Citta Vritti Nirodha: Stilling the Fluctuations of the Mind Through Yoga, Reiki and Conscious Wellness
February 5, 2026

Citta Vritti Nirodha: Stillness at the Heart of I AM BEING

Citta vritti nirodha is a phrase that has followed me quietly but persistently through my life in wellness. It’s one of those teachings that, once you truly feel it rather than simply understand it intellectually, never really leaves you. It becomes a lens through which everything else makes sense and use it in every session at close – to calm the thoughts.

I first encountered citta vritti nirodha during my yoga teacher training at triyoga in London with the epic Adam Husler and Michael James Wong. At the time, it landed softly, almost innocently (perhaps curiously?) a beautiful Sanskrit phrase translated as “the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.” But as the months and (now) years unfolded, as I deepened my practice and expanded into Reiki, sound, breathwork, meditation and cacao, I began to see it everywhere. Not just in yoga philosophy, but in every genuine attempt to heal, regulate, soften and return home to ourselves.

This blog is an exploration of where citta vritti nirodha comes from, what it really means, how it resonated so deeply with me at triyoga, and why I believe it sits at the heart of all wellness modalities. It is also an invitation, to slow down, to look within, and to understand that stillness is not passive. It is a discipline. One that should never be underestimated.

Throughout this piece, I’ll weave citta vritti nirodha into yoga, Reiki, cacao, sound, breath and meditation, and share how these practices support nervous system regulation and wellbeing. Finally, I’ll bring it home to how we work with these teachings at I AM BEING, through group sessions, one-to-one work and workshops.

What Is Citta Vritti Nirodha?

The phrase citta vritti nirodha comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, one of the foundational texts of yoga philosophy. It appears in Sutra 1.2:

Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ

This sutra is often translated as:

“Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.”

To truly understand it, it helps to break the phrase down:

  • Citta: the mind-field — including thoughts, emotions, memories, conditioning and subconscious patterns
  • Vritti: fluctuations, movements, waves, patterns
  • Nirodha: restraint, cessation, calming, settling

So citta vritti nirodha is not about forcefully stopping thoughts or achieving a blank mind. It is about learning how to settle the constant movements of the mind so that awareness can rest in clarity.

When the vrittis are active, we are pulled outward by reacting, identifying, looping. When the vrittis settle, we are able to see clearly, respond consciously and rest in our true nature.

This is not a one-off experience. It is a lifelong discipline and I try really hard to do this every day without fail. It’s like brushing my teeth.

Learning Citta Vritti Nirodha at Triyoga

During my training at triyoga, citta vritti nirodha was taught not as something to strive for aggressively, but as something to gently cultivate. It was spoken about in philosophy classes, woven into asana practice, and quietly present in moments of stillness at the end of class.

What struck me most was the relief in hearing that yoga was not about becoming something new but actually it is about removing what clouds us.

At triyoga, the environment itself supported this teaching. The studios, the teachers, the pace, all of it encouraged listening inwardly rather than performing outwardly. Over time, I noticed that the moments I felt most grounded were not when I was achieving complex postures, but when my breath softened, my nervous system settled, and my awareness dropped beneath the noise of the mind. It’s about connecting to myself everywhere I go. All that I am beyond the thoughts.

This realisation followed me beyond the mat.

Stillness Is a Discipline, Not a Luxury

In modern culture, stillness is often underestimated. We treat rest as something earned, meditation as optional, and silence as uncomfortable. Yet citta vritti nirodha teaches us that learning to be still is one of the most profound disciplines we can undertake.

To sit with ourselves, without distraction, without numbing, without constant stimulation, takes courage. It asks us to meet the fluctuations rather than escape them.

This is why true wellness practices do not simply aim to make us feel good temporarily. They aim to create the conditions in which the mind and nervous system can settle naturally.

This principle is present in every authentic modality I practice.

Citta Vritti Nirodha and the Nervous System

From a modern perspective, citta vritti nirodha aligns beautifully with nervous system regulation.

When the mind is constantly fluctuating, the nervous system often sits in a state of fight, flight or freeze. Thoughts trigger stress responses. Stress responses reinforce thought loops. The cycle continues.

