The mind, like the ocean, is always in movement. Sometimes, it’s very tiring. That’s why quieting the mind, at least once in a while, is important.
Just try to watch what is going on in your mind, and you will discover how restless it is.
You will discover that many thoughts on various topics constantly pass through your mind, each thought claiming your attention. This is the usual state of affairs for most people.
You might not always be aware of the constant movement in your mind. However, there are times when you become acutely aware of this habit of the mind. When does this happen?
You become aware of the nonstop movements of your thoughts and mind when you need to study, work or pay attention to details. At these times, you discover how restless the mind is, and how weak is your control of this restlessness.
When you read something boring, which you have to read, can you focus and ignore everything else? Do thoughts keep coming and going, not letting you focus on what you are reading?
When you work, do thoughts constantly distract your attention?
During meditation, this is even more severe, especially when you are a beginner.
Over and again, while meditating, thoughts will flood your mind and disturb your focus. You might suddenly discover that your mind has strayed away and that you forgot the meditation.
After you learn to quiet your mind, everything will be different. A quiet and calm mind, which is under your control, is like a great treasure. It is most useful on many occasions and in various circumstances.
Why You Need to Quiet Your Mind
I would like to mention a few reasons and a few situations where knowing how to quiet your mind is a great asset.
1. A quiet mind can focus better than a restless mind
When the mind is quiet, it is easier to focus the attention on whatever you are doing. When the mind is quiet, there is no restlessness and jumping from one thought to another, you save time and avoid errors.
2. A calm mind enhances reason and common sense
When the mind is calm, it is easier to display common sense and to act more reasonably. This also enhances the ability to handle more efficiently the daily affairs of life and be in more control of your actions and reactions.
3. A quiet mind is the antidote to stress
Quieting the mind relieves stress and anxiety.
You cannot be stressed when your mind is in a state of peace. A still mind releases both mental stress and physical strain, conserves your energy, and protects your health.
When you learn how to quiet your mind, you discover that you can act, behave and handles everything calmly and without stress, fear or worries.
4. A quiet mind is essential for meditation
Suppose you sit down to meditate for twenty minutes. How much of this time do you actually meditate, and how many minutes your mind occupies your attention with irrelevant thoughts? You will probably think of other matters most of these twenty minutes.
If you cannot silence your mind during meditation, it will constantly wander away to problems and worries, to things you need to do, and to thoughts about work, family or friends.
You might also catch yourself daydreaming instead of meditating.
A silent mind is a great asset for meditation, enabling you to stay focused, poised and calm.
The quieter your mind is the less it is likely to get distracted.
5. A calm mind allows you to look deeper, beneath the surface
You cannot see the bottom of a lake if there are waves and the water is muddy, but once the waves disappear and the mud settles down, you can see the bottom.
The mind is like a lake, and thoughts are like the wind, stirring the mind, as the wind stirs the water of the lake and creates waves.
Only when the mind becomes quiet, you can see deep inside, think clearly, arrive to correct conclusions, and make right choices.
When thoughts run non-stop in your mind, they constantly pull your attention here and there, never allowing you to look deeper, but when the mind quiet, it is different, since there are no distracting thoughts to pull your attention away.
It is only when can silence your mind that you go beyond the mind, understand it, control it, and enjoy inner peace.
When you calm your mind, you can go beyond it, and discover a world of calmness, happiness and power.
6. A quiet mind enables you to have control over your thoughts, behavior and fears
When you are able to quiet your mind you gain the ability to control your thoughts, refuse unwanted thoughts, and accept the thoughts that you want.
In this situation, unwanted thoughts cannot lodge in your mind, and you save yourself time and energy, avoid the need to correct mistakes, and avoid stressful behavior.
7. A poised mind is a great asset in many situations
A poised mind is useful not only when in trouble or when worries harass you. It is of great use at work, where there is stress and pressure, at school, and when taking an examination. It is an asset for athletes and in every sport, for drivers, mountain climbers, divers, in extreme sports, and when traveling through unknown territory.
A book on How to Quiet Your Mind
Calming the restlessness o the mind is a gradual process that requires some inner work. Start with just a few minutes a day, and after a while, you will see a wonderful change in you.
In my book, Calm Down the Nonstop Chatter of Your Mind, I have described this process, and provided all the necessary details, advice and techniques.
This book, which is available for immediate download, will show you how to stop overthinking, calm down the constant chatter of your mind, and improve your control of it.
