Five Lessons From the Bhagavad Gita

The Bhagavad Gita is arguably the most influential of all yoga philosophical texts. Despite its ancient roots, it contains profound lessons for us modern practitioners, particularly when it comes to our mental health and well-being.

Reading time: 3 minutes

In the opening scene of the Gita we find our protagonist, the esteemed warrior Arjuna, essentially in the midst of a mental breakdown. Arjuna has been brought to the precipice of the biggest battle of his lifetime by his charioteer, Lord Krishna, both a childhood friend and an incarnation of the divine. The impending war is a fight for moral order and structure, or Dharma; it is a fight between good and evil.

In chapter one, Arjuna looks out onto the battlefield, falls to the ground, and basically proclaims “I’m out.” He tells Krishna he cannot fight. He states he is consumed with doubt and confusion as to what to do. He then describes his mental and physical decline: his limbs fail, his mouth parches, his body quivers, his hair stands on end, and his mind whirls. In other words, he is experiencing a nervous system shutdown.

Arjuna’s experience here is something we can all relate to. It is part of the human experience to succumb to emotional upset, mental agitation, and nervous system overwhelm. In other words, Arjuna is us!

What ensues is an 18 chapter dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna. The Gita is a verbal journey that includes not only the biggest existential questions that have captured the attention of philosophers worldwide throughout the millennia, but also an empowering depiction of one man’s journey from confusion to clarity.

The way Arjuna engages in dialogue with Krishna is illuminating and contains powerful lessons for how we can approach our own mental health struggles with grace. Here are my top 5:

1. Be honest about the state of your mental wellbeing.

Arjuna acknowledges his predicament and demonstrates keen self-awareness. He describes his state of mind and its physical manifestations with great specificity. This can be hard to do for the modern practitioner, especially as we are bombarded with shiny, happy social media images and “good vibes only” memes. And yet, acknowledging our difficulties is critical to our growth and healing.

2. Ask for help.

Arjuna earnestly seeks Krishna’s counsel and asks for help. In a modern world where individualism and self-sufficiency are practically glorified, this can be nearly impossible. Many of us have received the message that we should be able to handle it all on our own for as long as we can remember. As the Gita shows us, though, asking for help is not a sign of weakness at all. Rather, it is a sometimes essential part of our growth process.

How to help our mental well-being.

3. Embrace curiosity.

Arjuna is an engaged participant in the conversation with Krishna. He does not simply take Krishna’s words at face value. He questions, reflects, thinks deeply on, and asks more questions. In other words, he cultivates a beginner’s mind.

This is extraordinary given his history as an esteemed and successful warrior. It would be easy for Arjuna to assume he has all the answers. Or to give short thrift to Krishna’s advice. He does neither, showing how adept he is at maintaining an open and curious mind. What a powerful lesson this is in a world where multitudes stubbornly hold on to their perspectives regardless of conflicting facts, particularly when it comes to current events and divisive politics!

4. Be patient.

There is immense time pressure on Arjuna, as the horns signifying the start of the battle have already been blown. Nonetheless, he does not rush his process. In the opening scene of the Gita, Arjuna is lost, confused, and ready to abandon his duty. He does not walk away, though. Instead, he engages in what becomes an 18 chapter dialogue. He listens, he questions, he cogitates, and he repeats.

The lesson for us is clear: patience is required along the personal development journey. Our growth is often slow, nonlinear, and full of fits and starts.

5. Celebrate your progress.

The Gita ends with Arjuna sharing his resolution. He proclaims that his confusion and mental unrest is gone and that he is ready to act according to his Dharma. This is an important moment, not just to move the narrative forward, but to honour Arjuna’s spiritual and personal progress.

Too often in our fast-paced world, we overcome a challenge and quickly move on to whatever is next. It would serve us well to pause, reflect, acknowledge our growth, and celebrate our progress.

We know from the science of behaviour change that what gets rewarded gets repeated. Thus, we should take the time to celebrate our wellbeing wins, no matter how small they may seem. Doing so will not only bring us a sense of joy, but will set us up for future successes as well.