“O Krsna, the flickering mind is certainly turbulent, strong and obstinate; I think that subduing it is more difficult than the wind”

The Bhagavad Gita 6.34

Recently, I traveled with my husband to Joplin, MO on a personal Seva* trip to help with the tornado relief effort.  We saw first-hand the tragically devastating effects of the wind and were humbled and uplifted by the earnest solidarity of people who came from all corners of the United States to support the people of Joplin.

As I took in the violent aftermath of the tornado, my mind was drawn to the above reading from the Bhagavad Gita.  Indeed, a distracted and uncontrolled mind may wreak havoc on a person’s life just as the wind can destroy a brick building in a moment.  While freakish weather disturbances are certainly beyond our control, learning to tame the mind is (barring physiological deficiencies and/or mental illness) often within our control.

Pranayama, the Sanskrit term for “breathing exercises”, is a method of linking the breath to the work of the body.  From this place, a student may learn to cultivate awareness of the breath, and, eventually develop a meditative mindfulness practice.  In time, the student may cultivate awareness about the fluctuations of the mind, and then learn to control the blasts of

From a psychological perspective, learning to control the mind has been reported to help people to control psychodynamic impulses and responses. 

As I write this paragraph, I am in an airplane at about 35,000’, being buffeted by the wind even as I write about it.  I am humbled; I am alert; I am grateful for the magnificence of the wind: internally as well as externally.

Please visit this helpful website for more about the Bhagavad Gita.

* “Seva means service. In Sikhism, seva refers to selfless service for altruistic purposes on behalf of, and for the betterment of a Community”.  source

Catherine Genzler