In the words of the great Ayurvedic physician and scientist ‘Saint Sushruta’, Ayurveda has two essential purposes. The first one is to cure people afflicted with disease (illness) and the second one is to maintain the well-being of the healthy. The word ‘Disease’ originated from two French words ‘des’ and ‘aise’, which translates to ‘Lack of Ease’. So, we can term disease as a state where a person is not healthy or does not feel at ease. Such a ‘state of unease’ is mostly a temporary occurrence. Therefore, keeping oneself away from this state of unease can be defined as maintaining health and well-being. A person is ill when she/he is not in a state of well-being. There is an old saying – “Prevention is better than cure!”. It simply implies – it is always better to make efforts to remain free from illness than to get ill and consequently looking for remedies for the same.
Humans have been successful in flying in the open sky like birds and swim in the abyss of the ocean like fish. But, despite our enviable progress, we could not lead a healthy life. The only reason for this is our lack of awareness and practical knowledge about our bodies and health. Today, human civilization has reached such a phase where ill-health is considered normal.
Our body is made of five natural elements and it also poses the power to bring another body into existence. Its interactions within and outside itself showcase its liveliness at every moment of life. Whatever the universe is composed of also exists within our body. However, we, humans have distanced ourselves from our own body, which is practically made up of a variety of elements of the universe. Sadly, we humans could not come to terms with the fact that our ability to remain healthy lies squarely in our hands. So, to regain our health, we need a certain level of basic awareness, disciple, and a lot of effort.
Discipline is essential for maintaining good health. Ironically, the complicated and erratic dawn-to-dusk lifestyle of modern human beings has disrupted the natural rhythm of our bodies. Living such an nonrhythmic life day in and day out has become a reason for our deteriorating health, consequently pushing us towards different illnesses. We should therefore make efforts to align ourselves with nature. Getting out of bed at sunrise is a good way to start our day. The atmosphere remains at its cleanest state early in the morning with no or minimum amount of dust and other pollutants in the air. Leaving the bed for a morning stroll would, therefore, automatically allow the body to intake fresh and clean air. This would consequently help our body to purify the blood with the excess oxygen available in the environment. The purified blood then reaches every cell of our body and provides it with energy. This is the first healthy step we can take to start our day. This is certainly a simple task for everyone to follow.
Today, after waking up, most of us start our day with tea and biscuits. Unfortunately, there is no other food worse than this morning-snacks to cause stomach ailments. The caffeine and tannic acid found in tea cause constipation. Although hot tea stimulates vitality for a short period, it also has a side effect as constipation. Today, 90% of the urban population and an increasing number of people from the rural area suffers from constipation. Drinking 3-4 glasses of water (preferably lukewarm water) on an empty stomach in the morning would help to keep this illness at bay. If we practice this habit for a while, we could soon regain normal defecation and would also get rid of constipation.
Our body works as an automated device that constantly tries to keep itself free from any kind of pain and illness. Excretion of feces and urine, exhaling breath, and sweating are the ways through which our body keeps itself free from bodily wastes. Whenever this normal process is disrupted, the wastes remain in the body and become the source of various illnesses. In such cases, the practice of drinking water in the morning and at night helps in maintaining good health. Similarly, we should also make a habit of drinking at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. It is imperative to mention that pure water helps in cleansing organs like the small intestine, colon, and kidneys. This, consequently, helps the organs to function properly, consequently helping the body stay healthy.
Our lung is an automated and powerful device of our body that continues to work with no interruption since birth. The organ purifies our blood and expels the carbon dioxide extracted during the process, keeping our body clean to a large extent. We can increase the efficiency of our lungs and make them expel the maximum amount of polluted gases/air from our body by practising regular Pranayama. Practising regular Yoga and similar kind of physical exercises are also essential for keeping ourselves fit and healthy. Only an hour of Yogasana and Pranayama a day would keep our body stay lively and supple, and our mind alert. By doing so, we would feel each day to be a new one.
The mind needs silence, just as the body needs physical activities like Pranayama and exercise to function properly. Certain kinds of silence help our minds become relaxed. The practice of relaxing our mind is known as ‘Dhyana’ or meditation. There are different forms of dhyana (meditation). The Vipassana meditation, as taught by Lord Buddha is the simplest of all. The more a mind becomes calm, the more power it gains and the more creative it becomes. Consequently, life also becomes more lively and joyful.
Another habit that plays a big role in keeping us healthy is bathing. Today, most people are unaware of the benefits of taking an early morning bath. The temperature of the groundwater in the morning is perfectly suitable for our bodies. Therefore, taking a bath in the morning not only regulates the temperature of our body but also helps our skin and internal organs remain properly hydrated. Taking an early bath, therefore, helps our body maintain balance and remain healthy.
