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These days I do not have to actively quiet my mind, as I have been practicing quiet meditation now for more than 4-decades, and can quiet my mind effortlessly at will. It took a while for me to get here, and a consistent daily meditation practice of quieting my thoughts helped.
For me, I had to build the silence. In the beginning of my practice there was so much chatter. Then I learned some, very simple, does and don’ts. Like if I let my thoughts run wild the majority of the day, its going to be difficult to try and quiet my thoughts afterwards. I had to maintain that inner silence the majority of my waking hours to build on it.
The silence is always there, 24/7-365. You do not have to add anything, we all have everything that we need. It is just a matter of letting go. It begins with letting go of the noise, quieting our thoughts, and along the way we may find a lot more to let go of then just our thoughts. “If my heart weighs more than a feather then I carry too much weight.” A Yogi Maxim.
When I worked I would go into the restroom, or sit outdoors on a bench, and meditate on my breaks. A 10-minute meditation on silence can be as refreshing as taking a nap. I usually got two fifth-teen minute breaks and a lunch break, where I would find time to quiet my mind and exist in silence. This also helped me better interact with other people at work.
Meditating in the same spot at my home was also helpful, as the meditation energies built up in that spot, and made it easier to slip into a meditative state every time I sat in that spot. The same thing happens in a church, temple, or synagogue, with people worshipping, praying and meditating regularly in those buildings they become serene places from the build up of that serene energy.
Part of the journey is gathering, and inventing, tips and tricks that specifically work for you. A cookie cutter practice will only take you so far. There comes a point when relationship skills become very importent when communing with our deeper being, and the first rule of communication is to listen. My deeper being tells me what I need to do to deepen my experience, and it often amazes me how the messages are presented to me.
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