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What is Ayurveda

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The Ayurvedic Routine

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Health is not a one day activity instead it is a never-ending and continuous mission until your soul departs your body. To stay healthy is to stay on par with the flow of nature without interrupting the natural temperament of your system and Dean Ornish rightly said that ‘Health is not something that you need to get; it’s something you already have if you don’t disturb it’. That is what the ancient remedial science known as Ayurveda suggests mankind to simply tag along the cadence of nature. A daily systematic life that strikes perfect balance with the natural pace of Mother Nature needs no cure or meets no disastrous diseases. Such an inspiring Ayurvedic Routine is popularly termed as ‘Dinacharya’ and seasonal routine is known as Ritucharya.   

Ayurveda strongly states that there is a time for everything with a natural meaning in it. If things are done at the right time, you are striking balance with nature and your body functions perfectly and in close connection with your mind. This natural tempo controls our predominant natural urges like food, sleep and sex, also known as the three pillars of life. Today’s modern living has sickened our lives and has forced us to lead it as blindly as a lost kitten in the middle of the forest. Only when we practice certain vital things on a scheduled time, we can live in harmony without the compulsion of any other external factors misleading our lives. To remember it easily, I have listed the daily Ayurvedic routine as 11 simple points to follow as per the Ayurvedic body types. They are:

  1. Wake up early in the morning before sunrise. For Vata it is just about 6 AM, Pitta it is approximately 5:30 AM and for Kapha it is around 4:30 AM. This aids your senses to rise above and ascend along with the sunrise.
  2. Gargle your mouth and drink a cup of warm water with few drops of fresh lemon juice and one teaspoon of raw honey. This supports your body’s normal bowel movement in the morning and helps the digestive system to function properly. Regular bowel movement will aid in eliminating the toxin from your body and make you feel refreshed without carrying the toxins of the previous day’s food.
  3. Brush your teeth twice daily early in the morning and before going to bed. Scrape and rub your tongue thoroughly in the morning to clear away toxins or the poisonous particles sticking on your tongue from the remaining of the previous day’s food items known as ama in Ayurveda. You can either use a good tongue scraper or a stainless steel spoon to clean your tongue front to back. Clean your nasal passages, ears and eyes regularly.
  4. Go for a brisk walk for about 15 to 20 minutes. This helps in improving your blood circulation and aids you in enjoying the healthy rays of the sun fully filled with Vitamin D and other essential nutrients required to boost the functions of your brain and uplift your skin from within. Vitamin D deficiency might end up in skin cancer, rickets, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment in elderly people, muscular weakness and much more.
  5. It’s time to caress, pamper and massage your skin with Abhyanga, the Ayurvedic massage therapy with the use of Ayurvedic essential oils all through your body and your head. Leave it at least for 20 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, you can practice the life saving skill nothing but the great sibling of Ayurveda, popularly known as Yoga. This grants you strength, endurance, resistance and the potential to enhance the functionality of your entire system.
  7. It’s time for a revivifying bath with few drops of energizing Ayurvedic essential oils like lavender essential oil, bergamot essential oil, rose essential oil, jasmine oil, sandalwood oil, grapefruit essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, orange essential oil and few other citrus essential oils to give a right start to your day.
  8. Offer prayers to the Almighty and a calm meditation for about 5 minutes will give you all the energy that your mind needs for accomplishing your challenging tasks all through the day. A powerful meditation influences self-realization and mental strength.
  9. Eating right is very important than just filling your stomach. Taste your food, like it and chew it well as it promotes quicker digestion and absorption of essential energy required by your body. Ensure that you take up a rich and nutritious breakfast between 7:00 to 8:00 AM in the morning.
  10. Have your lunch in between 12:00 to 1:00 PM. Let the not-so-easy to digest food items find a place in your lunch rather than during any other meals of the day because there is enormous time to digest and the Agni or the digestive fire is very active during this time. If possible, go for a small walk after lunch to help easy digestion.
  11. Ensure that your dinner is taken before 8:00 PM and you floss and brush your teeth before going to bed to keep away from harmful germs. Go to bed by 10:00 PM at night making certain that you have enough rest after working throughout the entire day and for gifting a dynamic start to the day ahead. Spend 5 minutes before sleeping to recollect all that you’ve done for the day. Think whether you have accomplished all that is required or have something left behind to finish? This will keep you informed about where you are and direct you towards where you want to go. Utter a small prayer and thank the Creator for all He has given you and sleep peacefully with the hope of being in a new day at dawn.

