DEFEATING ANGER: EMBRACING CALMNESS AS ITS GREATEST FOE

DEFEATING ANGER: EMBRACING CALMNESS AS ITS GREATEST FOE by Yogacharya Samita Rathor

r“Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten. Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”  Buddha

Anger-man's greatest enemy is often perceived as calmness or patience. These qualities act as a counterbalance to anger, helping to diffuse heated situations and promote rational thinking and problem-solving instead. So, while anger-man thrives on intense emotions, calmness serves as a powerful adversary, ultimately aiming to restore balance and harmony.

The word Krodh, is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘krodha’, which means anger, wrath or rage.

It expresses itself in several forms from quiet glumness to frantic tantrums and aggression.

Krodha, an expression of emotional energy, is destructive if handled wrongly and irresponsibly. Krodha may be expressed in several forms from intensive simmering emotions, welled up inside a person, to an emotional eruption of the most violent and hysterical type. Krodha is man’s greatest enemy.

We are all born with unfulfilled desires. In the effort of trying to accomplish these desires one can get extremely stressed, frustrated and angry. Scientific research clearly has shown that you are putting yourself at a high risk if you do not have the anger management skills in place. Anger causes a widespread negative effect on the body mentally, physically and spiritually.

Anger is psychosomatic. During an anger episode you may experience muscle strain, grinding of teeth and teeth clenching, ringing in the ears, flushing, higher blood pressure, chest pains, excessive sweating, chills, severe headaches or migraines. With chronic anger people can also experience acidity, peptic ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, intestinal cramping, hiccups, chronic indigestion, heart attacks, strokes, kidney problems, obesity, and frequent colds. Medical experts have found the heart muscle is affected by anger, and anger can actually reduce the heart's ability to properly pump blood, leading to severe heart conditions.

Anger causes rapid breathing. Breath is life. When we get angry we are letting our life away. So people who constantly get angry are shortening their life. Ralph Waldo Emerson rightly said “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

Anger can be external or internal. In an external scenario anger can lead to physical violence. Internal or suppressed anger can also have emotional effects, causing depression, eating disorders, addictions to drug and alcohol, nightmares, insomnia, sleepwalking, self-destructive behaviors, and can cause disruptions in the way a person relates to others. Suppressed anger should be avoided. It is a silent killer.

Anger can also be constructive and destructive.

Anger at prejudice or immorality is a healthy spiritual reaction.  Anger helps us see what is wrong and can motivate action to create positive change in the world. Destructive when it is used at the drop of a hat. An angry person may verbally abuse and use foul language which is again a destructive form of anger.

ANGER MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES

• Meditate and contemplate on the real cause of your anger.

• Recognize and accept the emotion as normal and part of life.

• Breathing helps. Inhale and exhale with complete awareness. This will help the body and mind to relax.

• Never try and reason out with an angry person. An angry person always sees haze and is unclear in his thoughts.

• Move away from the anger causing environment or people at that particular second.

• Listen to some comforting music.

• Express the reason for your anger and rationalize. Don’t find fault with the person who made you angry. Examine the situation mindfully.

• Drink water.

• Splashing water on the face refreshes and cleanses.

• Specific Yogic practices are excellent for soothing the body mind and soul.

• Do something physical, such as going for a run, swimming or playing a sport.

• Certain foods like red meat, spicy and overcooked deep-fried food should be avoided. 

• Angry people would need a lot of counselling and therapy if they want to help themselves.

• Eat a lot of green vegetables, fruits and juices. It can have an incredible cleansing and calming effect.

• Try smiling and putting your mind to your positive qualities.

• Go to a peaceful environment or a holiday in a serene location.

• Everyone gets angry, and anger can even be a good thing. Learn how to use and deal with strong feelings.

Anger can be overcome. Certainly, the crushing of anger is not only possible, but also the only thing worth doing in a lifetime.

acharyasamitarathor@gmail.com

Registered Counsellor, Yoga, Indic Wisdom Scholar and Psychology Enthusiast, Plant Based Diet, Cartoonist and Writer.