Kundalini Yoga teacher, Kirantana Khalsa told me that when he meditates, he does so with the idea that he will die in five minutes time. That is something to think about. Usually when the idea comes up, everyone proposes longer periods of time. “If you only had a day to live” or “If you only had a year left” etc.
FIVE MINUTES.
If you only had five minutes left, what would you think about? Would you really worry or would you let it all go? If something you think of often isn’t worth thinking about in the last five minutes of your life, maybe you should reassess the amount of energy you are putting into it.
Of course we should all pursue passions and chase dreams and love deeply and do all the things that give our lives meaning, but what among those things would we really be dwelling on in the last five minutes?
I tried the exercise, and the first thing that popped into my head was worry for my child’s well being without me. But I soon realized that there are so many who love her, and if I met a terrible accident, she would be cared for well. So I let the thought go with love and blessings to her.
Next I thought of different people to whom I would have liked to have said goodbye. Maybe that is part of the lesson of the exercise: seeing what you have left to do in order to go and live or die in peace. With only a little time left, I had to let it go.
In the last three minutes I felt grateful. I have lived (or I am currently living) a pretty good life. I have been able to do things that fulfill me. I have laughed and smiled. I have known both travel and permanence. I have experienced a wide range of emotions. I have given and received loved. I have received and given life.
Maybe the entire thing was meant to be an exercise in gratitude. And while it is a challenge to do that each and every time one meditates–and I mean, daily meditation is honestly something I am yet to achieve–the occasional reminder of our mortality is a really great way to keep us thankful.
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