research reports, positive emotions like love and gratitude actually enhance the immune system, which shields the body against attack from disease and illness. Our attitude and our psychological condition have a direct bearing on our immune system. Positive feelings of gratitude and joy release endorphins into the blood stream, which are the body’s natural painkillers. They stimulate dilation of the blood vessels and relax the cardiac muscles, strengthening the body’s capacity to resist disease and aid recovery.

On the other hand, negative emotions such as anger, grief and bitterness are known to dump high levels of adrenaline in the blood. This constricts flow of blood into the heart. It slows down the movement of white blood cells which fight disease and strengthen our immunity system. 

In other words, gratitude releases ‘happy’ hormones into our system helping us to live longer and healthier lives. Gratitude may not cure you of cancer, but it will definitely make you feel better! Whenever you feel tired, dispirited, discouraged and are unable to cope, just thank the Lord for being there with you. Slowly, ‘God energy’ will replace negative thoughts, making you positive and whole!

How does thanksgiving heal and strengthen you? When you focus on the feeling called gratitude, you start thinking about all that is good and positive in your life. Since, all that is good and positive emanates from God, the person who practises thanksgiving therapy allows powerful positive forces in the world to flow into him, and draw strength and healing therefrom. It is, in fact, akin to being connected with a powerful spiritual dynamo.

An expression of gratitude acts like a mental and spiritual tonic. When you are thankful, you affirm God’s goodness and grace. It makes us receptive to the Lord’s blessings. And we find that good things come to pass in our life.

Have you had a bad day? Thank the Lord it’s over — thank Him for helping you cope with it while it lasted. When we do this, defeats are turned to victories, as we imbibe strength from our struggles. 

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages – 23 : Humanity suffers from illusions - Greatest of them is Death

Humanity suffers from illusions - Greatest of them is Death ! by Dada J P Vaswani - Appeared in Speaking Tree post on June 21, 2011

Let me quote an incident from the Life of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. When he passed away on the night of 15th August, 1883 at the age of fifty, his wife Sharadamani, who is regarded as the Holy Mother, felt that she had become a widow and had no right to wear the bangles on her arms. In those days widows were not supposed to wear any bangles on their arms. She had worn these bangles at the age of five when she had got married to Sri Ramakrishna who was twenty three at that time. In the meantime her wrists had grown. She could not take her bangles off. She applied soap and other things but the bangles wouldn’t slip out of arms. She said to herself, ‘’I have no choice but to break these bangles.’’ She took a hammer in hand to break them and when she was about to strike she heard a voice. It was the voice of Sri Ramakrishna and she heard him say, ‘’Sharda, what are you doing? I have not died. I have but passed from one room to another.’’

That is what death is. Only a movement from one room to another. Death to me is very much like sunset…The sun appears to set, but you know that the sun never sets. What is sunset here is sunrise elsewhere.

What is death here is birth somewhere else. Death should be taken as a ‘connect’ between this world and the next. And to such next which is better, nobler, happier and more beautiful, more radiant than this world also.

We do not really need to have any fear of death. Accept it as a passing phase and to empower yourself with strength of facing it, sing the name of God. Sing it with every breath that you take in and send out. As you sing the name, breathe out the aspiration, ‘’The sea is vast my skiff is small; But Thy name I know will take me across!’’

As you sing the name in love and in faith, all fear of death will vanish from your heart as mist before the rising sun. You will learn to look upon death as a bridge between you and your beloved. And thus you will long for the day when you may be called upon to cross the bridge. And you will exclaim in the words of St. Francis, ‘’Welcome, sister death’’! Death then will lose its sting. Death will become a door entering which you may behold the beauteous face of the Beloved and abide in His presence forever and ever more!

Lastly to summarize the path to deliverance from death I say we must take note of three truths:-

·          One, know that transient are all earthly things and forms.

·          All that you see around you, will, one day- perish. - Everything carries within it the seed of decay. The potter makes earthen vessels: They must all break, one day. Such is the life of man. A man lives a hundred years or longer, yet must he, one day depart. The rich and the poor, the young and the old, the wise and the unwise are subject to death. This too you should know that there is no escape. When the hour arrives, not all the armies of kings and conquerors can save you from death. So it is that while friends and relatives helplessly look on and shed tears, their dearly loved ones are snatched away by death.

