Getting over the fear

BENGALURU: Bengaluru now has over two lakh active Covid cases. The numbers are surely alarming to send shock waves among people. Though those who are safe at home have many reasons to feel grateful, the situation outside surely has affected them mentally, in the form of anxiety and restlessness. People are approaching life coaches and adopting healing techniques like pranic healing, soil therapy and social media detox to stay calm.

Mita Vinay, founder of Bodhsara Wellness and Salt Studio in Kormangala, says they have seen a surge in the number of the clients opting for pranic healing at their studio. “For the last one month, there has been an increase in number of people going for pranic healing; four-five clients taking the treatment every day. And it’s not just Covid-recovered patients but absolutely healthy people who are at home but are heavily affected by the current situation,” says Vinay, adding that one of the main reasons for this kind of anxiety is that people were not ready for severity of the situation, and the cases have now started coming closer home. But, what is pranic healing? Vinay explains.

“Prana is nothing but the breath you take in. During stress or anxiety, it starts forming various blockages, which stops the flow of energy. Pranic healers recognise those blockages and release them.” Apart from pranic healing, the Bodhsara is known for other healing techniques like cupping and salt therapy. But, considering the danger of stepping out, pranic healing is the most considered one since it can be done online. Breaking it down further, about why fear over the virus is affecting people mentally, mind coach Priyanka Row says that the human mind always looks for familiarity with the environment.

“Once you take a person out of their comfort zone, things like depression, anxiety and panic slip in,” says Row, who follows a technique called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). She claims that while other things like picking up a hobby or listening to music definitely helps, after a point of time, it turns into a Bandaid for one mental health issue.

But EFT, on other hand, does not just help you release emotional baggage but also helps to deal with a situation without any negative perspective, she says. “Energy can’t be destroyed and when a bad energy stays, it keeps growing with every situation. So, when you see anything bad, it acts like a trigger, leading to depression and anxiety,” says Row, adding that EFT helps remove those triggers.

Soil therapy for the soul
If you are more of a nature lover, life and nutrition coach, Luke Coutinho, co founder of Cafe Reset Kormangala. has a simple hack. It’s called soil therapy, which also helps in building immunity. He recommends everyone to get some soil, put it in a bowl and just play with it. “If you can garden, get your hands dirty with soil; that’s even better. Otherwise, 5-10 minutes of playing with the soil is scientifically proven today,” says Coutinho.