My Dear Readers,
Greetings from Maverick!
There is a huge difference between Knowledge and Understanding. Knowledge refers to gathering information through education and experience. Understanding however, refers to knowing the cause or the intended meaning of something. Knowledge precedes understanding. But not every bit of knowledge translates into understanding.
For example, students of class 3 are taught about living things. They are educated that all living things need oxygen, food, water and sunlight to live. This piece of information is available to everyone above the age of 7. However, not everyone understands the intended purpose of this piece of information. Let us break it down:
- We need oxygen to survive – not just in the atmosphere but within our body through the process of breathing. How many of us actually take the time to learn and practice how to breathe correctly. From the land that presented the science of Pranayama to the world, we as a people are so lost in the knowledge and pomp of presenting yoga as a science, but not all understand the value of it. With every breath you are reborn.
- We need food – but what kind? How much? How often? The average person consumes 3 meals a day, all 7 days a week. But not many are aware or conscious of what, when and how much they actually consume. Isn’t it time to understand that every morsel counts?
- Without water to drink, we cannot live. But most of us are perennially dehydrated. In his book titled ‘Your body’s many cries for water’, Dr. Batmanghelidj elaborates how every symptom or ailment we perceive is first our body’s craving for water. Cherish every sip of water.
- Every living thing takes its cues from the sun – time to sleep, time to wake up, time to mate, time to hibernate… Humans have created 24 hour worlds with artificial lights to keep the system functioning without a break. We work the midnight shift to the detriment of our body. Early rising is not a moralistic view but a correlation to our hormonal health – to ensure your cortisol and melatonin dance in sync to your functional needs.
Over the next few issues, let us look into each of these aspects in detail and add to these four, what I consider the most crucial fifth – the need to Move!
Yours in wellbeing
Gita Krishna Raj
