Let go of your Stresses: Story by Chariji Maharaj

Chariji Maharaj (of Shri Ram Chandra Mission), to emphasise the effectiveness of the Cleaning practice in Sahaj Marg system of Raja Yoga, presented this simple story for all to understand. 

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: ”How heavy is this glass of water?”

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down! Thank you. 

The relevance of Cleaning is known through this. If something affects us like accident or anything, if that causes some stress, anxiety etc. we can do Cleaning immediately for two minutes or so, need not wait till the evening (cleaning). 

The current President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission, Shri Kamlesh D Patel, talks about Samskaras and Impressions and their effects in this link: http://dailysrcm.blogspot.com/2015/12/samskaras-shri-kamlesh-d-patel.html