Pure-13.html

Emotional Transformation

Bhavana

Transform emotions to master the ego and merge with the infinite.

Traditionally, yoga students were required to demonstrate ethical living, which involved exploring and positively transforming their emotions. The head teacher observed how the students handled adversity, often testing their resolve. Students had to demonstrate that they understood yoga philosophy before they ever began yoga practices. In today’s yoga culture, students don’t typically receive this type of mentoring. Most students pay their class fees and learn the basic yoga practices, but without a philosophical understanding. Many never even hear of the yogic principles of ethical living, a vital aspect of emotional transformation.

In Step One, we learned about intention, the restraints, and observances. These are all guidelines for ethical behavior. We also learned that practicing the opposite of negative emotions is a tool to steer the mind toward emotional balance. To further our understanding of emotional transformation, this step outlines the healthy and appropriate role of the following opposing emotional states: laziness/discipline, fear/courage, anger/kindness, sadness/joy, worry/faith, despair/hope, and selfishness/selflessness.

Emotional transformation is a process of awareness, acceptance, and transformation of negative or limiting emotions. The word negative does not intend to label emotions as good or bad, it simply refers to emotions that we typically try to avoid. We may resist feeling sad because we don’t want to accept the fact that a good friend moved away. Or, we may cling to the feeling of a happy situation, like being a new parent. When we cling to an emotion, we don’t allow the emotion to pass and this ultimately causes suffering.

case study Steve’s Transformation

Let’s examine Steve’s process as an example. Steve discovered that his lower back pain was related to the klesa of fear (Step Nine). As Steve focused on transforming his emotions, he thought about the opposite of fear. This is generally regarded as faith, but Steve did not feel connected to this emotion. Instead, the concept of courage gave Steve a feeling of energy and vitality. As a provider, his faith was expressed as courage. Courage evoked a feeling of warmth and love in his heart.

Ultimately, Steve came to understand that providing for his family was his way of expressing love to them. These actions were well intended but displaced—they caused Steve to feel the stress that manifested in his back. Steve’s mistake was in correlating providing material wealth and stability for his family with love. In his yoga practice, Steve focused on feeling love and receiving love without having to do anything to earn it. As he learned to unconditionally receive love, he no longer associated it with success at work. Steve practiced these ideas at his job and noticed that he felt less pressured and was able to think clearly. Feeling renewed, Steve’s productivity at work increased dramatically. More importantly, Steve relaxed into a state of unconditional love with his family. He realized that he did not need to do anything to win his family’s love, which transformed his outlook and his relationships with his wife and children.

Steve’s example of transforming his fear by practicing courage reflects an additional step in overcoming the klesas. In this chapter, we’ll cover a variety of emotions, their role in personal growth, and how to cultivate their positive opposite. These ideas expand the discussion of mental attitude from Step Two. While that chapter focused on how yoga poses positively affect attitude, we’re about to learn how to transform our attitude through cultivating emotional responses.

Emotions Change

Of the many qualities that all emotions share is their constant state of change. An event as simple as a new person walking into the room requires some sort of adjustment. The mind remains in an emotional state until the new situation is accepted. The mind is only able to rest when it becomes accustomed to the new situation. On any given day, you are likely to experience hundreds of emotions, subtle as some of them may be. Sometimes it seems like emotional states never change, such as feelings of depression or anger. Repressed emotions are deeper-seated feelings that have yet to be fully understood. While they are more difficult to change, it is possible to transform all emotional responses. It can be overwhelming to face one’s emotions, and some students will find that yoga poses cause continued emotional upset. If this is the case, you should seek help from a counselor who specializes in emotional healing. A yoga practice coupled with counseling can be very effective.

As you have likely experienced in your own practice, exploring “negative” emotions is not always easy. It can be painful and uncomfortable. That is why so many of us, even longtime yoga practitioners, do our best to avoid them. However, it’s the resistance that causes much of the pain. When we are able to greet our emotions, resistance falls and new understandings can be formed. This practice helps us to accept life as it is.

There are seven emotional states reviewed in this step, but keep in mind that every emotion has multiple expressions. Some emotions are painful and will have several layers that must be processed in order to be fully understood. Regardless of how challenging it may be, don’t lose sight of the fact that you will be able to transform your emotional patterns. The purpose of studying our emotions is to comprehend where they are coming from and release any blocks that might keep us from connecting to the infinite.

