Heavy as a Monsoon Cloud – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
From the book – Chapter 20: Five Senses and Five Elements
Heavy as a Monsoon Cloud
After her husband died, Kamala Devi, sixty-two, lived with her son's family in a village near Madurai. Months passed and she moved less and less. She slept long, ate sweet foods for comfort, felt heavy in body and mind, and said little. 'I am just tired,' she would say. Her daughter-in-law, Lakshmi, worried.
Her son's friend, an Ayurvedic practitioner, visited and said her state sounded like a Kapha pattern: earth and water, which bring stability and calm in balance, but in excess give heaviness, dullness and clinging. He suggested light, warm food, waking early, and daily movement such as a morning walk and simple stretches. Lakshmi started taking her out, first to the temple courtyard and then to the market.
What this story explains
Earth and water in the chapter are linked with stability and also with heaviness and clinging when in excess (Kapha). Lifestyle movement helps, but persistent low mood needs proper medical and psychological care.
How to recognise it
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Long sleep, slow movement, low energy and weight gain over weeks or months.
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Clinging to the past, difficulty letting go of grief or old routines.
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Loss of interest in people and activities, with little motivation to start anything.
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Comfort eating and heavy, sweet food as a way of coping.
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Hopeless words or feeling like a burden, which signal more than heaviness.
What to do
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Start with small movement every day: a walk, gentle stretches or household tasks.
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Keep regular, lighter meals and wake at the same time daily.
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Invite the person into company, such as temple, neighbours, grandchildren, and community groups.
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Listen to grief without hurrying it.
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See a doctor if low mood lasts two weeks or more or if hopeless words appear.
Do and don’t
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Do walk with them rather than telling them to go. | Don't say 'get over it'. |
| Do allow time for tears and stories of the person lost. | Don't leave them alone for long hours. |
| Do keep a daily routine. | Don't treat constant sleepiness as only laziness. |
| Do ask directly about hopeless thoughts. | Don't push heavy sweets as comfort. |
| Do combine tradition with medical care. | Don't rely on remedies alone for deep sadness. |
Read the full chapter – Chapter 20: Five Senses and Five Elements
Stories from real life
- The Restless Night Shift – Arjun, twenty-eight, worked in a software support centre in Bengaluru. His shifts changed every week. He ate when he could, usually cold snacks and strong tea,…
- The Manager Who Burned Hot – Seema Rao ran a busy finance team in Mumbai. She was sharp and respected, but lately every small delay made her snap. Her chest felt hot,…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 7.4 – Earth, water, fire, air, space, mind, intellect, and I-making — this is My eightfold nature.
More on this topic: The five senses, the five elements and the mind
More questions
- Why this map sits beside psychology?
- Understanding the five elements
- Understanding combinations in lived life – the five senses and five elements
- Understanding practical applications – the five senses and five elements
- Understanding meditation on elements – the five senses and five elements
- In traditional Hindu philosophy, which element is associated with the sense of smell?
- The element Akasha (space/ether) is associated with which sense?
- Which sense is associated with the fire element (Agni)?
- The water element (Jala) is associated with which sense?
- The air element (Vayu) is associated with which sense?