Yoga and anger management

Yoga and Anger Management

Anger is one of our nastiest emotions. It can grip you unexpectedly, rendering you helpless to its power and hasty decision making. Anger is a red welt on the human physche, yet we are actually able to control this emotion once we begin to learn how to recognize it.

Anger is a way of covering up other emotions that may be too painful to access. Deep sorrow, hurt and sadness are often hidden by angry words and actions. It may be just too painful to realize or allow yourself to feel the sadness of not being wanted by someone. We can react in an angry manner to mask the sadness and pain of that person not caring for us in the same way we do them.

There is a point when accessing anger that the human being, our soul, allows the anger through. A click that happens in the head that says, yes ok, anger come forth and multiply. Ouch!!! Nasty to the core. How many of us have used angry words and actions and then regretted these actions sometime later. I myself have done this and have chosen to try and look at why I am doing this. Anger within me only continues the pain within. I have now begun the long and slow task of understanding why my anger comes up.

Yoga is a wonderful tool for witnessing our own emotions. For myself, anger is definitely a mask for pain. Pain of many kinds can affect me and now that I am a grown woman and mother of two I feel it is my duty to look at my stuff and anger is one of the things I am looking at.

When I practice yoga regularly I feel I am more in control of my emotions. I am less likely to fly off the handle and start using harsh words with my family and loved ones. I am far more likely to look at myself or the situation and think it through. The point when anger rears its ugly head is really quite far away when I am practicing yoga regularly.

I feel it is the continual contact with my breath that helps me control myself and look at the options available and my growing ability to deal with tricky situations. I am taking responsibility for myself far more now that I am a practicing yogi. Continual and persistent yoga practice accesses the points within us that bring peace and calm to our minds.

When our minds are brought to a point of stillness (however short that point may be) often and with regularity, this stillness begins to take a hold over the person and thus affects their everyday life. I know that when I am practicing yoga at least 4 times a week my days and nights flow quite smoothly. My breath is even and my heart is pushed open every time I practice yoga. This is a powerful tool for looking within. Yoga does actually physically open the heart area and powerful changes can occur for individuals.

This may sounds fluffy to the inexperienced yogi but people practicing yoga regularly will agree with me. It is not possible to ignore a consistent yoga practice. Peace comes from within we have heard many times but it is undeniably true. When you reach that point of explosion, when the anger is ready to rip forth take another breath. Put yourself in your yoga practice, allow your breath to move smoothly in and out and then take action. You will begin to feel the difference as I have. Anger is not something we need to live with. Just changing your attitude and taking responsibility will allow a very positive change to occur for yourself.

We owe ourselves a happy, joyful and stress free life and it is very simple to begin this process. Anger does not need to reside within us. Take it away and when you begin to feel it building, breathe, breathe, breathe. It is not real, it is just a mask for something else. Deal with that something else and the anger need not arise at all. These something else’s will eventually and slowly dissolve once they are looked at.

Have a look, have a laugh, life is short and we owe it to ourselves to live it to the fullest.

Ohm shanti..............