Vajramukti an Indian Martial Art, The Art of Surviving as a mutual aid in global love, A Way towards knowing thyself

Introduction to Indian Martial Art
Sources are from the books by Dr Chandra shekhar bhatt

Vajramukti chandrashekhar’s art of Indian gung fu ISBN 81-7525-010-0

Yoga the gift from sanatana to mankind ISBN 81-901041-0-1

Vajramukti Tao of holistic healing for ageless body

Timeless mind ISBN 978-3-659-18745-2 published from Germany available at    www.amazon.com

Vajramuktiyoga from action to liberation by Dr chandra shekhar bhattwww.ulslab.blogspot.com further readinghttp://www.amazon.com/VAJRAMUKTI-Holistic-healing-Ageless-Timeless/dp/3659187453/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_t_1
VAJRAMUKTI Tao of Holistic healing for Ageless body Timeless Mind: Tao of holistic healing for...
VAJRAMUKTI TAO OF HOLISTIC HEALING THROUGH ALERNATIVE MEDICINE QUANTUM OF YOGA MEDITATION AND MARTIAL ARTS IN...
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Accepting all ways as the way as Hindus has accepted all religions even the one not accepted by western world the Parsis were accepted in this land of Hindus. Different martial arts are like different religions goal of all is same to go inside, once you start travelling inside there is no religion no path no way… when individuality is dissolved where are the tools to operate we also don’t know how to give awareness of that to all
I saw a boy of eleven years attacked by some seven or eight people his bag of tomato was thrown he had no knowledge of martial art he just moved with whoever was nearby touching the empty space he found and  went on with all and got away collecting his left over tomatoes. If you can move within the space by just observing you have made your martial art. But it’s not possible with all if we are depressed due to various reasons may be we won’t be able to defend all the time the only way is to train by inculcating your experiences and making your own system.
But if you cannot due to past imprints on your consciousness to what Hindus believe as karmas then you can go to some systems or learn from the event you pass through and make your own awareness system suiting you the best. As master Lee said if you understand the principals of different arts and if you learn to flow with the movements you have made the system for your body mind quantum, same as master lee worked on in the name of man who was once fluid.
Yoga the way of life given by the people who went inside and thought of helping people because in essence we are all spark of that same light. Hindu kings send their love sometime as accepting Buddhism and sending monks around the world to spread love they accepted Jews and others from world as their own extensions. Martial arts spreading were just the byproduct there were many arts remained silently flowing in its own accordance. If you don’t like yoga as a Hindu word you can learn from the western people who learned yoga extensively and came out adding their awareness to it as Ida Rolfs system or her many students developing the branches in many forms, and if you find short of economic needs come in India there are still people who teach free, out of love but learn to relax and then be in your way until you feel need to know thyself.

History of Indian martial art is beyond time framework there are masters living in Himalayas who can attack you and change your thought process from thousands miles, but they don’t because you are undivided part of the whole and you have your own free will . Once a professor of Harvard University asked Swami Vivekanandaji, whether he knew about anyone who has studied Self-hypnosis? Swamiji said in western countries whatever they call as hypnotism, it is just the part of the actual text which Rishis called as—— atmapasammohan (dehypnotisation) they say, you are already hypnotized, you have to dehypnotize.

   Yato vacho nivartante aprapt manasa sah    
        Anandam bramano vidvan na bibhate kadachan

With mind the speech, without knowing that, comes back,

By knowing that one, the fear remains not this is dehypnotisation.

Swami ji was not in favor of treating people by hypnotism. He said that every individual has power of Braham. By someone else controlling it, there are very much chances of you losing your own will power.

There are master livings of age more than two thousand years. Hindu kings Ashoka abandon martial arts because his being was touched so deeply by the adverse effects the war gives. Chinese have come to the land of Hindus at the time of Moriya dynasty, when Nalanda was the center of education in its natural sense and essence. Flowing in accordance with nature all subjects were unfolded in its natural way, understanding everything as spark of light from which all came into existence.
The science of Yoga is the base of Indian martial art which goes subtly and naturally beyond modern psycho-physiology for example while I was teaching yoga I came across a female with psychosomatic problem it took three years for her to become normal so as she don’t know if she was facing such problem. In psycho systems they treat patients to eliminate emotions by relieving past experiences same is achieved by practicing one moola bandha of yogic sciences but it takes time to affect the centers at brain.

