HYDERABAD: In the year 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had estimated that as many as 322 million people were living with depression. The average suicide rate in the country, meanwhile, is 10.9 for every lakh of people. These statistics, when thrown in together, paints a very grim picture of the times we live in, says Mansi Gulati, a yoga exponent and author.
To make things worse, antidepressants add on to existing health concerns and can even turn life-damaging for some. “The time has come to move beyond talking about just the health benefits of yoga and start discussing its effect on mental health,” says the yogini, who’s renowned for popularising ‘face yoga’.
Mansi began practising yoga at the age of four. Today, as she puts it, her entire life revolves around it. She has authored 18 books and also works for the well-being of prison inmates. Additionally, she also works with the Ministry of Ayush, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, Archaeological Survey of India and the governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
“Yoga is non-competitive. It encourages a positive mental health for everyone. With yoga, we learn to accept and love ourselves for who we are, to see goodness in others, to focus and calm our minds, and to be aware of our innate capabilities. We learn ways of resilience with yoga,” she says. People who practice yoga are more likely to be positive and optimistic about life and are more confident of their abilities. They are also, hopefully, less likely to succumb to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, she says.
“Most importantly, yoga relaxes you. Relaxing is not an easy job and learning to relax takes practice. Yoga provides space for the mind to slow and settle down,” she says. Since we are constantly told to be engaged and productive, we forget to slow down. This is where, Mansi says, yoga makes a difference. “You will not only learn how to relax and be still, but also be able to handle stress better with yoga,’ she says. Dealing with depression is an exhausting task; restorative yoga poses boosts emotional wellness, she adds.
