Remove the stimulation
Who are you when your distractions are gone
You discover yourself when the phones, the people, the to-dos, the drinks, the smokes, the shopping, the work, the cookies, the TV are out of the picture. The impulse to self-medicate is incessantly fed and fostered in today's climate. When the temporary fixes are gone, we are there with all we may not want to see, feel or hear. This impermanent version of you is subject to modifications, don't worry. Yoga was built to intelligently intervene so we don't need to fill a void with external stimuli that we wind up needing more and more of to find relief.
Distractions diminished, we find the first step to clarity, recognition of a discomfort we don't want to sit with. When we remove what we self-medicate with, transformationally pertinent information becomes available. The philosophy we've been learning and the tools we've been practicing can gain traction.
Self-medication is raga-driven: that’s how we know we need to curb that beast. It’s a klesa. It’s only ok at very low levels. Like I have to have some interest in a food to eat it. A particular store to shop there. Some degree of interest in a hobby to learn and engage with it. A skill to cultivate it. A place to visit it. A life to live it. The problem is that like attracts like, dopamine reward hits feel good, and moderation fades into an increasing attraction that deviates our direction awya from the qualities needed to fulfill our dharma-s.
The endless pursuit of that which satisfies the senses does not satisy the soul: contraire mon frere/mon sœur. We need more to be happy. We stray far from the Yoga-sanctioned practice of samtosa/contentment, where true inner peace and happiness rest. What we medicate with takes up mental and physical space and generates the perpetuation of deeply ingrained patterns of longing. Unfulfilled, we experience it’s antithesis, actually the other side of the coin, dvesa, averson and dislike. It’s the zag to the zig, and it keeps us in a self generated and bumpy ride riddled with extremes.
When is it not self-medication? When it’s nourishing what you need to fulfill your responsibilities. When it supports, rather than subtracts, that what you need to have a stable home environment. When it improves your zest for life without hurting yourself or anyone. And when it leads you toward freedom from whatever samskara-s perpetuate your suffering.
It’s case specific. Some people may need to stay home on Friday nights - maybe they overdo the partying or drinking when they go out, overcompensating for an exhausting work week. I usually stay home, because I work Saturday mornings, but I made an exception. A friend asked me to see a famous comedian this weekend, and I said yes immediately. In my quiet time, I realize I need to laugh more, in the midst of some serious life situations. I also need to prioritize connection with friends time, meanwhile my days and nights are replete with responsibility that sometimes feels isolating. It was so much fun. That was a practice for me. Practice having nothing but fun. Today I did everything with a more uplifted feeling.
Counter the urges by doing specific practices, again person-specific, to curb the sensory stimulation frenzy, pratyahara. Chant mantra-s. Read books. Go on walks. Make a new recipe. Watch a film. Sit there. Listen to bird songs. Music. Podcast. Talk to a friend. Breathe. Pray. Knit. These are ways to quiet and soothe yourself, go inside. Sit with the uncomfortable feelings you are trying to shirk, process them. Lately I’ve taken up mehndi, adding a hobby of an art I love and have been interested in for many decades. It soothes me, and as a lifestyle intervention, brings me joy. The more joy and contentment, the less pleasure seeking. The less pleasure seeking, the more joy and contentment. Choose the path that leads to self-salvation.