Anxiety and Stress Ayurveda Management

Ayurvedic Medicine For Anxiety

In everyday life, people suffer from frustrations, hassles, anxiety, demands and work deadlines, so stress becomes a part of our life most of the time. Normal stress or anxiety is not bad for the health unless it causes a hindrance in the daily routine and quality of sleep. Relaxation and adequate sleep remove most of the stress from the mind and prepare the person for next-day activities.

When stress causes a hindrance in routine work and a person becomes irritable, anxious and feels restlessness, sleeplessness or experiences other stress and anxiety symptoms, medical attention becomes important.

Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain. It disturbs the person's natural physical and psychological balance and causes some psychosomatic health problems in the body.

What Causes Stress or Anxiety

Mental stress or anxiety can sometimes happen without any triggers or reason but may often be associated with the following causes:

• Constant unmanageable family problems
• Unhealthy daily routine
• Over workload
• Sometimes leading to negative changes in life, such as losing a job, illness or divorce
• Mental trauma due to losing a loved one or family member etc.

Natural Ayurveda Stress and Anxiety Remedy

Ayurveda, the science of life, may effectively manage stress and anxiety naturally. This ancient healthcare discipline is an amalgamation of treatments and remedies for over 5000 years.

According to Ayurveda, a person leading a healthy, stress-free life has the following main characteristics:

• Healthy eating and sleeping habits
• Good Memory
• Self-awareness
• Enthusiasm
• Sharp intellectual functioning etc.

Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety

The following list some of the common symptoms and signs of stress:

• Anxiousness
• Seeing only the negative aspects
• Concentration problem
• Poor judgment
• Worrying
• Irritability
• Inability to relax
• Unhappiness
• Body ache due to unknown reason
• Sometimes rapid heartbeat during the panic phase
• Dizziness (occasionally)
• Irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms
• Sometimes loss of sex drive
• Changes in eating habits - eating less or more
• Sleeplessness or excessive sleep
• Procrastination
• Isolating from others
• Nail biting or pacing

Natural Anxiety and Stress Management with Ayurveda

The Ayurveda pathway is based on balancing mind and body senses of humour or doshas to naturally alleviate anxiety and stress symptoms. In addition to this, Ayurveda also recommends relaxation therapies such as Shirodhara, and Ayurvedic body massage, along with organic Indian herbs and Ayurvedic medicines used traditionally in lowering stress.

Traditional Ayurveda Natural Herbal Remedies for Stress and Anxiety

The herbs that stabilise the mind have been classified as Medhya Rasayanas in Ayurveda manuscripts. These herbs are used in Ayurveda preparations that serve as nervine tonics. The therapeutic benefits of such Ayurveda medicines and herbs include improvement in memory and concentration, peace of mind, natural nourishment of the brain and alleviation of nervous behavioural disorders. 

The following herbs have been used traditionally in Ayurveda to reduce stress and anxiety and restore mental health and well-being:
 

- Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

- Jatamansi (Nardostachys chinensis)

- Turmeric (Curcuma Longa)

- Brahmi (Bacopa Monnieri)

- Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis)

- Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza Glabra)

- Vacha (Acorus Calamus)

- Mandukaparni (Centella asiatica)

- Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)

Ayurveda Therapies and Panchkarma Treatments are used traditionally for Stress and Anxiety.

Most the Ayurveda doctors use Ayurveda therapies or treatments in cases of stress and anxiety.

Nasya or nasal instillation

Nasya treatment helps to promote mental clarity and reduce stress. In this treatment method, nasal medication serves as a purifying agent for the head and enables to offer clarity of mind.

Shirodhara

Shirodhara treatment is a traditional ayurvedic therapy used to relax the mind for thousands of years. It helps to cleanse both the mind and the body. In this treatment method, a concoction of herbal oils, medicated milk and medicated water is poured over the forehead for a duration. It is suggested to assist in relieving stress, tension, anxiety and depression and rejuvenating the mind.

How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety with Yoga

Meditation is a great way to get rid of stress and anxiety. A person suffering from stress disorders and depression should do at least 30 minutes of meditation twice a day, especially since evening meditation is considered more effective in managing stress and depression. It also helps to relax the mind after finishing daily routine work. Sun salutation is a yoga exercise that can be useful in treating anxiety and depression.

The other yoga poses include Child's Pose (Balasana), Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana), Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana), Eagle Pose (Garudasana), Corpse Pose (Savasana), Extended Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (Viparita Karani), Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana), Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) and Dolphin Pose.

Managing Stress and Anxiety Naturally

• Do regular exercises. Exercises are an effective natural remedy to combat stress and depression. Regular exercise boosts the level of serotonin and endorphins in the brain, which helps the person to feel good.
• Eating well is also a crucial part of stress management. A well-balanced diet keeps the energy level up and reduces mood swings.
• Take adequate sleep and try to sleep at least 6-8 hours a day. Sleep is a natural remedy for combating depression and anxiety. Sleep deprivation can also cause irritability, sadness, moodiness and body fatigue.
• Make some strong social connections with people and avoid being isolated from other people. Stay in regular contact with family and friends. Try to spend more time with children and friends.
• Play an active game in which you have an interest. Playing games are also beneficial in reducing stress and treating depression.

In case you are suffering from stress, anxiety, depression or other disorder that hinders your normal functioning and you are looking for natural and Ayurveda treatment options, you may book your appointment at Pure Herbal Ayurved Clinic. Here you get a complete personal evaluation by highly experienced and qualified Ayurvedic doctors qualified from India and trained Ayurveda therapists.

Under the supervision of qualified Ayurveda Doctors, you can get an effective treatment program, dietary advice and self-care guidance at this Ayurveda Clinic.

Ayurvedic Practitioners Gurnam Saini and Pooja Saini have also specialised in mental health in their Registered Nursing career in Australia and worked in both Public and Private hospitals in Melbourne for several years. Gurnam Saini holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing, and Pooja Saini completed a Master s of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) in Mental Health. So they both hold a combination of traditional understandings of mental health disorders and health conditions. They believe in active listening and therapeutic engagement of their clients and aim to work with them to find their recovery goals rather than symptom management. 

References

1. Dr Ajay Goel, 'Curcumin – A Novel Treatment for Depression, Euro Medica Integrative Practitioner, ​https://divcomplatform.s3.amazonaws.com/ip.divcomstaging.com/images/166ee5c481fc264864b1d8c32c6be0f8.pdf
2. Tapas Kumar Sur, Nazmun Lyle, Dipankar Bhattacharyya, Antony Gomes, ‘Stress Modulating Antioxidant Effect of Nardostachys jatamansi’, Indian Journal of Biochemistry and Biophysics, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24305417_Stress_modulating_antioxidant_effect_of_Nardostachys_jatamansi
3. Kajaria Divya, Chandola H.M, 'Anxiety and Depressive Illness: Curse to Metropolitan Cities and Role of Ayurveda', International Research Journal of Pharmacy, https://www.irjponline.com/admin/php/uploads/1980_pdf.pdf

If you wish to consult Ayurveda, you may contact one of our Ayurveda Practitioners, Gurnam Saini or Pooja Saini, in Melbourne. Both of our Practitioners are Qualified Ayurveda Doctors from India. You may contact us at "Pure Herbal Ayurved Clinic". People who can't reach us personally may choose online Ayurveda consultation.