All ranks, all rules, all pre-orchestrated movement, all limitations are respected by us and carried forward as development of mind body relationship ,except for the limitation of mind and body is the way of  moving from "Law of Nature" to beyond the juxtaposition of mind and body or mind and matter through meditation.  Indian martial Art is a system of real education working as a bud transforms into flower no force required it’s the relaxed way of Yoga. Meditation on third eye is the way wherein you can break the knot of mind and matter. Agastya muni had coded down these in the form of sutras for good people to read and practice through meditation but very few people can excel in that like Prakasan from south part of India could do that  he could attack without contact within 10 feets and the person will be knocked down , Indian Martial Art is a system beyond normal understanding because of its vast history wherever Hindu kings ruled around the world they never exploited the humanity inspite of such high knowledge on martial arts the king like Ashoka renounced weapons it was due to love for humanity understanding the higher purpose of being in the human birth. By reading the book by a yogi who left his body voluntarily at united states at a last speech uttering that where Ganges flow men leave their houses in search of god lo.. my soul have touched that sod and he left the body can you imagine, have you ever noticed such happening. His book is named Autobiography of a yogi….. Let me tell you about the interest on yoga in Russia, justice V. R Krishna Iyer former judge of Supreme Court of India, at the time of visiting a town near Leningrad. He asked a group of professors there whether they had thought about what happens when man dies. After a few minutes discussion, one of the professors quietly went inside and came out with the book “Autobiography of a yogi.”

He was surprised. In a country ruled by the materialistic philosophy of Marx and Lenin, here is an official of a government institute showing him Paramhansa ji’s book “Please realize that the spirit of India is not alien to us”, said professor “We accept the authenticity of everything recorded in this book, and we are trying to understand the state of super conscious this soul must have possessed while here in the body. Our research is focused on that.

V. R. Krishna Iyer wished there were scientific institutes in India that would have the courage openly to say, “We are doing research into the super consciousness of the paramhansa. But we do not yet have the courage.

                          education in human biomechanics and the study of human behavior under extreme situations is like being aware of how bud transforms into flower you cannot forcibly do it, it should be in accordance with the harmony of nature Students should be guided to introspect their vision to explore their full human potential by learning the art of relaxation by various aspects of yoga. The learning without competition  adding the quality of feeling and ease, as equality and enjoyment of stillness in action are derived from a Sanskrit sloka “sthir sukham asanam” study pleasurable is the pose and the second part is “pyatam sathilyam anant smapatibhyam” meaning where effort ceases to exist or the state of effortless effort then you are in the way towards infinite. Movement should be natural tension free in a deep relaxed state. Exertion had to kept bare minimum because in yoga there no exertion it’s not exercise, and acquirement of skill is based on the study of Indian Yogic philosophy, Slowly naturally developing into laws of interdisciplinary kinesiology, biomechanics, and psycho-physiology with easy yogic practices avoiding exertion understanding the philosophy because it’s not callisthenic.

In Indian Martial Art, the main goal of a person is to avoid conflict by word of mouth or diffuse it by using nonviolent methods, avoid such places and situations at extreme situations just …….. Render the adversary harmless while minimizing losses for both self and foe. Students learn to be aware of self defense self understanding self exploration and be in the path of self realization work efficiently in any situation that requires defense, prevention of aggression, or conflict resolution. This is how the Indian Martial Artist takes an individual from action to liberation it’s not to become fighters but to understand our tools to use at the right moment in self defense self understanding and self exploration.


