• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Control Your Mind, Not Vice Versa

Posted on: Monday, 9 April 2007, 18:00 CDT

By Steven C

LEARN a few simple mental exercise to control your mind creature in this fourth of a five-part series by STEVEN C.

THOSE of you with poor will power are clearly letting your mind control you. The tussle for dominance over your body, and subsequently your actions, has been and will continue to be a life- long battle.

Most of you are not even aware of this and are clearly under the influence of your mind creature.

There are many ways to gain mastery over your mind. The objective is to strengthen your consciousness by reducing your mind's influence over it.

One way is to sit straight without any back support. You can either sit on a chair or on the floor with your legs crossed. Close your eyes and feel the sensation of your abdomen rising and falling as you breathe in and out. Do this for as long as you can.

For beginners, you may attempt a 10-minute session every day. As you become better at the practice, you may gradually increase it to half an hour, one hour or even two hours every day. Do not visualise the rise and fall of your abdomen, just feel it.

If your mind starts to wonder (for example by thinking of the past or future, imagining situations, conjuring images, questioning how long more you need to close your eyes, playing background music, etc), divert your consciousness from your abdomen to your mind.

When you "watch" your mind this way, it will become weak and the earlier distractions it created will fade away. However, since your mind has had its way for the most part of your life, it is not used to being subdued this way.

Like a petulant/seemingly incorrigible child, it will incessantly distract you with thoughts. Thus, whenever it does so, you will have to focus your consciousness on those thoughts. Do not fight or resist your mind. Like a patient parent, just "watch" over it again and again.

This practice is for beginners and experienced practitioners. You will find that you have to focus your consciousness more on your mind rather than the rising and falling of your abdomen.

When you do that, you are strengthening your consciousness. Every time your mind tries to interfere by throwing you thoughts, you turn your consciousness to those thoughts and they fade away. Thus, your consciousness is slowly gaining strength over your mind creature.

It is important not to move an inch of your body while you are practising. If there is an itch, "watch" it with your consciousness. Try to examine the itch as closely as you can.

You will find many facets to an itch (for example how it changes in intensity and how it moves within a certain spot or creeps around a region). Apply the same process for any other physical experiences (for example pain from sitting too long, sweat, mosquito bite, wind touching your skin, ants crawling, etc).

Once it subsides, then shift your focus to the next most distracting thing and the next, until you can finally revert back to your neglected abdomen.

Sometimes, a physical experience may be so strong that you can't tolerate it, what more observe it closely. For example, when the itch becomes so strong that you just have to scratch it to get relief, try focusing your consciousness on your mind instead.

You will find that your mind is very agitated because of the itch and is giving your consciousness a lot of pressure and forcing you to scratch the itch. If your consciousness is strong enough and you apply it to your agitated mind, it will be subdued. Hence the itch will no longer bother you.

Technically speaking, the itch is actually bothering your mind and your mind in turn is trying to force you to relief that itch.

Another technique to gain mastery over your mind is to "watch" the in and out breath at the tip of your nostrils. Feel the sensation of wind brushing against the rings of your nostrils. Again, do not visualise it. Just feel it.

Yet another way is to walk slowly and feel your footsteps against the ground.

Irrespective of technique, constant practice is required before you see results and the immense benefits of having a strong consciousness.

These formal techniques of practice are important and serve as the right foundation for you to develop your consciousness. However, practice in day-to-day activities is equally, if not more important. By day-to-day activities, I refer to your daily tasks such as driving, waiting, walking, drinking, using the toilet, ironing, folding clothes, reading, speaking to people, working, etc.

During many of these activities, how often do you find yourself day dreaming or losing focus on the task at hand? Pretty often? You day dream and lose focus because your mind is playing the lead role and distracting you with all sorts of thoughts and images.

Suppose you are driving home and there is really no need for any thinking or mind activity. You've had a full day at work and you just want to go home and sleep. But would your mind creature leave you alone and give you the peace you need? No. It will continue to bombard you with thoughts, images and music.

So, "watch" them and they will disappear. Then focus on driving - the feel of the steering wheel, the bumps on the road as your car goes over uneven ground, the sounds of traffic outside, etc. When your mind wonders again, remember to "watch" it and then revert back to feeling that drive.

The progress you make is also dependent on your natural disposition or make-up. It comes easier for some but others may need to work harder at it. Why? Same reason as why some are born taller, prettier or smarter. The beauty about your consciousness is that you can work at getting better, unlike physical deficiencies.

Next week, I will talk about the immense benefits you can enjoy if your consciousness is strong.

* Steven C. has 10 years of management consulting experience in diverse industries. If you are intrigued by his writings, share your thoughts, and ideas with him at coolwhiterabbit@ yahoo.com

Source: New Straits Times

More News in this Category