Ayurveda teaches that true health arises from harmony between the body, mind, and spirit
DR. SONAL SAWANT
In today’s fast paced life, mental health has become just as important as physical health. Stress, anxiety, disturbed sleep, emotional exhaustion, and depression are increasingly affecting people of all ages.
According to ayurveda, the mind (manas) is influenced by three fundamental qualities known as the
‘Trigunas’:
Sattva- Purity, clarity, wisdom, peace, and emotional stability.
Rajas – Activity, passion, restlessness, and excessive desires.
Tamas – Ignorance, confusion, laziness, and emotional heaviness.
Optimal mental health is achieved when sattva predominates while rajas and tamas remain in balance.
The three ‘doshas’ – vata, pitta, and kapha – also influence mental and emotional health. An imbalance in vata causes anxiety, fear, insomnia and racing thoughts. Pitta imbalance may lead to anger, irritability, frustration, and burnout. A kapha imbalance can contribute to low motivation, sadness, lethargy, and depression.
The common symptoms of mental imbalance are persistent stress or anxiety, excessive working, difficulty in concentrating, irritability or mood swings, disturbed sleep or insomnia, fatigue despite adequate rest, low confidence and self-esteem, lack of enthusiasm and motivation, emotional overwhelm, social withdrawal, and unexplained physical complaints such as headaches, digestive disturbance or bodyache. If these symptoms are severe, persistent or interfere with daily life, evaluation by qualified health professional is important.
Ayurveda identifies several contributing factors for this mental imbalance. These include irregular daily routine, poor digestion (agni) leading to toxin accumulation, unhealthy eating habits, sleep deprivation, excessive work related stress, emotional trauma, suppression of natural emotions, lack of exercise, excessive use of digital devices and weak mind- body resilience.
Ayurveda remedies
Follow a balanced daily routine: A regular routine stabilises the nervous system. Wake up early, eat meals on time, practice gentle exercise, and sleep before 10.30pm whenever possible.
Nourish the mind with healthy diet: Foods to include in your diet are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, soaked almonds and walnuts, and warm herbal tea. It is recommended that you limit processed, preserved, and junk fruits, refined sugar, excess caffeine, alcohol, and late night meals.
Ayurveda herbs: Herbs commonly used for supporting mental wellness, strictly under professional guidance include brahmi which supports memory and mental clarity, ashwagandha which helps the body adapt to stress, shankhpushpi which is traditionally used to promote calmness and concentration, jatamansi, which is traditionally used for relaxation and emotional balance, and guduchi that supports overall vitality and resilience.
Panchkarma therapies: Specialised therapies may help promote relaxation and support overall well-being. These include shirodhara, abhyanga, nasya, shiro –abhyang, and pada abhyanga. These therapies are to be performed strictly under professional supervision.
Yoga and meditation: Daily practice, even of just 20 minutes, can help improve emotional balance.
(The writer is an ayurveda consultant at Shree Mahalaxmi Ayurveda Clinic, Fatorda)
