AYURVEDA ON "CONTAMINATION OF AIR: ENVIRONMENTAL CALAMITIES "(Part 2)
/Though this may seem to be a depressing topic because it is a state of reality of the modern world that we live in is inescapable at this point as modern society has evolved/devolved to such a place where all the elements are contaminated, it is essential for us to truly see things for what they are and understand how they have a direct correlation to the health, and lack thereof, that we are experiencing today. It is often the case that many ailments and their roots are unexplained but according to Ayurveda, and Eastern Medicine in general, these roots have their foundation in the qualities of the elements that permeate our lives as part of us. Breathing in contaminated air, drinking contaminated water, exposure to polluted soil, and understanding how space, the space we live in in a contemporary setting that consists of digital and wireless technologies creating this electromagnetic grid that has been superficially created as part of our atmosphere has all set the tone and ball rolling for internal environmental health casualties. We may wonder why it is that anxiety is increasing, depression is increasing, digestive issues, sleep issues, skin issues, many other mental health issues, poisons (nano and even grand), and other health-related concerns but from the Ayurvedic and Vedic perspective it is all understood.
(REPEATED since it is worth repeating now and each part of this five-part article!)Thousands of years ago, Ayurveda discussed the elements required to create unhealthy circumstances and environmental calamities that would affect the whole planet. In the chapter by Caraka, known as Janapadodhavansania Vimana (Ca Vi 3/), the environmental calamities that would lead to the annihilation of communities and the development of epidemics/pandemics.
One of the precursors, as discussed in this chapter, for these issues to develop as per Lord Atreya is a response to a question around such things where Lord Atreya responds “when the reigning heads of countries, cities, trade guilds, etc. govern the people irresponsibly by transgressing the virtuous path, then their officers, sub-ordinates and under- subordinates, people of the city and community and traders deviate from their duties as well and propagate such unrighteous acts further. Their sinful acts perforce cause the righteous acts to disappear. Because of the disappearance of righteous acts, even the Gods desert the people living in such places. This causes seasons to get impaired in these places. There is no rain in time, or never at all, or abnormal rain occurs; the air does not blow properly; the land is afflicted, the water reservoirs dry up, and herbs lose their true properties and suffer deterioration. As a consequence, the people perish as the result of infectious contact or ingestion of polluted food and water.” Ca Vi 3/19-20 In other words, corruption of government, and not supporting nature are the primary causes for creating such circumstances that affect the health of the planet and all that reside here.
As per Vaidya Sushruta (Su Ka 3/13-14), “If smoke and air are poisoned, birds fall to the ground exhausted, develop cough, nasal catarrah, headache and severe eye diseases. Then lAksha, haridraA,ativishA, abhayA, abda (musta), harenuka, elAdala (leaf of ela), vakra (tagara), kushta, and priyangu should be put on fire, and the resulting smoke purifies the air.” Here Sushruta gives some examples in how to tell if the air is polluted by indicating that not only will animals be affected but so will humans. He even suggests that there are some remedial measures where certain grasses and herbs could be burned to restore the integrity of the air quality; and while this was true and an effective means to do so back then…it no longer serves us today to conduct such rituals as these methods lack the potency to match the intensity of the pollution and contamination of the current air around the globe. Vaidya Caraka also adds (Ca Vi 3/6(2)) "Water that does not seem normal in smell, color, taste, and touch, has excessive stickiness, is from a source devoid of aquatic animals and birds or from a drying up water reservoir without pleasantness and is basically devoid of normal attributes indicates polluted water."
The cleanest air in the world is in Zurich, Switzerland. The cleanest air in the USA as of 2022 was noted as being Vermont. The worst air quality is in Bangladesh, India, China, and Pakistan; in the USA it is LA and Bakersfield. Africa is set to be the #1 polluted air by 2030 due to the agricultural practices happening there now with very few restrictions; competing with India, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Solid particles, gases, and liquids, both man-made and natural are released by fossil fuel industries, and beef industries. Forest fires are a natural cause but nonetheless, the burning of such natural materials has contributed to the global effects of air pollution. Military activity is also a large part of air pollution. Landfills and their decomposition continue to emit pollutants of various kinds to unmeasurable and unimaginable levels, as you can imagine what gets discarded daily as part of our trash ranging from simple households to businesses, to large high-rise build demolitions and their waste products. Carbon dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, VOCs (as methanous and non-methanous forms), CFCs, and greenhouse gases continue to accelerate and rise in quantum unsustainable at the rate we have been going at especially post-industrial times. Volcanic gasses continue to emit sulfur dioxide and the burning of coal, petroleum, radioactive pollutants, ammonia (from the agricultural industry) and nitrous oxides are from high-temperature combustion (coming from lightning naturally and electrical discharges (which is what manifests as the “brown haze” over cities.)
