Yoga and Feelings
Life is stressful and unfortunately, no one is immune to it. Work, home, and life in between put pressure on us each individually. Life proceeds at such a rapid pace, we often lose our sense of self, the person we strive to be. We are handed so many obstacles that we sometimes identify our being with the material things or emotions that take up a large portion of our life.
Great examples are the common phrases used daily: “I am angry”, “I am stressed out”. These conditions are not who we are, but only what we feel at a given time. Do you ever feel that by verbalizing your mood, your personality changes as well? It happens more than we may recognize.
As people, we are not many small pieces of work that we are assigned to at a job, we are not emotions or sensations, and we most certainly should not classify our being with the car or house we chose to purchase. When the conditions and feelings are theoretically stripped from us, we are still “me”. Although it seems that these multi-faceted layers define us, they do not; they should not. If you feel that items and temporary sensations are what and who you are, re-examine all of these and other like-minded thoughts.
The idea that one’s true wealth, one’s true self can be fully exposed through the power of enlightenment was developed by ancient yogis. Yoga allows us to tap into our subconscious thoughts and our original frame of mind so we can change from the inside out. An expensive watch does not change who you are. Yoga is much deeper and far richer than any possession.
When we understand what we are feeling, and why we may be overwhelmed by specific emotions, we have the power to alter their power within us. Yoga teaches people to separate themselves from their feelings so emotionally based decisions occur less and less, and even when a negative emotion is felt, it does not affect the true person’s self. Rather than telling your self “I am angry”, you learn to say “I feel anger’s presence”. Although this simple change may seem insignificant, it is based around thousand year old teachings, and is in fact a positive change.
When a person truly understands where their emotions were derived, the self awareness increases our self confidence and allows us to control ourselves. Life causes the head to become messy with worry, fear, anxiety, pressure, and so many other things. The practice of yoga also allows us to recognize stress related pain and symptoms, which can be halted by the human mind in which they were first caused.
Yoga is not just the practice of tuning one into one’s own self; it emphasizes being a part of our whole world. Most modern yoga techniques focus on poses, meditation and breathing exercises, but yoga is so much more. It is about practicing love, kindness, compassion, and correct ways to reach enlightenment.