The mind gets caught up in likes and dislikes, past events and planning of the future. So, meditation is the skill in which you bring it around. How do you bring it around? First of all, know that everything is going to end. Then you say, this could be my last breath out. Suddenly, it just brings some relief to you. You need to worry. You need to take care. You need to plan. It’s all good. When you go out, you put on the shoes. But you don’t go to your shower with your shoes on.

Similarly, take those few moments when you reflect on your whole life. What’s my life? What’s the meaning? What am I doing? Okay, I want to get this. I want to achieve this. Okay, do all that. But then the curtain is going to come down. So what do I want? If you just put a little attention on that you get into a space where you find yourself in such freedom, such strength. that brings a sigh of relief to you. When you get out of your shoes for some time, at least your toes will have some time to flex themselves.

Reasons for too many thoughts

1. One is the lack of enough circulation in the system. Do some vigorous exercise, run, go to the gym, do some exercise. Then there is that little exhaustion, not too much. If less than half of your energy is spent on exercise then the mind becomes calm. 
2. Second, when your pitta is very high then also there are too many thoughts. So to lower the pitta, take triphala. Or many others drink the gooseberry drink, amla and all this. Talk to an Ayurvedic physician and consult them to reduce pitta, that is the second thing. 
3. Third, lack of prana, so pranayama will help. 
4. The fourth thing is if your bowel movements are not okay then also too many thoughts will come in your head. So for bowel movements to be good take some triphala, some purgatives. It’s good to cleanse your system, your intestines. Then also your mind becomes much clearer! 

So, these there are many ways. And even then if nothing happens put on a guided meditation and then sit.

Three golden principles for meditation

There are three golden principles which would be very useful in meditation. When you go to shower, you don’t go with your coat on, right? You remove the coat, you remove your shoes. In the same way, when you meditate, keep aside all the wants in your mind, say, I want nothing, and meditation is not doing anything. So, want nothing, do nothing and then know you are nothing. 

These three principles can make our meditation very deep. Beware, meditation is contagious. If you are a good meditator, people around you catch it. It’s like happiness. Happiness is contagious. So is meditation. Very contagious. Beware of that, okay? Meditation is the food for the soul. It can open up the lid that we have put on the fountain of energy, the fountain of love, the fountain of joy that we are.

How can we control the mind?

Through the breath. If you can control your breath then know that you can control your mind. Do pranayama and once you keep doing pranayama you will start gaining control of your mind. You cannot control the mind directly, it is not possible. When you like something then the mind is there fully. Suppose you like a movie, that 2-3 hours you are totally focused. Your focus stays on the television or the screen because you like something. The mind gets focused when there is a liking towards something. When you don’t like something and still you have to focus, then take the help of the breath. Breath can help the mind focus. If you love something you don’t need to focus, it is already there. Love brings focus along with it. Greed and fear can also help you focus. If none of these three things work then the fourth one I would say is dispassion. Dispassion can bring focus.

Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering the art of thought control during meditation is a transformative journey that involves understanding the impermanence of life and finding inner freedom and strength. Various factors, such as exercise, managing pitta, maintaining prana, and ensuring proper bowel movements, can influence the number of thoughts in our minds. Embracing three golden principles—letting go of desires, doing nothing, and realising our true nature—can deepen the meditation experience. By controlling the breath in specific patterns as done in Sudarshan Kriya^TM, focus is achieved. A fountain of joy, of energy, of love opens up. Through consistent practice of techniques taught in the Art of Living Happiness Program, one can harness the power of meditation, making it contagious and contributing to a world free from stress and violence, nurturing the fountain of energy, love, and joy within oneself.