The endless chatter of the mind is the cause of all distraction in the world. The mind is prone to Vrittis, which are a series of fluctuations caused by associating pleasure and pain with people, objects and situations.
Often, your mind is engrossed in illusions of the past or dreams of the future and you end up attracting everything that you detest or feel excited about. The thought disturbances in the mind take you away from your true purpose in life, which is realisation of the Self. The Jeeva is then trapped in the cycle of birth and death, inherent in which is pain and suffering.
When we say the mind, we are referring to thoughts that affect your consciousness and take you into the outside world. In Hindu mythology, the Mind is Parvati while the Soul is Shiva. The union of Shiva and Parvati leads to eternal bliss as the Jeeva finally arrives in the Now. For the mind to be directed to the path of your soul, one needs to learn the control of their mind. The following techniques are useful in mind management and control of thoughts.
Meditation
In meditation, one learns to train the mind and use the light of wisdom to shine on ignorance. When you begin to sweep a room that was kept closed for six months, various kinds of dirt come out from all corners. Similarly, in meditation, various kinds of impurities float about on the surface of the mind. You should watch the mind very carefully as you wait for its turbulence to settle down. The objective of this exercise is to gradually shut out all worldly thoughts and bring the focus of the mind on the Soul.
Pranayama
The mind and its thoughts tend to ride on the breath, and controlling the breath can lead to sensory control. With the practice of pranayama, one gets used to concentrating on breathing. As one regulates the breath, one can gain control of thoughts and emotions. Since breathing is reduced during pranayam, the oxygen supply to the brain is less. Less oxygen supply to the brain slows down its functions. Hence, the mind gradually enters into a state of calmness.
Kriya
Kriya Yoga is a technique by which you can detach your mind from gross sensory perception and realize that consciousness and prana are the basis of all matter. In Kriya, the incoming breath of prana and the outgoing breath of apana are converted into cool and warm currents. The devotee feels the cool prana current going up the spine and the warm apana current doing down the spine. With the practice of Kriya Yoga, the devotee diverts his mind and reason from the perception of physical flash and perceives the body as light and consciousness.
Mantra Chanting
Mantras are the best weapons to control a turbulent mind. The repetitive chant of a mantra keeps the mind comforted and the person finds peace in their inner self and with the world outside. In the initial stage, mantra chanting is a combined vocal and mental exercise, but gradually the vocal part becomes less audible and the mind repeats the mantra silently. Finally, the repetition process ends into the mantra changing into a spiritual energy which keeps the mind lit up.
Rudraksha
Rudraksha are divine beads worn by Indian yogis since thousands of years. The electromagnetic properties of the Rudraksha work on different chakras of the body, improving concentration, focus and mental stamina. Research has shown that Rudraksha creates specific electrical impulses that are sent to the brain, stimulating brain centres and producing positive transformation in the personality, mindset, outlook and confidence of the wearer.
By employing one or more of these methods, when you start living a life of awareness, you will find the true significance behind everything that happens in life. Only then you will stop putting personal labels of pleasure and pain to life events.
When this happens, your thoughts will become free from the clutches of illusionary distractions and start obeying the Soul, enabling you to live a life of true intelligence as a Creator.