This might appear as a huge or an impossible list to many but you’ll certainly feel its simplicity and its greater benefits on your healthy and harmonized living once you start practicing it as the celebrated adage ‘Practice makes a man perfect’ appropriately fits in this context and a regular following of these Ayurvedic routine in your life will indeed make you perfect, peaceful and proficient. Start with one and its positive impact will naturally influence you in choosing the whole lot.

Best wishes for your methodical living in the pink.

Thought for the day:

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they’ll ease
Your will they’ll mend
And charge you not a shilling.

-Nursery rhyme, What the River Knows, 1990, quoted by Wayne Fields

Suggested Reading:

  1. Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide, Revised and Updated Edition by MD Deepak Chopra
  2. Yoga for your Type: An Ayurvedic Approach to Your Asana Practice by Dr. David Frawley, Sandra Summerfield Kozak
  3. Dhanwantari: A Complete Guide to the Ayurvedic Life by Harish Johari

Reference Links:

  1. Dinacharya by Ayurveda Alchemy
  2. Vitamin D Deficiency by WebMD
  3. Agni(Ayurveda) by Wikipedia

12 Best Ayurvedic Tips To Remember On This Remarkable Day of the 21st Century

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Ayurveda is an exemplary healing methodology that aims at granting complete health and harmony with nature. Every individual is considered as a unique part of nature and special care is taken before recommending natural remedies for treating any kind of illnesses. The best thing about this holistic science is that it focuses on prevention of diseases rather than just curing it after its occurrence. Purifying the human system by removing the toxic imbalances in the body and strengthening the immune system enables an individual to gain natural power for resisting harmful diseases and enjoy good health even after 50 years of age.

12-12-12 is a remarkable day in the 21st century and to come across such an excitement like this again, we have to wait for another hundred years when 12-12-2112 of the 22nd century would come to enthrall our forthcoming generation. Instead of building castles in the air, let’s empower ourselves with 12 simple and startling Ayurvedic tips on this worth remembering day in the history just to show that you are strong enough to fight more than 120 diseases.

12 Ayurvedic tips to remember:

1. Ayurvedic routine: The first thing that I would suggest is to take up an Ayurvedic routine also known as Dinacharya, which will bring in complete newness and revivify your lives. Everything in your day-to-day living will take up a firm change right from rising early till going to bed early.

2. Natural bowel movement: Drink a cup of warm water either with a teaspoon of raw honey or few drops of fresh lime juice as it fosters the natural bowel movement of your body, helping you to eliminate the toxins from your body.

3. Oral hygiene: Ayurvedic texts like Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita have talked about the importance of maintaining complete oral care. Dental health is known as Danta Swasthya in Sanskrit and it is said that the predominance of doshas and nature decides health care in Ayurveda and dental health also falls in this class. This natural science recommends the use of natural dental sticks especially from the Neem tree with astringent, acrid and bitter taste, supporting the health of the gums and preventing tooth problems. Brushing after every meal or at least twice daily a day is recommended.

Mentioned as Gandusha or Kavala in Charaka Samhita, oil pulling or swishing of vegetable oils like sesame oil, coconut oil or sunflower oil for about 20 minutes in the morning in empty stomach is said to treat about 30 systemic illnesses ranging from headache, migraine to asthma and diabetes. It is also proven to treat severe oral problems like plaque, gingivitis, toothache, oral cavities, halitosis, tooth decay etc, while effectively removing all the harmful toxins in the body. Ayurveda also suggests the scrapping or cleaning the tongue to remove the toxins or ama stored on it.

4. Yoga and physical exercises: Yoga is always a part of Ayurvedic healing and practicing simple physical exercises, breathing exercises like Pranayama and systematic Yoga is said to treat the imbalances in the body and help prevent harmful health disorders. Exercising and yoga practices on a regular basis for at least 15 minutes a day, especially in the early hours of the day relaxes the nerves, restores health, regenerates the body and rejuvenates your muscles.

5. Meditation: Meditation is an important part of Ayurveda as it helps to spend some quality time for self, supports self-realization, augments mental health and paves way for increased life span. Meditating regularly treats innumerable health disorders, gives a good start for the day and helps in calming the nerves and soothing the senses.

