Health, calm mind, cheerful attitude (part 4)

Health, calm mind and cheerful attitude (part 4)

In today’s episode, we continue our exploration of our comprehensive definition of health. Here is the definition again: Health is the harmonious integration of adequate appetites, efficient elimination, optimal posture, graceful movement, calm mind, cheerful attitude, and compassionate interaction. Having considered how our appetites and elimination affect our state of health, we reflected on how our posture and movement can affect our well-being. Today we turn our attention to more subtle aspects of our health, our state of mind and attitude. This progression is typical of the yogic approach. In fact, it is typical of any process of meaningful learning. Let’s say I’m trying to learn to dance salsa. In the beginning, I have to learn some basic steps. If you compare my dancing to that of an expert, it will seem that we are not even dancing the same kind of dance. However, with regular practice and meaningful feedback, I can probably learn to make my movements lighter and more graceful, so that instead of mechanically going from step one to step two and then to step three, I gradually learn to make the transitions smoother by paying attention to the nuances of movement and coordination of actions. Similarly, in yoga, when we try to practice pranayama, we first learn the basics of breathing with movements in specific places and directions, such as expanding the abdomen first and then the chest during an inhalation, or expanding the chest first and then the abdomen. Gradually, the practice will progress by paying attention to more subtle aspects of the breath, such as the transitions between inhalations and exhalations that reveal short pauses, and so on. The deeper we go, the more we learn about ourselves and our systems.

In this series we first paid attention to the basic aspects of appetites and elimination and posture and movement, all aspects that at first seem to relate mostly to our physical being. However, we did mention that it is possible to find deeper understandings of each one of them. Now we will turn to subtler aspects of ourselves, our mind and attitude.

Let’s turn out attention now to state of mind. There is a whole spectrum of options from a relaxed and calm mind through an active mind to a mind that is agitated. Let’s take a moment to notice, what is your state of mind right now?

Does your mind feel sleepy, aware or restless?

At the beginning of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines yoga as the modulation of our ways of being. When applied to our mind, his definition invites us to restrain or control the distraction of our mind. In his commentary, Sage Vyasa offers a detailed description of the states of the mind, including five distinct states: wondering, dull, distracted, concentrated, and restrained. Let’s revisit this simple question: What is the state of your mind right now? Take a moment to notice…

What did you notice? Would your state of mind fit into one of the five categories outlined by Vyasa? Most of us find our minds chasing random thoughts from one moment to the next (wondering). Some people find that their mind is dull or confused. Others find that their mind can focus for a few moments and then it gets distracted again. Still, for other people, their mind can stay focused with distractions so slight that they do not disturb their focus. And for a seemingly small number of people, their mind can remain free of all distractions.

What does a calm mind mean in our definition of health? A calm mind is a mind that can maintain enough focus to concentrate on what is important to attend to in the moment. A calm mind is also a mind that can maintain enough perspective to not be upset by the constant changes in the world of experience. Furthermore, a calm mind can remain open so that it can consider opposing points of view with minimal bias. A calm mind is a mind that is at peace with the moment and with itself. When the mind is not calm, it may be easily irritated or frustrated by the outside world, and it may be on a constant roller coaster of reactivity, which is likely to result in a stressful state of being that is not conducive to well-being.

How does yoga affect the mind? If you think about it, all the techniques of yoga, as Patanjali suggested, are designed to create a calm mind. The yamas offer us ways to create peace of mind by cultivating positive attitudes and positive participation in our world. The niyamas lead us to a deep sense of contentment and harmony within and without. Asana calms the mind by creating balance in our bodies. Pranayama brings peace to the mind by asking it to focus on the subtleties of our breath. Dharana increases our ability to remain in a concentrated state, while Dhyana helps create a pleasurable, sustained, effortless focus. Samadhi is the ultimate stillness of mind that facilitates our exploration of the depths of our being. Do you find any of the limbs of yoga more conducive to calming your mind? Is it possible that the yoga technique you find most useful changes depending on the time of day, the situation, or the environment or circumstances in which you find yourself?

The next component of our definition is a cheerful attitude. Take a moment to notice what your attitude is right now? How does your attitude reflect your feelings? Is your attitude now similar to or different from your general mood? It is obvious to most of us that our attitude can be affected by the weather, our thoughts, the company we keep, and many other factors? Cheerful means that we are in a good mood, have a good disposition, or have pleasant feelings. We have included a cheerful attitude in our definition because it seems quite obvious that we feel better when we are in a good mood; we may also be more willing to think of ways to overcome obstacles and challenges, as some contemporary researchers are finding.

This cheerful attitude does not mean that we can never feel negative emotions. It is important to remember that our emotions are an amazing gift that enables us to feel a wide range of emotions, from sadness to exhilaration. Our cheerful attitude is a way to become an uplifting presence in the world (pratipaksha bhavana). Again, all yoga practices move us in this direction and offer us the opportunity to develop resilience, the ability to bounce back to a positive outlook even after experiencing challenging and difficult emotions.

Is there a relationship between a calm mind and a cheerful attitude? Is it possible that a calm mind is more conducive to a cheerful attitude? Can the relationship also work in the other direction, so that a cheerful attitude can bring some calmness to our mind?

As you consider these ideas this week, notice what helps to calm your mind. Also notice if you have the ability to influence your attitude. Can you play with ways to make yourself more cheerful? What happens? I trust that your exploration this week will be enjoyable. Does it make sense to you that a calm mind and a cheerful attitude are an integral aspect of your health?

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This is an excerpt from the book Unravel the thread: Applying the ancient wisdom of yoga to live a happy life

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