Certainty in life is in short supply nowadays. This can cause emotional upheaval, stress, anxiety or depression.
How can we deal with these issues?
Do your duties to your utmost best because that’s why we are born on earth as humans, as the pinnacle of creation. The pathway for your life is already charted out. All you have to do is engage in your duties at different stages of your life – student, householder, retiree. Travel the ocean of life using your body as the boat, mind as the oars, discrimination as the rudder facing the swells of ups and downs as they come. The wind of grace is always blowing to take you across the ocean. Your effort is needed to put up the sail. If you don’t engage in activity (putting up your sail), you will not progress in life. Whatever the challenges are, you can handle and deal with them, sometimes by yourself, sometimes with the help of others. When you see no way out of some challenges submit these to the universal energy or consciousness and be guided by it
When you are by yourself, avoid thinking of the past or pining for the past, however pleasant it has been. Thinking of the past cannot bring it back. Past is past therefore let go, forgive, forget.
Even if you dwell on pleasant incidents from the past, it will create happy feelings for a short while and when you return to the present, the happy feeling will turn to a shade of sadness or even depression.
Do not spend time worrying about the future of yourself, your family, your community or the world. Thinking of the future will cause anxiety. Thinking of the future, dwelling on “what if?” scenarios will only cause unwanted stress. Train your mind to focus on the task at hand. This is what Mindfulness (called one-pointed Concentration or Dharana in Yoga practice) is all about.
Rather than being engaged in worrying about the future, plan your future goals, and act on the immediate steps one by one. What you do now will determine your future. Having done what you must do, learn to accept whatever the outcome that you received. It may not be what you expected, but remind yourself that this too is for your good. You will realise this later on in life (sometimes in a few weeks, a few months, or a few years, sometimes after decades on hindsight).
While being engaged in tasks do not jump ahead and start worrying about how you will finish a course or a stream of activities.Whenever you feel daunted or overwhelmed, engage in deep abdominal breathing( for 5 to 10 minutes) and do some Yoga Dharana practices ( one-pointed concentration) or meditation( for 10 to 20 minutes a day).
Studies have shown that most people spend 90% of their waking time thinking of the past or the future and not the present in hand.!!!!. This is a major cause of stress, anxiety, depression, and low motivation.
How can you apply it in daily life?
Be it studies, work & career, earning wealth, running a business, relationship with a partner, married life, children, friends & relatives, community work, learning a new skill, health issues, or even dealing with the death of a dear person in your life focus of what you have to deal with now, plan what you wish to do and achieve, note down all your challenges ahead and address them one step at a time. Do not jump ahead and dwell too much on the end result or the several steps towards it and feel daunted. When you start your journey one step at a time, accept whatever outcome that you obtained, it will always be for the good as long as you have been trying sincerely.
IN SUMMARY
DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST – IT MAY CREATE SHORT-TERM HAPPINESS (WHICH WILL MORPH INTO A SENSE OF LOSS), HATRED, SADNESS, DEPRESSION. REMEMBER YOU CAN’T BRING BACK THE PAST, IT’S A CLOSED CHAPTER IN THE BOOK OF YOUR LIFE
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE – IT WILL CAUSE ANXIETY. YOU CAN’T CONTROL THE FUTURE; IT IS DETERMINED BY WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AT PRESENT OR NOT DONE AT PRESENT.
LIVE IN THE PRESENT – THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS TO DO YOUR DUTY AND ACTIONS IN THE PRESENT, THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT WILL DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE. TRAIN YOUR MIND TO BE IN THE PRESENT TO AVOID STRESS, ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION.
SOME RULES TO LIVE BY – FORGIVE ALL THOSE WHO HURT YOU; SEEK FORGIVENESS IF WE HAVE HURT SOMEONE BY THOUGHT WORD OR DEED; BECOME AWARE OF YOUR LIFESTYLE AND IT’S ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT (your food, travel, shopping, waste generation, leisure, business). Do not hesitate to reach out for help, we are all connected, and therefore feel free to make connections. Life is a game, we need to know how to play it. Learn from the past, plan for the future but do not dwell on or yearn for the past or worry about the future.
ENGAGE IN YOGA PRACTICES TO CALM THE MIND AND BODY– Deep abdominal breathing, Prana Yama (energy control through breath control), Dharana or one-pointed concentration practices, and Meditation
You are never too old to start Yoga practices. So why not commence your Yoga journey with Sanatana Yoga Academy. If you want to discuss more on Beginners Yoga, Seniors Yoga or Advanced Yoga Practices visit us on www.sanatanayoga.com.au or email Narendra at sanatanayogaacademy@gmail.com