6. Prayer: Prayer is the best way to surrender yourselves to your Almighty, the Super Power above us. Spending few minutes in prayer before starting your day will grant you immense confidence and the real power to face your daily challenges. Ayurveda trusts that prayer strengthens your spiritual feelings and brings in real divinity.

7. Abhyanga or Ayurvedic oil massage: Ayurvedic texts suggest Ayurvedic oil massage for a supple, soft, strong and healthy body as it promotes blood circulation, fortifies the nervous system, relieves muscular pain, invigorates your mind, enhances the function of the lymphatic system and removes the toxins from the body. Ayurvedic essential oils like Lavender oil, Patchouli oil, Turmeric oil, Calamus oil, Tea tree oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Peppermint oil and many other essential oils have innumerable therapeutic properties to aid your well-being.

8. Regular eating habits: A regular eating habit in Ayurveda just indicates eating on time. Have a schedule for eating with a fixed time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Instead of taking 2 or 3 full meals, you can take 4 or 5 small meals with regular gap in-between. By doing this you are reinforcing your digestive system and promoting easy digestion. Improper eating habits might end up in a dismantled metabolism, leading to health disorders like hypertension, ulcer, obesity, accumulation of fat etc.

9. Fresh fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits along with green and leafy vegetables contain essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals. These natural items will improve your physical and psychological health by preventing your body from diseases occurring due to nutritional deficiencies.

10. Drinking hot water: Drinking hot water is indeed a classical recommendation of Ayurveda as it augments the digestive power, lessens the accumulation of metabolic waste, balances kapha and vata doshas and regulates your entire digestive system.

11. Detoxification: Detoxification or cleansing is a vital part of Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatment that aims at removing the toxins in your body and restores balance and youthfulness. Healthy Ayurvedic practices include gentle cleansing of the system mainly during the spring season and at the start of every season. This can be done efficaciously with the help of your Ayurvedic practitioner.

12. Soothing and peaceful sleep: Rest is essential to rise up with energy and buoyancy for a refreshing start of a new day. To stay active tomorrow, you need to sleep well today especially during the night time. Ayurvedic scripts suggest taking warm baths with few drops of Ayurvedic essential oils before going to bed, recollecting the pleasant things in your life, eating light and easy to digest food for dinner, listening to pleasing music, using aromatic Ayurvedic essential oils for regular massaging and in your bed room either as room diffuser or as air freshener etc.

Everything is doable and why can’t you give it a try? For the best things in life can come to you only out of practice and determination. For an inspirational living, think again!

Thought for the day:

Nature is a good name for an effect whose cause is God

-William Cowper

Suggested Reading:

  1. Ayurveda Wisdom: A Simple Wisdom Book By Cybéle Tomlinson, Cybele Tomlinson
  2. Freedom in Your Relationship with Food: An Everyday Guide By Myra Lewin
  3. Ayurveda: The Science of Self Healing – A Practical Guide By Vasant Lad

Reference Links:

  1. Tooth brushing, oil pulling and tissue regeneration: A review of holistic approaches to oral health by NCBI
  2. Overview of Meditation by National center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  3. Ayurvedic Panchakarma Restores Your Youth by Wikinut

Five Vital Elements of Ayurveda

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The universe by itself is interrelated in some or the other way. Everything in this world is bound by five unique elements of life and has gradually become the five vital elements of Ayurveda, rightly known as the science of life. I often think that my 2 eyes are just not enough to admire the magnificence of nature and enjoy its excellence in each of its significant existence. One such immeasurable quantum of nature’s solace is the presence of the five essential elements namely Water, Earth, Space, Fire and Air in every survival of this globe. With such importance, the heavenly science of Ayurveda calls these elements as the building blocks of life, comprising human beings as the major part.

Every single thing in this world, be it a living being or a non-living object is exclusive and unique in its own because of a differing ratio of the five elements of life.  Even the Ayurvedic remedies like herbs, Ayurvedic essential oils, yoga, meditation and other natural remedies aim at nurturing the values of these five elements. Ayurveda identifies human body as a combination of the five vital elements in varying proportions, making an individual unique from his fellow being. Every object in nature follows an orderly mechanism that would make us speechless in awe. We rise on Earth and finally rest on Earth only. In between, all the five elements play a significant role in our daily lives, determining our physical, biological, psychological, social and environmental attributes. They are indivisible and together they are known as Panchamahabhutas in Sanskrit.

