Meditation And Mental Health
Mental health problems are increasing due to:
1. Individuals with mental health issues are not seeking timely help due to the attached social stigma.
2. Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many pre-existing dormant psychological symptoms into morbid manifestations. The urgent need to address mental health issues led to the use of tele counselling to provide psychological first aid.
3. Rising stress level made us believe that "being stressed is a mundane problem and even an existential crisis". So, without stress, one feels non-existent.
This rise in mental health issues has brought in specific disciplines which, when adapted to one's lifestyle, can change the outlook of dealing with stress. Of these disciplines, meditation is the most commonly discussed discipline in our Eastern tradition.
Meditation was a part of our daily living in ancient times, and different ashrama dharma have insisted on specific ways to bring meditation into our everyday life.
What is meditation?
Mediation is a state of mind in which one experiences calmness, peacefulness, joyfulness and blissfulness. It is attained through streamlining one's thoughts, focusing on certain thoughts and finally being one with the thought.
Patanjali, an ancient saint, has written about regulating and freeing the mind from thoughts. According to him, one needs to prepare their physical gross body and move into the subtler body and then to the mind. Yoga sutra talks about the eight limbs of yoga, which prepare and take one into sadhana to get liberated. These are yama and niyama; disciplines one adopts towards society and oneself. Asana for the physical, pranayama and pratyahara for the physiological life process. Dharana and dhyanam are for the mental body, and Samadhi is a state of bliss where one unites with the higher self.
What happens when you practise meditation regularly?
Stress hormone levels decrease at the physical level, reducing their unwanted impact.
The sleep-wake cycle gets well-regulated at the physiological level, and the inner circadian rhythm is well-established and functions efficiently.
At the emotional level, getting a good night's sleep improves alertness and perspective, helping tackle life's challenges as opportunities.
At the intellectual level, there is clarity in mind, which helps make decisions clearly and undertake the proposed work tasks with clarity.
How to meditate?
Meditation is a personal experience of the mind that cannot be taught. But preliminary steps can take one into this state of meditation. It always starts with a tangible object to focus on, and from there, it dissolves into an intangible space. There are many things one can choose for the focus in different schools of meditation. These include candlelight, flora and fauna in nature, mantras, attributes of deities or even a single word.
What are the practical tips to start the process?
Physical level - Balanced nutrition with early dinner by 6-6:30 PM. It will improve sleep quality, thereby preparing the groundwork in the mind.
Emotional level - Reflection of the day before going to sleep in the reverse order. This needs to be seen with the eyes closed and visualising oneself as the third person in the process of the events.
Mental level - Experiencing the connection of movement and breath through yoga and tai chi.
Working at the physical, emotional and mental level helps holistically and eases the meditation process.
