Mastering the Mind
You are not your mind. Your indentity is much more permanent than that. Think how many times you change your mind - but YOU don't necesarily change - you're still "you", no matter what the mind is thinking, planning, advising or arguing about. Have you ever watched your mind? This can be very educational! And the fact that you can close you eyes and do just that - watch the mind, proves that the mind is not you. It is something seperate from you, an "object" that you can observe.
Mastering the mind is one of the aims of Yoga. The aim is to control the mind, rather that allow it to control us. We want to make the mind sharper, clearer, more useful. We want to reach a state of calmness, neutrality and non-reaction.
"Every human being who wants to excel and to develop the character and caliber that upholds the values of the soul, needs a direct, fundamental relationship to the mind." ~Yogi Bhajan
What is the mind?
As mentioned, first and foremost the mind is a servant, or at least, it should be. The mind is incorporated into the human experience to serve the Soul. It is, it goes without saying, a vast mechanism that is stimulated and then produces thoughts which in turn shape our perception, conscious and unconscious. The mind is very cluttered with unconscious thoughts and perceptions. What we understand as our "mind" is the tip of the iceberg. Yogic science teaches that there are 81 facets of the mind that when controlled through Kundalini Yoga lead to inner and outer harmony.
There's 3 of Them?!
Yes! Really there are 3 minds, (not to mention the 81 facets.) The 3 functional minds are the positive, the negative and the neutral. The positive mind sees the potentials, the negative mind sees the pitfalls, and the neutral mind assesses the input from both and responds from a neutral place. The neutral mind is also called the meditative mind. Each of these minds are developed in different ratios in individuals. It is very rare to see all three minds totally balanced. That is the enlightened mind of a master.
Basic Things to Know About the Mind
1) It's pretty automatic. There's a TON going on in your mind, way more than you realize. But the key thing is that you recognize that YOU are not the one thinking; your MIND is the one thinking. You are the one observing a small portion of the thoughts the mind is having.
2) It never stops. If the mind shut down, you would go kaput. The point of meditation isn't to shut it off, it’s to both clean it out and pause in your identification with it.
3) It loves contrast. It likes polarities because they are helpful for classification: good and bad, dark and light. Handy, neat, and its just how we learn. Think of children's first books and how they learn the world. "The water is hot, the water is cold. The dog is white, the cat is black."
4) The mind IS matter, just in a more subtle form. We think of our bodies as being material and our minds as existing only in "thought". No. The mind is a real, material "thing", but it is more subtle that the brain, its physical carrier. Think of water: ice, liquid, gas. It is still water, just in different states. So too with your body, your mind is physicality in a more subtle form. Yogi Bhajan called it " a structure, a process and an energy". You can affect it with things like food, breathing, and energy. It will respond in kind to you.
"Why Can't I Quiet My Mind?"
Oh, but you can. The reason you feel like you can't is because you are trying to use your mind to quiet your mind, which is like using a mirror to see in a mirror the "real" object instead of a reflection. It's not going to happen. When you use techniques such as breath control, mantra or simple meditation techniques, you remove the self-reference point (I am not focusing on ME, but rather on my BREATH). It takes some getting used to, but the result is effective meditation, which brings peace and intuition. But remember that meditation is just a tool to a larger surrender to the higher Self. It's not the meditation that quiets the mind, its the intention and action of the meditation. Yogi Bhajan said, "It is not meditation that stops the mind. It is the surrender of the mind to the soul, and the soul to Truth. It is when you prefer the word of Truth to the word of your own intellect." Basically, you just have to get over yourself. (In the most loving, caring, supportive way possible, of course!)
Mastering the mind is one of the aims of Yoga. The aim is to control the mind, rather that allow it to control us. We want to make the mind sharper, clearer, more useful. We want to reach a state of calmness, neutrality and non-reaction.
"Every human being who wants to excel and to develop the character and caliber that upholds the values of the soul, needs a direct, fundamental relationship to the mind." ~Yogi Bhajan
What is the mind?
As mentioned, first and foremost the mind is a servant, or at least, it should be. The mind is incorporated into the human experience to serve the Soul. It is, it goes without saying, a vast mechanism that is stimulated and then produces thoughts which in turn shape our perception, conscious and unconscious. The mind is very cluttered with unconscious thoughts and perceptions. What we understand as our "mind" is the tip of the iceberg. Yogic science teaches that there are 81 facets of the mind that when controlled through Kundalini Yoga lead to inner and outer harmony.
