Traditional East Indian energy healers believe that the root cause of depression and stress disorders stem from energy imbalances within our endocrine and exocrine glands. These glands have a profound effect on our entire being as they regulate the functions of our systems, organs, tissues and cells by secreting the numerous vital hormones essential for our physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Our endocrine and exocrine glands act as buffers to absorb the negative impact of physical, mental and emotional stress, including toxic chemicals from our diet and environment. If our glands are exposed to excessive amounts of negative stress, energy imbalances result, and our glands become impaired, leading to dis-ease within the body and mind.
Traditional East Indian energy healers were aware that the human body is a latticework of energies, vibrating at different frequencies, encompassing the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. They had a wealth of knowledge on how to diagnose, treat and cure dis-ease by natural, holistic methods, and through the generations a great deal of this ancient wisdom has been kept alive.
To treat the root cause of depression and stress disorders, follow these ancient practices:
Acupressure
Acupressure is the ancient East Indian holistic practice of diagnosing and treating the root cause of dis-ease by applying intermittent pressure on areas of the hands and feet that correspond to specific organs, glands, nerves, etc. This regulates the vital energy within the body part, empowering it to function optimally.
A simple acupressure practice to check the degree of stress within the body is to press the base of the middle toes. The degree of pain on this area, when pressed, directly relates to the severity of the imbalance.
- To release temporary stress: intermittently press the base of the middle toes, using the thumb and the index finger, for one minute each, three times a day, until any pain has been alleviated.
- To release accumulated deep-rooted stress: grasp the little toes with the thumbs and the index fingers. Rotate the little toes to the left and right, pull and bend them backwards, allowing the tips to face upwards and hold in this position for 15 seconds. Release and repeat with the remaining toes. Next bend the ten toes backwards, all at once, using the palms of the hands and hold for one minute. Apply the same technique to the fingers. Practice this two times a day for one month.
- To relieve fear and anxiety: clasp the hands and interlock the fingers as tightly as possible. Press the fingers deeply into the back of the opposite hand and hold for ten seconds. Release and repeat 11 times. Practice this three times a day. The nerve acupressure points begin in the webs between the fingers and the nervous system acupressure points are located on the back of the hands. The regular practice of this simple technique calms the nerves and strengthens the entire nervous system.
- To relieve emotional pain and trauma: gently massage the center of the chest, using small circular clockwise motions, for five minutes, two times a day. One drop of essential rose oil can be mixed with half a teaspoon of carrier oil, to relieve low mood, anxiety, stress or grief.
- To relieve mental stress and anxiety: place the fingers on the forehead and thumbs on the temples, for five minutes. Breathe slowly and deeply.
Barefoot Walking
Another ancient East Indian holistic practice is walking on the natural Earth barefoot. Within the Earth there lies a powerful and unique energy source we can draw upon. The Earth is composed of minerals and our body is mineral in essence, therefore our body’s energy resonates perfectly with that of the Earth. The Earth’s energy is greater, and this allows it to be absorbed naturally through the soles of our feet.
To relieve accumulated physical, mental and emotional stress and anxiety, to rebalance the body’s energies and discharge the accumulation of harmful free radicals and electromagnetic pollution, practice walking barefoot on bare earth, grass or sand for 15 minutes at sunrise and 15 minutes at sunset.
Pranayama
Pranayama is the ancient East Indian holistic practice of controlling the breath by a number of different techniques to increase the vital energy in the body. The regular practice of breath exercises can influence our physical, mental, and emotional state in the most positive of ways to initiate the body’s innate healing capacity. The Expansive Breath Exercise assists in opening the heart chakra to release deep-seated fears and encourage emotional balance:
- Sit comfortably, outdoors, with your eyes closed.
- Place your hands on your chest, one on top of the other.
- Bring your awareness to your heart chakra and your emotions.
- Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose whilst stretching your arms out to the sides, parallel to the ground.
- Retain your breath for as long as you are comfortable.
- During the retention of your breath, visualize your heart opening, releasing any emotional pain or trauma.
- Exhale slowly and deeply, bringing your arms back to your chest.
Repeat this 11 times. Practice this three times a day.
Mudras
Mudras are the ancient East Indian holistic practice of joining different combinations of the fingers and thumbs, which balances the vital energy throughout the body and mind, to regain equilibrium and release negative physical, mental and emotional energy. It is believed that the human structure is a miniature form of the universe, composed of the five elements, each of which corresponds to a specific finger or thumb. Mudras can be practiced while sitting, walking or lying down.
The Shakti Mudra assists in releasing accumulated stress and negative emotions, through deeply calming the nervous system. To practice this mudra:
- Place your thumbs in your palms.
- Bend your index fingers and place them over your thumbs.
- Bend your middle fingers and place them over your thumbs.
- Place the tips of your ring fingers together.
- Place the tips of your little fingers together.
- Relax and breathe slowly and deeply.
Practice this three times a day for 30 minutes in total.
In today’s fast-paced world we can easily become detached from nature, leading us to search for inner balance and harmony through our external world. Reconnecting with the ancient East Indian wisdom of self-healing practices allows us to care for ourselves from within, holistically, to empower our energies and initiate our body’s innate healing capacity.