The process of emotional transformation is imperative for yoga students. Remember that it can take a lot of time and practice to work through challenging emotions. Many of us have spent years nurturing the klesas. Start with small changes at first and allow the transformation to happen with an organic flow, rather than rigid force.

Emotional transformation can be compared to the yogic breath. As we become aware of the breath, it naturally slows and deepens. When we gently allow the breath to expand, it becomes free and full, rather than forced. Remember non-violence and be gentle in the process. Just like balance in Tree Pose, cultivating balanced emotions takes practice. In time, stronger states of mind will develop, balancing your emotions through life’s ebbs and flows.

Opposing Emotional States

Laziness (Alasya) and Discipline (Tapas)

Laziness and discipline are both healthy when expressed in appropriate situations. An old story speaks to this truth: a yoga master reprimands one of his students because of his habit of staying out too late at night. That same yoga master recommends to a somewhat rigid and well-behaved student that he should go to a party. As the master was well aware, what is good for one person may not be good for another. Laziness helped the overworked student and discipline balanced the lazy student. The key is to discover what is needed in order to bring individual balance.

Let’s think for a moment about discipline and laziness from the perspective of non-violence. When does discipline cause violence to you or others? Yoga students are classic examples of folks who are usually very kind and peaceful toward others, while often being very critical of their own actions. For example, it is quite common for students to give themselves a hard time about missing a yoga class. If you’re consistently missing your practice, you may need to develop more discipline. But beating yourself up over it does little good. Likewise, if you’re only missing the occasional class, then what’s the point of criticizing yourself? When we are too rigid in our lives, whether it is our dietary habits, pose practice, or otherwise, we’re creating an imbalance. Other misuses of discipline include overworking in general, often as a means or excuse to avoid some kind of pain. Exaggerated discipline can be an avoidance technique or it can be used to control others.

Examples of positive discipline include a daily yoga practice, reading inspirational or spiritual books, having a positive attitude about work, refraining from gossip, and breathing deeply while driving. Discipline is personal: only you know what you truly need and what you don’t. It’s a process of abstaining from those activities that negatively affect you and engaging in those that enrich you. Being disciplined in your diet does not mean just accepting the rules handed down to you from a dietician or yoga teacher. It comes from cultivating internal awareness; noticing the effects of things like sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and white flour on the body; and avoiding substances that foster imbalance. Discipline should always be tempered with love and compassion. A positive and balanced practice of discipline leads to Self-realization.

The opposite of discipline, laziness, can also disrupt balance. Failing to meet commitments, for example, causes harm to all of the people involved. Being too lazy to do yoga practice decreases its benefits. On the other hand, laziness can be positive if it means having a relaxed approach to life. Making time to sit, play music, socialize, and take a walk, especially in a fast-paced culture, is very important. While it is normally a pejorative term, laziness is positive when it fosters balance.

Somewhere between rigid discipline and laziness lies balanced discipline. A balanced discipline requires a certain fire from within. This fire is what motivates a daily yoga practice. Often the ego clings to past behaviors and creates all types of excuses that contradict healthy behaviors. Many teachings emphasize eliminating the ego, but I recommend embracing it. The ego says, “Today is a good day to rest and talk a walk, why do more yoga poses?” The higher self replies, “Yes, ego, you are right, how about a focus on relaxation in poses today?” In this inner-dialogue, the ego is not resisted, but honored. By walking the path of non-resistance, you can achieve a non-violent approach to yoga practice.

In each yoga pose, there is a delicate dance between effort and release. This process is often called “finding the edge.” Heat-producing asanas like Sun Salutations and third chakra poses help in achieving balance. These poses emphasize the dance between effort and surrender, teaching us valuable lessons that we can use in life. Just as the expert in meditation can find silence amidst the noise, the expert in discipline relaxes in the midst of effort. The ability to go deeper in a yoga practice often has more to do with relaxation than effort. By relaxing into a challenging yoga pose or surrendering to the sounds of construction outside while trying to meditate, you go deeper into pure consciousness.

The key to finding balance is to pay attention to your behavior. Be non-judgmental and honest with yourself, discover your motivational blocks, and notice your thoughts. While you honor the ego, be aware of how it justifies behavior that isn’t healthy or balanced. Keep your yoga practice disciplined and fun, just as you would in any artistic venture. If yoga is on the proverbial “to do” list, then take it off and put it on the fun list. If you can’t change a situation, then change your mind. This is what bhavana, or emotional transformation, is all about.

