A few days ago, a friend and I came to talk about mental health. It was about the partner being admitted to the clinic because he has some mental problems.
If a spouse or other close relative has mental health issues, the entire environment is affected. It is not an easy time for anyone – neither for the members of the family, nor for the affected person himself.
How can the perspective of yoga help to promote the topic of "mental health"? Well, the whole topic of "mental health" belongs to yoga, or rather to yoga philosophy, like no other. How so? – Yoga aims to bring the mental activities and modifications (simplified: the thoughts) to rest. Thus, a calm mind is a healthy mind and allows one to see reality clearly - as it is - and not as the mind imagines it to be in all possible forms and facets.
In the yogic sense, a calm mind corresponds to a tidy mind that is freed from mental burdens and inclinations (likes and dislikes). In the view of yoga, it is therefore first and foremost about how to develop a stable, healthy mind in the long term. However, it does not promise any quick fixes! Thus, it is less suitable if someone is in an (acute) mental crisis or has deep-seated traumas.
Yoga philosophy is mainly for people whose minds are already reasonably stable. If one regularly reflects upon the scriptures and engages in self-reflection with the knowledge of yoga philosophy, this acts over time as a bulwark against the adversities of life. We can better cope during difficult times when the mind is stable and clear.
In order for the mind to become calm, stable and clear in a sustainable way, a lot is needed. If, for example, you have never taken the time for self-reflection regularly for years, a lot can accumulate and the unwinding/tidying up can take a correspondingly long time. Just as your own house, apartment or room can become overburdened, chaotic and dusty over time if you don't tidy up and clean regularly.
It's similar with the mind. It takes patience, regularity, discipline, curiosity, dedication, practical intelligence and more if you want to free you mind from excess baggage und thus (re-)gain a calm and clear mind.
Want to know more? – Please feel free to send me a direct message.
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