A Neutral Mind Is One Of Our Greatest Gifts.
“When you cannot reach your Neutral Mind, you are reactive. You act as a beast instead of a human. I’m sorry to tell you this, but it is true. When you cannot reach the Neutral Mind, you never know what is right and what is wrong. You lack the clarity and certainty of your soul.”
Learning to live with a neutral mind can be one of our greatest assists to living a successful life. Yogi Bhajan taught us that we have 10 bodies as human beings. Unlike other animals that only have the physical body. This is what gives us such an advantage as humans to develop a deeper state of consciousness. The neutral mind is such an important facet of being human that it is represented as the 4th body.
In Western culture we have an obsession with happiness. Everything is in the pursuit of happiness. It is as if happiness is a commodity that we are constantly being sold. It is an easy sell and easy to market because everyone enjoys the sensation of being happy. We focus so much on achieving happiness that we fail to understand the power of the neutral mind. At the other end of the positive mind (happiness is a feeling of the positive mind) is the negative mind. Some of the feelings and emotions that represent the negative mind are anger, sadness and depression. Negative and positive are two sides to the same coin, with the highs come the lows. When we cultivate the neutral mind we learn to live beyond the ups and the downs. It does not mean that we become emotional robots, it just means that we learn to be more decerning in how we expend energy and how we respond to life and circumstance. We practice being present with all that is, while remaining fluid to change at the same time.
One of the ways I notice if my neutral mind is engaged or not is when I lean in to help someone. If I am not tuned into my neutral mind I usually make things worse. It is really hard seeing the people you love suffer, so naturally you want to jump in and help them, give them the answer or change the circumstances. However, if I approach it too positively or too negatively I either come across as not understanding or just indulging the persons feelings. Either approach is not going to help come to a resolve. When I am neutral I am understanding and solution driven, I am compassionate and helpful... this is the power of the neutral mind.
The neutral mind is not sexy or exciting, it is simple, calm and precise. Many do not want to develop their neutral mind in fear that life will be boring without the highs and lows. However the neutral mind is our secret weapon for sustainability and steadiness. Always riding the big waves can become emotionally draining and leave us feeling burnt out. The neutral mind is like riding a long and steady wave, you still get to enjoy the ride and it lasts a lot longer.
I find the best way to practice developing my neutral mind is to question my reaction before I respond. To take a deep breath and if I cannot gather myself inside, then I do not respond until I feel steady. It is important to practice in the happy moments of life along with the negative mind moments. To truly recognize the power of the neutral mind, it has to be accessible all the time. In the moments of joy, enjoy them but also practice detachment because these moments too will change... and when they do, if your neutral mind is in gear it will be a more graceful transition to whatever is next.
This here is all just food for thought, but its all easier said then done, unless there is a tool to help us strengthen the neutral mind. I am the most neutral after I meditate. Pranayama (breath) meditation works great for developing a neutral mind. If you find your life is a constant roller-coaster of emotions and reactions, then focus on your neutral mind. Life may seem a little duller without all the drama but once you get used to a steady calmness you will never look back. The neutral mind when developed can be your foundation through all matters of life.
Here is a meditation I love to do for the neutral mind.