DEPRESSION

What is Depression?
Our body, for that matter all the living bodies, is like a machine, controlled by a super computer called Brain. The body acts according to the commands received from the brain. No action of the body is beyond the control of the brain. Even during sleep the brain acts and controls the each and every movement of the body. The imagination, dreams, plans, etc., are stimulated by the brain only. Hence our source of living rests with brain. But this brain has to be enthused each and every now and then to act continuously. When this enthusiasm is level is low, the brain acts badly or there is no swift action. This state of brain is called ‘Depression’.

What are they?

There are two kinds of depression. Depression developed internally and depression developed externally. The depression brought in externally can be alienated or destroyed with just care and reasoning. But the depression developed internally is dangerous and if it is not noted or taken care it may lead to disastrous ends like suicide.

External Factors:

We want to live modern and want to attain all facilities in our life. This may be attained through our hard work. At times we may fail and may not reach the goal. Thus our work will go in vain, which will shorten our further trials. The people who are related or not related to us in that field my abuse us. They may criticize our efforts. They may make fun of us. For example, if our aim is to win an 100 M race in the national level competition, we must work hard bodily and mentally to give a tough competition to our opponents and reach the final goal. But due to some bad elements or sudden developments, we have not reached the goal; say we come 4th in the race. The people who are jealous of our efforts and will be satisfied only when we lose in the competition. To satisfy themselves further they will make fun of our efforts. They will criticize such a way that we should not take part even in district level competitions. Thus they aim to bring down our level of confidence. Once confidence is lost, we are lost. We cannot even run for 10 M to catch a bus or train. This kind of depression is called ‘Depression by external factors’

Internal Factors:

There are elements working within our body to shorten our enthusiasm so that we become fit for nothing. Once your Will is lost you are just a dead body, can be burnt easily, without any resistance. For instance, if we want to become a super singer or a dancer, all we should do is to be trained in the relevant field. Get acquainted with the knowledge of the field. Get ready to face any eventuality facing us in the field so that we have not left any thing unlearnt. Then go for competitiveness and earn good remark so that entire world will turn to you. Instead of doing such things, if we think that What for Am I? How can I do this? Is it right for me? And raise question after question, we will be lost. We cannot be able to withstand the challenge. We have ruined our body and mind, and advised it not to stand against the challenge. This lack of Will and enthusiasm will certainly bring down us and our society. This is called ‘Depression by internal factors’.

What causes Depression?

The external depression is caused by the external factors like people around us, the atmosphere, the climate and every animate & non-animate being around us. They without any reason damage our efforts. It is true that a child, howsoever intelligent is may be, if not enthused by his parent or his teachers will be low in confidence and certainly going to fail in the examinations or his scores will gradually come down. These external factors are to be over come by ourselves. There is no guarantee that the external factors will vanish themselves one day and we will come up. We have to identify the factors and neglect them.

But the internal factors are very fine and not be able to be identified by the person concerned or his fellow citizens. Until we know that we have been affected by the internal factors, we cannot over come it and face the challenges in life. As it will take a long time, we would have lost the challenge or time or age to face it. So the internal factors are dangerous things that have to be identified smartly and early. Sooner the best.

The Depression by Internal Factors bring down a level of confidence in the brain and the brain automatically shuts down to work. Once the brain stops its work, nothing will go further and comes to a grinding halt. So the brain has to be continuously allowed to work enthusiastically, so that it may not affect us or lose its confidence.

How can we come over it?

External depression can be come over by being in the company of good friends or good relatives or good atmosphere. Praise your friends and let them praise you. Identify the good qualities among the friends and openly discuss about it n front of them. A friend may having voluntarily helping tendencies. Openly praise it. It will encourage him to do further and for others to involve themselves too in similar activities. Don’t find fault with others, even the fault lies in others. Try to identify the fault in yourself and plan to avoid such fault in future. For instance, you have requested one of your good friend to lend his bike for the next morning examination. When you are ready to leave, the friend was away with his bike telling you at the last moment. You will certainly blame the friend for not telling the thing before hand. But wait a minute. The fault lies on you. You think your friend has failed to tell you in advance about not lending the bike. Other wise you think you would have planned properly with other modes. My dear friend, think this way. Its your friend’s bike. He will give first priority to his needs only. So it is for you to have two or three alternatives, in case the bike is not available. Hence the fault rests with you. If we think this way, we will easily come over the depression cased by external elements.

