Do Good and Introspect
Do always virtuous actions. Watch the mind and see what it is doing. These two methods are quite sufficient to control the mind. Awaken your spiritual Impressions by company of wise humans, chanting, etc. Protect them. Develop them. Nourish them. Inquiry, Practice will all pave a long way in the control of the mind and the attainment of Liberation.
Introspect. Have an inner life always. Let a portion of the mind and hands do their work mechanically. An acrobat girl, while exhibiting her performances, has her attention riveted on the water-pot she bears on her head although all the time she is dancing to various tunes. So does truly pious man attend to all his business concerns, but has his mind's eye fixed upon the blissful feet of the Lord. This is Karma-Yoga (Action) and Jnana-Yoga (Knowledge) combined. This will lead to integral development. This is balance. This is synthetic Yoga which is better than one-sided development.
Do Prayers
A serpent is very fond of music. Mind also is like a serpent. It likes melodious tunes very much. It can be entrapped very easily by sweet sounds. Fix the mind on the sweet Anahata sounds that emanate from the heart by closing the ears. It can be controlled quite easily by this method. This is Laya-Yoga. Music exercises a tremendous, soothing influence on a ruffled mind. In America, doctors use music in curing many diseases, particularly of nervous origin. Music elevates the mind also.
Prayer, which is one of the nine forms of worship causes Bhava-Samadhi (union with God through Bhava or feeling). It is prevalent throughout India. It corresponds to the singing of hymns by Christians. In this Kali-Yuga or Iron Age, Prayer is an easy way to God-realization. Sing the Name of Lord constantly. Praise constantly His qualities. You will have vision of Lord. Those who can sing well should retire to a solitary place and sing heartily with pure feelings. In course of time, they will enter into Bhava-Samadhi. There is no doubt about it.
Always Think of God
CONSTANTLY THINK OF GOD. YOU CAN VERY EASILY CONTROL THE MIND. Even if you think of your favorite Lord only once, even if you once form a mental image, the pureness will increase a bit. If you think a crore of times, your mind will be filled with a large quantity of Sattva (pure). Constant thinking of God thins out the mind and destroys the subtle desires and thoughts.
When you fix your mind on Lord in the lotus of your heart, your attention is fixed on the figure of Lord. When the attention is fixed, the spiritual current is started. When you meditate, the flow of the current becomes steady and when the meditation gets very deep and intense, 'Union' (Samadhi) takes place. You become one with the Lord. There is complete restraint of the modifications of the mind.
Practice of Pranayama
To bring about control of mind, two things are essential, viz., control of Prana and renunciation of association. By the latter is meant dissociation, not with the world, but only with the longing after or the attraction towards the objects of the world.
Pranayama or control of breath checks the velocity of the mind and reduces the quantity of thinking. It removes the dross (impurities) in the form of Rajas and Tamas from the mind. For control of the mind, retention of breath is indispensable. You will have to practice this daily. You will have to practice inhalation, retention and exhalation of breath regularly and rhythmically. Then the mind will become One. The period of retention of breath will increase by systematic practice, with regulated diet and proper dietetic discipline (light, nutritious food). This is the Hatha yogic method. The practice of must be done under the guidance of a Guru who is a developed Yogi.
Reference
Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda
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