Wellness - 4 - Patterns

This concept of “Know Yourself” started to eat me up.

I went to my Doctor and said “I want to know myself”… he suggested a full medical checkup!

I went to my teacher and said the same thing. He said, “If you didn’t know in so many years… you will never know!”

I went to a spiritual person and said the same thing. He suggested that I read scriptures, do meditation and start contemplation!!

Give me a break!

Just as I sat exasperated, a technical book on 'Design Patterns' caught my eye—a popular book written by the 'Gang of Four'! A deep flash of thoughts ran inside my mind. Much of scientific discovery has happened by studying patterns over a period. Many paradigms have emerged through study of patterns. Why can’t I apply the same to 'knowing myself'!

• Does my body send out signals as a pattern over a period of time?
• Does my mind generate thoughts as a pattern over a period of time?
• Do these patterns reveal great truths about me to myself?
• Is it the pattern that reveals the truth or is it a 'change' in the usual pattern that reveals something or is it both?

Oh! I seem to have some direction in self discovery! I realised that 'allergy' is the simplest example for 'patterned talk' by the body towards an input. Suddenly, the expressions 'observe yourself—your body, breath, thoughts, 'listen to your body' etc., made a deeper sense to me, now!

We want others to listen to us; some of us want to become better listeners—again to what others are saying… 

but what about listening to ourselves?

Our body is a relentless communicator—that doesn’t ‘give up’ even when we refuse to listen; quite unfortunately the language of communication is not verbal! I wish our body could send out an email—maybe we will pay better attention!!

The key aspect to understand here is that the 'patterns' are different for different people due to the variation in the constitution of the Body-Mind-Senses, even at birth!!

Let me initiate the first action in this direction—start observing patterns in different aspects of myself for a period of time and start to notice changes in the pattern subsequently.

A good starting point is to observe the patterns around the 'three great body patterns'—Appetite, Digestion and Sleep.

Some questions in this regard could be (this list is only indicative and certainly not exhaustive)

• Under what circumstances, do I ‘feel’ hungry?
• How many hours of sleep make me wake up fresh?
• What is the pattern in the movement of my bowels?

First step is awareness—next step is action driven by specific and measurable goals.

(... to be continued)