Characteristics of Indian Martial Art

 Indian thought believes that god resides in every particle I have interacted with Dr Ram Bhosle a martial artist healer and the freedom fighter. He wanted to make a sitar an instrument to play music generally it has sixteen to seventeen stubs or gattas in between but he wanted to make thirty two, so he went to a tree and bowed prayed to tree. Which was situated at the river bank, the flow of continuous water was there underneath the tree. He requested to the tree that he wanted his wood for good reasons and then he made instrument out of that. Sir Jajdish Chandra basu worked to break the barrier between animate and inanimate by making his instrument kriskograph and proved that every particle has life we can understand Indian martial art by understanding the Indian healing or medicinal approach towards loving  beings, the three approaches, Ayurvedic allopathic and homeopathic. The allopathic approach combats the symptom; the homeopathic approach amplifies and utilizes the symptom in the therapeutic process Ayurvedic goes to the root of the conflict because the rishis have understood that the five elements earth is enemy of water, water is enemy of fire, fire is enemy of air and space eats all. So they conclude three as the savior of the body mind quantum as in conjunction and they are  wind bile and mucus. If these three are in harmony your system will be finely tuned. The yogic postures practiced have effects in whole endocrinal system to its brain centers if suppose someone is habitual bribe taker it’s because some of his gland isn’t working proper off course it has its past imprints in his consciousness due to the actions performed by him. Around the globe you can see the vast use of yoga and its relaxation methodology by some way or other, if you cannot do a normal exercise of stomach in an western exertion way you can practice same in a breakup yogic way all are using it except some like great grand master Bruce Lee may accept it and recommend Indian philosopher Jkrishnamurti for mental cultivation others start with their own names and country but Hindus are liberal to give out of love for humanity and by the way at death not a farthing can be carried away. What matters are your actions performed because they are carried away as imprints in your being.  The Ayurvedic approach is seen in very few forms of martial art, for it orients not on conquering and controlling adversary, not on non-resistance and amplification but on going to the source of human nature’s karmic juxtaposition as to why certain individual is like that because from one light all have evolved so who is bad or good under the roof of that one lord all are same.

. 

 In the entire globe land of Hindus is the only place where non violence had been practiced from thousands of years in the recent era Gandhi is the supreme example to conclude. Vajramukti is a non violent art uses body and its processes as means towards an end to know thyself and holistic healing. I am trying to describe or put my awareness of nonviolence, by quoting dialogue between Yulteshwar giri and Paramhansa Yogananda author of Autobiography of a Yogi.

Yuktesgwar ji was interpreting the ancient texts.Yoganandaji was also sitting there. A mosquito sat upon his thigh and was distracting his attention.Yogananda raised his hand, but at the same time he remembered Patanjalis sutra of nonviolence {ahimsa}.

“Why didn’t you finish the job?” said Yukteshwarji

“Master !  Do you advocate taking life?” replied Yoganandaji

“No, but in your mind you had already struck the death blow.

“I don’t understand”

“By ahimsa Patanjali meant removal of the desire to kill”

This world is conveniently arranged for a literal practice of ahimsa. Man may be compelled to exterminate harmful creatures, he is not under a similar compulsion to feel anger or animosity.

Patanjali yoga sutra 11…35 says.                           

“In the presence of a man perfected in ahimsa {nonviolence}

Enmity does not arise.”

This is the state true martial artist should strive to be in it’s the inner state of developed mind

In evaluation as human we should go away from war for higher evolution

I have worked with these mudras with patients with mental problems it can be helpful for any psychosomatic disorders more easily than other made up exercises

Sources is from my book published from

Germany Black belt in karate & authority in Yoga

Vajramukti Tao of holistic healing for ageless body

Timeless mind ISBN 978-3-659-18745-2 available at    www.amazon.com

Now suppose you have some mental problem, a yogi will give you a simple bandha a Jivha bandha (tongue lock), which is very important in kriya yoga (a higher yogic science). It is to touch your tongue to the upper palate of your mouth and stretch. You can see this in these two postures.You can sit in any pose back should be straight.

There won’t be any harm by performing it and if you are interested, you can go for higher meditative purpose also. This one bandha has got a profound effect on vagus nerve, which is the highest autonomic nerve and it sends fibres to many glands and organs. The autonomic nervous system is divided fubctionally into two parts, Sympathetic & Parasympathetic system. Sympathetic system lies in front of the vertebral column and is associated and connected with the spinal cord by the nerve fibres. The Parasympathetic system is divided into two parts composed of cranial and sacral autonomic nerves.

These sympathetic and parasympathetic cords constitute the Autonomic system which supplies nerves to the involuntary organs such as heart,lungs,intestines,kidnes,liver etc and controls them. The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and is associated with the medulla oblongata.

For further reading or practising

The Neurobiology of Grace Under Pressure

8 habits that stimulate your vagus nerve and keep you calm, cool, and collected.

