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YOGAH

CHITTAVRITTI

NIRODHAH

By

Reena Joseph.D

Yoganjali Natyalayam

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YOGAH CHITTAVRITTI NIRODHAH

stilling the whirlpool (modification ) of the mind stuff

IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN::

WHAT ARE THE CHITTAVRITTIS?

Chittavrittis are modifications of mind stuff. They are

1) Pramana - right knowledge (conception)

2) Viparyaya - wrong knowledge

3) Vikalpa - imagination

4) Nidra - sleep

5) Smrithi - memory

Yoga in today’s mechanical world is thought of only as mere asanas. But in reality

yoga aims at attaining a calm mind inorder to attain the divine spirit in our midst.

To control the chittavrittis and make the mind calm is what yogah chittavritti

nirodhaha means.

The mind is like a TV screen. There is always movement and action there. As you

can switch off your TV, so you can switch off the TV screen of your mind.

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Mind control

This results ultimately in the attainment of the divine.

WWHHYY SSHHOOUULLDD OONNEE CCOONNTTRROOLL OONNEE''SS MMIINNDD??

The mind uncontrolled is one's worst enemy causing great sorrow and bondage. So, one

must control one's mind.

indriyAnAm hi charatAm yat manah anuwidhiyate

tat asya harati prajnAm wAyuh nAwam iwa ambhasi ||2.67||

“For the mind, which follows in the wake of the wandering senses, carries away his

discrimination as the wind carries away a boat on the waters.”

Example:

A ship which sails up and its helmsman dead would be completely at the mercy of the

fitful storms and reckless waves, and cannot reach any definite harbour, but would get

destroyed by the very tossings of the waves, so too, life gets capsized and the individual

drowned by the uncertain sense storms. Therefore, the senses are to be controlled if man is to

live a better and more purposeful life.

Some good reasons to have a quiet mind:

• Peace of mind is experienced when the stormy waves of the mind quell down

• Real peace of mind is the companion of the silence of the mind.

• You get peace of mind not by thinking about it or imagining it, but by quietening and

relaxing the restless mind.

• Your nature is absolute peace. You are not the mind. Silence your mind through

concentration and meditation, and you will discover the peace of the Spirit that you are,

and have always been.

• When you sleep, you entertain no visitors at your house, and your windows and doors are

closed. When you want to enjoy peace of mind you have to let your thoughts go, and close

the windows and doors of your mind.

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• Inner peace creates outer peace.

• As the house is cleaned, so the mind can be cleaned. As you enjoy a clean house, you will

enjoy a clean and unclutterd mind.

HHOOWW CCAANN OONNEE CCOONNTTRROOLL OONNEE''SS MMIINNDD??

AA SSIIMMPPLLEE DDEEFFIINNTTIIOONN SSTTAATTEEDD

““PPRRAATTHHII PPAAKKSSHHAA BBHHAAVVAANNAA”” –– ttuurrnniinngg tthhiinnggss ooff nneeggaattiivvee ttoo ppoossiittiivvee..

TThheerree aarree tthhrreeee ddiiffffeerreenntt ssttaatteess iinn wwhhiicchh aa hhuummaann eexxiisstt ((TTrriigguunnaass))::

Tamas - principle of inertia and darkness.

Rajas - principle of activity and passion.

Sattva - principle of luminosity and wisdom.

Nature of a Tamasic person:

•• SSoommeetthhiinngg tthhaatt hhaass oonnllyy mmoovveemmeenntt..

•• DDoorrmmaanntt nnaattuurree ooff aann aanniimmaall..

•• AAllwwaayyss ffiinnddss hhiimmsseellff iinn llaazziinneessss..

•• AAiimmss oonnllyy oonn tthhee ssuurrvviivvaall iinnssttiinncctt..

•• HHaass nnoo ccoonnsscciioouussnneessss..

•• HHaass nnoo ccoonnttrrooll..

•• NNaattuurree ooff hhuurrttiinngg aanndd ffiigghhttiinngg iiss pprreeddoommiinnaanntt..

•• NNoo eemmoottiioonnaall ccoonnttrrooll

NNaattuurree ooff aa RRaajjaassiicc ppeerrssoonn::

•• HHaass ccoonnsscciioouussnneessss ((mmaannaass))..

