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Ayurveda : Ayurvedic Approach to Healthy Life
Ayurvedic Approach to Healthy LifeAyurveda is a medicinal science that shows us the
healthy approach towards life. Swasthavritta is a part of Ayurveda that
deals with the science of Health, which prescribes the theory, and
practice of the maintenance of public and private health.
'Swasthavritta' i.e. the code for a healthy conduct literally means 'the
regime of abiding in one's own nature'. Swasthavritta in Ayurveda means
maintaining one's health. Ayurveda is an art of medicine incorporating
centuries of wisdom. According to Ayurveda a healthy person is one who
maintains a complete equilibrium of all the four basics of ayurveda like
Dosha, Dhatu, Agni and Mala along with Physical and emotional functions.
For achieving this healthy approach towards life Ayurveda has laid
stress on certain principles subjected to specific Ahar, Vihar and
Achars based on Hetu (Material cause), Kala (Season) and Desha
(Habitat). These principles are defined as Charyas (Routine or life
style). People who have followed the Ayurvedic lifestyle in the early
years is proof in itself on how beneficial following a healthy regime
is. The principles of maintaining a proper well being of the body and
mind are two-fold:
'Swasthavritta' explains how to prevent disorders
and how to maintain social health. The branch parallel to Swasthavritta
is 'Preventive and Social Medicine' (PSM) which is now considered to be
one of the important branches in modern medicine. Ayurveda defines the
healthy state as: 'A person, whose somatic and psychic humors are in
equilibrium, digestion is uniformly healthy, with normal functioning of
the fundamental tissues of the body and body wastes, accompanied by the
processes of the soul, cognitive organs and the mind, is said to be a
healthy person.' Swasthavritta mainly emphasizes on following a proper
routine regime as well as seasonal regime. Daily regime stresses on
day-to day instructions like morning routine, basic cleanliness, natural
urges, evening routine etc. The seasonal and climatic changes also have
an important effect on the health. Hence Ayurveda has certain seasonal
specific guidelines, which help us to cope up with the changes in the
environment. Swasthavritta also includes Sadvritta that can be
classified into five types. They are as follows:
Thus we can sum up Swasthavritta as lifestyle of a
person and how we live each day is the crux of Ayurvedic living.
Ayurveda is really the art of moment-to-moment living. Thus through
Swasthavritta, Ayurveda recommends different lifestyles according to
age, sex, climate, time of day and time of year. |