Fear (Bhaya) and Courage (Dhairya)

A yoga fable shares the following story about fear: Once a swami was traveling with his guru. Each day when they would bathe in the remote rivers, the guru would ask the student, “Is there anything to fear here?” Perplexed at why the enlightened master had fear, the student searched the guru’s clothes and discovered a carving in gold given to the guru from a disciple. The next day when the guru asked if there was anything to fear, the student said, “No, I threw fear away at the last river.” The student had thrown the gold piece in the water, symbolically removing the potential for fear. As this story demonstrates, when you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to fear.

Is there anything that you are afraid of? Fears can be large or small, personal or universal. Many people are afraid of personal failure, of being alone, and of not belonging. When we look at these fears more closely, it becomes clear that the underlying fear is of not feeling love, of not being worthy of love, and of not being good enough. Whatever your fears are, be aware that there may be deeper layers than you initially realize.

There are three recommended steps for approaching fear. The first is self-understanding. Through developing awareness of our fears, we can often recognize an inherent illusion. When we understand the fear, it loses its power. Steve’s surface fear was losing his job. As he explored this issue, he discovered his deeper fear was losing his family’s love. Empowered by his self-knowledge, the fear no longer gripped Steve.

Fears can actually be healthy and prevent potentially dangerous or harmful choices. The fear of crossing the street without looking, of pushing too far in a yoga pose, or of standing too close to the edge
of a cliff saves us from injury or greater harm. Fear doesn’t need to be demonized, because it can be a vehicle for transformation. Many people come to yoga through a great pain or sickness that prompted them to ask, “What am I supposed to be learning from this situation?”

The second step is personal effort. This may be through direct action, such as taking a scuba diving course in order to overcome a fear of deep waters. The effort may involve a shift in perception or talking to others about the fear. The “effort” can be made in a myriad of ways, but the point is that you are taking conscious steps to transform the fear.

The third step in approaching fear is self-realization. This is particularly important in regard to the greatest fear, the fear of death (The Yoga Sutras, 2:9). Some people are faced with a very real and imminent death, whether they are aging or experiencing a life-threatening illness. This fear might include the fear of pain, fear of losing contact with loved ones, or the fear of the unknown. Fearing death is part of our survival mechanism as human beings; it is wired into our genetic code. Overcoming this fear, and others, requires a deep understanding of our spiritual nature. Only when we have realized that we are neither body nor mind do we learn how to live free of fear.

Yoga poses offer the opportunity to examine fear and practice courage. Balance poses, as well as heart- and throat-opening poses, often bring up fear in students. The throat is the center of communication and the heart is the center of feeling—when challenged, we round to protect the throat or cross our arms to protect the heart. It is natural to feel vulnerable and afraid while exposing the heart and throat. Backward bending poses can have this effect, particularly Camel Pose and Bow Pose. All of these opening poses have transformative potential if they are used to cultivate courage in the face of fear. Cultivating such courage can take years. The courageous person knows fear intimately, but continues to function in the world. Unlike other, less primal emotions, it may be a long, long time before you completely resolve fear. Remember that success is in the practice, not the end result.

Anger (Krodha) and Kindness (Daya)

Gandhi’s anger against the British government provides an excellent example about anger and kindness. Though he was passive in his resistance, Gandhi’s strength of will was so strong that those who tried to hurt him stood no chance of doing so. Gandhi tells the story of a man who tried to strangle him: “I summoned up all the love within me and looked into his eyes.” The man crumbled to his knees and became one of Gandhi’s followers. As Gandhi’s life demonstrates, anger can be directed in positive ways and become fuel for truth, love, and kindness.

A fundamental question in yoga psychology is “Who am I?” When you are angry, ask yourself this question repeatedly until the anger changes to love. When you experience this blissful state of anger transformed into unchanging reality, you will have experiential proof of how powerful yoga psychology is in creating mental stability. Gandhi maintained his composure in tense situations by focusing on virtuous concepts that transformed his anger into a kind and peaceful righteousness.

When we forget the unchanging reality of who we are, egoism leads us into tumultuous emotional states like anger and possessiveness. If how we feel depends on external factors like whether someone was nice to us or how much traffic we encounter during the commute home from work, we will be in a continual state of change. If we live this way, life becomes one big drama after another.

