HYDERABAD: Mental wellness is essential to leading a healthy life, on the physical plane, the mind and the brain are interconnected — what happens in your mind are your thoughts and your emotions, your perceptions have a direct impact on shaping the neural circuitry and neural chemistry of your brain, says Preethaji, spiritual leader, co-creator at Hyderabad-based Ekam, a world enlightenment centre. “If you’re mentally agitated or depressed, that state of mind immediately affects your brain. In your brain, hurtful neuro-peptides release and flow into the bloodstream, which will then impact the enzyme interaction of the entirety of your body — pushing your body into a state of disease and ill-health. Every repetitive emotion and every repetitive thought process has a profound impact on the brain,” she explains.
Sharing why meditation is important for mental health, she says, “Any meditation gets you to slow down and pause. We are a generation that is sicker than our earlier generations. These are facts of existence. And one of the fundamental reasons for this puzzling fact of existence is that we have become a civilisation that is in a rush. We are all the time running, and running. Learn to sit in meditation. When you sit down to meditate and pause and observe what’s disturbing you, what’s hurting you, that peaceful observation will be the 1st step towards your mental well-being. That will also be a significant step towards self-awareness,” she tells CE.
She lists ways to make meditation a lifestyle. “If you practice eating meditation, you can reduce overeating. When you pause and bring attention to all your five senses while eating food, your digestive juices will secrete well, the process of digestion transforms. Eating meditation makes you more aware of your body and its cravings,” shares. Next, the most common 0151 breathing meditation, which can help regulate blood pressure. “Lowering your blood pressure can be extremely important for your health, and one of the best ways to do this is through meditation. When you practice breathing meditation, you’re able to slow down your heart rate and regulate your blood pressure,” says she.
Preethaji now introduces us to ‘smiling meditation’. “When you smile, even if it’s forced, your brain releases endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good. So when you’re feeling down, a quick smile meditation can help boost your mood and make you happier. One study found that people who smiled for five minutes every day were happier than those who didn’t smile at all.”
Finally, the yoga nidra, where the brain is detoxed, and there’s ‘greater attention and restfulness.’ She explains, “This meditation helps get rid of the toxins causing you to feel tired and stressed. And when your brain is detoxed, you’re able to focus more quickly and be more relaxed.”Believing that when an individual becomes peaceful, peace spreads to families and the world, Ekam is organising the fifth edition of Ekam World Peace Festival – the largest online and offline meditation gathering for peace that will go on till September 18, where millions from 100 countries across the globe have been participating.