Published on February 2, 2013 by Christopher Bergland in The Athlete's Way

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Vagus Nerve in Yellow

When was the last time that you had to perform gracefully in a high-pressure situation? How did you handle it? Did you choke or did you have grace under pressure? Researchers continue to confirm that daily habits of mindset and behavior can create a positive snowball effect through a feedback loop linked to stimulating your vagus nerve. In this entry I will show you 8 habits that stimulate healthy ‘vagal tone’ and allow you to harness the power of your vagus nerve to help you stay calm, cool, and collected in any storm. 

Healthy vagal tone is indicated by a slight increase of heart rate when you inhale, and a decrease of heart rate when you exhale. Deep diaphragmatic breathing—with a long, slow exhale—is key to stimulating the vagus nerve and slowing heart rate and blood pressure, especially in times of performance anxiety. A higher vagal tone index is linked to physical and psychological well-being. A low vagal tone index is linked to inflammation, negative moods, loneliness, and heart attacks. 

Related Links

• The Neurobiology of Grace Under Pressure
• The Athlete's Way: 2013 in Review
• Grace + Dignity = Happiness
• What It Means to Be Gracious
• Literary Introverts of My Childhood

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Heart disease is the number one killer in America. One way to improve your heart health is to focus on the vagus-friendy lifestyle habits I explore below. Well conditioned athletes have higher vagal tone because aerobic breathing creates healthy vagal tone, which results in a lower resting heart rate. Healthy cardiac function is directly linked to stimulating the vagus nerve. 

In 1921, a German physiologist named Otto Loewi discovered that stimulating the vagus nerve caused a reduction in heart rate by triggering the release of a substance  he coined Vagusstoff (German: “Vagus Substance”). The “vagus substance” was later identified as acetylcholine and became the first neurotransmitter identified by scientists.  

Vagusstuff is literally a tranquilizer that you can self-administer simply by taking a few deep breaths with long exhales. You can consciously tap the power of your vagus nerve to create inner-calm on demand. This knowledge alone should be enough to reduce the fear-of-fear-itself and give you grace under pressure next time you need it.

What exactly is the vagus nerve?

The word vagus means "wandering" in Latin. The words vagabond, vague, and vagrant come from the same root. The vagus nerve is known as the wandering nerve because it has multiple branches that diverge from two thick stems rooted in the cerebellum and brainstem that wander to the lowest viscera of your abdomen touching your heart and most major organs along the way.

The vagus nerve is constantly sending sensory information about the state of the body's organs "upstream"  to your brain. In fact, 80-90% of the nerve fibers in the vagus nerve are dedicated to communicating the state of your viscera up to your brain. When people say “trust your gut” they are in many ways saying, “trust your vagus nerve.” Visceral feelings and gut-instincts are literally emotional intuitions transferred up to your brain via the vagus nerve.

As with any mind-body feedback loop, messages also travel "downstream" from your conscious mind through the vagus nerve signaling your organs to create an inner-calm so you can “rest-and-digest” during times of safety or to prepare your body for “fight-or-flight” in dangerous situations.

Your vagus nerve is the commander-in-chief when it comes to having grace under pressure. The autonomic nervous system is comprised of two polar opposite systems that create a complementary tug-of-war which allows your body to maintain homeostasis (inner-stability).

The sympathetic nervous system is geared to rev you up like the gas pedal in an automobile – it thrives on adrenaline and cortisol and is part of the fight-or-flight response. The parasympathetic nervous system is the polar opposite. The vagus nerve is command central for the function of your parasympathetic nervous system. It is geared to slow you down like the brakes on your car and uses neurotransmitters like acetylcholine and GABA to literally lower heart rate, blood pressure, and help your heart and organs slow down.

Unfortunately, the vagus nerve’s reflexive responses can backfire and turn it from comrade into saboteur. Anytime you psyche yourself out before an important event, feel intimidated, or insecure your vagus nerve interprets that you are in real danger which exacerbates these negative responses.

All of the physical symptoms of performance anxiety—racing heart, sweaty palms, dry mouth, upset stomach, shakiness—are the result of your vagus nerve disengaging. Luckily, you have the power to harness your vagus nerve and keep it engaged to create grace under pressure. By understanding the incredible power of your vagus nerve you can begin practicing ways to flex its inhibitory strength to keep you mellow in times of distress.

8 habits that will stimulate your vagus nerve and give you grace under pressure.

Early anatomical drawing of the vagus nerve.

