Help?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

I have been practicing Baron Baptiste’s Vinyasa Power Yoga for three years now, and I’m actually currently undergoing training to get certified as a teacher. Yoga is virtually my life… or at least I wish it were. I love everything about yoga and meditation, and for hours after every practice I feel calm, centered and empowered.

But after a certain time, it wears off. Especially at work. I work in a very fast paced restaurant, and it seems like every time I go in there and things get too busy, or something emotionally affects me, I lose everything. I no longer feel empowered and centered, but instead turn into the emotional basketcase I used to be before I started practicing yoga. And, honestly, it gets overwhelmingly discouraging… like I’ll never be able to be calm and focused all of the time, like I try to obtain from my practice.

So pretty much I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions of things I might try to do that would help me keep a yogic mindset even in extremely stressful or potentially emotional situations…or if I haven’t been able to do it by now, then am I just hopeless? I mean, I even have the om symbol tattooed smack dab on my wrist, but that doesnt even seem to be enough of a reminder to breathe through everything.

Thank you so much for any help or advice you might be able to give me!

–Christina

#2

Hi Christina.

I’m familiar with the system in which you are practicing and therefore am also curious about your reference to meditation. I ask because it is not asana that allows one to maintain connection with the dialogue of the soul and it is that connection which aids the practitioner from being drawn into the outer world, samskara, reactivity, and ego.

Further, even when the students (you and I) do utilize meditation (a methodology that does not still the mind but requires a still mind and facilitates a hearing of the call of the heart) it is still challenging to not be drawn out of connecton to spirit as the tug of society is very strong and requires tremendous diligence to buffer.

I would suggest, since you’ve selected your practice style/system/teacher, that this should be posed to them so that they may give you sound guidance which will make sense to you, be effective for you, and be consistent with your training so as not to muddy the waters.

#3

Thanks! Ill definitely try running it by them. My instructor once told me to just meditate for fifteen minutes before I go to work or to see my family or anything else potentially stressful…and I supposee it’s something I’m just going to have to commit myself to doing again, even though Ive been having the hardest time with meditations lately

#4

Dear Christina,

I do face similiar problems many times!!..Sadhana/meditation is like charging up a spiritual battery. Once we charge up, we lose a lot of juice as we are exposed to the fast paced outside world…which is obviously stressful. Somehow we need to find ways & means to prevent our spiritual battery from draining.

What I do is I start to witness & introspect upon my behavior as soon as I feel my mind is straying. This requires some amount of will power, but it develops thru constant & regular spiritual practice. Once witnessing your thought becomes an habit, you would be able to reign in your mind much more quickly & effectively within a short time. The goal is stability of thoughts and mind even under stress.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Shahvir

#5

for this I would prescribe the following topics for analysis!

meditations on thought

The “Who am I?” process.

Your creating an alternate mental state by the performance of yogasana with all the deep breathing and stretching and relaxing. The body and usually the mind is affected positively by all this kriya. Your taking in large amounts of oxygen and therefore vital energy. This is a decidedly different state from working or watching telly. I think out in the world we want to use more our wisdom and less our bliss.

This is why the “meditations on thought”. Analytical meditations for wisdom. Where do thoughts arise. How do they arise? Can I disengage from them at will. Why would I want to disengage them? Are they under my control? How are they under my control? When I close my eyes can I see where thought originates? and on and on and on…

Samadhi with questions.

and this is also why The three times world famous “Who Am I?” process. Same analytical approach.

Combine some of this into your meditation sessions. Think about them through the day when they arise.

Turn them to mantras ‘Who’. “what is the nature of thought?”

You work on these questions / koans like a scientist trying to figure out a space riddle to stop a asteroid from destroying your home planet of Elondor.

#6

Build on your present moment awareness. Seated meditation will help you do that, but you don’t always need to be cross-legged on a cushion to practice awareness. It will be beneficial if you start creating more awareness in a non-stressful environment. Like when you’re eating or washing dishes or driving. Practice fully being present and conscious of what you are doing and what thoughts are coming and going as you carry on in your day. This creates psychic space and calms you by distancing you from the external environment. With a lot of practice, you will be able to maintain that space even in stressful environments, like in the restaurant. Start with simple tasks and build up to that with a lot of patience, because it’s a life-long practice.