Mindset

One of the best things I have learned from practicing Kundalini Yoga over the years is the concept of accepting anger. There seems to be a stigma attached to it being ‘wrong’ or even ‘unspiritual’ to be angry. Especially for women. It’s almost like it’s considered ‘not attractive’ to show you’re angry. However, in the practice of Kundalini yoga, you learn how normal and necessary anger really is. The important thing is HOW we express it.

The definition of mindfulness is ‘the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something’ or ‘a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique’.

As I was walking through the parking lot today, after I’d seen the kids off to school, kissed my husband good-bye as he went to work I hurried off to get through my to-do list. I looked up from my thoughts and my lips began to form a half moon on its back. I realised that I was about to smile at a perfect stranger who happened to be walking past me.

All day every day, we continually set realistic and unrealistic expectations on ourselves and those we come into contact with. When they don’t meet our expectations, we generally ‘re-act’ and feel upset and disappointed towards them. Many times they have no idea that you have placed your hidden agenda on them, which can create a very sticky situation.

One of the things my friends and I are always on about is how stressed we are; stressed from the kids; stressed from husbands, work, exercise…you name it; if we are spending time doing it, we are complaining about it! What is this stress we are speaking about? And, why is it making us so unhappy with our lives?