I wanted to add one more thing to the “Weaknesses” posts 1 and 2 on emotions. The Kripalu tradition teaches a useful centering process that can be used anytime you feel off-kilter.  

Stephen Cope talks about it in Yoga and the Quest for the True Self and how he used it when a close friend of his died. That was the first time I really got it.  But the key is to practice with baby emotions or try it out on the mat with yoga poses that you find challenging. 

It’s useful to get familiar with it before a tsunami of emotion hits so you know where your gotchas are.  Even if you’re not a “5 step program” kind of person, read through the list to see where you usually get stuck so you can remind yourself to focus on it next time you need it.

It goes like this:

1. Breath. As we know from any period of stress, when emotions run high we stop breathing, or take quick short breaths high in the chest. The first thing to do is get your breath deep into your belly, breath deep and short circuit the stress response. This helps you feel more grounded and centered.  And you can handle anything if you feel like your feet are firmly planted in the earth.

2. Relax. Physically relaxing is key.  Resisting brings stress into our bodies.  Stress makes us feel freaked out.  But remember they’re just emotions.  They can’t hurt you.  Repeat after me - this too shall pass.

3. Feel.  Once you’ve set the stage in 1 & 2, then actively feel the emotion.  Give it its time on stage.  Name it.  Notice where it’s located in your body.  Name how it feels.  Take in all the sensations, the taste and the texture of it.  Keep breathing and keep relaxing.

4. Watch. This is where your “Witness” or “Observer” self comes in.  You’re not choosing for or against anything.  You’re not trying to change anything. Just experience what is. Simply observe.

5. Allow. Let it be, whatever it is.  Know that life doesn’t send you anything you can’t handle.  You don’t need to be able to understand it, justify it or explain it.  Just let it be. Let it happen and let it run it’s course.

The key to all this is that the uncomfortable parts, the uncharted territory is where the juice is in our lives.  That’s where we uncover the good stuff that we can learn from.  That’s how we short-curcuit our useless patterns, the unconscious bits that don’t serve us in our lives and relationships. And it takes a lot of trust.  But you can trust that it’ll change you.