Labeling Emotions: A Method of Practicing Brahmacharya

As I had written earlier, Brahmacharya means Divine Conduct. Central to this spiritual practice is tackling, channeling, and uprooting negative tendencies to achieve inner peace and spiritual growth.

Read this post for free here: Friend Link

My Fight With Anger

In the last couple of years, I’ve seldom lost my temper. However, this calm demeanor is a stark contrast to the angry young woman I used to be. My rage was not just a fleeting emotion but a force that practically controlled every cell of my body. Those who knew me well were all too aware of my volatile personality.

My anger was so acute that, like a parrot, I repeatedly asked my mentor for a way to regulate it for nearly five years. He would give me encouraging words, hinting that I would find a way out, but I felt unworthy of his trust in me. That’s because the problem lingered, and I remained the same fiery person.

Gradually, my battle with anger turned into a source of fear and frustration. This negative trait impacted my relationships and overall well-being. With time, I even lost trust in myself because I never knew when I would become an exploding firecracker.

The Labeling Technique

There’s more to my anger story, but I eventually stumbled upon a powerful technique called Labeling Emotions. This technique works with most negative tendencies, making it a robust tool for emotional management.

Labeling Emotions, in short, is a practice in which we observe the mind objectively and tag our feelings before reacting. For example, if you notice anger, you would say out loud: I am feeling anger. By doing so, we gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and our emotional triggers. When done over a period of six months to a year, this leads to better emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Scientific research supports this age-old spiritual practice. Studies have shown that labeling emotions activates the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher-order thinking and emotional regulation. By creating a psychological distance between ourselves and our feelings, we can reduce their impact and respond more thoughtfully.