Too many diya pics these days, I know!

Yet, I do not want to miss sharing the big learnings that such small occurrences bring.

In this picture, I have two diyas. They are different in design, but serve the same purpose. I picked them up at different times simply because I liked them. Do note that I liked them because they were different.

Yesterday evening, I put oil and a wick in each of them and lit them together. Both shone beautifully. But, since their size and shape is different, there was one difference in the way I had to use them. In the bigger one, I put oil only once and it lit for a good 3 hours. While in the smaller one, I had to refill oil thrice for it to go on that long.

Now, we don’t need too much knowledge to figure this out. Small size means less oil fits and thus needs refilling. Our bodies are also that simple if only we do not get stuck in information over load. All our bodies are made up of the same stuff, same organs in each, but depending on the structural changes, the functioning may vary. All of us eat, work, sleep, think. But we all do not do all of this in the same way and same degree. We have our individual body types, our own unique permutations and combinations – this is the variety and thus the beauty of nature.

To know in detail, read https://ayurvedicanswers.com/preventive-ayurved/body-constitution/

Trouble begins when for some reason we feel, all of us must eat the same amount in the same frequency. Children are the most common targets for this absolutely misplaced belief we carry. We even take it forward to expect that all must grow up to be tall and well built, to excel in the same subjects (that even means ALL subjects for some parents!!) and achieve the same accolades.

From the above example we must understand that a Vat prakruti person has a smaller stomach and digestive capacity as compared to a Kaf prakruti person. So he will need to eat frequently in smaller amounts while a K person needs to eat one big meal. Doing vice versa will harm both. The Vat person risks indigestion if he overeats and low energy, aches and pains if he skips a meal. The K person risks being overweight if he eats frequently and unsatisfied if he eats tiny meals.

Both of them will work to their best potential, albeit differently, if given what they need, instead of going by what some ‘standard’ suggests.

Hoping this Diwali, we celebrate our differences while rejoicing in our oneness.

Let’s put oil as our diya demands and enable it to shine the brightest it can.

The post So same…Yet so different appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Writing this post brings fond memories to me. During my college days of learning Ayurved, I would share all the new health knowledge I gathered with my family. Mom and dad would agree with a lot of it and share their own experiences while my brothers had a jolly time making fun of the new Sanskrit words I said and the food or other changes I suggested..

After all the ayurvedic dos and don’ts they had to listen to from me…invariably their concern would be ‘can we never eat this or do that?’

And how pleased would they be with my “Na. Na..kyarek chale” answer!

(kyarek chale is the Gujrati for ‘its alright sometime’)

Coming back to the topic of this post…It is Abhyaas.

Abhyaas means continuous, repeated practice.

Ayurved says that which is done daily or regularly is what creates an impact and a corresponding effective consequence.

Think about this.

Do we start to suffer from chronic ill health by consuming the wrong food once or twice or occasionally?

No, we do not.

Same way, we cannot get well having the right food or medicine once or twice, irregularly or occasionally.

Anything that is consistent bears results.

Good health is a consequence of forming right, healthy habits. Habit means making it a part of everyday life. 

Bad health is naturally a result of wrong habits.

Just as planting seeds and then watering it daily makes it develop roots and grow gradually, then forming stems, branches, leaves, flowers and fruits step by step, similarly the roots of any action performed repeatedly must grow strong and deep for it to have an effect.

Nothing happens overnight. Everything is eventual. It is just that we are rarely aware of all that which goes into the  making of the eventuality.

Occasional indulgences, relaxations of principles and out of routine behaviors are totally fine and must be done too…

It’s alright to have curd one night with your favorite dish. But it is not alright to make eating daily curd and at night a habit.

Tasty but junk hotel food is alright once in a while but it is not alright every weekend.

Who doesn’t enjoy an ice cream for dessert sometime? But having chilled drinks daily or frequent ice-creams is very different.

Staying up late or waking up late sometime is not a crime, but if done daily it has the potential to impact our complete life.

Laying on the sofa one rainy day is so ok, but not the lack of  physical activity on most days.

So, the bottom-line is, be consistent in the good, sensible practices… only then will they bring you wellness.

Stay occasional and rare in the unmindful indulgences, if you must…only then will they be stopped from causing you much harm.

Kyarek chale.