·         With this knowledge the wise do not grieve over the dead. - Grief and lamentation do not bring the dead to life. Rather they add to our suffering and rob us of our richest treasure - peace of mind. The wise ones aspire to peace. They grieve not, nor do they lament. They walk the way of acceptance. They accept whatever comes - discomfort, disease, death and thus overcome suffering and sorrow. And having overcome sorrow, freed they enter into the peace that defies description. They are the truly blessed ones.

           

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages – 22 : Words of Wisdom

Some words of wisdom by Dada J P Vaswani.

·         It is always to grow in the spirit of forgiveness. But we must also learn to forget. Instead of going through many wrongs that may have happened to us in the past, let us forget them all and live in the present.

·         If you would be happy, make others happy. The happiness that goes out of you to others comes back to you, such is the law. Therefore, do at least one good deed of service every day.

·         Both rain and sunshine are needed to make a rainbow. Both joy and sorrow are needed to make life truly beautiful and colourful. Accept rain and sunshine… Joy and Sorrows… As the Lord’s blessing.

·         To be happy, we need to forget many things. We must learn the art of forgetting.

·         Every problem is a challenge. Do not seek to run away from it. Face it with courage and faith and walk like a man.

·         How many times should I forgive? I am tired of forgiving. Forgive as many times as you would wish God to forgive you.

·         Happiness does not depend on what happens to us but on how we react to what happens to us. Always choose to be happy.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 21 : Glimpses of the Divine Vision by Swami Ramdas - Glory of Life - 3/3

An extract from the book “Glimpses of the Divine Vision” by Swami Ramdas – Section “Glory of Life”

·         An active life is perfectly in keeping with Selfrealization and divine service. What is needed is a total dedication of your entire life to Him. In all situations maintain a steady consciousness of Divinity within and about you. Do not harass your mind with thoughts of weakness. Infinite strength is within you. Drawing inspiration and power from this source, be cheerful and contented at all times. Let the name of the Lord dwell ever in your mind!

·         From whatsoever angle Ramdas looks at the world, he finds nothing wrong anywhere. Everything is as it should be. Because one Truth pervades everywhere, one life has revealed itself in infinite forms. So you are all children of that Truth-that Life-nay you are yourself the Truth the Life.

·         Some people prefer to call themselves sinners. They must be wishing to enjoy the fun of it. Else, what to make of the way they speak of themselves? They are offering a direct insult to God when they dub themselves sinners. This is as good as denying His very existence. If you believe that He is, you would not care to know whether you are a monument of virtue or mountain of iniquity. You would only feel that you are simply as God made you. You have a harp which is ever tuned to one strain. It sings only of sin, misery and death. Do change the song to one of peace, joy and immortality.

·         Your life has to be lived not for yourself, but for the sake of all those with whom God has ordained you should come in contact from time to time. The purpose of life is to take delight in giving peace and joy to others. This you can do in every circumstance and condition of life. Life means service. The true joy of service is felt only when you make it a spontaneous flow from the fountain of your immortal existence. Hence, self- surrender has been held forth as the means for the realization of your immortal nature and the consequent blissful activity.

·         Whatever circumstances you may find yourself in, do not forget the great and merciful Lord of the universe. Life bereft of the thought of God is verily not worth living. God is our mother, guide and protector. To be in constant awareness of Him means purity, strength, courage and peace; because God is all power, knowledge and bliss.

·         The world is a world at all times. The playful nature of it in which every kind of creature and event exists is as it should be. What is needed is a change within you, by which you open your true sight, and look upon the world as a lila of the Lord. This state is attained by merging your relative existence into God’s absolute being. Ceaseless remembrance of the Lord is the way.

Swami Ramdas Web Site - anandashram.org

Divine Messages - 20 : Glimpses of the Divine Vision by Swami Ramdas - Glory of Life - 2/3

An extract from the book “Glimpses of the Divine Vision” by Swami Ramdas – Section “Glory of Life”

·         Instead of allowing your mind to externalize itself, do make it go inward and mingle and merge in the depths of your being, where dwell ever-lasting life, peace and joy. To behold the Truth within oneself, and then in all beings and creatures alike, is the true vision of life. The purpose and goal of life is to realize your immortality and the eternal union and identity with the supreme Beloved who is the immanent and transcendent Lord of the Universe.