Meanwhile, these are the external air pollutants! In the home, we have to really understand the external environment within which we reside. To some degree or another, we can not avoid living with the air we breathe each day which consists of various contributing factors of “environmental pollution.” The home is a living and breathing environment ranging from the boilers, oil tanks, hot water heaters, electric stoves, gas stoves, the chemical dyes in the clothing, the chemical dyes in the furniture, the clothes dryers, all that goes into building a home, the supplies etc., the different woods and pseudo-wood, pseudo furniture made of plastics and manipulated versions of woods, to the paints, finishes on furniture, appliances, sheetrock walls, and so on and so forth. All of this is creating some form of dust in the home and as a result of the natural decay of all things that surround us. Then we add in seasonal factors that range from reduced ventilation in the home during the winter as the heat comes on, causing an increase of internal CO2/CO4, along with natural radon that tends to exist being emitted from soil and trapped within closed spaces. We have the off-gassing of carpets, plywood, and upholsteries; along with “air-fresheners”, organic compounds from fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, gas-vented and ventless fireplaces, all of which contribute on some level to the air quality we breathe each day. There are pesticides sprayed, colognes/perfumes sprayed, off-gassing from clothes washed with cleaning agents, and dryer sheets that are magnified by the heat of the dryers that we then put on our skin and “breath in” through sheets, over time. Some older homes still have some asbestos which interacts and becomes more activated with movement/friction/aggravation of the site(s). Additionally, we have pet dander and famously mold.
The WHO has estimated that air pollution has caused the premature death of 7 million people. The highest death rate is in India, instrumentally through asthma; in China, an average of 2 million people die annually from air pollution sickness. Common air pollution sicknesses range from COPD to lung cancer, to upper respiratory infections, atherosclerotic changes, stroke, and heart disease. The leading cause of death is heart disease in the USA. In Europe, there continues to be a slow decrease in life, ranging from 1 year to 2.5 years, expectancy due to bad habits and unhealthy environments.
What to do?
1- Do your best but do something, since something is better than nothing and anything that we can do that is in favor of health is like putting one more dollar in the bank to reduce health ailments from developing!
2- Purchase air purifiers for different parts of your home; especially in the bedroom and at night.
3- During the winter, especially, open a couple of windows and doors for at least a half hour, around once a week, and let the air from inside go out and outside come in.
4- If there is a draft here and there, thank it for being that because the CO2/CO4 levels could be higher.
5- Purchase a CO2/CO4 detector and keep an eye/ear out for any rise in levels and beeping sounds to confirm unhealthy levels. (not just when a fire happens)
6- STOP STOP STOP using air fresheners as these are all toxic for you and your pets, especially any deodorizers (deodorizer powders) that combine with furniture or carpets!
7- If you’re going to use incense, use high-quality incense and not the cheap kinds that have perfumes added. NO bueno! Use incense from these proper sources regularly in order to help transform the air quality.
8- Be sure not to use colognes as these are definitely toxic chemicals that the nose breathes in, but so does the skin since anything that touches the skin gets absorbed and therefore is “breathing” it in as well.
9- You can find good/high-quality essential oils/attars in a proper base, and apply this to the body instead of colognes/perfumes.
10- Switch all your detergents, cleaning agents/supplies, body soaps/washes/shampoos to ones that have less offensive chemicals. This you have to research thoroughly and your health is worth the time and effort now, versus later when you’re ill and time is slipping past you knowing you could have done something now to prevent such things later.
11- Click HERE to learn about the air quality in your area.
12- Become more familiar with your house and what you’re smelling, not smelling. Investigate! Be curious! Explore! The house is living and breathing but what is the quality; similar to yourself?
13- Take the time to make these changes because it is about the little things and these little things can add up quickly to bigger things. Let your current state of health be your guide. Do you have sleeping issues? Breathing issues? Allergies? Asthma? Other upper respiratory ailments? Get sick regularly/frequently? Bloody noses? Sinus congestion? Skin rashes?
14- It may seem like a little thing or insignificant thing but STOP drinking carbonated beverages/water, as this is not a pure form of taking in water and hydrating. The AIR bubbles (carbonation) displace the digestive process like pumping air into the system and easily lends itself to digestive dysregulation, not only not allowing for proper absorption but also further aggravating tissue formation and overall health that starts with the digestive system and as simply as in the stomach.
15- Add/increase plants in your home! Have a least 1-2 in each room! (if properly taken care of, you shouldn’t have any mold issues to add to the issue)
16- Be mindful of where you live and the air quality outside. ie a landfill, dumping grounds of any kind, chemical manufacturing plants, mechanic shops, home contractors’ sites, etc.
17- It is rarely ever the cause of one “thing” that causes you to become unhealthy. Similarly, it is never the cause of one “thing” that causes you to remain or regain health. It is truly in the little things that accrue momentum over time and depends on what side of the scale you are on.
RESOURCES
WORST AIR IN A CITY IN THE USA 2022
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IS HEART DISEASE IN THE USA
EUROPE DECREASED LIFE EXPECTANCY
DISCLAIMER: This information is meant for educational purposes only and not considered medical advice. Any changes in lifestyle should be reviewed by a qualified practitioner and/or primary care physician if you are currently under their care for specific conditions.