Read Online The Tibetan Yoga of Breath: Breathing Practices for Healing the Body and Cultivating Wisdom by Anyen Rinpoche, Allison Choying Zangmo - Free Book Online
Authors: Anyen Rinpoche, Allison Choying Zangmo
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still intact. The traditional culture assigns strict roles to each member of society. In turn, each role in society is associated with a routine and a set style of behavior and conduct.
Take the example of Tibet. Traditionally, people take on the role of being either a monk or a nun, a family caretaker, a nomadic herder, a farmer, or a spiritual retreatant. No matter which role people take on, they understand how their role is to be carried out, and what they should and should not do along the path. Such roles do not allow for much variation, or much individuality. Whatever their role is, it has to be carried out each and every day in the same manner. As a result, there are not a lot of choices to be made. There is not a lot of thinking, “Should I do this?” or, “Should I change that?” They cannot think in this way because they have to carry out their role to survive. If they try to be something or someone else, what will they eat? Where will they live? What part of society will accept them?
This is very different from life in the West, where society itself varies and where we can find a place to fit in no matter who we want to be. If we want to be an artist or a writer, we can join an artist’s community. If we live in an area we feel is too politically conservative, we can go somewhere else that matches our values, rather than trying to make ourselves fit in. Here we are free to allow our minds to wander wherever they want to go, whether or not this mental wandering is healthy or constructive. “Should I sell my house and get a new one? Should I leave my spouse? Should I change my job . . . my friends . . . my religion . . . my diet . . . my wardrobe . . . my hair . . .?” The number of choices we consider day by day, moment by moment, goes on and on. The irony is that we often resent roles and routines, thinking they limit our freedom of choice, when instead it is freedom of choice that often limits our ability to focus our energy.
The Stress of Choices
Our individualistic culture thrives on choice. It is our prerogative to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. We lose touch with the fact that food and rest are supposed to nourish body and mind so that we are balanced and healthy. Instead, we often eatbecause it gratifies us or we sleep in because we feel like it. However, sometimes being free to make many choices contributes to the self-perpetuating energy of emotional and physical imbalance. There are so many ideas and possibilities before us that we are not sure which to choose. Uncertainty gives rise to stress and worry. Some research indicates that when we suffer from stress and anxiety, the chemical effect on the brain causes difficulty making connections and processing information, especially related to making choices. 11 The inability to choose is exacerbated by the sheer number of choices available to us, adding to the energy and momentum of anxiety.
Other research shows that with increased numbers of choices comes decreased well-being. 12 When we have more choices, we often focus on what seems to be the perfect choice. We find it hard to make a decision, searching for which choice is the best one, and wanting to avoid making the “wrong” choice. The time and mental energy we expend worrying about mundane things, such as which stereo system is best, or which brand of cereal to buy, contributes to our mental exhaustion. Have you ever been overwhelmed by searching for something in particular in the grocery store or the superstore? There are shelves and shelves of different varieties and options to choose from.
As a result, we often feel less satisfied with what we have and regret possibilities not pursued once we realize our choice was not perfect after all. Emotionally, we fail to understand that the end result of any choice we make can never be lasting happiness, because lasting happiness is impossible to achieve except on a spiritual level. Ordinary thoughts and actions cannot help
Take the example of Tibet. Traditionally, people take on the role of being either a monk or a nun, a family caretaker, a nomadic herder, a farmer, or a spiritual retreatant. No matter which role people take on, they understand how their role is to be carried out, and what they should and should not do along the path. Such roles do not allow for much variation, or much individuality. Whatever their role is, it has to be carried out each and every day in the same manner. As a result, there are not a lot of choices to be made. There is not a lot of thinking, “Should I do this?” or, “Should I change that?” They cannot think in this way because they have to carry out their role to survive. If they try to be something or someone else, what will they eat? Where will they live? What part of society will accept them?
This is very different from life in the West, where society itself varies and where we can find a place to fit in no matter who we want to be. If we want to be an artist or a writer, we can join an artist’s community. If we live in an area we feel is too politically conservative, we can go somewhere else that matches our values, rather than trying to make ourselves fit in. Here we are free to allow our minds to wander wherever they want to go, whether or not this mental wandering is healthy or constructive. “Should I sell my house and get a new one? Should I leave my spouse? Should I change my job . . . my friends . . . my religion . . . my diet . . . my wardrobe . . . my hair . . .?” The number of choices we consider day by day, moment by moment, goes on and on. The irony is that we often resent roles and routines, thinking they limit our freedom of choice, when instead it is freedom of choice that often limits our ability to focus our energy.
The Stress of Choices
Our individualistic culture thrives on choice. It is our prerogative to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. We lose touch with the fact that food and rest are supposed to nourish body and mind so that we are balanced and healthy. Instead, we often eatbecause it gratifies us or we sleep in because we feel like it. However, sometimes being free to make many choices contributes to the self-perpetuating energy of emotional and physical imbalance. There are so many ideas and possibilities before us that we are not sure which to choose. Uncertainty gives rise to stress and worry. Some research indicates that when we suffer from stress and anxiety, the chemical effect on the brain causes difficulty making connections and processing information, especially related to making choices. 11 The inability to choose is exacerbated by the sheer number of choices available to us, adding to the energy and momentum of anxiety.
Other research shows that with increased numbers of choices comes decreased well-being. 12 When we have more choices, we often focus on what seems to be the perfect choice. We find it hard to make a decision, searching for which choice is the best one, and wanting to avoid making the “wrong” choice. The time and mental energy we expend worrying about mundane things, such as which stereo system is best, or which brand of cereal to buy, contributes to our mental exhaustion. Have you ever been overwhelmed by searching for something in particular in the grocery store or the superstore? There are shelves and shelves of different varieties and options to choose from.
As a result, we often feel less satisfied with what we have and regret possibilities not pursued once we realize our choice was not perfect after all. Emotionally, we fail to understand that the end result of any choice we make can never be lasting happiness, because lasting happiness is impossible to achieve except on a spiritual level. Ordinary thoughts and actions cannot help
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