What can we do to avoid anxiety when viewing the problems that afflict the world?
That’s a good question, especially at a time in which we are bombarded with news that is, intentionally or not, alarming. First Covid, then masks, then lockdown, then fear of the variant, fear that the vaccine can be harmful, and then the green pass, and who knows how much longer Maya, the delusion, will be creative in the constant attempt to lower our level of energy.
In fact we feel anxiety, fear, anguish and other negative emotions when our energy level drops, and it may drop just a little, a lot, or a great deal. So, since this is an element of crucial importance, I would like to give you some suggestions on what to do when this happens.
Let’s start with the extremely low level.
It’s terrible: we see everything as being dark, we feel there is no hope, perhaps we feel that we have wasted a lifetime and that we will never be able to pick ourselves up again. We know we should do our spiritual practices but we just can’t bring ourselves to do them.
When we are at this stage, Maya is very happy and it rubs its hands together, satisfied that it has succeeded in its intent. At this point we should at least try to stop the mind and interrupt the vicious cycle of “I can’t take it anymore”.
When this happens, Yogananda suggests going to sleep. If we can’t sleep, perhaps watching a film might help – maybe an action film with some kind of hero in it that brings out the noble part in us. Violent or horror films are not recommended as they only lower our vital state further.
As soon as we see our energy level rise a bit, we can move on to the next stage.
The low level:
Even if, at this point, we have managed to get up from the sofa, we are still dangerously near inertia. Therefore, we should try to get up and move around: go for a walk (being outdoors helps every level, including the highest one). Or, if we can’t do that, we could put on some upbeat music and…dance! Yes, dance, but with a smile on your face.
Smiling is an extremely important part of changing one’s mood. After a while we can see that our energy level has risen a bit more.
The slightly low level:
Here we go! This is the time to do our energization exercises, our superconscious exercises and meditation. As we meditate, we can ask the Divine Light to help us and surround us, we can offer our problems to the Light, and, most importantly, we can send it out to our planet and to our fellow human beings. This will create an energetic “buffer” around us as well as a strong aura that will protect us from any negativity.
Prevention is the best medicine:
It’s for this reason that the Masters tell us to do our practices daily because by doing so we are constantly protected, and even if our energy goes down, it will go down very little and it will be easy to raise it again.
Then there is the philosophical aspect to keep in mind during the day.
This life is really God’s dream. Keeping this in mind helps us take a step back from our everyday problems. And we must also remember that God loves us, just as a caring mother loves her child that calls out for her to hold him in her arms. Because that is what we are: Divine Mother’s little children in need of protection, and the more we put ourselves in Her arms, the more we let Her help us. On the other hand, if we proudly affirm: “I can make it on my own”, She respects our wish and let’s us do what we want. But as soon as we call Her, She lovingly and caringly comes to helps us.
Dear friends, another piece of advice that Yogananda gives us is to seek the company of people with a high level of energy when we are feeling “down”. This isn’t always feasible. However, at this time of great contradictions, it seems technology is here to help us: in fact, online you can find the Ananda Live Facebook page. It was specially created so we could be close to you during lockdown. Also, on Youtube, to keep you company during the day, you can find uplifting talks given by our teachers and members of our Community.
In the Masters’ Light,
Clarita
I live protected by God’s infinite light. So long as I remain in the heart of it, nothing and no one can harm me.
Swami Kriyananda, Affirmations for Self-Healing
11 Comments
Thank you, Clarita. This is exactly what I needed to read today! Bless you! ????
Clarita….thank you for this timely, uplifting message, as many of us are certainly feeling the stress of current events. Maya is certainly a powerful force to overcome.
Your message of hope is truly a beacon of light in dark times.
Thank you!
I feel compelled to offer some extended thoughts if I may.