·         The object of your life is to be happy yourself and give happiness to others. In fact, real delight consists in so adjusting your life as to make it yield joy to others. If you have faith in God, use this faith in cultivating patience and equanimity. Faith always goes with cheerfulness, resignation and peace. Be childlike-not childish, be blissful and a free child of God. Reveal your innate divine nature, and diffuse around you always love and joy.

·         By struggle you conquer. Struggle means development of will-power and a gradual awakening to the real purpose of life, which is Self-realization. Make every influence on your life, favourable or unfavourable, work for your spiritual advancement. Give up controversy, discussion and justification, by subduing sensitiveness and sentiment. God’s name is your help. Feel less and less the so-called heavy responsibilities of life which you have imposed on yourself. The truth is, the moment you are free from attachment and sense of possession, the whole world is at your feet. Have no misgivings, throw overboard world’s opinion. Rise above these petty things. Be tremendously earnest and determined in your spiritual quest.

·         Surely life has a beautiful meaning and purpose when it is understood to be of an universal nature and significance. The utmost grandeur of it is revealed when it breaks through every sense of division and diversity, and sheds all around soothing light of pure, spontaneous love, the rapture of an inexplicable joy and peace.

·         Every power with which you are gifted has to be cheerfully utilized for the service of God in the world. It is also the experience of every great soul, who has dedicated his or her life for relieving the distress of the world, that the path is one of acute suffering. Hence self-sacrifice has been the badge of saints all over the world. The lamp can give light only at the cost of its oil. “Give and give”, is the law of the deathless spirit working in nature. The whole beauty of life lies in its utter dedication.

·         This life is not worth living if it is not consecrated to the devotion of Sri Ram (God), if it is not offered up completely to His service. For attaining this you have to cry to Him day and night for His grace. Yes, Ram (God) is very kind. He is ever ready to fulfil the wishes of His humble devotees. You have only to pray to Him to enable you to keep up His remembrance continuously, ceaselessly. Don’t ask for anything else. “I pray to you, Oh! Love Infinite, for only this, Your remembrance, which means Your darshan.

Swami Ramdas Web Site - anandashram.org

Divine Messages - 19 : Glimpses of the Divine Vision by Swami Ramdas - Glory of Life - 1/3

An extract from the book “Glimpses of the Divine Vision” by Swami Ramdas – Section “Glory of Life”

·         What is required to set life free and make it blessed is to do all actions in the spirit of perfect surrender to the will of the all-wise Master - the master of your being and of the world existence. This is possible in all the fields of activity in which you are placed in consonance with your nature and attainments.

·         Life is a game with which you play as you play with a doll. All the emotions and passions you exhibit in this play are the necessary and inevitable movements of it. When you observe, as an unaffected witness, this most wonderful game of life made up of the clash of ideals, interests and thoughts, you realize that it is there before you only as a sport and nothing else. The goal which Ramdas places before all people is nothing short of an independence and freedom, born of the submission to the Divine Power which controls, guides and actuates every individual in the course of his or her life on this earth. To live like “dumb driven cattle” is not the purpose of life. Each individual has to draw upon all the latent resources of his or her existence in order to rise to the height of absolute freedom - a freedom by virtue of which he or she yields, wherever it is necessary to yield, and stands firm like a rock, wherever it is proper to do so. To be a timid creature without firm convictions, vacillating at every passing breeze and circumstance, is indeed to become an object of pity on the part of some and of derision on the part of others.

·         “Success and failure be the same to you”, is a truism to be realized in order to attain a peaceful mind. Whatever God determines should be implicitly believed as for the best. Really, every loss, failure and misfortune is pregnant with absolute good. It must be recognized with full faith that, at the back of the relative mind, exists a Divinity which causes all its workings - a Divinity which is the very abode of peace and bliss.

