When was the last time that you had a day when everything seems to not work and where the speed of things is a thousand miles per hour? I had one of those today and this is why this post offers simple ways of regaining tranquility among the caos.  

The highlight was the phone call from the babysitter telling me that she was sick. I had to teach an evening class in an hour. So picture me: at the phone, I freeze. There is a microsecond in which I react and have the following thought "I can't count on anybody". If I had given power to this thought and had followed this way of seeing the situation, not very kind words would have come out of my mouth and the poor sick girl would have felt horrible.

But almost instantly, a word crossed my mind, shantaya, which means "always full of peace". It talks about the tranquility of the Self that is always present, independent from outer circumstances. Thanks to this, I could breath, support the babysitter in a relaxed way, and find a creative solution to my little mundane problem.  

The example above is trivial, but it has the value of being a real situation that all can relate to. Because of our lifestyle, little issues like this can start a whole chain of chemical and emotional reactions in our mind-body system that raise considerably the levels of stress. It is when we react from a negative, low vibrational state of being. On the contrary, if we are aware, we can stop this process (even when it seems uncontrollable) by using the tools of yoga. 

So here we go, three easy ways to cultivate peace in the moments of chaos:

1. observe yourself: practice being the witness here and now. It will give you a broader vision of any given situation. Then you can stop yourself before saying or doing something that might hurt others

2. measure your energy levels and listen to your body: if you see that you are low on energy, a few minutes of conscious breathing can do wonders. This slow breathing can also oxygenate and relax you deeply

3. meditate daily: it will teach you how to stay in a state of calm that you can take with you anywhere. Is like going to the peace and happiness gym. In the beginning, you have to be disciplined in recognizing that this is your true Self, but with practice it becomes automatic, and you can feel surrounded by shantaya, inside and outside, at any given moment

Yoginis also have stressful days, the difference is that we know what to do. We know that we can stop, detach from the situation and look at ourselves to see at what level we are functioning. Then it is possible to choose the most enlightened option, harmonious to the peace that is always within. The good news is that everyone can do this, with a little bit of yoga practice.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

(a good way to take action: follow the blog or share it. Thanks!)

Compartir