•• HHaass ppaarrttiiaall ddiissttrraaccttiioonnss((vviikksshhiippttaa))..

•• AAssmmiittaa ((tthhee EEggoo)) iiss mmoorree ddoommiinnaanntt..

•• AAbbiilliittyy ttoo ddiiffffeerreennttiiaattee oorr ddiissccrriimmiinnaattee ((vviivveekkaa)) bbeettwweeeenn rriigghhtt aanndd wwrroonngg..

•• AAttttrraaccttiioonn ttoowwaarrddss wwoorrllddllyy tthhiinnggss..

•• HHaass nnoo ssaattiissffaaccttiioonn..

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•• DDooeess hhiiss wwoorrkk((ddhhaarrmmaa)) ffoorr tthhee ppuurrppoossee ooff lliivviinngg tthhaann ffoorr tthhee ppuurrppoossee ooff

ffuullffiillllmmeenntt..

•• PPllaacceedd iinn aa ccoonnffuusseedd ssttaattee..

•• TThhee mmiinndd iiss aaggiittaatteedd aallll tthhee ttiimmee..

•• HHee iiss ttiieedd ttoo aallll wwoorrllddllyy oobbssttaacclleess..

NNaattuurree ooff aa SSaattttvviicc ppeerrssoonn::

•• AAwwaarree ooff hhiiss sseellff..

•• OOffffeerrss hhiiss wwoorrkk ttoo tthhee ddiivviinnee ((nnaarraayyaannaa aarrppaannaa bbhhaavvaa))..

•• UUnnddeerrssttaannddss hhiimmsseellff ttoo bbee aa ttooooll iinn tthhee ppllaann ooff tthhee uunniivveerrssee aanndd tthhee ddiivviinnee ((nniimmiittttaa

bbhhaavvaa))..

•• HHiiss EEggoo bbeennddss ffoorrwwaarrdd ttoo ggoodd..

•• DDooeess eevveerryytthhiinngg wwiitthh ssaattiissffaaccttiioonn..

•• AA ssttaattee ooff ccoommpplleettee ccoonnttrrooll ((nniirruuddddhhaa)) iiss eessttaabblliisshheedd..

•• PPeeaaccee ooff mmiinndd ((sshhaanntthhaa))iiss oobbttaaiinneedd..

•• GGeettss iinnttoo uunniioonn wwiitthh ggoodd..

•• OObbttaaiinnss tthhee yyooggiicc nnaattuurree..

CChhaannggiinngg ffrroomm aanniimmaall nnaattuurree ttoo hhuummaann nnaattuurree::

TThhee wwoorrlldd iiss ssaaiidd ttoo bbee eevveerr cchhaannggiinngg bbuutt tthhee mmoosstt iimmppoorrttaanntt ffaacctt iiss tthhaatt ggrroowwtthh

mmuusstt bbee ttoowwaarrddss ggooooddnneessss.. CChhaannggiinngg ffrroomm aanniimmaall nnaattuurree ttoo hhuummaann nnaattuurree iiss aallssoo aa mmuucchh

ttoouugghh pprroocceessss.. LLeett uuss ddiissccuussss ssoommee ssttaaggeess iinn ppeerrcceennttaaggeess ooff hhuummaann aanndd aanniimmaall nnaattuurree::

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11)) <<5500%% hhuummaann nnaattuurree aanndd >> 5500%% aanniimmaall nnaattuurree::

IInn tthhiiss ssttaaggee tthhee aanniimmaall nnaattuurree bbeeccoommeess mmoorree ddoommiinnaanntt hheennccee tthhee

hhuummaann nnaattuurree iiss nnoott ddeeffeennddaabbllee.. IItt ssuurrrreennddeerrss iittsseellff ttoo tthhee aanniimmaall nnaattuurree aanndd

aaccttss aaccccoorrddiinngg ttoo iittss nnaattuurree.. TThhiiss ttyyppee iiss tthhee ppeerrssoonn ooff ttaammaassiicc

gguunnaa((nnaattuurree))..HHeerree aanniimmaall nnaattuurree ddeeffeeaattss tthhee hhuummaann nnaattuurree ccoommffoorrttaabbllyy aanndd

lliivveess mmaaiinnllyy oonn iittss ssuurrvviivvaall iinnssttiinncctt..

