“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”, states the World Health Organization (WHO) and our ayurvedic expert, Dr. P V Ranganayakulu, Ph.D. History of Ayurveda, mentions that Ayurveda too describes health in the same manner. He further states, “all the constituting factors of the body and the vital forces that assist the bodily functions, they all need to be in equilibrium. There are basically two important motives of Ayurveda:
- Preservation of health
- Treatment of the diseases
Ayurveda is an ancient study of medicines and it has its own take in the field of medicine. Ayurveda basically relies more on food for the treatment, while medicines were later developed through pharmaceutical preparations, which were chosen from the daily food. Food nourishes the body and medicines corrects the vital forces or doshas”.
Therefore, talking about the maintenance of overall health, today on World Health Day, that goes with the theme ‘Building a fairer, healthier world’. The ETV Bharat Sukhibhava team spoke to another ayurvedic expert, Dr. Rajyalakshmi Madhavam, MD Ayurveda, Professor at AMD Ayurvedic Medical College, Hyderabad, to understand the ways in which overall health can be maintained.
Maintaining Overall Health With Ayurveda
Dr. Rajyalakshmi explains that there are 4 things that one needs to follow to live a healthy life. Here are some of the things that you can include in your daily life:
Dincharya (Daily Regime)
- Brushing: The first thing you need to do as your day starts is clean your teeth with a neem twig (datoon). If that is not possible, brush your teeth with a toothpaste having natural ingredients or the one with the least number of chemicals in it. You can also go for the tooth powder, easily available in the market.
- Oil Pulling: After the oral hygiene routine, practice Kavala or Gandusha Kriya, i.e. oil pulling with sesame or coconut oil for 5-10 minutes. It helps with problems like sinusitis, vision problems, etc. You can also try to administer a few drops of medicated oil in the nose on a regular basis.
- Workout: There is nothing better than starting your day with some exercise. You can practice yoga, meditation, and other workouts. It boosts immunity.
- Abhyanga: After your workout session, you can do abhyanga or self-body massage with sesame oil
- Bath: Try to take bath with lukewarm water only after abhyanga. Avoid bathing with too hot or too cold water.
- Meals: Have a Sattvic Diet throughout the day. Consume easily digestible foods and incorporate fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.
- Walk After Meals: Take a quick walk after your meals. Try to cover 100 feet during the walk or walk for 5 minutes after lunch and dinner.
- Foot Massage: Before sleeping, give yourself a good foot massage for 2-3 minutes, using coconut or sesame oil. It will help you relax.
- Sleep Well: After a foot massage, get a good night’s sleep of about 8 hours. A night of good and sound sleep contributes to boosting immunity. Avoid daytime sleeping, except for during the summer season, where you can get a quick nap after lunch.
Ritucharya (Seasonal Regime)
It refers to the practices that need to be followed as per the 6 seasons that Ayurveda mentions, which are:
- Hemant Ritu (late autumn)
- Shishir Ritu (winter)
- Vasant Ritu (spring)
- Grishma Ritu (summer)
- Varsha Ritu (rainy)
- Sharat Ritu (autumn)
All these seasons have their own practices and in order to stay healthy, they should be followed likewise.
Sadvritta or Acharya Rasayana (Morals And Ethics)
These are very essential for maintaining good mental health, which also affects the overall health of a person. It includes:
- Always being truthful and respecting the elders
- Having control over anger and other such emotions
- Avoiding the feelings of envy, jealousy, hatred, etc.
- Avoiding stress, worry, and overthinking
- Having patience and self-control
- Staying away from addiction, violence, and things that can harm others
Basically, it includes the social, physical, religious, and occupational code of conduct. Also, as all these things greatly affect a person’s mental health, one must not forget that bad mental health can hamper your immunity.
Letting Out The Natural Urges
It is very important to let out the natural urges. Urination and defecation are the two most common ones and one must not hold it back. According to Ayurveda, there is a list of 13 such urges, some of which are:
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Yawning
- Vomiting
- Tears
- Hiccups
- Ejaculation
- Belching
- Flatus, etc.
Other Tips
Dr. Rajyalakshmi suggests taking rasayanas daily to maintain your health. These rasayanas include ghee, milk, and other dairy products. Amalaki Churna or amla powder, honey too can be included in the daily diet. These provide antioxidants to the body. The food consumed should be freshly prepared. Avoid eating stale food. Drink a lot of water throughout the day and stay hydrated, especially during summers. Try to consume water 1 hour after your meals.
Given the COVID-19 pandemic that we are currency stuck with, Dr. Ranganayakulu says that since we all are talking about immunity-boosting, it is very important to consume nutritious food every day. “Many people think that immunity comes through medicines or spices, but a nutritious diet plays an important role and should be prioritized. You can consider incorporating old ghee, ghee, milk, and other dairy items in your daily diet to build good immunity.”
Thus, maintaining your physical, social, and mental well-being is in your hands. You cannot work on one and avoid the other two. All these together work to make you fit, healthy and active and should not be overlooked.
