Simple Yogic Concepts to Relieve Stress NOW

There are 5 teachings that Yogi Bhajan, one of the main teachers who brought Kundalini Yoga to the western world taught that he said would be especially helpful in the times that we are living in right now. They are known as the 5 Sutras of the Aquarian Age. A sutra literally translates to "knot"which refers to it being a complex spiritual concept that can be memorized and contemplated to expound upon it's deeper meaning. It can also be further explained by a spiritual teacher. The 5 Sutras are:

1. Recognize that the other person is you.

See yourself in whoever is looking at you. What are the things that you don't like about that person?

Do you feel prideful about yourself because you are better than them in certain ways? Look at that.

What are the things that you admire about them? Those qualities are within you too.

"The more we identify with our ego, the more judgmental we will be toward others and the more we will project our own personality traits onto others."

This is true. The more unwilling you are to see your own flaws, the more you will see them in others. This will give you a false sense of pride, and you could live your whole life like this if you chose. It takes courage to be HONEST WITH YOURSELF about your personal challenges and areas that may need work. The more you are able to do this, the more compassion you are able to cultivate for others. Easier said then done believe me I know, but necessary nonetheless.

2. When the time is on, start and the pressure will be off.

When you are so stressed out about something that you can hardly function and maybe the task seems so daunting you don't even know where to start...just do it. Find a way to start. Somehow. Break it down into little steps. Stress can seem to overwhelm us into a paralysis of inaction and that will just be a waste of your time. Once you start working...you will start to feel better.

Also, if you want something but the path to get there is unclear...just start moving forward. Just do it. The answers will come once you start moving.

The only constant in the universe is change. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in stress and anxiety. Accept the present moment and where you are at and proceed.

3. Vibrate the cosmos, the cosmos shall clear the path.

When you are so confused, stressed and unclear of how to proceed...meditate. Take time to yourself to connect to your soul however you do that best. A walk in the woods, a meditation pillow and 20 minutes of silence and your phone on airplane mode, a yoga class, a massage, etc.

Personally, I practice mediations and yoga from the Kundalini Yoga tradition and that helps me to feel connected to my soul and a place of shunia (thoughtlessness/ neutrality) from which I can make better-informed decisions.

The universe is all energy, vibrating. Change your vibration - change your reality.

4. There is a way through every block.

Nothing is impossible. Anything is possible. The way that humans life nowadays is very different than we have ever lived in the past. Things are moving and changing at an ever increasing pace. Things that used to seem impossible in the past are so possible now. Keep an open mind to possibilities to situations that you may have decided were unable to be resolved. They may be resolved in ways that you could have never imagined. Stay positive and stay open. Remain grounded within yourself. Stable within yourself, but still open to possibilities and potentials.

5. Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times.

There is a LOT of craziness going on in the world right now. Undercover wars, manipulations on a global scale...I'm not even going to try to go on and encapsulate it all with words...you know what I'm talking about. Our world seems to be going insane. A lot of people are in pain. A lot of people are in pain just from trying to exist in their daily life not to mention needing to fight daily for basic needs like some people have to. Stress and the obligations of a western life can weight so heavily people are losing their minds.

Why do you think drinking or smoking weed (socially acceptable numbing of the mind) is so widely supported in our culture? It allows us to forget our life for a time because the PURE EXPERIENCE OF EXISTING is so painful for so many people. (I'm not saying that everyone who drinks/smokes is in pain and trying to avoid life. I know some people are in a healthy place within themselves and consciously choose to let go for a little while every once in a while. Everything in moderation. I certainly drink sometimes. I have noticed within myself and observed in others that there have been times in the past where I have used it as crutch not to feel. I'm not saying that I may not do that again. It's just something to be AWARE of. It can be a slippery slope. Awareness and compassion help to not become dependent on a substance to merely exist in the world.)

Our challenge as humans being alive today with all of this craziness going on is to stay open and stay FEELING.

Thing is, feeling hurts...a lot. There are so many ways that we try to NOT feel. One of the main ones is identifying more with our ego and intellect rather than our heart. If we can justify the situation, then we can mentally feel better about it. The pain is still there, within us but we don't have to feel it. Opening your heart to allow the uncomfortable feeling to exist...of disappointment, heartache, loss is hard but also allows them to flow through you. Time really does heal all wounds. I know thats not what you want to hear. It's because it takes work and a lot of people are in avoidance of the work on themselves it takes to remain open-hearted. I'm still learning how to do this. I'm not saying I'm perfect by any means. I certainly avoid feelings, but I have learned that it does not make them go away and I don't feel good about myself when I avoid them. Compassion helps me to understand myself more. I'm not perfect.

Pursuing a career in acting has really helped me be able to put this into practice more. I thought I was pretty good...but man there is actually always more to learn about being able to live from a more compassionate place...being able to allow yourself to feel more. I believe along with this, AWARENESS is also necessary. You need to first identify what you are feeling

*******************************

My hope for this post is that these sutras can be easily remembered by you and that you can contemplate what they could mean for you and how they could assist you to live a more fulfilling and happy and wholesome life. You may not agree with something I have said and that is OK. No need to agree, just continue finding your own truth. I just believe these are important teachings that could help many people who may be struggling right now. This may not be you, but if you know of someone who could benefit from being exposed to these please share this with them.

I got some inspiration for this post from this: https://www.3ho.org/five-sutras-aquarian-age-commentary-catalyst-yogi

#trust #selflove #meditation #personalevolution #howtoliveyourtruth