There are two kinds of time. One is linear and the other is biological. Both are based on motion.
Linear time is the measure of seconds, minutes, hours, days and years. We can do little to slow down the process of linear time. Linear time is based on the rotation of the earth around its axis and around the sun. Unless a person is powerful enough to stop celestial motion, time will pass and each person’s age will be measured.
Biological time, however, is much more interesting. Biological time is the aging process. Biological time speeds up and slows down in accordance with our own personal motion. The faster we move, the faster we age. In Western terms, this is most similar to the concept of stress. The busier we become, the more stress we are under, the greater the toll on the body. Stress leads to cellular oxidation, which slowly damages and ages the cells of our body. Interestingly, rather than addressing the cause, many people turn to antioxidant pills in order to treat the symptom.
The faster the mind moves the faster the body ages. When the mind moves, it moves into the future or into the past. In the future, the mind is busy planning or worrying. In the past, it is busy reflecting or regretting. Rarely does the mind sustain itself in the present moment… In order to stop time, we must stop the mind and come into the present moment. When we do this, biological time stands still. While stopping the mind completely may not be a practical goal for most people, the lesson is clear. Slowing down our lives, and especially our mind, is important if we want greater health and well-being. Ayurveda and yoga use the tool of meditation to accomplish this goal. Ordinary meditation accomplishes this goal while a person is sitting in meditation. The goal of Ayurveda is to turn each and every action into a form of meditation by being fully conscious and aware while taking each action. An Ayurvedic lifestyle is a lifestyle of present moment consciousness.
Excerpt from “Healing Your Life, Lessons on the Path of Ayurveda,” by Dr. Marc Halpern, Founder of the California College of Ayurveda. Available at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GP7m28 and Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1PsYDUA. Photo credit of Keith Edkings