Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 3, 2014

8

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 3, 2014 


THE JOY OF YOGA

THE MIND IS A MONKEY


CHASE THE BLUES AWAY WITH GREENS

Frequent consumption of vegetables appears to cut one’s odds of 
depression significantly. A recent review in a nutritional journal 
suggests that eating lots of fruits and vegetables “may present a 
noninvasive natural and inexpensive therapeutic means to support 
a healthy brain.”

To understand this research, we need to understand the underlying 
biology of depression. It is thought that depression may arise out 
of a chemical imbalance in the brain. In order for the billions of 
nerves in our brain to communicate with each other they need 
chemical signals called neurotransmitters. Nerve cells do not 
touch, there is a gap between them. When one nerve wants to 
communicate with another nerve they release a neurotransmitter 
into the gap. As soon as the first nerve has got its message across 
the gap it sucks the neurotransmitter back up to use again some 
other time. The nerves also produce substances that digest the 
neurotransmitters so just the correct amount is kept. If the levels 
of our neurotransmitter digesting substances is elevated, then our 
levels of neurotransmitters drops, and we become depressed. 

So why then would fruits and vegetables improve our mood? They contain substances that 
can be inhibitors of depression. Spices, such as clove, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg, 
can also inhibit the substance that digest neurotransmitters, but people don’t eat enough to 
have an effect by themselves. There are special nutrients found in apples, berries, grapes, 
kale, onions, and green tea that may indeed affect our brain biology enough to improve 
our mood. It has been shown that those with superior mental health eat a lot of fruits and 
vegetables. And who doesn’t want 
superior mental health… eat up!

They call it "Monkey Mind". It is when you are trying to meditate 
and your mind keeps jumping from one thought to the next. You 
may even be listening to someone telling a story and your mind is 
flitting all over and you realize that you didn't even catch part of 
it. Your mind could be jumping ahead to the next thing you want 
to say or the next thing you need to do or the next meal you want 
to eat. The mind can be sharp sometimes or dull sometimes. It 
can be fast or sluggy. But staying focused and present is very hard.

The great sage Patanjali defined yoga in the second sutra. He said that yoga is "...complete 
mastery over the roaming tendencies of the mind." (Yoga chitta vritti nirodhah, translated 
by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait). Because until we can stop all the things that we are thinking, 
we cannot hear our true inner voice. We cannot hear all our subconscious thoughts. We 
will still be governed by our senses. We use the senses to protect us, but they are not needed 
much when meditating. In meditation we want to bring subconscious thought forward to 
consciousness. Only then can we take a look at that thought, resolve and move on from it. 
Otherwise, it will jump back in every once in awhile.

You already know that I am going to tell you that the physical practice of yoga can help ease 
the "Monkey Mind". How? Physical stability helps to stabilize this monkey. The physical 
movement done in such a way that it changes your prana, allows your mind to be a little 
quieter. This is why we are hooked. I just love the peace that my practice can bring me.

I hope you find that inner peace too.

See you in class.

Namasté,

René

Dr. Tina is a traditional 
naturopath and nutritionist 
at Vibrant Living 
Wellness Center


200 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 320, Pasadena, California 91101 . (626) 792-2228 . www.cliffordswan.com 
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