The Internal Depression can be come over by deep thinking and taking refuge in vast prophesies of the great saints and wise men. We use less than one percent of our brain for our day to day life. It is programmed in such a way to meet the requirements of our life. It will go according to that plan only. It will be happy in that program. All of a sudden if we alter its program and let it to face a tight situation it will certainly fear and thinks helpless. Therefore, instead of facing them and planning how to over come it, it wants to drown in the melee. Thus the internal factors urge the brain to close the chapter. In this way we are not even fit to live in this world.

To over come the depression by internal factors we should think the following repeatedly, if possible memorize them.

1. Fear lies within me. I am the boss. I should get it out.
In a dark night, we see a piece of rope and fear that it may be a snake. Once we focus light on it, we feel that it is not snake and do not fear of it. Thus fear can be driven out by having light of knowledge.
2. I am not alone. God is with me. I am in his lap. He is in my heart. He is every where.
Our level of confidence will be low, if there is no one to encourage us or honour us for the achievement. Please think this way. Why should they honour you or encourage you. But God is not like that. He is our Father, Mother and every thing. He will honour you. He will encourage you. If you are hundred percent true to yourself and your co-citizens. Your intention is good and you are working hard to reach the goal. Then God will induce the people around you to honour you, which is nothing for you by then.
3. Love every one, every thing.
There is nothing great or pleasant in this world than LOVE. Love every living and non living thing. Don’t expect anything in return. The Sun is lovely, Moon is lovely, Sky is lovely, Mother Nature is lovely, My friend is lovely, My mother is lovely, My village is lovely, My Country is lovely, Taj Mahal is lovely, Jesus is lovely, Meenakshi is lovely, Ocean is lovely, Girl is lovely, Peacock is lovely, like this each and every thing coming in contact with you are to be loved and they will certainly love you. The hate in you will vanish and your beauty will attract all of them. They will love to talk to you, talk about you, to be friend to you, etc. No one will like to live with a hate-man. So love them to be loved.
4. Control your Senses. Don’t let them to control you.
We have contact with this world or universe though five doors. They are Skin, Mouth, Eye, Nose and Ear. Apart from these five doors we have nothing in this body that will materially have contact with the external elements. A flower is blossomed. We touch it through our Skin and feel the softness of the flower, We See it and say it is red, We feel its fragrance through our Nose. Otherwise we cannot intimate our brain about the flower. If these five doors are shut, our brain could not be able to recognize the materials in this world.
As long as the five senses are under our control there is no wrong. Once we become slave to them and they run according to their will, every thing will collapse and we will be driven to be tarnished between their activities and thus lose our image in front of others. A man of honour could be ruined to drainage if he acts according to the lust of his five senses. For instance, if he is urged to be bribed for a nasty work, he will be removed from the honour and thrown in to the streets. His brain will tell him to act neutrally and honestly. But his urge for money, driven by senses, will over come the rule of brain. If the brain losts the battle, he will become slaves to the Sense organs. If his brain is boss, he will act accordingly and his senses will be under his control. So do not give space to the senses to play in your field and let your brain a play tool in their arms.
5. Finally, think that you are superior and can do.
This self encouragement will be a tonic to the brain and it acts as a lubricant. There is nothing good in this world than self encouragement. Think that you can do good work. You can win over good friends. You can change the destiny. You can achieve good results. You can be a good friend, relative, son/daughter wife/husband and a citizen. Think positively. Encourage yourself and encourage others too.

Conclusion:

Friends! Tell this to your near and dear ones. Encourage them to get away from depression. For a good and healthy life, we should first of all come out of the depression. I will dedicate similar article on how depression play spoil sport on our health and development. Thanks.

PRANAYAMA - THE BREATHE CONTROL

Who Am I?
I am one among millions of ordinary human being. But I watch my body, sense and mind through my self imposed experiment from which I write this article. These are all my inferences. They have been noted through regular watching of bodily activities and behaviour of the brain. Advises and teachings of learned personnel have helped me a lot. Now let us go to the subject.

Who are We?

Our body is made up of atoms. The same atoms are the basic elements of which the entire universe is made up of. This is the fundamental relation between each and every matter. Thus we are inter linked with the other moveable and immoveable materials of the universe. Though we have definite body, organs and brain to control, disturbances or changes in other matters of the universe will certainly disturb us.

What relates us?

We continue our contact with the universe through food and air. Food, including water swallowed through our mouth enters our body, internal organs and ultimately to brain. Similar is the case with air breathed through the nostrils. A good food and air can lead us to peace as it will nourish our body and brain. A bad food and contaminated air will certainly invite various diseases, destroy the body and damage the brain. I will write about food habit separately. Now I concentrate on air.

What our Brain requires?

