Question

What destroys equanimity?

Answer
By Sharleen Oborowsky | Published: November 21, 2016 | Last updated: August 25, 2020

One of the primary aims of yoga is to cultivate and sustain an internal state of balance, poise and equanimity. We do this through the many practices and techniques given to us by the yoga tradition. To maintain our inner equanimity we study Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and do our best to live according to them. We practice physical asana daily and perhaps integrate various pranayama practices into our sadhana as well. Then we sit and meditate — one of the most potent tools for establishing and maintaining inner equanimity.

Improper Diet

Still, there are many things that destroy our inner poise. One of them is not nourishing our physical body with the right kinds of foods. We can wreak havoc on our body and our equanimity when we eat or drink foods that are lacking in vital energy. (Learn how A Plant-Based Diet Makes Better Yogis.)

Information Overload

We can also disrupt our equanimity by taking in the wrong information. We live in a world of information overload where everything we read and hear, everything that comes in via our senses, can leave us feeling overwhelmed. We need to get really picky about what we read online, watch on T.V. and listen to on the radio. (Read more in The Joys of Unplugging.)

Living in Regret

When our mind is lost in regret about the past or worry about the future, our mental state becomes unbalanced. To become grounded again, we must cultivate the witnessing mind, the mind that sees our thoughts from an objective standpoint. When we can choose not to identify with these thoughts, our inner equanimity remains intact.

Not Living Our Truth

Another thing that destroys our equanimity is when we don’t live our satya, or truth. When we live our lives seeking approval from others we lose our balance. We must get really quiet and ask ourselves, “Is this in line with my authentic self? By doing this or saying that, am I living by or speaking my truth?”

By considering all these things, you will establish yourself in equanimity as you walk the path of the yogi. (Read on in You May Be More Yogi Than You Think.)

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Written by Sharleen Oborowsky

Sharleen Oborowsky

Sharleen Oborowsky is an entrepreneur, free spirit, yogi, and mother, anchored in her joie de vivre. Sharleen co-founded Yogapedia in the summer of 2015 and is presently CEO. Yogapedia for her is more about her sadhana (practice) than business which inspires the writing. When she’s not doing yoga, she’s working on the business as well as raising her children.

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