The post The ‘Kyarek Chale’ Episodes appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

What we don’t realize is, that, the opposite is also equally true. We have simultaneously become unduly relaxed about important stuff. Things that should draw attention have stopped ringing the bells!

One such thing is body odour that stays in spite of maintaining good hygienic practices. Foul smell from the body or mouth, from the nose or smelly socks. It can be a source of great nuisance for the person as well as those around him. 

What causes body odour?

Let us suppose you walk into your kitchen and notice a bad stink. Where is it that you will look for the source?

1. A garbage bin that may been forgotten to be emptied
2. Left over and now rotten food over the platform
3. A blocked kitchen sink

These are the top few..so the answer is clear.

ACCUMULATED WASTE is the cause of a bad smell.

Simplistic as this may sound, it is the real fact.

How does this waste accumulate?

The food that we consume daily needs to be digested and then the nutrients are absorbed while the waste is to be discarded through the channels of stools, urine and sweat. When these wastes are not passed out regularly, they start accumulating in the intestines and soon show its effect on the blood as well through absorption of toxins.

1. Digestion is impaired grossly, when the amount or quality of food does not match the digestive capacity and when the level of physical activity is too low.
2. Wastes also fail to pass out well when the urge to pass motion or urine is ignored or delayed repeatedly due to other preoccupations.
3. Constantly staying in air conditioned interiors greatly reduces sweating and thus the output of the waste that must pass through with it.

What is the solution to body odour?

Avoiding accumulation of waste is the only solution to body odour.

Ayurvedic principles as mentioned below must be bought into practice after proper understanding.

Treatment for processing and evacuation of already collected toxic load is necessary. This will lead to blood purification.

1. Keeping digestion optimum
2. Being conscious in the choice and quantity of food consumed. Light, easy to digest, nutritious food with fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid packaged, stale, deep fried, sugary,  bakery and fermented items strictly along with milk and milk products.
3. Enough water intake
4. Regular physical activity
5. Timely passage of stools and urine
6. Exposure to normal climatic conditions that favour natural sweating

Why should body odour not be taken lightly?

Maintaining good hygiene and use of mouth fresheners, deodorants, talcum powders and perfumes are the logical steps taken by most people facing the issue of body odour. In itself this is required, but it should not limit our effort to solve the root cause of the problem. 

When we understand what the body is trying to convey through this sign it is most likely that we will work to resolve the cause. If left untreated the accumulated wastes will only progress to create further damage to the body. Blocking of important channels in the body happens gradually and leads to serious issues like high blood pressure, heart troubles, deep seated skin diseases etc. 

It is only wise that we must take the teachings of Ayurved to understand not just this but all of our health issues and then take the necessary holistic steps to safeguard our health.

Understanding is the key!

The post UGH….WHAT IS THAT SMELL? appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

LONG AGO, 

We had the concept of a ‘family doctor’ This doctor knew and treated the entire family and was like family too. He felt accessible and friendly.

He KNEW his patients. That means he was aware of what type of food they ate, their basic lifestyle, business or job characteristics, possible hereditary factors, nature etc etc.

Any health problem that was bought to him was analysed against this background and a decision was reached. These were the good old days.

COMING TO THE PRESENT,

We have a general practitioner who prescribes medicines for a week or two and soon refers you to a ‘specialist’ that you must see.

A specialist is a doctor who has gained in depth knowledge of a particular system in the human body and so he becomes so and so specialist. In no way do i mean to downplay the extensive knowledge these doctors have or the years of hard work they have spent gaining it. (I am not talking about surgical branches here) 

But it is also a fact that this speciality usually comes at the price of missing the full picture.

THE PATIENT

A patient is one whole person. A combination of one body, one mind and one soul. 

Any problem that he may face can start at any of these levels, but if it continues for long, sooner or later, it affects all and is affected by all. Broadly, these facets are all interdependent and not independent. 

On the physical level too, various systems of the body work harmoniously through their cooperation.

HOW DISEASE HAPPENS

If one part is in dis-ease, it affects the other parts too.

For examples- 

If the stomach is frequently irritated by too much spicy food, this irritation is felt by the blood too and the blood circulates in the entire body. The spicy feel even reaches the mind and it is then no surprise that this mind will not be too able to handle day to day stresses easily, the blood vessels may have the tendency to rupture and cause bleeding in the brain. 

