Yes, why can’t we can live a life full of healthy eating, happy thoughts, easy living, disease free, without any pains and medications. It sounds like a dream?

Its not that hard to put up the show! I wonder how our nature has changed from living a healthy life to hardly trying to keep up with daily routines, how people wait for the weekends to rest and how immunity getting so low that there is a whole sick day leave concept in this era.

Is it that normal to be sick? I am not saying that falling sick is wrong but really do we need to? I would rather choose a peaceful, slow but a disease-free life than falling sick every month and keeping my energy levels on power saving mode till the weekends.

Perhaps, this is high time we pull up the sleeve and work on health system rather than to indulge ourselves in treating the diseases, which straight back resides with our own negligence because of some or the other reasons which we thought are small enough now to take care of.

Small Habits But Big Impact

These small habits have made big impact on our livelihood that are now the real cause of diseases. But can these be reversed? Yes, just by changing the same tiny habits and being aware of what is right for our body, we can reverse disease and live a healthy life, where death really awaits!

We have been always hearing that people in olden times lived for hundred years and more. They didn’t had diabetes, hypertension or any other diseases so early. Neither the mental health scale was any factor back then.

On the contrary, the current scenario is completely different. Now the average age expectancy is 67.74 years according to WHO in 2022. Leaving the expectancy apart, the quality of life has been degraded to an extent

• Where we take pills to be alive.
• People get heart attacks in the age of 40’s.
• Teenagers have anxiety and depression.
• Small children are ingested with adulterated and processed items as if they are dolls stuffed with cotton.

In this century, you hardly get people having no disease after 50’s.
What is the difference between olden days and now, where are we lacking? And we call it a progressive world with the best technology!

The only thing we lack is QUALITY OF LIFE.

There are mentions in ancient texts of “How to live a healthy life”. This comes from a scientific and historic concept called SWASTHYA VRITTA.

Swasthya Vrittam

There is a mention of how can people work on it.
Swasthya vrittam is a detailed concept which explains about Dincharya, Ratricharya, Ritucharya, Sadvritta, Trayo Pastambha, Rasayana etc. And there is a whole change in our compositions when the weather changes, when we are about to sleep and end our day, and everything matters.

Dincharya

Imagine a whole day, dedicated just to health! Sounds difficult right? Especially while working, or studying it is impossible. But what if I tell you just by following a sequence you will be twice productive than before and you work more efficiently.

Aim of dincharya is to prolong life and logetivity,

Brahma Muhurat Utishyate – Waking up early

Have you heard of 30 hrs a day? It is not a hidden secret but if a person gets up 48-96 minutes before the sunrise you have extra time for yourself to prepare you for the whole day, who wouldn’t like an extra hour of solitude which makes you more disciplined, productive and active throughout your day and preserves your health.

And looking at the current patterns and sleep cycles of individuals, “50% of people who watch TV, or electronic devices, scrolling screens before bed get less than seven hours of sleep.” – according to sleep foundation.

Usha Jalapanam – Drinking warm water

Drinking around 750 ml of water helps your body to boost your metabolism, fight dehydration and activates the organs with good reset overnight. A person who do so will not fall sick easily.

Mala Tyaga – Evacuating Bowels and Bladder

It is said that if you have enough fibres in your meals, your body will eliminate easily without any obstruction. Although it is important to understand why natural urges are to be felt before elimination. It is also said that it also helps to balance your kapha which is created overnight in your body.

Mukha Prakshalana – Face Washing

Washing the face with neutral tap water is one of the best ways to activate face, prevent acne, tonify facial muscles and soothen your skin.

Danta Dhavanam – Oral Hygiene

In ayurveda, cleaning oral cavity and teeth has to be done for two times – morning before breaking of the fast and after dinner. Since ancient times, Indian culture says to use twigs of different trees such as babool, neem etc. for cleaning and maintaining hygiene of teeth and gums.

Gandusha – Oil Pulling

One of the best ways to keep your mouth safe from microbial activities, bad breath or poor gum health. Swishing and massaging oil in your mouth helps lubricating, washing all bacterias, massages gums and teeth until it thins down and is being spitted out.