22)) 5500%% hhuummaann nnaattuurree aanndd 5500%% aanniimmaall nnaattuurree::

IInn tthhiiss ssttaaggee bbootthh tthhee aanniimmaall aanndd hhuummaann nnaattuurree aarree eeqquuaallllyy ppoowweerreedd..

TThheerree iiss lloott ooff ffiigghhttiinngg bbeettwweeeenn bbootthh tthhee nnaattuurreess.. HHeennccee tthhee mmiinndd iiss iinn tthhee ssttaattee

ooff aaggiittaattiioonn aallll tthhee ttiimmee.. TThhee mmiinndd iiss ccoonnffuusseedd iinn cchhoooossiinngg wwhhiicchh ppaatthh ttoo

ffoollllooww.. TThhiiss ttyyppee iiss tthhee ppeerrssoonn ooff rraajjaassiicc gguunnaa((nnaattuurree)).. HHeerree tthhee vviiccttoorryy sseeeemmss

ttoo bbee nnoott jjuuddggeedd eeaassiillyy..

33)) >>5500%% hhuummaann nnaattuurree aanndd <<5500%% aanniimmaall nnaattuurree::

IInn tthhiiss ssttaaggee tthhee hhuummaann nnaattuurree ggaaiinnss ppoowweerr hheennccee iitt ccaann eeaassiillyy ppuutt

ddoowwnn tthhee aanniimmaall nnaattuurree..ccoonnttrrooll aanndd ccoonnsscciioouussnneessss iiss cceenntteerreedd iinn tthhiiss ttyyppee..tthhee

ppeerrssoonn iiss ssaaiidd ttoo eexxhhiibbiitt ssaattttwwaa gguunnaa((nnaattuurree)).. HHuummaann nnaattuurree iiss ssttrreennggtthheenneedd

hheennccee ddiivviinnee nnaattuurree iiss rreecceeiivveedd.. LLeeaaddiinngg ttoo tthhee nniirrgguunnaa ((tthhee ssttaattee bbeeyyoonndd tthhee

ttrriigguunnaass))..

TThhuuss tthhee cchhaannggee pprroocceeeeddss tthhrroouugghh tthheessee tthhrreeee pphhaasseess aanndd rreeaacchheess tthhee hhuummaann

nnaattuurree.. WWhheenn tthhee hhuummaann oorr tthhee yyooggiicc nnaattuurree iiss oobbttaaiinneedd tthhee mmiinndd iiss bbrroouugghhtt ttoo aa

ccaallmm ssttaaggee..

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AA ccaallmm mmiinndd iiss mmaaddee ttoo eexxppeerriieennccee tthhee ddiivviinnee sseellff aanndd tthhee hhaappppiinneessss ((aannaannddaamm)) ooff

tthhee ddiivviinnee..

IIss tthhiiss cchhaannggee ssoo eeaassyy ??

NNoo iinnffaacctt iitt iiss mmuucchh hhaarrdd ffoorr tthhiiss rreeaassoonn wwee ffiinndd aa vveerryy ffeeww rreeaacchh tthhee ffiinnaall

pphhaassee.. TThheenn wwhhaatt ddooeess iitt nneeeedd ttoo oobbttaaiinn tthhiiss cchhaannggee oorr ttrraannssffiigguurraattiioonn??

AABBYYAASSAA ((DDiisscciipplliinnee)) aanndd RREENNUUNNCCIIAATTIIOONN ((nnoonn aattttaacchhmmeenntt))

TThheeyy aarree tthhee ppeerrffeecctt ssttoonneess iinn wwhhiicchh EEKKEENNDDRRIIYYAA ((ssttiilllliinngg ooff tthhee mmiinndd ))

ccaann bbee oobbttaaiinneedd.. IItt iinncclluuddeess tthhee 44 RR’’ss ssuucchh aass RRhhyytthhmm,, RReeppeettiittiioonn,, RReegguullaarriittyy aanndd

RReessttrraaiinntt..

By practice and by renunciation.

asamshayam mahAbAho manah durnigraham chalam

abhyAsena tu kaunteya wairAgyena cha grhyate ||6.35||

"Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed, the mind is difficult to control and is restless; but, by

practice, O Son of Kunti, and by dispassion it is restrained."

