By Elizabeth Herman | Posted: November 18, 2019
What is the human mind? There was a time in the past when I thought of the human mind as equivalent to the human brain. But I’ve learned that the brain is only a physical organ governing the body’s systems via electricity, while the mind itself is much bigger than that.
The mind is a field of energy that hovers around and throughout the body; Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar eloquently describes mind as the glow that surrounds a lit candle.
In Gurudev’s helpful metaphor for the mind, the body becomes the wick of the candle, serving as fuel for the flame that creates the glow of light all around it. When the wick runs out, the light disappears, but a flame can appear on other candles to create more light elsewhere.
The glow of the mind
So the mind is actually bigger than the body, and it radiates into the outer world. It isn’t confined to the brain or any other body part but it does derive energy from all of the parts of the body equally, and all at the same time. In other words, the food that the body processes can influence what is happening in the mind, via all of the digestive organs, the bloodstream, and the way the brain translates that energy into thoughts, words, emotions, decisions, and actions.
When we talk about the mind being cluttered, it is as though the contents of the world have inundated the glow around the body. With many distractions and pursuits that drain the energy of the mind, the light can flicker, waver, and start to fade, and the light becomes less valuable and helpful to others, to the higher self beyond the mind, and to the world.
7 ways to clear away the clutter
Therefore, the problem of a cluttered mind is worth addressing. Several solutions exist to clear away the mental baggage that gets in the way of a clear, positive mindset, allowing you to function to your optimal potential. Here are some of the steps that I have taken to keep my mind clear and glowing with a bright brilliant light. While there have been times when I have faltered and become overwhelmed with needless clutter, I can return to these methods for renewal and nurturing of the brightness and clarity that is my light.
Stop talking so much.
Excess verbiage can be exhausting for the mind to decode ad nauseum. If it isn’t necessary, too much talk can frustrate friends, partners, and loved ones. It’s worth it to find peace by asking others to address what they need to tell you in writing, or by being a little bit more brief in their explanations. You can model this behavior by keeping your own statements brief, concise, and easy to understand. The other option is to simply walk away with a smile, letting the other person know you like them but just can’t talk anymore.
Pay attention to your breath.
The breath happens all the time, but language use often distracts us from putting our attention on it. There are different qualities to each individual breath we take, be it choppy or smooth, deep or shallow, long or short. Breathing is essential for life, and the influence it has on the energy of the mind can be astounding once you learn about how to use it properly. With our attention on the breath, we can change the content of our thinking and improve the clarity of our mind. To learn specific techniques for doing just that, check out the Art of Living Happiness Program.
Write a list of what’s most important.
Writing slows down the process of language use, so your ideas on paper are ones that you usually select much more carefully than the ones you speak out, automatically eliminating ideas that may clutter you up. You can also lean back and look at what you write and edit out the unnecessary words, to reduce the excess taking up space on the page. Once you have a short list of things to focus on, such as parts of your life that bring you feelings of joy and gratitude, that can help you focus your mind more productively.
Give away objects you don’t need.
Since our mind exists in the space around and in the body, the amount of physical clutter in the spaces we inhabit influences the energy of the mind. You can feel joy when sensing objects around you, or you can feel sorrow. Did you ever walk into a room and find it difficult to breathe? The clutter in your space can feed your mental clutter as well. So I advise you to take action and clear away any objects that aren’t joyful and good for your mind.
Add positive thoughts to silently repeat to yourself.
An affirmation is a thought that you can repeat to yourself during quiet reflection. It helps when it’s a positive, simple thought that you can understand and remember easily. Affirmations are also helpful to use when mentally overcoming disruptive thinking. Example affirmations may include, “I’m getting better,” or “I welcome the day,” or any number of other ideas. By using affirmations, positive thoughts can crowd out the unproductive mental habits or traumatic memories you may have been conditioned to keep with you since childhood. Since you have already recognized that you no longer need those habits, the new thought patterns will make it easy to let go of the old ones. Besides, positive thoughts have energy that is naturally aligned with your true nature of peace, so your mind will start to empty of all the useless complaints much more easily and effortlessly when you add positive affirmation to your routine. Regularly chanting or singing spiritual words is another example of a way to align with your happy nature and clear your mind.
Learn to meditate.
Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing. In silent meditation, we use a mantra, which is a special sound that is nourishing to our nervous system, to allow our minds to transcend the conscious thinking level and come to a space of inner quietness and peace. Regular practice of meditation releases stress and gets rid of the mental clutter that results from stress. It rejuvenates our entire system, body and mind, and infuses our awareness with calm alertness. To learn this practice, seek out information on the Art of Living’s Sahaj Samadhi meditation course.
Start to edit out your negative, unhelpful thoughts.
When you begin to notice your old habits of unproductive grumbling to yourself and others about your life, the thoughts will easily stop as soon as you simply tell yourself to stop them. Making room for restful meditation and gratitude for the joyful nature of life, you will learn to keep your mental energy bright and brilliant, without the clutter that once plagued your mind.
You can learn a lot about mental decluttering from the Happiness Program or the Sahaj Samadhi meditation course at the Art of Living. A great way to get started would be to find a program near you!
Elizabeth Herman writes, offers writing support to clients, teaches, and volunteers for a better world. She has a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition and Literature. Find her on Facebook or Twitter.
