Patanjali was an ancient sage who lived about 2200 years ago in India. He is mainly known for his compilation of Yoga, Called Patanjali Yoga Sutras. In this ancient scripture, he has explained the different states of mind in detail.

Kshipta state: Patanjali considered this the lowest state of mind, where the mind is highly agitated, and the person is simply incapable of hearing, thinking, speaking, or keeping quiet. It’s like feeding tasty mangoes to the donkey.

Mudha state: Mudha means dumb. In this state of mind, our mind cannot grasp and process the information it is receiving. It happens to the best of us. For example, we search for the right shoe around us while wearing it on our right foot.

Vikshipta state: Vikshipta roughly translates to neurotic. When our mind can receive the information but cannot process it, it is called Vikshipta state. Vikshipta state is also a situation where our mind gets the information but processes it by twisting it completely.

Ekagra state: In this state, our mind is very relaxed. But it’s not sleepy or lethargic. In fact, Ekagra state means our mind is prepared to focus on the task ahead. For example, as a football player starts running towards the ball, he gets into a zone. That entrance to the zone is called Ekagra.

Nirodha state: Nirodha translates to cessation or complete removal. Nirodha is a state where the mind is in complete control. But here, Nirodha must not be confused with suppressed thoughts. In Nirodha, the thoughts and emotions are present, but our mind is still calm and one-pointed. Writer of the world’s largest epic, Sage Vyasa, says that Nirodha is the most desirable state of mind for a Yogi on a path of self-discovery.

Life is suffering
Since childhood, it’s imprinted in our heads that life is suffering, and all of us must endure our pain to be successful. As we grow up, our experiences say the same thing. Most of us struggle in life, assuming suffering as a structural part of living. And each one of us will agree to this truth. But while amongst all of that struggle, we forget the one thing. While we suffer, endure and overcome countless losses, we tend to forget that our natural state of mind doesn’t need to be serious, anxious, or disturbed.

Our emotions are mostly reactions.
Our everyday life is ruled by emotions. Our decisions are based upon whether we are happy, angry, sad, excited, bored or frustrated, etc. Understanding the feelings helps to make conscious choices and navigate life with stability and ease.

We come in contact with countless people who play different roles in our day-to-day life. While dealing with others as a mother, father, son, daughter, boss, coworker, or customer, it’s vitally important to have peace in mind. How we deal with all these people is entirely up to us, and here, state of mind plays a critical role.

While dealing with people, we get all sorts of thoughts. It’s in our hands how we let all these emotions affect us. Each day, we have to choose how to deal with our positive and negative emotions.

What does science say about the state of mind?
Several scientific researches point out that our brain can rewire itself based on repeated experiences. The brain’s ability to restructure itself is called Neuroplasticity. This means our brain reshapes as per the signals we send towards it.

This means that happiness and peace are not conditionally dependent; it’s something we can think of and let our brain believe it. Let’s take an example. Every night, before hitting the bed, if we thank the universe for the great things it has given to us, instead of taking these simple things for granted, we start to train our brains to be happy. And on the other hand, if we constantly make a fuss about how bad things are, we train our brains to be regretful, dejected, and dispirited.

What can we do to make our minds more peaceful?
Meditation can help to calm our minds, but we cannot meditate all the time. We have to go in the real world to make ends meet, do the errands, meet people and take care of our life. The problem is, you often meet face to face with your trigger points out there. The challenge is to keep yourself on the road of calmness instead of sliding into the emotional ditch, disturbing the natural state of your mind. Here are some tips that will come in handy when you feel like your state of mind is changing.

1. Status check: Every hour, make a habit of checking with yourself. Ask yourself, “How am I doing? How am I feeling?”

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, number your mood, 1 is ecstatic, and 10 is entirely miserable. When the scale starts tilting beyond 5, ask, what is the cause behind it?

3. When the emotions start to boil up, take a step back, do some deep breathing, write down in your journal or take a 5-minute walk. Calm yourself before you move forward.

4. Root cause analysis is an essential step in this process. In this step, some serious introspection is needed. Ask yourself, is there something to be fixed here? What exactly are my emotions and information trying to tell me? Instead of being swept away by the gigantic tide of emotions, it’s indispensable to get your rational mind on the driving seat again.

How meditation can help you restructure the state of your mind?
Now you must be thinking about how sitting in one position can help you achieve a neutral state of mind? The reality is, meditation doesn’t make you a different individual. It rewires your brain to its neutral, peaceful state. Meditation does not promise to disappear your problems. It simply makes you realize that no one can remove your issues and concerns, same as no one can remove your contentment and rejoice.

Meditation teaches your mind to deal with your problems. Meditation empowers your mind to accept the consequences of your actions. It teaches your mind to stay calm, even right in the middle of a crisis. It teaches your mind to acknowledge the current state of being, surrender to the power of the universe, appreciate the Divinity, and create perfect harmony in between your mind, body, and soul. To summarise, meditation alters your natural state of mind, from confusion, anxiety, anger, sadness, and fear to peace, acceptance, honesty, appreciation, restraint and acceptance.

When you were born, your mind was at ease and at peace. With spirituality, you can regain that natural state of mind despite thousands of problems, hurdles, and emotional triggers you face every day.

Regular meditation, Mantra chanting, holistic healing, and Chakra balancing will help you reconnect with that much-needed inner peace.