Nirodha
Nirodha is a big word that means 'stopping' or 'ending'. It's a very important concept in the practice of mindfulness and meditation.
Think of it this way: have you ever had a really noisy toy that you just couldn't turn off? Remember how that made you feel? It was probably pretty stressful and frustrating, right? Well, our minds can be like that too - constantly buzzing and chattering and making noise.
Nirodha is like turning off the noise in your mind. It's about taking a pause from all the chatter and letting yourself be still and quiet.
When we practice nirodha, we're not trying to force our minds to be quiet - that would be like trying to hold a balloon underwater. Instead, we're learning to observe our thoughts and feelings with curiosity and without judgment. We're noticing how our minds are always moving and changing, and we're allowing that movement to slow down and eventually come to a stop.
So, nirodha is like taking a deep breath and letting everything settle down for a little while. It's a way to give our minds a break and rest in the present moment. When we practice nirodha, we can feel more calm, grounded and focused - just like when you turn off a noisy toy and everything suddenly feels quiet and peaceful.
Think of it this way: have you ever had a really noisy toy that you just couldn't turn off? Remember how that made you feel? It was probably pretty stressful and frustrating, right? Well, our minds can be like that too - constantly buzzing and chattering and making noise.
Nirodha is like turning off the noise in your mind. It's about taking a pause from all the chatter and letting yourself be still and quiet.
When we practice nirodha, we're not trying to force our minds to be quiet - that would be like trying to hold a balloon underwater. Instead, we're learning to observe our thoughts and feelings with curiosity and without judgment. We're noticing how our minds are always moving and changing, and we're allowing that movement to slow down and eventually come to a stop.
So, nirodha is like taking a deep breath and letting everything settle down for a little while. It's a way to give our minds a break and rest in the present moment. When we practice nirodha, we can feel more calm, grounded and focused - just like when you turn off a noisy toy and everything suddenly feels quiet and peaceful.