The theory of five vital elements and human system: Let’s now have a look at the way that these five elements lead, rule and influence the personality traits and attributes of mankind.

1. Water (Jala, Apa, and Neer): Most of us know that the Earth comprises of 70% of water and just 30% of land, similarly the human body is also made up of about 70% water, but for which the human system would stop functioning. The presence of water in our body is witnessed through trouble-free movement of various parts of the body and governs various fluids like blood, saliva, plasma, mucus etc.

In short, our body is supplied with the necessary energy only with the presence of this predominant element that regulates our body temperature as well. All the liquid items that we drink are all various forms of water and intake of water enhances suppleness, coolness, softness and the moisture of the skin. On an emotional perspective, water can be compared to a loving, gentle and compassionate personality with kindness and consideration.

2. Earth (Dhara and Prithvi): Anything that is stable and solid can be represented as a form of earth. The nourishing solid food items that we ingest are from earth. Earth represents strength, durability, firmness and might.  The muscles, tissues, bones, hair, fat, skin, cells, nails and teeth of the human body are governed by this dominant element. Mentally, earth stands for braveness, steadiness, vigor, constancy and the attributes of a warrior at heart, essential for a healthy and hearty life filled with challenges.

3. Space (Akash): The ever-present dominant force encircling the Globe is the space also known as ether. What comes to your mind when you just look at the clear sky in the early hours of the day? This sight brings utmost joy, humbleness, openness, liberty and an immaculate ray of hope and light to me. Space is everywhere and it is this space in the human heart that accepts and gives love without boundaries and in the body, it is considered as the container that accepts all kinds of impressions. This element is said to be present in the human system, wherever cavity and emptiness is present like stomach, intestines, nostrils, lungs, bladder, ears, throat, blood vessels and mouth. Light and hollow food items like wafers, corn flakes etc, are examples of foods with the presence of ether element.

4. Air (Vayu): This vital energy is forceful and itinerant. Without air the entire world would stop breathing and would look lifeless. The oxygen that helps us survive is just a part of air and acts as the foundation for all the positive reactions in the human body. The functioning of the major parts of the body like intestines, heart, lungs, joints and stomach are supported by air. The intake of air enhances circulation, coolness and movement. Physically, air is attributed to light, weightless, dry and movable characteristics and mentally, it is related to an active, vibrant, full-of-life and energetic personality that can influence and stay optimistic.

5. Fire (Agni): Fire grants the essential power that the body needs to digest and react to all metabolic, nervous, perspiring and challenging activities. It is only the fire in you that can help you withstand difficulties and win over the most critical situations in your life. This energy element converts food to fat and transfers the necessary energy to bones and muscles. The presence of fire determines your intelligence and the body temperature. It augments digestion, color and glow of the skin and metabolism. Hot, rough, sharp and clever traits are associated with fire.

Just like the five fingers in our palms, these five elements are highly important and form an integral part of every human being according to Ayurveda. Each of these building blocks play an imperative role in different phases of our life like Earth and Water elements are predominant during the childhood, when the body attains growth physically, whereas the element of Fire rules during adulthood when the body undergoes a drastic change. When we attain old age, the body tends to lose its flexibility and there is the predominance of Air and Space elements. I trust that this fundamental knowledge about the five vital elements of Ayurveda helps us realize that our body that is blended with nature, naturally.

Thought for the day:

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind and intellect and also ego-sense; these are the eight-fold division of my nature. This is inferior. Know my mother nature, the higher, Oh Mighty-Armed, the life-element by which the universe is upheld”. (7:4-5)                                                        – Bhagavad Gita

Suggested Reading:

  1. The Ayurveda Encyclopedia: Natural Secrets to Healing, Prevention, & Longevity By Swami Sadashiva Tirtha
  2. The Subtle Energy Body: The Complete Guide By Maureen Lockhart Ph.D.
  3. Textbook of Ayurveda, Volume One: Fundamental Principles By Vasant Lad

Reference Links:

  1. The Five Elements Part I: Ether by California College of Ayurveda
  2. Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Comparative Overview by NCBI
  3. Ayurved, the science of life by Richfield