Clearing the Mental Chatter
by Kamal Sarma
Most people come to meditation thinking, or even fearing,
that it is difficult. No matter how much some people rave about the benefits of
meditation, many think it would be easier to relax by merely playing a sport,
reading a book, grabbing a drink, watching TV, or doing any number of things
that don't
require much effort.
Meditation does require some effort, or personal discipline,
and it takes up the most precious commodity in our lives -- time. Yet, to
derive all of the benefits takes practice. So why go to all the trouble of
learning to meditate? Isn't it all too hard? The short answer is that learning to
meditate will invariably help your well-being. One of the best answers is that
you will feel the benefits almost immediately, which is definitely one of the
greatest aspects of meditation. I like to think of meditation as an insurance
policy to protect your most precious asset -- your mind.
The core benefit of meditation is that it's a proven way
to truly rest and clear your mind. We know how important it is to rest our
body. We could not keep going for days on end without resting. We do not work
most machines continuously without giving them a rest, for fear they might heat
up and explode. But somehow, when it comes to resting our minds, we imagine the
same laws don't
apply.
Most people consider sleep to be the best way to rest and
rejuvenate their minds. But a growing problem in today's world is that sleep does not
equal rest for many people. And the lack of mental rest is not merely caused by
lack of sleep, because when we sleep, we keep processing information from the
day or other issues that needed but did not get our attention. In essence, we
still use our minds during sleep. It is not easy to give the mind the real rest
it craves.
We also have the notion that we can rest our minds when we
go on vacation or just take time away from our normal life. How many times have
you been on vacation, sitting on a lovely beach or walking in the green hills
somewhere, when suddenly -- pop! -- up comes some worry or concern? How often has the stress of
day-to-day life reemerged in your head the minute your relaxing vacation was
over?
What is happening is that -- despite attempts to relax, distract,
and slow down --
the mind still processes problems in your conscious and unconscious spheres. To
truly stop the clutter and "traffic," we need to control our flow of thoughts and our brain waves.
Meditation is a way to do just that. Through meditation we develop the skills
and power to relax and clear our minds, and through this comes rest and a great
many more benefits.
Many of us are paid to use our minds to add value to the
organizations and communities we work in. To do this, we must have the clarity
to make better decisions and the ability to focus our minds to the task at
hand, so that we use more of our mental capacities. By actively training these
two areas by meditating, we can enhance our careers and offer more value.
It is in moments of decision-making when we add or destroy
value to ourselves and the people around us. The decisions may be large or
small, but theoretically, for each of them, we gather as much information as we
can, analyze that information, weigh our options, and make a decision. Some
decisions may involve spending vast sums of money that carry huge consequences
for the lives and livelihoods of many people. Other decisions might concern how
to better serve a client's needs.
If you work in the medical profession or in law enforcement,
your decisions sometimes involve life and death. And, astonishingly, these
decisions often need to be made rapidly, sometimes in a matter of minutes or
seconds.
The most important factor in effective and sound decision-making is clarity of mind. If your mind is full of mental noise or distracting
thoughts, then it will have to work harder, and take longer, to process
information and make decisions. Additionally, if we have unconstructive
emotions bubbling up inside us, our minds will likely feel fatigued, and our
decisions won't
necessarily be congruent with our internal values. Instead, our decisions will
be based on the mental clutter whirring around in our minds.
Once you establish a sustained meditation practice, you
become aware of the mental chatter and more adept at clearing it. You have the
tools to develop some space to perceive a situation with greater clarity before
you make any crucial decisions. The time needed to create this mental space is
not hours or days; it is, literally, a few moments.
Excerpted with permission from the book:
Mental
Resilience: The Power of Clarity -
How to Develop the Focus of a Warrior and the Peace of a Monk
by Kamal Sarma.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, New World Library, Novato, CA. ©2008. www.newworldlibrary.com or 800-972-6657 ext. 52.
For more info or to order this book.
About the Author
Kamal Sarma is the author of Mental
Resilience: The Power of Clarity -
How to Develop the Focus of a Warrior and the Peace of a Monk. For over ten years, he has guided corporate executives on
maintaining clarity and peace while balancing intense work demands, work, and
relationships.
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