How to calm a restless mind: habits and techniques to achieve it

We live at a frenetic pace. There are many demands competing for our attention and the list seems to get longer every day. It is no surprise that stress and anxiety are often part of our existence. You can’t go back in time, but you can discover a way to find calmto calm the restless mind.

“Silence is a source of great strength”

-Lao Tzu-

Buddhists say that the mind can be compared to a monkey. Just like a monkey jumps from branch to branch, being continually agitated, the mind jumps non-stop from one thought to another, leaving us agitated and confused.

But why is the mind restless? How can it calm down and find the stillness of the mind?

The story of the elephant and the fly

A disciple and his teacher were walking through the forest. The disciple was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant turmoil.

The disciple asked his teacher: “¿ Why most people’s minds are restless and only a few possess a calm mind? What can you do to calm your mind?”

The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said: “ I’m going to tell you a story”.

An elephant was standing eating the leaves of a tree. A small fly came and flew next to him, making an unpleasant ringing noise near his ear. The elephant shook her long ears to scare her away. But soon after the fly came again and the elephant shook its ears again. This was repeated several times.

After several failed attempts to permanently scare away the fly, The elephant went to her and asked:

-Why are you so restless and so noisy? Why can’t you stay for a while in one place?“

The fly answered:

–I am attracted to what I see, what I hear or what I smell. My five senses claim me with everything that happens around me and I can’t resist. What is your secret, elephant? How can you stay so calm and still?”

The elephant stopped eating and said:

“My five senses do not direct my attention. I am in control of my attention and I can direct it wherever I want.. This helps me immerse myself in everything I do and therefore keep my mind focused and calm. Now that I’m eating, I’m totally immersed in eating. This way, I can enjoy my food and chew better. I control my attention and not the other way around and this helps me stay calm.”

Get rid of the non-essential

To keep your mind calm you don’t have to be distracted. Letting go of the non-essential is the key to focusing on what really matters. By being aware of the present moment we can find peace and stillness.

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But how do we get rid of the non-essential? What is essential and what is not? How do we listen to the answer within ourselves in the midst of so much noise? Actually, The first step is quite easy: just stop and remain silent. In this lack of action we will begin to find answers.

“Let us be silent so that we can hear the whispers of the gods.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson-

Meditation to calm a restless mind

Meditation is an excellent tool to calm a restless mind. Meditation reduces the incessant busyness of the mind. In fact, focusing on your breathing is much easier than it seems and allows for a deeper awareness of tranquility.

With practice and persistence you can develop the ability to find that tranquility through meditation no matter what is happening around you. Learning to meditate will allow you to calm your mind at work, on public transport, in a stressful situation anywhere or in the middle of any busy environment.

“It’s just about sitting quietly, watching the thoughts passing through you. Simply observing, not interfering, not judging, because the moment you judge, you have lost pure observation. The moment you say ‘this is good, this is bad, you have jumped in the thought process’

-Osho-

First steps to meditate

When we enter the world of meditation we discover that it is very broad. There are many types of meditation, from mental calm to meditation based on love and compassion. To quiet the mind, the ideal is to practice a meditation called Samathawhat does it mean, calm mintl. In fact, mindfulness is born from Samatha meditation.

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To learn a little to quiet “the monkey mind” we can follow the next stepyes:

Sit on the floor or in a chair (wherever we are most comfortable). Back straight and chin slightly down. Hands on the legs. Leave the eyes almost closed. Breathe deeply several times, relaxing the body. Stop breathing voluntarily and pay attention. Pay attention to abdominal movement. After a few minutes, we pay attention to the entry and exit of air through the nose. We focus on a specific point and with each breathing cycle we count from 1 to 10. When we reach 10 we stop counting for a few seconds and start again.

Points to consider:

Put an alarm. It is necessary to control the meditation time. Start with 10-15 minutes and increase to about 30. Do not judge thoughts for better or worse. Observe them and let them pass. Be in a quiet and calm place. At least when we started learning to meditate.

Cultivate gratitude

The hustle and bustle of your daily life may be due to an underlying feeling of discontent. One way to begin to improve your sense of joy and satisfaction is to recognize and celebrate all the wonderful things you already have.

Although it may sound a bit cliché, it is important to remember that Being grateful for what you have is what will really help you see things differently. Just quickly write down the things you are grateful for right now, ten or more.

Don’t overthink it, just as quickly as possible. Anything goes, from what seems most superficial or subtle to what is most profound or vital. When you’re done, read the gratitude list out loud. All of this will seem much more wonderful to you and It will fill you with joy to find inner stillness.