·         Success in life depends upon a daring and determined course taken up through unshakable faith and confidence. Vacillation is the greatest handicap to success. By taking complete refuge in the Almighty, you should decide upon a definite line of action, and then, by an unflinching perseverance, carry it out through good or ill. When taking such a step, do not rely for help and guidance from anybody in the world except upon your Self. God - the great Self in you - is your help and guide in all matters. In accordance with His command pursue any path which He prompts you to. All power, strength and wisdom are within you, because the great Self who is all these is your true being. He will see that your life is a magnificent success. Harbour no doubts or misgivings. Faith and grit win the race. Strengthen your will by surrender to the Divine Will. Turn your mind within for divine peace. Rouse yourself in every way and bravely fight this battle of life, which is a battle for all alike, and come out triumphant as a soldier of love and peace and goodwill.

·         Life is a perpetual adjustment and readjustment - it is an ever-changing movement on the surface but in its depths it is perfect calmness, peace and stillness. Since universal motion is a wave from the infinite silence and repose, it has the nature of the source from which it has sprung. So, bliss is the beginning, the middle and the end of all things - be it static or dynamic.

·         Really, human life becomes blessed when God brings about occasions for turning its course towards Himself. Thereafter God takes up such a life and controls it according to His supreme will, which works always for good. Life, in every condition can be lived in freedom and joy, provided the soul within remains unattached to external forms of life. When the flow of life becomes spontaneous, it is always surcharged with the glory of pure love and service. What a splendid gift is human life! The man who does not behold the finger of God working in all events and happenings experiences needless suffering. Therefore, peace and contentment belong only to those who have submitted, in all the vicissitudes of life, to the supreme will of God.

Swami Ramdas Web Site - anandashram.org

Divine Messages – 18

Some words of wisdom by Dada J. P. Vaswani

·         Death occurs but once and that too, never before the appointed time. Yet the whole world lives in perpetual fear of death. Remember, man lives not by the beats of his heart but by the Grace of God.

·         If while praying, we can think of worldly matters, why can we not, while doing worldly matters, think of God? Keep in constant touch with God and you will find Happiness – ALWAYS!

·         Are you passing through a dark period of your life? A period of trials and tribulations? Is your mind confused? Do you find yourself at a dead end, not knowing where to go? Then offer a simple prayer: “Lord: Thy Will Be Done!” And a way will be shown to you. Please accept Lord’s will as a Divine Will and Blessing.

·         Teach me O Lord to observe the rules of the Game of Life. Never to lose my sense of humour, and always hold my tongue when it is so difficult to hold it.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 17

Some words of wisdom by Dada J. P. Vaswani

·         Surrender all that you are and all that you have to the LORD and He will take care of everything !

·         There are three ways of handling anger:

o    By Expression

o    By Suppression

o    By Forgiveness. The right way to overcome anger is by forgiveness !

·         There are three kinds of individuals in this world

o    Who is dense, through whom the light of love of God never shines through

o    Who is translucent where the light shines through from time to time

o    Who is transparent where love always shines through - “Be Transparent”.

Sadhu Vaswani Mission Web Site - sadhuvaswani.org

Divine Messages - 16 : Brain, Heart And Gut Minds

Brain, Heart And Gut Minds ! – Anil K Rajvanshi - Appeared in Speaking Tree supplement of Times Of India on May 29, 2011

The body’s three vital organs have a thought process of their own, writes Anil K Rajvanshi

We have always expressed love and emotion from the heart and intuition from the gut; hence, the expressions heartfelt and gut feeling. Research suggests that they may have scientific explanations. It seems both heart and gut have minds of their own. Besides communicating with the brain, they might also be helping it develop, reducing depression and increasing the level of the individual’s well-being.

The Gut Mind
On an average, the brain has 100 billion neurons; it is the seat of all our thinking. The gut or the digestive system has close to 500 million nerve cells and 100 million neurons and is almost the size of a cat’s brain. Not only does the gut ‘talk’ with the brain by releasing chemicals which are transported to the brain but also by sending electrical signals via the vagus nerve, one of the longest nerves in the body whose purpose is to relay the information of internal organs to the brain. It starts from the head and ends near the anus. 

Most gut neurons are used in the daily grind of digestion. The gut system is an extremely complex chemical processing machine, which breaks down food, absorbs nutrients and moves waste down via muscular contraction towards the anus for expulsion. Thus the autonomous nervous system of gut allows it to work independently of the brain. 

Recent research reveals that there is tremendous amount of information flow from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve and this flow is mostly one-sided.

