Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 > >AUM > >BEATING DEPRESSION BLUES > By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant, VSM > > >Depression: Ah! That has become a synonym for the civilized man today. What >to say of ailing minds and hearts, even healthy hearts and minds in healthy >bodies are fast cultivating the habit of going into depression at the drop >of a hat. Even those who are not really depressed have a tendency to >announce from rooftops that they are really depressed. Somehow it has >become a fashionable word spoiling the good health of good human beings. > > > >A teacher ticks off her taught in a classroom and the pupil, instead of >taking it sportingly, goes into depression. At times the pupil takes little >food and that worsens the situation. In some cases anorexia sets in leading >to further mental and physical complications. Such anecdotes are from real >life scenario and not from the make believe world of the silver screen. >Both the listeners and narrators of these complicated situations of the new >generation relish the very thought of going into make believe depression. >Little they realize that what passes off as a mere joke initially for the >youth may eventually prove fatal to them when they cross the magic age of >40. Moral of the story is: `do not allow the thought of or the word >depression make a dent in your otherwise healthy personality.’ Depression >damages the psychological side of an individual’s personality and at times >it is irreparable. > > > >Let us all keep the very thought of depression at arm’s length and never >allow it to cross the proverbial Lakshman Rekha which protects a healthy >mind in a healthy body through Vedic precepts and practices. Let each man >and each woman draw own dividing lines. On the inner side of the dividing >line lie health, happiness and high morale leading to longevity. On the >outer side lie depression, disease and death. In a Ved mantra the prayer is >for 100 years life where the human being remains in command of all his >mental and physical faculties till his last breath. The magic mantra is: > > > > Pashyem sharadah shatam, Jeevem sharadah shatam, Shrunuyam sharadah >shatam, > >Prabravam sharadah shatam, adeenah shyam sharadah shatam, bhuyasch sharadah >shatat > > > >The mantra means: May I have a logical perception for 100 years, may I live >for 100 years, may I hear for 100 years, may I consciously speak for 100 >years and above all may I remain independent in body, mind and spirit >throughout my 100 year long life. May a life like this cross the 100 years >barrier and keep going on and on. > > > >One may wonder whether it is possible to put into practice what one prays >for in this Ved Mantra. Of course, it is. One has to make conscious effort >to achieve the aim. Even in the present day world there are many men and >women who have lived for more than 100 years and have led a happy and >healthy life. Notwithstanding the smog and multi-pollutants of air, food >and drink, there are certain steps that an individual may take to attain >the goal of longevity, health and happiness.. To mention just a few of >them, morning fresh air, moderate and regular exercise, a balanced diet and >positive attitude to solving problems in life go a long way in helping an >individual live happily and healthily for 100 years and may be more.. >Pranayam, that is, control of the incoming and outgoing breath is the >master medicine of many an ailment. The life-giving breath is called the >Pran Vayu or the life giving oxygen. If one does Pranayam for 20 to 30 >minutes every morning, initially under the guidance of a Guru and later on >independently before pollution of air begins, one will never have >respiratory problems. Once the system is healthy half of the battle of >combating diseases is already won. > > > >It is now time we examined afresh the main causes of depression that we >notice in our fellow human beings. A thorough dissection of its anatomy >will help us beat the blues of depression. More often than not depression >starts with stress which entwines you and locks you in. We may describe >stress as our inability to diffuse, transform or channelise negative >thought patterns creating a standstill in our thought process. Some eminent >psychologists, after a thorough research covering a wide spectrum of human >beings across the continents, have reached the conclusion that our >inability to banish negative thoughts allows them to become our permanent >non-paying guests. In due course of time they domineering guests don’t even >let the hosts run their shows in their own habitat. Obviously, this >phenomenon causes stress. > > > >It is understood that men and women of the developed countries are more >prone to depression than their poor cousins in developing countries. As >many as 17.5 million Americans suffer from one form of depression or the >other. No such authentic figures are available about the developing world. >However, for all human beings depression indeed is one of the worst >diseases of modern times. It affects the nervous system and obviously leads >to disfunctioning of digestive system. The human body goes sick because of >the sick mind and by and by the sickness affects the entire physical and >mental system. > > > >Some men and women who cannot cope with effects of depression take to >alcohol and in a worst situation take to dangerous drugs. Royalty is no >exception to it. All saints and Sanyasis as well as medical officers have >been counseling depressed persons and telling them not to take to alcohol >or drugs. Alcohol and drugs do not cure depression. On the other hand they >aggravate the situation. Let us understand once and for all that taking a >pill or a peg is by no chance and anti-depressant. Please remember that you >cannot wish depression away. You have to fight the depression blues both >physically and mentally. Physical exercise and taking course to Ved Mantras >for prayers will help you drive away depression. > > > >The social system comes in play to help out old men and women, especially >spinsters, widows and widowers who are more prone to depression. They have >no one to fall back upon for moral or material support. Irrespective of >age, human beings are gregarious by nature. In old age if men and women >miss anything most it is the human company. Lack of human company causes >deep depression. Here is a scenario that may be your own. It is a lovely >morning. The morning sunshine, the blue sky and the cool breeze make the >day a pleasant one. Not for me though. I have just left the bed at seven in >the morning after what I think was an uninterrupted sleep. And yet I feel >tired. I am constantly yawning. I just don’t know why. I have to make a >couple of important phone calls and make appointments. But I do not feel >like picking the phone receiver and dialing the number. It is sheer >inactivity, a sign of withdrawal from the social obligations. I experience >a lack of enthusiasm in life itself. A rundown feeling indeed. Friends >point out that I look a wee-bit distraught. I know their comment is an >understatement of the year. They are just polite. I ask myself why do I >look run down. Am I undergoing a bout of depression? Something in my heart >tells me I am not far from truth. Well, there is a way out. It is reading, >reciting and meditating on the Ved Mantras to take my mind off the nagging >feeling of withdrawal caused by depression. > > > >Through experience many a sage and a commoner have found Ved mantras as the >best anti-dote to the poison of depression. By reciting these mantras and >meditating on their meaning, an individual gives a very strong >autosuggestion for a long and healthy life where he always bounces like a >ball on account of unadulterated joy and may live even beyond 100 years. >Once you wish to live long you can never suffer from depression. The >positive thought of living happily and healthily will banish the negative >thought of depression. So recite the mantra, meditate on its meaning and >make conscious and vigorous efforts to live by its tenets. Once again it is >a healthy combination of both prarthana and purusharth (prayer and >correlated conscious action) that helps a man or a woman develop a well >rounded personality without angularities. Let us imbibe teachings of Ved >mantras and drive out depression for ever. > > > > > >BRIGADIER CHITRANJAN SAWANT, VSM > >609, SECTOR-29 > >NOIDA-201 303. , INDIA > > > >TELEFAX: 91-120-2454511 > >PHONE: 91-120-2454622 > > > >e-mail: vedicupvan > > upvanom > > > > > > > Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now _______________ The new MSN 8 is here: Try it free* for 2 months http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/dialup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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