Advait - 11 Aug

If you are familiar with my previous works, you know that I like to keep all my books fluff-free and concise. This one wont be any different.

I will not waste 20 pages telling you what mental clutter is; rather I would like you to tell you a simple analogy and how mental clutter affects us.

The Ancient Indian Vedic philosophy calls our mind as a monkey, but, it was in that era.

Today, with all the distractions, the 24 hr news, phone notifications, continuously ringing cell phones, it is the era of information overdose.

Our mind is not just a monkey, it is a monkey stung by a bee in its arse.

It seems almost impossible to concentrate and focus.

But, what if I told you, there are simple yogic techniques, which when performed clear up your mind of all the noise and clutter and bestow upon you laser sharp focus, instantly.

Well, that is what the book is all about.

First, tell me, does this sounds familiar?

We humans, are nosy little creatures.

We have this urge and innate need to know everything that is happening around us.

No matter how irrelevant it is to us, we will take inconsiderate risks to know it all, and then find a way and design a logical sequence in our minds which will conclude that everything happening out there is about us.

And, as if that wasn't enough, we will go out the way to amplify the negative aspects of it

and make our own lives difficult.

Can I get a "Oh, Yeah....!!!".

And as it is said Our thoughts create our reality , these negative thoughts lead to an unfulfilling life, riddled with anxiety, stress and ill health.

The Ancient Indian Yogic techniques:

The Indian philosophy recorded in the Upanishads says that, we are truly alive only in the present.

We can dwell on the past, dream of the future, but we get to Live only the present.

It is the only thing in our control, that we can feel, experience and enjoy.

Here, the vedic philosophy introduces the concept of atma-chitta, being aware and mindful, the only way that can lead to a happy life.

But, when our mind is cluttered with negative thoughts and emotions, when we are hopping from one irrelevant thought to other, we simply lose the moment and basically forget to Live.

Also, it affects every aspect of our lives;

If your mind is filled with chaotic thoughts, you wont be able to focus on the work at hand, thus adversely affecting your productivity and the quality of your work, this takes a toll on your professional life.

If you are not focused on what your partner is saying and dont pay keen attention to your communication, your relationship will take a hit.

In a similar way it will affect your family life, your friend circle, essentially, every human contact will be affected in the long run.

The more chaotic and crowded your mind becomes, the more anxious and stressed you get.

The Rishis, Seers and Yogis of ancient India had a similar problem to that we do now.

They were very intelligent men who sat, thought on complex matters and meditated continuously. How crowded and cluttered their minds may have been.

Although the meditation helped improve their minds, they realized that the more complex the matter they thought about, the harder it became to focus and concentrate.

As a result these thinking men developed a series of yogic techniques that decluttered their minds of irrelevant noise and distractions in just a few minutes.

They could be done anywhere, anytime in just a few minutes without working up a sweat.

They were the answer to their problem, and those techniques will be the answer for us easy living modern people.

I wont take any more of your time, lets get down to business.