Our Health is in our Mind

Our mental training begins the moment we are born. The belief systems of our family are slowly and steadily injected into our minds. From there on we start learning and imbibing traits, habits, thought process and start forming our own belief system based on what we see and hear our peers doing. We are given a long list of Do’s and Don’ts, how we should conduct ourselves and behaviour acceptable to our family and our society. We have to follow and confirm to the demands of our parents, friends, family, society, teachers and the list goes on, even if it is at the expense of our own interests and liking.

We thus embark on a journey of unhappiness, frustration, dejection and depression. We learn several unwanted stress causing negative emotions that are detrimental to our health like Anger, Greed, Jealousy….

STRESS can be mental as well as physical, active as well as passive. Active and physical stress is visible and we are aware of it while mental and passive stress can keep lurking in our sub conscious without we even being aware of it! Stress is one of the major causes for Hypertension, Diabetes, Depression and host of other diseases. Stress lowers the disease fighting capabilities of our body and opens us up to the attack of germs, toxins and viruses floating in the air, water & food that we consume.

Human body has been designed to be HAPPY. We are born with only one emotion: LOVE. Everything else is learnt after coming into this world. Fear, Revenge, Hatred, Rudeness are all learnt here and was never a part of god’s design. Thus, whenever we are consumed by these negative emotions, our body does not know how to handle it.

All types of negative emotions cause mental stress and after a point we just stop feeling the stress caused by these negative emotions. Do you remember being stressed when you were angry as a kid? Yes, after continuous exposure to negativity we stop feeling the stress and gloat about it that nothing affects us. This is no cause of celebration. It is a cause of worry. If you can still consciously feel stress after being afflicted by a negative emotion, you are still ALIVE! Be happy and Rejoice!!

If mental stress was not enough, we pile ourselves with physical stress as well. Lack of sleep, Gymming even when body is demanding rest, Chasing deadlines are all major causes of physical stress. Mental and Physical stress when combined become a deadly cocktail, opening us up to the attack of the viruses and germs who have been lurking and waiting to launch an attack.

Stress activates a release of a hormone called Cortisol in our body. Cortisol is our body’s defence response mechanism whose function is to increase the release of sugar in our bloodstream. Cortisol results in temporary burst of energy and mental alertness and also lowering of our sensitivity to pain to enable us to counter the stress effectively. It has been scientifically proved that uncontrolled and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream due to sustained and chronic stress, have negative effects, such as: Memory impairment, Blood sugar imbalances, Decreased bone density, Decrease in muscle tissue, Higher blood pressure, Lowered immunity and other health consequences.

Modern Urban lifestyle driven, heightened aspirations have induced a continuous sustained passive stress opening us to a host of diseases. How can we come out of this “chakravyuh”? It is entirely upto us! What is more important: Health or Wealth? First we sacrifice our peace and health for money and then we are compelled to sacrifice money to get back our health!

Get out of the RUT. Take control of your life. Mindless chase will only make us sick. We need to cut the chase. It is very simple and very easy:

• Don’t worry be happy — Happiness is the natural emotion we are born with
• Relax — Meditate and relax you body, remove muscle tension
• Give up or control your negative emotions — Anger, Greed, Jealousy
• Sleep well. Give your body enough rest. You should feel well rested and alive when you wake up and not fatigued and dead!
• Get closer to the nature — Walk in the greens, swim in the sea, and lie in the sand. Loose yourself to nature.
• Do nothing for a change; give your brain a break. Take a vacation sans the mobile, laptop.

Don’t do the above for anyone else. You owe it yourself. You will yourself see the difference.

Indians are a largest group of people afflicted by Hypertension and Diabetes and more and more are getting affected every year. Indians are also supposed to be the unhappiest and rudest people. You see the connection!
If you don’t believe me visit a school, hospital, govt. office and you will experience the rudeness yourself. Road rage cases are a plenty and people pick up a fight and kill for smallest of reasons. Our nation has been overtaken by

Anger, Frustration, Greed which making us sick, very SICK.