Creating Deep Insight & Intuition: The Man Who Saw Infinity

Srinivasa Ramanujan was an Indian mathematician born in a tiny village in Tamil Nadu in 1887, a self taught person who without any real formal training in pure mathematics, made extraordinary contributions to the world of mathematics.

During his short life, Ramanujan independently compiled nearly 3,900 formulas.  In 1914, he moved to Trinity college in Cambridge, thanks to the renowned English mathematician G.H Hardy, who realized that Ramanujan had not only re-discovered previously known theorems, but in addition produced several new ones.  Nearly all Ramanujan’s claims have now been proven correct. Until Ramanujan started working with Hardy, he developed his own mathematical research in complete isolation of the mathematical community of his time.

Throughout the film, “The Man Who Saw Infinity”, as Ramanujan continues to deliver his genius, he is constantly prodded about how he comes up with his astounding formulas.  His response, “I just know”, as he continues to move from insight to insight, believing his inspiration comes from the Hindu goddess Namagiri.  He talks about his deep intuitive abilities as he sees things around him the way they are and in a manner he cannot quite explain. Everything makes sense to him, be it the sand on the beach, low and high tide, anything really.  He speaks of being able to see patterns and rhythms in the universe, and from this, he is able to create mathematical formula that represent an end result.

Today Ramanujan’s formulas are being used to study the behaviour of black holes, even though these objects were virtually unknown during his lifetime.

In physics and cosmology the mathematical universe hypothesis (MUH), is a speculative “theory of everything” proposed by the cosmologist Max Tegmark, who states that “our external physical reality is a mathematical structure”.  And even though there has been ample criticism to his claim, going back to the subject that I am most well versed with and passionate about, Yoga too refers to similar concepts. It points to the fact that there is indeed a rhythm and pattern to everything in our physical reality and the universe that we live in, starting from our very physical body.

In the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras, Vibhuti Pada, Patanjali speaks of the ability of us humans to develop supernatural powers. Really what he is referring to is our ability to develop in-depth insight and intuition that  results in a complete knowing of everything.

The word Yoga means unity.  Essentially we are not isolated beings, but are inherently embedded in the rhythms and vibrations of this universe that come together to make up a complete whole. How each one of us finds our individual rhythms and vibrations that are in sync with ourselves, our environment and the universe, is essentially the ultimate human journey and one that enables us to go beyond what the limited human mind can perceive. 

Ramanujan, in his short life span delivered mathematical proofs that revealed his genius. Similarly, Yoga tells us that that we have the ability to overcome our greatest difficulties, obstacles and challenges, attaining an end result that is in perfect balance and harmony to everything within us and around us. And according to Yoga, it is simply through unity in thought, emotion, word and action, that we unlock the very keys to transcend the mind and to discover our very own genius.

- Radhika Vachani

Developing Your Inner Calm

Being calm is an art and one that can be learnt by almost anyone. 

On most days, we juggle some challenge or the other of different magnitudes – be it with people or life circumstances.  Getting overwhelmed, panicked, irritated, mad or fearful, is just one of our common reactions to challenging or stressful situations. 

When we react, we come from a place of being defensive as we are not comfortable with what is occurring around or within us.  This leads to a state of imbalance as we allow our emotions to take control and drive us in a manner that is not always logical or healthy.

Responding on the other hand, comes from a much more centered place, from reasoning and thoughtfulness. In responding, we learn to engage with a person or situation in a more productive manner.  And from this we learn and grow, becoming more expansive and beautiful.

The truth is that we all have the ability to tap into our inner calm, if we are willing to put in the effort to respond in ways that are uplifting, versus reacting in ways that are unpleasant.

Mindfulness is the art of being more centered within, and of being more aware and respectful of others and our environment.  This act alone prevents us from reacting and getting carried away, and helps us focus on responding and creating more positive outcomes.

Here is what you can do:

1. Equal Breathing: breathing is key to helping calm and stabilize the mind.  By focusing on our breath, we bring our thoughts under control and release thoughts that lead to our emotions getting charged. Our breath enables us to focus and center.

Lengthen your breath slowly from the navel to the crown and back down again, keeping the length of the inhalations and exhalations equal.  Do this for a few minutes and until you feel more in control.

2. Create a purposeful pause

As we tap into our inner calm, we increase our ability to listen to what is being said more intently, to observe the situation more objectively.

Every single situation seems a lot worse at first than what it actually is.  The key is to set a rule to step back and take a purposeful pause, be it for a few seconds, minutes, days, months or even more.   It all depends on the situation.

When we allow for volatile energies and a clouded mind to settle, we enable the right information to come to the forefront and for clarity to reign.  And this is exactly what enables us to respond more thoughtfully and to move in a direction of collaboration and productivity, be it through more meaningful conversation or better decision-making.