The Bhagavad Gita on the Mind, Desire and Health

 

A young patient said this to me recently.

“Doctor, I know what I’m supposed to do. I just can’t seem to actually do it.”

He knew he needed more sleep. But every night, “just one more reel” turned into another hour on his phone.

He knew stress was affecting his health. But even when work was over, his mind was still replaying conversations, deadlines and things that could go wrong.

He knew certain foods worsened his acidity and weight. Yet after a difficult day, those were exactly the foods he craved.

Then he asked:

“If I know it’s not good for me, why do I still do it?”

Sound familiar?

Maybe for you it isn’t food. Maybe it’s doomscrolling at 1 a.m., checking whether someone has replied, constantly comparing yourself with people online, procrastinating until anxiety takes over, getting into an argument you know isn’t worth it—or simply being unable to switch your brain off.

We often assume the solution is more information.

But most of us already know what we should be doing.

The harder question is:

Why doesn’t knowing automatically change our behaviour?

Surprisingly, the Bhagavad Gita explored exactly this problem thousands of years ago.

The Problem Isn’t That You Don’t Know Better

In Chapter 3, verses 38–41, Krishna explains how desire and impulse can temporarily cover our ability to see clearly.

He gives a simple but powerful image:

Just as smoke covers fire and dust covers a mirror, desire can cover our inner clarity.

Think about that dusty mirror.

The mirror isn’t damaged.

It hasn’t forgotten how to reflect.

It is simply covered.

Something similar happens to us.

We know we should go to bed.

But the phone is more interesting.

We know we shouldn’t send that angry message.

But in that moment, sending it feels irresistible.

We know another piece of cake isn’t going to help.

But the mind says, “Come on… just one.”

The knowledge is still there. The impulse is simply louder.

Your Brain Is Constantly Having This Conversation

The Gita describes three important players:

The senses → the mind → the intellect.

Imagine your favourite dessert sitting in front of you.

Your eyes see it.

Your mind says: “I want that.”

Your intellect reminds you: “You said you were cutting down on sugar.”

And then comes the negotiation.

“Just today.”

“I had a stressful day.”

“I worked out this morning.”

“I’ll start properly on Monday.”

We are amazingly good at creating logical explanations for something we have already emotionally decided to do.

The same thing happens with Instagram.

“I’ll check it for five minutes.”

Forty-five minutes later, you’re still there.

Or with anger.

Someone says something that triggers you.

Before you know it, your heart is racing, your body is tense and you’ve typed a reply.

Twenty minutes later you read it and think:

“Why did I say that?”

Your intelligence didn’t disappear.

For a few minutes, emotion simply took over the driver’s seat.

And Your Body Is Part of This Conversation

This is where things get even more interesting.

We often talk about “mental health” and “physical health” as if they belong in two separate folders.

Your biology doesn’t work like that.

When you’re anxious before an interview, your stomach can feel it.

When someone you care about doesn’t reply, you may feel the tension in your chest.

When you’re angry, your heart rate and breathing can change.

When you’re stressed for weeks, your sleep, appetite, digestion and energy may change too.

Persistent stress can influence the autonomic nervous system and other stress-response pathways, affecting sleep, digestion, muscle tension, headaches, blood pressure, pain perception and aspects of hormonal and immune regulation.

That doesn’t mean “everything is in your mind.”

And it certainly doesn’t mean every illness is caused by emotions.

Disease is complex. Genetics, hormones, infections, metabolism, environment and many other biological factors matter.

But one thing is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore:

Your mind is part of your biology—not separate from it.

 Our Senses Rarely Get a Break

Krishna was talking about regulating the senses thousands of years before smartphones existed.

Imagine what he would say today.

our attention is being competed for almost every waking minute.

Notifications.

Reels.

Messages.

Dating apps.

Gaming.

Food delivery.

Online shopping.

News alerts.

Netflix.

Likes.

Comments.

And perhaps most powerfully—watching everyone else’s carefully edited life while living your own unedited one.

There is always another stimulus waiting.

One more reel.
One more episode.
One more message.
One more purchase.
One more bite.
One more notification.

The problem isn’t enjoyment.

The problem begins when “I want this” quietly becomes “I can’t stop this.”

So What Does the Gita Suggest?

Krishna’s advice in verse 3.41 is surprisingly practical:

Start with the senses.

Not by becoming a monk.

Not by deleting every app and giving up everything you enjoy.

And not by fighting every thought that enters your head.

Instead, learn to create a little space between:

Impulse → and action.

Before sending the angry text—wait.

Before opening Instagram automatically—notice what you’re doing.

Before emotional eating—ask, “Am I hungry, or am I trying to change how I feel?”

Keep the phone away from your bed.

Move your body.

Protect your sleep.

Spend some time without a screen.

Walk.

Exercise.

Meditate.

Pray.

Breathe.

Talk to someone when things feel overwhelming.

The aim isn’t perfect self-control.

It is simply to become a little more aware of what is controlling you.

This Is Also What Holistic Healthcare Is About

When someone comes to me with migraines, digestive problems, hormonal disturbances, chronic pain, fatigue or disturbed sleep, the diagnosis and physical symptoms obviously matter.

But there is another question worth asking:

What is happening in the life of the person who has those symptoms?

How are they sleeping?

What are they eating?

How much are they moving?

What is constantly occupying their mind?

What are they afraid of?

What makes them angry?

What are they unable to let go of?

What does their nervous system rarely get a break from?

This broader perspective is also central to individualised homoeopathic care. Homoeopathy traditionally looks at the person’s characteristic physical symptoms together with their emotional responses, sleep, energy, sensitivities and individual patterns.

When used responsibly alongside appropriate medical diagnosis and necessary conventional treatment, it can be part of a wider holistic approach involving nutrition, exercise, sleep, emotional support and stress regulation.

Because sometimes healing isn’t only about asking:

“How do we get rid of this symptom?”

It is also about asking:

“What does this person need to regain balance?”

Perhaps that is why these ancient verses still feel so relevant.

The senses will experience.
The mind will desire.
Emotions will arise.

None of that makes us weak. It makes us human.

The goal isn’t to suppress everything we feel or want.

The goal is to become aware enough to enjoy our desires, experience our emotions and use our technology—without allowing them to run our lives.

Maybe the most modern message from this ancient text is also the simplest:

“You don’t have to control every thought or feeling.

You just don’t have to let every thought or feeling control you.”

Dr Abhay Talwalkar
M.D. (Hom.)