The Distressed Mind, the Root of Symptoms

We live in a society, a world, in truth, that is very stressful and people experience distress.

To feel distressed is the opposite of feeling whole and healthy!

(In a previous post, I talked about my revelation of what wholeness truly mean. You can read the post here)

A distressed mind, the root of all symptoms

From the point of view of holistic healing systems, like Ayurveda, the distressed mind is at the root of all symptoms.

With the three main Ayurvedic mind-body natures, the mind becomes distressed differently.

In a person with a dominant Pitta nature like me, the distressed mind experiences distrust, this causes all kinds of symptoms from indigestion to inflammation and inflammatory symptoms.

What about the other mind-body constitutions: Vata and Kapha?

Vata imbalance

The physical symptoms of a Vata imbalance are gas, bloating, constipation, insomnia and dryness, Ayurveda says that the root of this imbalance is fear.

Fear permeates the inner consciousness of a person with a Vata imbalance.

It is then expressed in their self-conscious mind as anxiety and overwhelm.

At the level of the nervous system it manifests as nervousness, hyperactivity and a kind of restlessness.

And finally shows up in the physical body as the symptoms described above.

In this case, GROUNDING is fundamental to healing.

Whether you take a Yin Yoga class or a meditation class, it is important that the intention behind these practices is to be still and grounded so you can experience feeling safe.

Real safety does not stem from doing things to feel safe, real safety stems from the ability to be still enough that we can feel the divine intelligence and order permeating all existence and rest into that. I’m often reminded of this psalm: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Kapha imbalance

The physical symptoms of a Kapha imbalance are fatigue, sluggish digestion and excess weight.

Ayurveda has discovered that the root of this imbalance is attachment.

Attachment permeates the inner consciousness of a person with a Kapha imbalance.

It’s then expressed in their self-conscious mind as depression and melancholy.

At the level of the nervous system, it manifests as lethargy, melancholy and nostalgia. This manifests in the physical body as fatigue, heavy digestion, and weight gain.

You probably guessed it. In this case, LETTING GO is essential for healing. Whether it is clearing out a closet in your house or practicing giving, it’s important that the intention behind these practices is to lighten up.

Letting go is really living in the present moment as opposed to reacting to the past. AND it’s also accepting things as they are now. For example, I’ve observed that women with a Kapha imbalance like weight gain eat as a way to heal a past pain. Facing and then letting go of that past pain is often cathartic. I remember specifically one instance when after releasing a past pain, a client lost 8lbs within a week and that without changing anything in her diet!

Healing all aspects of ourselves

I encourage anyone who has physical imbalances to not only seek to heal these but to also dig deeper and unearth the stresses at the origin of these symptoms.

In the end, to be whole is to get on a journey to heal all aspects of ourselves.

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