Asem Bhakta, Special Correspondent North East
IMPHAL: An urgent call to adopt mental hygiene as part of lifestyle marked the Open House on Mental Health organised by the Art of Living Manipur to mark World Mental Health Day. The event was held on 10th October 2024 at its Happiness Centre located at Keishamthong, Imphal.
Expert speakers shared the intrinsic value and urgent need for adopting mental hygiene in our life and highlighted the virtues of having a calm, relaxed and clear state of mind. Delivering the Keynote Address, renowned doctor and CMD of Shija Hospitals and Research Institute Dr Kh Palin stressed on the need for adopting a holistic outlook in life and integrating meditation as a vital component of lifestyle. “Choices we make in life determine the level of pressure we take in life and that directly impacts the mental health conditions. He highlighted the need for paying attention not just to physical health but also to mental and spiritual health. “Keeping the mind in the present moment, doing meditation regularly and being grateful will help ensure mental health,” he advised. Dr Palin shared many scientifically-proven benefits of meditation and other ancient mental hygiene techniques.
Deepa Dave, a senior faculty member from the Art of Living International Centre, Bengaluru spoke on the power of breathing techniques to calm the mind and reduce the risk of mental illness. She added that regular practice of breathing techniques and meditation ensure fundamental change in the stress-coping ability of the practitioner. “Unless we learn to manage our breath, it will be almost impossible to calm the mind and live a happy life,” she added.
Experts from the Art of Living shared tips and techniques to ease the load on our mind and handle challenging situations with ease. They stressed on the need for adopting mental hygiene before the challenges of day-to-day living start creating high levels of stress and anxiety and making us medicine-dependent.
The Art of Living Manipur also announced that it is working to create a supportive atmosphere in Manipur where people could learn techniques and skills to handle their mental challenges in holistic ways and without side-effects. It is also running a free Mental Health & Anxiety Helpline to assist people to cope with the mental challenges of the crisis and spread awareness about mental hygiene. The helpline can be accessed on 7005658504. The international NGO also conducts regular workshops for the general public that teach powerful techniques such as the Sudarshan Kriya.
