Buddhists relate the mind to a monkey. The mind jumps from thought to thought, shaking us and confusing us like a monkey hopping from branch to limb.
But why is the mind restless? How do you relax and focus?
A pupil and his teacher walked in the woods. His mind was continuously racing, which bothered the disciple.
The pupil asked his teacher: Why are most people restless and few calm? How to calm the mind?
He grinned at the disciple and said, "I'll tell you a story.
An elephant stood chewing tree leaves. An annoying buzzing sound came from a little fly near his ear. Elephant flapped its long ears to intimidate him. The fly soon returned and the elephant adjusted its ears again. This happened multiple times.
After numerous failed attempts to scare the fly away, the elephant questioned her:
Why are you noisy and agitated? Why not stay put for a while?
Fly replied:
I'm drawn to sight, sound, and smell. Everything around me is appealing to my five senses, and I can't resist. Elephant, what's your secret? How are you so calm?
The elephant stopped eating and said:
“My five senses don't focus. I can direct my attention wherever. It keeps my thoughts peaceful by immersing me in my work. While eating, I'm completely consumed by food. I love my food and chew better this way. Controlling my concentration helps me relax.”
Don't get distracted to relax your mind. Eliminating the unneeded helps you focus on what counts. Being present brings calm and stillness.
How can we eliminate the unnecessary and find the answer in the noise? Simply stop and be quiet is the first step. Lack of action will lead to answers.
Meditation calms a restless mind. Meditation calms mind chatter. Practicing breathing is easier than it seems and deepens quiet awareness.
Meditation can help you find peace in any situation with practice and persistence. Meditation can help you relax at work, on public transportation, in stressful situations, or in any hectic setting.
When we enter meditation, we find it broad. Meditations range from continuous calm to love and compassion. To relax the mind, do Samatha meditation, which means mental stillness. Mindfulness began with Samatha meditation.
To settle the "monkey mind," try these steps:
Sit on the floor or chair (our preferred position).
Straight spine, slightly dropped chin.
Hands on legs.
We almost close our eyes.
Multiple deep breaths soothe the body.
We consciously stop breathing and focus on stomach movements.
We examine nasal airflow after a few minutes. We count from 1 to 10 with each breathing cycle while focusing on a point. After 10, we pause for a moment and count again.
Points to consider:
Set alarm Controlling meditation time is essential. Start with 10-15 minutes, work up to 30.
Don't evaluate thoughts. Let them pass after observing.
Go somewhere peaceful. When we started meditating.
Your hectic lifestyle may be caused by discontent. Celebrate all the good things in your life to boost your happiness.