Ayurvedic Immune Health Tips For Covid-19 & Beyond

Are you worried about the coronavirus and want to know how to stay healthy? Ayurveda, an ancient practice, is here to help!

COVID-19: THE REALITY

Over the last few weeks(nay years), the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, an acute respiratory disease, has spread at an alarming rate throughout the world, with over 197,000+ confirmed cases so far. Millions of people throughout the world are on mandatory lockdown, with schools perhaps closing until the end of the school year, while others are taking matters into their own hands by self-quarantining in order to slow the spread of the virus. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), coronavirus spreads when an infected individual sneezes or coughs and respiratory droplets are discharged into the air. These droplets can land in the nose and/or mouth of people within 6 feet, spreading the virus. 

Unfortunately, the coronavirus is highly contagious, and we should all follow the following basic safety precautions to reduce contamination:

• Hands should be washed often.
• Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean your hands.
• Unwashed hands should not be used to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Sanitize regularly handled surfaces on a daily basis with a cleanser containing at least 70% alcohol.
• Sneeze and/or cough into your elbow, not your hands, and use a tissue.
• Stay at home if you can work from home.
• If you or a family member is ill, stay at home.
• Wear a face mask if you are sick to prevent the virus from spreading.
• Use social distancing techniques.
• Limit unnecessary travel.

The current situation of global health, combined with the facts listed above, can easily cause vata dosha to rise in the body, causing emotions of worry, overwhelm, and terror. These emotions can eventually impair the immune system, making us more susceptible to disease. Fortunately, we can all use Ayurveda’s traditional healing method to help control our stress response and keep the immune system strong and resistant to microorganisms that cause the common cold, flu, and now, the coronavirus. Ayurveda, India’s 5,000-year-old medical system, is known as the sister science to yoga. This ancient wisdom provides excellent preventative healthcare methods, allowing everyone of us to have an active role in our health and welfare. 

According to Ayurveda, in order to maintain a healthy and vital immune system, agni must be regulated, ama must be eliminated, and ojas must be abundant. When we can keep agni in balance, properly discharge ama from the body, and keep ojas robust, we can keep disease and viruses from creeping deeper into our bodies’ systems.  What we really like about Ayurveda is its strong emphasis on preventative care, as opposed to the western or allopathic medical approach, which typically addresses an issue after disease has already occurred.  

In John Gower’s 1390 poem, Confessio Amantis, there is an English adage that states, “Don’t shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.”  This adage basically means that it is too late to take safeguards once the damage has already been done. As a result, it is critical to recognize that once a disease has entered the body, it is too late to begin building immunity. Building a strong and healthy immune system should ideally begin months, if not years, before a serious disease or pandemic occurs. This is not to argue that the Ayurvedic approach for boosting immunity in the face of the coronavirus is futile. We encourage you to use this moment to focus your daily self-care and hygiene habits in order to build your immune system and defend yourself against the present health scare and any future health epidemics. 

AGNI BALANCE FOR A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM

A healthy agni is one of the secrets to a healthy immune system. The Sanskrit word for fire is agni. In the body, there are numerous agnis, or fires, which are involved in the following:

digestion metabolic process

biochemical processes

cell communication transformation cellular intelligence

preserving normal body temperature, strength, and vitality

confidence, enthusiasm, and mental clarity

perceptual perception

skin care

There are numerous agnis in the body, but the most essential is known as jatharagni, or our digestive fire. The most essential agni is jatharagni, which is located in the stomach and affects all the other agnis. When we consume, jatharagni (or simply agni) metabolizes it by creating hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which breaks down the food. During digestion and metabolism, jatharagni converts food into necessary nutrients and enzymes while also determining what is not beneficial to the body and excreting it as waste. Finally, our bodies use the nutrients and enzymes created to generate internal heat as well as nourish the body’s tissues and cells. As you can see, our agni possesses essential intelligence and transformational capabilities, which explains why Ayurveda considers healthy digestion to be one of the Three Pillars of Life and faulty digestion to be the fundamental cause of all disease. 

Do you want to know how to tell if your agni is balanced? 

