ANGER CAUSES STRESS

By recognizing that we are responsible for our own anger and the stress resulting due to it, we can decide to let it go. This can be done when we are inwardly calm, says Brahma Kumaris

One of the key causes of stress is anger which gets built up inside us in our day-today interactions with certain individuals and from real life situations. The inculcation of the innate virtues of the soul — compassion, forgiveness and tolerance — not only in our words and actions but also at the level of our thoughts, helps us relax.

Breathing exercise for stress management

Sit comfortably upright in your chair. Make sure you are in a position to breathe easily
Allow your breathing to slow down… gently out… and in… with your own natural rhythm
Think of a situation when you were angry with another person and follow these words. Pause for 1 complete breath after each step
As I breathe out I release my anger… as I breathe in I fill myself with compassion…
As I breathe out I let go of resentment… as I breathe in I fill myself with tolerance…
As I breathe out I release feelings of revenge… as I breathe in I gain understanding…
As I breathe out I let go of all worries… as I breathe in I experience peace…
See the other person and send good wishes and feelings of compassion to him/her… to the situation… to all involved (pause for 10 seconds)
Breathe easily. Be calm… at peace… Experience the qualities of forgiveness and tolerance

Benefits

The key to dealing with anger is that we acknowledge that it is our anger and not caused by someone else. When we are angry we blame something or someone. Yet we are the ones experiencing anger; we have the choice to change how we feel and respond. By recognizing that we are responsible for our own anger and the stress resulting due to it, we can decide to let it go. This can be done when we are inwardly calm and reflect on the anger. The above breathing practice helps us in this process.



http://www.bkwsu.org/

WISE WORDS II

About Anger

Negative emotions like lust, pride, attachment, anger, ego, greed, and jealousy are distortions of love. These distortions manifest in animals, but they have no way to go behind them, as they are bound by Nature. Endowed with the power of discrimination, human beings can move from these distortions to a state of pure love. Every sincere seeker wants to get rid of anger and reach state pf perfection.

You may remind yourself hundred times that you shouldn’t’ t not get angry, but if you feel the anger, you are unable to control it. It comes like a thunderstorm. Emotions are much more powerful than our thoughts and the promises you make. Anger is distortion of our true nature. It is part of his creation, but we still call it a distortion because it doesn’t allow the Self to shine forth fully. And this is what a sin is. Anger is a sin, because if you are angry, you loose your centeredness; you loose the sight of the Self.
Anger is a sign of weakness. A strong man doesn’t get angry easily. When you focus on other’s mistakes you are bound to get angry easily.
The cause of anger is the lack of total knowledge of what is happening inside that person. Showing anger itself is not wrong, but being unaware of your anger hurts you. There is a place for showing anger, but if you get angry yourself you are shaken completely. Are you ever happy with the decisions you have made or the words you have spoken when you are angry? No because you loose your total awareness. If you are aware and you are acting angry, that is fine. In fact anger is an instrument. It is useful if you are able to control it. It can work wonders when you know how to use it.
Spiritual practices helps you maintain your centeredness. This is where a little knowledge about ourselves, about our mind, our consciousness and the root of distorting our nature will help. It is when you are exhausted and stressed that you lose your nature and get angry. Breathing techniques and meditation are effective in calming the mind.
Meditation is letting go of anger of the past and the events of the past. It’s accepting that moment and living every moment totally with depth. Often anger comes you don’t accept the present moment. You look for perfection; that is why you are angry at imperfections. Even when someone commits a mistake know that he is not the culprit the stress inside is causing him to make the mistake. Just this understanding and a few days of continuous practice of meditation can change the quality of your life.
Usually you give your anger freely and your smile rarely as though a smile is expensive. To the ignorant, anger is cheap and a smile is costly. To those of knowledge, a smile is free- like sunshine and water- and anger is expensive. Make your smile cheaper and your anger expensive.

Discourse of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Oct 5 in Sathya Sai International Centre, Delhi