CV1-I2-15-Executive Health : Managing Anger for Personal Excellence

Prelude

Gautam Buddha said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else and you are the one who gets burned.”

Wise words from Mahatma Gandhi teaches us that the best use of our anger towards the injustice we see or experience is to be actively involved in creating solutions to the problem and practice non-violent resistance. This principle can be applied to anything in our lives. It takes great insight and self-control to use our energy in this way. Mahatma Gandhi said, “I have learned through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy, even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power that can move the world.”

Author of best sellers and modern thinker Mr. Eknath Easwaran said, “Mahatma Gandhi provides a perfect example of how anger can be harnessed. As a young, unknown, brown-skinned lawyer traveling in South Africa on business, he was roughly thrown from the train because he refused to surrender his first-class ticket and move to the third-class compartment. He spent a cold, sleepless night on the railway platform.” On that night, he conquered his anger and vowed to resist injustice, not by violence or retaliation, but through the loving power of nonviolent resistance, which elevates the consciousness of both oppressed and oppressor. This story of Gandhi proves that with firm resolution one can use the high intensity emotion – anger for positive work.

According to Bhagwad Geeta, “Pride, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance – these qualities belong to those of demonic nature” (B.G. 16:04). There are three gates leading to the hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give up these, for they lead to the degradation of the soul” (B. G. 16:21). It is lust only, Oh Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into anger, and which is all-devouring sinful enemy of human kind” (B. G. 03:37). While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust, anger arises (B.G. 02:62). From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down to bottom” (B. G. 02:63)”

Thus, the above shlokas of Bhava Geeta described the six deadly afflictions of mind called Shadripus viz.

Kama (Lust), Krodha (Anger), Lobha (Greed), Moha (Delusion), Mada (Ego), Matsarya (Jealousy)

Each of these six mental afflictions are interconnected and they follow one another in ‘buy one get five free’ manner. Anger is the second in order of these six free gifts.

Indian Epics – Personality Evidences

Sage Jamadagni- Though he took birth as a brahminic sage, Jamadagni was with kshatriya energies i.e. anger was his personality trait. His wife Renuka was very honest, loyal and dedicated to her husband. Unfortunately, one day at the bank of river Narmada she saw a beautiful Gandharva King Charita and her mind got fascinated towards him. Sage Jamadagni came to know about her mental turbulence and asked his youngest son Parshurama to behead her. Thus, Renuka was killed for the fault done by her in subconscious level. Jamdagni was known for his ultra-firebrand nature and people used to keep away from him. Such was the state of Jamdagni’s anger level. There was no provision for Police or Judicial enquiries during those days.

Durvasa - The story of angry Durvasa, the son of Sage Atri and Anusuya, appears in Puranas. He was known for his short temper. Anger used to reside on the tip of his nose. He would curse at once without any study or any probe into the background of the incidence. He once visited Shakuntala’s home and found that she was daydreaming about her lover, Dushyanta. Durvasa cursed her that her lover would forget her. Horrified, Shakuntala’s companions managed to mollify Durvasa, who softened the curse. He said that Dushyanta would remember Shakuntala when he sees the ring that he gave her as a token of their love. Later the two got married and gave birth to the famous king Bharata.

Western Views

The Bible says that “The words of the reckless pierce like swords” and that “a harsh word stirs up anger but a gentle answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 12.18: 15:1)

According to Aristotle, “Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way…that is not within everybody’s power and is not easy.”.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one”.

Mark Twain said, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”.

After Effects

Anger breeds hostility and hostility soon becomes permanent personality trait. As we all know that hostile people are unhappy, emotionally insecure and have low sense of self-esteem. Anger develops greater stress in interpersonal aspects at work, negative approach to work, lack of open mindedness resulting into less job satisfaction, create unfriendly social environment, initiating verbal antagonism, physical assaults, rage, slapping, shoving and use of weapon as the last resort. As a result, both your health and work in the office gets affected. It may result in job termination or frequent job shifts. Hence, advice is to manage your ‘Anger’ which is your real hidden enemy, which is like uninvited guest and surfaces at any time.

Biologically, ‘Anger’ excites autonomous nervous system, increases speed of breathing, increases blood pressure leading to heart attack (sometimes). It impairs senses, brings disorientation, releases harmful enzymes in blood called cortisol, damages immune cells, and drains adrenal glands, the cells get converted into cholesterol and which creates arterial blocks.

Managing Anger

‘Anger’ is harmful to parties involved. Hence, one should develop skills to recognise that you, or someone else, is becoming angry and take appropriate action to deal with the situation in a positive way. Managing ‘Anger’ does not mean internalising or suppressing anger. Anger is a normal human emotion and, when dealt with appropriately, can even be considered a healthy emotion.  We all feel angry from time to time, yet this feeling can lead us to say or do things that we later regret. Anger can reduce our inhibitions and make us act inappropriately. Anger management concerns recognising the triggers for anger as early as possible and expressing these feelings and frustrations in a cool, calm and collected way.

There are many anger management techniques that you can learn and practise by yourself or teach to others. However, practicing ‘Yoga’ is one of the proven techniques. You should seek professional help if anger is having a long-term negative impact on your relationships, is making you unhappy, or is resulting in any dangerous or violent behaviour. Following yogic activities are recommended for managing anger to a tolerable level:

• Pranayama –Sahaj pranayama, Anuloma viloma, Bhramari, Ujjai, Sheetali, Seetkari, Bhastrika with movement of arms.
• Yoga asanas – Vajrasana, Yoga Mudra, Anjali Mudra, Tadasana, Makarasana, Gomukhasana, Balasana, Shashankasana, Gomukhasana, Agnisaar kriya.
• Mudra healing – Anjali Mudra, Apan Vayu Mudra.
• Agnisaar Kriya
• Suryanamaskar
• Yoga Nidra

Yoga provides the most effective, economic, longer lasting, without side effects and eco-friendly methods to handle anger. The senses are directly controlled by mind and mind is controlled by the controlling and regulating breathing. Mind becomes calm and meditative and the external events cease to cause stress. The steady rhythm of breath relaxes the body and detaches the mind from the worries of the external world. A relaxed person possesses dynamic energy that does not dissipate under stressful conditions and works in full flow.

Prof Arjun Naik

Prof. Arjun Naik, is HOD Life Style Management, ITM Business School, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai