The Yoga Sutras of Sage Patanjali are an ancient storehouse of knowledge which talk about infinite tools on managing stress in our daily lives. The key thing is to pick the tool that works best for you as an individual.
A negative mind indulges in negative thinking so that it almost becomes a habit.
As per Patanjali, ‘Cultivate feelings of friendliness towards those who are unhappy, compassion for those who are suffering, goodwill towards the virtuous and neutrality towards those you think are wicked or evil.;
If your breathing is irregular or rapid try lengthening your outbreath so its longer than the inbreath. Basically take deeper, mindful breaths to work on balancing the parasympathetic system.
If you find that your mind is disturbed try engaging your senses by connecting to the environment around you. Taking long walks, listening to the sounds of nature, appreciating the natural beauty around you and simply connecting to the Earth with your bare feet would work on calming the senses and thus bring down the agitation in the mind.
If you have moments of self doubt then reflect on matters greater than self. Keep a track of your goals and take that little step towards it no matter how you are feeling. Keep in mind that it is about moving forward with conviction and drop your ego!
Patanjali also mentions that in dire straits just ask for help!
Getting enough sound sleep is another great stress buster which has been scientifically proven by modern science and Patanjali had it figured out thousands of years ago!
Finally choose your path and stay with it in your own way overcoming the obstacles steadily. Work with either of the tools that resonate with you and overcome stress easily.
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj
neel_bharadwaj@yahoo.com
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