How does Practicing the Microcosmic Affect your Emotions?Should you Practice when Angry, Sad or Disappointed?

All these feelings will affect your practice. Because we live in a

stressful world, no one is able to live a really happy or satisfactory

life. Try to be content and satisfied with what you have. When you

become discouraged, do some exercise, take a long walk, or find

some other way to calm down and then have a good sleep and in

time you will feel better. There are many methods that are helpful.

You can chant or count your breaths or repeat mantras.

All of these divert your attention from your trouble and set you at

ease. But remember always to smile and relax. There are added

benefits to this practice. You will find that you will become calmer

and more stable and may no longer lose your temper as readily.

So it is safe to say that as you become healthier you will be less

angry. This has happened to many of my students. No matter how

much psychology you have studied or theories you have understood

or lectures you have attended about how to control your anger and your mind, if you do not actually practice, you will make no

progress.

Many of my students have told me that they have had philosophy

up to their necks but that it does not really help them. What we

are trying to tell you is that you will find out you have completed the

route and have harmonized the Yin and Yang in your body, you will

feel happier, less angry and will be able to take more stress. You

will see the world as beautiful and see all people as saints. By

contrast, if you are sick and frightened as a mouse, when you see

people, even good, kind people who want to help you, you will believe

that they want to harm you.

Your main aim now should be to make your body, your nervous

system, soul, spirit, your whole being — healthy, by means of this

training. Try to remind yourself to smile and do one good thing each

day. That is all you need. You do not have to depend on a higher

master to guide your spirit; your spirit is yours. No one else can

guide your spirit. If your spirit has to depend on others for guidance,

then you are in trouble.