August 27, 2021

AYURVEDA FOR LIFE

Read Time: 3 mins 50 secs

It was the summer of 2016, I was down with high fever and my pediatrician had called for a list of blood tests. “Mumma, please I am too scared to get this done”, I was pleading and screaming. Just when the lab boy injected the needle, I jumped off my seat screaming that the needle bent to a 90 degree angle. This wasn't anything unusual as hurting legs, growling stomach and burning body had been my frequent visitors.

But two years back, something shifted inside of me which transformed my life 360 degrees. So, let me introduce you to the mightiest and greatest of all times, drum rolls please!!! THE AYURVEDIC DINACHARYA… So, here I bring the glimpse of a drop from the wide ocean.

The very first principle to cultivate longevity is to wake up in BRAHMA MUHURTA. Sounds difficult though, but if you willingly imbibe this one principle, it can transform your whole life. So, the time from 4AM to 6AM is Brahma Muhurta which is also the vata kala. As per Ayurvedic texts, brahma stands for knowledge and creation….so, let me pen down a few benefits out of many.

This is the best time to connect with yourself and attain knowledge and wisdom.
You can set an intention of what you want from this day.
And most importantly, you can make the most out of your studies as your mind and vision are clear and focused. (p.s. I am also a lot inspired by Akshay kumar. Does he even look 53 years old?)

The second principle is Usha Pana. So, as per ayurveda, drinking lukewarm water sip by sip without brushing teeth will clean your digestive system and help you with the excretion process. You must sit down in a quiet place while drinking water.

After this, one must be having regular and natural bowel movements without feeling constipated. It is a sign of a healthy body.

If you have been in villages then you must have seen people brushing with twigs of neem and babool. This practise is called DANT-DHAWAN. Using these twigs for cleaning teeth can help you combat tooth cavities, bad odour and even mouth ulcers. But chewing on these bitter twigs is not your thing, then you can try a herbal spice mix called Dant Manjan. Kid me not, this is one of the best practices you can perform to have those healthy and strong teeth.

Then comes Jihva-Nirlekhan, which means cleaning of your tongue. Have you ever noticed a white sticky coating on your tongue in the morning? That's called ama, which is nothing but the undigested food that is still sitting in your gut. But why do you think it shows up on your tongue? Because as per Ayurveda, your tongue is the mirror of your digestive health. So, it is of utmost importance to maintain our tongue health by scraping off the white coating with the help of a tongue scraper. A scraper made of copper metal is considered the best for all body constitutions.

Followed by tongue scraping, there is a series of rituals such as oil pulling, karnpooran, anjanam, nasya etc, which too are an important part of dinacharya.

Then one should perform “Abhyanga”, which means self body massage with oil. Oil in ayurveda is known as sneha which also means love. So, self body massage is a form of self love that you can offer your body. There are a variety of oils that can be used for various body types but the best is sesame oil.

Then comes “Vyayama” or exercise. Vyayama is a lot of fun to perform. And my personal favorite is “SHIRSHASANA” which my father taught me during lockdown.

And after you are done with your exercise, you can take a bath because you would want to wash off all the oil and sweat you are drenched with. Jokes apart, bathing is another form of body purification so it is mandatory. Do I need to tell you the benefits of bathing?? I guess no!!!

And then, after offering your prayers to the almighty, you can have your meals. According to ayurvedic principles, one must not use incompatible food combinations. Also, while you are sitting for your meals, you must bring your awareness and gratitude towards your food. Like my mom always says, experience your food with all your senses. Also, she insists on chewing my food properly before gulping it down. “KOI CHAKKI NAHI LAGI HAI TUMHARE PET MEIN”, is what she always says. And I am not allowed to talk, watch TV or any gadget along with my meals. And gradually, I have learnt whether or not I feel hungry. Therefore, I never overeat. One more thing is that my meal timings are fixed and also, lunch is the most lavish meal of our house. We all go about our day after all this. But she insists on sleeping early only to wake up to the rising sun the next morning.

As per my mom, ayurveda can not be summed up in just one paragraph, because it is the foundation of a long and healthy life.

“SWASTHYA SWASTHYA RAKSHANAM”,

“ATURASHYA VIKAR PARSAMANAM”

This is the foundation principle of Ayurveda which means to preserve the health of a healthy being and to cure the diseases of a diseased being. I have learnt the way to a healthy life with this profound science and I would continue to practise dinacharya all my life.

Thank you.