The four pillars of health: psychological health

 what's this? 

psychological health?

don't you mean mental health?

yes - but not just that

(photo by Diana Schroder- bode on Unsplash.com)

continuing with the four pillars of health:

One of the lovely aspects of Te Ao Maori (the world of Maori) is that psychological health is not just all about our mental health. It's about our emotional health, too. 

During my intense yoga years, we were taught that our thoughts created our emotions. And, of course, we believed this because it came from "Those Who Knew." Or did it? Or was it just decided and followed through? Who knows. Either way, it really screwed people up. Trying to control one's thoughts so you didn't then have to get emotional. (to be emotional was not considered good) Wh-a-a-at? This was beyond stupid, in retrospect. Luckily for me, during those years, I learnt through experience, that we are so much more than just our "mind". 

Then I start studying Maori spirituality, and guess what? This system was saying that our emotions create our thoughts. And, just as we were created by the Gods, our emotions were gifted to us by the Gods. 

Our emotions, I feel (pun), are what makes us alive on many aspects. The effects of them permeate almost every aspect of one's body, heart and mind. When we are happy, our whole being tingles with such joy. Similarly, when we are at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, are unhappy, depressed, even suicidal - this too penetrates all of us. 

we can do some easy things to pull us out of a blue mood

Happily, (more puns!!), the "down" emotional  aspects and their effects, can be reversed. 

If things aren't too severe, it can happen almost in a heartbeat. 

One of the absolute easiest ways when we are feeling a bit down, is to change one's stance. Tony Robbins recommends this, and so does The Lightning Process which is a profound system for rewiring our brains, especially after trauma. So if we are sitting - change to standing. If we are standing in one direction feeling "down" - turn your body and look in another direction. If you feel so heavy that you can't move - get up and do something small for say, two minutes, and move fast during that time (my suggestion).

Another easy and immediate technique is to look up and turn the corners of your mouth up slightly. It takes less than thirty seconds and changes how we feel - we come out of it smiling and feeling much better and happier. 

find out what suits YOU

So along these easy-peasy lines: what can you do that suits you and pulls you quickly out of a blue funk - mild or otherwise? 

Obviously I'm not saying that severe depression will be "fixed" by really simple moves like those above. But - they just might help enough to set the ball rolling to feeling better all around. 

I never found that life changed for the better in one quick second. For me it was always bit by bit. I guess that's why I recommend little changes. Doing things bit by bit. This also seems to sidestep the inner resistance from our body, heart, emotions, and mind. So it all becomes easier. In baby steps. 

this can become a very helpful habit

So, what can we easily do to improve our psychological health in a simple way? Once we get used to doing this, it's something that we can turn to whenever we feel not quite ourselves.

** very helpful post on how to be happy here

** and another here 

** hey, there's another here

** and let's not forget my yoga blog here