Review by Nanna Coppens
I’ve got a long–standing relationship with the Peace Formula, by Mansukh Patel. I had a copy of the first edition in 1993, which became increasingly well-read and well-thumbed as the years went by. Not only have I used it as a manual for meditation sustaining my own yoga and meditation practice, it has inspired my teaching of meditation over many years, and I was also part of the graphics and IT team which created the Dutch translation of the book.
When Mansukh Patel created the Peace Formula, he identified seven steps towards creating happiness and success through meditation. In my meditation classes, I have found that everyone identifies with the first step - the Wanting Mind. Everyone is looking for happiness. In order to find happiness, Mansukh Patel writes, we need to have total self-acceptance. However, most of us have to dissolve years of self-rejection. Meditation is a powerful technique which can help us out of this disempowering cycle so that we can accept and love ourselves.
Mansukh Patel’s second step towards inner peace is the need for a calm, clear mind. Silence and meditation are in my experience the quickest and easiest way to cultivate a quiet mind. Dru meditation techniques using a candle or a flower, described by Mansukh in the Peace Formula, are powerful ways to quieten the mind.
The third step, according to Mansukh, is our relationship with ourselves. Unless we can love ourselves, it will be difficult for us to build a strong relationship with others. In the Peace Formula, Mansukh Patel describes the ‘inner smile’ meditation which has helped people in my meditation classes across the world.
There is a whole chapter in the book titled ‘Believe in Yourself’, which is so crucial, that Mansukh Patel has also written another whole book, just on this aspect. Having faith in ourselves, in our abilities and talents, is crucial for increasing self-esteem.
In the next chapter, Mansukh Patel describes practical ways to make inter-personal relationships, more harmonious. On the Dru Meditation teacher training course, many people have found that their relationships with family and friends have improved after practising Dru Meditation techniques. Mansukh gives ways to live beyond conflict which include accepting others, focussing on love and empowering others.
An aspect of the Peace Formula which my students have found useful, is Mansukh’s inclusion of Dru yoga postures and visualisations. Deceptively simple, these help to release negative feelings and replace them with positive thoughts.
In the next section of the Peace Formula, Mansukh Patel gives a practical approach to discovering unconditional love. Living in the moment is an important step towards this goal, as we move away from constantly being in the past or the future. Meditation is a vital part of this process.
Having practiced the meditation techniques, we can then discover how Unity can be achieved. Mansukh describes how we can achieve inner peace and a deep sense of happiness.
I first started working with the Peace Formula fifteen years ago and it is as fresh and and relevant today as when Mansukh Patel first penned it. I heartily recommend it for anyone interested in Dru Yoga, Meditation or self development.
You can get more information from: Your Personal Peace Formula, by Mansukh Patel
Related material:
Quiet Times, introduction to Dru Meditation CD by Chris Barrington
Points of Balance, by Chris Barrington and Mansukh Patel
Head and Heart Solutions AV speed learning pack, with Chris Barrington, Paulette Agnew, Mansukh Patel, Andrew Wells, Savitri MacCuish
|