Body Balance
The reverse interaction — from the brain to the gut — is when we get hunger pangs and the brain tells the body to get food or when something goes wrong in the gut, like pain or diarrhoea, necessitating medicines for its cure. Scientific evidence also suggests that a big part of our emotions are probably influenced by chemicals and nerves in the gut. For example, 95 per cent of the body’s serotonin is found in the gut. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter that contributes feelings of wellbeing. The ancients seem to have known something about the gut-brain connection. The colon cleansing process of ayurveda like enema or ‘gut wrenching’ exercises of nauli in Hatha Yoga help in cleaning the gut and increasing the feeling of wellness. In mayur asana, the body is balanced on the navel. The pressure stimulates the vagus nerve; helping improve the brain-gut connection. 

There are also many instances of people experiencing extrasensory perception (ESP) after colon cleansing has taken place. One reason could be that a clean gut frees its neurons to help the brain increase its processing power. The extra neural power may help the brain process more information and help it experience samadhi or sanyam. Though gut neurons are used mostly for gut activity, they also interact with the brain via the vagus nerve. 
In Patanjali Yoga, the gut is the centre of the body-universe. It says that by sanyam on the nabhi a yogi gains knowledge of body constituents. 

The heart is one of the most important organs of the human body. It has nearly two billion muscle cells and 40,000 neurons. Heart neurons are very few in number compared to those in the brain, 100 billion or gut, 0.1 billion. Nevertheless, these neurons transmit the heart’s signals and its condition to the brain.

The heart-mind interaction takes place both by electrical signals via the vagus and the spinal cord nerves and through chemicals. The heart is also an endocrine gland.

Recent studies have shown that the heart sends signals to the brain that are not only understood by it, but also obeyed. Scientists have discovered neural pathways and mechanisms whereby inputs from the heart to the brain inhibit or facilitate the brain’s electrical activity — just as the gut is capable of doing. Thus both gut and heart-mind help in the thought process.

Besides electrical signalling, the heart also releases peptides, which help in blood pressure modulation and improving the functioning of kidneys. The peptides also stimulate the pituitary gland thereby helping it to release hormones like oxytocin commonly referred to as the ‘love’ hormone. Oxytocin also helps increase the wellbeing of a person. This could be the basis for saying that happy feelings emanate from the heart. 

The point of interest is the rhythm patterns of the heart which result when two billion muscle cells are triggered by AV and SA nodes, which are like electrical switches. These nodes send electrical signals to the heart muscles for contraction and so are an important organ of the heart. When they do not function properly, electrical signals to muscles go haywire and the heart starts to flutter. A pacemaker attached to these nodes streamlines signals and can restore proper functions to the heart. 

The speed of heartbeats or its contraction changes depending upon our emotions. For example, when we are aroused either by passion or anger, the heart speeds up and in quiet times or in meditation, it slows down. This electrical input to the AV and SA nodes from the brain comes via the vagus nerve and is reflected in the ECG patterns of the heart. 

Pranayama Helps
Pranayama or breathing exercises can stimulate the vagus nerve and this could have a beneficial effect on the heart and gut. Similarly the chanting of mantras or deep throat singing as practised by Buddhist lamas also stimulates the vagus nerve. It has been shown that this stimulation helps in reducing blood pressure and improves the rhythm patterns of the heart. The neural information from both these activities facilitates the cortical function and the effect is heightened mental clarity, improved decision making and increased creativity.

Similarly, the stimulation of the vagus improves the cleaning process of the colon. For example, the ancient Indian custom of applying pressure on the cheeks with fists while sitting on the toilet seat helps in bowel movement. Pressure on the cheeks stimulates the vagus nerve since its branches pass through the face. Scientists have also discovered that the heart is involved in the processing and decoding of ‘intuitive information’. Tests on subjects showed that the heart appeared to receive intuitive information before the brain. This could be the basis for — ‘Follow your heart; you will never go wrong’. 

The ancients were aware of the heart interaction. Patanjali Yoga says that by sanyam on the heart, a yogi acquires the complete knowledge of his mind.

To produce deep thought which helps in improving the wellbeing of a person, the gut and heart brains must work together with the main brain. When all work harmoniously, it creates a healthy body and a powerful mind.