Ayurveda is not just a technique for the cure of disease in individuals. It focuses on keeping and optimum health of an individual and the society by preserving and promoting physical and mental health, adding to just prevention of diseases. In India, a common man practices ayurvedic way of life as a form of religious ritual and traditional festival. Dincharya, ritucharya, and ratricharya are some of the measures followed during Ayurvedic healing.
According to Ayurveda health has three aspects namely physical health, mental health, and spiritual health which corresponds to promotion of positive health, prevention of disease, and cure of afflicting alignments. Further the promotive and preventive aspects of health depend upon four factors namely nutrition, water supply, sanitation, and environment.
1.Nutrition:
A. Based on Prakriti human beings are classified into seven categories.
B. Based on the place where they live human beings are classified into four categories.
C. Based upon the age human beings are divided into three categories.
D. Other factors like profession, sex, mental attribute of human beings, they are classified into
several other categories.
E. Best on year, day, night, age and life span, human beings are classified into various
categories.
For each of these divisions the nutrition requirements for the individual are different. The
nutrition of one group of individuals is different from that of the other. The modern
classification of diet as fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and water are limited in
their purpose.
● In traditional medicine various oils like almond oil, gingelly, groundnut oil, etc. have the same proportion of fat with slight variation in composition, but in Ayurveda, there are considerable variations in the oils like ghee, groundnut oil and almond oil, etc. Ghee is used for promotion of life and mental health, almond oil is used to strengthen and nourish nerves, groundnut oil reduces the harmful effects.
● The proteins from milk, vegetable, and meat, have certain similarities, but in Ayurveda, protein from milk is considered as sattvica, and protein from meat is considered as tamasika.
● The fluids and liquids consumed may be useful or harmful to different types of individuals in different environments, different periods of year; and are described in Ayurveda with great detail.
● Vegetables have differences in their properties before and after ripening. For example, tender radish is wholesome while the ripened radish is unwholesome. The freshly harvested rice is not wholesome but after storage it is wholesome.
● Vegetables like brinjal have different properties in different forms, like, round shaped brinjal and elongated brinjal are different.
2.Water:
More emphasis is given on intake of pure water in Ayurveda and people are cautioned to not to use polluted water. In Ayurveda, the water from wells and streams are considered as different, as the properties are different. Further, the water from well collected during the daytime and the night is also different. Water collected in the rainy season has different properties than water collected in the summer season. The consumption of water before food has a different effect on the human body than the water consumed after food or during food interval. The quality of water varies when it is exposed to the moon and sun, and the water which is not exposed. Moreover,
the causes of pollution and methods for the purification are described in detail in Ayurveda.
3.Sanitation:
Ayurveda focuses on sanitation of the body, house, and the environment in which an individual lives. Brushing of teeth may be a modern discovery but from the start it is mentioned in Ayurveda about washing your mouth with water even after taking food. The details regarding what type of toothbrush is to be used, how long, and from which tree it should be collected, is mentioned in Ayurveda. Further, the bathing practice is mentioned in Ayurveda. Wearing neat and clean clothes, and different types of clothes during different seasons, trimming nails, hairs, and beard, massaging daily are some of the sanitation practices prescribed by Ayurveda.
4.Environment:
The place which is habitable for an individual, the symptoms of environmental pollution, and measures to correct them, are described in detail in Ayurveda. The cause and cure of epidemics is also elaborated.
The above information is described in order to maintain physical health. Ayurveda believes that the mind should also be kept healthy because it has a close relation with the body. The way one should talk with others, sitting posture, are described in detail. Various religious performances are done in order to keep the mind and body happy. All these are described in Ayurveda in the form of dinacharya, ritucharya, and ratricharya. The reason behind various rituals and festivals are the simple measures for common man to flow according to the environment outside.
● The festivals like Shivaratri Janmashtami Dussehra Deepavali are performed at night. This is because the person has to remain awake and expose himself to the outside air for a long time which is necessary for his health. During the festival of Lori, one has to
expose himself to the heat of the fire in the sun in the Mela. It is required that a person take bath in a river during Vaisakhi, Makar Sankranti, Kritika snana, and Kumbh Mela. This is all in order to keep the body and mind healthy.
● Different types of folk songs, dance, music and meals are practiced in order to keep mind and soul tuned and lead a healthy life.
● Certain foods like tila in winter, rabdi, pastries of urad,meat of sacrificed animals, banana, coconut, are taken after various rituals. Fumigation of essence after every ritual, alcoholic drink after sakta ritual, use of Tulsi leaves, bel and cannibals, colours and sandalwood paste used during Holi. All these practices are meant for preservation and promotion of health.
● While offering prayer the posture of sitting, bending of body, concentration; create a psychological effect which is good for human health. The mantras which are chanted bring positivity in the society because of the vibration created during chanting.
● Social gatherings are also promoted in ayurveda in order to promote the social life of a human as there is exchange of thoughts during a gathering.
Thus, from the above discussion it is clear that our lifestyle is prescribed properly by Ayurveda. What all is good for health and at what time, is all written. An individual will live a healthy life by following ayurvedic way of living. It’s truly said that, “Ayurveda is the Way Of Life”!
