Patanjali's yoga sutras

अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोध
abhyāsavairāgyābhyāṃ tannirodhaḥ

abhyāsa अभ्यास – constant practice
vairāgyābhyām – vairāgya वैराग्य + abhyām अभ्यां – the practice of detachment
ta (short for tada) त – these
nirōdhaḥ निरोध – cessation; mastery

By the constant practice of detaching your identity from your mental vortexes, you cease to be your ego.

You are not your thoughts, your emotions, your personality traits, or your mental states. You aren’t the things that happen to you or the things you do.

The practice of yoga is to nirōdhaḥ the chitta vritti, to stop the mental vortexes–or at least stop being so caught up in them. Through this constant practice, you separate yourself from, then gradually shed, and finally cease to be your ego.

Observe your mental vortexes without judgement. Just see them for what they are. Ask yourself… 

Is this the truth or a misconception?

Am I rooted in reality or am I imagining things?

Am I awake in the present moment or am I daydreaming?

Am I here in the now or am I replaying past experiences?

That’s all happening at the level of the awareness of your ego. Your ego believes that nothing exists in its awareness outside of its own thinking and doing, its own actions and experiences.

But, just as most of the universe is empty of matter—the physical components of an atom are the size of a peanut in a football stadium—there is a vast field of consciousness beyond what you experience through your mind and senses.

And, you are aware of it.

Cultivate an awareness of the inner divinity in yourself and in everyone and everything. Make this your constant practice. Detach yourself from any thoughts or emotions that disturb this perspective. Remind yourself of this universal divinity constantly and feel how it permeates every experience. Let the divine presence grow so big that it swallows any disturbance with rapturous silence.