With technological development, man’s life has become much more comfortable as compared to before. He has machines to help him in all kinds of work, thus reducing the labour involved. But along with this immense development, he has also acquired a very hectic and stressful life. This stressful life is a cause for many mental problems like anxiety, tension headaches, depression, insomnia, e.t.c. Along with a defective diet, such hectic schedules have given rise to increasing prevalence of many diseases like hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, peptic ulcer, e.t.c. The basic reason for all these problems is an agitated or troubled mind. A weak mind easily falls in the trap of depression and other tension related disorders. Some people tend to take sedatives and tranquilizers to calm the restless mind. These drugs are addicting in the long run and have harmful side effects. Some tend to find solace in addictions which are harmful. Yoga offers safe, economical simple techniques for mental relaxation which can be done easily by anyone. Done regularly it also strengthens the mind and makes it strong.This happens because yoga relaxes the sympathetic system, one responsible for agitation and excitement in the body and provides the right neurohumoral environment for the mind to relax. One of the useful exercises for mental relaxation is, “ kapalbhati pranayama”. In this, one inhales deeply and then exhales. This exercise is useful for improving mental concentration and relaxation. This can be done for about 5 minutes or up to 10 to 20 times. Anulom vilom” or breathing through alternate nostril can be done easily by all. One has to inhale from alternate nostrils voluntarily while exhaling from the other. In this way one can breathe from alternate nostrils up to 100 times. By doing this exercise regularly, a person feels fresh all day and can concentrate more on work. “Shavasana” or adopting a position like corpse (“ shav” Sanskrit meaning a dead body) – is an excellent technique for relaxation. To do it, a person has to lie down flat on a mat with arms and legs spread flung far from body and fingers and toes spread open. In this position the individual has to breathe slowly and focus on the breathing. He or she should let the mind dwell on something positive and beautiful. Those who practice this regularly say that after doing so for 10 to 15 minutes, they feel as fresh as after a deep sleep of 8 hours. All these exercises can be done at home, only condition being that the stomach should be empty, i.e. to do it in morning before breakfast or 2 hours after food. Only thing one needs is a blanket or mat to sit on. Ideal position is to sit cross legged with back straight but if that is difficult one can sit with legs spread straight in front or sit on a chair. It should be started from a small time and number both can be increased slowly. One can do all or one or two of these techniques depending on his interest and time. These exercises are useful for mental relaxation, improving memory, stabilizing the mind, helping in giving up addictions and keeping one stress free. Thus the mind is relaxed and strengthened. Thus they are useful for chronic diseases like hypertension, asthma, e.t.c in many ways. These benefits have been proved by various studies done in many hospitals world wide. Those interested can start doing it regularly. They will definitely be benefitted provided they do it regularly. E-mail – rachna212002@yahoo.co.uk
