Fourth post – Series ‘Reloading Mental Health’ – April 2020
Immunity is of great importance in the time when the world is struggling to fight with the COVID19 pandemic.
An excerpt from ‘The Wisdom of Healing’ by Dr. David Simon –
Mental state influences Physical wellbeing. This is the fundamental doctrine of mind-body medicine in Ayurveda. A 1985 editorial in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’, the Bible of Western medicine, characterized the ‘presumed’ relationship between the mind and physical illness as ‘largely folklore’, but today modern science is recognizing the dynamic relationship between our emotions, our brain chemistry, and our physical bodies. This has created a new scientific field called ‘Psychoneuroimmunology’. This studies the relationships between the mind (psyche), brain (neuro) and immune system (immunology). Ayurveda has always asserted the mind’s influence on the body, but modern science is just beginning to understand how thoughts, feelings can influence wellbeing. When our lives are in balance and our internal dialogue is harmonious, our immune systems and every other aspect of our being receive the message of health.
There is good evidence that each and every thought, feeling, mood, desire, and experience is accompanied by corresponding and instantaneous changes in the brain’s chemical messengers. A groundbreaking study published a few years ago in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ measured people’s recent stress level and then had them sniff a dose of the virus that produces a cold. The study showed, that the more stressed you’ve been lately, the more likely you are to start coughing and sneezing soon. This study clearly shows that stress levels greatly influence the immune system of body.
Chronic stress is proven a killer. It weakens the immune system and can make one more susceptible to all kind of infections including coronavirus. Along with the necessary precautions, the need to strengthen body’s immunity by taking care of mental health.is equally essential in the pandemic of COVID-19.
Drnilima's Blog 