John C. Kimbrough
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 Posted: 01/19/07 - 20:59 Post subject: Teaching, Learning and Practicing Yoga and Buddhism – |
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Teaching, Learning and Practicing Yoga and Buddhism –
How We Deal With Anxiety Through Their Practice
Anxiety creates a number of problems for those people who suffer from it either acutely or chronically.
It interferes with our ability to have good relationships with others and enjoy both the simple and routine, and the wonderful things in life.
It also makes us fearful that what we think, say and do will be challenged or ridiculed by others and leads us to states of being where we are more prone to be impatient and get angry easily.
One of the ways in which it is most detrimental to our well - being and development in life and as individuals is that it keeps us from seeing clearly and being balanced so we can learn, from both our mistakes, and from our previous experience, effort and endeavors.
In other words, if we suffer from anxiety, we will make the same mistakes again and again or not be able to grow or do those things that are required of us each day in the maintenance of our household tasks and duties and in the performance of our work.
In dealing with anxiety, we want to remember that many of those things that we run to because of it, such as drinking, drugs and sex may be contributing to our anxious thoughts and feelings.
These things, though they may give us some temporary relief or escape, or good and pleasurable feelings, do not help us get more balanced as human beings in how we perceive ourselves or others.
If we want to get more balanced, we need to try to bring some sort of healthy and balanced routine into our life.
We need to keep our feet grounded solidly on mother earth, not be twisting and shaking in the throes of bodily and mental ecstasy. These things will eventually lead us to an unbalanced and troubled state.
To verify such a claim, we only need to look at the famous and not so famous who through their addictions and indulgences have seen their life, career or existence destroyed or compromised in some manner.
Yoga and Buddhism help us alleviate the mental and habitual tendency to anxiety and habits that are a result of anxiety or may strengthen tendencies to it by giving us a foundation for living.
This foundation can be easily categorized into consisting of mental attitudes and actions, verbal attitudes and actions, physical attitudes and actions and behavioral attitudes and actions.
Looking at Yoga and Buddhism in such a manner may make it easier for some to comprehend what it is that they are trying to teach us.
All of these aspects of their teachings are important, though we may find that we are more attracted to or interested in one or more of them at different times in our practice.
Eventually though, we should be mindful about all of them equally and make them a set of guidelines and advice about what it is that we think, say and do each day.
Anxiety is rooted in confusion and being unbalanced and then living an unbalanced life in some manner because of this.
Yoga and Buddhism provide us with a set of tools that make us more balanced through their understanding, implementation and ongoing practice.
They also help us, through the process of becoming more balanced, to better understand those things that have caused us to experience anxiety acutely or chronically.
This process also allows us to become more insightful and mindful, and lets us use our experience as a resource to assist others in dealing with their anxious thoughts, feelings and actions.
©2007 John C. Kimbrough |
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