Anger reveals a strong feeling of displeasure or antagonism. In situations where we feel angry, we need to ask ourselves, “Does this response stem from an attachment or an aversion?” “Does the anger speak to a need to change something?” Anger can be experienced without having to be expressed in harsh words. Similarly, repressed anger only makes the feeling explosive. Repression usually leads to unpredictable lashing out, self-destructive behaviors, or cold detachment. These different disguises for anger are not transformative or healing. If anger is not expressed in a healthy way, it will manifest in the body as eruptions in the skin, ulcers, or other fiery conditions.

At times, our anger may be like that force that makes the bulbs come up in the springtime. In other words, anger can be a positive force when it is understood and directed appropriately.

A helpful three-step process is to accept the anger, acknowledge and understand the feelings behind it, and then respond in a positive way. Once we understand the root of the anger, it is possible to practice the opposite. Gandhi expressed his feelings of anger about the occupation of India, but he acted from a place of power rather than victimhood. Gandhi’s anger manifested as firm love.

When you are afflicted with anger, notice where you feel it in your body and how it affects your breath. The old adage about taking ten breaths before speaking when angry is a good one. Simply breathing changes your emotional reaction. With a calm and full breath, you are more open to understanding the reason for the anger and you are more likely to react in a way that is in line with the higher Self, rather than the ego.

Anger usually creates discomfort in the body or breath. As a result, we can use discomfort as a cue to explore anger issues in yoga pose practice. The breath (air) is the element of the fourth chakra, which is also the energetic center for emotions in general. Practicing heart-opening poses when feeling anger may provide some useful insight. Perceiving with the heart instead of the head is a great way of connecting with the higher Self. Heart-opening poses like Downward Dog, Windmill, Cow Face, Lion, and Wheel encourage empowered responses to heated emotions.

Relaxation poses such as Corpse or Crocodile can aid in the release of anger. Twisting poses like Seated Twist offer a new perspective. To find the strength and courage to express anger, practice poses that stimulate the third chakra and activate a sense of personal power. Forward bending poses like Wheel or Forward Bend encourage ego-driven feelings of anger to surrender.

It can be an interesting exercise to relate the issue of anger to the seven chakras. If you notice a feeling of “being stuck” with anger in one of your chakras, you may want to focus on that chakra during yoga pose practice.

Root chakra: Am I lacking grounding or balance?

Are those feelings contributing to my anger?

Am I suppressing anger toward a specific person?

Sacral chakra: Do I have anger about my relationships to
co-workers or friends?

Am I frustrated with my creative endeavors?

Solar plexus chakra: Can my anger help me make empowered choices and changes?

Do I need to better manifest integrity and personal power in the world?

Heart chakra: How can love transform my anger?

Throat chakra: Can I express my anger in an enlightened,
empowered way?

How can I transform my anger into creativity?

Third eye chakra: Can I sublimate the energy of my anger into something positive?

Crown chakra: How can I remain continually aware of my divine self?

Am I focused on a larger perspective?

Am I living to my highest potential?

Sadness (Dukha) and Joy (Sukha)

Emotional transformation purifies the mind by eliminating toxic emotions. Mastering the senses and emotions leads to a pure state of equilibrium, peace, balance, poise, and brightness. This process of purification results in a joy or delight that is independent of outer circumstance. A pure state of being is what brings us to self-realization.

Sadness may express itself as grief, unhappiness, or depression. It is normal to feel sad when we lose something or someone. As with all emotions, there are lessons to be learned from feeling sad. In the death of a loved one, sadness teaches us about forgiveness, the nature of life and love, and helps us discover deeper aspects of ourselves. Recognizing the positive allows us to feel blessed by their presence in our life, however fleeting it might have been.

When sadness is repressed or ignored, any situation where strong feelings surface can also cause fear. In this state the immune system is compromised, as is the ability to regain emotional balance. If self-pity develops from an overanalyzed sad situation, a form of attachment to the sadness can happen. The sadness becomes familiar and comfortable. Helpful ways to cope with sadness include talking with a friend, journaling, walking in the woods, or meditating on the transitory nature of life. In some cases, the help of a professional counselor is required.

