Ever Have "One of Those Days"?

Ever had "one of those days"?

I know I have. I have even had entire strings of them which leads me to wonder, are "those days" secretly breeding like bunnies somewhere just to spite me?

It can be hard, and normally it is just one small event that sets off the whole mess!!!! You can spiral down into a pit of frustration and despair that seems impossible to climb out of. 

As a musician and a self employed reiki healer, some months can be exceedingly light for work, especially the winter months. This often leads to stress and frustration as I attempt to grab on to anything, it seems, to keep myself afloat. 

I start to drift away from my yogic and meditative practices and begin to drift into a cycle of negative thought and worry; but then I am reminded by loved ones and that soft voice inside, "you do not have to let your self sink down into this negative pit of anger and despair. You have the choice and power to change this!"

The Negative Mind is rather over-developed in many western countries. What was once an area of the  mind that would help us protect ourselves, has now instead led many to shrink away from the world and into themselves.

The Negative Mind gets a bad reputation in this day and age. Do not be confused. You NEED your Negative mind. It is what allows you discriminately identify danger; without it we have no boundaries for ourselves. We must find a way to balance our Negative mind and allow it to flourish in a healthy way.

So what can we do when one of "those days" comes along, or heaven forbid, it and its entire extended family?

First:

Stop and Breathe!! 

Remember last time when we talked about the amazing benefits of even just a few minutes of breath work? 

Yep, just three minutes of pranayam can completely shift your mood and thought pattern. 

Second:

If you can, go OUTSIDE!!! 

Get some sunshine. Sunlight is noted to boost Serotonin levels.

Serotonin levels can affect mood, appetite and digestion and sleep, not to mention many other mental and bodily functions. 

Third:

Meditate and do some Yoga! (Yep you knew that one was coming ;) )

Exercise is great for the body and can help relieve stress and release endorphins, and on top of that yoga works to balance the flow of energy in the body: exactly what we need when we get ourselves into a funk.

There are many different mantras and meditations to work with your positive mind.

One simple one that is great for both children and adults is the:

"I am Happy I am Good Meditation"

Posture:

Sit in Easy Pose.

Mantra: 

I Am Happy, I Am Good, I Am Happy, I Am Good.

Sat Naam, Sat Naam, Sat Naam Jee

Wha-Hay Guroo, Wha-Hay Guroo, Wha-Hay Guroo Jee

Mudra:

In the rhythm of the mantra, shake your index fingers up and down (like  parents might sometimes do when they are reproaching a child).

Another is the:

"Meditation for the Positive Mind"

Posture: Sit with an erect spine. Curl the ring finger and little finger into each palm. Bend the thumbs over to lock them into place. Keep the first two fingers straight. Bring the arms so the elbows are by the sides, and the hands are by the shoulders with the two fingers of each hand pointing  straight up. Bring the forearms and hands forward to an angle of 30 degrees from the vertical. Press the shoulders and elbows back firmly but comfortably. The palms face forward.

Eyes and Mental Focus: Close the eyelids. Roll the eyes up gently and concentrate at the brow point, the Third Eye area at the top of the nose where the eyebrows would meet.

Breath: Create a steady, slow, deep, and complete breath.

Mantra: Mentally pulse rhythmically from the brow point out to infinity with the sounds: Saa taa naa maa

Saa is Infinity. Taa is Life. Naa is Death. Maa is Rebirth/transformation. This describes the cycle of life. This kriya brings a total mental balance to the psyche. The entire mantra means, "I meditate on Truth, Truth that I am.”

Time: Try it for 40 days. During that time eat lightly and speak only truth directly from your heart. Practice for 11 to 62 minutes.

To End: Inhale deeply and exhale three times. Then open and close the fists several times. Relax.

Found in The Mind: Its Projections and Multiple Facets by Yogi Bhajan

Also work on kriyas that strengthen the Navel Center (this works on many things such as, increasing your self-esteem).

A short and sweet kriya my family and I do for the navel center is found by itself and at the beginning of the Kriya for Awakening the Ten Bodies.

1) Stretch Pose. Lie on the back with the arms at your sides. Raise the head and the legs six inches, and the hands six inches with the palms facing each other slightly over the hips to build energy across the Navel Point. Point the toes, keep your eyes focused on the tips of the toes and do Breath of Fire. 1-3 minutes.

2) Nose to Knees. Bring the knees to the chest, with the arms wrapped around the knees. Tuck the nose between the knees, and begin Breath of Fire. 1-3 minutes.

3) Ego Eradicator. Sit in Celibate Pose or Easy Pose. Raise the arms to a 60° angle. Curl the fingertips onto the pads of the palms. Thumbs aim at each other above the head. With eyes closed, concentrate above the head, and do Breath of Fire. 1-3 minutes. To end, inhale, touch the thumbtips together overhead. Exhale and apply mulbandh. Inhale and relax. 

*Make sure to tune in with the Adi Mantra before you start any kriya and listen to your body. We found it best to start at 1 min per exercise and then slowly work up (do what your body feels is best).

I hope these tips bring you strength and grace when you must face the bad days, and help you meet them with joy and wonder. 

Bright Blessings,

Param Sevak Kaur

*Please share your thoughts and progress in the comments. I'd love to hear about your journey!