DHARMA: PRESCRIPTION FOR THE MINDBODY
Here’s an absurd question. Why don’t we see anyone trying to drive a car on water … or a boat on land? Of course, you will say, are you nuts? One is designed for land, while the other, for water. Everyone knows that! Anyone who tries otherwise is sure to ruin a perfectly good car or boat. … and risk being called “crazy” for the rest of their life.
Whether it is a boat or a car, each machine has unique properties based on its own characteristics. Those properties limit, and in fact, dictate how that machine can be used. If you follow the rules, the machine will serve you well. But if you don’t, you’ll wind up destroying the thing.
That’s the definition of the word dharma. The essential nature of something is its dharma. And yes, cars and boats have a dharma! If you are finding yourself scratching your head and feeling puzzled, it’s probably because you have confused the word dharma with religion.
Religion is the indoctrinated form of human dharma. Historically, each group of people around the world developed a moral and ethical code of behaviors for their people. They formalized that into what we know as a religion.
Clearly, even among different religions, there are certain basic codes the same across the world. For example, “do not steal’ or “do not hurt someone else.” These are examples of the essential religious beliefs. Every religion has its essential dharma. But what if you did not follow a religion. Would you still have a dharma? The answer is yes, of course! If a boat and a car have a dharma, and they are not even alive, then a human most certainly has a dharma, whether or not they follow a religion.
What we are in our pure essence and how we manifest it is our Dharma. In other words, like the boat or a car, we have certain characteristics that determine certain conditions that we must follow and others that we should avoid. What you are in your essence determines your dharma.
As a body, you are required to breathe in order to supply oxygen that sustains your life. Breathing is an essential function, or dharma, of the body. Will you ever intentionally try to not breathe? Have you heard of anyone saying, “For the next hour, I’m not going to breathe?” Breathing is the dharma of the body, just as much as being driven on land is the dharma of the car! Similarly, thinking is the dharma of the Mind. All your life, day and night, there is always some thought or another occurring in your mind. All your mind does, at any and all times, is think. You even think in your sleep during dreaming. Much like it’s the dharma of the boat to be driven on water, it’s the dharma of the mind to think thoughts.
If we understand and follow the dharma of the boat or the car, they get us safely and swiftly to our destination. Much in the same way, if we understand and follow all the essential aspects of our mind and body’s dharma, then we will go through our lifetime safely and swiftly and reach our final destination without a hitch!
Does that mean that we should give up our religion? No, not so fast! We can use our own particular religion as a tool to bring us to the highest point of self-awareness. This type of self-awareness makes us naturally and fully aware of our essential nature, specifically, our dharma. Religion, like a ladder, can elevate our mind and body to a higher level of awareness about our true and essential selves and the world around us. Through this understanding of the dharma that applies to our mind and body, we can make better choices about how we want to live and what we want to do.
The essential part of ourselves, the spiritual self, can be realized when we follow our essential dharma. The more we adhere to our dharma, the more we live spiritually!
Maulik Trivedi, M.D is a practicing psychiatrist and a MindBody physician. For details, visit www.FMCmindbody.com You can also follow him on Twitter @MindBodyYogaMD.
Ayurveda
AYURVEDA CALLS DEPRESSION VISHAADA
The West calls depression dysthymia. The common triggers for clinical depression are believed to be caused by chemical changes in the brain elicited by stressful events and/or a genetic disorder. A partial list of depression triggers include:
- the after effects of pregnancy (postpartum depression);
- the death of a loved one;
- living with pain;
- the end of a significant relationship;
- retirement;
- the loss of property;
- losing a job;
- financial struggle;
- physical or emotional trauma;
- long-term personal illness or the illness of a loved one;
- the effects of winter and the restriction of available sunlight.
Ayurveda calls depression vishaada, which in Sanskrit means sorrow, disappointment, fear, melancholy, dismay, lassitude, despair or dullness. According to Ayurveda, vishaada is a state of vitiated dosha(s). Vishaada as a term relates to the depression of the mind channel: This repression of the mind channel makes it difficult to digest mental and emotional imbalances. Such repression results in the buildup of mental and emotional ama or contamination. Since vata dosha regulates the nervous system, Ayurveda views all mental and emotional disorders as being seated in vata. When vata manifests mental and emotional disorder in a dosha, that dosha expresses itself in the most extreme state.
When vata dosha is disturbed in the mind channel the person can experience high anxiety, irrational fears, phobias, restlessness, insomnia and lack of self-care.
When pitta dosha is aggravated in the mind channel the person can experience irritability, frustration, resentment, irrational mental state, hatred, anger, self-criticism, low self-esteem, substance abuse, and self-destructive or suicidal tendencies.
When kapha dosha accumulates in the mind channel, the person will experience despondency, denial, immobility, loss of interest, lack of participation or social withdrawal, deep-seated grief, excessive sleeping and excessive eating.
Overall, Ayurveda views vishaada as the interruption or suppression of prana (life force) causing an extreme struggle with living, the lack of desire to participate in life, or the loss of the will to live.
As is the function of Ayurveda, the recommendations for balancing the body and mind in times of depression or even in times of feeling down are achieved through diet, exercise and meditations of various doshically targeted styles.
Here’s a much-abbreviated list of suggestions:
- Whole, organic foods that are simple and fresh, Vata seeks grounding root vegetables and warm nourishing soup;
- Pitta seeks cooling foods, leafy greens; fresh fruit; and
- Kapha seeks foods that stimulate as in chilies.
- Ayurveda recommends sipping warm water throughout the day to diminish ama.
- Ayurveda suggests breathing techniques such as alternate nostril and breath meditation on a regular schedule to ensure consistency.
- Ayurveda loves any form of yoga for the development of confidence and the management of imbalance so long as it is practiced with respect to the person’s dosha.
- Ayurvedic self-care is essential to balance. Even when one is not ill or under stress, self-care is vital to wellness; bathing, regular bed-time, not staying in bed into the kapha period of the day (sunrise plus 4 hours) positive affirmations and others.
Depression is not the blues; depression is not feeling down because of a bad day: Depression is a grave state that is not to be taken lightly. If you suspect someone is depressed or if you feel you are depressed and hopeless, please seek the help of a mental health professional or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
This article was written for educational purposes only and is based on the tradition of Ayurveda. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, prescribe or heal any health condition or to replace standard medical treatment or advice.
Denise O’Dunn, president and founder of Balance & Bliss® Inc., is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Licensed Massage Therapist (ma58502) and Yoga Teacher, who began studying Yoga in 1970. She is the Ayurvedic Instructor and principal of The Florida Academy of Ayurveda in Tampa. She can be reached at [email protected] or (727) 417-4006.