Spring Cleaning Your Mind
by Lissa Coffey
More Meditation Information from a Primordial Sound Meditation Instructor!
The warm spring weather reminds us to open our windows and let in the fresh air, but it’s also a good time to do that with our minds. How? Meditation is one of the most powerful tools there is to help us sweep out the debris, organize the clutter and gain access to our bodies’ inner intelligence. Busy people tend to think that they don’t have time to meditate, but I tell them that they don’t have time not to.
This is how it works: Imagine your mind as a cupboard. There are all kinds of things stashed away in there – things to do, places to go, stuff to buy, errands to run, birthdays to remember… not to mention all the “stored” items like phone numbers, multiplication tables, social security numbers, e-mail addresses and security codes! What happens is that as we’re in a hurry, as we usually are, all these tidbits get crammed into the cupboard any which way. So when we want to retrieve something, the more stuff that is in there, the harder it is to find. BUT… we can clear our minds, give ourselves SPACE to move things around, just as we can clear our cupboards, and keep everything all neat and orderly!
Meditation quiets our minds and allows our bodies to gain the deep rest necessary to relieve stress and fatigue. In meditation we re-connect with our true selves. This connection extends into our daily lives and results in improved health, better relationships, a renewed enthusiasm, increased creativity… and yes, more efficiency! Because we are more efficient, and spend less time worrying and stressing out, we have more time to be productive.
There are many health benefits to meditation. Doctors are increasingly citing stress as a major factor in illnesses such as depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, colds, and asthma. Much work time is lost from these health problems. Research has shown that meditation contributes to reducing stress, which has important benefits and also allows the mind and body to function optimally. Our memories are better when our minds are clear.
Primordial Sound Meditation is a technique that originates from an ancient knowledge of India. Dr. Deepak Chopra has revived this authentic process and made it available in a format that can be easily learned and practiced by everyone. Primordial Sounds are the basic, most essential sounds of nature. The specific Primordial Sounds which are used in meditation are mantras. These mantras are personal for each participant. They are chosen on the basis of Vedic mathematics which determines a specific sound or vibration of the Universe at the time and place of our birth When we silently repeat Primordial Sounds as part of the mantra, they help to take our awareness away from the frenzy of daily activity of the mind to the stillness of spirit. The effect soothes our entire physiology – mind, body, and soul.
There’s no better time to “Spring Clean” your mind. Just 20 minutes spent in silence twice a day will add hours onto your day, and probably years onto your life!
Lissa Coffey is a Certified Primordial Sound Meditation Instructor with the Chopra Center for Well Being. PSMeditation.com is a site dedicated to providing meditation information and sharing meditation techniques. We encourage you to participate in ongoing discussions about meditation with our community!