Mindful Health
Today we are racing ahead of time, are under constant stress of achieving more and bigger things. The aspiration to acquire things never ends and it seems like one endless battle for more and more and more! We have forgotten what our scriptures have taught us! If our ancestors were alive today what advice would they give us to recover from our constant battle with disease and stress?
In Sushruta Samita (Ayurvedic compilation), a healthy person is defined as
“Sama Dosha Sama Agni Cha Sama Dhatu Mala Kriya I
Prasanna Atma Indriya Manaha Swastha Thi II”
Hence a person is in the state of perfect health when he has all the Doshas (various energies that govern all the functions of the body – Vata, Pitta and Khapha) are in balance. The mind is blissful and happy and our senses are in control.
To truly live a life without disease and fear one must aspire to achieve perfect health in mind, body and spirit.
Health and Wellness Coaching aims at providing consciousness of self. Becoming self aware of how an individual can become the controller of his/her life. Regarding self as a component which is not just defined by the physical self but rather an amalgam of components like nutrition, exercise, spirit, recreation, social belongingness, stress and emotions. Coaching as an approach will help individuals achieve the perfect health that is perfect according to them
Ever wondered about all the things we think about and ponder about every single day we live. The random thoughts that just seem to be there, even while we appear to be absorbed in our day-to-day activities. We never seem to realize the power of our thoughts and how these thoughts then translate into our actions towards others. Good or bad, these thoughts do manifest into real things. Did you all know that all diseases- be it high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, overweight, chronic fatigue, depression, burnt-out syndrome and psychiatric illness – manifest from the mind? The art of getting over the mindless chatter or developing the skills required to have control over the emotions or thoughts that cause this chatter is what coaching proposes to offer.
Swami Sivananda rightly said, “A mountain is composed of tiny grains of earth. The ocean is made up of tiny drops of water. Even so, life is but an endless series of little details, actions, speeches, and thoughts. And the consequences whether good or bad of even the least of them are far-reaching.” There has been significant scientific research, which directs us to this fact. For instance, ulcers happen to people who are compulsive and obsessive in nature. Impotence and sexual problems are almost always due to performance anxiety and accidents happen most often to people who are habitually prone to them because they are absent minded. One must then thus conclude that if we could control our mind or even make an attempt to be aware of our thoughts or thinking pattern, we can change our overall well-being.
“Thinking of disease constantly will intensify it. Feel always ‘I am healthy in body and mind’.” Swami Sivananda .
Understanding the underlying thoughts and perceptions that govern us and taking effective actions towards an attempt to shift individual mindsets from negatives to positives is how a coach works. Interconnecting and relating the inner self to the outer self by creating a vision that pushes one to take action to move forward on the path that has been created by self to reach goals driven by intrinsic motivation.
You may now ask how can I control the mind… the answer is meditate, think good positive thoughts and visualize positive things and events. Your positive thoughts will manifest into positive actions and feeling towards others and you will naturally gravitate towards or attract like-minded kind souls that mean well into your life. Be compassionate, generous and have empathy for people in need. Set aside some time everyday to sit in silence and thank for all that you have in your life and focus on your natural breath. In time as you sit into meditation, the racing thoughts will subside and you will feel light and have a feeling of bliss.