MENTAL HEALTH: NATUROPATHIC AND YOGIC APPROACH

At this time the  coronavirus(COVID-19) pandemic has not just affected  the physical health of millions of people but also affected insidiously on the mental and social well being of the people across the globe.

Before going further into the improvement in the mental health we will just know what the term health means. World Health Organization(WHO) has recognised health as a holistic approach and defined as the “state of complete physical, mental ,social and spiritual well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

Mental health is defined as the “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities , can cope with the normal stresses In life , can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make contribution to his or her community.” Naturopathy and Yoga system of medicine considers individual as a whole with balance between mind and body for a healthy life .⁶

Being mentally healthy doesn’t mean that we don’t have a mental health problems and our mental health doesn’t stay constant . It can be changed as we go through the different stages of our life.

Mental health can be affected by the prevalence of mental illnesses. Mental illnesses are the conditions which affects our mood , thinking and behaviour.

As we have studied in physics force is directly proportional to mass and acceleration likewise Mental health is directly proportional to the physical health. That means if we are not mentally healthy , then our physical health will also be impacted and vice versa. If we talk about the mental illness during this period , it can be anxiety disorders as well as mood disorders. The symptoms that we are facing during this time are.

1.  Increased anxiety
2.     Having trouble in sleeping
3.     Irritability
4.     Irrational thoughts
5.     Loss of appetite
6.   Feeling of tiredness  and etc.

During this time many people are suffering from the mental health problems which raises a question , is there  anything we can do to cope up with this mental fluctuations of this crucial time as well as in the normal life . And the answer is yes , we can enhance our mental health by following the naturopathic and yogic interventions . Now we will discuss the modalities for boosting the mental health which can be done within our home only.

The naturopathic and yogic means to deal with the improvement in mental health with the scientific evidence can be hydrotherapy, diet therapy, acupressure , sun bath ,yoga therapy.

1.    HYDROTHERAPY

According to Naturopathy , our body is composed of 5 elements earth , ether ,fire, water and air. So to treat the ailments and to improve the functioning of body at physical as well as mental level , we use different types of treatment by using these elements only and hydrotherapy is one of them which includes different treatment modalities by the use of water . This therapy includes Hot foot Bath and Water drinking that we can do at our home to improve our mental health.

      i.          Hot Foot Bath

If we talk about Hot Foot Bath  which is done for 15-20 minutes by soaking our feet upto the knee level in the hot water , helps to improve circulation throughout the body and helps to reduce cortisol hormone(Stress Hormone)  level which is increased in stressful situation or condition.  Due to the reduction of Cortisol level , neurological soothing effect such as relaxation and sleep inducing effect can be obtained.¹²

    ii.          ii. Water Drinking 

Drinking water at certain time maximizes its effectiveness on our body and also water drinking helps in diluting the blood by which toxins present in body are dissolved and eliminated by the body. So Drink 2-3 Litres or 12-15 glasses of water in a day. Staying hydrated by drinking enough water is the aspect of good physical and mental health.

2.    DIET THERAPY

Let food be the medicine and medicine be the food. Eat less but eat well . We have heard of eating well to improve our heart health , reduce the risk of diabetes ,high blood pressure and many other diseases but most of are unaware of taking care of the mind.

A  dietary changes in a simple manner may boost cognitive function and mental health.

One of the best measure to improve our mental health  can be through our gut. Gut has its own nervous system as like brain  which sends information to the brain via the vagus nerve . As the brain impact our gut likewise what we put in out through our gut impacts the functioning of the brain.  So the things which we can include in our diet to improve mental health are.

                          I.          Turmeric Water

Turmeric contains an active ingredient i.e curcumin which have antioxidant and neuroprotective property ¹¹ and it helps to boost the level of mood elevating neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine . Drinking turmeric water 1 glass a day enhances our mental health.

                        II.          Adaptogens

These are some herbs which work as an stimulant for central nervous system and have neuroprotective and anxiolytic property that means it helps in reducing anxiety.⁸ Herbs that we can have are Tulsi(Occimum Sanctum) , Black pepper , Dry Ginger(Saunth) and Garlic.

