Transcending Stress: Part 3
Know Your Mind, Know Yourself: The Case for Meditation
Know Your Mind, Know Yourself: The Case for Meditation
When I first started studying Eastern Philosophy, I signed up for an 800 Hour 3-year study program with Georg Feuerstein (a German Indologist and scholar specializing in the philosophy of Yoga). I'll never forget how calm and peaceful he was while listening to his audio lessons. He seemed genuinely happy and relaxed, as many zen masters do. There was something so graceful about his presence that I couldn't get enough of his voice. However, I was still skeptical about the idea of “mind mastery” he was teaching. Moreover, I didn't recognize those calm zen-like qualities in my upbringing or my own life, which added another layer of suspicion.
My Doorway Into Meditation
One of the first things that Georg taught us was an "awareness practice." As a daily routine, we were to watch anger as it arose. At that time, I was having some difficulty with a coworker. I was sitting there one morning and could hear her voice in another room. I remember seeing my anger in my thoughts. I began to be with it and feel the sensation in my body. I stayed with the contraction, following my breath and allowing for the arising of thoughts and the feelings of anger it produced. I noticed that the anger slowed and started to dissipate a little. I didn't say anything; I didn't react. That was the beginning for me to really become interested in how my mind works and how it determines the quality of my life.
Anger is suffering. So are sadness and depression. So this teaching on watching my thoughts was also my doorway into meditation. It opened up a new way of looking at things.
"Attitudes are enduring tendencies in your mind that show
themselves in your behaviour as well as your speech. Yoga
encourages you to examine all your basic attitudes toward life
to discover which ones are dysfunctional so that you can
replace them with more appropriate ones" -Georg Feurenstein
Now that you understand awareness is the centerpiece for "mind mastery," I will share the teachings on "Mind" as they were passed down to me by Dr. Feurenstein. The Yoga tradition teaches that there are five aspects to the mind. When you meditate, the mind runs through these various layers trying to distract you. However, your mind becomes less distracted with practice, and you can feel a sense of peace and calm in just a few minutes of breathing and contemplation.
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The 5 Aspects of Mind
The Reactive Mind— Manas
Your reactive mind is your Manas; it keeps you safe. Manas is informed by your five senses: hearing, touch, sight, taste, and smell. Anything perceived by your five senses, whether it is the sound of a bus, the smell of smoke, or the sight of a bird, first enters into the field of the mind called manas. This function of the lower mind has one orientation— to constantly evaluate your surroundings and keep you safe. Your reactive mind is biological safety on the primal level to ensure survival. If someone yelled, "Fire!" as you read this blog, I could not hold your attention for very long. The thing that propels this is your Manas — it is reactionary; it does not think a lot or ponder things, but it does react. It is essential to understand this. Think of the implications: everything new in life is a threat. Your Manas (reactive mind) cannot figure this out.
One reason that changing circumstances and new situations cause stress is because your Manas perceives them as such. This, in turn, can create a low level of anxiety about any new situation in your life. That could be meeting new people, giving a presentation for the first time, or putting your creative work out there for the world to see. One of the most direct benefits of Yoga practice is it aims to calm down Manas. Meditation can help with this, especially if your yoga practice is consistent.\
Suppose you do not get Manas under control. In that case, your sympathetic nervous system will become so activated that you can become overly reactive. For example, if someone says something to annoy you, you get upset more quickly than if you had a handle on Manas. As a result, you can allow yourself to continuously live in a siege of doubts, fears, negativity, and restlessness. Eventually, the things you are battling start to become You. You become that reactive person.
The goal here is to calm down that part of the mind. This is where breathing, meditation, and the slower Yoga practices like Yoga Nidra and Yin Yoga come into play.
The Mind of Memories— Chitta
Chitta is the storehouse of past impressions and experiences. It is like a vast computer that stores all your past emotions, feelings, and actions. Every moment of your life is recorded in Chitta.
Chitta's role is to help you be oriented in the moment. In other words, it enables you to compare your present situation to your past experiences. For example, I have seen a few new students walk into the Yoga practice room with their shoes on over the years I've been teaching. Suppose you are already familiar with attending yoga practice. In that case, you will know that it is a ritual to take off your shoes before entering the yoga room. However, if you are new to a Yoga studio, you do not have a memory for this, so you have no reference point for comparison.
Chitta is the source of why we repeat so much of our behavior, whether it is good or bad. In the Buddhist tradition, they have this idea of the beginner's mind. We would take each moment ahead of us as an opportunity to exercise free will and not be influenced by the past. How often do we live with a beginner's mind? Hardly ever. We draw upon Chitta at any given time, and it veils our freedom at the moment. The more memory patterns you stack in your mind, the more likely you will react from that place, whether it is helpful or not.
