In two previous articles ( and ) by Ayurvedic physician Claudia Welch (USA), the recommendations of the dinacharya (Ayurvedic daily routine) were set out on what needs to be done every morning in order to maintain and restore health. There are no such detailed recommendations for the rest of the day, as the Ayurvedic sages understood that most then need to go out into the world and attend to work and their families. However, there are some principles to keep in mind as you go about your daily business. We publish them today.
If necessary, use an umbrella to protect yourself from rain or intense sunlight. Despite the benefits of sun exposure, prolonged exposure to the sun can lead to skin conditions and tends to increase heat levels in the body.
Avoid direct wind, sun, dust, snow, dew, strong winds and extreme weather conditions.
Especially during certain activities. For example, one should not sneeze, burp, cough, sleep, dine, or copulate in an inappropriate position to avoid lumbago or other problems.
Teachers do not recommend staying in the shade of a sacred tree or other shrine where deities reside, and also not using unclean and impious things. In addition, they advise us not to spend the night among trees, in public and religious places, and what to say about nights – not even to think about visiting slaughterhouses, forests, haunted houses and burial places.
It is difficult for a modern person to believe in the existence of unearthly beings, we are least of all concerned with where they can spend their time, but we can resort to intuition and try not to visit places that are perceived as dark, infected, polluted or lead to depression, only if we have there is no good reason for this. Such places include cemeteries, slaughterhouses, bars, dark and dirty alleys, or any other that attracts energies that resonate with these qualities. Whether or not disembodied spirits bother you, it’s wise to avoid many of the places listed above because they tend to be the places where thieves, hoodlums, or are breeding grounds for sickness or bad moods… which won’t help much.
Natural urges – coughing, sneezing, vomiting, ejaculation, flatulence, waste disposal, laughter or crying should neither be suppressed nor prematurely initiated with effort to avoid disturbing the free flow. The suppression of these urges can lead to congestion or, which is forced to flow in an unnatural direction. This is a wrong idea, because if the prana moves in the wrong direction, disharmony and eventually disease will inevitably occur. For example, a suppressed urge to go to the toilet can lead to constipation, diverticulosis, indigestion, and other unpleasant symptoms.
While not recommending suppression, Ayurveda does advise covering your mouth when you sneeze, laugh or yawn. You may not have noticed it, but your mother was practicing Ayurveda when she told you to do the same. Spreading microbes in the environment is a great way to perpetuate disease. We can also add that it would be good to wash our hands regularly, especially when we are sick or people around us are sick.
Washing your hands, rubbing your palms together for 20 seconds under warm water, is one of the best methods to avoid spreading germs. You don’t have to go crazy and use triclosan antibacterial soap every five minutes. It is natural that we are exposed to the environment, but our immune system copes with its challenges.
Don’t sit too long on your heels (literally), don’t make ugly body movements, and don’t blow your nose forcefully or unnecessarily. It’s a whimsical palette of instructions, but a useful one. Sitting on your heels for too long can contribute to inflammation of the sciatic nerve. “Ugly body movements” are sudden movements and jerks, which lead to muscle strains. For example, one of my sisters, the first time she got up on regular skis, waved her arms and legs so comically that we all rolled with laughter, and the next morning she had such pain in her lower back that she could hardly move.
I don’t know what would induce a person to blow their nose forcefully or unnecessarily, but it’s a bad idea. Intense blowing of the nose can lead to rupture of local blood vessels, stimulate bleeding and disturb the smooth flow in the head.
It is very strange, but we often consider fatigue as a weakness of character and honor other natural needs of the body. If we are hungry, we eat. If we are thirsty, we drink. But if we are tired, then immediately we begin to think: “What is wrong with me?” Or maybe it’s all right. We just need to rest. Ayurvedic experts advise to stop any activity of the body, speech and mind before you feel exhausted. This will help preserve – our vitality – and stay healthy.
Do not look at the sun for too long, do not carry a heavy load on your head, do not look at small, shiny, dirty or unpleasant objects. Nowadays, this also includes looking at a computer screen, smartphone screen, iPod or similar small-screen devices for a long time, watching TV programs or reading for a long time. In the eyes is located or the channel system, which is considered an important element of the channel system of the mind. The impact on the eyes is similarly reflected in our mind.
Our five sense organs are eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Experts advise not to strain them too much, but also not to let them be too lazy. As with the eyes, they are also associated with the channels of the mind, so it should be influenced accordingly.
The details of diet are beyond the scope of this article, so here are some recommendations that apply to most people.
Maintain proper digestive power by eating one-third to one-half of the capacity of the stomach.
– Rice, grains, legumes, rock salt, amla (the main ingredient in chyawanprash) should be consumed regularly.e, herbal jam, which is regularly used by Ayurveda to maintain health, strength and endurance), barley, drinking water, milk, ghee and honey.
