Tame your monkey mind - Part 1 - Declutter

Om Namah Shivaya!

I was once a hapless soul craving for happiness all my life and was falsely searching outside. The more I searched out, the more the monkey in my mind was fed, became monstrous, and ensured I end up restless.

In the past, when I sat to meditate, my monkey mind will travel from Mambalam (Chennai, India) to Manhattan (New York, USA) within a few milliseconds. Thoughts, thoughts, and more thoughts. Knowingly or unknowingly, the decluttering process has helped me reduce my thoughts and become mindful. Most of us fall prey to the trap of achieving the end goal rather than enjoying the process. The moment we understand that if we start enjoying the process end goal is easily achievable. It puts the mind at rest and helps to concentrate and focus diligently. So, my process started with decluttering.

These are the things I did -

1. Shed few habits which were detrimental to health (good-bye alcohol and non-vegetarian food). My body has never thanked me so much.

2. I got away from negative and evil influences (work and personal). Trust me, switching job helps.

3. Completed a mind and body cleansing program (Thanks to Sivananda Yoga juice fasting and detox program).

4. Started practicing Yoga and meditation regularly.

5. Read lots of spiritual texts. Books on Advaita Vedanta, Zen helped me a lot.

6. Watch and listen to lectures on Vedanta (Swami Sarvapriyananda, Swami Tadatmananda best teachers out there) resources on YouTube.

7. I got out of all mainstream social media entirely. No longer fascinated with the Maya of social media.

8. I stopped all notifications on my phone. I will consume only at my will. I am no longer prey to information others want me to swallow.

9. Put my finance in order. Closing all credit cards and loans helps.

10. I slowly started practicing minimalism. I started buying only essentials and draw a clear line between needs and wants.

11. I am trying to shed my ego (the most challenging and toughest thing to do) in its entirety. I will get there slowly and steadily.

Best part of the decluttering process is I have started enjoying and cherishing the present moment. I am trying not to worry about the past and don’t get too anxious about the future. I am starting to be more mindful of my thoughts, words and actions which I feel is the first step to finding my true self and being happy and peaceful.

I hope this small post helps someone out there who is trying to tame their monkey mind like me or declutter for that matter. If so, leave a comment.

Namaste!

P.S. - Thanks to the COVID lockdown, I have put on the weight I shed last year but I am confident I can shed it.