Many of us dread returning to an empty, silent apartment. Some fear living alone – it’s called autophobia – and having no one to return home to, and talk. According to a study, many adults are likely to suffer from depression if they live alone.
In the modern day, more and more external stimuli have further reduced the opportunity for inner silence. Over stimulation of senses agitates the mind, which adds to our internal chaos.
Our brain evolved to be alert at all times. It processes information that it receives from the outside world and makes sense of the data that it receives. This ensures our survival and allows us to be human beings. We also think proactively about various things; many a time, random thoughts come to our mind, which takes even more mental processing.
While sometimes random chatter helps when it conjures up happy memories, it also has a darker side. It can turn into a monster that spews self-doubt, criticism and fearful thoughts. It can judge our actions and decisions and keep us up all night. So much so that it feels as if someone else is in control of our thoughts and we cannot stop the onslaught of a myriad thoughts.
At such times, retreating to the inner silence feels like a bliss. It’s a return to a more natural state of being. Silence Heals and Rejuvenates.
Buddha says we all have monkey minds, screaming, chattering and jumping around, clamouring for attention. These monkeys cannot be banished. If you, however, spend some time each day in quiet meditation – simply calm your mind by focusing on your breathing or a simple mantra – you can, over time, tame the monkeys. They will grow more peaceful if you lovingly bring them into submission with a consistent practice of meditation.
Silence is important. It cultivates mindfulness – recognition and appreciation of the present moment. It offers opportunities for self-reflection, turns down the mind chatter, and enhances awareness of what matters most.
Silence has physical benefits too. When we are too harried, our fight-or-flight response is on an overdrive causing a host of other problems. Calm and quiet moments help us to tap into different parts of our nervous system that helps us to shut down our body’s physical response to stress.
Sometimes we are too confused or unsure about our next step. In such times silence helps. When you stop the mind chatter and tune in to your inner silence, the unconscious mind responds.
When you listen to the silence, you get answers to your questions, cobwebs in the mind gets cleared and your doubts are laid to rest. Silence is never empty; it is full of answers.
Thought chatter can be controlled by Meditation. Meditation is not about sitting cross-legged on a mat like a yogi. It’s about focusing your attention, fully and completely, on what you are doing at that time. This is also called Mindfulness which is a form of Meditation. This kind of Meditation is nothing more than sitting in your favourite place and focusing your attention on any one thing – it could be your breathing, a piece of slow music or an object like beads. Anything that helps you to slow down your mind and focus on one thing at a time.
Life’s challenges can be overwhelming for many of us. And peace of mind can be elusive, especially if we are assailed by negative thoughts that can take us on a dark path. At such times it is important to gauge our mood, monitor our thoughts and recognise that we are a victim of our chattering mind.
When this happens, we must stop everything and take control of the situation by stopping the downward trajectory of the mind. By practicing Mindfulness, we can control our mind. If left unaddressed, negative thoughts can adversely affect our mind and body, which will require professional help.
The main/featured picture by Pixabay has been used for illustrative purposes only.
