EASE YOUR TROUBLES THROUGH YOGA

If the current job situation is getting you down, try going the spiritual way - BHARAT THAKUR, YOGA EXPERT    Recession stress is just a state of mind. Obviously the economy is down and people are losing jobs. But it all depends on how you deal with it. If this recession is making you nervous and giving you sleepless nights, it means that somewhere inside you there is a lot of fear. Pause for a second and try to think this over. If you ever bought a stock in a particular company because it was a good company, and then due to the economy the entire  market falls, what do you do? Do you sell your stock and take a loss? Or do you have faith that if the company is good, the stock will come up at the earliest given point. I am not sure which choice would be wise. But your choice will definitely tell you a lot about you mental condition.      Yoga and meditation is nothing but using techniques to become aware of the modifications of your mind. Patanjali defines yoga as 'yoga chitta vritti nirodha' which means yoga is the process by which we can stop the modifications of the mind. What are the various modifications? There are many like dreaming, wrong thought processes, imagination etc. And only when your mind is silent and calm can you make the right decisions in life. For example, you may have lost your job. Take this as a time to reevaluate your career. Is this what you enjoy doing? Do you have a passion for your job? If yes, then you will certainly be able to find another job. Maybe you need to expand your skill set. If you find yourself demotivated to find another job, maybe you would like to try something different? It all depends on your situation.      The first step of yoga is to leave your worries behind. Meditation is the art of stopping one's mind from thinking and moving inwards into a peaceful state where your situation of life does not affect your mental state. Panic is the worst thing that can happen to you. Fear might be building up and waiting to take you into a panic attack. A simple thing you can practice is to become aware of your breath. According to the yogis, your breath is the clearest indicator of your mental state. If your breath is fast and unsteady, you can do simple breathing exercises to bring it back to normal. If you are tense and your body is stiff, you can do simple stretches and asanas to relax your body. You can practice bandhas (neuromuscular locks) which balance your hormones and bring your entire system to its optimum level.      Just remember that all the economies of the world go through ups and downs. It's part of the natural process like different seasons — summer, monsoon and winter. It's a time to get creative. It's a time to get fit. It's the time to take out time for yourself and get back your focus towards your career.      Remember, every low is a method to prepare you for the next high. Practicingyoga means to never lose your balance – not in a high nor in a low. Stay cool and enjoy the moment for what it offers you. Time will pass and before you know it, the season will have changed.