Mind/Senses

Extraordinary Health — Key #3
You are a psychosomatic network.  But this doesn’t mean that whatever you are experiencing in your body is not to be taken seriously — quite the contrary. Psychosomatic means that your body, mind and emotions are intimately intertwined.  As you alter the state of your mind, you automatically alter your physical state as well.  “Mind doesn’t dominate the body, it becomes the body — body and mind are one,” says scientist Candace Pert.

The ancient teachings recognized the power of the mind and its tremendous influence over the entire system. It is through the mind and senses that you are able to take in information, understand it, and choose to take action. Therefore, it is important to educate and develop the mind by training it to listen, focus, remember, be open and maintain attention.

Achieving your full potential at the level of the mind is defined as: clarity of perception, strong memory, focused attention, cultivating an open mind, a desire for knowledge, and maintaining a keen interest in life.

In yoga, the tools for educating the mind come from the science of chanting. Learning “by heart,” or memorizing the

texts and scriptures has always been through oral instruction. Chanting is the primary tool for training and developing the mind. It requires the ability to listen and receive information, focus and maintain attention, and repeat what is retained. This traditional method of mind training and education is part of a holistic practice for developing the intellectual mind.

In ancient times, chant accompanied the earliest rituals and orchestrated worship. For thousands of years, this vocal kind of worship occurred everywhere on earth. Every religious practice, tribe, and tradition has used some form of chanting. Chanting crosses all cultures. It is relevant for all human beings and remains an important and dramatic tool for self-healing.

Directing the Senses
The fifth limb of yoga is pratyahara, the “withdrawal of the senses.”  Pratyahara occurs as a result of turning the mind inward; it doesn’t happen by itself. You have to do things to achieve a meditative state by progressively withdrawing the senses from external stimuli, allowing them to settle in their source and come alive in the inner environment of your mind. Yogic texts compare this process to a tortoise drawing its limbs into its shell.

Use the following sensory practices as tools for directing your attention away from distractions. If you appreciate the sensual life around you and let your senses be your muse, they will inspire and heal you.