Emotion is said to be energy in motion. There are three words: thoughts, feelings, and emotions. They appear to be similar, but have different meanings. Thoughts do not have much power. We have thousands of thoughts in a day, and we do not even notice passing thoughts – they come and go and barely register on our consciousness. Feelings have more power, as they leave an impact on our mind, and emotions are even more powerful, and they may make us act in a certain way or take a life-changing decision.
The word ‘stress’ is used commonly nowadays. I have seen even a four-year-old child say that he has a lot of tension. What does stress do? It gives rise to negative emotions. A few centuries ago, life was much more difficult than it is now, as the amenities and comforts that science has given did not exist then. The problems ordinary people faced at that time included the hardships of daily life, the threat of wild animals, and diseases to which a cure was yet to be found. Life is now much more comfortable, but it is also more stressful. The reason is factors related to our work, relationships, health, and the climate. The frequency of stressful events has increased, which creates a chain of negative reactions in us. This has an impact on our mental as well as physical health. The hormones released in the body due to stress reduce our immunity, making us susceptible to infection and illness. Studies have shown that hardship or a difficult situation by itself do not cause stress. But if someone feels trapped in that situation, or handles it negatively, it leads to anxiety, sorrow, and various ailments. We are caught in a cycle of negative emotions and their consequences. For example, if we are afraid of something, there will be stress. If we are repeatedly blamed of something, it can lead to depression, and later cancer. The solution is to handle our emotions in such a way that we remain light.
How do we do that? First, we must recognise the fact that our life is our choice. The family we were born in, or the problems we encounter may not be of our choosing, but the thoughts and emotions we create, and how we act is in our hands. What we do as soon as we wake up in the morning, what we eat, and what time we go to bed at night – all these are our choices and they shape our life and impact our health. Wrong ways of thinking and feeling can result in ailments ranging from skin disease and headache to heart problems and cancer.
To heal our emotions, we need to see life from a different angle. We can either fear problems or take them as a challenge. Whenever there is a difficulty, we can ask ourselves what is in my control, and act accordingly. It is important not to compare ourselves with others. Each person and their situation are unique, so how I deal with my problems is up to me. If I start comparing and then feel inadequate, that will become a cause of stress.
One useful practice is to observe our thoughts and feelings in a detached manner – how am I feeling, how did I respond to people and situations? Once we start doing this, there will be fewer unnecessary thoughts, and we will recognise where we went wrong and what we could have done better. Gradually, we learn to deal with issues more effectively.
Two other things help to heal our emotions. If we have been nasty with someone and carry guilt or other uncomfortable feelings about it, the best thing we can do is to say sorry to them. We will feel relieved of a mental burden. And if someone has cheated or otherwise hurt us, we can forgive them. That too will clear a lot of negativity from the mind and make us light.
The most powerful tool of emotional healing is meditation. When we regularly turn our attention within, observe our thoughts, learn to take control of them, and choose to create positive, energizing thoughts, the resulting feelings empower us. We realise that we are masters of our destiny and not its victims. When the soul is enriched by regular practice of meditation, its ailments subside and eventually vanish. It is not just healed emotionally; it becomes an instrument for healing others.
Dr. Girish Patel is a well-known psychiatrist based in Mumbai, and a student of Rajyoga with the Brahma Kumaris.