Combating STRESS with AYURVEDA

Combating stress with Ayurvedic practices can be helpful for many mental health disorders. Ayurveda provides specific lifestyle, dietary, herbal, and yogic solutions for each individual to build a foundation for lasting peace of mind.

- Mr. Chintan Gandhi

Excessive worry, nervousness and tension are provoking stimuli to what we know or perceive as psychological distress. With this pandemic, we are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis that necessitates to stark a wake up call for the need to take mental well-being as a serious subject in India. As per the NCBI, the Indian population has reported with mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia and suicidal tendency especially during the lockdown.

Now this is an appalling situation, as children, elderly, frontline workers and patients with preconditions are most vulnerable. Having said, lockdown or the pandemic may not be the only trigger, though it may have definitely amplified the situation. One also cannot deny the roles of social media, the uncertainties of the future and people by large increasingly seeking validation from others and many such as possible triggers of the world mental health condition.

Ways to combat stress

According to Ayurveda a healthy mind plays an important role. Being a holistic science, Ayurveda explores the symbiotic relationship among the mind, body, soul, the senses and their workings. Stress disrupts the inner harmony of your Doshas - the three forces that govern your health on a subtle level. Stress produces a host of physiological symptoms that can seriously impact both physical and psychological health.

Chief among these is the elevation of cortisol, a stress hormone that can suppress the immune system, increase blood pressure, and impair memory and increases risk for depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders. The principles of