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Dissolving a bad mood

 

Whenever feeling unhappy and wanting a way out, turn to this page...

Step 1: Stop Identifying with the Rasa

You are in charge; whatever you do is your responsibility and you always have the power to change your emotional state. Put any specific reasons for that state temporarily out of your mind. Nothing that might have caused this state is reason enough for losing control.

Step 2: Immediately Change Your Body Chemistry

Create the proper biochemical basis for changing the Rasa in just a few minutes. In case of:

. Anger: Take a relatively cold shower, drink several glasses of cool water, and chew some green cardamom seeds afterward.
. Fear (Anxiety): Eat some fresh ginger and drink some lemon juice in water.
. Sadness: Do not hold back your tears-releasing them helps to release the sadness. Rinse the eyes afterward with cool water or rose water. Chew some fenugreek leaves and saffron or eat a light sweet dish that contains one or both of these spices.
. Disgust (or depression): Eat a good amount of fresh ginger and take some fruit juices as well.

Step 3: Induce Calmness

Perform the relaxing, breathing, and meditation exercises that you are most comfortable with, in order to create a more peaceful state as an intermediate state in changing toward a desirable Rasa. If you have not yet learned any such exercises, slow down your breath through the following exercise: Hold your breath for as long as you can, then breathe out slowly, breathe in and again hold your breath. Repeat this exercise until your breathing remains slow.

Step 4: Focus on the Desirable Enemy Rasas (see Rasas Charts)

In all cases, seeking out one's loved ones and having a good time with them by enjoying some natural beauty, art, and light chatter together is the best way to change the unpleasant Rasa to the Rasas of Love, Joy, and Wonder.

In case of Fear and Disgust or depression, a good way to strengthen the Courage Rasa is to practice any physical disciplines that you have already mastered, such as yoga postures, martial art, and various sports.

Step 5: Analyze the Problem

Now that the disagreeable Rasa has mostly gone, analyze the attachment that lies at the basis of the Rasa and detach yourself from it:

. Anger: Analyze the unfulfilled expectation that triggered it and tell yourself to stop expecting it.
. Fear: Analyze the threatened identification that caused it and tell yourself to stop identifying with it.
. Sadness: Analyze the suffering caused by ignorance that created it and teach yourself to see through illusion.
. Disgust: No analysis needed; just forget whatever disgusted you and proceed immediately to step 6

Now that you feel more detached from the desires that feed these Rasas, you might also try to analyze the particular problem and see if there is a way to avoid it. If a solution seems possible, plan how to bring it about. If the problem has no solution, accept it. Feeling bad about it will only make it that much bigger.

Step 6: Exercise Your Control

Following this step by step program is usually very beneficial, but once you calm down, you should also realize that becoming so upset indicates that you need to gain more control over the particular Rasa. To avoid getting caught by it again, set the conditions for a Rasa Sadhana of that Rasa.