A Few Ways to Create a Calm Space with Yoga
By Marilyn Galan
When you lift the rug just before cleaning the floor, all the dust scatters into the air. Taking a moment for yoga allows you to clear away the mental dust when going through anxious moments. It’s the perfect time to rest in peace and bring calm back to the mind. With yogic breathing techniques and a few calming tips, you can stay centered—even in the eye of the storm.
Practice Breathing Techniques Called Pranayama
Breathing techniques, or pranayamas, support the life force and energy in the body. The simple yoga practice called Bhastrika can help you smile—or even laugh—after an argument. This powerful exhalation in yoga pushes air up and out through the lungs, energizing the body with oxygen. The result is a clearer and calmer mind. It’s best to learn pranayamas from a trained Art of Living teacher.
Precautions: People with heart conditions and glaucoma should perform yoga breathing slowly and carefully. If you experience menstrual pain, breathe gently. Pregnant women should avoid Bhastrika and instead take slow, deep breaths. Talk to your yoga teacher to learn what precautions you should take.
Keep a Journal
Journaling is a great way to calm the mind. It becomes your personal space to express emotions, thoughts, and inspired ideas. Your journal accepts it all. Try this exercise: write freely, without editing or stopping yourself. In your journal, you can answer the questions you're facing or reflect on your breathing experience. Write openly—you may discover that a thought or idea grows into a poem or even a short story.
Find Creative Inspiration Through Art or Music
Try playing a musical instrument or simply listen to soothing music. Draw or color as you listen. Uplifting, calming music can shift a turbulent atmosphere back into a peaceful one. A scientific study explored the effects of music on flowers: flowers exposed to gentle jazz music for three hours a day grew three times bigger, while those exposed to rock music grew weak and unhealthy.
Sit and Sing in a Space of Yoga and Devotion
Joining a yoga community, called satsang, gives you a chance to surround yourself with positive energy. In satsang, yoga practitioners gather to sing devotional songs. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Satsang is the healing space for the mind and spirit.” The word satsang in Sanskrit means “true company.” With time, even the relationship with the person you argued with may transform.
Calm the Mind with Yogic Wisdom
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living, offers insight into why we argue. He says, “Certain emotions arise within you—unpleasant emotions—and you say, ‘This shouldn’t be happening!’” Two unique and special human beings often have different expectations of the same situation. When our ideas are challenged, we often want to flee or become aggressive. “When you resist, you hold on to it,” says Sri Sri. “Just observe it. Look at it. Go deep into it.” Transforming resistance into a new perspective can help prevent conflict.
Just remember to embrace imperfections. Make a pact with yourself to allow room for mistakes—even arguments. It’s okay. And everything will be okay moving forward. “Life is a journey from imperfection to perfection,” says Sri Sri. “The seed contains the tree, but it must cease to be a seed to become the tree. The seed is not perfect. The sapling is not perfect. So in life, you can either see imperfection at every step or see the movement toward perfection.”
In areas frequently affected by hurricanes and cyclones, beautiful palm trees line the shore. Here’s something I call the Swaying Palm exercise: imagine yourself as a palm tree gently swaying in the storm. It bends but doesn’t break. With yoga and meditation, in time, the mind becomes just as graceful and calm as the palm. So next time a storm brews, through yoga, you’ll be able to smile. Things may bend, but they don’t have to break.
A Final Bit of Yogic Wisdom on Love
“Love is not an emotion; it is our very existence,” says Sri Sri. Whenever love feels shaken by conflict, remain indifferent to the drama. This indifference will return you to the side of love.
With a little insight and yoga, we can put these wise words into practice. The next time storm clouds gather before a fight, yoga can teach us to smile. And that may be just enough to turn a fight into an embrace.