When you are feeling sad, focus on relaxing. Notice how relaxing affects the body, breath, and mind. Become a witness to yourself and to the emotion. Observing yourself without judgment is a high form of spiritual practice. Yoga poses offer an opportunity to accept sadness. The Wheel Pose reflects the cycles of life. Twisting poses and inversions offer a new perspective. If you are sad about a breakup, your heart probably needs attention, so practicing heart chakra poses will be helpful. If you have lost a loved one, focus on their positive, loving presence by doing Sun Salutations with a devotional attitude. Poses don’t affect everyone in the same way, so experiment with them as you work through your sadness. Child’s Pose, for example, can provoke feelings of pure joy for some and can be torturous for others. Take the time to notice which yoga poses give you joy and where you feel that joy in the body.

If you are practicing yoga poses or meditation on your own, be careful not to let your sadness multiply. Sadness has a way of turning itself inward and spiraling out of control into deep depression. When you are sad, seek out others for support and model your behavior after that of joyful people to develop a balanced state of mind.

Worry (Chinta) and Faith (Sraddha)

Worry is a draining, disempowering form of fear that is usually not based in reality. Worry is a habitual response that focuses on a negative or worst possible outcome. We worry that we are going to be late for work, even though this fear doesn’t actually help us get there faster. It is unfortunate that many people are stuck in a state of constant worry about things that they cannot change or control.

Worry often relates to an attachment of being in control of life events or other people. Without a connection to the true Self, the ego thinks that it is in charge. Worry also reflects a lack of faith that the universe will provide and support us. Without faith, worry consumes us at life’s every twist and turn that goes in a seemingly “wrong” direction. Faith helps us to realize that life may not always go the way we want, but it gives us exactly what we need in order to learn the appropriate lessons.

Ask yourself, “Do I have faith?” If the answer is yes, in what do you have faith? Now write down one to three worries you experience. Look at your worries and ask yourself the first question: Do you have faith? If you really have faith, then you would have no worries!

case study Megan’s Worry

Megan was a yoga student who was crippled by worry. She was very frail and worried about most everything and everyone in her life. During a yoga class, she was able to quiet her mind, allowing her to be worry-free for an entire hour. Inspired, Megan summoned up the courage to go on a yoga retreat, though she worried about what it would be like and felt quite uncomfortable about her decision. During the first class of the retreat, the instructor guided the group into Tree Pose and asked the students to close their eyes. Megan noticed that when she focused on balancing, she stopped worrying. If her mind wandered and started worrying again, she lost her balance. Megan found that by momentarily escaping her worrying, its power over her was greatly reduced. Megan decided to begin a daily practice of balancing with her eyes closed. In time, she was able to stand on one foot for five minutes without moving! She learned to transfer this ability to concentrate to all tasks in her life and transformed her worry into faith.

Despair (Vishada) and Hope (Aasha)

Despair is an emotion related to dejection, exhaustion, confusion, and a complete loss of hope. A classic example of this comes from the sacred Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, when Prince Arjuna expresses his despair about killing on the battlefield. The key principle of yoga philosophy is non-violence, which can make it difficult to understand why there is a battle in the Bhagavad Gita. In this situation, Arjuna had to honor his role as a leader on the battlefield. He may not have wanted to be in that position, but turning away from his obligations would have done more harm than fighting the battle.

Despair is often the result of not having things go our way. Efforts that we make are met with multiple obstacles. Doors seem to be shut in our face. Events around us seem cursed, we fail at our endeavors, and feel at a loss. Despair often occurs when we’re living ethically, working hard and trying to be healthy, yet things don’t seem to work in our favor. Life doesn’t seem fair. We feel as if we have no control.

Yoga offers a unique and highly effective strategy for cultivating hope in the face of despair. Central to finding hope is the concept of selflessness. This involves aspiring to the greatest good for all people rather than a specific good we think is best (there’s that ego again). Through selflessness, we realize greater success and peace. For example, if we are interviewing for a job we want, we can hope for “the best outcome for all” rather than a specific hope to “get the job.” We can hope for experiences that will further us along on our spiritual journey. If a good friend is sick in the hospital, we can hope for healing, rather than a specific outcome. This might require a new understanding of healing as a spiritual process of transformation rather than the elimination of symptoms, disease, or even death.

While many people believe the meaning of life is finding happiness, the true meaning of life is finding knowledge. What we think is going to make us happy does not always end up doing so. Happiness, as it is, is a fleeting state. We are reminded of the yogic ethic of non-attachment. If we are attached to a specific outcome, we are on the road to suffering. It is also likely that we are engaging in egoism and forgetting the truth of who we really are. Through knowledge we discover our own truth. This discovery is what brings meaning to life, whether our path be painful or joyous, or both.

