Listening to Our North Star through Mindfulness Meditation

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;

Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,

But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,

Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,

Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,

There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

From the Four Quartets, T.S. Eliot

When envisioning the world of Wholistic Wellbeing, I felt my soul was guided by my North Star. It’s the timeless anchor of the northern sky; a brightly glowing sky mark that has guided travelers on their paths through eons. Call it a metaphor or even a cliché, but the North Star has been the only unwavering light along my personal and professional journeys, together culminating at RoundGlass. Overtime, my North Star -- always there but seemingly out of reach -- unfurled and unveiled itself to me as Wholistic Wellbeing.

Wholistic Wellbeing is the feeling of being at one with ourselves and our surrounding, and the cultivation of positive and constructive thoughts to live a happy, healthy life. These positive and constructive thoughts do not negate the all-too-human, negative emotions: rather, they teach us to accept them as important aspects of a well-lived life and to channel these negativities into productive strengths that benefit both ourselves and others. Wellbeing is a state of being, a process of constant acceptance and then letting go of emotions, like waves we notice, observe, treasure, and then, finally, release.

In these fast-paced, turbulent, and uncertain times, we constantly deal with challenges. Fear, anxiety, worry about the future and other stressful and weighty emotions can overwhelm us. During the pandemic, I had many conversations with friends and relatives, sharing how hard it was to be led away from our inner struggles, as the sudden lockdown prohibited us from socializing and entertaining ourselves as before. Old wounds and memories rose to the surface and needed to be dealt with while we grappled with worry about the future. The collective angst was palpable as our psyches faced the shadow of our own mortality, whether as individuals or as a species.

As a seeker of wellbeing, I have rediscovered the power of mindfulness meditation. I also rediscovered my North Star, that silent part of my being, always there, protecting me. Seeing my breath every morning, I returned to a silent point of stillness and of peace.

Through outreach, I also reconnected with my own heritage in India, where the beautiful tradition of meditation began. It has always remained with me, and I enjoy seeing it put to good use by the Western scientific community, which finds mindfulness meditation to be a great way to improve tranquility and calm during times of unrest.

I have been practicing mindfulness meditation for a long time, and have found it incredibly effective in helping me focus my thoughts. The ability to be fully present, to live in the moment, and remain mindful about our thoughts and emotions is truly a gift. Mindfulness meditation directs us to focus on the present, to notice the world and our inner emotions and thoughts without interruption or judgement. It’s a way for us to listen to the North Star within each of us and unlock the door to our true purpose. Our time on Earth is too short to waste: we need to live meaningfully, Mindfulness meditation is Wholistic Wellbeing’s secret ingredient to finding out how we can all do this.