CHENNAI: Not many of us know that our physical health and mental health are closely linked. So, any kind of physical activity can be beneficial for our mental well-being too. Today, medical professionals have accepted that most diseases are a result of poor lifestyle, mental stress and tension. Hence, they are now advising lesser dependence on medicines and stressing on exercise and diet for maintaining physical health.
These lifestyle changes are rooted in the mind and seeded in the soul. Medical research has found that almost 85 per cent of all diseases are psychosomatic in nature i.e they originate in negative mental states. So, in order to nip the evil in the bud, it is important to tackle the malady at the level of the mind by checking and changing our thought pattern.
If we sit down quietly for a while and observe our thoughts, we will get an idea of where our mind wanders. We’ll also realise what kind of thoughts give us joy and which ones give us pain. Invariably, thoughts associated with positive qualities, such as love, compassion, happiness, knowledge etc.. make us feel better, and thoughts linked to anger, ego, hatred, jealousy etc., produce discomfort. Research has proved that positive thoughts sustained over a long time produce positive health effects, while negative thoughts ultimately lead to diseases. So, we have to give our mind a positive direction, to always remain happy and healthy.
Having control over our thoughts means having the ability to take the mind to where we want, keep it there for as long as we want to and withdraw it at our will. Practising this frequently, will gradually give us more control over the mind and it will also reduce unnecessary thoughts. To gain mastery over the mind one requires some spiritual knowledge and exercise. For that, we need to know that we are souls and not bodies.
The brain is just the hardware that enables the soul to control the body. A spiritual exercise involves taking the mind out of the physical body and remaining in eternal state of being a soul — a sentient point of light and power. Along with this exercise, one also needs to have a proper mental diet in the form pure thoughts.
Creative thoughts are like vitamins as they maintain zeal and enthusiasm, positive thoughts provide proteins that build will power, and thoughts of serving others are like carbohydrates, which provide energy to the mind. But, negative thoughts deplete mental energy and make us weak. They are like poison, eroding our ability to make the right judgment, make right decisions, or to face adversity. Such thoughts arise from body-consciousness but are seeded in the soul in the form of vices.
We must understand that the most elevated thoughts arise in the state of meditation, when the soul establishes a loving mental link with supreme source. Through this link our mind fills with virtues like contentment, courage, compassion, mercy and divinity, which elevates the soul and ultimately leads it to a divine status.