In my very first blog post, on January 6, 2010 (Practically Applying the Path of Renunciation to the Worldly Life), I wrote about the negative effects of anger. Before writing today’s thoughts on anger, I will copy a few paragraphs from that article here:

It used to be popular to encourage people to really get their anger out, but now current research shows that anger releases the dreaded hormone cortisol into our bodies. Cortisol is the stress hormone that causes a lot of harm to the body. Once released, it remains active for up to 6-8 hours. Even talking about an incident that made us angry can release cortisol.

This current research validates what the spiritual masters of India have long since been teaching: that getting angry is not good for us.

Anandamayi Ma, a blissful mystic who lived in India 1896-1982, said the following on anger, “When anger arises in your heart try to cast it away… At the slightest indication of anger drink a sufficient quantity of cold water. Anger harms a human being in every respect. It produces the action of poison in the body. Pray to God to preserve you from this mood.” (Women of Power and Grace: Nine Astonishing, Inspiring Luminaries of Our Time, by Timothy Conway, Ph.D., the Wake Up Press, Santa Barbara, CA, 1995.)

Neem Karoli Baba, the Guru of Ram Dass, Bhagavan Das, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, and myself, also encouraged people to let go of anger. One devotee said the following, “Whenever I would get very angry, Maharajji would have someone bring me warm milk, or sweets, or some cardamom pods to chew. He said these things soften anger.” (Miracle of Love: Stories about Neem Karoli Baba, by Ram Dass, A Dutton Paperback, E.P. Dutton, NY, 1979.)

While I agree that anger is not good for us, there are times when anger can help us to break through something, and there are times when someone has wronged us and our anger is justified. At those times, I think the key is learning how to work skillfully with the anger.

Cultivating the Witness, that part of ourselves that objectively witnesses everything, is a helpful practice for working skillfully with anger. When we engage the Witness, then we can keep focused on watching the anger, rather than becoming the anger. (I write in more detail about Cultivating the Witness in my pocket book, Radiance Rising: Spiritual Practices for Daily Living, available on this website store in print or by e-book.)

Spiritual practices help me so much when anger is passing through my system. Sitting in silent meditation, I witness the anger in my system. I allow the anger, I accept the anger, and I intend for the anger to dissolve at the right time. I visualize the anger transforming into love, creativity, and service.

Sometimes I practice Tonglen, a Buddhist technique in which you breathe in the anger (or other negative emotion), for yourself and for everyone who is feeling anger in that moment, and then you breathe out love for yourself and for everyone else too. This practice has a very calming effect on an angry system. There is so much joy in witnessing the power that our hearts have to transmute negative energies into healing energies.

Chanting (singing) devotional songs while playing harmonium also helps me to shift into a more loving state. Instead of trying to make the anger go away, or to pretend that I’m not angry (when I really am angry), I just bring the anger right on into the singing, and allow the sound vibration to transform it. Even the most stubborn anger state will eventually dissolve in the practice of singing to God. The heart just can’t resist melting in the melodies.

Another way that I work skillfully with anger is by just letting it be there, but also consciously putting my attention on other things. The ancient Indian sutra states: The mind becomes that which it dwells upon. So, in the practice of Cultivating the Witness, it is a good idea – especially when witnessing anger – to just witness it, and then put the mind on more positive things.

May all beings learn to work skillfully with anger when it arises in them. May all anger states dissolve into the pure love energy that connects us all.

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s harmonium by Teja Shankara.