Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Suppose the worst of the world is given to you; what would you do with it? If the world is at its worst, then it can only get better, and you are here to make it better. You cannot complain if you get the worst. You can only complain if you don’t get the worst. This is where your inner strength becomes important. There is a brain region called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). When you do things that you don’t like, the ACC becomes stronger.
The ACC is responsible for emotional stability, deeper insight, and inner strength. Nobody loves to go to the gym. You put in the effort to work out, and the ACC becomes stronger. Suppose you don’t like eating something bitter, but you eat it; then the ACC becomes stronger. This is also the principle behind tapasya, where you consciously do what you may not like and learn to endure the opposites. Among the 5 niyamas of yoga to follow, one is ‘tapas’; It is said, ‘Tapo dvandva sahanam’, which means forbearing the opposite is tapasya. ‘Tapasya’ isn’t done to please God or attain self-realization, but to strengthen the body and mind. Can you listen to an insult with the same equanimity as when you listen to a compliment? That is tapasya. When someone praises you, you listen to it with a smile. When someone criticizes you, can you listen to it with the same smile and equanimity, and watch what is happening inside you? That is tapasya. Similarly, can you be a witness to the thing that you like and not be feverish about it? Then that is also tapasya. Being in a state of equanimity, and enduring whatever comes, whether it is hot or cold, good or bad, praise or criticism, is tapasya. Jain saints can walk barefoot for long distances. They don’t feel very cold in the winters, or too hot during the summers. They develop a resistance to extreme climatic conditions because of their tapasya. The ability to bear the opposites is essential in life. The extent to which we follow tapasya in life, to that extent we become stronger and more stable.
This inner strength is also about how well you can handle what comes your way.
Children often throw tantrums and refuse to do what their elders ask them to do. They just drop it. You shouldn’t always give in to children’s demands. When children are pampered too much, they can become emotionally more fragile because their ACC may not be sufficiently developed. You have to make sure you don’t bring up your kids in a way that they grow up to be fragile adults. Not letting them cry; not letting them be upset even for a few minutes, you keep them insulated from real-life challenges, and all of a sudden, they face a very uncertain world. That is when youngsters fail to adjust. You need to immunize them against emotional ups and downs, teach them how to get out of negative emotions, and how to calm the mind. Apart from doing something one doesn’t like doing, practices like yoga, pranayama, and meditation also help develop the ACC. People who are into athletics or do other physically demanding activities have a stronger ACC than the rest. Physical exercises, yoga, pranayama, and meditation have a very vital role to play in developing emotional stability and resilience. It is no longer a luxury, but a modern-day necessity. We have seen people who were emotionally unstable before they started doing yoga. But when they practiced yoga regularly and spent time in spiritual wisdom, reading scriptures, they became mentally powerful, more intuitive, clear, intellectually sharp, and emotionally stable.
You cannot control your emotions from the level of the mind and intellect alone, but you can do so by tapping into your breath. Emotional well-being can only be achieved when you pay attention to your breath and state of mind. Each emotion is linked to a particular way of breathing. If emotions can impact how you breathe, the reverse is also true!
From ancient times, people have been using breath as a way to relax and strengthen their minds. If you know a little bit about your breathing patterns and how they impact your mind, the knowledge itself is very empowering. By modulating your breathing, you can take charge of your emotions.
Breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya help you understand the patterns you have cultivated over time. With regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya, you can snap out of the pattern. The overwhelming emotions may still exist, but you don’t get drowned in them. You can swim in them. Spiritual practices like pranayamas and meditation are ways you can enjoy the richness of emotions without getting carried away.
Meditation also helps bring harmony within yourself. Just telling your mind not to have negative thoughts doesn’t work. With meditation, you can apply the brakes to this buzzing mind. With meditation, some silence from time to time, and Sudarshan Kriya, the source of negativity is nipped at the root. Pranayama purifies the mind, and meditation purifies the consciousness. Life is bound to be caught up in storms so very often. Every event touches life somewhere on its surface. Take all that comes with both hands. Don’t say that it is impossible for you. This thought of something being not possible means that you are resisting. This makes the storms stay for longer. Tell yourself, “Come what may, there is nothing that can destroy me. It may be excruciatingly painful, but it doesn’t matter. It still cannot destroy or kill me. I am here. I am much bigger than all these emotions, commotions, or waves. They all rise inside me, and in no way can they destroy me. I will let them be.” |
