Abstract
Nowadays, it is not an uncommon thing to know that someone close to you is suffering from depression, anxiety and stress. This is because we have surrounded ourselves with so much negativity and our lifestyle is also corrupted. On one side where people are trying to find a solution for this problem in the modern world, another side is offering a permanent cure for such problems with the help of yoga and meditation. Today, we will learn how we could take help of yoga and meditation to fight stress and anxiety.
Introduction
With the advancement in the field of science and technology, we have been able to be more productive. Today with the help of the latest technology, we are able to complete work with the help of a single person instead of ten people. But still, the pressure of work and business is so immense that it has led to continuous feelings of stress and this very stress remains with us, even when we are home and affects our relationships. This could be managed with the help of yoga and meditation. But before we start with the benefits let us explore a bit about the origin of yoga and meditation.
History of Yoga
Literal meaning of yoga in Sanskrit means “Yuj” that is to join. It is basically an exercise which enables one to join with the Universe. It is considered as an art, science and philosophy all at one time. It brings balance between the body and the mind. The history of yoga begins with the time thousands of years ago, long before when the birth of the first religion was taking place i.e dawn of civilization. Lord Shiva is considered as the first yogi or Adiyogi and the first guru of Adiguru. It was in the Himalayas where it is believed that Adiyogi, Lord Shiva gave the knowledge of yoga to saptarishis “seven sages”. From there, the seven sages spreaded the knowledge of yoga in different parts of the world. For many years, yoga was believed to be restricted only with the physical plane that is the body, whereas in reality it is beyond that. It merely does not make one’s body strong, but also the mind. It is a tool which could be used to get aligned with the cosmic to reach the highest level of understanding. It could be concluded that yoga is about harmonising oneself with the Universe. Yoga should not be seen as related to any particular religion, as this is more related to the inner self than the outer world.
Benefits of yoga and meditation
1. Reduces stress
It helps to dig deep into your inner self and enables you to find the power that is lying in your body. This power helps to fight the stressful situations of your life. It relaxes the body and mind that alleviates pain due to stress. We often think that planning a trip to hill stations or some other places will bring peace to us, but we never try to find the real peace from within us. If we try to do this with the help of meditation and yoga, then we will see that the real peace was always there inside us, the only thing is that we had loaded this with so much weight of negative emotions.
2. Improves Flexibility
Yoga also helps you to be more flexible. This allows you to be more productive in your daily life. Sitting hours have increased so dramatically that it has led to complaints like pain in the cervical region, lower back ache, headaches, bad posture etc. Just imagine that people around you have started noticing you and complimenting you for the good posture that you have developed because of yoga. This appreciation would keep you motivated and stress free.
3. You feel energetic
One of the causes of stress, anxiety and depression is lack of energy. This could be compensated easily with the help of yoga and meditation. You need not to opt for expensive and harmful energy drinks, rather you can simply do some meditation and yoga asanas that will fill you with a lot of positive energy. Just imagine how a toddler is capable of playing all day without getting tired, because he is full of energy. And that energy is not coming from a food source but within. Therefore, yoga and meditation helps us to find this very energy from within.
4. It makes you attentive
As they say, you are the best judge of yourself. So, just think and try to recall when was the last time when you were fully attentive in a place, be it your college, school or office. We are nowadays so much stressed that our mind is either diving deep in the sorrows of the past, or dreaming about a happy future with open eyes. This grinding between past and future is ruining our present. This could be easily managed with the help of yoga and meditation. The state where our mind is in our present where it can be more productive, constructive and happy.
5. Prevents chronic diseases
The immunity of most of the people these days has been severely hit by our bad eating habits, poor sleep and drug abuse. This makes us more prone to diseases like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stress and anxiety. Yoga could be beneficial in dealing with this problem as it helps to boost the immunity. According to the ancient ayurvedic texts, the main cause of chronic disease is vitiation of doshas. Yoga and meditation also helps to bring those doshas in balance once again.
6. Improves relationships
A stressed mind could not maintain a healthy relationship because it could not take better decisions in critical situations. Anger, anxiety, restlessness are very dangerous things for any relationship. Therefore, by adopting yoga one could relax his mind so that it could stay happy and peaceful. Yoga and meditation fills you with so much positive energy that your relationship improves because the positive aura attracts people around you.
7. You find your inner strength
Just like without a deep cleaning of your house you do not get rid of extra junk from your home, yoga and meditation also helps you to get rid of negative thoughts, restlessness, anger and other negative emotions. Along with this, you also become able to find your inner strength with the help of yoga and meditation. This inner strength helps you to fight the stressful situations of life.
8. Helps in weight loss
Nowadays, there is a group of people who are under stress because of their body shape. This is very natural because we are living in a time where there is a constant feeling of competition among everyone. Therefore, yoga and meditation are helpful for such people in two ways. One way is by helping them to lose weight by increasing their metabolic rate, and second by making them conscious about the quality and quantity of food.
Conclusion
We see how yoga and meditation are helpful to live a happy life and reduce stress, anxiety. It is a blessing from our ancestors which we have forgotten in the pursuit of happiness that is of short duration and temporary. But, if we are ready to adapt these simple tools, then we will see how our lives change in a better and constructive way.
Dr. Vikram Chauhan (MD – Ayurveda) is the CEO and Founder of Planet Ayurveda Pvt. Ltd. He is Author of the Book “Ayurveda – God’s Manual For Healing”. He is an Ayurveda Expert Serving People worldwide through all the Possible Mediums, Operating from Main Branch in Mohali, India. With his Vast Experience in Herbs and their Applied Uses, he is successfully treating Numerous Patients suffering from Various Ailments. He is Serving the Society with Purest Herbal Supplements for One and only Purpose of Making People know and utilize the Wonderful Benefits of the Ayurvedic Diet, Lifestyle, and Natural Herbs. He Formulates Herbal Supplements himself and also Use Classical Ayurvedic Formulations for Helping People Get Rid of All Types of Health Issues, Restore their Health, Uses and Save themselves from the Worst Side-effects of Chemical Based Treatments. For More Details, visit www.PlanetAyurveda.com.