The following are some signs of a healthy agni:

A consistent appetite daily evacuation or bowel motions

There is little to no coating on the back of the tongue, and there is no digestive discomfort before, during, or after meals.

stable weight stable energy and excitement and a ability to reason and troubleshoot

Agni can be high, low, or changeable when it is disturbed. 

Here are some symptoms of high agni:

strong appetite (imagine being “hangry”)

digestive disturbances such as hyperacidity, heartburn, and/or stinky gas

underweight strong body odor acne and/or pimples, particularly in the T-Zone problems falling asleep anger and/or irritation

The following are symptoms of low agni:

low appetite digestive disturbance such as nausea and fatigue after eating constipation owing to slow peristaltic movement in the colon obesity sinus congestion

cystic acne difficulties with clammy or congested skin waking up with brain fog, tiredness, and feeling unmotivated, feeling attached and stubborn 

Variable agni can be a combination of the two lists above, as well as the following:

-constipation -dry skin -odorless gas -the proclivity to snack rather than eat larger meals spaced at least 3 hours apart -anxiety, dread, and/or overload -insomnia

If you are suffering any of the aforementioned symptoms, you may have an agni imbalance. The short version is that you want an agni that is neither too high nor too low. A high agni level can cause weight loss, but a low agni level can cause ama, or a buildup of poisonous residue in the body. Agni, whether high, low, or changeable, prevents the body’s tissues from obtaining the necessary nutrients they require to function efficiently. This eventually affects how you feel in general and can damage your immune system.

We have some simple advice to make your agni healthy and back on track:

Say no to ice water since it extinguishes your agni, or digestive fire.

In the morning, use a copper tongue cleaner to eliminate ama from the tongue and activate agni.

Warm lemon water should be consumed in the morning and throughout the day to alkalize the digestive tract and stimulate agni.

To restore agni, drink an Ayurvedic Digestive Tea 30 minutes before your meal.

Instead of a digestive tea, make a digestive churna by adding 1 teaspoon of any spice. Blend with 12 cup tepid water, blend, and drink 30 minutes before each meal.

To promote agni, grate a tiny piece of ginger with a touch of lemon and consume before your meal.

To assist digestion, use culinary herbs such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel, and cardamom in your cooking.

Eat as much fresh food as possible, preferably organic.

meals are high in prana, or life force energy, because meals include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Begin to consider how you eat in addition to what you eat. With each meal and snack, follow the 15 Ayurvedic Guidelines for Healthy Eating to cultivate deeper awareness and gratitude.

HOW TO GET RID OF AMA

Once agni is healthy and working properly, the next stage in immune system support is to rid the body of ama. As previously stated, ama is the Sanskrit term for toxins that can accumulate in the body as a result of poor agni. Ama produces a sticky, sludge-like residue that builds up first in the digestive tract. If the ama is not removed, it can enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body, damaging the body’s channels, tissues, and cells. When ama spreads deeper into the body, it becomes more difficult to eliminate, and its buildup can lead to a variety of disorders such as arthritis, candidiasis, atherosclerosis, and malignancies. When ama is present, it is critical to cleanse the body. Ayurvedic cleansing is recommended throughout seasonal changes, with the fall and spring equinoxes being the finest times of year. 

A typical, gentle Ayurvedic cleanse consists of a kitchari-only diet and might last as little as three days or as long as 21 days. The concept behind eating a kitchari-only diet is to rest your digestive system so your body can focus on healing other elements of itself and expelling ama. Please see our recipe if you are new to preparing kitchari!

If you want to dig deep into Ayurvedic cleansing, we recommend speaking with a trained Ayurvedic Practitioner in your area to explore if Panchakarma is suited for you. Panchakarma is a powerful purifying therapy that includes preparing the body for the cleanse (Purva Karma), the major elimination techniques (Pradhan Karma), and follow-up techniques for regenerating the body once the cleanse is finished (Praschat Karma). 

We prescribe the following Ayurvedic daily actions to gently eliminate ama from the body:

Take Triphala on a daily basis!

