LifeSoup by Cherie Dawn Haas

During a workshop on goals, inspiration, and the like, someone shared that when she feels a negative emotion, she allows herself a short, limited amount of time to indulge in it before moving on to a more positive outlook.

I’ve used this myself since learning about the practice. Two minutes, ten minutes…I let the gravity of the (usually minor) situation determine how long I’m going to let it upset me.

What does all this have to do with yoga? Keep reading to the end…

On Friday soon after the workshop, for example, my internet stopped working. For someone who works from home, is writing a novel saved on a Google Doc, and publishes the website you’re now enjoying, it was incredibly frustrating. Not to mention that it was right before the weekend – two completely open days, after weeks of holiday events, for me to focus on my own creative projects.

Then my landline stopped working.

The TV wouldn’t work because it’s tied to the internet.

Fine! I decided I’d focus on another holiday vacation goal to read more, and put a DVD on for one of my sons. It had been so long since I used the DVD player that I had to call my husband to find out which buttons to press on which remote.

“Hello?” He answered. “Hello? Hellloooo?”

“Are you messing with me?” I asked, pleadingly, trying so hard to not be frustrated. “Please don’t f with me.”

He wasn’t. The call disconnected. My cell phone service wasn’t working.

This pushed me over the edge, people. I probably need to apologize to our distant neighbors for the amount of yelling I released into the air that night. Nothing was working.

I was outside when I was trying to get a better phone signal, and then I saw a rock. I threw the rock. I slammed the door.

In my mind, I listed all sorts of reasons to justify my anger. From an earlier call, I knew that Cincinnati Bell would be here on Monday to look into everything. Three days that I hoped to use for writing were slipping through my fingers.

Then I remembered the advice from earlier. Would I let this ruin my entire weekend? No; that wouldn’t be fair to my sense of peace or to my family.

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The Angry Shower

I decided to take a shower. I’d take an angry shower, and not appreciate the hot water or fluffy towels, my ability to stand with strong legs in the shower and wash my healthy hair, or endless amenities that are so easy to take for granted.

With wet hair, I brushed my teeth and realized my “angry” time was coming to an end. The shower was technically over.

So when a repeating negative thought, such as “We pay a lot of money every month to have all this technology not work,” started to return and increase my frustration, I decided to replace that thought before it could finish.

“My teeth feel clean,” was a neutral thought. And they did.

The next time you feel a temporary, negative emotion, please try this – give yourself a limited amount of time to be angry, for example. Then try to let it go and move one.

Anger and My Yoga Journey

What does this have to do with yoga? For me ~ everything.

A major part of my yoga journey has been outside of stretching my body, and instead stretching my mind.

In November 2018, I discovered the eight limbs of yoga. I’m not a certified teacher (yet!), so I’ll encourage you research these deeply, but for now, know that one of the aspects of yoga is practicing contentment. It’s hard to be angry while also showing gratitude for all that I have (as relevant to this – including a computer, a cell phone, a television, the ability to write, a job that allows me to work from home, a husband to call, etc!).

I once read that you don’t usually have a bad day. You might have a bad five minutes that you let ruin your day.

I hope this helps minimize negativity for you. If you have other nuggets of wisdom, feel free to share them in the comments below!

Peace, love, and fire,
Cherie Dawn

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