The Routine Way To Good Health pg 2

By: Shubhra Krishan

As a first step toward taking responsibility for their own health, Dr Peterson advises his patients to invest time and energy on their routine. "Little things count. Each moment you spend on yourself is like pennies in the bank. The benefits add up. Take oil massage, for instance. Ayurveda urges you to massage yourself with a good oil - preferably sesame oil -- every day. Sesame oil is a very versatile ally in your efforts toward better health. I recommend three ways to use it:

a) Try sniffing it (nasya) to lubricate and protect your nose and sinuses, which are the ventilation system for your brain. The oil helps clear mucous out of the sinuses. Just dip your little finger in the sesame oil you use for your massage and rub the oil inside of each nostril. Then pinch and release your nostrils rapidly while inhaling sharply. b) Gargle it for two minutes. It's not as bad as it sounds! Swish a mouthful of it, then spit it into the toilet and rinse your mouth out with warm water. It feels great, draws out mucus and has been shown to reduce gum disease. c) Best of all, massage it lovingly all over your body to release skin impurities, then bathe or shower with warm water. If you have time, a warm tub bath increases circulation and is a means of further purification.

And this joyful routine of luxurious massage is just a very tiny part of the holistic Ayurvedic game-plan against stress.

For even richer health benefits, Dr Peterson advises following the Ayurvedic routine chalked out by physicians many thousands of years ago. "Ayurveda believes we are composed of the elements that constitute the Universe. It follows, then, that the laws that govern the Universe are also good for us. Taking the logic further, we know that the Universe follows a regular rhythm of time and season. Well, then, so must we," reasons the doctor. Here's how your day would progress if you followed a good Ayurvedic routine:

Early to bed and early to rise. Going to bed before 10 p.m. allows us to have the best quality sleep and gives the body a chance to use the increased metabolism of the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. (Pitta) time of night to digest impurities instead of the pizza we might have eaten at midnight. Waking up before 6 a.m., we catch the fresh energy of Nature's morning and are lighter and more flexible and energetic than if we sleep in. Studies show that early rising helps people with depression have more energy.

Kickstart your metabolism with a large glass of warm water: spike it with fresh-squeezed lemon and a spoonful of raw honey to help eliminate toxins from the night's metabolism and stimulate a morning bowel movement.

Prepare your system for a fresh day’s intake: cultivate a healthy, regular bowel habit. If your bowels are irregular, try to train them to move by just sitting on the toilet five minutes every morning.

Pay utmost attention to your teeth: The white-coating you see on your tongue every morning is ama or built-up toxic matter that causes decay and bad breath. Use a silver or stainless steel tongue-scraper to clean this out. You can use a silver spoon until you get a tongue-scraper. This also gives your digestive tract a reflexive cleaning.

Enjoy a head and body massage (abhyanga) with cured sesame oil. Emphasize the ears and the soles of your feet, which contain reflex points for the whole body. Self-massage increases the coordination of mind and body, stimulates the muscles, loosens impurities, pacifies the nervous system and lubricates and protects the skin. It has also been found to decrease the incidence of some skin cancers.

Stretch. Sun Salutations and yoga asanas, done slowly and with your attention on the body, stimulate the marma points and infuse consciousness into the physiology. The classic texts describe marma points (from which acupuncture points are derived) as areas through which bliss infuses the body.

Practice Pranayama. Simple breathing exercises settle the nervous system and clear the mind.

Meditate. Transcendental Meditation allows the mind to settle effortlessly into its simplest form of pure awareness, eliminating "noise" in the nervous system.

Exercise according to individual preference - easy walking, biking or swimming - and keep your mind on the physical activity, not distracted by TV or music. Exercise to only 50 percent of capacity.

Wear clean and comfortable clothes suitable to the season and your activity level.

Eat a light, nutritious breakfast. Digestive power is not very strong in the morning.

Work or study according to your dharma, meaning activity which is enjoyable and life-supporting for you

Lunch should be the biggest meal of the day because your digestion is strongest then. (Daytime Pitta is when the sun is overhead from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Diet should be balanced according to your constitutional type. It's important to eat sitting down and pay attention to the food with all your senses, because this helps the body know how to process it most efficiently. Pleasant conversation is fine, but eating when you are watching TV, reading, upset, angry or trying to forge a business deal keeps your body's energy divided and disturbs digestion. It is good to have a moment of quiet contemplation before eating and to sit for 10 minutes or so after lunch, enjoying pleasant conversation.

A brief rest after lunch gives you a good start on digestion. If you want, lie down on your left side, which gives the stomach more room to work.

Work or study according to your dharma.

Practice yoga asanas, pranayama and meditation before the evening meal.

Supper should be lighter than lunch so that your body can digest it completely before you go to bed. Then your body can use its nighttime digestive power to get rid of impurities while you sleep.

Enjoy some pleasant relaxing activity, and then go to bed early - no later than 10 p.m.

"To many people, the thought of committing to this routine seems daunting at first," says Dr Peterson. "Where’s the time is a common reaction I get. But soon, people realise how pleasurable and beneficial this routine can be. Not only does it improve their bodily health, it also sends their self-esteem spiralling right upward."

That is the beauty of Ayurvedic healing: pleasure combined with an emerging sense of responsibility of Self, followed by quick and lasting health benefits.

As the perfect complement to this healthful routine, Dr Peterson prescribes Amrit to his patients. Maharishi Ayurveda’s anti-oxidant-rich herbal supplement, Amrit is a clinically researched rejuvenant. People who take Amrit regularly, report fewer and easier-to-treat colds and coughs. Their general resistance to disease goes up, and with it, their happiness and energy-levels go up too. "For me, the best part of prescribing Amrit to my patients is, I don’t have to worry about any side-effects it might cause. It is a completely safe, time-tested and highly effective formulation which richly deserves its name—Amirt, or the nectar of vitality," says Dr Peterson.

NOTE: Information presented in this article is solely for the purpose of imparting education on Ayurveda and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or mitigate any disease. If you have a medical condition, please consult a health professional.