Clear Your Mind from Anxious Thoughts

How do you feel when watching a sad movie? Do you laugh when you hear a good joke? Are you angry when you hear about an injustice? Our emotions are ever changing, depending on what's going on around us and how we react to it. So where does anxiety come from? Well, lots of places, but one huge trigger is our thoughts.

Recently there was a question posted by a reader who commented, "When I go to bed I am afraid someone will break into the house and kill us." She then noted that she has trouble sleeping. Of course! How would you feel if you had that thought? Anxiety is a very appropriate emotional response to the idea that someone is about to kill you. So, how do you clear your mind from such things that are highly unlikely to occur? Meditation is one way, and the focus of this Share Post.

First, let me define meditation. Meditation itself is a very generic term that refers to using one's mind to contemplate, focus, and achieve a deeper state of awareness and relaxation.  It has a tremendously long history and is a component of nearly every religion known to man. In addition, non-religious persons use meditation as well.

It is well beyond my scope to describe how all the major religions (let alone all the others) practice mediation, so I thought I would talk about some important key elements from three different viewpoints: Hinduism, Christianity, and a secular (nonreligious) viewpoint.

Hinduism

I am by no means an expert regarding Hinduism, but I chose to write about it for two reasons. First, Yoga, which is popular among people of many religious and cultural backgrounds, originated from Hinduism. Secondly, there are some specific words found in Hinduism that very clearly delineate what a person's state of mind and relaxation might or might not be.

This is not a complete list; I only picked those from the list that I thought were especially appropriate to understand:

• Ksipta: describes the inability to think, listen, or sit still. One is agitated in this state and his/her thoughts race from one to another.
• Viksipta: seems to describe a running state of thoughts that are not processed, however, there is more of an ability to think than with ksipta.
• Ekagra: describes a state of calmness. One can pay attention and focus.
• Nirodha: appears to describe the greatest level of centeredness, where one is completely focused and not distracted.

I am not suggesting that you memorize this list of words (I am not even sure how to pronounce them); however, I think it is a good thing to be able to describe your level of focus and relaxation. Are you in a constant state of Viksipta? Do you ever reach Nirodha? If your thoughts are constantly racing or you never feel relaxed, it is a good idea for you to find a type of meditation that you feel comfortable using.

Yoga is highly effective for clearing the mind and relaxing the body. Although it has it is origins in Hinduism, there are many people who practice yoga without using the spiritual elements of Hinduism. I do realize that there are religious people who think that a non-spiritual practice of yoga is not possible. It is beyond the scope of this Share Post to debate that point. If you do not feel comfortable trying yoga, then don't! There are other things you can do!