– Do not eat, have sex, sleep or study at dawn and dusk.
– Eat only when the previous meal has been digested.
– The main daily meal should be in the middle of the day, when the digestive capacity is maximum.
– Eat only what suits you and in small quantities.
– In general, follow the tips below on how to eat.
Ask:
– Predominantly whole, freshly prepared foods, including cooked cereals
– Warm, nutritious food
– Drink warm drinks
– Chew your food thoroughly in a calm environment
– Take a deep breath after you have swallowed the last bite, before starting another activity
– Try to eat at the same time
Not recommended:
– Fruits or fruit juices within half an hour after eating
– Heavily processed foods (frozen, canned, packaged or instant food)
– cold food
– Raw food (fruits, vegetables, salads), especially in the morning and evening. They can be eaten in the middle of the day, especially in warm weather.
– Cold or carbonated drinks
– overcooked food
– refined sugar
– caffeine, especially coffee
– Alcohol (Ayurvedic doctors advise avoiding everything that may be associated with the production, distribution and consumption of wine)
– Eating in a state of anxiety or resentment
For more detailed advice on specific products for individual use, please contact an Ayurvedic nutritionist.
Ayurveda advises you to choose a profession that will help you realize your life goals and is compatible with high moral standards.
The ancient elder Charaka taught us that efforts to maintain a calm mind and acquire knowledge are best kept in a healthy state and preserve immunity. He said that the practice of non-violence is the surest path to longevity, the cultivation of courage and courage is the best way to develop strength, education is the ideal way to receive care, control of the senses is the best method for maintaining happiness, knowledge of reality is the best method. for pleasure, and celibacy is the best of all paths. Charaka was not just a philosopher. He wrote one of the main texts of Ayurveda nearly a thousand years ago and is still referred to today. This is a very practical text. This makes Charaki’s advice all the more significant because he was a man who had studied well the influence of habits, food and practices on human health.
In modern society, happiness is associated with the satisfaction of our sense organs and, moreover, immediately. If we cannot satisfy our desires, we feel dissatisfied. Charaka teaches the opposite. If we control our sense organs and the desires associated with them, then life will be fulfilling. It is closely related to celibacy.
One of my teachers said that celibacy is not just a renunciation of voluptuous thoughts and actions, but also the chastity of every sense organ. Chastity of the ears requires us to refuse to listen to gossip or harsh words. Chastity of the eyes involves refraining from looking at others with lust, dislike, or malice. The chastity of the tongue requires us to refrain from quarreling, spreading gossip, using harsh, cruel or dishonest words in speech, and avoiding conversations that cause enmity, dissension or contention, conversations that have a hostile intention. You should speak according to the situation, using good words – truthful and pleasant. We can also discipline our taste by eating (clean and balanced) food in moderation so as not to upset our digestion and confuse our minds. We can discipline our sense of taste and touch by curbing our excesses, eating less than we need, breathing in healing scents, and touching what matters to us.
Ayurveda teaches us that a quiet, knowledge-driven life is more likely to lead us to happiness than a life of ambition and indulgence – such a life is more likely to exhaust the nervous system and make the mind unbalanced.
The teachers recommend that we follow the middle way, avoiding extremes in everything we do. There is a touch of Taoism in this. It may seem that then in life there will be no place for interesting hobbies and enthusiasm. However, under careful observation, it turns out that practitioners of the middle life path have more constant enthusiasm and are more satisfied, while a person who is intensely indulging his desires is never able to satisfy them – his ardent “ups” are replaced by alarming “falls”. Controlling desires leads to a reduction in violence, theft, envy, and inappropriate or harmful sexual behavior.
If we are to sum up the rules of conduct recommended by the teachers, it is better to remember the Golden Rule. , but we are also offered the following:
“Don’t be naive, but we shouldn’t suspect everyone.
We should give reasonable gifts and do our best to help people who are destitute, suffering from illness or grief-stricken. Beggars should not be deceived or offended.
We should become well versed in the art of honoring others.
We must serve our friends with affection and do good deeds for them.
We must associate with good people, that is, with those who are trying to lead a moral life.
We should not look for faults or stubbornly hold on to misunderstanding or unbelief in the old people, in the scriptures, or in other sources of wisdom. On the contrary, they should be worshipped.
Even animals, insects and ants should be treated as if they were oneself
“We should help our enemies, even if they are not ready to help us.
— One should keep a concentrated mind in the face of good or bad luck.
– One should envy the cause of good prosperity in others, but not the consequence. Namely, one should strive to learn the skills and ethical way of life, but not envy its result – for example, wealth or happiness – from others.