Food: Health and Yoga
Vedic text “Ayurveda” uses a word “Swasthya” instead of “Health”. While “health” normally, predominantly, points towards the state of physical body, “Swasthya” gives the state of one’s innermost self. As per Vedas, Consciousness (or Soul) is responsible for the state and capacity of working of the mind and physical body. If the level (or state) of Consciousness (or Soul) is high (or raised), mind and physical body work at their maximum positive potentials. If state of Consciousness is low, then this condition manifests at mental and physical level in form of diseases and one gets sick.
In Vedas, the word “Prakritti” (“Nature”) is used for the power responsible for the creation and running of whole Cosmos. Every animate and inanimate thing of the Cosmos is controlled by this “Prakritti”. According to Vedas, “Prakritti”, in fact, is an inwoven state of three attributes, called as “Trigunas” (tri means three and Gunas means attributes). This Cosmos, in fact, is nothing but these three attributes and elements made of them. These three “Gunas” have their Consciousness properties, which they project wherever they are present:
Sat: This represents knowledge, illumination, truth and positive traits.
Raj: This is responsible for dynamic happening in the Cosmos. Wherever we see any dynamic activity, it is because of presence of Raj.
Tam: This represents ignorance, delusion and inertia in a given situation. This moves a person away from truth.
Above “Trigunas” affect physical body, mind and Consciousness. Peaceful state of mind is a result of dominance of “Sat”. Cruelty, violence etc. are the results of “Tam” in presence of “Raj”. Remember: These “Trigunas” never lives alone. Of course, their quantity may increase or decrease in given situation resulting in corresponding qualities of the men and materials. For example: Juices of sweets fruits give a typical sense of inner satisfaction, along with peace of mind. This is because of dominance of “Sat” in them, while stale non –vegetarian foods kick up an aggressive attitude in the consumer, because of predominance of “Tam”. Thus these “Trigunas” decide the “Nature” of a thing deciding the effect they will produce.
As per Ayurveda, the quality of state of mind and physical body, depend on the qualitative state of Consciousness. Every food and activity of a human being affects the state of physical body up to Consciousness. While acidic food increases acidity in the physical body, they also make the mind hyperactive and agitated, disturbing its peace. In such conditions Consciousness goes to very low level. Opposite to this, if someone consumes alkaline foods like milk or fruits juices, the whole systems of human body works nicely. Mind experience a peaceful state and Consciousness reaches to higher level. On the basis of all such observations, Ayurveda says that state of health of physical body of human beings, depends on “Tridoshas” (Dosha means adversely affecting substances). They are:
Vat: Its result is wind in the physical body. Because of “Vat” a man is able to carry or move his/her body.
Pitta: This is represented by digestion heat. Because of “Pitta”, all intaken food etc. are converted in digested juices, blood etc.
Kaph: This is like lubricant in human bodies. Human have lot many dynamic systems working in the body. Kaph acts as lubricant in such activities.
Complete balance of above “Tridoshas” leads to a perfect state of health of physical body. Any Disbalance in “Tridoshas” results diseases in the body and human being gets sick.
Health & Ayurveda
Ayurveda recommends natural herbal preparation to maintain the balance of “Tridoshas”. Depending on the age, physical constitution, intensity of sickness, herbal preparations are used. There are two approaches:
- On diseased Body: Using natural medicines (herbal preparation), balance of “Tridoshas” are brought back, ridding the person of his/her sickness.
- Ob healthy body: To maintain a disease free body and to develop some extra power in the human body, some natural herbal preparations are used.
Health & Yoga: As per Yoga “Agitated state of mind is the cause of sickness of mind & physical body”. Yoga uses some physical practices like asanas, breathing practices like Pranayam, and psychic practices like meditation, to remove the agitation from the mind and to achieve the equanimity of mind. Once mind settles down to peace, “Tridoshas” get their balance and practitioner is free from all diseases.
Try it once, you will find the answers to:
How fast foods affect our body? Are they harmful?
Do conservatives in food stuff adversely affect our health?
How do the acidic and alkaline substances affect human health?
Does the balance of acidic and alkaline foods necessary for equanimity of mind?
What is the importance of fasting in human health?
Ayurveda and Yoga are fully capable of giving physical and mental health to the mankind. Preliminary knowledge of Ayurveda can easily lead to answer all above type of questions.
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