HEALTH = LIFESTYLE AND CONSISTENCY
/Lifestyle, Consistency, and Health, otherwise known as Vihar, Svarupa, and Svastha in Ayurveda. According to Ayurveda, the foremost and established authority of the ultimate, well-rounded holistic medical science, two primary factors contribute to either ill health and disease or good health and well-being which are known as Ahar and Vihar. Ahar refers to diet and Vihar refers to lifestyle. As part of one’s lifestyle, diet is fundamental in order to sustain all daily activities. Ahar will be a topic of later discussion as we focus on Vihar as a whole when considering what lifestyle is and how essential it is to health.
Lifestyle includes and is not limited to sleep, eating, drinking, socializing, exercise, traveling, learning, sexual expression, meditation, communing with nature, and spiritual practices of any kind. It is within this two siddhanta (scientific principles) that Ayurveda repeats that disease can be prevented, managed, or even in some cases cured by ahar and vihar. When it comes to disease management, all conditions according to Ayurveda have a root in proper diet, known as Pathya, and Apathya is improper diet. This wisdom extends itself to the lifestyle practices that are generally governed by Dinacarya (daily practices/rituals) and Rtucharya (seasonal practices) and that by not following daily regimens and seasonal regimens, one is prone to disease formation. Furthermore, anyone with a pre-existing condition can be influenced either positively or negatively by such conditions, as well.
It is not only enough to think about this but to understand the consistency that goes with these practices. The body is a historical system and requires regularity and consistency (svarupa) for health. Inconsistencies can only give birth to inconsistent health issues that can easily accrue over time. Within Ayurveda, we understand the principles of Karana and Karya (cause and effect) and have been able to understand how one thing, one issue is rooted in another; can create another, and resolve another. It is all connected! The past has brought us to this very moment. We can see the quality of an individual’s health over time, which has been influenced by the past. In some cases, some issues can go dormant, and with the right circumstances, they can be stimulated later in time. It is not uncommon to think that in the present moment one may seem healthy and then later in a year’s time, or longer, develop something that seems to come from “nowhere” but in fact has come from somewhere and this is what Ayurveda can explore elaborately. Time is ticking and do we slow down enough to notice the little things becoming the bigger things? Do we notice how the little things have become the bigger things? Do we notice the choices we make that later bring us results either in our favor or against?
When we make choices, where the place of clarity is a deeper inner guidance/intuitiveness/”inner physician"/inner sage that exists in a quiet still place (being sattvic in nature) versus the unclear places being either chaotic (rajasic) or dulled (tamasic) we will be able to observe much. In Ayurveda, a misuse of the senses, known as Asatmendriyartah Samyoga, misuse of intelligence/lack thereof known as PrajnaParadha, and the effects of linear and biological time known as Parinama are contributing elements that are also causes of disease. There seems to be such a busy-ness for so many these days. There seems to be a lot of distractions, interest in quick fixes, fast information, a disinterest in looking for details past one or two clicks, and a society becoming more click-based. The click-based concept reminds me of Pavlov’s Classical Conditioning style where mice were put into a cage and had to press a lever to receive either a reward or a shock for training. I remember conducting such experiments in my undergraduate psychology program and this reminds me of how society is getting more and more caught up in such behaviors without knowing, or if it is known, more difficulty with breaking away from such inherent patterns. Anyways, that’s another story for another time, and topic of conversation.
Most often, especially as the busy-ness of individual lives increases and many say “there’s no time for this or that” or “we are going to die of something anyways” or “I just want to live my life and don’t care” or have come back from illness and choosing to just do whatever feels right now, how all of these examples, and then some, fall under the categories of being either Rajasic or Tamasic states of mind. These are known as Manasika Doshas, and are the two added components to disease formation, along with the Doshas of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Caraka, the first physician of Ayurveda, has taught that these are the five conditions for disease. Similarly, as the doshas can be the force of life, they are also the faces of death. When we don’t make time for our self-care today, disease will make time for us tomorrow. Now, it is important to know all this and affirm that we are each doing the best that we can but that we can also see how else we can do things better. As previously mentioned, Karana Karya, cause and effect we can see what is the quality of health we are experiencing and how is it matching up with our Vihar? Do we have more health issues than before? Do we have fewer health issues than before?
Why wait until tomorrow, if we have the chance to do something today? The mind can be slippery for sure and should not be taken for granted due to its nature of being rajasic and tamasic. What practices are put into place to help stimulate the mind properly? What are the senses being exposed to? Is what they are being exposed to too much, too little, or misused? What choices are we making out of “ignorance” (non-judgmentally, but lacking better judgment)? It is difficult to see clearly if the mirror is smokey (tamasic) or if the pieces are fragmented (rajasic.) Whenever someone says “we are going to die of something anyways", I say that is a fact but what is also the fact is that we don’t have to die falling apart. Why not support the elongation of life by promoting behaviors that will encourage longevity and stability rather than perpetuate degeneration?
