Anger is powerful, and it is important. It is a compass that points directly toward our values.
Your anger is like a little kid who’s finally had enough and is letting you know “this isn’t right!” Think of your anger as a teacher. If you listen to it, allow it to come up, then it will dissipate and … eventually … you won’t need it any more. At least not in that reactive way around that specific issue. So start listening for the next cue!
Monday : Set Intention
If you look at the things that make you mad — at the patterns that emerge — you can learn a lot about yourself and your values. The things that make us mad often point directly to the things we think are important. And isn’t this life all about learning more about the things we value? Once you see anger that way, maybe you’ll welcome it as a friend who’s just nudging you towards a more balanced, loving existence.
Tuesday : Slow Flow
Few sequences come up more frequently than Sun Salutation A (“Surya Namaskar A”). Vinyasa yoga teachers will breeze through “exhale: chaturanga; inhale: upward facing dog; exhale: downward facing dog”). This, essentially, is Sun A. We take for granted that folks in class will know and understand these “basic” shapes, but I’ve observed that even intermediate and advanced students don’t focus on alignment and breath in the way that the sequence demands. This will serve as a great reminder for those of us who’ve been practicing for many years to return to the basics, and it will introduce this most-common series to newer yogis.
Wednesday : Meditation
What makes you mad? How do you talk to yourself when you get angry? In today’s meditation, we take a few minutes to reflect on something that consistently gets us “riled up.” It doesn’t have to be the most passionate anger; just a behavior, situation or treatment that makes you mad. Imagine that feeling is a little kid: a sweet, innocent, loving, and ANGRY child who just wants to be HEARD! How would you comfort them? Sometimes all they need to hear is, “you’re right… that sucks… and I still love you.”
Over time, the anger starts to realize that it doesn’t have to shout as loud to get your attention. You’ll listen right away and take action to defend, love and care for that little child who’s being hurt.
Thursday : Mindful Hack
The next time your rushing is interrupted by being forced to wait, think of it as the Universe forcing you to put on the brakes! You’re not going anywhere, so instead of letting it make you crazy, treat it as the gift that it is: a few minutes (or more!) of quiet. A chance to remind yourself why you’re doing all that rushing around in the first place. And breathe.
Friday : Athletic Flow
A lot of asana practice is about “floating” through transitions and balancing in awkward shapes. I’m not a master of it, but I can tell you this: what it’s really all about? The core. And to fire up the core properly, you have to build it from the floor up. That means using the entire body (especially the legs and the breath) to do the work. This sequence includes a lot of planks and powerful knee drives, as well as some concluding time in boat and reverse table. This work will serve us well in the coming weeks as the sequences get tougher.
Saturday : Meditation
It’s easy to confuse “anger” with “losing your temper.” They’re obviously closely related, but oftentimes when we really fly off the handle, it’s a bigger insight into what a trigger might be. Triggers are often shaped when we’re quite young, and we don’t have the capacity or resources to handle mistreatment — especially if it comes at the hand of an adult. These seemingly-insignificant things can fester over years and, like a popcorn kernel stuck under the gum line, become infected and irritated and hyper-sensitive. There is hope! Once you recognize the source of that trauma — an inciting incident, as it were — it will begin to dissipate. Like a salve on that tender tooth, you might still get mad, but you’re less likely to completely fly off the handle.
Sunday : Reflection
It is said that in the time leading to his enlightenment, Siddhartha (soon-to-be Buddha) did battle with the dark spirit, Mara. He fought and resisted with all of his might, but when he finally stopped and invited her in for tea — got to know her and gave her the respect she was due — his transformation and enlightenment was complete. We have spent most of this week inviting Mara in: looking for the things that we battle every day, and making our peace with them. It’s not a one-and-done kind of pursuit, of course. It’s an ongoing, lifelong pursuit. But the mythos of this story promises that our enlightenment might be just around the corner.
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