A body that has a big collection of wastes or undigested material in it, is forced to let these wastes travel to other parts of the body. If they land in the joints, they cause a joint disease. If they are lodged in the skin, it manifests as a skin issue.

Of course this is a very brief description, missing the technical points, but it is enough to give us an idea of how it is all connected. 

HOW IT IS TREATED BY SPECIALISTS

Now, a specialist is trained to look at a particular part too much and modern medicine has no practical concept of inter relation of systems. So these problem areas are treated while ignoring its source. The patient is never told what he is doing wrong.

When one specialist doctor is done with his part of treatment, the patient is sent to another specialist to solve another problem. No one will realize that this ‘another’ problem has occurred in the ‘same person’ simply because the offending imbalance was just pushed away from one part. The patient becomes a football and is played around until he gives up trying to get well.

WHAT SHOULD HAVE  BEEN THE TREATMENT 

If instead of this sad picture, the patient was educated about his wrong eating habits and how it was affecting his body, he would have had the option to stop the source soon. Then treatment should be provided for the imbalance already present. This would stop progress of the disease immediately and make recovery possible. 

AYURVED SAYS

All disease arise from the gut

The first treatment for any disease is avoidance of the cause

So,the most natural question to specialists giving special treatments is – 

But .. what about the gut??

The post But..What About The Gut ? appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Nature never stays constant. In fact the only thing constant about nature is its changing feature! The seasons follow one another and keep changing. We never have one season throughout the year. While this is mostly good for us, it does require adjusting on our part to prevent seasonal illnesses. 

The best prevention is modifying our food and routines as per the demand of the present season.

So lets learn about what the monsoon demands from us.

I will talk in terms of qualities that we all can relate to, rather than traditional textual terms that may seem alien!

The monsoon is –

WET and COLD

It was preceded by – 

an EXHAUSTING summer.

Good health always means a good, efficient digestion. 

Disease always means an impaired digestive function.

So our aim right now, should be to balance these qualities along with keeping the digestion optimum.

When I say ‘digestion’ think of food cooking over your stove.

Now, wet and cold are not exactly qualities that help with cooking up. So we must balance these with WARM, FIRE STIMULANTS and avoid exposing it to too much WIND.

We also need to have food that is LIGHT or not too heavy. Just as we avoid washing thick heavy clothes during the rains in fear of them not drying up, we must avoid food that is too heavy to digest. A nice tempering (tadka) with ghee or oil and spices like mustard, cumin, asofeotida is an easy Fire Stimulant. Dried ginger powder, pepper powder are also advised.

Regular use of a small amount of honey is beneficial.

To summarize,

We need-

Light (easy) to digest food

Warm food in terms of temperature and qualities 

Fire stimulants like oil, ghee and spices

Actual things to eat

1. Old rice
2. Wheat flour mixed with barley flour for chapatis or
3. Wheat flour mixed with jowar/ bajra (sorghum/ pearl millet)
4. Green gram, well cooked
5. Oil/ghee, spices 
6. Honey
7. Sour and salty taste
8. Good quality traditionally made pickles

We must stay away from-

1. Heavy to digest food – fried food, sweets, bakery food
2. Cold food in temperature and properties – milkshakes, ice cream, fermented food
3. Dampness creating food and places
4. Exertion of all kinds should be avoided. Exercise, physical labour, too much traveling and sexual excess all are harmful as the body is already weak even though you may not feel so.
5. Sleeping during the day is to be cancelled. On those wet, dark cloudy days of heavy rainfall, engage in reading, or catching up on t.v, meeting up friends,  indoor family games etc. But do not spend them sleeping.

The post During The Monsoons appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

GURU…the one who turns on the light. So that we can SEE. Once we can see, it is easy to make the right choice..

A true Guru is one who aims to make us independent. He passes on that gem of knowledge which will suffice for all the times we are faced with tough questions. He makes sure we become our own Guru..

Ayurved is very similar to the role of a Guru too. It is a system of medicine by common perception..but in reality it is a way of living, the right way of living.

Ayurved teaches us what health really is all about. A real doctor is the one who works to make sure we don’t need a doctor. Isn’t that the meaning of bringing health?

