Why cleaning the mind is like bathing an infant!

Photo by Lubomirkin on Unsplash

Have you experienced bathing an infant anytime? You will know that it’s an uphill task as you have to calm the child and distract her by making different expressions and acts. This activity can be seen as fun too. Have you noticed when we become playful, we enjoy it, it start looking easy and we want to do it daily. Even the child start enjoying the process, feels good after the bath inspite of all the tantrums earlier and infact start to look forward to it.

Is our mind also works in a similar way? It can give us millions of reasons to justify its own thoughts and why there is no need to clean itself. However if we are successful in cleaning our mind, it acts like a mirror to our real self. The tricks are same as making an infant bath i.e. to be playful, consistent and patience.

Recently I had the fortune of meeting an enlightened person (we call him mamaji lovingly) through a chance encounter, who was so profound, simple and friendly. Though he portrays himself to be more of a student than a teacher, I still used the work enlightened for him as he has clearly reached a stage beyond good or bad which he lovingly calls “beyond satvik”. He taught me a unique and transformational process cleaning the mind which he calls as “yogic walk”. He did it playfully and suggested to do it daily in a playful manner. It is based on Patanjali Yoga Sutra and in summary, requires us to reflect on all the yamas and niyamas (described below) during our morning or evening walks.

5 Yama (control) are to ensure our social ethics with others is appropriate which helps us to remove energy leakages.

• Nonviolence- I love myself and everyone. I am not angry with anyone I meet or think about. I am ok with my even worst enemies. I am compassionate in my thoughts, words and actions.
• Truth — I don’t lie to myself or others. I accept my reality as it is without any resistance. It includes all aspects of my life, people, thoughts and feelings. I am just an observer of my thoughts so I don’t stop anything nor I heed into it. I may not have courage to accept the truth in public but I always accept it in private. I keep a watch out my intentions and motivations when dealings with others. I am conscious of the world as nondual and so fearless. I discriminate between what is illusion vs what is real. Real truth is eternal and beyond time and space.
• Non stealing — I acknowledge everything in my surroundings as a gift of nature including creation, creatures and creator. I don’t want what others have. I already have everything as the entire Universe is mine and for me.
• Non possessiveness — I don’t need much and so there is nothing to fear. I have an intention to contribute to others in whatever small ways. I am joyful which is a great service to others.
• Brahamcharya (non excess) — I see what is same in others instead of focusing on what is different, example female gender is just another form of creation with so many similarities. I indulge in my senses only moderately and as much is needed by the body. I have reduced my body needs of food, sleep, fear and sex to minimum. I try to see divine in all my desires and everything I am attracted towards.

5 Niyama (discipline) are to ensure our personal ethics are appropriate

• Cleanliness — I ensure my body and mind is clean and let go of everything which is not needed. Includes daily habits like drinking warm water after waking up, brush teeth at night, watch what you eatetc. Removing dirt in the house is a lifelong process and so the case with our body and mind. We can move from self-centeredness to be divine centered by leaving all unnecessary thoughts.
• Contentment — I am content with what I have — family, career, body etc. Accept your dark side/ vasanas too. I cultivate equanimity and do not identity with my passions. When on vacation, I will not waste my time in making home as I am here to visit and enjoy. This life is that vacation with limited time to clean our mind.
• Self discipline (tapas) — I have a one-point focus on developing my skill — like Virat kohli. I volunteer to take pain to improve and learn. I help and give to others selflessly and with love. I see my daily work and activities as an act of service.
• Self reflection (swadhayaya) — I reflect everyday about the day what I could have done better. I look closely at my thoughts and actions. I ask who am I? I am developing discrimination. I am harsh in improving myself but soft for others. I am a gyan yogi when I study, inquire and act.
• Surrender to higher power (ishvarpraridhana) — I trust in the intelligence of life, its rules and workings. I am protected and taken care. I see god in everything and everyone . I offer all problems to god as it is his problems not mine because at the end it is his leela. When I cannot solve myself resulting in overthinking, I chant His name and imagine him all around me . There is a higher intelligence than my small ego. I follow “Not my will but thy will”.

This walk covers all the 8 limbs of the yoga sutra. As for asanas, we have keep the spine straight while walking, keeping our head, neck and spine in a straight line. Also walk with a focus on our arms to bring body weight to the upper part. For Pranayam, we keep blinking the eyes to keep the breath in sync. This also helps in not getting tired soon. For Pratyahara (withdrawing the senses), whenever we notice our attention is on anything outside , we bring it back inside of ourselves. All yama and niyamas described are not moral conducts but good practices to grow personally and spiritually. They all help us to come near to divine or take us away when they are not followed.

Remember if the mind resists anytime, be playful!