Does your mind protest when you sit down to meditation?
Does your mind protest when you sit down to meditate? Instead of relaxing and calming down when you close your eyes, does he start jumping around? Does your mind become filled with thoughts and worries that prevent you from meditating? If you feel this way, believe me, you are not alone.
The mind is by its nature mobile and does not imply stability . He is active and not intended to rest. That's why when we force the body to sit down and close our eyes, the mind begins to protest. The mind experiences inaction, which it perceives as a threat to its true nature of mobility.
This is why the sacred texts of yoga say that The mind should never be forced into meditation, but rather prepared to go into meditation. In the beginning, we should not focus on the mind, but rather on other faculties of the gross and subtle body that will help the mind move into a state of meditation. The key preparation for meditation is directing attention to the breath and its control (Pranayama). Focusing on the breath as air moves in and out of the body (So-Hum) is an excellent exercise for preparing the mind for meditation. As the breathing becomes slower and deeper, the mind begins to move away from the distractions of the external world of the 5 senses of perception (Pratyahara) and moves towards awareness of the inner universe (Antar Akasha). Then the mind, which is still mobile (but more subtle than gross), must fix or concentrate on the subtle energies or vibrations of the Antar Akash. (Dharana)
This whole practice can be difficult in the beginning and requires consistency in performance (Tapas), correct techniques (Vidya) and an experienced teacher (Guru). But as we learn discipline in these techniques, we begin to see progress in our meditation (dhyana). Yogis say that when you can maintain this focus in Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana for seven minutes, you will overcome a great barrier and your mind will move towards inner one-pointedness (Ekagra). In this state, the higher minds become active (Buddhi, Chitta) and the lower monkey mind (Manas, Ahamkar) no longer protests, but instead enters a state of silence, peace and pure bliss.