Through Ayurved, he empowers us..makes us independent.

Health is not about which food has how much of which nutrient? 

Not about how much of it we can absorb? Not about its active or inactive form in the body.

It is not about counting calories or portion control.

Not even about supplements that MUST be taken. 

It is not about back breaking work outs followed by high protein intake at weird hours of the day or night.

It is not about my so and so blood levels are up or down.

I can go on and on…but i guess you get the hint..

It is not about such complicated things at all.

It is about simplifying and seeing for yourself and not dancing according to the whims of the world.

Health like all good things comes from within..

It is about am I hungry? 

About how much food do I really need?

Is this food right for me? At this time?

Am I using my body in the correct way or am I under or over using it?

Am I sleeping appropriately?

Am I enjoying my work or is it a source of constant stress to my mind?

How do I decide how much is appropriate in food, exercise, work or sleep?

Is my body giving me subtle hints when I am lethargic or burping or smelling or constipated or not hungry or irritable frequently? Does that recurring mild headache mean something important?

Answers to these questions are already there in us. To each his own. We don’t need to search for them. This is how we become our own boss. Our own doctor. A science like Ayurved alone, lays down such genuine principles for the benefit of mankind as a whole and not for a few as bunch of ‘doctors’

All it requires from us is Honesty, Attention and a refusal to settle for anything lesser, no matter how easy or comfortable it looks. In fact it is good to remember that just as a true guru is never a pleasant experience initially, a way of living that is best for us is not going to be a bed of roses either. Simply because right now we have walked so much away from the right things.

On this wonderful day of Guru poornima and always, I bow my head to my Guru and to this science of Ayurved. May we all become honest and simple enough to be benefited by their grace.

The post The Guru in Ayurved appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Among all our relationships, I feel, our relationship with our food is the most superficial. We don’t care enough to know our food well before we consume it. We have no idea of its inherent qualities and characteristics.

Having some basic knowledge about the properties of the food we eat, will help us eat them correctly and thus gain the life energy it has to offer. If we consume them in a wrong way, we may end up with problems that the food had never really intended to give us. it is similar to how a good mother or teacher knows the qualities of the child they assist and bringing them up in line with those strengths is what makes them a success in their own way.

We don’t even need extensive study or professional training for this. Simple attention to the food and avoiding unconscious compulsive behavior can suffice.

In the last post we talked about, Dals and Pulses. Today, we move on to the King of Fruits…the delicious Mango.

What are the qualities of a ripe mango?

Once we have a nice ripe mango, our stomach feels full. We feel satisfied for quite a stretch of time. This indicates that it has the HEAVY quality. 

It is also COOLING to the body.

Predominantly SWEET in taste. Sweet taste in itself indicates cooling and heavy qualities too.

It is UNCTOUS meaning oily or lubricating.

It is also a pacifier for all the doshas. A TRIDOSH SHAMAK fruit.

How and when should we have the mango?

Now knowing its properties, how and when to have a mango is very easy to understand.

Ripe

A mango should be allowed to ripen well. An unripe mango has properties quite opposite from a ripe one. It aggravates the Pitt dosh and may lead to skin problems, acidity etc.

All by itself 

Being Heavy, the King better be treated like a King. We cannot mix it up with commoners. Better not to combine it with other food for lunch or dinner. Yes, the aam ras puri plans must be cancelled. If you must have it, chapati and aam ras occasionally may be alright if you do not over eat. Gas, indigestion, bloating and burps that keep reminding of the mango happen when it is not able to digest well due to the other food had along with it.

Have it on an empty stomach in the morning for breakfast or in the evening between major meals when the stomach is light. Treat it as a small meal by itself so summer breakfasts can easily be a mango.

Not too many

Avoid having too many at a time. One mango at a time should be good.

Not in the cold

Mangoes being unctous and cooling, are a treat from nature for beating the summer heat. While they act as a tonic in summer, nourishing the tissues, we should stop having them as the monsoon sets in. Similarly, anyone suffering from a cold, fever or low appetite should avoid it till they recover.

What can be had with a mango?

Mango milkshakes are a right combination provided the mango is ripe and all the above is followed too.

Those who may still have difficulty digesting a mango, can add a pinch of sunth or dried ginger powder to it while having.

