Deepak Chopra is a world famous author and alternative medicine advocate whose books and videos have made him one of the best-known fi gures around the globe with entrepreneurs, celebrities and notable fi gures all going to him for his wisdom and advice. Giving back is also high on his priority list, and he is the founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profi t entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a modern-day health company at the intersection of science and spirituality. As a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, he is Board Certifi ed in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
The mind is what causes all the problems. If I asked you right now to close your eyes and do nothing, within less than two minutes you’ll become aware that you’re telling yourself a story…”
How do you stay so productive and passionate after all these years? How do you keep that hunger alive for diff erent challenges that come your way?
I just am curious, experienced, and wonder all the time, but I also take care of my health. I don’t start working till about 11:00 AM and I don’t work after 5:00 PM usually, and I don’t work on weekends. So, I have a six-hour day, which is very focused, mindful, and aware. And during those six hours, I just share with the world what I’m wondering about, what I’m thinking about, what I’m excited about. So, my attitude is I’m singing in the bathroom and a lot of people enjoy the song and I’m not concerned who’s listening or what they think. That inspired the poem of Rumi. I wanted to sing like birds sing, not worrying who listens or what they think. That takes all the tension out. You’re not concerned with the outcome; you’re focused on the process.
As you mentioned you don’t start working until 11:00 AM. So, what is your morning practice like before?
So, I wake up around 6 AM and after a little bit of washing and taking care of my usual ablutions, I do about a half an hour of breathing exercises. Then I do yoga and meditation for about two hours. Then I check in the beginning and before 11, my emails and social media, and then I’m done. By 11, I’m done with yoga, breathing, meditation, social media, and checking emails. I’m ready to work. And then at fi ve o’clock I enjoy some time with the family, I go for a walk. I start getting ready for bed around nine o’clock. Before sleep, I meditate on my death, which is very exciting, the next chapter and I do a little refl ection and then I start all over again the next day. And the pandemic made that very simple, but now I’m going to start traveling again.
I’m a big fan of supervised experience of psychedelics with experts…”
How can meditation and yoga help entrepreneurs and those in business to succeed?
I think you need to have four things, not just meditation. You need a joyful, energetic body. So, I’ve asked you on a scale of one to ten, how much energy do you have? 10 is the maximum you could possibly have. You have more energy to do everything that you want to do. If you say eight, nine, and 10, you’re thriving. If you say 5, 6, 7, you’re struggling. If you’re less than fi ve, you probably are already sick. That’s data from Gallup, which I helped develop. So, energy tells you a lot about your physical health… Read the full interview
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DEEPAK CHOPRA
The Mindset 360 #Summer2021
Featuring Deepak Chopra, John Otto, Victor Migalchan, Rebecca Louise, Kamal Mamedov and so many others entrepreneurs.
