After a little discussion on dealing with the different types of thoughts that may arise during yogic practice, and how to work with them, it's now time to discuss the emotions that may arise for us during practice.
As with thoughts, emotions are transitory - fleeting. But while you are experiencing them, they seem to be lasting an eternity. Especially the negative ones! Some people think that yoga practice is no place for negative emotions, or they try to use the practice to make the negative feelings disappear. This is not a wise effort. On the contrary, yoga practice is a GREAT time & place to deal with negative emotions, because we can start to see them for what they really are, rather than just blaming outside circumstances.
Some negative emotions that I (and countless others) have felt during practice: boredom, irritation, restlessness, fear, anger, hatred, self-loathing, teacher-loathing, loathing of the human condition, frustration, and that sense of just wanting to give up!! I am sharing this to demonstrate how normal it is for these emotions to arise. But whereas off the mat we might deal with these by shouting at the driver in front of us or arguing with our significant other, on the mat we learn to deal with them by BREATHING THROUGH them, and observing them as they pass. Over time, we learn that even the most intense negative emotions will pass quickly if treated with non-attached compassion and respect. Then, instead of making rude gestures at the bad driver in front of us, which drains US of our prana, we maintain our sense of mental and energetic balance and continue our practice throughout the day.
Speaking of mental balance, I had a great opportunity to practice in Ana's wonderful class last night. Many of you have heard me joke that right vs. left is not my strong suit, and neither are balance poses. Well, this is true, and has been getting more challenging due to medication I take that causes muscle tremors. Long story short, I could not maintain a single balance pose for longer than 3 seconds. My "monkey mind" started hurling some nasty (if creative) insults at me for this. For a moment, I agreed with its dismal assessment of my abilities. But then, 'yoga mind' and the breath came to my rescue. During each balance pose, after my best 3-second attempt at it, I stood in Samasthiti (Tadasana) and breathed fire into my breath and bandhas. A tiny piece of my "monkey mind" was worried about what others would think. But once again, I let that slide away & practiced my own powerful internal practice when needed.
Positive emotions can also be challening during practice, but in a different way. I may not have a good sense of balance, but I've always been flexible, so I immediately loved bendy asanas. However, this kept me stuck for a while, wanting to practice only the poses that felt good or were easy to do, while ignoring other poses. Eventually and with much patience, my teacher got me past this point.
If you feel sadness, feel it. Don't block it out. It may not seem so, but it is a gift, an opportunity to see more clearly. If you feel extreme happiness, feel it to its fullest! It too is a wonderful gift! Use your yogic practice to lessen your attachment to both negative and positive emotions, so that you are not at their mercy. Then, when emotionally-charged situations arise, you will be able to respond, rather than mindlessly react.
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1 comment:
thank u for your insight. i have some tools to deal with emotions, by merely becoming the watcher. just watching each emotion go by. not supressing; or ignoring; but simply looking at them as if they are clouds passing through a blue sky. i am still a rookie at this; and the mind would rather go back to what it knows as oppose to change its habits. however i shall continue to practice this technique. so thank u again for your entry; it helps.
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