1. Visualize the Vagus Nerve. Visualizing the vagus nerve as a wellspring of neurobiological ingredients that create mental and physical calmness will create a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is not just the placebo effect in action. Remember, anytime you take a deep breath and exhale you are triggering a biological release of vagusstuff that will lower heart rate and blood pressure.

In addition to visualizing my vagus nerve I literally talk to it in the third person like it is a separate entity. You can try this too the next time you have the butterflies or are shaky before a big presentation or challenge. I will literally say to my vagus nerve things like, "I thought we were in this together. I need you to work with me here. Come on! Don't let me down." Somehow this helps take my ego out of the situation, puts me at ease, and makes me feel like I have a loyal comrade on deck. Try this trick the next time you need grace under pressure and see if it works for you. 

I include this narrow anatomical drawing to help you visualize what the vagus nerve actually looks like in your body and to illustrate how long it is from top to bottom.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice. In a Psychology Today blog entry called No. 1 Reason Practice Makes Perfect, I wrote about the power of your cerebellum to store muscle memory and allow you to perform gracefully under pressure. Without extensive practice we are forced to rely too much on the ‘executive function’ of our prefrontal cortex. Anytime you 'over-think' your performance you are more likely to choke, fumble and drop the ball.  Arthur Ashe called this “paralysis by analysis." Once the cerebellum is running the show your vagus nerve engages which helps create fluidity in your thoughts and actions.

3. Create Flow by balancing skill and challenge. The key to being in the ‘zone’ or creating a state of ‘flow’ is to find the sweet spot where your skill level perfectly matches the challenge. Get in the habit of continually nudging against your limits. By increasing the challenge gradually you become more skilled and comfortable with more difficult tasks. 

Seek challenges that keep you nestled between anxiety and boredom. The key to peak performance is to have a heightened state of arousal but an inner sense of calm reflected in a perfect dynamic tension within the yin-yang of your autonomic nervous system.  Although it is tempting to bite-off-more-than you can chew, your vagus nerve can betray you if it feels you're in uncharted territory. By consistently increasing your skills you will feel at ease as you take on bigger challenges. That said, if you ever do have the opportunity to leap frog to a high-stakes challenge, use other techniques here to harness the vagus nerve and use it as an ally to get you through. 

4. Reframe Priorites and Values. I strongly believe that friends, family, good health, and generosity of spirit matter more than any achievements that requires grace under pressure. In 2006, Geoffrey Cohen, a professor at the Stanford University School of Education, conducted a series of experiments designed to reduce test-taking pressures. In the experiment he asked students to write a paragraph about a topic unrelated to the exam such as: “relationships with friends and family,” “religious values,” “athletic ability,” and “being good at art” before being tested. This brief writing assignment significantly improved the grades of students.

Before you face any challenge or test that fills you with performance anxiety get in the habit of reframing the importance of the event by putting it in a broader perspective of other things that you're good at and what matters most to you.  Even when the stakes are high, remember that every hurdle is an opportunity to learn. Mastery is a process. Overblown performance anxiety jacks up cortisol and andrenaline levels and makes you less likely to succeed.

5. Use neuroplasticity to re-wire habits of positive thinking.  By generating positive emotions and a learned optimism you will ‘fire-and-wire’ together neural networks associated with a mindset that will give you grace under pressure. The vagus nerve picks up on signals coming from the 'top-down' and from the 'bottom-up' and uses these signals to re-wire your mind through neuroplasticity.

On January 28, 2013 researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland announced that they are hoping to help victims of stroke to overcome physical disabilities by helping their brains to 'rewire' themselves using a Vagal Nerve Stimulator (VNS). Lead researcher Dr Jesse Dawson, a stroke consultant and clinical senior lecturer in medicine, described the vagus nerve by saying, "That nerve is one of the major nerves that goes to the brain. By stimulating the nerves, you can cause upstream changes in the brain without having to go into the brain."

It is hoped that the device will stimulate release of the brain's own chemicals and help the brain form new neural connections which might improve participants' arm mobility. In 2005, the FDA approved the use of VNS for treatment-resistant depression, although it’s use remains controversial... VNS is also used to treat epilepsy and tinnitus. 

