Ayurvedic medicine is the science of balance. Learning how to create balance at mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical levels are essential. The magic is with in us, Ayurveda provides us the tools to seek it and achieve optimal health. Maintaining good health and treatment of disease are two sides of the same coin. The food, drugs and regimen that Ayurveda prescribe for both are similar. The components are the same: they are all found in nature. Equal importance is given to the kind of food to be taken as to the drugs prescribed. Each reinforces the other and both act in similar ways to maintain the equilibrium of the doshas in the body. Ayurvedic Medicine has delineated rejuvenation and virility as a branch of medicine where the main purpose is to maintain health as age advances, and to keep the body healthy, avoiding the transfer of to our offspring. Let’s face it, we all age, but we don’t need a life style of diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension, auto-immune diseases, obesity, and cancer etc. We can all age gracefully without these horrible diseases.

Routines to follow:

Dincharya (daily routine)       
1. Wake up early morning before sunrise. Sun activates the pineal gland to send massages to the pituitary gland, which in turn messages the adrenal glands to release adrenal Cortisol, which wakes us up from deep sleep.

2. Drink 1-3 glasses of warm water. This helps the peristalsis to begin and helps bowel evacuation.

3. Oral hygiene is of utmost importance for healthy gums, digestive health and healthy heart so brush your teeth and take a shower everyday!

4. Get in touch with your senses by massaging your body with oil customized for your body type (or sesame as a default oil). To sharpen your sense of smell, put few drops in your nose, for eyes wash your eyes with water. Similarly, put a couple drops of olive oil or vegetable glycerine in your ear, you can also dip the Q-tip in olive oil and lubricate your ears.

5. Walk for 30-45 minutes depending upon your schedule, and meditate regularly.

6. Eat a healthy breakfast according to your constitution.

7. Fried, processed, and artificially sweetened foods, white sugar and white flour should be avoided at all times as they weaken digestion and deplete the body’s nutrition. 

8. Finish your day calming your mind by mediating, exercising pranayama (breathing exercises) and quieting your mind.      

Ritu Charya (Seasonal routine)           
Use a common sense approach to seasons. During the summer, dress up light, eat fruits and vegetables and drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. During winter, dress warm; keep your vital organs like heart, lungs warm. Add more nuts and seeds to get extra oils and energy for winter and lubricate your skin with oils or cold creams. In spring dress up not too light or heavy. It is the seasons for allergies so avoid mucous producing foods like excessive sugar, dairy products, fried and heavy foods. Also, fasting on vegetables, fruits and rice proteins can be very helpful. Autumn, season is considered best for cleansing.

pancha karma
Over time, we accumulate toxic materials in our bodies that lead to diseases. We may eat healthy, do our Yoga, exercises and meditation, but mind may play bigger role in a disease process. This is why Pancha Karma is advised. These treatments mimic the body’s natural ways of detoxification. It has been divided into three phases: Poorva Karma: preparation for detoxification. Next is Pancha Karma, which involves five methods of cleansing, followed by Pashchtya karma (Post Pancha karma) to help restore the function of the body to its natural state with rejuvenating Ayurvedic herbs called Rasyayans.