So, lets know our mango, understand it and then enjoy it with gratitude in our hearts for this wonderful gift from mother nature.

The post The Royal One..Mango appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Life for most of us starts each day when we open our eyes in the morning. It is as if it comes to a stand still while we sleep. So let us begin with.

What time should we wake up?

We should wake up with the sun..latest. Ideally, Ayurved advises that we wake up an hour and a half before sunrise. 

For practical purposes, we can say that the range between one and half hour before sunrise up to the time of sunrise is a good time to wake up. The later we keep sleeping beyond sunrise, the more we drift away from health and life.

Why should we wake up early with the sun?

Our body has three basic functional units, the doshas, Vat, Pitt and Kaf that govern all functions of the body. Each of these doshas have their specific time of action during the day and specific functions. To know a bit more about these doshas have a look at http://ayurvedicanswers.com/ayurvedic-principles/tridosh/

The end of the night, or the time before sunrise belongs to the Vat dosh and at that time, its main function is to move the bowels. 

Once we wake up, this dosh is able to do its job well. Staying in the lying down position hinders natural intestinal movement caused by Vat from the top to the bottom towards the anal opening.

So, waking up during this time favors regular bowel evacuation. Once the major load of stools has been passed, the pressure of stretched intestines is reduced and there is an immediate sense of relaxation. Then the urinary system also functions smoothly and free urine flow occurs as required. This paves  the way for major clearance from the body.

When this happens on a regular basis, the accumulation of toxins in the body is reduced to a good extent. This in itself is a major health insurance. Without heavy toxic load, diseases are almost impossible. 

Next, these empty intestines and stomach, along with a relaxed mind, ignite the digestive fire which actually means that the major digestive organs like the liver and pancreas are helped to rejuvenate and thus work well. Needless to say, the body will now be in a good condition to process the next meals we consume.

On yet another note, waking up early obviously gives us an extra couple of hours on hand which we can use well for regular abhyang (oil application) to the body and exercise – again two extremely health enhancing activities. Follow up on these with meditation and we have given ourselves the best start to the day.

How can we wake up early?

First and foremost, for any change to happen, we must be convinced about its usefulness. We must really understand how it will benefit us and then, taking the required steps will not seem too much effort. 

So, start when you are ready. The following will help.

Mindful eating during the day

Rest to the body and mind is the most  important thing that happens during sleep. When we have a huge workload, our rest time is encroached upon. Similarly if the body has a more than required work load of food digestion it will have to work even during its rest time. Naturally, it will become difficult for the unrested body to be able to wake up early. It will rightly demand to sleep more.

So now about mindful eating. It means being conscious of when, what, how and how much we eat. To read more details about the rights and wrongs of food visit http://ayurvedicanswers.com/preventive-ayurved/food/

We should wait to feel hungry before we eat. This ensures the stomach is ready to process the food we will supply it with. 

We should eat with our attention on the food and this means we are aware of the amount of food we are eating as well. The right amount is that which we are able to digest well. Not as much as that can fit into our stomach.

When we do this, our body has the proper amount of work and is able to execute it in time too. 

Early and light dinner

As explained above, keeping the stomach free from undue pressure is important. As the sun sets, the process of digestion weakens compared to its functioning during the day. So dinner should be easy to digest and in a smaller quantity. 

Also, finishing with dinner early means by the time we hit the bed at least two hours have passed. By the time we intend to wake up the system had finished up its work and rested well too and so it creates no hindrance for us to wake up as desired.

Not being careful about these points makes waking up early really difficult and if by will power we do manage to wake up, it does harm to the body as it does not get time to relax nor does it digest the food well.

Working with ease

Just as we talked about not over burdening the stomach, the same applies to the mind as well. When work is carried out with ease, the mind tires much lesser. High pressure jobs, too many chores and unrealistic expectations from one self is a big burden for the mind that is naturally made to work its best when it feels relaxed. An overworked mind finds respite in sleep and stimulants like tea and coffee. Sleep quota increases when the mind is tired too much. Waking up early then is a big challenge then. If we do wake up, grumpiness and lethargy are bound to accompany. 