Eating habit is another aspect of our lives that we should focus on. Today, because of our busy schedule, many of us rush to our offices immediately after taking our meal. This habit is detrimental to our health. It is always advisable to take half an hour’s rest, preferably sitting in Vajrasana, after taking a heavy meal.
Daytime sleeping is usually harmful. However, after exerting oneself in any kind of strenuous activity (either mental or physical), it is always advisable to take a rest for at least 10-15 minutes. This helps the body regain its strength and vitality. Our body is such a device that can repair itself from any wear and tear even when it is involved in certain activities.
A good night-time sleep or performing Yoga-Nidra (Savasana) after exerting oneself, however, helps the body to repair itself better. The result is, whenever we get a good sleep at night, we wake up refreshed and energized the next day. Even during working hours, amidst our exertion, we can periodically revitalize our body and mind by closing our eyes and relaxing our body completely for five minutes.
Today we are living in an age where we are busy like never before. We should understand the fact that our mental busyness erodes more energy from our body than our physical efforts, making us easily tired. Therefore, despite our busyness, we should ensure that we receive enough rest to keep ourselves healthy.
We should take special care to maintain a peaceful state of mind while going to bed at night. We should avoid scary tales and scenes as well as provocative conversations. As such activities hamper the body’s internal process of repairing its damaged cells and tissues. There is nothing better than a good sleep (Sunidra) to help our body regenerate its damaged cells and tissues. Good sleep also helps our body replenish the vital energy lost during the many activities we undertake throughout the day. It is the complete lack of activities during sleep that offers our blood cells a window to form more efficiently. This is also the reason our face looks tired and pale in the morning if we miss our sleep the previous night.
Today, it has also been observed that more and more people go to bed late at night (around midnight or later). Consequently, we wake up later in the morning. This goes against the laws of nature and our own biological clock. We should understand that the nighttime silence helps us to sleep better. On the contrary, the morning commotion caused by the awakened birds and animals along with increased activities of humans and the variety of machines driven by them (especially vehicles) is not conducive for healthy sleep. This results in the body’s inability to repair and recover itself fully. If this trend continues day after day, our natural health starts breaking down. This trend is also a clear precursor to the direction towards which our health is moving.
It is essential to go to bed every day at the same time. The subject of the amount of time each person should sleep is controversial. It is mostly considered that a normal adult can get rid of fatigue by sleeping for 7–8 hours a day. A one-month-old child should get at least 18 to 20 hours; a one-year-old child should get at least 16 hours, and a two-year-old child should get 12 hours of sleep. Adolescents, in their part, should get 9 to 10 hours of sleep.
Today, food has become another vital reason for our poor health. Many of us are unaware of the amount of food we should eat. We do not know that eating a full stomach is bad for your health. While taking our meal, one thing we should bear in our mind is–we should stop eating, the moment we feel like we can eat a bit more. Additionally, if we are to eat something in between our morning meal and the nighttime meal, we should keep a time gap of four to five hours after our last meal. The evening meal should also be as small as possible.
Nowadays, most people take their last nighttime meal after 10 pm. This habit is also contradictory to our good health. It is well known that after sunrise, both the internal and external organs of our body get energized and rejuvenated in order to help us undertake various daily activities. Similarly, our body gets exhausted and lethargic once sun sets. This means both the internal and external body parts need rest. Not understanding this law of nature, the more delay we make in taking our night-time meal, the more difficulty our body would face in digesting the food. As a result, our health deteriorates over time. The tradition of certain communities taking their nighttime meal before sunset, therefore, is truly scientific and logical.
The legendry sage and ancient scientist Charaka had laid down certain important points for proper health care. Those points were simple yet useful and invaluable. Charak had said, “Always try to stay happy. Work regularly, but stop working before you get much tired. Avoid excessive of-sleep, staying awake, taking bath, drinking, and eating, etc. Stay neat and clean. We should not overlook our urge to defecate by remaining busy in our activity and should pay heed to nature’s call. Those who could follow these rules of staying healthy could enjoy a disease-free life of hundred years.”
Today, this statement made by health scientists thousands of years ago has been proved correct. Not adhering to the aforementioned simple tips by about 99% of the people is the reason most homes have members suffering from one kind of illness or another. This consequently means that almost every person today is living an unhealthy life.
The only way to remain healthy is to follow the way of nature. Naturally, each of our organs is entrusted with certain functions and we should employ them accordingly. For example, the stomach can not perform the role played by the teeth and the mouth can not play the role of the nose. Therefore, people who have the habit of breathing through their mouth instead of the nose, invariably have a lower lifespan. People today cannot even breathe properly because of their ignorance and the problems they face in their lives.
Inhaling through the nose helps filter dust and some microbes from the air, allowing clean air to enter the body. When this purified air reaches the lungs, it starts purifying the blood. This clean blood then reaches different parts of the body and provides energy and vitality to them to perform their necessary functions efficiently. On the contrary, when we inhale through the mouth, our lungs receive not only unpurified air but also receive lesser oxygen to function properly. Therefore, we should make it a habit to inhale air through our noses. Another point worth noting is, we should always keep our backbone straight, be it while sitting or walking.
