Holistic Anger Relief

In its balanced state, anger is considered a healthy emotional response to stress, frustration, or injustice. When expressed in a calm, controlled manner, anger clears the air, dispels tension, and restores balance.

In this Hub you'll find several holistic techniques you can apply to lessen the intensity of anger, so that you'll be able to calm yourself down and respond to any anger-producing situation in a tranquil and relaxed manner.

photo credit: stephcarter

In Bach flower therapy, developed over sixty years ago by the English homeopathic practitioner Edward Bach, 38 individual distilled flower essences are used to soothe the body and mind.

Of these flower essences, use Rescue Remedy when you feel your emotions getting out of control and you need to restore a sense of calm. Every day our emotions are put to the test; whether it’s heavy traffic, problems with a co-worker, or the thousands of things that need to get done each day. Whatever the situation, Rescue Remedy can help. It's natural and can be taken at any time.

Rescue Remedy contains five of the 38 Bach Flower Essences; these are:

• Rock Rose for terror and panic
• Impatiens for irritation and impatience
• Clematis for inattentiveness
• Star of Bethlehem for shock
• Cherry Plum for irrational thoughts

Place four drops of Rescue Remedy in a glass of water and take sips from the water at frequent intervals. If necessary, place four drops of Rescue Remedy directly under the tongue.

Yoga is a system of poses which coordinates breathing and physical activity to engage mind and body. The fluid, methodic movements of yoga will help you to purposely slow down a frantic mind and stressed body. In addition, proper breathing--which is called pranayama--allows the body’s prana, or energy, to flow more efficiently.

By focusing on precise movements and controlled breathing, you stay in the moment rather than obsessing about whatever is making your angry. You can get started by following along with the video below (don't push your body if you begin to feel any pain).

Aromatherapy is the practice of enhancing health and mood through the use of concentrated plant extracts. When an essential oil is inhaled, its molecules travel up through the nose to the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that is the center of arousal and emotion. Smell is the only one of the five senses in which messages travel directly to the limbic system, bypassing the cerebral cortex, the “thinking” part of the brain.

Essential oils can be found in health food stores, as well as holistic shops, and can be rubbed on the body, added to a bath or foot soak, or simply placed on a cotton ball and inhaled deeply. You can also get scented candles or a scented oil diffuser. Some of the essential oils that are known to help alleviate anger and anxiety are the following:

• Lavender
• Chamomile
• Jasmine
• Ylang-ylang

Dr. Vasant Lad, director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, suggests putting a cotton ball in the right nostril and breathing only through the left nostril for about an hour.

Another alternative is to try plugging your right ear with cotton and hearing only through the left ear for several hours. According to Dr. Lad, these techniques will help open up channels to the right brain, which will help you in cooling down anger.