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Although Yoga Ayurveda describes the body and mind are always connected, a philosopher named Descartes suggested that the body and the mind are two separate objects. Nevertheless, psychologists were rejecting this view. William James who is considered ‘the father of American psychology’ published the book ‘Principles of Psychology’ in 1919. In this book he wrote theory of emotions. This theory proposes that something changes in the body, the brain reacts to it, and it creates emotions.

Palpitation is caused by an event or thought and we call it fear. Many of psychologist rejected this view. According to them, emotions are born as a reaction to the phenomenon and then changes happens in the body. However, most psychologists agree that the mind and the body are interconnected.

Neuroscience research has found that ventral part of the frontal cortex acts on the information of the outside world, the medial frontal cortex analyses what is going on in the body, and the dorsal frontal cortex is generating the thought. All these parts are always connected. The brain predicts what is happening in the body and reacts to it. Good or bad mood is a product of this reaction. So we may change our emotions by changing thoughts. But this change is superficial. Our unconscious mind is always reacting to body sensations and creating mood. If we want to change this pattern and want to cure distress because of destructive emotions we have to be aware of body sensations and accept them.

Acceptance of what is happening in the body alleviates distressing emotions.

Ayurved sattvavajay is recommending this type of meditation. Whenever mind is disturbed we should practice to shift attention to body .Emotions creates some body changes, we can be aware of sensations like palpitation, heaviness in chest or head, butterflies in abdomen. Sometimes we may feel sensations what we can’t name, there is no need to name. We have to be aware of them and accept them without any reaction. In this way we are strengthening Observing Self. According to Ayurveda forgetting Observing Self is the root cause of all suffering.