Yoga the art of stilling the Mind

Indian Yoga methods from ancient times describes mind may be viewed to be constituted by five basic components: manas, ahamkara, chitta, buddhi and atman.

One Vedic model of the mind is expressed by the famous metaphor of the chariot in the Katha Upanisad and the Bhagavad-Gıta. A person is compared to a chariot that is pulled in different directions by the horses yoked to it, with the horses representing the senses. The mind is the driver who holds the reins, but next to the mind sits the master of the chariot — the true observer, the self, who represents a universal unity. Without this self no coherent behaviour is possible.

In the Taittirıya Upanisad 2.7, an individual is represented in terms of five different sheaths or levels that enclose the individual’s self.These levels, shown in an ascending order, are:

• The physical body (annamaya kosa)

• Energy sheath (pranamaya kosa)

• Mental sheath (manomaya kosa)

• Intellect sheath (vijnanamaya kosa)

• Bliss sheath (anandamaya kosa)

It’s unfortunate that, for most people, their own mind becomes their enemy, pulling them into negative thoughts and scattering their focus in a hundred different directions. The constant chatter in once own mind has become the Trivial force which one tries to get rid from.What are the ways in which the mind and the emerging hundreds of thoughts can be controlled?

Yoga Meditation is the way to control the mind.Patanjali defined yoga as “Chitta Vritti Nirodha”, which means that if you can still the modifications and activity of the mind, you are in yoga

.The practice of kriya yoga an ancient technique of meditation popularised by Paramahansa yogananda (Autobigraphy of a Yogi)transformed my experience. With the practice of meditation the mind began to generate peace and happiness continuously,with less negative thoughts coming in. I found myself in a constant state of tranquility.It helped me to get rid of all bad habits and evolve into a higher state of consciousness day by day, and the experience was truly surreal.

The mind’s nature is to constantly dwell on thoughts of the future or the past, rarely staying in the present moment. To manage this, it’s essential to engage the mind in constructive work and keep it busy. If you’re not fully immersed in something meaningful, the mind will begin to wander. Try an experiment: sit idle for just five minutes and observe how many thoughts arise. These thoughts can provoke reactions in you if you’re not attentive. But where do these thoughts come from? What is their source?

Thoughts often emerge from the daily events and circumstances we go through , gaining momentum based on how we perceive them. Our ego takes control, making us act in certain ways, depending on whether we harbor positive or negative thoughts. We’ve all had moments where positive thoughts lead to positive actions. But can we be positive all the time? Can we generate specific powerful thoughts and hold onto them? That is the challenging part — when you’re idle, your thoughts tend to wander.

Yoga provides a path to manage this. The first step is to observe your thoughts without reacting to them — simply remain neutral. When you do this, the thoughts will fade away. The next step is to practice meditation daily and consistently, at least for half an hour in the morning and evening. This will keep you centered, calm, and peaceful. During meditation, you’ll notice that thoughts gradually fade, and you become still, simply observing.

The mind is one of the most powerful tools gifted to us from a divine perspective — it has the potential to achieve anything when it can maintain focus and attention. By creating a mental blueprint through visualization and holding onto it while taking the right actions, everything begins to align to turn that vision into reality. Synchronicity happens, bringing the right people and circumstances together, often in ways we don’t expect. The challenge, however, is that the mind tends to flicker, losing focus on the vision, creating doubts and worries about the end result.

The key is to let go of focusing on the outcome and instead put all your energy into purposeful actions directed toward your vision.Another crucial aspect of maintaining focus and staying centred within is keeping your attention at the point between the eyebrows and reciting a mantra whenever you have a moment.

This practice prevents the mind from wandering in a hundred different directions. With time and dedication, you reach a stage where your inner self is calm at all times, and you experience peace no matter what activity you are engaged in. Personally, I often recite the mantra “OM” throughout the day whenever i have few minutes to spare in doing various activities through out the day . In difficult circumstances, I rely on it even more, moving forward without much internal disturbance, no matter how tough the situation is or some critcal decisions to be made.

However, it’s easy to get lost in the material world, with its unavoidable attractions — money, possessions, alcohol, food, travel — all of which can pull you away from your inner self. The key is to strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of life. The material world is wonderful, exciting, and beautiful, but it becomes even more so when combined with spiritual practices like meditation and devotion. Without spiritual practice, we risk being consumed by the worries, sorrows, and stresses of the material world. On the other hand, focusing solely on spiritual practice without engaging in the material world can lead to monotony and disinterest.

The solution is to stay involved in meaningful ventures while also maintaining your spiritual practice. Had I not discovered the path of meditation, my life would have been burdened by the endless worries of work, family, and countless other responsibilities. Balancing both realms has brought peace and fulfillment.