Vyayam – Physical Activity

Exercise tones up muscles, activates mind, stimulates metabolism, balances doshas, helps in building immunity.

Anga Mardanam – Oiling The Body

A great way to keep your skin soft, supple and elastic without any wrinkles. Although different skin types can use variety of oils such as coconut, sunflower, jojoba, or almond oil.

Shir Snanam – Bathing

Bathing from neutral or warm water helps to remove toxins, sweat, fatigue and maintains holistic hygiene, revitalises all organs boosts immunity, regulates body heat with clarity of mind.

Ishta Devta Prarthana – Praying

Perhaps, it is important to be clear about one’s spirituality, irrespective of religion. But also a factor to have a feeling of gratitude. Be thankful, be kind to others and always be grateful for what you have.

Swadhyay – Self Study

Self-study or self awareness is a method of you to present youselves in the best way, by correcting your mistakes and realization of the need of change according to situations. When you are self aware, you are one step forward than others, your conscience works in controlled manner, your work shows how focused you are and you are the best version of yourself. Swadhyay is a practice for the betterment of oneself, not only on physical level but mental, emotional and spiritual as well.

Dainik Karya – Daily Routine Duties/Work

After you are done with your basic duties, you can start with your work. And you will notice, everything works in your favour.

Dietary habits

There are certain rules to follow as it is said – we are what we eat!
One should choose right food, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and food should contain all 6 tastes or shad rasa –

1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Salty
4. Pungent
5. Bitter
6. Astringent.

This types of food is considered as a balanced meal. For example – you might have observed our Indian traditional thali which starts with sweet then raw salads, then carbs and then curd or buttermilk. Each tastes activates the 5 elements within us.

1. Sweet activates water 🌊 and earth 🌍 element in us
2. Sour activates fire 🔥 and earth 🌍
3. Salt activates fire 🔥 and water 🌊 elements
4. Pungent activates air 🍃 and fire 🔥 elements
5. Bitter activates air 🍃 and ether 🌌 elements
6. Astringent activates the air 🍃 and earth 🌍 elements.

This when served in proper sequence in a balanced portions, serving order and relation to seasonal changes helps to maintain our body’s prakruti.

The Sun Theory

When sun starts to shine, your metabolism gets activated, at this time of breaking of the fast, you must choose like a king, limited but the most valuable food items should be ingested. Such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Slowly when the sun goes up above the head at noon, you have the highest digestion capacity, eat rich nutritious food, but a balanced diet. You can have carbs, proteins and good amount of fibres.

And when sun starts to go down, slowly your digestive fire also moves down, so eat sparingly but soothening and easy to digest food items such as millets and soups.

Ratricharya

One should finally end their day, with a gap of 3-4 hours in meals and bedtime. You should always walk a little after your dinner to help yourself digest the food.

There are certain things we need to avoid before sleeping such as-

1. Tea
2. Coffee
3. Alcohol
4. Screens

Try to practice breathing practices, pranayama, meditations. A sound sleep helps to balance doshas and heal your body from within.
Sleeping at a fixed time helps to alleviate fatigue and balances vata, pitta and kapha.

Ritucharya

It refers to the adaptation of body due to seasonal changes. This not only happens in the food, but also the whole composition of the body changes. We assess the composition of body through changes in Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

Although there is a lot deeper study into it, but even if we focus on our dincharya and ratricharya, we can achieve the best health possible in this sedentary form of being.

Final Thoughts

When immunity is at a maximum, lifestyle, eating habits are well balanced, sleep cycle is maintained, there will be nothing to stop you to work the best out of everything. You can never fall sick, and death will be delayed!
This is not a secret, which are hidden in texts, but our ancestors have already taught us the correct way of living, now its on us, how we follow and how we evolve!

Dr Yashsvi Banwat

BNYS, Fellowship in basic and advanced acupuncture, Fellowship in ozone therapy

Naturopathy and Yoga Physician

Nature Cure Hospital Jayanagar Bangalore est since 1966

Related Reading | 60 Habits of Superior Healthy People for Holistic Health

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