Mental tensions are caused by excessive intellectual activity. Intellectual processes of the mind create balance or imbalance. Mind is a whirlpool of fantasies, confusions and oscillations. With years, these whirlpools increase in number and strength, affecting our lives. These accumulated feelings – either happy or sad – keep affecting our moods from time to time. We sometimes get angry, irritated or depressed and blame it on a superficial cause, which is not often true. It is what is inside us on the mental level that makes us see things as good or bad.
Before such accumulated feelings start affecting the daily life, it is essential to clean the mind up. To detoxify the mind, to get rid of deep rooted experiences, to release the stresses – Meditation is the key. Once the pent up emotions are released there is feeling of nothingness and tranquility.
There are several ways to practice Meditation. Different methods suit different people. But to make a beginning is what is important. What you like or dislike will be a process of self-discovery over a period of time.
Mantra Japa, Antar Mouna and Yoga Nidra are some very effective and easy to practice ways, to reach state of meditation.
Mantra Japa or Mantra repetition seeps down into the mind where thoughts are residing as seeds. From there they act upon the deep rooted feelings and expel them. Therefore, in the initial stages of mantra practice the mind becomes more restless. But as the thoughts get expelled, the burdened mind becomes lighter. The tensions are released, leaving peace behind. The easiest way to practice Mantra Japa is with the help of bead strings or Malas.
Antar Mouna or Inner Silence is the practice in which, a person just observes the behavior of the mind without any judgments or obstructions. The practitioner just witnesses the goings of his mind without any partiality. When the mind is brooding over a thought, we may become sad or happy. The idea of this practice is not to get affected by our thoughts, and just watch them with detachment- like a movie. Observe the thoughts, as if they are not yours. This practice too will help in release of tensions.
Yoga Nidra or Psychic Sleep is a relaxation technique where you actually don’t sleep. While lying down, each body part is made to relax, followed by relaxation of the mind. It is powerful technique, leading to great release of tensions and strengthening of goals. This can be practices for half an hour daily.
Just like anything new, Meditation practices also may take some time getting used to. It may take few or several attempts to reach a meditative state, depending on the state of one’s mind, how relaxed or worked up a person is. One must not lose heart, but only tensions to get relief.