As we age and say goodbye to our prime youth years, it is natural to feel a little low in energy and vitality. Our body doesn’t feel the same and we feel tired easily. Responsibilities increase at both home and office front, and it becomes tough to cope.
Delaying aging, and boosting vitality is something that interests almost everyone. What if someone tells you that there is a way to preserve your youth for longer years and slow down your aging? Yes, for all those who want their youthful energy to be preserved, ayurveda can be the answer. Let’s understand how this ancient wisdom can help you remain youthful and energetic in years to come.
The literal meaning of “Ayurveda” comes from the Sanskrit words “Ayur” meaning “life” and “Veda” meaning “knowledge” or “science.” Therefore, Ayurveda translates to “the knowledge of life” or “the science of life.” Reviving youthful energy through Ayurveda involves a holistic approach that nurtures both the body and mind. Our ancient Rishi Munis stayed youthful and lived a long life. Today we have advanced so much in science and medicine, yet our health is declining and aging is on the fast track. As per Ayurveda, living an active, balanced, and disciplined life, eating a healthy diet, and keeping yourself away from vices are key to good health.
Ayurveda recommends activities that aim to promote overall health, enhance immunity, slow the aging process, and improve the quality of life. Its components are :
- Balanced Diet (Ahara) and digestive health
- Sattvic Diet: Sattvic food is an important component of a healthy body and mind. Focus on fresh, organic, and seasonal foods. Incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Ghee is considered almost a superfood in Ayurveda fostering good health and longevity. For diet, it is important to avoid overeating and eating unhealthy foods filled with chemicals. Refrain from foods that are not fresh, packaged, processed, and refined.
- Agni and Ojas: Agni or the digestive fire of your body, is crucial for maintaining health and energy. Proper digestion ensures that nutrients from food are effectively broken down and absorbed, which is essential for the nourishment of tissues and overall health. Healthy Agni contributes to the formation of high-quality Ojas, leading to increased energy and resilience.
- Herbs and Spices: Ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha, Amla, Brahmi, Shatavari, and Turmeric, are known for their rejuvenating and adaptogenic properties. Triphala, an Ayurvedic blend of amla, haritaki, and bibhitaki, is known for its digestive and detoxifying benefits. Ayurvedic Rasayana (rejuvenating tonics) like Chyawanprash, is rich in antioxidants, to enhance vitality and immune function. Include digestive spices like ginger, coriander seeds, black pepper, and cumin in your meals.
- Hydration: Drink warm water in the morning and throughout the day to aid digestion and flush out toxins. Lemon water first thing in the morning is quite helpful in detoxification and enriches you with vitamin C, an antioxidant.
- Daily Routine (Dinacharya): It is about establishing regular wake-up and sleep times, and mealtimes while incorporating self-care practices in your daily routine.
- Morning Rituals: Get up early in the morning preferably before sunrise. Start your day with cleansing and detoxification. You may incorporate practices like oil pulling, tongue scraping, and Abhyanga (self-massage with warm oil) to stimulate circulation and remove toxins. Bathing every day in the morning is recommended.
- Yoga and Pranayama: Incorporate daily yoga and breathing exercises to enhance flexibility, strengthen the body, and calm the mind. You may start your day with Surya namaskar followed by other yoga poses and pranayama as recommended according to your body.
- Adequate Sleep: Ensure you get good quality sleep each night to allow the body to repair and rejuvenate. Go to bed early and do some meditation before you go to bed every night to improve sleep quality.
- Detoxification and Panchakarma: Getting rid of ‘ama’ or toxins is essential for rejuvenation.
- Seasonal Cleanses: Undergo Panchakarma, a deep detoxification therapy, which includes procedures like Virechana (purging) and Basti (herbal enemas) to remove accumulated toxins and restore balance.
- Herbal Teas: Drink detoxifying herbal teas like Triphala, turmeric, ginger, or Tulsi to support the body’s natural detoxification processes.
- Mental and Emotional Wellness (Sattva)
- Meditation: Practice daily meditation to reduce stress, enhance mental clarity, and promote inner peace. It also helps boost energy levels. You may try a guided meditation or mantra meditation where a mantra is chanted on beads. Doing meditation in the morning keeps you energetic the entire day.
- Medhya Rasayana : It refers to a category of Ayurvedic herbs and formulations that are specifically aimed at enhancing cognitive functions, mental clarity, and overall brain health. Herbs like Brahmi, Shankhapushpi, Vacha, Ashwagandha, and Jatamansi improve mental function which starts declining due to aging.
- Positive Relationships: Cultivate positive and meaningful relationships, as emotional well-being is closely tied to physical health. Keeping good company is important for feeling happy and fulfilled.
- Mindful Living: Engage in activities that bring joy and fulfillment, fostering a sense of purpose and contentment.
- Spiritual Practices: Spirituality is an integral part of Ayurveda and is important for the overall health and happiness of an individual.
- Connection to Nature: Spend time in nature to ground yourself and reconnect with the natural rhythms of life. Long nature walks are recommended to energize you for the day.
- Mantra Chanting: Engage in mantra chanting to elevate consciousness and harmonize the mind, body, and spirit. The repetition of sacred sounds or mantras can align your energy and promote inner peace for youthful energy.
If you feel particularly low in energy or suffering from something like Chronic fatigue, it’s a good idea to get your pulse checked by an Ayurveda practitioner. According to Ayurveda, this could be because of an underlying dosha imbalance in your body. To identify the dosha imbalance, Ayurvedic practitioners assess the individual’s dosha constitution (Prakriti) and current imbalance (Vikriti) through a set of questions, observations, and pulse diagnosis. You may be prescribed assets of herbs and supplements to treat that imbalance along with some diet and lifestyle modifications.