Ayurvedic concept of the mind. Ayurveda is a traditional healing science that originated in India. Ayurveda in Sanskrit translates to “The Science of life.” It’s a healing science that originated around 5000 years ago and was perfected from master’s to disciples over time. Many of the well-known alternative healing techniques such as homeopathy and polarity therapy actually got inspiration from Ayurveda.
Ayurveda defines health as a completely holistic level of vitality through all facets of our lives. The Ayurvedic approach to treating any diseases by taking into account the whole of who we are – the body, mind, and spirit. Any of these three aspects can either support or undermine our well-being, making our mind one of the three equally influential factors in our overall health. Even a trivial disturbance in our minds can potentially jeopardize the quality of our lives. Luckily, Ayurveda provides us an insightful perspective on our mind and how to nourish its’ health. Whether you are interested in nourishing the habits of your mind, strengthening your mental comprehension, or just simply wants to achieve a calm and serene emotional state, this article is fit for you!
Let’s begin by understanding the Ayurvedic perspective on the mind!
The Ayurvedic concept of mind
According to Ayurvedic concepts, our body is a condensation of our mind; just like a weakened Agni and indigestion are the root cause of all diseases, our mind also plays an essential role in our overall health. Believe it or not, Mental Ama (toxins) and unfinished emotions may lead to diseases. For say, anger can grow on our liver and impair its function, grief can disrupt our lungs, and anxiety can upset our colon. Beyond these, there are still countless ways that imbalance in our minds can form as a disease. With this, we can say that our mind is a crucial influencer and has a direct impact on our overall health and well-being. This gives us reason to certainly genuinely care and give attention to our minds.
There is a concept call srotamsi in Ayurveda – it is the substances and energies that move throughout our body via distinct channels. Notably, one of the primary channels named in Ayurvedic wisdom is the channel of our mind, or in Sanskrit terms – mano vaha srotas. Just the idea of having a distinct channel for our mind will tell us already how important our mind plays in our health and well-being.
For every srotamsi, Ayurveda narrates that there is a root, a channel through the body, and an opening. These elements serve to align us to its prominent locations in our body, elucidate important influences upon it, and inform our approach when it comes to restoring harmony.
The root of the mind
When you think of the mind, the first thing you’ll think about is the brain, right? But according to Ayurveda, the mano vaha srotas is rooted in our heart, not in the brain. Yes, you heard us! In the heart.
Our heart is connected to almost every cell and tissue in our body and can be viewed as the central-station organ and center of energy of our body. As the root of the mind, all of these energies are associated with the heart take on a newfound significance. In reality, Ayurveda encourages us to embrace a foundational expanded view of our mind as a whole – one that includes the heart and its connection to the entire body.
The Channel of the mind
Ayurvedic wisdom dictates that the pathway of our mind is our entire body, making it the most openly all-embracing srotas. The mind literally affects and is affected by every cell and tissue in our body – meaning that there is a direct indisputable connection between the mind and our overall health and life. And this field of influence travels in both directions. Strictly speaking, while the mind certainly influences physical matter, our physical health also impacts our state of mind. In this manner, our every experience has the possibility to either support or disturb our overall state of well-being, in both our body and our mind.
The Opening to the mind
The channel of our mind has several openings to the exterior of our body. These openings are exceptional influencers of the mind and, when necessary, can be used to help restore the harmony of our mano vaha srotas. Among these opening are our 5 sense organs specifically the eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and skin.
Another opening is called marmani – an energy point in the surface of our skin that is deeply connected and a more subtle energetic pathway in our body. Marma points can be a powerful access point for shifting the energy within the channel of our mind, and working with these points can be an effective way of restoring and achieving the balance of our mind.
The most important thing to keep in mind is the quality of sensory experience in our daily lives. If you are serious about achieving your optimal health and the harmony of your mind, the quality of your sensory stimulus is a vital factor.
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