In yoga philosophy, we always look at our "instruments". The body is an instrument for our use in this life. The mind is an instrument. The instrument of mind is known as antah-karaṇa. There are four components: 1) ahaṃkāra (ego), 2) manas (thinking mind), 3) buddhi (reason), 4) citta (heart-mind).
ahaṃkāra
The ego is what gives us the feeling of separation from the whole, and it is the feeling of "I am". It likes to scream for attention! It is that voice of doubt in our head, or it can be the needy child. It is our identity. It's not a bad thing, but when left to run amuck, it can affect our ability to discern and make good choices.
manas
The thinking mind is what is connected to our senses. The only way we can experience sound, touch, sight, taste and smell is if the mind is engaged to pickup the signals. The mind is also full of thoughts, calculations, memories and ideas. It is a busy little bee and it too can be loud and get in the way of seeing big picture when making choices.
buddhi
Now buddhi is very quiet. It doesn't scream. It's not loud. It's not asking for anything. It is the rock of our mind, stable, secure, and the wise old owl. This is what we want to surrender to, the voice of reason. Buddhi is our discernment and our decision-making apparatus. It will always keep our well-being in the forefront when an option is presented. It is intelligence. It is creativity. It is so quiet.
What does it mean to surrender to reason? It means living a life intentionally. Instead of just breezing through the day, buddhi gives us a healthy schedule. It has us go to bed at reasonable hour. It has us eat healthy meals regularly, at the same time each day. It sticks to our practices like meditation, yoga and exercise. It says no to ice cream before bed.
Reason gives us the ability to discern how we feel after performing an activity. I ate the ice cream before bed. How did I sleep? How do I feel in the morning? Do I feel congested, have a coating on the tongue from lack of digestion, do I feel heavy and less energetic? I stayed up late on my phone reading the news before bed, how do I feel? My mind is agitated. I feel overly-reactive. I lost my sense of peacefulness. Reason keeps us present and allows us to notice the effects of our choices on our well-being, and will steer us in the right direction when called upon.
using reason
The voice of reason is quiet and subtle, but it is always there. It is a pillar in the mind that can support when strengthened, or collapse when the mind and ego are allowed to run it down. Commit to your well-being. Commit to reason.
Start with creating a good structure to support your life. Create a dinacharya, or daily routine, to support your health.
Try to stay present and inquire. How do I feel after the activity? This will guide your future choices once you notice how your energy, digestion and peacefulness are affected. You'll long for the good choices and begin to avert the bad ones.
To learn more about making healthy choices and establishing supporting practices, book a session and dive into the amazingness that is ayurveda!