Our body is being controlled by brain. Knowingly or unknowingly we do some thing good or bad. That was commanded by the brain. For this brain to function effectively, it needs food. A hale and healthy brain can do good work, calculate, compute and imagine effectively on the expected lines. A healthy brain gives the body brisk and healthy life. Hence up keeping of brain is foremost important. How it can be maintained?

Whatever be the food, fatty, salty, spicy, oily, anything is digested and the power is run in to the steam of blood. This blood carries the strength to various organs including brain. All the organs like lungs, heart, kidney, pancreas, muscles, and bones take up the required fats, minerals, vitamins etc., as it is. But brain takes food in the form of oxygen for functioning. If the oxygen is fresh and more brain will active for longer period. Brains functioning level will diminish with the decrease in the level of oxygen. Thus supply of oxygen to brain is foremost important to ‘think’ freely.

Why Scarcity of Oxygen?

Food plays no role for the availability of enough oxygen in the blood. In fact food supplies toxins in the blood along with power. Good or contaminated food carries certain limit of toxins, like, cyanides, bromine, chlorine, iodine, magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbon, etc. These toxic elements form compounds with the oxygen and arrest the free flow of blood. They also reduce the number of oxygen available in blood. Thus supply of oxygen to brain is diminished. We add up the level of toxins in the blood with each meal. As long as we are not removing the toxins from blood or cleaning the blood the toxins will remain in blood and continue to affect our brain and body. This will cause diseases to body and lower level of functioning of brain. Laziness, slowness, weakness, tiredness, not good in thinking, no reasoning, lack of inspiration, etc will result. Hence it is more important to clear the toxins to clean the blood and maintain good body and brain.

Indian tradition has taught us ‘Pranayama’ or breath control. If we can breath correctly and fully we can say that we have full control over the breath. As it is we have no control over the breath. Without our command or like it enters our body and leaves our body. It is not fully filled in the lungs up to its capacity. If, for example, the lungs have the capacity to fill 10 litres of air, we are filling with two to three litres of air. That is the condition with most of us. This may increase when we are doing heavy work, running or exercising like cycling or swimming. We could have noticed that the breast of a sports man is in expanded position than other normal persons. Thus maximum utilization of lungs is the pre-requisite condition for a good breathing.

While we in hale fully, oxygen enters lungs along with air, say 100 molecules (combination of two or more atoms) of oxygen. Of these, a part is combining with the toxic elements available in the blood, say 70 molecules. These toxic compounds will come out of the body while we exhale. Thus a major portion of the oxygen inhaled will be exhaled. A small portion, say 30 molecules, will be available freely in the blood and the same will be supplied to brain. If we are not fully utilizing the lungs or not properly breathing this number will still go down and the supply of oxygen to brain will still decrease.

Now we live in cities and town that are mostly polluted due to rash-industrialisation. The atmospheric air is polluted. Oxygen level in atmosphere is coming down slowly and certainly. Thus, if we still reduce supply of oxygen to brain due to our bad breathing we are certainly doing harm to our body and the brain. Therefore it is foremost important to breathe properly.

What are the Benefits?

The following are the uses that can be achieved within three months of a proper breathing exercise.
1. Blood is purified.
2. Develops Positive thinking.
3. Lessens Tension and Body shivering.
4. Gives Calmness of mind.
5. Increases Concentration.
6. Problems can be faced easily.
7. Less or no body pain or deceases.
8. Good body functioning.

How it can be done?

Wake up early in the morning by 5.30. This time is more suitable, because there may not be any fumes or smoke in the atmosphere. As there is no traffic, dust or suspension may also absent in the air. Complete your morning rituals. Wash face with fresh cold water. Clean both the nostrils with fresh water. There should not be any obstruction. Then drink a glass of fresh cold water. Walk for about five minutes in free air. It can be in the open terrace, just to give relaxation of muscles.

Sit right on a sheet of towel or bed sheet. Do not bend the body or neck. Look straight forward. Breathe slowly for two to three times. Now close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale as much air as you can through the left nostril (For 8 seconds). After inhalation, shut the left nostril with the ring finger and middle finger (2 seconds). Now release the thumb and exhale all the air through the right nostril (16 seconds). All the three stages form one ‘Pranayama’. Do atleast 10 pranayama in the morning and in the evening before meals.

What not to do?

Do not practice pranayama, when you are in a tension, when you are suffering from running nose, when you have just completed physical exercise or heavy physical work or you are breathing heavily due to some physical activity. Do only you are calm and your body is conducive. To keep your mind under control and away from distraction think of a beauty, say a Lotus, and concentrate on it. Note down the improvements and benefits you are sensing and post in these columns.