Yoga Master Class - The Yoga of Negative Emotion

As a yogi, I am fascinated with the analysis of negative emotion, especially since many of us are living under conditions of chronic stress, anxiety, and the pressures of the corporate rat race, financial burdens and the demands of the relationships we are involved in.

My question is this, when is emotion negative? In fact, as a yogi, is it ever really negative when you accept that your life is a journey personal and spiritual growth? I realized one day during my meditation that followed a deep and long yoga practice, that the emotion of fear can be very beneficial to us in terms of our growth. It acts as a signpost. I wish more yogi's would be less fearful of exploring the beauty of negative emotions during our yoga classes, for if everything were blissful, we would never be pushed toward our expansion.

Identifying feelings of fear shows evidence of where our limitations lie, and if we did not know where our limitations, the obstacles to our growth were, then how could we work toward overcoming them? With that realization in mind, the feeling of fear became something positive to me, it was no longer something that I avoided. I was not afraid of feeling my fear anymore, in fact I started to welcome it as it was the first step toward the expansion of consciousness within me.

The beauty of true yoga, is that it teaches us to embrace all our emotions. Yoga does not deny, suppress or ignore them. The goal of the yogi is to separate himself mentally from what he is feeling, so that he can become a silent witness to what is happening within himself.

Practicing yoga with self-awareness, helps you to identify your feelings, the source of why you are feeling them, and then gently work to understand and release it first through breath and asana on the mat. Then through conscious and intentional transformation of thought patterns and actions off the mat, you can go out into the world, the real growth and healing begins.

The same is so when it comes to understanding our thought patterns. Our mind is a separate entity from emotion. They are not one, however thought influences emotion, and vice versa, and so often appear to be as one to the person experiencing them.

Being able to separate thoughts from feelings by watching your thoughts as a silent witness, means that you can actively learn to disengage from what is happening in your mind, and work toward not letting your thoughts affect you emotionally. This happens by not investing any analysis, or investing any emotional feeling into what you are thinking.

Sounds easy right? Well, not so much as it takes practice, but when we learn to reign in the influence of our thoughts and feelings we can really harness our inner power.

Considering all of the above, when then is negative emotion negative? Let's ask the question first, what is emotion? I have come to understand not only from my study of the mind through yoga and metaphysical science, but from constant deep self-inquiry that our emotions are a very sophisticated guidance system, of which has been built in as part of our non-physical selves, otherwise known as our Spirit.

I wrote a yoga and mindfulness book for kids two years ago about emotional intelligence, and my first line in that book was 'Emotion is the language of the Spirit'. So if emotion is the language of the spirit, then when we are feeling good, it must mean that we are connected with our inner Spirit, therefore right on track in aligning with our goals and desires in life.

Negative emotion is just as useful an indicator, as I have come to learn that negative emotion is an indication of where we may not be on track, and that we are disconnected from feeling the true essence and joy that comes from being guided by, and aligned with your inner Spirit.

Like fear, all other negative emotion is something that I have come to welcome in my life. When I know what doesn't feel right, I am pointed toward understanding things that are not aligned with what I really want, and my true sense of purpose. Negative emotion in any situation makes me ask myself "If I do not want to feel this, then what do I really want to feel? What do I really want?"

If I did not have negative emotions pointing me in the direction toward realizing my true desires in life, then I would be stagnant, stale, and complacent in my growth. We humans in general are very much creatures of habit, and tend to become very comfortable very fast, unless we get a little, or large nudge to push us forward.

Recently I have been analyzing negative emotion a great deal because I have experienced quite a lot of it lately in a certain situation in my life. At first the emotions of being annoyed, frustrated, bored, and sometimes angry, made me feel stagnant and resistant. I was basking in a state of denial and blame, yet when I asked myself "what is this emotion trying to tell me?"

I realized that my feelings were pointing me toward trying something new. They were evidence that it was time for a change of direction. From there, I transformed the energy of my negative emotions into aligned action, and have since propelled swiftly toward realizing goals that fill me with a sense of purpose, fulfillment and authenticity in my life.

I am grateful for experiencing those difficult emotions, Like many others people, I was getting pretty comfortable, pretty quickly in my situation. I was settling, even though it was painful and not in alignment with my true heart’s desire, and what I wanted out of my life.

With that in mind, it poses the answer to my initial question, when is negative emotion negative?

• It is negative when you feel it and do nothing about it.

• It is negative when feel it and continue to let it hurt and drain you of energy, passion and motivation.

• It is negative when you feel it hard, yet continue to ignore and suppress it.

• It is negative when you feel that you are wrong for having those feelings.

• It is negative when you believe that just because you always have, you should keep tolerating the conditions that are making you feel the way you do.

• It is negative when you ignore your feelings because someone else is asking you to positive, ignoring what it is that makes you feel negative.

I truly believe that the misguided belief of most of our society, is that we believe that negative emotion like anger, or unhappiness are signs of weakness and failure. If we were to reconsider the perspective from which we view negative emotion from, it could serve us as a huge opportunity for growth. From this perspective we might be able to then give ourselves and others we influence around us, a chance to change and grow dramatically. Approaching negative emotion as a constructive opportunity to explore options for development and change creates possibilities that were once obscured.

Negative emotion becomes negative when we are unable to see if for what it really is, an opportunity for change, and when we ignore suppress and deny it, and continue to feel painful emotions in the process.

The next time you feel an upsurge of negative emotion, instead of feeling guilty about it go within. Instead of thinking you are weak, wrong, or like a failure for feeling that way, ask yourself "What is this emotion trying to tell me?"

Meditate, reflect, journal, go for a quiet walk and listen in with an open mind. Soon you will begin to understand what is going on, and perhaps an inspiration toward a solution, and a new path will reveal itself to you.

A quiet mind will allow your intuition to emerge. This is the voice of your soul speaking to you. Listen to it, it will guide you. You cannot go wrong. I know we were not raised, trained or taught that listening to intuitive guidance was the way forward, but ask yourself how far has listening to your fear got you? And how are you feeling as a result of that? Your own answer will reveal your truth if you are truly honest with yourself.

A fresh sense of perspective and understanding of your true desires, will lead the guide you on gentle steps toward a new pathway of growth for you. Regardless of how big or small that new venture is, it might be something as small as a change in your way of thinking, to something as big and exciting as a whole new career change! Who knows? Eventually though YOU will know, and you will thank your negative emotion for it, because it guided you there when you let it. Never again believe that negative emotion is negative, you will always know that it is your faithful friend!

Perspective is everything, and with this new understanding in mind, you will always let your feelings as guide you toward more and more of what makes you feel good. Your life is yours, and you have the power to create the life you truly desire. Understanding emotional guidance is the first step of toward mastery.

Until next time......

Be realistic, daydream often.

Ashleigh XO