NAVARASA

S
 THE NINE RASAS
Rasas, human emotions, can affect and be affected by the
four outer koshas. The Sanskrit word rasa has many
meanings, including emotion, mood, and feeling. Tradition
defines nine basic rasas: joy, fear, anger, love, courage,
sadness, amazement, disgust, and calmness. All people
experience these emotions.
 The Chemistry behind Emotions
Brain is an intricate network that processes massive quantities of information every
second. Neurons, or cells that transmit signals throughout the brain, is one significant
part of the brain. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that help the neurons to
communicate with each other.

The three most commonly studied neurotransmitters are:

-Dopamine associated with pleasure

-Serotonin associated with memory, learning and regeneration of cells
-Norepinephrine associated with stress and anxiety

Abnormalities in processing and receiving these neurotransmitters have a big influence

on our emotional state. An imbalance in serotonin leads to depression and anxiety.
Similarly, an imbalance in dopamine leads to sadness.
 Are emotions good or bad?
Emotions are broadly categorized as ‘good and bad’, we require all the emotions in
the right proportion for a fruitful life. An absence of fear can make us take harmful
decisions. Similarly, a lack of courage leads to blind acceptance of fate.
But what is of concern to an individual and society is the momentary or persistent
abundance of a particularly bad mood in a person. A fit of anger can lead to incidents
such as road rage. According to police statistics, 78 people died in 2010 in Delhi
“due to sudden provocation over trivial issues”. Likewise, stress and sadness
spread over a long period of time leading to cardiovascular diseases.

Scientists from Helmholtz Zentrum München, the German Research Center for
Environmental Health, in a long-term observation of more than 950 people found
out that healthy workers exposed to work stress had higher inflammation levels and
faced twice the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
 How to overcome bad moods ?
We cannot always wish them away. But the following simple methods can be
used to reduce the magnitude of BAD MOODS.
Mark Twain once said: “The human race has only one really effective weapon
and that is laughter.”
Laughter has always been proposed as the key to good health. Right from the Zen monk
of yore, Hotei to laughter guru, Madan Kataria, the benefits of laughter have always
been acknowledged.
The physical act of laughing itself promotes good health. The simple muscular exertions
involved in producing the familiar “ha, ha, ha” trigger an increase in endorphins, the
brain chemicals known for their feel-good effect.

Tips for having a good laugh on a sad day

 Read the jokes section of the local newspaper.
 Walk across to the desk of the most humorous person in your office.
 Watch a funny video.
2. Music
The concept of music helping individuals runs deep into human history. Of late, science
has also established that listening to music can lead to reduction in stress hormones.
.
It is found out that stress reduction was more in individuals who participated in music
lessons than in those who just relaxed or read newspapers or magazines of their choice.

Researchers have also found that music with a strong tempo can stimulate brainwaves
to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and
more alert thinking, and a slower tempo encouraging a calmer state of mind.

Indian classical ragas have been widely acknowledged as a mood enhancer, with each
raga signifying a particular feeling. The raag Natabhairavi is said to cure psychological
disorders and raag Sahana is considered helpful in bringing down anger.
 3. Exercise

Regular exercise and good moods always go hand-in-hand.

It has been explored the mood-exercise connection through a series of
randomized controlled trials. These trials suggest that active people are less
depressed than inactive people. Exercise alleviates depression by increasing
serotonin, the neurotransmitter targeted by antidepressants.

 Researchers also suggest exercise as a means to prevent and treat anxiety attacks.
 When we feel threatened, our nervous system sets off reactions such as sweating
and an increased heart rate.
 A body used to regular exercise will respond calmly to panic situations
4. Cry
This advice might seem odd, as most of us had been made to believe that to cry is to accept that
we are fragile. However, medical science has a different story to tell. Research has revealed that
tears are a medium for flushing negative chemicals out of the body.

A study by Dr William H. Frey II, a biochemist at the St Paul-Ramsey Medical Centre in

Minnesota, discovered that emotional tears contained more of the protein-based hormones
prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and leucine enkephalin (a natural painkiller), all of
which are produced by our body when under stress. It is beneficial to remove
adrenocorticotropic from the body as it generates cortisol, the stress hormone.

There are three types of tears:

 Emotional / stress related tears

 Basal tears (protective covering for our eye balls)
 Reflex tears
5. Meditate
You don’t have to get all cross-legged and zen to reach a higher state of consciousness.
The simple act of slowing down, focusing on one simple action, and actively switching off
lessens the potential for distraction, stress, and anxiety. I find that table tennis works really
well for me.