Swami Satyananda described sadness as a product of the mind, born from guilt, hurt and self-unacceptability, rather than an external event. He taught that emotions are a result of mental conditioning. Spiritual practices can help transcend suffering by shifting the mind’s attitude, gaining control over it and fostering inner acceptance.
Sadness is not found in external events like poverty or wealth, but in the state of the mind itself. Dejection arises from guilt about one’s own actions or omissions, and hurt caused by the actions of others. Anguish results from incompatibility with true self-acceptance as it stems from a failure to accept oneself and the circumstances of one’s life.
How can one handle sadness? Practice Breath Awareness with Samvrit Pranayama.
Inhale to the count of 5, pause to the count of 5, exhale to the count of 5, no breathing to the count of 5. Practice 27 rounds, counting backwards. If any error made in the counting, start again. Use the mantra Soham. It is the sound of your natural breath. It means merging the individual consciousness with the supreme consciousness.
What happens here?
You are aware of the breath, you are concentrating on the counting, and you are watching yourself. Therefore, you have for this short spell of time, stilled your thoughts. They are spontaneously ignored. It is your thoughts which are aiding and abetting your misery. Your gloominess is compounded by the addition of reinforcement of your feelings. Last but not least your pranas are balanced and your parasympathetic system takes over. Then sorrow can be used as a means for spiritual growth and realizing one’s Karma.
You are able to create a fertile soil in your mind for self-enquiry and reflection. They are an important part of sadness management. You can then embrace sorrow, and harness it for spiritual growth. Channelize your emotions towards the divine.
One last suggestion I will offer to you dear ones and that is it this sadhana which will enable you to convert sadness into a blessing.
Aim Hrim Klim