                      III.          Beans and Legumes

These are  the  foods to that have beneficial effect to have healthy brain functioning. It has full of fibre and antioxidants and Beans and legumes mainly Chickpeas , lentils and kidney beans helps in making us to feel full and keeps our blood sugar stable and enables to burn more energy which is essential for good mental health. Beans also contains thiamine , a vitamin needed for the production of acetyl choline(neurotransmitter) which is essential for boosting the mental health.

                      IV.          Green Leafy Vegetables

Eating Green leafy vegetables keeps our mental abilities strong and sharp. These includes mainly Spinach , Kale , Broccoli  which are rich in brain-healthy nutrients like Vitamin K , lutein , Folate and beta carotene . These helps in Boosting the cognitive function and mental health.

                        V.          Omega-3 Fatty Acid

The food containing omega-3 Fatty Acid have an anxiolytic property that means it helps to reduce anxiety and makes us relaxed and calm.¹⁰ The food sources that contain omega-3 fatty acids are flax seeds , walnut mainly.

                      VI.          Mitahara Diet

Yoga has also quoted to have a mitahara diet which means having a limited quantity and the food should be easily digestible . The ratio of food should be ½ of the stomach filled with food,1/4^th of the stomach filled with liquid and ¼ of the stomach is left empty for the free flow of air or gases.

3.    ACUPRESSURE

Acupressure is a form of treatment modality which involves stimulating pressure points in our body . So as to improve and boost the mental health, some of the acupressure points which are present in our body are effective.  The point Shenman (Heart-7) which is present in the medial side of wrist crease(wrist crease towards the side of pinky finger) , and Yintang(Ex-1) which is present in between two eyebrows , we can apply pressure on this point for 30 seconds for 5 times .

This increase the level of serotonin , dopamine and melatonin . These are the neurotransmitters which help to regulate our mood , sleep , behaviour and cognitive functions.

4.    SUNBATH

When we are exposed to the sunlight at the morning time , the more number of nocturnal melatonin is produced which helps in inducing our sleep .⁹ And the level of serotonin is also increased which further results in having a positive mood and behaviour and makes us calm and relaxed throughout the day. Having exposure to sunlight is also seen as effective in the case of  Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD).

5.    YOGA

Yoga includes different types of tools to improve our mental health . Asanas(postures ) Pranayama (Regulatory Breathing exercises) and Dhyana(Meditation) are the main tools of yoga which improves physical as well as mental health.

i.                Asanas(Postures)

By the practice of asanas , the physical flexibility and strength can be enhanced but if it done with regulated or rhythmic breathing i.e inhalation and exhalation with Kumbhaka(retention of breath) , the beneficial effect on the mental aspect can be gained.² Physiologically , repeated practice of Yogic Postures(Asanas) improves blood flow and increase the level of haemoglobin and red blood cells in the body. This allows more oxygen to reach the body cells and enhances their function. 

By concentrating on specific body posture and alignment of a pose and then holding it as we breathe deeply , the body starts to shift from a thinking of jumbled thoughts and tension to calm and relaxation. Relaxing ourselves deeply into yogic posture through deep breathing lowers the brain’s response to threat.

During the practice of yogic asanas , the technique to co-ordinate with the breathing pattern is that for example when we raise our hands that means we are going against the gravity,we will have to do inhalation likewise if we are stable in the final pose , the normal breathing is needed and as we are releasing the posture in a reverse order(Dropping the hand to the normal position) then we will have to do exhalation)  To improve our mental health, Some of the asanas that we can perform are ;

a)    Surya Namaskara (at least 5 rounds)

b)   Uttanasana or standing forward bend pose

c)    Shavasana or corpe pose

d)   Balasana or Child’s Pose

e)    Natarajasana or Dancer Pose

f)     Chakrasana or Wheel Pose

g)    Sarvangasana or Shoulder Stand Pose

h)   Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose

         Setu Bandhasana or Bridge Pose

These asanas can be varied according to certain factors like age or any health conditions.

 

ii.              Pranayama(Regulatory Breathing Exercises)

Pranayama is the conscious awareness of the breathe and the life force that both energises and relax the body and mind.  Pranayama helps in activating the parasympathetic nervous system which induces the state of relaxation in the body and mind which regulates our stress response , and it also increases the level of dopamine , serotonin and melatonin which boosts the mental health. 

