Route for today: notice the chaos, reduce it with practical tools, and choose one daily action that brings you back to calm.
What chaos feels like
Chaos of the mind is rarely dramatic from the outside. It is the internal noise of unfinished thoughts, the sense of being pulled in several directions at once. For some it begins at work, in crowded meetings or busy classrooms. For others it surfaces in the middle of the night, or after hearing someone else’s story that lingers long after the conversation has ended.
Psychology gives us one clear description. Cognitive Load Theory shows that the mind can only hold a limited number of ideas at once. When those limits are exceeded, thoughts become tangled. Chaos feels like overwhelm.
Yoga and energy traditions offer another lens. They describe the restless mind as scattered prana. When energy disperses, thought scatters. When prana gathers, the mind steadies.
The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that the mind can be either our best friend or our greatest enemy. The difference lies in how we train it.
Returning through the body
One mistake is to approach chaos only through more thinking. The fastest way back is through the body.
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Movement brings excess energy down into the muscles and joints, creating grounding. A simple walk without headphones or a few minutes of free dance clears agitation.
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Massage calms the nervous system and shifts us from sympathetic drive into parasympathetic rest. By pressing, holding, or sweeping along muscle lines, the body releases stored tension and the mind follows. Even a self-massage of the arms or scalp can interrupt cycles of rumination.
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Sound gives the mind a single anchor. A singing bowl, a drum rhythm, or a simple hum quiets the inner chatter by focusing awareness on vibration.
These are not separate disciplines. Together they form a holistic practice that touches mind, body, and energy simultaneously.
A two minute method
Sit comfortably. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. Take three breaths, letting the lower hand rise first. As thoughts arise, give each one a label: planning, worry, memory. Breathe out and let it go.
Now sweep one hand slowly down your opposite arm as if brushing away dust. Repeat three times each side. This gentle massage signals to the body that it can release what it is holding.
Finish by humming softly for thirty seconds. Feel the vibration settle into your chest and skull. Silence will follow more naturally.
The importance of touch
Research in both psychology and physiology shows that touch regulates the nervous system. Safe, intentional massage lowers cortisol, increases oxytocin, and reduces perceived stress. Beyond the biology, touch reintroduces us to ourselves. It reminds the body that we are not separate parts but a whole being.
Many people report that after a massage their mind becomes clearer without effort. This is because when muscles release, the nervous system resets. The calm that follows is not imagined. It is embodied.
The Alchemy of Movement, Massage and Sound
On 1 November 2025 at Tara Yoga Centre, London, I will guide a full-day workshop where these practices meet. Alchemy of Movement, Massage and Sound is designed to help you step out of mental noise and into embodied clarity.
We will explore:
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Movement practices to release stuck energy and restore flow.
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Massage techniques you can use on yourself or share with a partner to calm the body and still the mind.
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Sound journeys with bowls, drums, and voice to open deeper states of rest and insight.
This workshop is not about escaping the mind. It is about learning to befriend it. By combining movement, massage, and sound, you create a relationship with your inner world that is steady and compassionate.
One step you can take now
Choose one of these three tools today: walk without distractions, give yourself five minutes of simple massage, or hum until you feel the vibration shift. Notice how even a short practice softens the noise.
Chaos is always near, but so is calm. The way back is not in fighting the mind but in giving it a body, a breath, and a sound to rest upon.