3 M’s — (M)ental Health, (M)editation & (M)en Rights

More than ever, people are waiting for you to stand up and spread positivity.

I migrated to Australia in 2014 and consider myself lucky to be able to settle in this country. My professional career is touching great heights. Even though I have tested rock bottom many times, my resilience enabled me to keep my head high. Each adversity had a role in transforming my personality for the better.

We all strive for infinite happiness. The most significant learning has been that endless joy comes from infinite consciousness. There is no better adventure than exploring ourselves. Our personalities are like onions. We must peel layer after layer to understand ourselves.

I am a proud Hindu who practices Buddhism and loves reading on Stoicism. These cultures drive me to pursue infinite consciousness in a structured manner.

The 3 Ms

As a blogger, I love to look back at life now and then. At this stage, the three Ms that revolve around my personality are (M)ental health, (M)editation, and (M)en’s right. Allow me to cover the three Ms in detail in this article.

The question is — Why Am I writing about this? We are living through privileged times in our lives. There is prosperity, but does it translate to happiness? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 38.8% of people aged 16–24 had a 12-month mental disorder. How can we be prosperous if most of us are battling mental health demons? Every small positive experience has the potential to inspire thousands if not millions. I aim to spread positivity in every little way possible.

Being positive does not mean accepting societal hypocrites. Being spiritual does not mean looking the other way. My blogs critique our disjointed notions of gender equality, racism, and bullying.

(M)ental Health

As a society, we have done a great job discussing mental health issues in a transparent manner. The question is, have we accepted mental illness like any other disease though? Depression, anxiety, or any other mental disorder is an abscess filled with pus. The abscess could be due to challenging times or hormonal imbalances.

Irrespective of the reason — Are we at fault? If the answer is no, what is the stigma about?

I am very close to my aunt, a mental health professional. She had a massive influence on my personality. My knowledge of mental hygiene has matured, listening to her professional experience.

Attention to mental hygiene is a culture in Australia. The Australian healthcare system known as Medicare provides affordable mental health services. The responsibility is not only with the government departments, though. Corporate culture in Australia plays an important role as well. They promote work-life balance to ensure a healthy employee force.

I love to write about self-help techniques and therapy options. They allow me to expand my knowledge and increase my awareness. Below are some of my favorite articles.

(M)editation

Today, I understand the importance of managing my mental health. My rich Indian roots helped me to be open to various meditation techniques. My aunt introduced me to Vipassanā. A Buddhist form of meditation that uses our body’s framework for peace and harmony. The first step to achieving this is to learn to control our attention. Vipassana focuses on breathing and physical sensations.

The breathing could be heavy or light. It could come through from one nostril or both the nostrils. Whatever the case, when our mind wanders, we bring our full attention back to our breath. We don’t regulate our breath but rather observe it.

Vipassana has helped me to cope with the stresses of a legal dispute in India. It instilled faith, positivity, and resilience to fight a battle of over six years. It has helped me learn concepts like the law of attraction & affirmations. I write on Vipassana and compare it with other spiritual and scientific techniques. Below are some of my articles on Vipassana.

(M)en Rights

The third M is a little controversial. Being an Indian-born, ‘Men’s Rights’ sounds surprising for a country labeled as patriarchal. Women empowerment is necessary. It’s appalling to see the state of Women in Afghanistan. The most recent order expects women in Afghanistan to wear a complete burka. It’s like a human walking inside a jail. The thought makes me feel jittery.

India is infamous for crimes against women. They need upliftment, but are all women saints? There are always Bullies within the bullied.

Do men get raped? When will our understanding of rape go beyond the visuals of intercourse?

As a first-level counselor for an Indian NGO, I talk to male victims of domestic violence and biased laws. There is fear among them as law authorities don’t act on such complaints. Instead, they become a laughingstock. Fighting in the court means decades of stress & anxiety. Heavy bribing to ensure personal safety is the norm. I hate to say it, but Men are a forgotten gender in India. To say that the mental of Indian men is poor will be an understatement.

I did some work back in 2018–19 researching NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau) reports. You can read about my findings below:

Final Thoughts

The three pillars (3 M’s) of my life thus far represent personal growth. It also inspires me to take action for positive change in our society.

Mental health, shrouded in stigma, deserves recognition like any other physical ailment. It is a vital aspect of our well-being where the stigma does not have a place.

Meditation, a practice rooted in ancient wisdom, has been a guiding light in my journey. Through techniques like Vipassanā, I have discovered the power of introspection. It brings inner peace and strength, even amid life’s storms.

Men’s rights, a controversial topic, holds substance among discussions on equality and justice. Championing women’s empowerment is indispensable. We can’t override men’s struggles, though. Society can overlook their challenges, but that does not mean we have to overlook them as well.

For continuous improvement, feedback is essential. Toastmasters has been an excellent platform to get constructive feedback. Hence, I bring my exposure to the 3 M’s as speeches in Toastmasters. You will see articles on the essence of public speaking on my medium profile. See some links below:

“They are waiting”. These are the words from a dear friend and mentor, Tom Ware. What does the phrase “They are waiting” mean? It means people are waiting for you to stand up and speak. The world is waiting for you to take charge, inspire, and make an impact. Every time my shoulders drop with the burden of anxiety, I stand up with twice the force. The motivation to stand up is the fact that people are waiting for me.

So, let us rise together, embrace mental health, cherish meditation, and advocate equality. In doing so, we honor our journeys. We become beacons of hope and catalysts for transformation in the lives of those around us. The time is now. The world is waiting.