Yoga in the heart of the city

The Emotions of Yoga

By Natalie Stettler (YA 500 Teacher Training Course Case Study 2010)

 

A Study of Yoga & Meditation on the Emotional Body

Humanity as a whole, every living being, has emotions - biological reactions to life circumstances
that arise. Emotions are what give us the foundation to relate to one another, what we have in
common at a very basic, genetic level. Emotions are why certain movies, pieces of art, architectural
designs, natural landscapes, relationships, or life events can evoke tears of happiness or sadness,
feelings of elation or anger, a feeling of belonging and community or one of utter loneliness. Our
emotions are what allow us to gauge the effect and influence things and people have on us, and
what can create the walls around our heart, protecting it from harm, and sometimes also shielding it
from love.

According to the Ecologist (January 2006), scientists are developing new pills to cure habits such as
smoking, compulsive shopping, overeating and alcoholism. Ironically, these habits are often created
by an emotional void in the first place. We smoke and drink because it makes us feel like we belong,
we shop because the dopamine released into our brain makes us feel better, and we often over eat
for the same reason. Frequently such habits are formed due to repressed emotions, an inability to
adequately and effectively communicate about our emotions, as well as a society where getting
ahead means showing no weakness and thereby no emotion. In such an environment, it is not
surprising that an ever increasing number of people are seeking respite from their surroundings, a
way to still their mind and escape the pressures of their own repressed emotions (White, 2006).

The key to peace of mind lies not in your circumstances but in how you respond to them. As yoga
wisdom points out, suffering is wanting what you don't have, while happiness is enjoying what you
do have. This concept doesn't mean that you give up your values and your dreams, simply that you
balance them with the ability to accept things how they are.

Meditating gives us the opportunity to cultivate acceptance by teaching us to reserve judgment and
to open to each experience without trying to change or get rid of it. The way in which meditation
does this is by simply allowing us to sit with our thoughts, observe them objectively without passing
judgment on them and to be with their reality. It teaches us to separate ourselves from our mind,
and to recognize the workings of the mind as independent from who we are.

Emotions are a phenomenon that occur on three levels in the body. Physiologically we feel a fight or
flight response to our emotions caused by hormones, for example a shot of adrenaline as we get
angry, or endorphins as we feel happy and loving. These hormones are released by the brain, which
is the muscle that connects the body to the mind. Cognitively we react to our emotions, for example
sadness can lead to depression and an inactivity of the mind, or fear can lead to anxiety and
hyperactivity of the mind, where we see and hear things that aren't actually there. Behaviorally we then
choose to act on the emotion, or not. This can include for example punching in anger, crying in
sadness or hugging in joy.

We have different ways of dealing with our emotions. We can suppress them and put them into our
deepest holding places in our body. If this is something that we do, we develop triggers which when
released, will create an emotional (behavioral and cognitive) reaction that might have nothing to do
with the person or situation concerned. For example young boys that grow up in a family where it is
not ok to show emotions such as fear or sadness, will often respond in anger, which becomes the
only emotion available to them. This emotion then plays a role in their reaction to most of life's
challenging situations, even though the relevant emotion might be sadness, fear or even love. It is
therefore very important for children to grow up with a repertoire of emotions to choose from, in
order to be able to express the particular emotion they are feeling. As soon as it becomes
suppressed there is difficulty in dealing with situations (expert interview May 2010, Anna Friis,
Masters Candidate Psychology, Auckland University).

Another reaction that we often have to our emotions is that "there is nothing wrong with me". This
occurs when, through our biological make up, we become conditioned to believe that it is crucial to
be strong, and to put up a defense mechanism in order to survive. We then search for the fault in
others and point fingers, blame circumstances and withdraw personal responsibility. It is also an
adaptive trait to inhibit emotions, thereby not dealing with them, and not getting a resolution for what
triggered it. This is a form of suppression.

"Whenever something happens to us as a kid, our body is involved," says Michael Lee, Yoga
Teacher. This is particularly true of trauma. The body comes to the defense of the whole being. In
defending it, the body does things to stop the pain from being fully experienced. "Emotional pain is
overwhelming for small children, because they don't have the resources to deal with it," he
continues. "So the body shuts it off; if it didn't, the body would die from emotional pain. But then the
body keeps doing the physical protection even long after the situation has ended." Painful
experiences, Lee adds, can range from small, acute ones to intense, chronic problems. Still, the
mechanism at play is unclear: "We really don't understand the body-memory thing," he says, "at
least in Western terms."

In yogic terms, there is no separation between mind, body, and spirit. The three exist as a union;
what happens to the mind also happens to the body and spirit. In other words, if something is
bothering you spiritually, emotionally, or mentally, it is likely to show up in your body.

New research has verified empirically that mental and emotional condition can affect the state of the
physical body, and that the mind-body connection is real. Newsweek and Time both dedicated
issues to the topic last year. (Yoga Journal, March 2009)

Many doctors, psychotherapists, and chiropractors are embracing these findings, and are now
recommending yoga to help patients deal with problems that only a few years ago would have been
viewed and treated solely in biomechanical terms (Yoga Journal, April 2010).

Raskin (2010) suggests that as yoga teachers and practitioners, we should be aware of the
profound interconnectedness between our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies and be
prepared to practice as well as teach that in our classes. She goes on to say that the breath is the
link between the different bodies and it can be the cause of emotions that come up when we
practice yoga. It is important to convey to students that yoga is about learning how to focus our
minds and bodies on one thing, and sustaining that focus. "When we practice sincerely with ekāgra
(relaxed attention), we have the potential to tap into these seemingly hidden emotional states—to
truly focus. When we focus on our breath, it helps us be in the moment, therefore fully present and
aware" (Raskin, 2010).

There are yoga teachers that think it is worthwhile trying to "force" emotional reactions through
asana, claiming that Western Society doesn't provide enough outlets for our emotions, and thereby
create a safe environment for their release. According to the Yoga Journal (April 2010), these
teachers suggest certain asana that encourage openings, particularly in the hips, shoulders and
thoracic spine, in order to trigger these releases. They encourage students to focus on one area of
their emotional body that they would like to explore, for example their heart and to take their
awareness there in each posture..

Understanding the emotional body and dealing with emotions is an ongoing daily passage, taking us
through the various states of our mental and emotional beings. Change takes courage and
determination, a belief in a better tomorrow and a strong confidence in yourself.

"Watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Watch your words, for they become your
actions. Watch your actions, for they become your habits. Watch your habits, for they become your
character. Watch your character, for that becomes your destiny." - Upanishads

The truth according to a yogi and a doctor, is that "we are not here to try to change ourselves. We
are here to meet ourselves where we are."