Transcending Stress: Part 1
How to unlock the habit of being stressed
When I'm teaching students in my Yoga school, few people realize anxiety itself can be habit-forming. People associate habits with something they engage in externally but seldom stop to consider that thought patterns are habit-forming. When those habit forming thoughts continue over long periods, they can form a “habit loop” that is difficult to break unless we become aware of it in the first place. I am going to share an easy method passed down from the Yoga tradition that will help you break the habit of stress.
How Anxiety Grew Out Of Our Primitive Survival Mechanism
Regardless of who we are or what we do, we all experience anxiety—it's a part of who we are as humans, which goes back to our evolving reptilian brain function. This part of the brain evolved to help us react to impending danger— it's called the "Fight or Flight" response, a part of the autonomic nervous system called the "sympathetic nervous system." So, for example, if we were about to be lunch for a sabre tooth tiger, our nervous system would kick in by releasing adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream. In turn, this would signal the organs to move blood into the extremities so you could run away at the speed of light or get prepared to fight the attacker. If you survived your attacker, your nervous system would eventually return to a restful state called the "parasympathetic nervous system." The same hormones that revved up your nervous system to save your life would retreat.
Although we are not likely to encounter a tiger attack, our brain doesn't know the difference between a life-threatening situation and feelings of dread and fear that arise from everyday life situations. Your reptilian brain is trying to do its job of protecting you and will send those same hormones into your system. In a culture where working yourself to the bone is often seen as a badge of honour, you can remain in the "fight or flight" response for long periods. Over time, this "state of being" can become hazardous to your health.
What Stress and Anxiety is Taking Away From You
Suppose you spend most of your time in the sympathetic nervous system with the " fight or flight" hormones in your system— it's what keeps you from sleeping, keeps you from being still enough to meditate, be gentle with your kids, and be patient with yourself. It even affects your ability to communicate and interact with people in the moment—to listen to what they have to say. In social engagement, all these higher functions of the mind are all but impossible. Instead, the constant influx of cortisol and adrenaline into your bloodstream keeps you on high alert and parallelizes your ability to relax and enjoy the precious moments of your life.
The Antidote to the Stress Response
We need the capacity to respond to stress in our lives, and we need the ability to move into healing. The anecdote to stress is spending time in the "rest and digest" response—the "parasympathetic nervous system." Here, the heart rate slows, respiration slows, and blood flows to the internal organs. When you were young, this was in place and healthy. Young children can be throwing a tantrum in one moment, and the next minute is asleep- this doesn't happen with adults. It's almost like we can't get out of the stress. When was the last time you had a big argument with someone and could drop off to sleep that evening? The more time we spend in the "stress response" without a deliberate shift, the mechanism that moves us to one or the other gets weakened over time, and we become the person we want to avoid.
How to Create a Deliberate Shift from Stress to Rest
The perennial wisdom teaching expressed in the Yoga Tradition is clear about the path of personal transformation. It starts with an effort to know ourselves. Then, in the context of stress reduction, it is the call to see beyond our negative thought patterns and realize that stress is not something imposed on us; it's what we impose on ourselves. This is where "self-awareness" comes in. Self-awareness is also known as mindfulness; however, I believe "mindfulness " is a bit loose and can apply to anything you do with a degree of attention. After all, you can mindfully rob a bank. To "be aware" means to have enough mental flexibility in the moment to choose one experience over another and be able to direct your thoughts and attention away from negative experiences and towards neutral or positive ones.
Research supports what the Yogis found thousands of years ago; the quality of our attentiveness is the first step to uprooting old habits of thinking that cause feelings of stress in the first place. Likewise, those moments of anger are ripe opportunities to practice "self-awareness." By bringing a moment of compassion into a confrontation, you can change a moment of conflict into a practice of challenging yourself to see your own reaction to the situation in the moment.
Check out our stress to peace course for in depth learning on stress management using the practice of yoga
Crossing the Bridge from Stress to Peace: The Vision
Ancient wisdom sees human beings as a mini representation of the wholeness of the Universe—"as above, so below." We are born full of potential and an inherent desire to fulfill our purpose. However, as we grow, our true self essence gets confused and blurred with our false sense of self— the ego. We become conditioned by life's circumstances and lose connection with our inner spark. Wisdom also teaches us we can create awareness between our false self and our true self with a concerted effort to examine our thoughts. There lies the " higher mind" and the source of consciousness in the space between the thoughts and reactions. Understanding this simple yet essential idea is the key to long-lasting change.
Learning the Technique: Vichara—Observing your Habitual Way of Being
When my teacher explained the meaning of Vichara, he said, " someone is going to tell you that life is miserable and a living hell filled with disappointments. But, on the other hand, someone else will tell you that life is sacred and filled with joy. So it's up to you to know which one is telling the truth—that's the practice of "Vichara."
Whenever you experience strong nonconstructive emotions or thoughts towards yourself or somebody else, journal answers to the following questions at the end of your day when you have more time for reflection:
What was happening when your habitual way of thinking, feeling, and behaving was triggered.
Inquire into the source of that thought and emotion
How did your thoughts/emotions make you feel ( Ex: expansive or contracted)
Where did you feel the emotion in your body? Ex: Locate the area in the physical body where you have a response to triggered emotions.
What was the outcome of your nonconstructive emotions or thoughts?
A note of caution: In the smoke of resistance lies the flame of desire.
Whenever you feel a strong resistance to the self-reflection process (Vichara), you are coming up against an uncomfortable edge. I encourage you to explore these feelings and ask yourself what's the price you will pay if you don't make some changes. If your resistance is more potent than your desire to change, it will keep you from making the change you want to see in your life.
Take the time every day for at least two weeks to practice the self refection questions.I recommend making it a lifelong practice you can lean into when needed. This is the practice I ask my students to do above all else. It has become the essential aspect of transformation in my own life.
If you have any questions, you can leave a comment below or contact me at: ujmacgillivary@gmail.com
Stay tuned for Part 2 where I share my blog: Transcending Stress—The Little Voice inside
Uriel MacGillivary is the founder of Shanti Yoga Studios and Shanti Traditional School of Yoga on the East Coast of Canada. Her passion & study of the ancient teachings has expanded her view of how Yoga transforms the human condition. Uriel shares her knowledge and wisdom in these weekly posts. For more in-depth knowledge and experience you can join her in Yoga teacher trainings and retreats locally and worldwide.
For life changing Yoga, meditation and Yoga Nidra, check us out online shantiyogaonline.ca