Having worked with many people who have experienced trauma, I have found that painful memories are hidden in the subconscious mind. Meditation practice opens up space in the field of the mind so those repressed feelings can come through. It can be incredibly healing to release the tension of repressed emotions. You can feel the relief in your body and mind. I am not suggesting this is easy; however, you learn more about yourself by looking into your darkness rather than into your light.
When we allow repressed emotions to come into our field of awareness, where they can be processed, we refer to this as a "release of energy." Feeling the pain of the emotion allows us to work through it instead of keeping it pushed down. Whenever you have a strong reaction towards a situation, the smoke of desire is present. This means your response is a result of a much deeper desire. In other words, you might react with anger, but your hidden desire is to be heard or even to be loved. Examining your reaction takes the "charge out of it!
One of the reasons for strong emotional reactions comes down to unmet needs. If we do not have our needs met as young children and young adults, we will continue to try and have them met even into old age. Part of evolving as a human being is understanding how these unmet needs reveal themselves and how we can acknowledge and work through them rather than ignore them.
Working through feelings and emotions is a practice I continuously use with my students to help them understand their emotional reactions. If, for example, I have a strong reaction to something, I'll ask myself, "What's really going on here?". One of the things I have to work with personally is "perfectionism." Since I have explored this part of myself, I know perfectionism comes from the fear of being judged and criticized. The practice of "self-inquiry" has shown me that the real reason I want perfectionism is to feel safety and belonging. Understanding this allows me to be more vulnerable and compassionate because none of us will ever be perfect— and that's okay. If you don't go into a deeper exploration of your emotions, it will be challenging to move past them.
The Yoga tradition calls this deep practice "Vichara" or "self-inquiry." It is a method that enables you to dig deeply into your anger, fear, and sadness triggers. I teach this concept in every course I facilitate because if we are not aware of our emotions, it is often challenging, if not impossible, to release them.
The Yogis discovered our subtle energy anatomy through deep contemplation, described as the "Chakra System." The Hindu model calls out seven psycho-energetic centers or chakras. In Buddhism, five chakras are known. Whether we perceive the Chakras depends on how we cultivate a relationship with them.
Energy and The Chakra System
The Chakra system is widely misunderstood in the West. There are weekend courses and online instructions on how to balance your Chakras. However, everyone touting to balance your Chakras in a weekend is just taking your money. You can no more balance your Chakras system in a weekend than you can climb Mount Everest in a day. I am not saying that these workshops are not "feel-good experiences." However, the Yoga tradition teaches how to dissolve the limiting beliefs associated with the lower three Chakras — your constant desire for materialism, sex, ego, and power. It shows us how to evolve the higher four Chakras so that we can live a conscious life.
Cultivating awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions and employing methods like meditation to calm your mind is the first step in creating a relationship with your energy body's deeper aspects— your Chakras.
The Ego Mind— Ahamkara
Ahamkara is defined as the ego and a sense of "I am-ness." This does not refer to the ego aspect of holding yourself in "high esteem." Instead, this is the idea that how you behave in the world is linked to your unique sense of "self - identification."
In the Yoga tradition, it is taught that Ahamkara separates us from seeing the greater world of which we are apart. As a result, we create our little universes of thinking, acting, and being, forgetting that we are an imprint of the macrocosm.
Of course, Ahamkara, or self-identity, has value. We need to have a sense of self-identity for our unique role in the world. Ahamkara is the part of the mind that collects the impressions that shape our self-perception. For example, if you had mixed messages about love or not feeling important in the family when you were young, you began to form your sense of "who you are" around that messaging.
This is why people find themselves in unhealthy relationships over and over again. If you experience repetitive dysfunctional situations, it becomes a pattern that forms part of your identity and self-image. No one consciously makes bad choices in relationships, yet something drives them to do it.
From a Yogic perspective, our choices are driven by our sense of self-identity. As self-identity becomes healthier, stronger, and more ingrained, you can start making more positive choices. This is because you reassert a healthy self-identity instead of a negative and self-destructive one.
The Buddhi Mind— The Mind of Higher Wisdom
In the Yoga tradition, we refer to Buddhi (wisdom mind) as the part of the mind that makes decisions. It is the part of you that takes all the information from Manas (lower mind), Chitta (memories), and Ahamkara (self-identity). Then, it attempts to figure it all out in the present moment when you need to make a choice or a decision. Buddhi can discern, which is the ability to self-reflect. Human beings can exercise self-will and free will. We are not the victim of our circumstances. If Buddhi has been developed enough, it will free us from our negative belief patterns. It can recognize the challenges at the level of the lower mind. Therefore, a cultivated Buddhi makes us break free of self-destructive choices.