We need to take a look at the whether the work we engage in suits our nature. Whether we do it compulsively in a particular way daily or are we present and know what we are doing, how and why. Work that gives joy rarely tires the mind. The type of work best suited for us depends to a large extent on our body constitution too. To know more about body constitution read along on http://ayurvedicanswers.com/preventive-ayurved/body-constitution/

Since work forms the major part of our life, its effects on health are unavoidable. So it is only obvious that we choose our work wisely.

Leave the curtains open

This point is easy to understand. Once the morning chirping of birds and few rays of dawn enter our bedrooms, it is very pleasant and much easier to wake up. Having a dark room means we still feel it is night and waking up cannot occur to us.

Planning 

Having decided beforehand what is it that we wish to do in the morning will make the mornings very productive. Waking up and not knowing what to do makes it all the more easy to just fall back into bed. So for the initial few days at least set a routine and a timetable for the early mornings.

Regular bedtime

Rhythm is very soothing to our body and minds. Depending on how much sleep we need, we must keep the bedtime fixed. It is easier to fall asleep instantly at the same time daily and thus wake up too.

Related readings:

Healthy daily routine http://ayurvedicanswers.com/preventive-ayurved/daily-routine/

The post Waking up with the sun appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

One such golden chance is to do a Backlog clearance for our body.

It is a very simple, do-it-at-home detox. We can use these 3 weeks (or 2) for systematic fasting and give our body a chance to recover from all the burden we keep on loading on it day after day.

Why must we do it now only?

Eating less food is possible and beneficial only when our activities are limited too.

This is probably the only time in years when we get a full 3 weeks of minimal activity. No rushing to the office, no travelling, no deadlines, no school, no tiffin, not even shopping…nothing.

What are the benefits?

• First and foremost, it will help keep the body environment non conducive for infections. Worms, insects, viruses and bacteria thrive where waste is available. Never in clean spaces.
• It will strengthen the digestive fire.
• It will help clear out stored waste from deeper tissue and organ levels. As soon as the daily food load on the stomach reduces, it gets time to clear out the backlog.
• You will feel a great sense of lightness and flexibility in the body. Energy levels improve.
• Minor aches and pains, gases, indigestion, acidity etc will vanish without medicines. Skin blemishes will reduce.
• Soon the mind feels relaxed and alert too. Can lead to creativity, clarity and insights on topics that we usually don’t have time for. Much better able to handle daily chaos

What is the diet to be followed?

It is very simple. Eat as per the following ONLY after feeling a strong sense of hunger.

• Wake up latest by 7am
• Have warm water throughout the day whenever thirsty.
• Can take your morning tea/coffee. Keep it to half a cup only. Add ginger and cardamom to It.
• Skip breakfast. Wait till you feel really hungry.
• Then have lunch. That will be green gram (moong) soup. (Not to be cooked in a pressure cooker. Soak well and let it cook till soft) Add only cumin, curry leaves, ginger, salt and turmeric.

Alternatively, 

*Can have mixed vegetable soup.

*Salad

*Papaya or Sweet Lime or oranges (Avoid fruits if having a cold or cough)

• Then again wait till good hunger sensation and have dinner. This should not be later than 7pm. Any simple vegetable with chapati (wheat/jowar/bajra/ragi) Chapati quantity should be half of how many you usually have. Or Moong dal khichdi
• Do not have anything post dinner except sips of water.
• Sleep latest by 10 pm.

What else can be added to this regimen?

• Herbal tea like tulsi+ginger+turmeric+coriander seeds with little jaggery or honey
• Honey in boiled and cooled water.
• Triphala churna with warm water at bedtime
• Mild yoga
• Meditation

Note

• Totally stop all fermented, dairy, bakery, stale and fried foods.
• At any point when you start feeling hungry, stay with the feeling. Eat when you feel energy levels dropping. That is real hunger.

You will be surprised to know how much food we really need and how much we eat!

Go ahead..give it a try and make the most of this lock-down.

The post Health improvement during lockdown appeared first on AYURVEDIC ANSWERS.

Also, once the crisis has passed away, we conveniently tend to forget all about it…till the next acute phase begins.

How does anything acute happen?

Acute occurrences happen only when and where it has a background laid for it. A stage has to be set by small daily events and then on one fine day something big happens.

Be it negative happenings like terrorist attacks or crimes against women or welcome things like the launching of a new satellite, none of it happens overnight.

This is true even for acute corona virus attacks.

