How To Control Thoughts?

Mind is like a monkey, it always wanders here and there. We all struggle to stop our unwanted unnecessary thought process. We live either in past or in future and we forget to live this moment and present.

It is all because we can't control our thoughts and emotions.

So, what we can do for this??

Here I suggest some tips which helps to control our thoughts.

Remember, these tips should be practiced for atleast continuous 21 days. Why I am saying 21 days is, anything, we do or practice for 21 days at the same time becomes habit. so, you will not stop practicing these after 21 days :)

So, before starting, you should give me promise that you will follow these for 21 days in the journey of controlling  thoughts.

1. Pranayamas: The pranayamas help a lot in controlling our thoughts. There are several pranayamam's but I will suggest these two. 

One such is Kapal Bhati Pranayama.  How to do this?

1.    Sit comfortably with your spine erect. Place your hands on the knees, palms open to the sky.

2.    Take a deep breath in.

3.   As you exhale, pull your stomach. Pull your navel in back towards the spine. Do as much as you comfortably can. You may keep your right hand on the stomach to feel the abdominal muscles contract. Pull the navel in.

4.   As you relax the navel and abdomen, the breath flows into your lungs automatically.

5.   Take 20 such breaths to complete one round of Kapal Bhati pranayama.

6.   After completing the round, relax with your eyes closed and observe the sensations in your body.

7.    Do two more rounds of Skull Shining breathing technique (Kapal Bhati pranayama).

8.   The exhalation in Skull Shining Breathing Technique (Kapal Bhati Pranayama) is active and forceful. So just throw out your breath. Don't worry about the inhalation. The moment you relax your abdominal muscles, inhalation will happen naturally. Just keep your awareness on breathing out. 

Note: Always practice pranayama on empty stomach. Avoid practicing this breathing technique if you have a backache due to slip disc, recently went through an abdominal surgery, or are suffering with epilepsy or hernia. Women should not practice Kapal Bhati pranayama during and shortly after pregnancy, as well as during menstruation as it involves vigorous abdominal squeezes. People with hypertension and heart problems should practice this breathing technique under a yoga expert's guidance.

Second is Anulom Vilom Pranayama 

How to do this?

1.   Sit comfortably with your spine erect and shoulders relaxed. Keep a gentle smile on your face.

2.    Place your left hand on the left knee, palms open to the sky or in Chin Mudra (thumb and index finger gently touching at the tips).

3.   Place the tip of the index finger and middle finger of the right hand in between the eyebrows, the ring finger and little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril. We will use the ring finger and little finger to open or close the left nostril and thumb for the right nostril.

4.   Press your thumb down on the right nostril and breathe out gently through the left nostril.

5.   Now breathe in from the left nostril and then press the left nostril gently with the ring finger and little finger. Removing the right thumb from the right nostril, breathe out from the right.

6.   Breathe in from the right nostril and exhale from the left. You have now completed one round of Anulom vilom Pranayama. Continue inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils.

7.    Complete 9 such rounds by alternately breathing through both the nostrils. After every exhalation, remember to breathe in from the same nostril from which you exhaled. Keep your eyes closed throughout and continue taking long, deep, smooth breaths without any force or effort.

Practice these 2 pranayamas twice daily. one in the early morning just for 30 minutes and again in the evening for 30 minutes.

If you can't sit down for 30 minutes, no problem, break that into 2,  Sit for 15 minutes and do, again take 2 hours break then do for 15 minutes.

Note: Allocate same time everyday. Do this on same time for 21 days.

2. Reading:  You may wonder how reading helps in stop the mind wandering. Yes, it helps how?? reading good inspirational books or stories or any thing that you like, your favourite topics or books, Reading, makes you focus on one particular thing. Once you start reading, you will automatically get engaged and so mind stops wandering. 

Now, you are reading this article, don't you feel you are already engaged :)

Don't think that you need to spend hours together on reading any book. Just read for 25 minutes. Take break for 10 minutes. And again read for 25 minutes. Repeat it for 3 times and your focus and concentration slowly improves and so mind stops wandering.

Note: Allocate same time everyday. Do this on same time for 21 days.

If you think, you can't sit for 25 minutes also, no problem, just read for 3 minutes. Take 1 minute break and again read for 3 minutes. Repeat this for 5 times.

3. Take a Glass of Water and walk for 15 minutes: Walking stimulates blood circulation entire the body and pumps oxygen to the brain. When brain gets sufficient oxygen it works very efficiently.

Let me know after practicing this and share your experiences with me :) I will help to my best in the journey of controlling thoughts :)

Start TODAY :)