Staying Cheerful
Every human being craves for happiness and yet we find that everybody around is surrounded with sorrow, chronic tension and never ending suffering. The more we avail ourselves of luxuries the more we see ourselves troubles. Instead of satisfying, our displeasure and discontent just keeps on piling up.
But is there any way by which we can convert our sorrows into happiness?
Here we see that Yogic science holds a very positive approach towards this.
The first step is to observe our complex body system. Let us identify the specific body regions that are more susceptible towards depression. It is the brain which is one of the most sensitive organ in our body. The brain transmits sensations to our senses and they further transmit the messages to the rest of the body. For these reasons it was believed till some time that the heart and the brain are the basic controlling organs of the body. However with increasing research interestingly enough it was found out that even the brain is controlled by endocrine glands.
All our emotions, behavior, passions, desires, feelings are controlled by the endocrine glands. It is the conditions of these endocrine glands that controls the emotions of joy and sorrow. Moreover what sort of habit we develop is basically dependent upon these glands they are further revealed in our day to day behavior by the action of the brain. We now will discuss about the two important glands in our body.
- Pituitary gland
- Adrenal gland
The pituitary gland is located near the center of the brain and is that of the size of a pea. It secretes nine different type of hormones which affect the functioning of the body. No organ is deprived of their effect It activates and saturates thyroid, the front portion of the adrenal and gonadal hormones. For example a man whilst going to a party where women are also present performs certain actions subconsciously like combing hair or fixing his tie knot. This action is naturally undertaken by his subconscious mind in fact it happens due to the Gonardotrophy hormone secretion from pituitary gland.
The second type of gland is the adrenaline. This is in a pair and is usually triangular and cap shaped it is found right above the kidneys The secretion of these glands helps in the development of the brain and the reproductive organs. This gland promotes mind concentration physical resistance against diseases makes breathing smooth and our muscles strong.
If the secretion of any of the two glands is not rightly balanced then the reserves will diminish slowly. This will lay pressure on the nervous system which in turn will lay pressure on the mind and the same will execute its effect on the body in the form of over-excitement, fear, pain, anger, indecisiveness, worry, and uncontrollable sobbing. On the other hand excessive body secretion causes the powers of these glands to diminish. That is the reason why man cannot live happily and is always burdened by one or the other tension.
It here becomes essential to learn the art of controlling emotions to bring happiness 24hours of the day. Yogic exercises (asanas) are essential. Yoga is the means to relax ourselves from the day to day tensions and overcoming our emotions one must carefully feel all body movements, the stretch caused, relaxation achieved in the body while performing asanas. In short, one should learn to observe impact of each exercise. These exercises should not become mechanical exercises instead each exercise should be performed with one’s highest awareness.
Man spends most of his present time dreaming about the future all recreating his own past. One’s we learn the art of living in the present, then happiness will come to us naturally. The best way to do this is to through Yoga, and by carefully observing our breathing cycle.
Yoga, through it’s simple breathing exercise, can help us to live in the present. To do this, sit in a quiet place and take deep long breaths in a rhythmic manner. We can practice the same for five days which results in cooling down tensed nervous system and relieve the whole body.
Preksha meditation is the art of transforming our habits. Preksha means observing without any feelings of attraction towards objects. Our body is surrounded by an electromagnetic field. Once we concentrate on these parts of our body through Preksha meditation, we will be able to overcome our anger, fear and endless worries. Through daily practice we can perfect ourselves and give birth to a new personality.
As soon as we learn the art of concentration, our mind will not whirl like a cyclone and stop and stop disturbing us emotionally.
- (See the technique of Preksha meditation and Kayotsarg.)
Psychologists believe that these actions which reach our conscious mind through sight, touch, smell etc, are less powerful or impressive than the actions which may impact on our inner conscious mind. When we meditate, our inner conscious awakens. It creates a state of openness, inner calm and an increased self awareness. To perform all this, determination, continuity and self confidence is required. It is often believed that this art is not “a cup of tea” for everybody. However, with the help of a good practitioner, one can easily learn this and may improve it day by day. The true feeling of this art can only be felt upon practice and will keep the person cheerful 24 hours a day.