The Power of Thought: Calming the mind while putting it to proper use
July 14th, 2006 at 11:37 am (Uncategorized)
One of the common obstacles to yoga meditation is the inability to relax or experience clear states of consciousness because of the restlessness of the mind. This can be quite annoying for one intent on spiritual realization. The mind is a tool to be used. It is not who we are and it is not our slave driver, although this common misunderstanding does arise.
The mind is our soul’s interface with the world of form. Through the mind we interact with the world as it directs our outward actions and experiences. The power of thought channeled through the mind has the capacity to direct our lives precisely. Few know this. Those that do understand how to experience a life of their choosing. Those that do not know it are still experiencing a life of their choosing, albeit probably an unpleasant one.
For the average person the mind is filled with uncontrollable compulsive thought patterns. If they were to observe the contents of their mind they may find the same disarray reflected in their life situations. A powerful quote comes to my mind now.
“Though you may travel the world to find the beautiful, you must have it within you or you will find it not.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
So what can be done about this? We can consciously choose to direct our thoughts through our mind. This has many benefits. 1) It uses the fuel the mind would otherwise utilize in excessive worrying or useless thoughts about insignificant concerns. 2) It develops our will power and powers of concentration, both of which are necessary for spiritual realization and living a successful life. 3) It quiets the mind.
How can this be done? Taking time once or twice a day to sit down and actively think about positive possibilities for the day or the week. This includes imagining with concentration what it would be like to experience ideal outcomes in life. This also includes ignoring negative self talk or past conditioning that has been accepted from other people’s belief systems while performing the exercise. Think with a gentle force until all possibilities and anything that can be thought about in regards to the issue has been covered. Then move on with your day.
I find this helpful to do anytime I’m sitting idle and notice either useless thoughts or needless worry going through my head.
I often do this at night before sleep. Instead of going right to sleep I keep my eyes open so I won’t fall asleep and stair into the dark towards the ceiling. Then I mentally have a conversation as though I’m talking to God and feeling the power of those thoughts resonating through the universe. I think about what I want my life to be like. I think about what I appreciate about my life. If I have a question I don’t know the answer to I ask the question with intention and expect an answer to come forth. I don’t expect it right then, but I know it will come and so I ask with expectation until I can let it drop peacefully from my mind. Then when my mind is calm and thinking seems like the last thing I want to do, I close my eyes and go to sleep.
I’ve found that this allows me to meditate more deeply when I do meditate because I’ve already thought about everything that was important previously.
Stephanie said,
July 22, 2006 at 3:22 pm
I understand the benefits of regular meditation, but I find myself neglecting to meditate because it is uncomfortable to face the anxiety that often arises when I quiet the “restlessness” of my mind. I assume that this becomes easier with practice and the anxiety decreases, yet have not achieved the discipline required to reach this point. Any tips for a beginner struggling to work through this discomfort?
Ryan said,
July 25, 2006 at 9:50 am
If your restlessness was really quieted you wouldn’t have the anxiety. Three things come to mind to help. 1) Find out what you underlying anxiety is caused by and resolve it. This may take some self reflection. 2) Before practicing your meditation technique, simply close your eyes and invite the presence of God to be revealed to you, then even if you can’t feel it right away, trust it is within and all around you. Then start talking to God. Tell him everything that makes you anxious or scared. Bear your soul to him. Keep talking until there is nothing left to talk about, and really mean what you say too. Then when there is nothing left, know you were heard and move on to your practice. 3) Be more attentive to your technique. Really get into it and if distracting thoughts or feelings arise, disregard them and renew your attention on your meditation technique. Even if all you do is practice a technique for 20-30 minutes that will be enough to eventually train your mind to be still during meditation.