Health Challenge Stage 3: Emotional Health
Health Challenge Stage 3: Emotional Health
Here is the third stage (July 19 – 25) of the July 2021 Health Challenge…
As part of this month’s Health Challenge (July 2021), here are some points of awareness for emotional health:
(A) Our mental tendencies (vrttis) – like anger, fear, jealousy, compassion, shyness, doubt, courage, worry etc – are intrinsically linked with our emotional health. So we should know a basic rule about these vrttis. The more readily we give in to them the more that desire grows and we succumb to them. The problem is that those tendencies, especially the negative ones, tend to linger from one event to the next until one can be wholly consumed by them. So the best remedy is to nip it in the bud, and not give in to that emotional outlet in the first place. The more we can keep those emotional fires in check and at bay, the more emotionally balanced we become – and the happier we shall be. Along these lines, be sure to read the point about “Taking the Opposite Stance in Battle” from last week’s entry.
(B) A second formula for emotional health is the old tenet, “Live in the present.” The past is behind us and the future is not in our hand, yet these two things (past and future) can be emotional razor blades. Some suffer from remorse about the past, about what could have been etc. And perhaps even more pervasive is worrying about the future. The future is unknown to us all and that can cause a lot of anxiety and worry. The solution is to live in the present and only look a few steps ahead into the future, akin to driving at night when you just see the immediate roadway in front of you. Trying to see beyond the scope of the headlights has no value. And same is the case with our relationship with the future.
(C) A regular yoga practice does wonders for one’s emotional health because it neatly addresses both of the above concerns. By exercising the glands and the glandular system, the vrttis (mental tendencies / emotions) are brought under control. And by engaging in a yoga practice, the mind is harnessed and forced to live in the present. For these two reasons and more, the practice of yoga is extremely beneficial for one’s emotional health.
For more info about this challenge:
- Read about Stage One – Physical Health
- Read about Stage Two – Mental Health
- Read about Stage Four – Spiritual Health
