“The way you help heal the world is you start with your own family.” These were the words of Mother Teresa, and they’re especially important to remember this Saturday for World Healing Day.
On April 28th, people from all over the globe will come together with a goal of wrapping our planet in a wave healing intention for ourselves and the web of life that sustains us all. From prayer to yoga to tai chi, practicing better mental health brings the world together for a sense of oneness for a simultaneous global mind link.
Meditation research shows that meditation can increase the empathy part of the brain, while shrinking the stress/fear part of the brain – thus dramatically reducing the majority of illness. People who meditate are more likely to actualize a life they envision, leading to a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Similarly, working on your physical wellness has been found to ease depression symptoms, and keep depression at bay. Physical exercise has been shown to release endorphins, take your mind off worries, and help you cope with issue in healthier ways. Meeting exercise goals also helps boost your self-esteem.
Spreading mind-body and spiritual practices is believed to be able to cut health cost savings worldwide by trillions, according to Harvard researcher Dr. Herbert Benson. This is because exercises like yoga and tai chi can profoundly improve physical, mental, and emotional health.
For those who are unfamiliar with meditation, yoga offers similar self-soothing techniques. Yoga helps bring people into the present moment, allowing them to clear their mind, focus movement and control their breathing to help strengthen their body-mind connection. Being able to ‘live in the now’ helps promote mindfulness. For those suffering from depression, one can use mindfulness to feel more in control of their mind and their life by focusing on just being.
The Chinese martial art of tai chi has also been found to reduce symptoms of depression. People who practiced Tai Chi had greater improvement of physical functioning, and they performed better on cognitive tests.
On World Healing Day, the world becomes less violent despite what you see on TV or in the headlines. The global wave of goodwill shows people coming together across racial, ethnic, religious, and geo-political borders for a common vision of health and healing.
World Healing Day brings people together from across the globe. This builds a strong connection for depression sufferers who typically find themselves lacking in social connections. In fact, research shows that when human consciousness focuses en masse, it actually has a physical impact in the world.
If you suffer from depression, it’s important not to try to deal with it on your own. Building a support network of family members, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and acquaintances who you feel you can be yourself around is a great first step. These people hold you accountable, help you problem solve, and help keep you mentally sharp. If you are experiencing signs of depression, seek help from a medical professional right away.
TMS Neuro Institute is one of the earliest adopters in using transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat depression in Los Angeles. To schedule a consultation, call 323.655.3747 or take our TMS Therapy Self-Assessment here.