10 ways to calm your mind

The mind is a mad monkey. It teaches tricks; it keeps hankering for self-gratification and self-praise; it craves and clamours; it is hardly cogent and mostly a cacophony. But what is a mind and from where does it emerge? This can be explained by taking an example: Let us consider a cloth piece.

It has taken the form of a cloth with the threads that have interwoven itself to form it. If you remove the threads one at a time, finally the cloth disappears without a trace left. The threads form the cloth. Similarly, it is thoughts that form the mind. Detether the thoughts, and there is no mind. Hence, the topic of discussion, which is about calming the mind, is about dealing with your thoughts. Let us study this through 10 simple ways:1. Segregate your thoughts: You can observe your thoughts and categorise them into the pure (sattvic) ones, the egoistic (rajasic) ones, and the instinctual (tamasic) ones.

A pure thought is something that desires for the good of all; an egoistic thought is about pursuing selfish desires and craving for praise, respect, and worldly achievements; an instinctual thought is about allowing over-indulgence of bodily faculties for food, sleep, sex…etc.

2. Know your distractors: Once you know the nature of your thoughts, you are now better placed to identify the ones that cause you trouble.

It is needless to say that the pure and positive ones are the only thoughts worth keeping, because they do not drive you crazy, but rather make you feel good. Peace is in purity, and not otherwise. Clear the clutter and find merriment in the minimal. 3. Fraternize your foes: What can you do with the remaining thoughts that are refusing to leave you until you fulfill them? Make them your friends and counsel them by being their master.

These thoughts are like the children who are adamant to do something that is not good for them. Take charge and moderate their temperaments. 4. Trace back your thoughts: With every rising thought, find its cause. A thought or a desire sprouts from what we consume from the environment we interact with through our senses. It could be from what we read or listen, see or taste, or in general, the kind of company we keep with. Knowing the cause will help you take precautionary steps in the outer world to keep clean your inner world. 5. Solitude is sacrosanct: Make it a compulsory practice to be in solitude every day. Use this time to listen to the whispers of your heart and understand your priorities and purpose. Align your thoughts to pursue the purpose for which you are born. Discard the thoughts that lead you away from your purpose.

6. Cling it to the good: The mind has the tendency to cling like a limpet on to something or the other all the time. All you need to do is to teach your mind to focus on positive and good things, higher ideals and constructive ideas.

By this way your mind will be your best instrument and friend. 7. Breathe deeply and slowly: Adopt a regime of regular pranayama or breathing exercises to calm your mind, because the breath and the mind are intrinsically related. With every breath, allow mind to settle in its source.8. Sleep holds a secret: When you are in deep sleep, your mind doesn’t exist, because there are no thoughts. This is precisely why you feel so refreshed after a deep sleep.

Thus, a no-thought state is the best state to be in. You are still present in your deep sleep without the presence of your mind. Therefore, understand that your mind doesn’t define your existence. You are not your mind. 9. Be a witness: Keep witnessing your mind with complete discrimination and detachment. See yourself as the witness, the master, and not the fleeting thoughts. Take the courage to allow yourself to experience thoughtless states. 10. Check your identity: The body is a costume and the mind is a veil. Behind these exists the pure self or consciousness which is the real you. You must try to establish yourself in that. A simple exercise to identify your true identity is to be aware of the seer and the seen. When the object is seen, the eyes are the seer; when the eyes are seen, the mind is the seer; when the mind is seen, the consciousness is the seer. Beyond this, there is nothing. Consciousness is that existence which defines you.

Authored by: Sadguru Sri Madhusudan Sai, Founder of Sri Madhusudan Sai Global Humanitarian Mission