8. Relax Without Resisting

We have a great deal of difficulty relaxing and letting go. We are continuously resisting whatever nature offers.

Man, as a rule, is a fool; when it is hot, he asks for cool, and when it is cool, he begs for 'hot'; always asking for what is not! What does this mean? When the weather is cool, we want it to be warm. When it becomes warm, we search for an air-conditioner! We resist everything. Resistance has become second nature to us.

We resist because of our thinking. In our mind, we think that we are different from nature and therefore we are always looking for special treatment that is different from our natural ambience.

For most part of the year, it is freezing cold in the Himalayas. Even so, sages and enlightened masters make their home there, almost nude, in the cold. They are able to live in the snow without being perturbed by it.

I have lived like that and this body has been undisturbed. This body had no problems. It is because I never thought that I was different from my surroundings and never felt any separation between my body and nature.

We begin to resist anything only when we think that we are different from it. If we think that we are different from nature, our surroundings, we start resisting it. This applies to everything around us including people, situations and what not.

We can practice a very simple exercise to first recognize our resistance and increase our awareness. At this moment, if you are feeling cold, simply relax. Identify the areas that feel cold or hot. You can learn to simply witness that area of your body. Do not resist the atmosphere, do not resist the air, do not resist the temperature, do not resist nature. Do not resist the Existence around you.

Just say, 'I will not resist nature. I am not going to resist the temperature. I am not going to resist Existence. Let me relax.'

Let us be conscious and decisive. Let us be aware. Then we will feel the body relax and the idea of cold will gradually disappear from that area. We will become utterly comfortable with a relaxed state of mind.

Our mind plays this trick on us all the time, if we remain unaware. Our minds are not individual, separate entities of the universe. They are all one and the same. Our minds are interlinked and directly affect each other. Let us flood our minds with awareness and become blissful!