Yoga and Mental Health

Amidst the din and clamour of the modern life, a piercing eye does not fail to detect the latent sense of dismay and frustration in man. The materialistic pursuit of deriving hedonistic sensous pleasures has left an emptiness which has engulfed the man from all angles rendering him incapable of positive thinking and spiritual awakening.

Mind has been gripped by unknown fears, hallucinations, and what not. All around we feel an army of mentally and physically emaciated persons who count their days on the strength of sedatives, hypnotics and tranquilisers to get a temporary peace of mind which still eludes them. The situation is not only alarming but also grim. If these suicidal tendencies are not successfully checked and this dangerous drift towards obvious chaos is not halted there is no escape for humanity from disastar.

One wonders as to what has happened to this ancient land of Rishis and Munis. For a while it seemed that the age old science of Yoga which had enabled our ancestors to overcome even the fear of death has vanished completely and there is no one to surive this great science It is, however, heartening to note that some Yoga devotees have revived the art of Mahayogeshwar Lord Krishna scientifically enunciated by the Seer Patanjali. Sufficient literature is now available allover the world and an honest effort is being made to inculcate the spirit of Yoga in the individuals to enable them to overcome stress, anxiety, etc. and to live a blooming life. Yoga has manifold advantages : Physical, Mental and Spiritual. But the scope of the present article has only been limited to the mental health. Modern psychology is still in infancy and has not fully grasped the complete intricacies of the mind despite best efforts of giants like Freud, Joad, Jung and Havelock Ellis etc.

On the other hand our ancient Rishis were fully aware of the mysteries and powers of mind and emphasis was laid on controlling the mind which runs like an unbridled horse. For this purpose a code of conduct and ethics was evolved in the form of Yogic Kriyas including Asanas which are an important prelude to the training of the mind. Because a powerful and sound mind would dwell only in a healthy and sound body and so Yoga Asanas are very essential for every Sadhak who must religiously practice daily to rise high in the intellectual, ethical and spiritual fields.

Before we proceed further on the subject under reference it is very important to study and understand the chief causes of mental imbalance. Broadly it can be divided in the following main categories:

1. Congenital disorders
2. Heriditary defficiencies
3. Biological defects like space occupying tensions of the brain and menengitis etc.
4. Psychological and functional reasons
5. Economic Pressures
6. Stress and Strain due to fast life and morbid thinking.

Yoga Yama as Social Discipline

The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘yuj’ (meaning to bind the yoke. It is the true union of our will with the will of God.

Our ancient sages have suggested eight stages of ‘yoga’ to secure purity of body, mind and soul. They are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. The brief explanation to these eight stages has been given below

Yama (Social Discipline)

Yama means restraint or abstention. It contains five moral practices. They are
Non-violence (Ahimsa), Truthfulness (Satya), Non-stealing (Asteya), Celibacy (Brahmacharya) and Non-acquisitiveness (Aparigraha).

Non-violence (Ahimsa) means not to hurt any creature mentally or physically through mind, speech or action. Truthfulness (Satya) is the presentation of a matter as perceived with the help of sense organs.

Non-stealing (Asteya) means not to covet and acquire physically, mentally or by speech others’ possessions.

Celibacy -Moderation in sex (Brahmacharya): Brahmacharya does not mean lifelong celibacy, but moderation in sex between married couples.

Non-acquisitiveness (Aparigraha) means abandoning wealth and means of sensual pleasures.

Yoga Helps in Mental Tension and Stress

Longing for material wealth has hardened our heart. Human values are declining. Work to time, competition and commotion have made us suffer from stress and strain. Mental tension or strain produces undesirable consequences. Stress and strain are the causes of physical as well as psychological diseases such as diabetes, cancer, acidity, ulcer, migraine and hypertension.

How can we prevent ourselves from being strained and degenerated? Should we discard science and scientific inventions? Should we return to the care-life and live as the aborigines lived?

As a matter of fact, to do so is neither practical nor necessary. Yoga has the surest remedies for man’s physical as well as psychological ailments. Yoga makes the organs of the body active in their functioning and has good effect on internal functioning of the human body. Yoga changes for good man’s views on and attitude to, life.

Introduction to Yoga

Man has made tremendous progress in almost every walk of life. Objects once considered impossible to be achieved have now been achieved by us. What we have achieved and accompli shed today could not have been imagined in their dreams by our past generations. Modern scientists and researchers have absolutely changed our life-style. Science has been incessantly pouring on us new materials and devices to make our physical life more happy and comfortable.

However, pollution of air, water, body and mind is also the result of science. We witness despair and disappointment on the faces of our young generation. Signs of restlessness are apparently visible in the dry and dull eyes of our young men and women. Sloping shoulders, flat chest and bulging stomachs have becomes their characteristics. Why?

Today we can claim that we are modern and civilized but cannot claim that we are genuinely happy. We today use tranquilizers for sleep pills for purgative and tonics for vigor. Tranquilizers and sedatives are in vogue in our modern society. Charmed by and; then, addicted to intoxicative drugs, our youth is led to the path of disgrace and self-destruction.