Krishna admits that the mind is turbulent, strong, unyielding, and restless and that

it is very difficult to control, and therefore, the goal of perfect and enduring tranquility

cannot be EASILY achieved. In the second line of this stanza, again, the eternal

missionary in Krishna very carefully weighs his words and uses the most appropriate

terms to soothe the mind of Arjuna. 'O SON OF KUNTI, IT CAN BE BROUGHT

UNDER CONTROL', is an assertion which comes only as the last word in the entire

stanza. Through practice and renunciation the mind can be brought under reins in the

beginning, and ultimately to a perfect halt-- this is the confident, reassuring declaration of

the Lord in the Geeta.

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TTEECCHHNNIIQQUUEESS IINN AATTTTAAIINNIINNGG CCOONNTTRROOLL OOFF MMIINNDD::

11))YYAAMMAA::

YYaammaa aarree tthhee mmoorraall rreessttrraaiinnttss tthhaatt ddeessccrriibbee tthhee ccoonnttrrooll ooff tthhee aanniimmaall nnaattuurree.. IItt iiss

ssaayyiinngg nnoo aanndd rreessttrraaiinniinngg uurrsseellff ffrroomm tthhee aanniimmaall nnaattuurree..iitt mmeeaannss ttoo lleeeesshh aanniimmaall

nnaattuurree.. TThhee ppaanncchhaa yyaammaass aarree aass ffoolllloowwss::

a) Ahimsa - non violence:

Himsa means violence that belongs to the animal nature. The word violence here

does not only mean violent in action it means also violence in thoughts, violence in

words, violence in expressions etc... Hence ahimsa means not to hurt anyone in all

these ways too.

b) Satya –truthfulness:

Truthfulness not only means to be truthful in words but also in thoughts and

actions. Here the animal nature of the tongue and mind is being controlled.

c) Astheya- non stealing:

Stealing is not only material bound. It involves stealing of others happiness,

others time through unpunctuality and others relationships through gossips. This is

also a needed part of controlling the mind.

d) Brahmacharya- controlling creative principle:

Controlling involves the process of thinking (the thought), words and the

actions.

e) Aparigraha- non covetedness:

Jealousness towards others possessions. This can effect in the worst destroyal of

the mind peace. It gives no satisfaction to the human, Hence it needs to be

controlled.

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2) NIYAMAS:

Niyamas are the evolutionary observances that describe the development of human

qualities. It is saying yes to the human nature and developing them within us.the pancha

niyamas are:

a) soucha – cleanliness.

Cleanliness involves not only cleanliness of body but also that of the thoughts,

words and actions. A clean mind is a place where god dwells.

b) santhosha-contentment :

Being contented is another most important aspect to calm down the mind.

Contentment is the secret behind a peaceful life.

c) Tapas- austerity:

Austerity or discipline is the main process for taming the mind to proceed away

from the animal nature and walk towards the human nature. A disciplined person

finds life difficult at first but enjoys the sweetness later.

d) Swadyaya- self analysis.

The first and foremost step in the process of quietening the mind is self

analysis. Everything we do, we speak and we think will be wrong unless we know

our self. Only a person who is aware of his self can be aware of his faults and only

when he is aware he can correct his mistakes and can do his own dharma through

proper channelization.

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Self analysis

Awareness of his faults

Conscious of his thoughts

Change (correcting his faults)

Does his own Dharma

LIVES A YOGIC LIFE

e) Ishwara or Atman Pranidhana- surrender to god or atman:

Surrendering our self to the divine and accepting his will to be fulfilled in our

life is very much satisfactory and hence yielding to a calm and peaceful mind.

Start now and strengthen it by practice.

yatah yatah nishcharati manah chanchalam asthiram

tatah tatah niyamya etat Atmani ewa washam nayet ||6.26||

"From whatever cause the restless and the unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him

restrain it, and bring it back to be under the control of the Self alone."

The wanderings of the mind may be due to many reasons: the memory of the past,

the near presence of some tempting objects, the association of ideas, some attachment or

aversion or, may be, even the very spiritual aspiration of the seeker. Lord Krishna's

instruction here is very categorical and all-embracing. He says: 'WHATEVER BE THE

REASON BECAUSE OF WHICH THE RESTLESS AND THE UNSTEADY MIND

WANDERS AWAY', the seeker is not to despair, but should understand that it is the

nature of the mind to wander and the very process of meditation is only a technique to

stop this wandering.

