some - the new Cigarette
Our society is strongly affected by globalization. Individual pressure, which often is based upon comparison of what we know to be “truth”, has exploded in a world where the best has become our new neighbor. SoMe (social media) has brought about a new epidemic of distress, spreading symptoms of depression and anxiety among our citizens. SoMe is the “new cigarette” - only this time it is not the lungs that are affected but the mental health and well-being to people of the Earth.
Globalization and the internet
Throughout time, each generation has been afraid of the new. I am part of the last generation that grew up without mobile cell phones and internet. I am 32. Globalization has done much good for the world; access to internet is bringing about opportunities for education, communication, and for more liquid markets. If you want to rent out your home and work from Bali one year, that is possible. Charities can now raise money faster and better than ever. And online education has been taken to new heights after the covid epidemic. Internet is beyond good news for everyone. But it also has it’s dark side.
The truth
Instagram, Facebook, Youtube and access to fast and wide information is bringing the world to your backyard; the strongest body builder, the most flexible yogi, the best dressed influencer, the smartest teenager, and the most adventurous backpacker. We see them every day, many times a day, and they have become the new standard. The “truth”, as we know it, is not our neighbor, but the best in the world. Hence, we are compared with the best. The pressure is larger than a car wrecker, and not a good fit for our brain that is designed to think in relative terms. If the most popular fashion influencer has a Birkin bag and is super skinny, then you too are programmed to want that. And the ideals not only require time and money, they are often taken to an extremely unhealthy level. To make it even more crazy, the image that you are presented, is not reflecting the whole truth. An idyllic picture is often staged, edited, and of course, is and will be a still picture of a moment in someone’s life. Some influencers have begun to show “real” life and not only the staged one, but what is posted will always be a biased handpicked still photo of a moment, and nobody can know what really lies behind. Hence, your eyes are feeding your mind with a twisted perceived truth on extremes from the whole world.
The distress epidemic
This truth is contributing to feelings of distress that affect your mind and body. How? The algorithms are designed to keep you browsing and scrolling for as long as possible. They show more of what interests you and what keeps you hooked to the screen. Push notifications and an inner curiosity that wants feedback, or belonging, forces the mind to constantly open the phone and keep scrolling, keep engaging with the content, keep watching or listening.
The first thing we do when we wake up in the morning, is to check the phone. Before breakfast we have seen what our friends have been doing, received the global news (mostly tragedies that touches our deep mind since that is what generates the most engagement), we have been reminded of all the things that we don’t have and what we haven’t done. Any spare moment throughout the day is filled with digital feed, podcasts, e-mails and messages. Sadly, also moments of intended time (such as studying, talking with friends or eating) are distracted by push notifications. We are in a constant sympathetic state where the mind sends signals to the body, signaling that we are in a fight and flight state. Rushes of adrenaline and corisol causes the heart to beat faster and more rigid, the respiration becomes more shallow, the muscles tense up, and the eye pupils open up wide. Our body is told to be prepared, to be active, to be ready. All. The. Time.
This is what we call distress, or negative stress; the body and mind experience symptoms of anxiety and depression, affecting our mental health, sleep patterns, decision making, and feeling of contentment. The world has seen drastic increases in symptoms of anxiety and depression the past decade, with an all time high after the covid pandemic. Add isolation, inactivity, processed food as well as alcohol and drugs, and we have a distress epidemic that will turn out to be causing more ill health than the cigarette. At least that is what I believe. Not only will the distress have serious consequences for this generation, but also for their children and generations to come.
The paradox of choice
The paradox is that, with increased possibilities and a busy mind that is resting in a sympathetic state most of the day, choices become hard. The thoughts are spinning, the memory is poor, and sleep is becoming increasingly difficult. We are losing contact with our gut feeling, and we seek escape ways, such as isolation, drugs, working more, sugar, or buying stuff. It is a vicious circle.
Yoga
I strongly believe that the practice of yoga can help those that are motivated and interested. It is an easily available, popular mind-body practice that takes a holistic approach to health, and provides great exercises to overcome many of the challenges mentioned above. In my randomized controlled trial on the effects of yoga on student mental health (Elstad et al 2020), we found that yoga has a positive effect on sleep and distress that lasts beyond the yoga course. The effect was about the same as 1:1 cognitive therapy. I am convinced that yoga has a place in public health in the years to come.
How can yoga help? Here are some examples:
Asteya, non-stealing
Wanting more is one of the largest challenges. Whether that be a Birkin bag, a slimmer body, a better fiend, a new car, or a more prestigous job. Through yoga philosophy we practice Asteya, non-stealing. It is about letting go of ego. You are enough. There is no need for stuff, for more. We do this repeatedly, through breathing, meditation, reading and discussing the Yoga Sutras’ many versions. We practice Asteya.
Setting and intention and being Mindful
Intended time well spent is a key goal. The phone, SoMe and push notifications are a constant distraction in everyday life, but so are our own thoughts. In my yoga classes we often set an intention for the practice. We aim for mindfulness, to be with our intention. If you have a conversation with a friend, then I believe you should put away your phone and be present. We make active choices to be true to our intention. Key here is mindfulness. And in order to be mindful, meditation is a great practice - we observe our mind, our secondary reactions and shifting thoughts. We practice to notice that the mind has drifted off to the past, future or analysis of the present moment. We also observe the somatic responses to the “truths”, for instance how a certain smell can cause a feeling, and that feeling can bring about a rush of new thoughts. It can go on for minutes before we notice that our thoughts are in a different place and the body has followed. With practice we become more mindful, more present. We stay with our intention, the dedicated moment.
Satya, “Truth”.
Another key discussion in the Yoga Sutras is what constitutes the truth. If you see smoke, your mind is programmed to believe the worst, it interprets the smoke as fire, and this, in turn, triggers a secondary reaction, usually fear. Fear will, again, trigger our sympathetic nervous system to cause a range of somatic reactions in our body. The same often happens if you hear someone say smoke, or even read about it (indirect truths). The perceived truth is what our mind and body builds a response upon. So we should make sure to feed the mind with the «right truth”. It could be discussed whether your Instagram feed qualifies as the truth. At least, we should be conscious about the possible loopholes; filters, staged images, self branding, hidden contexts, plastic surgeries, editing and way more.
ASANA
The physical yoga practice also contributes to a stronger and more flexible body. It brings about balance, a better posture, and can contribute to less physical pains. The more challenging postures serve as a direct opportunity to observe your secondary reactions; self doubt (am I doing this right?), ego (trying too hard, causing injuries), shifting thoughts (observing the mind drifting off from the moving meditation).
To summarize, yoga is not about how it looks, it is about the practice of moving meditation and observation of your body and mind, of being in the present moment, of taking conscious choices in line with your values and beliefs.
THE FUTURE
So where do we go from here? I am on a mission to help people in the whole world gain better mental and physical health through merging yoga and traditional medicine.
Key points on this mission are:
There is a dire need for more governmental funding to yoga research.
There exist too many self-appointed therapists that do not have qualified education or knowledge. We need better certification systems with regards to a safe practice (more anatomy and physiology on yoga education as a starter).
Yoga should be a supplement to traditional medicine, a good intervention is rarely solo - we need a holistic approach to health moving forward, and yoga may be one of many public health options.
Information about yoga’s role in healthcare on official government sites such as the NHS has done in the UK.
AFTERWORD
Taking the opportunity to thanking HiYoga for supporting my yoga study. You can read the whole article on https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8114365/ .
I am also so interested in learning more about the yoga + medicine field in the world. Please reach out if you know of any good programs that I should look further into.
Contact for booking, consultations and more on doctortiril@gmail.com :)