There's 3 of Them?!
Yes! Really there are 3 minds, (not to mention the 81 facets.) The 3 functional minds are the positive, the negative and the neutral. The positive mind sees the potentials, the negative mind sees the pitfalls, and the neutral mind assesses the input from both and responds from a neutral place. The neutral mind is also called the meditative mind. Each of these minds are developed in different ratios in individuals. It is very rare to see all three minds totally balanced. That is the enlightened mind of a master.
Basic Things to Know About the Mind
1) It's pretty automatic. There's a TON going on in your mind, way more than you realize. But the key thing is that you recognize that YOU are not the one thinking; your MIND is the one thinking. You are the one observing a small portion of the thoughts the mind is having.
2) It never stops. If the mind shut down, you would go kaput. The point of meditation isn't to shut it off, it’s to both clean it out and pause in your identification with it.
3) It loves contrast. It likes polarities because they are helpful for classification: good and bad, dark and light. Handy, neat, and its just how we learn. Think of children's first books and how they learn the world. "The water is hot, the water is cold. The dog is white, the cat is black."
4) The mind IS matter, just in a more subtle form. We think of our bodies as being material and our minds as existing only in "thought". No. The mind is a real, material "thing", but it is more subtle that the brain, its physical carrier. Think of water: ice, liquid, gas. It is still water, just in different states. So too with your body, your mind is physicality in a more subtle form. Yogi Bhajan called it " a structure, a process and an energy". You can affect it with things like food, breathing, and energy. It will respond in kind to you.
"Why Can't I Quiet My Mind?"
Oh, but you can. The reason you feel like you can't is because you are trying to use your mind to quiet your mind, which is like using a mirror to see in a mirror the "real" object instead of a reflection. It's not going to happen. When you use techniques such as breath control, mantra or simple meditation techniques, you remove the self-reference point (I am not focusing on ME, but rather on my BREATH). It takes some getting used to, but the result is effective meditation, which brings peace and intuition. But remember that meditation is just a tool to a larger surrender to the higher Self. It's not the meditation that quiets the mind, its the intention and action of the meditation. Yogi Bhajan said, "It is not meditation that stops the mind. It is the surrender of the mind to the soul, and the soul to Truth. It is when you prefer the word of Truth to the word of your own intellect." Basically, you just have to get over yourself. (In the most loving, caring, supportive way possible, of course!)
Understanding Meditation
Why Meditate?
Meditation allows you to transcend the waves of the mind and use your own self-sensory system. Through meditation, you learn to transform commotion into devotion; your life becomes sweeter and more harmonious. Meditation is a way of breaking your habits to become more in control of your life. It also, in its higher forms, allows you to know the unknown and see the unseen, in both literal and figurative ways.
Where Do I Begin?
The easiest way to meditate is through simple, seated, silent meditation. The best time to do this is before the rising of the sun. You don't even need a mantra or a teacher. Just sit comfortably and straight. Relax the body and slow your breath. Keep your body still. Your mind will dump out a lot of thoughts from the subconscious. That's ok. Just continue to sit still. Eventually the thoughts will becomes still and you will feel surrounded by comfort. You're meditating.
Incorporating mantra into meditation works very quickly, and is another form of meditating. Mantra meditation is like a "thunderbolt". Yogi Bhajan said that it does (and doesn't) matter what your mantra is. You could chant "one, one, one" and it would work in a very shallow way. You need a word with reverence to you. So if you were Christian, Yogi Bhajan said repeating Jesus Christ would work for you. It must be something on a certain vibratory level. Utilizing the Kundalini mantras allows you to select consciously words that operate on specific vibratory levels and access your consciousness on that level in a quick and impactful way.
(adapted from Ramdesh Kaur on Spirit Voyage - "All About Kundalini Yoga -The Mind and Meditation")
Yogi Bhajan on Prayer Vs. Meditation: "Prayer is when the mind is one-pointed and man talks to Infinity. Meditation is when the mind becomes totally clean and receptive, and Infinity talks to the man."
Practicing Kundalini Yoga is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for meditation. The meditative focus on the breath is basic to Kundalini Yoga. As you exercise and move your body, your concentration is on rhythmic breathing patterns. After a time of regular Kundalini Yoga practice, using a silent mantra on the breath, usually Sat Nam, becomes second nature. When you sit for the purpose of meditation, you take this one step further by stilling the body and focusing on meditating deeply. The skills you learn from Kundalini Yoga are invaluable in the process of meditation.