Dr Dawson added: "Evidence from animal studies suggests that vagus nerve stimulation could cause the release of neurotransmitters which help facilitate neural plasticity and help people re-learn how to use their arms after stroke, particularly if stimulation is paired with specific tasks.” The link between vagus nerve stimulation and neuroplasticity is strong. By focusing on creating healthy vagal tone you can trigger similar neuroplastic changes from the bottom-up. Creating a mindset of grace under pressure can be reinforced through the powerful mind-body connection of the vagus nerve.

6. Seek Daily Physicality. Cardio-respiratory activity, strength training and yoga stimulate vagal tone and  harmonize hormones and neurotransmitters linked to grace under pressure. Aerobic activity stimulates healthy vagal tone due to the inherent diaphragmatic breathing of rhythmic cardio-respiratory exercise. Strength training with an emphasis on a robust exhale as you push the weight will stimulate vagal tone.

Yoga increases vagal tone, too. In a 2012 article published in Medical Hypotheses, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), New York Medical College (NYMC), and the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons (CCPS) presented evidence that yoga may be effective in treating patients with stress-related psychological and medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and cardiac disease.

The researchers hypothesize that stress causes an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic under-activity and sympathetic over-activity) as well as under-activity of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.  According to the researchers, low GABA activity occurs in anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, epilepsy, and chronic pain. The hypothesis advanced in this paper could explain why vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) works to decrease both seizure frequency and the symptoms of depression.

"Western and Eastern medicine complement one another. Yoga is known to improve stress-related nervous system imbalances," said Chris Streeter, MD, associate professor of psychiatry at BUSM and Boston Medical Center, who is the study's lead author. Streeter believes that "This paper provides a theory, based on neurophysiology and neuroanatomy, to understand how yoga helps patients feel better by relieving symptoms in many common disorders."

7. Anxiety is contagious: Avoid anxious people. As a neurosurgeon, my father needed to have grace under pressure. He understood how delicate the sensors of his own vagus nerve were and would ask anyone in the operating room to leave if he or she was emitting an uptight vibe.

I’ve learned to do the same in life—especially before an important event. Because anxiety is catching, I will remove myself from the vicinity of anyone who is negative, cynical or doubtful of my ability to hit-it-out-of-the-park in a high stakes situation. The vagus nerve picks up on people’s vibe. Of course, none of us like to be around high strung people, but it is particularly important when you need to have grace under pressure.

If you are unable to remove yourself from anxious or nervous people (like in a waiting room for an audition or near the starting line of a race) I recommend using headphones with music that creates an appropriate mood and blocks the ability of others' anxiety to affect your vagal tone. You can also close your eyes and do mindfulness or meditation maneuvers to distance your vagal nerve from picking up the nervous vibe of people in your vicinity. Obviously, people who emit easy-going, warm, upbeat emotions are much better for your health, longevity, and ability to perform with grace under pressure. Seek these people out!

8. Foster Loving & Kindness. In order to maintain healthy vagal tone it’s important to foster diverse and rewarding social connections. In a 2010 study published in Psychological Science, Barbara Frederickson and Bethany Kok of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill focused their attention on the vagus nerve.

Their article was titled: How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone.They discovered that a high vagal tone index was part of a feedback loop between positive emotions, physical health and positive social connections.

Their research results suggests that positive emotions, positive social connections, and physical health influence one another in a self-sustaining upward spiral dynamic that scientists are just beginning to understand. Kok states that: “We propose here that people’s ability to translate their own positive emotions into positive social connections with others may hold one of the keys to solving this mystery.”

In the experiment Frederickson and Kok used a Loving-Kindness Meditation technique to help participants become better at self-generating positive emotions. However, they also found that simply reflecting on positive social connections and working to improve them also caused improvements in vagal tone.

Conclusion: The Vagus Nerve and Ferocious Equanimity

Equanimity is a core tenet of many ancient philosophies and religions. Equanimity is defined as “Mental calmness, composure and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.” Equanimity has its biological roots in the vagus nerve and is synonymous with grace under pressure.

Equanimity is not synonymous with passivity. As you strive to push yourself ever higher—and take on bigger challenges—do so with what I call “Ferocious Equanimity”. Use your vagus nerve to stay balanced and calm when the stakes are high.  As you push against your limits remember that your vagus nerve is always there to keep you imperturbable and steady on the high-wire act of living your life to its fullest and maximizing your potential.

Hopefully the advice herein will give you some tools to utilize the incredible power of your vagus nerve and give you grace under pressure the next time you need it.