Voice of India Debojit Saha explains how meditation helped him tide over a difficult phase in his life...(Telegraph India)

 

There are times when you feel like doing nothing but sit back, relax and let the mind wander. For me, this is such a time. I am feeling quite relaxed at this moment with not much work in hand. But things were not the same always. At one time, I was struggling to achieve my dreams and it was meditation that helped me achieve what I wanted in life.

I think some of the lessons I learnt in my initial days would be of some help to many of you, especially those who are going through a rough patch. At such times, meditation was one of the best things that could have happened to me.

When I first landed in Mumbai way back in 2002 in search of my dreams, I found myself completely lost in that big city. I had left my comparatively secure job and the love of my life, my wife Vandana, back home in Assam. Suddenly I found myself in the bustling metropolis, looking for a break which never came. It often left me frustrated.

It was during those initial years in Mumbai that I discovered the power of meditation. I don’t mean meditation in its stereotyped form — sitting cross-legged on the floor in an asana and doing deep-breathing exercises.

For me, meditation was music. I would put on the electronic tanpura and let the music permeate into every nook and corner of the house. The vibrations of the strings would touch my soul in a manner I cannot describe in words.

I discovered that this “musical meditation” helped me achieve peace. Suddenly, I was less troubled by my failures and frustrations. I also realised that peace of mind was absolutely essential to concentrate.

My guru, Pandit Aksharan Sharma, too, told me that I had to be at peace with myself to achieve what I had set out for. Riaz, according to him, was not only practising for four-five hours. It was not only about toning up my voice but my soul too, he said.

I can say now that the meditation sessions ultimately helped me win Zee TV’s musical reality show in 2005, which gave me the footing I was looking for in Bollywood.

A few years have passed since those initial days, but I have not given up on meditation. I have even seen some other great singers like Sonu Nigam’s style of meditation, which is to put on some music and let the notes do the rest. And it is effective too, for I have never seen Sonu appear troubled.

It is a fact that all musicians have a spiritual inclination and I am not an exception. I know that many among you have faced or may face similar circumstances in life. If you have faith in yourself, you can conquer all odds.

Last but not the least, I wish you all a very prosperous Magh Bihu.