Learning to move beyond feelings of despair is necessary as we encounter obstacles in the course of practicing yoga. Beginning yoga students may despair as they struggle to bring their mind to focus in meditation or experience stiffness and tension within a yoga pose. Longtime yoga practitioners may overcome these obstacles only to face other crises of the mind when they uncover deep-seated emotional pain. It is in these moments that despair or hopelessness takes form in thoughts like “I am never going to be able to do a forward bend right” or “My mind is never going to be quiet—what is wrong with me?” or “Am I ever going to be able to let go of my attachments?”

During these times it is important to focus on the goal of gaining self-knowledge, rather than perfection or happiness. The mind is usually most resistant when it is about to make a shift—in the darker moments the light is really near! Transformation is a bit like childbirth, there are labor pains that happen before something new and wonderful is born. Stay with despair. Accept it, acknowledge it, and hope for understanding. Strive for knowledge and awareness on the spiritual journey. In life, there is always something to learn. If we don’t learn it now, we will have to repeat the lesson to learn it later, so why not do so now?

Yoga poses help us to develop hope. Practice Palm Tree Pose and think about reaching your highest potential. Are you trying too hard? Can you soften into the journey by relaxing your shoulders? As you lower your arms and your feet sink into the ground, can you feel your connection to the energy of the earth? Can you allow yourself to feel supported? Practice Child’s Pose and ask your inner child if it needs love and care.

Forward bending poses offer the opportunity to practice surrendering to a larger reality, one of the observances discussed in Step One. Can you release your desire for a specific outcome? Can you let go of what you wished for or feel that you deserve in favor of faith that everything is as it should be?

Try practicing a beginner inversion or Shoulder Stand where you can turn despair on its head and focus on what you are grateful for. Experiment with other poses, like heart-opening poses (see heart chakra, Step Six) to get you out of your head, or twisting poses to help you see life from a different perspective.

Most importantly, observe your breath. Deeper breaths change the flow of prana in the body. As you simply breathe in and out, the muscles, glands, and organs are soothed by the flow of energy. The increase in oxygen and blood flow calms the mind. Deep breathing relaxes the nervous system and allows the frontal lobe of the brain to engage in higher thought processes like humanitarian and spiritual conceptualization, such as faith and hope.

Selfishness and Selflessness

The difference between the small individual self and the universal Self is the difference between suffering and bliss! As Govindan writes, “The ordinary person who has not yet begun to practice yoga is involved in desires which are activated by the three constituent forces of nature, with little or no control and only fleeting glimpses of happiness” (p. 18). The typical person goes from day to day driven by their self, by their ego, and by their illusion of separateness. They attempt to find happiness through the fulfillment of their desires and cravings.

It is this type of selfishness, with a small s, that causes suffering for all. It likens us to the characters in the movie The Matrix, who live their lives completely unaware that they are controlled by a vast computer system. When we relate to the individual self, we are slaves to our senses and cravings. We suffer because of our lack of awareness. Once we move beyond selfish desires, consciousness expands and we connect to a higher reality.

Welcome in the Self with a big S, also know as Selfishness, or selflessness. This is not selfishness in the traditional sense of the word; instead we are talking about the true Self. This is the Self that cares not for passing fancy, for changing states of desire or pleasure, but exists in continual peace and bliss. This Self is not attached to any particular outcome—it is content regardless of external factors.

Selfishness in this definition involves engaging in activities that get us closer to the true Self. We care for the true Self by nurturing the body, the “temple” that embodies the Self in this lifetime. Healthy eating habits, exercise, adequate rest, and a daily yoga practice encourage physical vitality, allowing the true Self to emerge. As we create and perpetuate this Self-care, we are mindful of what we need in order to function at our highest level. At any given point, this may mean taking personal time for reflection, volunteering to help your community, going on a long bike ride, or enjoying a movie. Casting judgment to the side, you are the only person who is capable of evaluating your needs. When you take care of them in a balanced, healthy manner, you’re aligned with the true Self as you honor the body. This isn’t selfish in the traditional sense, but Selfish in terms of pure consciousness.

