What Now?

If you have successfully been able to calm your mind you have made a giant step toward being able to observe yourself.  This is called "planting the seed."  Once your mind is free from negative and unnecessary thoughts you will understand what it's like to live in peace and harmony (P&H) for that brief period of meditation time.

Your goal now is to increase the time spent in P&H.  This is the "growth" period of your practice. The way to do this is to continue a daily meditation practice.  Keep practicing every day and the amount of time spent in P&H will naturally increase.  Make your practice a commitment.  Also, increase the time you sit in meditation until you reach one hour.  Once you reach one hour every day you will begin to experience the ability to recognize negative and unnecessary thoughts during non-meditation times such as during conversations, driving, exercising, eating, walking, and so on.  This may be a whole new experience for you.  You may even want to celebrate by taking a few days off from meditation and enjoy your new found freedom from unwanted intrusive thoughts. 

There will always be moments when negative and unnecessary thoughts appear in the mind field.  This will happen even to people who have developed a strong P&H mind.  When that happens the trick is to be able to recognize those thoughts.  This is the ability to watch the mind. With your P&H ability you are now able to recognize those intrusive thoughts and not act on them or react to them.  In the past you may have raised your voice to someone (acted) and/or had a bout of anxiety (react).  Now, as soon as the thought appears you will say, "There's a negative thought," and at that moment it will disappear and cause no action or reaction. 

Now you have the supernatural ability to observe your mind.  By cultivating your meditation practice from calmness (the seed) into observation (growth), you have developed (produced) the ability to control your thoughts and your reactions to them.  CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Next - More things you can do with your newfound ability.