The studies upon pranayama show that it is beneficial in improving brain power and mental health¹³ and also

i.                Improves Autonomic Functions

ii.              Increases mental Strength

iii.            Helps to induce Sleep

iv.             Act as a stress Reliever

v.               Improves Concentration

Pranayama mainly the balancing pranayama has proved to regulate the autonomic response by strengthening the Parasympathetic Nervous System . By increasing the oxygen supply to the brain, pranayama calms the mind and makes us from being anxious. Pranayama is also very beneficial to have a sound sleep. By regulating the controlled breathing exercise helps the brain to be stable and thus makes our mind well oriented.

The major effective pranayamas which we can do to improve our mental health are Bhramari , Nadishodana , Sheetali, Kapalbhati .

  iii.          Meditation

Meditation is a mental exercise that involves relaxation,focus and awareness. It produces the deep state of relaxation and  tranquil  the mind.⁷ During meditation , we focus on attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts which are crowding in our mind and causing stress. When we perform meditation , the generation of theta waves increases i.e we can be in very positive mental state and the mind becomes peaceful .

 The concentration power also increases and meditation also helps to increase the pleasure giving hormones(Endorphins and Encephalins) , the sleep inducing hormones and reduce the stress hormones i.e Cortisols.

The meditation mainly Omkara Meditation is effective as it is simple to do at our home. We can do Omkara Meditation by  Chanting of A kara , U kara , M kara and AUM kara each for 9 rounds with closed eyes which helps in relaxing the whole body as well as the brain .

References:

1.     Joshi K.S , Yogic Pranayama.Orient Paperbacks , New Delhi , Page 10, 1982.

2.     Arndt Büssing,  Andreas Michalsen, Sat Bir S. Khalsa,  Shirley Telles,  and Karen J. Sherman , Effects of Yoga on Mental and Physical Health: A Short Summary of Reviews , Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012 Sep 13.

3.     Sarris J, de Manincor M, Hargraves F, Tsonis J. Harnessing the Four Elements for Mental Health. Front Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 24;10:256

4.     Devendorf A, Bender A, Rottenberg J. Depression presentations, stigma, and mental health literacy: A critical review and YouTube content analysis. Clin Psychol Rev. 2020 Mar 6

5.     Pfefferbaum B, North CS. Mental Health and the COVID-19 Pandemic. New England Journal of Medicine, 2020 Apr 13

6.     BT ChidanandaMurthy,P Nareshkumar Naturopathy and Yoga in Mental Health Care:An Introduction , In:Satyalaxmi K,MK Pradeep,Salwa H,eds:Clinical Naturopathy-Yoga,National Institute of Naturopathy, India,201;678

7.     Tang YY, Hölzel BK, Posner MI. The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2015 Apr;16

8.     Panossian AG , Adaptogens in mental and behavioral disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 2013 Mar

9.     M.Nathaniel Mead.  Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health. Environ Health Perspect. 2008 Apr; 116(4): A160–A167.

10.  Kuan-Pin Su ; Ping-Tao Tseng , ; Pao-Yen Lin, MD ; Association of Use of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids With Changes in Severity of Anxiety Symptoms :A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis , JAMA Netw Open September 14, 2018.

11.  Katasonov AB , Curcumin as an ajuvant treatment of depression: mechanisms of action and application prospects. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova. 2020.

12.  Johannes Naumann, Julian Grebe, Sonja Kaifel, Tomas Weinert, Catharina Sadaghiani,and Roman Huber , Effects of hyperthermic baths on depression, sleep and heart rate variability in patients with depressive disorder: a randomized clinical pilot trial , BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017; 17: 172 , 2017 Mar 28.

13.  Vivek Kumar Sharma, Madanmohan Trakroo, Velkumary Subramaniam, M Rajajeyakumar, Anand B Bhavanani, and Ajit Sahai , Effect of fast and slow pranayama on perceived stress and cardiovascular parameters in young health-care students , Int J Yoga. 2013 Jul-Dec.