Physician: Building resilience through the Yogic path
There is a wealth of wisdom in ancient literature, such as the “Bhagavad Gita,” for building psychological resilience. The Bhagavad Gita is a profound dialogue that took place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra between Lord Krishna, who served as Arjuna's charioteer, and Arjuna, a highly skilled warrior-prince facing the most difficult moral and emotional dilemma of his life.
As physicians, we can identify ourselves with Arjuna—confronted daily with complex decisions, unpredictable outcomes, emotional distress, and the weight of responsibility for human lives. Just as Krishna guided Arjuna through his crisis, the three yogic paths in the Gita offer practical wisdom for physician wellness and resilience.
This infographic is adapted from the article "Building Resilience in the COVID-19 Era: Three Paths in the Bhagavad Gita" by Matcheri S. Keshavan, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, published in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Full text is available free https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7909017/
Building Resilience through the Three Yogic Paths