"'Vitarka badhane pratipaksha bhavanam': When troublesome thoughts (vitarka) afflict (badhane) you, cultivate (bhavanam) opposite thoughts (pratipaksha), i.e., change your perspective."
~Yoga Sutra 2.33-34
This is what Vasistha taught Rama to do: To shift his perspective away from suffering and limitation to the infinite bliss of the present moment.
And because scriptures won't help unless we apply them in our practical world, a practical yoga-based tip to do this would be: practice inversions. Backward bends and twists also help, to a certain extent, in facilitating a shift in perspective because of the change in what we can literally see while in a back bend or a twist. But nothing makes our mind and body go topsy turvy like an inversion.
An inversion is, essentially, any pose where the heart is positioned above or at least at the same level as the head. It doesn't matter whether it is an active inversion such as a Headstand, Handstand, Shoulder stand, Down Dog, or a passive one such as inverted action pose or simply legs against the wall. Our body experiences a change in gravitational pull; blood flow is reversed, the heart rate is reduced the heart has to do less work, and the lymphatic system too gets more active (which is needed to drain toxins and improve immunity). Relieving mild symptoms of anxiety and depression is another great benefit. Not to mention reliving our forgotten childhood and a new fun way to connect with kiddos and loved ones!
When the brain is sane, things start to look positive. That in turn, results in a change in perspective.
What's the harm in trying anyway? There's nothing to lose :)
~Yoga Sutra 2.33-34
This is what Vasistha taught Rama to do: To shift his perspective away from suffering and limitation to the infinite bliss of the present moment.
And because scriptures won't help unless we apply them in our practical world, a practical yoga-based tip to do this would be: practice inversions. Backward bends and twists also help, to a certain extent, in facilitating a shift in perspective because of the change in what we can literally see while in a back bend or a twist. But nothing makes our mind and body go topsy turvy like an inversion.
An inversion is, essentially, any pose where the heart is positioned above or at least at the same level as the head. It doesn't matter whether it is an active inversion such as a Headstand, Handstand, Shoulder stand, Down Dog, or a passive one such as inverted action pose or simply legs against the wall. Our body experiences a change in gravitational pull; blood flow is reversed, the heart rate is reduced the heart has to do less work, and the lymphatic system too gets more active (which is needed to drain toxins and improve immunity). Relieving mild symptoms of anxiety and depression is another great benefit. Not to mention reliving our forgotten childhood and a new fun way to connect with kiddos and loved ones!
When the brain is sane, things start to look positive. That in turn, results in a change in perspective.
What's the harm in trying anyway? There's nothing to lose :)
(PC: Internet.)
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