Having good mental energy is a daily necessity, not a random luxury. Regular rest and recharging help our mind function to its full potential. If we do not rest the mind, our mind becomes tired from the creation of the clutter of negative or wasteful thoughts and emotions. If we take care of the mind, our thoughts will take care of our body, relationships, working life, and ultimately even our destiny. Every thought creates vibrations. Vibrations are like sound waves; they emanate and transmit the thoughts and feelings into the atmosphere and no obstacle can stop them. When we understand this, we can see how we cannot afford even a single negative or wasteful thought, because that will return to us in one way or another.
The best time to awaken both body and spirit is in the early morning. The first half hour of conscious awareness is the foundation of our day. We are fresh, in solitude, and if very early in the morning, in quietude, and the vibrations of the world are at their calmest. It is unsurprising that experienced meditators, yogis, and those who practise prayer, will be awake and in full consciousness before the dawn, invoking the well-being of all, as the sun is about to rise. It is the perfect time to connect with the Supreme Consciousness. The good vibrations we create and nurture at the start of each day will then silently reach out to the world and also touch everyone with whom we come into contact during the day.
Throughout the day though, we can rest and re-program the mind with right thinking patterns. We just need to take a moment to pause and put a full stop to a mind that may be running in all directions. We can pause to look within to check and see where our mind is running to. It is an act of self-care to practice regulating the traffic of thoughts and rejuvenating the mind. If we take one minute every fifty-nine minutes, we will find this an effective way to re-establish peace and happiness. When we do practice this consistently, we will find that the hour that follows will flow more smoothly, and we will feel calmer and more able to deal with whatever it is that crops up. If our mind is disturbed, we can have a conversation with the self, and nourish the mind by feeding it with a few powerful thoughts. When we counsel our mind, speak to it with love and compassion, it begins to understand and calms down; it begins to develop the habit of thinking thoughts that are beneficial and leaves aside those which are not. Once this habit has been established, then whenever an external negative situation unfolds, the mind has already been refreshed and recharged and does not need to consciously create beneficial and powerful thoughts. It automatically starts thinking in the right direction and empowers us to deal with the scene by being powerful and protected.
We can strengthen this by reminding ourselves every morning that we are powerful beings, and can remain stable, calm, and happy in every situation. The practice of thirty minutes of meditation in the morning, one minute of traffic control of the mind every hour, and ten minutes of meditation in the evening will keep us energised at home, at work, and even after returning home each evening. Reading how to do something is a far cry from an experience. We can all experiment with a new idea for a week or so and discover what happens. It then becomes our own experience, and there is no arguing with that. Taking care of the mind is a way to real peace and happiness.
Chirya Risely is a Rajyoga meditation teacher based at the Brahma Kumaris Peace Village Retreat Center, USA.