Quite

“When the mind is thinking, it is talking to itself.”

Plato

Rohan was the most talkative kid in the class and was always the centre of attraction for all the students and teachers due to his continuous chit-chat. Several students in the class had refused to share tables with him, and teachers were continuously complaining about this to his parents. But the result was the same: Rohan was always busy talking, and when asked why he was always busy, he said that his mind disturbed him a lot when he was quiet, so he had to continuously talk so that he could keep his mind shut.

The question that comes out with the story of Rohan is: Is it true that we need to keep ourselves busy so as to stop our mind from thinking? But if we study the scriptures, we find that as soon as the mind gets quiet, we can sleep peacefully. The thoughts need to stop so that we can have a sound sleep. But how can we shut his mind up and make him thoughtless?

In the case of Rohan, who was constantly talking to keep his mind quiet, that was his method, but science has proven that we need to keep our notorious minds calm in order to sleep well. Akash joined the school in the middle of the year and was the quietest of the bunch; he befriended Rohan. Akash was a regular meditator, and he and Rohan discussed the point at which Rohan narrated his notorious mind and his method of keeping this monkey calm.

To which Akash said, “Let’s try this.”

1. Watch the thoughts that arise in your mind and do not follow them.
2. Ask your mind why you had that particular thought and focus on stopping those thoughts.
3. Try to focus on one thought at a time and just follow the thought; if the mind wanders, bring it back to the present.
4. Concentrate on your breath; watch it come in and go out.

Rohan tried to experience calmness in his thoughts and mind, and with the passage of time, it became easier for him to focus. The results were great, and he was a changed man. The situation can be the same for all, but it takes a small, focused effort to change the way you live.