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How to Meditate

When I go walking with my dog, oftentimes my mind gets caught up in my problem du jour, whirling around and around like a hamster on one of those little hamster Ferris wheels. While this is going on, I don't see the beautiful trees, smell the clean air, or notice the joy my dog is experiencing. My mind is involved in the hamster Ferris wheel. In Sanskrit, the word "vritti" means whirlwind, and it is used to refer to this mental agitation. Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, one of the primary texts of yoga philosophy, says "Yoga chitta vritti narodha", which means something like, "Yoga is the process of letting go of the mental whirlwinds"

When I'm wrapped up in a vritti, some part of my body is holding muscular tension.... oftentimes the small muscles in my face, or around my eyes. After wrestling with the vritti awhile, I realize that I'm caught, and then I let it go. The letting go involves relaxing my muscles while I let go of the thought. Once I've let go of the vritti, I start seeing the trees and enjoying the walk (and life) again. This practice is the real yoga. It is very simple. The instructions could be completely expressed in only one sentence, "When you realize that you're wrapped up in a vritti, let it go".

Hatha Yoga is the most wonderful thing for becoming aware of, and releasing physical tension. People who have been habitually and unconsciously holding certain muscles tight for years become aware of that tension through Hatha Yoga and learn to release it. This physical awareness eventually helps them in their daily life by helping them recognize the physical tension associated with vrittis. If the vrittis were completely mental, they might be difficult to recognize, as they are subtle. But the physical manifestation of the vritti is grosser, and therefore easier to recognize.

This practice of releasing vrittis should eventually become a continuous practice during our waking hours. But as a starting point you might consider practicing 10 minutes per day. Sit in a chair with eyes closed. Watch your mind with great attention. When you realize that you're wrapped up in a train of thought, let it go. Don't "try to stop it", just let it go. If you try to stop thoughts, it's never going to work, and you will become very frustrated. But you can relax and let them go without any effort whatsoever. It's actually a process of abstaining from effort. Here's a flow chart that describes the process.

What is the value of this practice?

When I'm caught in a vritti, I'm not enjoying life.
When I'm caught in a vritti, I'm not paying attention, and so I perform below my full potential.
When I'm caught in a vritti, I'm not paying attention, and so I am more likely to have an accident.

What is the difference between a vritti and a thought?

A vritti is any thought that causes the Self to forget its true nature. When there is obsessive desire or strong aversion associated with the thought, that is a vritti.

So are you saying that I should walk around empty-headed, like a zombie all day?

No, but try it for 10 minutes per day and see how it feels. Don't worry, you won't get possessed by a dis-embodied spirit, or become a flaky, new-age peace & love flower bimbo. But you will feel a little calmer, more centered and more capable. And it will grow with regular practice.
The longer we do this practice, the more we think in a way that does not wrap us up in a whirlwind of agitation. Dispassionate thoughts are not vrittis.

What is this "true nature of the Self" business?

You are that which remains the same, while your circumstances, body, mind and personality change. You are the silent, unchanging witness.

What is the difference between stopping thoughts and letting go of thoughts?

You can't stop a thought, but you can let a thought go after you realize you're having one. Another one will come sooner or later, but that's okay. When you realize that you're thinking again, you can let it go again. Over and over, perhaps hundreds of times in just a 10 minute meditation. Or perhaps you realize that you're caught in a vritti only once during the whole meditation, and the rest of the time you were daydreaming, without realizing it. That's okay, that one time when you realize that you've been trapped, let go of the vritti.

How do I know when I've had a successful meditation?

There is no such thing as a successful or unsuccessful meditation. Don't judge it. When you realize that you're judging it, let go of the judgment. Over and over again. And don't judge the fact that you're judging it, either. Let it all go, every time it happens.

I have trouble keeping my mind blank.

That's normal. Don't judge your success or failure by how quiet your mind is. In fact, don't judge your meditation at all. Just follow this one simple instruction, over and over again, "Every time you realize that you are thinking, let go of the thought." With regular practice, your mind will become quieter, and not just in meditation, but most of the time.

How do I make my thoughts go away?

Try this simple experiment, right now. Put your right hand on your knee. Now, for the next 30 seconds, let it be still......
Okay, 30 seconds are up. Did you have to force your hand to be still, or could you just LET it be still? In the same manner, you don't PUSH your thoughts go away, you just LET GO of the thoughts. Pushing your thoughts away will just create more thoughts.

It's too noisy in my house for me to meditate.

It doesn't have to be quiet to meditate, although it would be good if nobody is trying to talk to you or talk about you. But normal noises won't bother you if you treat them in the same way we treat other thoughts. When you realize that your mind is on the noise, just let it go, without effort.... over and over again. With the right attitude, noise won't bother you at all.... it will just pass right through you with hardly a ripple.

I keep falling asleep.

When you meditate, sit up straight and don't have your back touching anything. You'll be less likely to fall asleep if your back and head are not leaning against anything.

Questions?

Email me (Matt) at mataylraj@gmail.com

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