In this day and age, with the many pressures and demands of society, a happy balance of our mind, emotions and senses is difficult to maintain.

Many young people, in particular, seem to be under enormous pressure and there are high expectations of them in terms of their studies and work-related issues.

Recent media coverage of eating disorders among young women highlights the scale of the problem.

More common conditions such as anxiety, depression and stress need to be managed on a daily basis in order to prevent nervous breakdown or disease.

Prevention of mental and emotional disturbance is better than cure.

As I have written before, the secret of survival is to strengthen our atma vishwas, or self-confidence, at a deeper level.

All counselling and cognitive therapy is aimed at enabling the individual to change the negative way they think and feel their way into a more positive and joyous inner experience.

Awareness of the powerful chetna shakti, or power of consciousness, that governs our resolve and our willpower is the real tool for overcoming or preventing stress, anxiety, panic, grief and distress.

Being in touch with our inner spiritual being gives us the power to face and address the issues we think are disturbing us.

Even when we are distressed, we should always make an effort to love ourselves and try to overcome bitterness with loving thoughts.

We can control our own reaction to the world around us. Positive strength can be gained from recognising our true being as an omnipotent spirit which cannot be hurt or damaged.

This spirit takes physical form to experience the world and, when it has had enough, it returns to the almighty creator.

I have no doubt in my own mind, from my own experience, that imbibing true spiritual knowledge and awareness and constantly being aware of the spirit protects you from trouble, even in adversity.

This is why I believe there should be more meditation centres - Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, whichever you feel comfortable with.

Stilling the physical body is easier than stilling the mind and yogic breathing is the simplest way to start controlling your mind because it is a physical exercise.

Concentrating on the breath while sitting quietly helps still the mind. Yogic breathing can help many mental and physical illnesses by providing oxygen and the healing power of the life force.

I am running a workshop on yogic breathing techniques on Saturday, July 19, at the Wish House Clinic in Hove.

To attend, contact 01273 430022.

Dr Milind Jani works as a conventional and holistic GP and Dr Asmita Jani as Ayurvedic Consultant from 3 Eaton Gardens, Hove. Call them on: 01273 777448 or email: milind.jani@ntlworld.com