 Triphala contains three Indian superfruits: haritaki, amalaki, and bibhitaki. When swallowed, these plants have the intuitive wisdom to extract ama from the body’s numerous tissues and re-centralize it in the digestive tract, where it can subsequently be eliminated through elimination. It also aids in the establishment of daily elimination and is abundant in Vitamin C. 

Tongue cleaning and oil extraction  

As previously said, tongue cleaning, also known as tongue scraping, is an excellent approach to activate agni while simultaneously removing ama, or coating, from the back of the tongue. We recommend washing your tongue first thing in the morning, before taking your first sip of water. Simply extend the tongue from the mouth and position the tongue cleaner towards the rear of the tongue to clean it. Gently scrape the coating or film forward and out of the mouth, cleaning the ama off the tongue after each scrape. Repeat until all of the ama has been removed from the tongue.

We recommend oil pulling after tongue cleansing. Oil pulling removes ama from the body while also keeping your teeth pearly white and your mucous membranes healthy! Swish and draw 1-2 teaspoons of oil around the mouth and between the teeth to oil pull. Continue for another 5 to 20 minutes. When finished, empty the oil into a trash container. It is critical not to pour the oil down the drain, since it will eventually clog your pipes. It is also critical not to drink the oil, as this would be counterproductive. Keep in mind that you are attempting to draw ama from the body.

Neti and Nasya

If you do not already have a neti pot, we strongly advise you to get one to help keep viruses out of your nasal canal. Allow your nostrils to dry after neti, and then massage nasya oil into your nasal canals. This will assist to moisturize and coat the mucous membranes of your nose, further shielding you from any stink or potentially hazardous respiratory droplets in the air.

Make a Move!

 Sweating, along with urination and bowel motions, is one way we remove waste from the body. In Ayurveda, these three wastes are referred to as the malas of the body. Sweating has the additional benefit of improving circulation, strengthening the cardiovascular system, and removing congestion in the body, including the skin. 

Our favorite approach to work out is using Ayurveda’s sister science, yoga! Yoga, like all exercise, stimulates the lymphatic system, which helps to increase our immunity to disease. Other ways to work up a sweat include any type of activity, saunas, steam rooms, and the Ayurvedic body therapy known as swedana.

HOW TO CREATE OJAS TO PROTECT YOUR HEALTH

It is now time to construct ojas after ama has been removed from the body. Ojas can be described metaphorically as the nectar of the body that keeps us feeling satisfied and complete. Physically, ojas protects each cell’s health and allows the body’s tissues and systems to function at a high level, safeguarding the body from sickness and external stressors. The immune system is also a physical manifestation of ojas. Ojas stabilizes the mind in the emotional body, allowing us to tolerate stress and thus remain calm and at peace even in the most difficult conditions. When ojas is low, pathogens such as the common cold, flu, or coronavirus can more easily cause disease and dysfunction in the body; hence, maintaining ojas strength is critical, especially during these times. 

Here are some excellent techniques to keep ojas alive and well:

Consume foods high in ojas, such as ghee, almonds, almond butter, almond milk, raw cow’s milk, and dates.

Self-abhyanga, also known as traditional Ayurvedic self-massage, should be practiced. 

Allow the Ayurvedic rasayanas (adaptogens) Ashwagandha and Shatavari to become your new plant allies.

Golden Milk, an Ayurvedic turmeric elixir, is delicious at any time of day but especially before bed.

Put sleep first! The body need rest, repair, and replenishment. 

PREVENTATIVE PROTOCOLS OF AYURVEDA

We surely live in perilous times, with climate change, global poverty, and humanitarian and environmental abuses. This current situation of the globe, which epitomizes our disconnection from nature, impacts all of us, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or social standing.  Thankfully, via Ayurvedic practices, we can learn to live in balance with nature while preserving good health, allowing us to be there for the planet when it needs us the most. We hope that you have a better idea of how to protect yourself against the impacts of the coronavirus and that we have motivated you to investigate some of the Ayurvedic regimens mentioned above in order to take a stand for your health and welfare.

During this unusual moment, I wish you and your family good health and safety.

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