The ancient yogis developed their minds to be their servant, not their master. They did this through meditation. First the body must be stilled. In that stillness, the mind will begin to jump about. At this point, the yogic practices of proper posture, inner concentration and focus on breath and/or mantra are essential. A person who has the patience to allow the mind to go through whatever antics it will, while remaining firmly planted, will experience something. That "something" is different for each of us, but it will be, in some way or another, a re-awakening of the self. With this new awareness comes inner change, then outer change. Through the meditative mind, you take your rightful place as the "master of the house".
By simply letting thoughts pass by, and not dumping them into the subconscious mind, where they can resurface at any emotional trigger, the mind is cleansed. You are literally renewed!
Once our minds start becoming used to this process, meditation becomes very cozy, very heartful. You will want to do it again and again. In the beginning, you may not be able to do it for very long. Maybe 3 minutes. This is a great start! Gradually, as you develop that coziness, this initial barrage of thoughts becomes shorter and shorter. After a time of practice, you will find your meditative mind responding instantly to your call. Eventually, you can remain in an elevated consciousness for much of you daily life. This is the true goal. Yoga and Meditation - off the mat and into your life.
Meditation allows you to transcend the waves of the mind and use your own self-sensory system. Through meditation, you learn to transform commotion into devotion; your life becomes sweeter and more harmonious. Meditation is a way of breaking your habits to become more in control of your life. It also, in its higher forms, allows you to know the unknown and see the unseen, in both literal and figurative ways.
Where Do I Begin?
The easiest way to meditate is through simple, seated, silent meditation. The best time to do this is before the rising of the sun. You don't even need a mantra or a teacher. Just sit comfortably and straight. Relax the body and slow your breath. Keep your body still. Your mind will dump out a lot of thoughts from the subconscious. That's ok. Just continue to sit still. Eventually the thoughts will becomes still and you will feel surrounded by comfort. You're meditating.
Incorporating mantra into meditation works very quickly, and is another form of meditating. Mantra meditation is like a "thunderbolt". Yogi Bhajan said that it does (and doesn't) matter what your mantra is. You could chant "one, one, one" and it would work in a very shallow way. You need a word with reverence to you. So if you were Christian, Yogi Bhajan said repeating Jesus Christ would work for you. It must be something on a certain vibratory level. Utilizing the Kundalini mantras allows you to select consciously words that operate on specific vibratory levels and access your consciousness on that level in a quick and impactful way.
(adapted from Ramdesh Kaur on Spirit Voyage - "All About Kundalini Yoga -The Mind and Meditation")
Yogi Bhajan on Prayer Vs. Meditation: "Prayer is when the mind is one-pointed and man talks to Infinity. Meditation is when the mind becomes totally clean and receptive, and Infinity talks to the man."
Practicing Kundalini Yoga is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for meditation. The meditative focus on the breath is basic to Kundalini Yoga. As you exercise and move your body, your concentration is on rhythmic breathing patterns. After a time of regular Kundalini Yoga practice, using a silent mantra on the breath, usually Sat Nam, becomes second nature. When you sit for the purpose of meditation, you take this one step further by stilling the body and focusing on meditating deeply. The skills you learn from Kundalini Yoga are invaluable in the process of meditation.
The ancient yogis developed their minds to be their servant, not their master. They did this through meditation. First the body must be stilled. In that stillness, the mind will begin to jump about. At this point, the yogic practices of proper posture, inner concentration and focus on breath and/or mantra are essential. A person who has the patience to allow the mind to go through whatever antics it will, while remaining firmly planted, will experience something. That "something" is different for each of us, but it will be, in some way or another, a re-awakening of the self. With this new awareness comes inner change, then outer change. Through the meditative mind, you take your rightful place as the "master of the house".
By simply letting thoughts pass by, and not dumping them into the subconscious mind, where they can resurface at any emotional trigger, the mind is cleansed. You are literally renewed!
Once our minds start becoming used to this process, meditation becomes very cozy, very heartful. You will want to do it again and again. In the beginning, you may not be able to do it for very long. Maybe 3 minutes. This is a great start! Gradually, as you develop that coziness, this initial barrage of thoughts becomes shorter and shorter. After a time of practice, you will find your meditative mind responding instantly to your call. Eventually, you can remain in an elevated consciousness for much of you daily life. This is the true goal. Yoga and Meditation - off the mat and into your life.