Over the years, as the QNET family has grown bigger and more diverse, I have tried to evolve my training programs to include new methodologies and tools from around the world to help people with their personal growth. Many of you know that I am an avid reader and a student of many cultures and teachings of great leaders from the past. I get my inspiration for interesting new training tools from reading, talking to people from different countries and nationalities, discussions with many of you, videos of other successful techniques and even just simple observations of life around me.
One such interesting method I have used, especially for participants of the Zone, my annual, invitation only program is called Pradakshina. While the term Pradakshina itself is in Sanskrit, the act of doing Pradakshina goes by many names in many cultures.
So, what is Pradakshina? In English, it is called Circumambulation, the act of going around a fixed point. I refer to it as Pradakshina, because I grew up in an Indian family and that’s the term I am most familiar with.
Science teaches us that everything in this world has a pattern. From the smallest sub-atomic particle to the gigantic universe, everything is in constant motion. There are two kinds of motion.
- Self-spinning – Rotating on one’s own axis
- Circumambulation – Going in a circular motion around a fixed point.
Let me illustrate this with some examples.
- If you remember your high school physics, electrons in an atom are self-spinning and they go around the nucleus, which is at the core of the atom.
- The moon has its own axis of rotation and yet it also spins around the Earth.
- The Earth spins on its axis and yet it also rotates around the Sun.
- All stars in the galaxy rotate around a galactic center and the sun is one of hundreds of billion of stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way
And this goes on and on….
A Last day of Hajj – all pilgrims leaving Mina, many already in Mecca for farewell circumambulation of Kaaba.
From ancient times, circumambulation has been a part of many different cultures and religions around the world. In Hinduism, it is common to circumambulate around a sacred object or structure in prayer. Buddhists walk around a temple to cultivate reflection on compassion and wisdom. The Jewish faith uses circumambulation during Hoshanah Rabbah at the end of the Festival of Sukkot. At some Catholic shrines,it is also a tradition to circumambulate around the relics of a saint or an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary. Often this is performed three times, as a reference to the Trinity.
In Islam, circumambulation is performed around the Kaaba in Mecca and is known as Tawaf. During the Hajj and Umrah, Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba seven times, in a counter clockwise direction. The circling is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of the One God, as they move in harmony together around the Kaaba, while supplicating to Allah. Interestingly, I read that the Kaaba is the most circumambulated structure in this world since it is constantly circumambulated by pilgrims at all times except for the time of prayers, when small birds and angels are said to circumambulate the Kaaba.
Sufi dancers, known as the whirling dervishes revolve around their left foot with their head tilted similar to the tilt of earth’s axis. Greek philosopher Plato, who studied in Egypt for 13 years believes that ancient Egypt’s ritual circle dancing represents the dance of the planets and stars around the altar of the sun.
These various interpretations, you will have observed, portray circumambulation as a journey. One that allows man to walk in harmony with a greater power and the laws of nature, because to harmonize with it, is true power.
I have tried to incorporate the key benefits of circumambulation into my training programs based on five key benefits suited to today’s world.
- Physical: The act of circumambulation requires a lot of walking. And when we set out to circumambulate a particular number of times, the physical benefit of walking results in getting a good exercise. During the Zone, I recommend approximately 50 rounds which can be completed in around 40-45 minutes.
- Emotional: At an emotional level, when we circumambulate everyday, we derive an understanding that everything we do revolves around a higher power that is at the centre of the universe. This helps us stay humble.
- Intellectual: The understanding that the smallest micro particle to the complex macro universe follows this motion, allows us to appreciate the wonders of nature and the science behind it.
- Awareness: As we circumambulate, it allows us time for reflection and connect with our inner selves. This connection deepens over time and it increases our self-awareness, allowing us to reflect and change things within us. This helps us to stop finding fault with others and seeing external sources as a cause of our problems.
- Consciousness: Focusing on a fixed object or point when you walk around it, allows the mind to focus. Our minds are constantly filled with wandering thoughts and the act of circumambulation is known to still the mind.
It is important to note that ultimately the process of circumambulation is one of refining focus and internalising one’s thoughts and is not confined to any religious or spiritual practice. You can choose to do it in any direction you want, and any number of times you want. Like any tool it can be utilised for any purpose that you need it for, ranging from the martial arts to exam preparation. The only reason I incorporate it as part of my training programs is because of its effectiveness as a mental exercise.
