The role of the mind in healing the body

The role of the mind in healing the body

All of us know that the human body is a complex, mechanism but few know that it operates in several levels of existence. Yoga has recognized this and rightly calls the body as being made up of ‘Pancha Koshas’, which are known as:

‘Annamaya Kosa, Pranamaya kosa, manomaya kosa, vigyanamaya kosa, & Anandamaya kosa.

Each of these, in turn, represent different levels of existence.

Annamaya Kosa refers to the physical body, the body which is nurtured by food. It is this body which feels aches and pains and all the pleasant and unpleasant sensations that we experience.

Pranamaya kosa this refers to the prana or vital energy, the energy which is responsible for all the involuntary body actions such as the in and out of breath, the rhythmic beating of the heart, the automatic functioning of the various systems and glands; and all the actions responsible for maintaining homeostasis. Disturbances in prana causes disturbances in the physical body and vice-versa.

Manomaya kosa this refers to the realm of the mind. It includes our thought processes, our feelings in fact all those things over which we usually have no control.

Vigyanamaya kosa the realm of logic and intellect. It is this aspect of our existence which helps us to know the difference between right and wrong actions

Anandamaya kosa the realm of happiness that ultimate state which man wishes to always be in; this is the state which he never wants to leave, unless forced to do so. And he constantly yearns to return to this state at the earliest.

Out of these five levels of existence, we are generally aware of the body and all its pains, because all pains tend to take us far away from the Anandamaya kosa.

Anatomically, little difference exists between the human body and that of most mammals, especially the monkey, the dog or the cat. In fact, several studies have been done on the behavioral patterns of these three species, which forms the basis of modern anatomy and physiology.

Yet out of these beings, it is man alone who is plagued by aches and pains, because he is the only intelligent being endowed with the entity called as ‘the mind’.

From time immemorial, yogis have been proclaiming the ascendancy of mind over matter. A popular saying from yoga says, “Whether a person feels free or shackled – the mind alone is responsible”.

Normally we blame others or circumstances for whatever are happening to us. But the above statement makes it very clear. The crucial word is “Av or alone” which means that, other than the mind, no other thing is responsible for our feelings.

Anatomically, the mind has no separate existence. Yet, none can deny its existence. So where then, is the mind? The answer is obvious.

Since the body is made up of trillions of cells, from the above statement of yoga, it stands to reason that the mind has to be in each and every cell of the body. And this is the greatest contribution of yoga to the whole of the universe.

Whatever we feel, whatever we think, it is bound to have a profound impact on every cell of the body. So to cure the body, all that we have to do is to learn to modify our thought process.

This is the main approach in all of Louise L. Hay’s books, each of which teaches us with examples how to tackle the body’s problems without recourse to medicines, simply by recognising one’s thought process and modifying the subconscious mind by subtle affirmations.

S. Ramchandran

Senior Neurotherapist, Researcher, Faculty