I enjoyed this wonderful message. There was one phrase that especially caught my eye which was “…fear that the vaccine can be harmful.” Well, actually, I know that it can be extremely harmful. But I know that probably most people will call that a “conspiracy theory.” I’ll give an analogy. In Nazi Germany all news, newspapers and radio, were nazi controlled. If you said anything contrary to what everyone was brainwashed with, such as saying that Hitler was not really loving but was actually a bad person, you’d be accused of being a nut and putting out a “conspiracy theory.” In fact, you’d be called a traitor! Most people believe everything that all official news and government sources tell them. If someone says that something is true that goes against what the government and the news tells us we call him a nut and a conspiracy theorist. I would only suggest considering the possibility that maybe these official sources have been blanketing us with lies. Now I won’t try to convince anyone of anything about vaccines or anything else in particular since this is not the place for offering such information. I will simply say that our teachings teach us that the world lies to us about many things all the time. That we are not supposed to be sheep-like but rather we should think for ourselves with the intelligence and intuition that God has given us. And I dare to say that Master would agree that we are not supposed to believe everything our government (or the world) tells us. That we should not think of the government as being God or that we should obey the government as if we were being given commandments from God. The government is not God! I wish people would stop blindly believing the government as if it WERE God! But I see people around me all the time treating the government and the news media as if they were God! And so I am only offering these principles and not trying to say what specific worldly issues are true or untrue. I do strongly recommend that people research the things we are all told since we have this wonderful researching tool, the internet. Of course we have to be careful there as well and use that discernment that God has given us. And I would consider, from the Bible, a verse from Hosea which says “”My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” Included in “lack of knowledge” has to be believing lies and being fooled. Now where is all this stuff I’m saying coming from? Well, for years someone told me this conspiracy theory. And I thought she was nuts but I didn’t quite come out and say that, thank God. But my skepticism was obvious. Some years later I stumbled across the truth which was that everything this woman told me had been true. I was in shock! And I was shocked out of automatically believing everything I was told from then on, especially by government, the politicians, and the news media. And, to my credit, I admitted to this woman that she had been right after all. Well, I had been humbled. Ultimately, I had been humbled by God. And, thank God, I had finally been open to learn the truth about that particular issue which was…well, I’ll just say it had something to do with 9/11. Right now the world is in trouble. I simply recommend trying to be a little bit open-minded…but not so much, as Swami said humorously, that our brains fall out. But I will say that, if you start looking for the truth, prepare to be shocked. By the way, you may wonder if I hate government. Not at all. I would very much love government…if the world were covered by little colonies teaching that plain living and high thinking lead to THE GREATEST HAPPINESS.
Afterthought: If you don’t understand the truth of what is really going on in the world how can you ever expect to understand the truth about yourself? I don’t mean becoming some expert in worldly matters. I simply mean knowing when you’re being told the truth and knowing when you’re lied to. I once saw this famous horror movie which I won’t even mention by name. But I do remember a line spoken by a priest in the movie, which was “The devil is a liar.” Well, I can’t end on that note. All Praise Be To God!
Thank you Clarita and thank you John. John, I found it heart opening to read that open minded people like you are in the lines of Yogananda’s army of Light. This era of revelation is not always easy to cope with, especially since truth now is not as sweet as candy. But Swamiji or Master did say that the spiritual path has nothing to do with sugary sweetness, but with great courage and strenghth to persevere till the end, even if Maya continues to deceive us. In duality, our great opportunity is to use Maya’s obstacles to strenghthen and rise, overcoming obstacles. Master made a specific call to his disciples to be warriors of light, so that he and our line of gurus can work through us on earth. We are their hands and feets here on the planet, let’s not lose this great opportunity of service. Awake brothers and sisters!
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) Joy to you!
Nice, Clarita, thanks!
Great reminders!
Clarita, thank you! Very nice article. I think for everybody it’s been a real challenge all this situation, because almost all the information that comes to us from the media is not uplifting at all, be it mainstream or alternative. It’s always good, though, to remember Yoganandaji’s words. In “Where there is light” (page 38, Portuguese edition), he states: ” An unlimited source of protection for man resides in firmly thinking that, as a son of God, he cannot be affected by disease” and ” Do your maximum to eliminate the causes of disease, and then stay absolutely fearless. There are so many germs everywhere that if you begin to have fear of them you’ll be completely unable to enjoy life. (…) Be fearless.”
Thank you for this inspiring piece of pep-up writing. It is frightning being bombarded with doom and gloom daily. Personally, I do feel my mood
being uplifted after the spiritual exercise.
Thank you, very helpful.
Namaste, I just finished and commented to you on your recent article, and then I found this one and all the replies that were all of the same voice, we are voicing the fear we are
all facing. Up till I read some of the replies, I have felt very isolated and alone. I have walked away from relationships that were not of the same mind on understanding the entire covid issue, standing in my beliefs and my truths, my search brought me to Ananda Village via youTube, went looking for your website, found it, just finished the Kriya Yoga classes, joining all of you and being part of God’s Spiritual Army.
Carol