Mistakes

Midway through my project, I have encountered the first main stumbling block: my own mistakes in scheduling my interventions. I initially set up my project to be an experiment. My independent variable is intervention type with the dependent variable my stress scores as measured by various tests. While this might not have been the best idea, it was an idea that came naturally (having come from a natural science background) and made this project a little more interesting to me. However, I did not set up my project as well as I would have liked.

When I reviewed my plan of action yesterday, I realized that I missed the date for switching from my yoga intervention to my mantram intervention by about 3 weeks (this is probably due to finals and break proving to be excellent distractions). This was very upsetting and made me feel like I failed at this project. Also, it was sad for me because I was really getting into the yoga and didn't want to switch to something else. But I had to follow my plan... After some rescheduling and revision to my proposal, I am newly back on track with my project.

That said, I started my mantram intervention. This is based on an article I read (and included in my portfolio) that looked at nurses who repeated mantrams (mini-prayers/words) during stressful situations to calm down. I wanted to include something very mental in the stress-reduction techniques, as opposed to the physical activities like exercise and yoga. This intervention differs from the others in that I will not be using my intervention on a regular basis (unlike exercise and yoga) but rather when I feel the need or are stressed and can use mantram repetition for immediate calming-down.

My tentative mantrams are included below. I would probably use part of one as opposed to the entire phrase. I did not have an occasion to use one today, so maybe tomorrow?

In beauty we are united, / through beauty we pray, / with beauty we conquer. (Nicholas Roerich)

…I am the aim of wisdom. / I am gained by wisdom. / In the heart am I set firm. (Bhagaved Gita 13: 34)

For it is in giving that we receive… (Part of the Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi)

In joy I walk. In joy I cool down…In joy my head becomes serene. (Part of a prayer by Torkom Saraydarian)

Grant me, O Lord, the mastery of self! (Agni Yoga Society, Leaves of Morya’s Garden, Vol. I, para. 35)

From the book:

Prayers, Mantrams, and Invocations. Selections from Torkom Saraydarian and other sources. TSG Publishing Foundataion, Inc. Cave Creek, USA. 2001.

I think my favorite is the "in joy I walk" mantram because it includes phrases that specify cooling down from stress and being serene--just the words one needs when stressed out!