Someone with an evolved Buddhi does these three things in any given experience:
They are aware of the experience
They are aware of how they perceive the experience
They have a clear space of quietness in their mind to decide on how to act
Your Buddhi goes through a process of discernment before it makes a decision. From the Yogic point of view, the highest level of Buddhi is the ability to serve your consciousness. This happens when you make decisions that support your Dharma or life's purpose. A historical example was made by the great philosopher Socrates. Socrates empowered individuals to exercise free will even if it was contrary to what the state espoused. Officials arrested him and said, "If you don't stop, we will kill you." Socrates responded: "Pass me the hemlock. I'd rather die than not speak the truth". This is the highest level of Buddhi — when Dharma or your consciousness informs your decisions.
There are times when we are called to be courageous in the face of a difficult situation. I have met many people who have had to make tough decisions about their relationships and careers. Buddhi needs to be cultivated, so you know what is right and are ready to act on it at any given time. There is bound to be plenty of conflict in our lives. Seeing the truth of what you have to do about it is only half the battle; the other half is having the courage to face this truth and act upon it.
Purusha— The Soul
The last level of the mind we need to discuss is "Purusha" or your soul. It is not really an aspect of the mind. You can think of it as the dividing line between your Buddhi (wisdom mind) and the fabric of your soul.
The yogis describe Purusha (soul) as that part of our being that never changes. They describe it as a field of consciousness that projected itself onto your body shortly after your birth. Your soul incarnated for you to bring a gift to the world - your soul's purpose. It knows what we need to survive and live a joyful life, and it tells us a very different story than the one our parents told us. Your soul wants your happiness, success, personal growth, and freedom. Your soul has powers! It has the power of "knowing." It continually wants to align with your life's purpose.
Rediscovering your "soul" is the magical part of Yoga and why meditation is a prized practice after thousands of years. This is one of the secrets of ancient wisdom teachings. As your mind becomes still, it stops spinning in circles. It is as if you just tuned in to a new radio station with no static. This station is tuned into your "soul."
As your meditation becomes deeper, there are fewer and fewer memories in conscious awareness, so Chitta (field of memories) disengages. And in the deepest stages of meditation, there is some loss around Ahamkara (self-identity). You are no longer conscious of your gender, age, or financial status at this stage. Here you come in direct communion with your soul. Over time, you stack these meditative experiences in memory, which profoundly impacts how you live your life. Fear is what holds us back from living the life we want. So we have to practice self-inquiry (Vichara) to get freedom from our fears and bring them out of the shadows of the subconscious mind into conscious awareness. The value of meditation to align with your soul is one of the most beautiful gifts. The Saint "Ignatius" says this of meditation: "A single hour of meditation has taught me more truths about heavenly things than all the teachings of all the doctors put together, could have taught." In this state of mind, your parasympathetic nervous system is activated. Stress and anxiety cannot thrive when you remove your subconscious fear-based beliefs. Your soul can shed a clear light on your life, allowing you to embrace who you are and who you are meant to be.
Meditation for Anywhere, Any Place - Getting Peace in a Moment of Stress on the Go
When you feel anxious or overwhelmed, find a space to sit quietly for a few minutes. First, do a body scan. What sensations can you notice? Is your posture straight and relaxed? Then check your breathing. Is your breathing relaxed? Keep your awareness on your breathing for a few moments. Next, shift your awareness to the whole room, including yourself in the room. Be aware of the environment around you while keeping your eyes open. Become aware of all sensations like sound, smell, and light without labeling them or figuring out their source. Do not judge anything, do not fixate on anything, just observe. Close your eyes; however, keep them half-open if it's uncomfortable to keep your eyes shut.
In each of these steps, notice if your mind begins to wander in thoughts (without judgment). Then, gently return your awareness to the present moment or your breath. If you can relax in this observation state, come back to observing when thoughts wander. Try it for a minute, and see if you can let go. Become aware that you don't have to be involved with everything in your mind. You can observe your thoughts like watching a movie, where you are an actor. You'll notice your mind becomes calmer after just a few minutes. If you have the time, stay in that space of stillness as long as you can or want to. If you can get a glimpse of this feeling of calm or peace in the above meditation, you can go back to that anytime you choose. In a moment of feeling stressed, you can take a break and regain that sense of peace and calm.
Uriel MacGillivary is the founder of Shanti Yoga Studios and Shanti Traditional School of Yoga on the East Coast of Canada. Her passion & study of the ancient teachings has expanded her view of how Yoga transforms the human condition. Uriel shares her knowledge and wisdom in these weekly posts. For more in-depth knowledge and experience you can join her in Yoga teacher trainings and retreats locally and worldwide.
For life changing Yoga, meditation and Yoga Nidra, check us out online shantiyogaonline.ca