“All the negative emotions are just distortions of love. Acceptance is the first step to handle these emotions.” — Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Select your emotion below and watch Gurudev’s wisdom on it.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji has spoken extensively on how to handle difficult emotions. His central teaching is that emotions are not to be suppressed or indulged, but understood — and that the breath is the most direct bridge between the mind and the emotions.
Select an emotion above to watch Gurudev's wisdom on it, followed by a guided meditation. Below is a summary of his teaching on each of the ten emotions covered on this page. All videos are free and sourced from Gurudev's official YouTube channel.
Gurudev teaches that anger arises when our expectations are not met. Rather than suppressing it or acting on it, he suggests observing the breath — anger cannot survive a few rounds of deep, conscious breathing. Understanding that the other person is acting from their own limitations dissolves anger into compassion.
Gurudev describes anxiety as the mind living in an imagined future. Breath brings the mind back to the present moment, where anxiety cannot exist. Practising pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya settles the nervous system and restores the natural calm that anxiety covers over.
According to Gurudev, depression often comes from either too much of the past or too many unfulfilled desires. Service to others, breathing practices and meditation lift the prana — the life energy — and naturally restore enthusiasm and joy.
Gurudev explains that fear is love standing upside down — it arises because we love something and fear losing it. Recognising the impermanence of everything, and taking refuge in the present moment through breath, dissolves fear at its root.
Guilt, Gurudev says, is a useless emotion that keeps you stuck in the past. Recognise that the person who made the mistake was a different you, at a different level of awareness. Learn, forgive yourself, and move forward — that is the only useful response.
Gurudev teaches that jealousy comes from comparison and a sense of lack. Every person has their own unique gifts and their own path. When you feel your own abundance, jealousy has nothing to stand on.
Loneliness, Gurudev says, is a signal that you have not yet met yourself. In meditation you discover that you are never truly alone — the whole existence is with you. Loneliness transforms into aloneness, which is completeness.
Gurudev reminds us that emotions are like clouds — they come and they pass. Sadness is not to be resisted but allowed, observed, and breathed through. Beneath every emotion is an unchanging silence that is untouched by sorrow.
Gurudev defines stress as too much to do, too little time, and no energy. Correct any one of these and stress dissolves. Breathing techniques and meditation restore energy, and with energy, everything becomes manageable.
Worry is the misuse of imagination, Gurudev teaches. It solves nothing and drains everything. Bring the mind to the present through the breath, do what can be done, and leave the rest — this is the secret of a worry-free mind.
This free emotional wellness tool is offered by BWG – Breath Wisdom Grace, a volunteer platform sharing Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji's wisdom since 2013.
