Moving uphill against the gravity, trekking downhill through the stiff slopes, cooking food in an isolated mountain peak with limited resources and spending the night under stars has taught me precious life lessons!
In this post I have tried to express what I have learnt from the first major trekking expedition of my life.
1) Living In the Present
Usually in our daily lives, hardly do we stay in present moment. The mind swings like a pendulum from past events to future worries. While climbing up against gravity, when the heart beats at it’s maximum rate, when the tired legs inches forward in micro steps, the mind has no option but to stay focused in the moment.
After 2 hours of climb we selected an isolated place and meditated for 20 mins. I could observe each little sensation inside the body with little effort. Needless to say, the meditation was a bliss.
2) Small Synchronized Baby Steps Leads to Success
The first 1.5 hours were the toughest! The heart was pounding tremendously, muscles started aching and ahead us lay 3 more hours of tough climb. The only way out was to preserve the energy and take small steps at a time. I stopped thinking about the destination; instead focused on accomplishing what lay right in front of me.
Soon with this strategy we were at the peak.
Similarly in life when we are too much worried about future we end up inviting stress. The key is to take one task at a time and complete it with dedication.
3) Learnt the Value of Little Things
On the next day of our trek downhill, we had to walk down for 3.5 hours in scorching sunlight. We were desperately searching for a bottle of water in vain.
This made us realize the importance of a litre of normal water which we usually take for granted in our daily lives.
Finally after hours of descent, when we could finally reach the market in the foothills, the bottle of water we bought from a local store seemed to be a treasure. Gratitude flowed in effortlessly
4) Healthy Body Is A Bliss
If all the organs of your body is functioning properly, then you are luckier than millions of people across the globe. For us to fulfill majority of our desires in life, the body has to respond positively.
Imagine you have a thousand million dollar in your account but cannot enjoy your favorite dish due to high dibetes. Or you want to go on a road trip, but your aching slip disc is not allowing you to drive for hours! Will you then term it as a successful life?
During the trek I have understood that to enjoy life to the fullest, all the internal as well as external organs have to be in perfect co-ordination with each other. In our daily lives, hardly do we pay gratitude to our beautifully managed divine body. After this trek, I now consciously pay gratitude to my body .
Right now if you want to improve your health, try these few easy steps:
1) Eat Clean: Consume Green Salad, Fresh fruits, boiled Veggies and nuts on a regular basis.
2) Work out: At least for 20-30 mins a day, move your body. You can select from any of these activities: yoga, cardio, jogging, walking, cycling, swimming or any other activity that makes you feel better.
3) Nourish your thoughts: A clean mind manifests a clean body. So watch your thoughts. Discuss ideas, help people and use your education for the betterment of the society. Stay away from negative and harmful discussions.
Below are the snapshots taken from Strava App. The app records our running/walking/jogging stats . In this way me and my friend motivate each other to stay active round the week.
5) We are the most stupid of all the species.
Have you seen any worm destroying its eco system?
Or a bird causing deforestation?
Or a giant elephant destroying greenery?
You won’t, because only we have got the license to kill this beautiful planet! Yes, man is a peculiar species who first destroys the environment and then spends millions of dollars to arrange research, workshop and seminars to discuss on potential ‘scientific’ ways to restore the environment! Lol!
If you ever go on a nature walk you will see how in nature, hundreds of species co-exists in perfect harmony. Only when man enters an ecosystem he destroys everything.