There has to be a potential background. 

What is the background needed for a virus to be able to cause disease?

In our body, a dangerous background is provided by 

• Toxin accumulation
• Weak immunity

Toxin is anything not helpful or required for the system’s functioning. 

Just as any process has some waste being produced, even our physiological functions regularly produce waste. Ideally, this waste needs to be discarded at intervals. This mainly happens by daily output of stools, urine and sweat and if seasonal regimens are followed.

If this waste is not discarded it provides a substrate for viruses to multiply, to grow and cause active infections. Just as insects like mosquitoes or cockroaches easily reside where waste is available, so do viruses.

How do toxins accumulate?

As mentioned earlier, wastes are largely thrown out through regular urine, stools and sweat output. Unhealthy diets and weakened  digestion produce these wastes in a larger than normal amount and the system is not capable to discard them.

Another factor is lack of seasonal regimen being followed. Ayurved has beautifully laid down the procedures to be done at different seasons to discard accumulated wastes at regular intervals. These are the Panchkarm therapies.

What is the major factor in a good immune system or the lack of it?

The main factor is the strength or purity of body tissues and organs. Just as the strength of a family is the unity and good understanding among its members, the immunity of a body is the harmony among its tissues, organs and channels.

The food that we daily consume and the life that we lead is what forms our body (tissues)

Qualities consumed are the qualities that stay in each cell and organ.

False calories, harmful chemicals and lack of good nutrients leads to dosh aggravation, toxin accumulation and compŕomised tissue strength.

Non veg food and toxic load 

Non veg food basically stays in our intestines for way too long and then naturally decomposes in the track. The human system is not ideal for processing this kind of food. So waste accumulation is an obvious consequence.

Another factor is that, along with the other organism being consumed, non vegetarians also end up eating the viruses or other microbes in that organism which again the human body has no defence against. Rather than expecting the body to develop an immunity to this kind of an intruder, it is far more wise and easier to stop such an input into the system.

The first thing that flowing Ayurvedic principles of living gives us is a minimal or no toxic load in the body.

What is the role of Preventive Ayurved in viral infections?

The first thing that flowing Ayurvedic principles of living gives us is a minimal or no toxic load in the body. 

A diet based on individual constitution and as per the season along with a suitable daily routine are the small things we must do everyday to avoid dangerous acute infections.

Preventive Panchkarm therapies done as per the season clear the body of any vitiliated dosh (dosh vitiliation naturally occur as the seasons change) and accumulated toxins leaving no scope for any microbes to be able to reside and infect our body.

Corona virus and Vaman Panchkarma therapy

The months of February and March is the time for natural increase in the Kaf dosh ( the humor responsible for causing colds, cough, respiratory diseases and fevers )

Vaman is the Panchkarm procedure designed to clear out this excess Kaf dosh from the chest and sinuses as well as all body channels before it leads to any disease.

No toxin and dosh accumulation means no medium for the microbes to survive means no infections.

From the larger point of view..

It is wise to bear in mind that irrespective of all the precautions we may take, some things are inevitable in the entire scheme of things.

Creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin. As we advance scientifically and technically and try to get a lot of things under control eg. Higher antibiotics and vaccines for various infections, we also, simultaneously create resistance among these organisms to stop our steps. Wide scale antibiotic use has lead to stronger microbe strains. Indiscriminate vaccinations have raised the rates of auto immunuty.

Nature finds its ways to reduce loads through wide scale deaths by infectious diseases, natural calamities etc.

These are its ways and at that time, the fittest will survive. This has happened since ages and will continue as we evolve more and more.

Preventive steps to be taken for safety from corona infections

1. Following a diet suitable to your body type and the season
2. Warm or boiled water 
3. Honey intake daily. (Not to be mixed with hot water)
4. Avoid milk and milk products
5. Fasting and rest at the slightest sign of indigestion, fever or reduced apettite. Ayurvedic medicines at the earliest if needed.
6. Vaman panchkarm procedure
7. Dhoopan (Herbal, panchgavya, ajwain dhoops should be done at all homes daily)
8. Allow sunlight into your homes. Do not keep all windows and curtains shut all the time
9. Avoid crowded placed 
10. Hands and feet need to be washed well through the day
11. Changing bed and pillow covers frequently. 

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