Mental Well-Being in Yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian Psychological Traditions

Abstract

Mental health is more than the lack of mental illness; it is a state of emotional balance, resilience, self-awareness, meaningful life and social harmony. Indian knowledge systems like Yoga, Ayurveda, and Indian psychological knowledge relate to a holistic perspective of mental health that cohesively brings the body, mind, senses, emotions, behaviour, consciousness, and environment together. Yoga teaches that mental pain is a result of the disturbance in the mind and suggests various practices, including ethical discipline, postures, breath control, concentration and meditation, for attaining calmness and clarity. According to ayurveda, mental health is balance in lifestyle, diet, sleep, body build and Sattva, Rajas and Tamas guna in the mind. Self-knowledge, detachment, thoughtful action, compassion and emotional balance are core aspects of Indian psychology and philosophy, such as the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta and Buddhism. Current studies also show that yoga and mindful activities have a beneficial effect in lowering stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. In this paper, these three perspectives from India have been discussed and it has been claimed that these are a culturally meaningful, preventative and integrative model of mental health. These practices can be integrated with contemporary psychology and psychiatric methods, particularly in South Asian cultures where a holistic and culturally informed approach is widely embraced.