'Let Him Bring It Back': The seeker is advised to bring back the mind that has, as it were,

rushed out into its own self-appointed dissimilar channels of thinking. ||4.4||

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The yama are useful in controlling the animal nature in us. The niyamas are useful

in imbibing the human nature in us and hence coming in oneness with god.

“Yoga is the union of the individual psyche(jivatman)with the transcendental

self(paramatman)”

-yoga yajnavalkya.

3) PRANAVA PRANAYAMA:

The pranava pranayama is another most efficient technique in calming down the mind.

By performing this pranayama vibration are transformed into the brain.These vibrations

helps in arising the chakras and stimulating energy. These sounds Aa, Uu and Mm are said

to be single syllabic and hence called the bhija mantra.

4) MEDITATION AND BHAJANS:

On the path of yoga, meditation plays a key role in helping us to seek union with

God. Meditation is the process of quietening the mind. Yoga teaches us that the

thoughts of the mind can never lead us to liberation. The mind by nature is limited. The

perspective of the mind is influenced by our ego. Our ego cannot grasp the whole

because it tends to limit and separate different aspect of ourself. In meditation we aim at

stopping thoughts completely; when our thoughts no longer bother us, our soul will

bring to the fore our own divine qualities.

Yoga means union, meditation is the process with which we can attain union with

our soul. At the moment we identify with the body and the human mind; however, yoga

teaches us that we are not just the body. Our real self cannot be touched by the injury,

illness, or even the thoughts of our mind.

The immortal verse of the Bhagavad Gita runs:

"The soul migrates from body to body. Weapons cannot cleave it,nor fire consume

it, nor water drench it, nor wind dry it."

Yoga and meditation may seem difficult, even foreign to our nature, however, in

practice yoga and meditation are very natural and spontaneous experiences.

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Through concentration and meditation you become the boss of your mind, and

gain the ability to tell it when to be active and when to stay silent.

Bhajans also play a vital role in calming down the mind. They are positive source of

energy and very helpful in stilling the mind towards god or divine.

BENEFITS OF YOGAH CHITTAVRITTI NIRODHAH:

Yogah chittavritti nirodhah(calm mind )

Beautiful thoughts

Consciousness (manas)

Concentration

Creativity

Anandham(happiness)

Oneness with god

Control of the chittavrittis blossoms beautiful thoughts in the mind. Beauty exist

only in a place where a person is conscious of what he is doing and therefore

consciousness is developed, through the consciousness obtained, concentration develops

and further leads to creativity. Creativity produces the fruits of eternal happiness, the

anandham which is the perfect path of reaching god.

CCOONNCCLLUUSSIIOONN::

Stop your thoughts, but stay awake, and you will experience the great ocean of

peace beyond the mind.

What is the ultimate aim of calming down the mind?

To rest in the knowledge of god.

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iha ewa taih jitah sargah yeshAm sAmye sthitam manah

nirdosham hi samam brahma tasmAt brahmani taih sthitAh ||5.19||

"Even here (in this world) birth (everything) is overcome by those whose minds rest in

equality. Brahman is spotless indeed, and equal, therefore they are established in

Brahman."

The relative existence as a limited ego-centre can be ended and the imperfect

individual can realise himself to be the Infinite Godhead. One can live in the

consciousness of God, evolving oneself from the immaturities of one's own deluded ego-

sense. One 'WHOSE MIND RESTS IN EVENNESS' gains the divine tranquility of a

God-man. Where the thought-flow, which creates unequal and spasmodic mental

fluctuations, is arrested, there the mind ends. Where the mind ends, it being the

equipment through which life expresses as a limited ego, this sense of separative

existence also ends. When the ego has ended, the egocentric thraldom of SAMSAR also

ends. The ego, thus undressed of its SAMSARIC sorrows, rediscovers itself to be nothing

other than the Self itself. Unless one comes to this mental equipoise, one is not capable of

experiencing the SAMATVAM of the SAMADARSIN described in the above stanza.

'Such an individual, who has conquered his mind and has come to live in perfect

equanimity in all conditions of life and in all relationships', Krishna vehemently asserts,

'HE INDEED RESTS IN BRAHMAN'. ||4.5||

Thus I conclude by saying “Meditate regularly, think only positively, aspire to

find the consciousness beyond the mind, and peace of mind will be yours