We all know that brain exists inside our body and functions as a central processing unit carrying out all tasks that is required to keep us alive. If that is so what is mind, who controls it and what is its role? For long, this question has been reverberating among all those who have started their journey towards self-realization and also
among those who are focused to achieve higher goals in their lives. Such people normally claim that they are focusing or finding ways to tame their minds and not their brains. Actually, mind is where emotions, consciousness, and memories, judgmental and thinking abilities are created and are unique to each and every person while brain is considered as a physical entity inside our body that is controlled by the mind. Now you can understand why each individual behaves differently even if exposed to the same kind of a situation.
You can also relate brain to a vessel containing a substance called mind. To take good decisions both the brain and mind need to be pure and healthy, even if anyone of the two entities becomes unhealthy or corrupted the whole objective to excel in life would be lost.
Now that we know the importance of a cultured mind, let us try to understand it in the perspective of athma yogis or sivacharyas. According to them mind does not have form, colour or any other identity of its own. It behaves like a chameleon and feeds on situations and behaviours. It is said to wander wildly creating thoughts and views based on the physical senses. Hence yogis and saints emphasize on culturing or controlling the mind. For better understanding you can compare a mind with cultivating land that has great potential to grow high yielding crops but for which you need to tilt the soil, prepare it before hand sowing and after sowing should free the land of weeds. The same way mind has to be freed from unwanted and unhealthy thoughts produced by sights, hearing, feel and smells which is also said to be the major cause of miseries in humans.
Mind can also be compared to a spoilt child who is pampered by its parents (self). This is where the role of guru who has understands the subtle, secretive ways of the mind is considered of utmost importance. Because he is the one who can take us through the psychic processes of conviction, logic, awareness and trust so as to help us control our mind.
At 1008 Names of Shiva Association, you will be introduced to mind controlling techniques such as meditation and pranayama as remedial measures to all those who come with the quest for knowledge about the psyche or mind and also to those who suffer from various doshas, physical or mental sufferings.