AN INSIGHTFUL READ ON PRACTISING MINDFULNESS
Book Review: "Magic of the Mind" by Ravi Valluri
Life is full of vicissitudes, and there are ups and downs in this journey. However, to grapple with the ups and downs in life, and to take all this in our stride, one must have a robust mind and consciousness. The author Ravi Valluri has come out with the book “Magic of the Mind”, which describes how to deal with uncertainties of life with equipoise and to lookout for luminosity in bleak times.
The book is divided into nine segments and consists of 50 articles. The first segment is ‘Stretching into Infinity’ where the author describes about different yoga asanas like Pranayama, Shirshasana, Sudarshan Kriya, etc. Readers will get to know about the advantages of these yoga asanas. The second segment is ‘Jostling with Corona’, where the author talks about how he coped with the pandemic. The third part is an ode to the author’s parents, in which he has written requiems for his father and mother. He describes his father as ‘an erudite pluralist’ and his mother as ‘a woman of substance’. Since the author lost his mother due to Covid-19, this segment is very poignant, and readers will read about the ways to overcome and cope with grief and bereavement.
Other segments in the book talk about diving into faith, attaining tranquility of mind, how to vanquish one’s flaws and negative thoughts, and the ways to tame the monkey mind. There are articles on Zen Buddhism, harnessing psychological skills, benefits of sleep, and therapeutic approaches for a better life.
Along with being a personal and insightful read, the book also offers everyday tips suitable for modern life. It talks about the transformative and healing power of meditation, and how to defeat negative thoughts and combat uncertain times.
Along with talking about the benefits of practising mindfulness and positive wellbeing strategies, the book also details and puts emphasis on simple techniques to practise these. The articles in the book, describing that there is light at the end of the tunnel, infuses the book with hope.
The all-encompassing theme of healing, and of attaining a calm and composed mind permeates through the book. This self-help book should be read to better understand the pursuit of mindfulness.