To understand it completely, we need to know the difference between the mind and the intellect. Mind is one which generates different options or ideas and intellect decides which is right based on the past experiences. For example, if you go to a restaurant, mind gives different suggestions on what you could have and the intellect decides what is right for that moment considering the health condition, climate and other factors. In the process of evolution, human beings were granted with a good intellect which the lower order of beings did not develop. It is with this intellect, the human being was able to create culture and come out of the grips of the instincts and develop further. Intuition is still higher than intellect which is not going to be discussed here.
We learn and develop our intellect with the help of our mind and the intellect in turn helps us to lead a holistic life. A human either just follows what the mind says or is able to see what the mind suggests and take a decision based on the intellect and the intuition. We all fall under these two categories and the varied degrees in between these two extremes. If one is able to separate the mind and the thoughts, his development is faster and his understanding of the natural laws are better.
So, how to reach the state in which we separate the thoughts and act wise? Directly working with the mind is quite tough. We need to have a grip over our mind and for that we require a tool which is our breath. Our mind and our breath are very closely related and one controls the other. You could observe this very easily. Just observe your breath during different moods (anger, joy, etc..). You shall find for yourself the difference. So, if we work on our breath, we could make a drastic impact on our mind. How do we do this? For this we need to develop the habit of observing our breath which is the start of meditation.
How do we meditate? Sit in a comfortable pose with your eyes closed and your back straight. Now we are going to start observing our breath. Where to observe and what to observe? As we know breathing process is always on whether we are conscious of it or not. So, just observing is our duty now. To start with, observing the breath inside the nostrils is the easiest way. If you are not able to get a feel of it immediately, you could do a few forced inhalations and exhalations to start with. But after that it is necessary to feel just the breath as it is. What to do with the mind (with all the thoughts popping in) when observing the breath? When a thought comes, just be aware of it and don't analyse it. Soon, it will lose its grip over you and fade away. As you do this regularly, you would find your breath going more feeble and the gaps between the thoughts increases which is a real indicator of your progress. As you progress this way, you get a command over your mind which is a powerful tool that we have got. This brings transformation in an individual and takes us closer towards our real divine nature.
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