Ayurveda and treatment of the mind

Ayurveda's approach to psychological problems

In our hectic daily life, it is extremely important to pay due attention not only to physical but also mental health. Ancient Indian Medicine Ayurveda believes that the source of diseases are the psychological imbalances.

The ancient Ayurveda wise men who created the Vedas (ancient Indian scriptures) claim that the best treatment for a disease is the one which affects both the body and the mind. Ayurveda Medicine has a branch dedicated to mental illness that uses clinically proven practices to treat mental problems and imbalances.

For the complete healing of a person Ayurveda therapy alone is not enough. There are a series of healthy changes in their everyday life. The role of the patient is also important because the healing itself depends on their belief that they will heal. According to Ayurveda, health rests on a body cleansed of toxins and a calm mind.

Ayurvedic healing therapies are aimed at improving the balance between body (Sarira), soul (Atma), mind (Manas) and physical feelings (Indriya), and our general health depends on the harmony and interrelation between these elements. These include psychological feelings ( Gyanendriya) and physical organs (Karmendriya).

In Ayurvedic treatment, the focus is on preventing the disease, that is, a proper lifestyle, including seasonal disease protection, healthy eating, physical activity, control over personal psychological balance.

According to Ayurveda, the relationship between body and mind is very important and our psychological attitude plays a key role in the healing process.

Ayurveda's psychiatric branch includes therapies that have a proven effect in the treatment of a number of mental problems. Ayurvedic therapies for the mind have a proven healing effect on problems such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty in concentration, phobias, panic attacks, compulsive-obsessive syndrome, bipolar affective disorder, neurological illnesses, headache, migraine, cognitive impairment and even lack of focus in learning in children.

Ayurveda therapies use a list of herbs with healing effects, which have the common name Medhya Rasayana. Medha means improving the intellect, and rasayana – a herb to regenerate the tissues of the brain or shortly herb against nervousness.

It has been clinically proven that these herbs have a nourishing effect on the nerve cells of the brain. Herbal tonics are prepared from them.

Panchakarma is one of the most commonly used Ayurvedic therapies aimed at improving mental health. Panchakarma therapy consists of 5 healing steps called Nasya, Vamana, Virechina and Vasti which is two types.

Nasya procedure is the placement of healing herbal fluid in the nose, Vamana includes curative vomiting, Virechana is the process of whole body purification which focuses on the digestive system and covers the colon, and Vasti is an enema therapy.

Ayurveda methods to treat psychological problems

Yoga exercises and meditation are popular psychological Ayurveda practices for achieving not only the harmony of the soul but also the treatment of some serious psychological problems.

In Ayurveda there are several Ayurvedic healing methods for achieving mental harmony:

• Dee – raising of the intellectual level.
• Deiria – positive Impact on Self-Esteem.
• Atmavijnana – finding the cause of the psychological problem.

In addition to daily relaxation, Ayurveda recommends the regular use of medicinal herbs.

Herbs to improve brain function and fight depression

Of all Ayurveda herbs, Ashwaganda and Bacopa are the ones most important in the preparation of healing tonics for nourishing and restoring of brain cells and respectively treating mental illnesses and are recognized worldwide for their powerful brain cures.

Ashwaganda

The Indian herb Ashwaganda helps with a lot of health problems. In addition to strengthening immunity, curing respiratory problems and rejuvenating the body, it is considered to be a true healer of the brain as it stimulates the growth of new brain cells and successfully struggles with depressive states.

It helps recovery after prolonged exposure to stress. It helps regulate the stress hormone cortisol and after intake of the herb the levels of cortisol drop by 30%, it also reduces irritability and fatigue. Yet another quality is that it prevents serious degenerative problems such as Alzheimer's and dementia.

Bacopa  

This famous Indian herb has a beneficial effect in cases of low concentration, it aids operational memory and memorizing and soothes the nervous system. Its name literally means "enhancing the intellect".

The herb has a powerful sedative effect in case of stress and helps with insomnia. It helps cognitive function by stimulating neurotransmitters whose role is to transmit impulses from the brain to its cells. It has a strong antioxidant and neurological effect as it promotes the production of valuable enzymes that promote the transfer of oxygen to the brain and also promotes cellular protein synthesis. Accordingly, it prevents the natural process of diminishing of the memory associated with aging.

Taking bacopa extract is recommended for both students and those with a profession requiring intellectual work, as well as elderly people who want to protect themselves from degenerative brain problems associated with age.

In Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that when the balance between the three main gunas and the three Doshas (the individual body constitutions of Vata (air), Pitta (fire), and Kapha (Earth), mental disorders appear such as lack of focus and obscure thought. Ignoring these disorders leads to more serious illnesses.

The word "manas" in Ayurveda means the mind in its broadest sense. Each person's mind consists of a unique combination of the qualities of Sattva, Tamas, and Rajas, which defines their personal character called Tatva.  

Tamas and Rajas of our mind, which are an important part of the three doshass, are responsible for the appearance of a health problem. These two words "Tamas" and "Rajas" literally mean the dark and light side of our mind, the clear thought and the unclear thought triggered by accumulated tension. Psychological imbalances are called doshas. The accumulation of toxins and poisonous substances in the body caused by the Doshas leads to any type of health problem.

Each person has a dominant guna, which also determines the dominant Dosha. It is important to know our personal dosha, as we will better know our diagnosis, what would improve our overall health and what positive changes in our daily habits would help us lead a more fulfilling life.  

The healing methods appropriate for our organism depend on our personal knowledge of our own Dosha. The best way to understand our own health is to consult a qualified Ayurveda doctor who will make an Ayurvedic examination and prescribe the most appropriate Ayurvedic therapy to help us live better.

The Ayurveda doctor will also give us recommendations for a harmonious lifestyle to prevent future illness.

According to Ayurveda, in every person's body there is a combination of the three types of gunas in Ayurveda

Basic Ayurveda Gunas

Satva – it is characterized by everything good and positive: harmony, purity, ease, tranquility, inner balance, wisdom, striving to determine the good and evil. In translation from Sanskrit, Satva means purity, order, balance, light, knowledge.

Rajas – it is characterized by vigor, tendency to action, control and change, ambition, enthusiasm, creativity, anxiety. Rajas means movement, passion, energy, fire, anxiety.

Tamas – it is characterized by immobility, passivity, clumsiness,

apathy, drowsiness. Tamas means coldness, darkness, night, inertness, ignorance.

Rajas and Tamas gunas are Manodoshas. When the balance between the three gunas is disturbed, there is Manovikara – a disease.

For the three gunas, it is believed that each is activated at different times of the day and influences the vital energy in our body. When we get up in the morning we feel cheerful and energetic until noon, and as the day progresses, our energy decreases, we feel tired in the evening, we lack energy and enthusiasm.