The mind in its proper place
The yoga of the mind
Our thoughts shape the world
The mind is our capacity to think, analyze, remember, discern, and even feel. Because every idea, every emotion, every sensation passes through it, it is our gateway to the world in which we live. Every event in our lives unfolds under its light. That is why it is so essential to be mindful of its condition.
When we think in shades of gray, the world appears gray. When we wallow in negativity, life is like a bottomless pit that sucks up the light. Out of balance, the mind is a runaway storyteller that distorts the facts. Out of balance, the mind offers us a limited dream.
But when it is in balance, it is a wonderful tool for discovery, capable of astonishing flashes of insight. It allows us to see life in color, to push back all our limits, and above all, to be at peace and happy.
Each of our thoughts acts like a boomerang on our psychological, physical, and emotional state.
Without vigilance on our part, our mind has the ability to disconnect us from reality at any moment.
When life is nothing but mentalized
What has happened that has caused our gaze to focus only on the outside world? Why does our mind dwell so much on problems and other insignificant details? Where has our direct sensory experience gone? Why is there no longer any fluidity or spontaneity in our way of living?
While our ultra-connected world, where demands follow one another at the pace of our screens scrolling, exerts very strong pressure, it cannot alone explain our mental wandering.
In fact, as we develop personally, we unconsciously surrender our original freedom to the allure of individualism. This renunciation allows the mind to occupy all our inner space. Gradually, the simple feeling of being from childhood is replaced by an all-powerful, independent personality and its underlying selfishness. Human life undergoes a paradigm shift. Whereas it once appeared infinite and spontaneous, it reveals itself to be limited and complicated. The horizon becomes filled with questions. The weight of responsibility rests on our shoulders. At every step, we must face choices that stir our nervous and emotional systems. Our thoughts become heavy and intrusive. Mental activity races ahead and overflows until it saturates our entire lives.
A yoga based on inner postures
Freeing ourselves from the excessive control of the mind isn't about consigning it to oblivion in the hope that it will remain there quietly. Firstly, because suppressing thoughts is doomed to failure. Secondly, because the mind has its place in our human functioning.
Freeing oneself from the mind's domination requires diligent and deliberate inner practice. Mental yoga is a true inner journey, an investigation grounded in everyday life. Every encounter, every event, every moment becomes an opportunity to unravel our mental web.
In this respect, the yoga of the mind will lead us to the discovery of the witness, to encountering the position of witness. It is from this position that we will henceforth look at the world.
By freeing ourselves from the "all-encompassing mind," we will rediscover a blank slate where thoughts, sensations, and emotions can once again flourish fully. We will be able to experience events again, to become aware of others and ourselves without being filtered through the distorting lens of our mind. It will be possible for us to move from a mental consciousness to an integral consciousness.
