What to Do When You're Stressed or Angry (or Both)

by Nina

On Peralta Avenue by Nina Zolotow

I have been kind of stressed out lately. Not sleeping well and that kind of stuff. That’s pretty normal for me when I’m worrying about things—personal stuff, family, stuff, the recent tragedy in Orlando, and don’t even get me started on politics. But I’ve also been angry, which is quite unusual for me, and, wow, that’s a really unpleasant feeling, I have to say. Of course, I’ve been doing my go-to 20-minute Legs Up the Wall pose at the end of every practice to try to manage my stress levels. Then on Wednesday I decided I needed more serious treatment, so I took my own advice and did a full-length supported inversion practice, just like the one I wrote about in All About Supported Inversions. And you know what? It was amazing. There was a gradually building up of the effects of the poses so that by the time I got the ending Legs Up the Wall pose, I felt completely different than after just doing that pose solo.

The post All About Supported Inversions that I did on that practice (and those poses) was some time ago, so I just wanted to take a moment to recommend it to you in case you missed it (or forgot about it). So if you're feeling stressed or angry or both, give the practice (or part of it) a try.

But keep in mind, the purpose of using your yoga practice to find equanimity during difficult times isn’t just to make yourself feel better so you can ignore the bad feelings or avoiding taking unpleasant actions. The purpose of equanimity for us householders is to bring yourself to a point where you can think more clearly and not be so reactive. Then you have the opportunity to act in line with your values and ethics. 

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