Let’s get back to the idea and practice of consistency, now. Having erratic sleep schedules, exercise schedules, and even eating schedules is a sure way to plant the seeds of ill health. It is important to develop daily routines that are based on the circadian rhythm, daily sun and moon cycles, seasonal transitions, and seasonal phases of the years. Both Traditional Ayurvedic Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine agree that disease tends to come as a result of not following such regimens but especially the transitions of the seasons. In Ayurveda, this is called Rtu (seasonal) Sandhi (junction/joint/transition point.) What do you notice these times of year for yourself during these transitory months, generally May-June, September-October, and January-February? Is there any correlation?
It is also important to note that disease processes are either a result of Nija (endogenous causes, relating to Manas, being mind, and doshas of Vata, Pitta, Kapha) or Agantuja (exogenous causes from traumas, bad spirits, and other external causes such as poisons, being Visha). While these are also considered within the Ayurvedic paradigm, lifestyle and consistency with regimens are still of utmost importance in any kind of disease management. Some individuals may look at this all and perceive it as a blaming of sorts but that is a misunderstanding of the mind and how this science works. It is more about increasing insight and awareness so that better choices are made, and therefore further responsibility can be taken for one’s own health, or lack thereof. What is in your lifestyle that could be improved upon? What is it that you aren’t making time for with regard to self-care? (body and mind) I remember learning years ago when describing PrajnaParadha, sometimes known as crimes against wisdom or misuse of intelligence (rajas/tamas), that it was a form of ignorance that was further simply described as choosing to ignore or knowing what’s right but somehow choosing the opposite. The proof is in the pudding, the pudding is what is the state of mental and physical health at this moment.
There are so many variables to consider when thinking of maintaining health and well-being or creating the opposite. Consistency is an essential key. The sun generally rises and sets around a certain time daily. The moon also has its cycle from a new moon to a full moon and back again. The other planets move through their own astral cycles, so why would we expect to be different? Why not give the body and mind less to have to figure out on a day-to-day basis?
Here are some generally daily practices to consider as important pillars to stabilize health:
1- Eat your meals daily and especially at meal times, aligned with the day’s cycle, ideally. (whether 1, 2 or 3 meals a day) Eating is important for so many things and must be maintained.
2-Go to sleep daily and especially around the same bedtime daily. (Ideally around 10:00 pm). Proper sleep is important for so many things and must be maintained.
3- Wake up around the same time daily. (Ideally, 7-8 hours after you fell asleep) As they say, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise”, and there is some truth to this.
4- Exercise regularly, whether 3-5 days a week, and especially around the same time daily. (Ideally either before 10 am or before sunset, before dinner time) Exercise is important for so many things and must be maintained. Not properly exercising increases the aging process through increased health issues, according to Ayurveda.
5- Transition through each season during the “windows” mentioned earlier by doing specific reset protocols, cleanses that are appropriate, and/or ideally Panchakarma.
6- Include daily some form of “spiritual” practice that can range from simple prayers, affirmations, setting intentions and meditation.
7- At least once a week, set time aside to go outside and connect with nature. Take time from the daily overstimulation of electronics, digital devices, noise, and other distractions. Get the mind clearer. Take a walk! Take a hike!
8- Spend time with like-minded positively influencing friends/loved ones/colleagues and the like to support a sense of community. Take another walk or hike with a friend, etc.
9- Take some alone time, at least 1 hour each day, or one day a weekend, or one weekend or a month, or whatever you can get in a place that is practical and still accomplishes the feeling of alone time.
10-Take time to slow down, be more present, focus, and challenge your mind and memory, daily! This will help to reduce rajas and increase sharpness, thereby reducing tamas. You’ll be more available to what is present and in front of you, and you’ll remember things better too!
11- Work on consistency with these essential daily practices. Try not to sacrifice this anchor for your health in the name of busy-ness. Work your “busy” schedule and activities around eating times, sleep times, exercise times, “me” time, and “family time.” Note: for the parents, creating this type of foundation will not only benefit you but will also be an important seed you plant for your children and an investment in their own health. It’s definitely something to make a work in progress but keep working on it, slowing down instead of speeding up. It’s easier to manage health than it is to manage disease conditions when they are more heavily rooted. Time works either in our favor or against us depending on where on the spectrum we are and how our health is affected. Time also is something that progresses, faster for some, and the later we jump on health remediation, the less time there may be to turn things around as much.
12- Remember to do your best, that you’re doing your best and that there is always room for improvement for all of us. The effort is important. Your health will show you one way or another what you are doing, what you have done, what is to be done, and what hasn’t been done.
I share these teachings from a deeply caring place with the hopes of helping others on their journeys in life with the best health possible and available. Remember, that being consistent shows trust in yourself, and trust in others, and that this investment in time is worth it. Your life will thank you and you will thank your life. You can live longer and enjoy time with loved ones longer if you make some of the necessary sacrifices today to do so. You’re worth it. Ayurveda is the science (veda) of life (Ayu) and longevity for many reasons.
REFERENCES:
SATTVA, RAJAS, TAMAS and PSYCHOLOGY
DISCLAIMER: This information is meant for educational purposes only. Any changes in lifestyle should be reviewed with a qualified practitioner and primary care physician if you are currently under their care for specific conditions.