Practices that calm the vrittis support:

  • Activation of the parasympathetic nervous system
  • Reduced cortisol and stress hormones
  • Improved emotional regulation
  • Greater clarity and presence

Each modality, be that yoga, Reiki, cacao, sound, breath and meditation offers a different doorway into this regulation.

Citta Vritti Nirodha in Yoga

Yoga is perhaps the most direct expression of citta vritti nirodha. Through movement, breath and awareness, we learn to anchor the mind in the present moment.

Asana becomes a moving meditation. The body is used as a tool to access stillness rather than as something to conquer.

At I AM BEING, yoga is taught with this intention at its core. Classes are not about pushing or perfecting, but about listening. When attention rests on sensation and breath, the vrittis begin to soften.

The result is not just flexibility in the body, but spaciousness in the mind.

Citta Vritti Nirodha in Reiki

Reiki works directly with the subtle body and energy field. In a Reiki session, both practitioner and receiver enter a state of deep presence.

This presence is citta vritti nirodha in action.

As the mind quietens, the body feels safe enough to release. The nervous system downshifts. Energy begins to flow more freely.

Many people report a sense of stillness during Reiki that feels different from sleep. A calm awareness where thoughts fade into the background.

This is why Reiki can be so supportive for stress, anxiety and emotional overwhelm.

Citta Vritti Nirodha in Cacao Ceremonies

Ceremonial cacao is often misunderstood as energising or heart-opening alone. In truth, cacao is also deeply grounding. It’s both.

When held in a ceremonial container, cacao supports gentle introspection. It brings awareness into the body and heart, encouraging honesty rather than distraction.

In cacao ceremonies at I AM BEING, we use cacao as a tool to soften the mind and deepen presence. Combined with breath, meditation or sound, cacao helps quiet mental noise while maintaining alertness.

This creates an ideal state for citta vritti nirodha; awake, embodied stillness.

Citta Vritti Nirodha in Sound Healing

Sound has a unique ability to bypass the thinking mind.

In sound baths, vibrations interact directly with the nervous system and brainwaves. As the body entrains to sound, mental chatter naturally subsides.

Gongs, bowls and voice create spaces where thoughts slow down without effort. People often describe feeling ‘reset’ after sound sessions.

This effortless quieting of the vrittis is one of the reasons sound healing is so powerful for modern stress.

Citta Vritti Nirodha in Breathwork

The breath is one of the most accessible tools for calming the mind.

Slow, conscious breathing sends signals of safety to the nervous system. As the breath steadies, the mind follows.

At I AM BEING, breathwork is used gently and intentionally by weaving it into my main modalities. It is not to force release, but to cultivate awareness.

This is citta vritti nirodha embodied: using breath to settle the mind-field and return to presence.

Citta Vritti Nirodha in Meditation

Meditation is often seen as the practice of citta vritti nirodha, yet it is more accurate to say it is the space in which stillness is revealed.

Meditation teaches us to witness fluctuations without becoming them. Over time, this witnessing creates distance from habitual patterns.

At I AM BEING, meditation is woven into all sessions rather that an isolated practice, but as a thread connecting everything we do and perhaps, as I see it, a pathway.

Bringing It All Together at I AM BEING

At I AM BEING, all sessions whether yoga, Reiki, sound, cacao, breath or meditation are rooted in the same intention: to create conditions for citta vritti nirodha.

We work with:

  • Group sessions, offering shared stillness and collective regulation
  • One-to-one sessions, tailored to individual nervous systems and needs
  • Workshops, allowing deeper exploration and integration

These experiences are not about fixing or improving. They are about remembering how to be.

An Invitation to Be Still with Me

Citta vritti nirodha reminds us that wellness is not something we add to ourselves. It is something we uncover.

In a world that constantly pulls us outward, choosing stillness is a radical act. It is a discipline. And it is deeply transformative.

Whether through yoga, Reiki, cacao, sound, breath or meditation, the invitation is the same:

To soften the fluctuations. To listen within. To remember who you are beneath the noise of this complex and layered world of ours.

If you feel called to explore this in a supportive, grounded way, you are warmly invited to join us at I AM BEING through group sessions, one-to-one work or workshops designed to support nervous system regulation, presence and genuine wellbeing.

Because sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do… is be still.

Being,

Gizelle Renee