Karma, literally meaning “action,” is central to this concept of Selfishness. Karma says that every action has a consequence or reaction. When we help others, we also help ourselves. In truth, our actions nourish the collective Self, of which we are all a part. In the words of karma, when we help another, we plant a seed from which future similar acts of kindness grow. When we help an old woman across the road, it doesn’t necessarily mean someone will help us in the same way or even that someone will help us at all. Instead, our actions spread kindness around the world, transforming reality and allowing humanity to grow closer to its true nature.

There will be many times in life when you will have to choose between your own needs and another person’s needs. There is no rule for this situation. It depends on the person and the circumstance. When in this position, you might ask yourself, “Why do I want to give to this person?” If you give to another person out of a place of guilt, obligation, or fear, then you are not giving from the Self. Instead, you are giving from your self. If you recycle, but do so with a feeling of righteousness and expectation of reward, then you are motivated by the self, not the Self. If you ignore another person’s needs because you want to get in line first, then you are operating from the self. If you say no to someone’s request because you need rest, then you are caring for the Self. It is crucial to understand where your motivations come from!

Transformation (Bhavana)

So far, we have approached emotional transformation from the perspective of conscious emotions including laziness, fear, anger, sadness, worry, despair, and selfishness. Emotional transformation (bhavana) is the practice of accepting, understanding, and shifting an emotion into a positive form. As you are unique in your experiences and feelings, your transformation will take its own distinct path. Use the guidelines in steps Two and Ten to explore your emotional struggles. Ask yourself what opposite emotion would help you to move forward in a more empowered way. Bring this into your yoga pose practice and daily life, and watch your own transformation toward healing and balance!

case study Mary’s Stored Memories

Unconscious emotions are usually stored in our body. Thinking back to Step Six on the chakras, remember the example of Mary and the tension she held in her legs. When Mary practiced a forward bend, she noticed that she had very little flexibility in her hips as she bent forward. She focused on breathing through the tension and accepted the feeling rather than running away or ignoring it. Many people would stop doing the pose because it was uncomfortable, but Mary knew the difference between discomfort and pain. Mary always stopped doing a pose that caused her pain, but she knew that she had something to learn by exploring poses that caused her discomfort.

As Mary breathed into the tension, her exhale helped her come more fully into the stretch. At the same time, she noticed feelings of frustration and anger. Not understanding where these emotions were coming from, she continued to accept them. Rather than fighting the emotions, she stayed with them and allowed them to inform her. The tension shifted, as did her understanding of it, when she realized the tension was actually originating in her hamstrings and not her hips. As she brought breath and awareness to her hamstrings, she reflected on her first chakra (her root, including her legs). Mary recognized that her move to a new home was causing her to hold on tight with her legs in order to feel grounded and safe.

Though this did not immediately change the muscular tension, Mary came to understand what was causing it. From this realization, she transformed her emotions by practicing poses that made her feel more grounded and comforted, as well as engaging in activities that fostered a sense of safety and belonging. Mary’s practice of yoga poses has become a key tool in emotional transformation.

Connecting to the Infinite

Emotional transformation is a vital aspect of the yoga journey. Yoga doesn’t seek to deny the emotions, but rather to be aware of them. Our goal is to achieve balance, which we find by being mindful of ourselves. As this chapter has demonstrated, there is a place for every emotional experience. Anger is not bad, nor is laziness. However, feeling and expressing emotions can be either beneficial or destructive, depending on our situation. Your individual needs are unique, so what may be good for you may not be appropriate for others. If your intention is to connect to your true Self, you will find solutions that point you in its direction.

Remember that the first step in emotional transformation is recognizing the need for it. Physical tension and pain can signal hidden emotions, so remain aware throughout your yoga pose practice. As you discover deep-seated patterns, you may notice them surfacing frequently. You’ll see your life in a new light and become empowered to transform emotional imbalances. Through awareness, understanding, and positive transformation, you can overcome challenges and find the light and love of the true Self.

Exercise

As an exercise to learn more about your own patterns, consider these questions:

1. What do you worry about?

2. If you probe deeper, what is the underlying fear?

3. Can you determine which klesa you are afflicted with?

4. Can you discover an opposite emotional response? As with any emotion, practice acceptance and listen for its message. Practice small acts of faith. Pray when you start to worry.

Practice faith during your yoga practice. The poses have been practiced by countless yogis for thousands of years, so let their ancient wisdom transform your life. Have faith in the process and reverence for those who have gone before you on the path. Practice yoga poses with a positive intention in your mind.

[contents]