The topic for the English Satsang on Sunday, 8th September, 2013 was ‘Dealing with Depression through Yoga’
Following is the transcript of the Q & A between the audience and Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra and Smt. Hansaji Yogendra.
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Listen to the audio:
Q. What happens when the husband has an affair and the wife goes into depression when she feels cheated?
Dr. J: Don’t discuss. Start action. If there is something that you know (is going wrong) in the situation, try to correct it.
Smt. H: When husband is doing something wrong, wife getting into depression is totally wrong. She should continue doing her duty and start the action, find out how to go about bringing sanity into their life and so on if it is possible. Otherwise, at least you maintain your own duty. We have many other roles in life, as a mother, as a daughter, as a member of society and nation. So we should do all those duties and not suffer because of the husband.
Q. How can we trust Psychiatrists in today’s world? It may lead to a vicious circle of medicines.
Dr. J: Nowadays unfortunately, we have got this great fear of this word ‘Psychiatry.’ It is not so terrible. You see, a good Psychiatrist can explain to us, can reasonably speak ad begin with some simple things. I can tell you an example. We had a person here, a very very rich man who had got this problem that he was mentally disturbed. What I suggested to him is, is the compound, collect the dry leaves that have fallen in this compound and give me the number. And there were thousands of leaves. By the time he finishes collecting the thousands, his psychiatric problem had gone because he was busy doing work. So keeping the mind busy is a very important thing.
Smt. H: You are going to a Psychiatrist, the Psychiatrist is doing his job, but you must do your job. So that is why we have given you the entire details of how you should be doing your job. Here, definitely see to it that you learn yoga, the techniques, understand the philosophy. If you don’t do this side-by-side, then you will end up with nothing else but medicines and frustration. So it has to be a combination with yoga. Just Psychiatry would be wrong. There are many Psychiatrists who give medicines for some time and then say if you want a real cure then go to The Yoga Institute. They say that and people come here.
Q. Sometimes when I’m feeling very low, I cry. It makes me feel lighter. Is that okay?
Dr. J: Cry in the bathroom. No harm.
Smt. H: Cry quietly, alone in the bathroom. Don’t show your tears to anybody and don’t cry on somebody’s shoulder. Taking sympathy from people and all that will weaken you. So if you feel crying will help you then fine. But singing, dancing, going for a walk alone, sitting at the sea and counting the waves can also help. Try many other methods also.
Q. How does one make a person aware that they are suffering from depression? They do not acknowledge this medical condition.
Dr. J: Easiest way is to go to a Psychiatrist. The Psychiatrist will knock out some money. You see, they pay some money for that, then they learn quick.
Smt. H: We can’t force the person. The formula is very clear, if he is negative, irritating, can see nothing good in the world, definitely means he is into depression. Sometimes if you tell the Psychiatrist, the Psychiatrist will guide. He may not go to a Psychiatrist, a family member should go and then he will guide on how to go about.
Q. Is Bi-Polarism depression gone worse? Can a person with Bi-Polar disease be helped with yoga and meditation?
Dr. J: These kinds of conditions, they can be helped. But they should be supported by Psychiatry.
Smt. H: We have few of such cases and definitely yoga works wonders but support of Psychiatric medicine is required, otherwise they will not even come when they are in a low phase. With little support of medicine, they would at least start continuing and they will learn better.
Satsang is an open meeting held every Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30 am at The Yoga Institute, Santacruz East, Mumbai. It involves an interesting presentation to the public, made by the students of the Teacher Training Course. Each week, a new presentation of a Yogic concept is made in a simple way through skits and decoration for the general public, followed by a short speech from our Gurus, Dr. Jayadeva and Smt. Hansaji Yogendra.