According to modern medical scientists and researchers, good physical health depends on mental health. The mind and the body are two sides of the same coin, both having a strong correlation with each other. Today, our mind is overwhelmed with anxiety, depression, and disillusionment. Such a state of mind gradually becomes the originator of various diseases. Many studies and experiments have shown that almost 90% of illnesses are psychosomatic. Our mind triggers the secretion of a certain kind of toxic hormone whenever it becomes anxious. The toxicity of these hormones is equivalent to 100 mg of the Morphia injection. These toxic fluids mix with the bloodstream and spread across the body, causing many health problems. Therefore, if we are to maintain good health, we should take extra care to keep our thoughts positive and constructive. We ourselves understand the fact that good mental/ emotional health goes a long way in keeping our bodies healthy.
There is a saying in English – ‘Laugh and grow fat’. Just as a ray of sunlight takes moments to erase the fog present in the air, a belly laugh can also erase the sadness and anxiety of our lives. Indeed, laughter and joy are the building block of good health. Laughter can be termed as music of the body. It not only brings joy to oneself but also spreads joy to others. A burst of healthy laughter brings joy and pleasure to everyone just the way a lamp illuminates a dark room instantaneously. Laughter, therefore, does good to oneself as well as the people around.
Laughter is an invaluable natural medicine. A burst of good belly laughter helps the blood to circulate properly throughout the body resulting in the body feeling rejuvenated. Treating disease and illness through laughter has become a widespread trend nowadays, with many major cities opening up Laughing Club or Laughing Chamber. If we are to maintain a healthy and disease-free life, we have to understand the importance of laughter. The ability to laugh is a blessing in our lives. Therefore, the day a person does not laugh even for once would be the most unfortunate day for him/her.
Modern science has paved the way for us to live a comfortable life; provided us with a wide variety of facilities. But, it could not give us happiness. Happiness and pleasure are not the same. If pleasure is considered to be the body, then happiness would be its soul. Pleasure without happiness can therefore be considered as a life without soul or vitality.
We should be in a state of happiness even while taking food. This stimulates the digestive system and makes the food easier to digest. It was the same reason, the Greeks had installed the statue of the god of laughter at the Lycurgus food court.
Grief, anxiety, worry, anger, and fear are a person’s greatest enemy. These negative emotions play a big role in making our life ill at ease. The way we need to fight illness and bodily ailments, we should also fight against the negativity of our minds. To help us manage the volatile tendencies of our mind, our forefathers have left us with knowledge of certain yogic practices-Meditation. Today, time and again meditation has been proven to be an effective tool to control the negativity of our mind, helping us to lead a healthy life.
People have to work hard to meet the basic needs of their lives. However, working continuously taking no rest in between makes people sick. Living life with a variety of stress and anxieties or desires could cause various organs like the heart and liver, to weaken, consequently leading to premature death. Therefore, instead of worrying about the uncertain future and any probable dangers, we should try to remain happy every moment of our lives. This simple habit would keep our mental and physical health intact.
The universe is a mirror. If we look at it with joy, it will reflect a joyful image back to us. Similarly, if we look at grief, we would see the reflection of grief everywhere. In our lives, we must have experienced that the moment our mind and body feel happy and lively, the entire world seems beautiful and joyous. It feels like every particle has engulfed us with the music of life. On the contrary, the day our body and mind become uneasy, everything around us turns out to be dry and hollow to our eyes and ears. If we know how to look at the world beautifully, even the world would show its beauty to us.
In this context, we should understand that the habit of holding on to grudges and expressing them is a kind of mental illness. If we are to save ourselves from such illness, we have to broaden our worldview and become more inclusive and kind in our dealings.
Happiness-Sorrow, Victory-Defeat, Pleasure-Pain-all these would continually come and go in our life. None of these are stable. Keeping this concept in mind, we should try to go beyond such temporary states joyfully. Aristotle had once said, “Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness.”. Indeed, such a state of being does help us to transcend our limitations and reach a state of immense potential.
This world, in itself, is both heaven and hell. There is no separate place called heaven. Anyone who is happy is in heaven and anyone who is miserable is in hell. So, if we are to avoid what we call hell, we have to avoid negative emotions like misery, violence, hatred, and fear.
The fact is – both the body and the mind are intimately interrelated. If we want to keep our body healthy, we need to keep our mind healthy and vice-versa. The science of keeping our body healthy is called ‘Yoga Sadhana’ and it is central to other forms of meditation. The Sanskrit saying – “Sharira Madyang Khalu Dharmasadhanam” implies the same idea. It is imperative to mention that the first principle of Yoga and naturopathy is the formation of healthy habits, which are primarily the foundation of a happy and contented life.
