Yoga sutra 1.31
duḥkha-daurmanasya-aṅgamejayatva-śvāsapraśvāsāḥ vikṣepa sahabhuvah
The symptoms of such mental agitation are:
Suffering
Negative thinking
Restlessness
Erratic breathing
The nine obstacles that may cause you to wonder off the spiritual path, as outlined by Patanjali in the previous sutra, present themselves via these four symptoms:
Suffering: an emotional wound
Negative thinking: thoughts which can bring despair
Restlessness: being physically unable to stay still, e.g. trembling limbs
Erratic breathing: when your breathing lacks harmony and is no longer rhythmic.
The above-mentioned symptoms, then, are symptoms of a troubled mind. To bring you back to yourself, the systematic repetition of AUM (ॐ) can be a useful tool to centre yourself. Once centred, the above-mentioned symptoms melt away.
Damian Cadman-Jones is an authorised teacher of Prana Vashya Yoga™