Five Pillars of Healthy Lifestyle

To understand how our lifestyle contributes to creating an imbalance between the dosha and mahabhoot, we need to first understand the concept of lifestyle. In very simple words, lifestyle means the style we live our lives or habits we follow on a day-to-day basis. In Naturopathy and Ayurveda it has been categorized as follows:

• Dincharya or a day regime
• Ratricharya or a night regime
• Ritucharya or a seasonal regime

Apart from these regimes, there are five pillars of lifestyle. The first pillar is our diet. When we talk of diet, it is not only about taking the correct or nutritional diet but also the timing and amount of diet and the combination of the diet. Our body comes  with a biological clock thus we need to take our food according to that clock. The biological clock works in tandem with sunrise and sunset. The digestive fire in our body is at maximum level during midday so it is advised to take a full lunch during that time. Similarly, the digestive fire lowers down with sunset so if we eat a heavy dinner late at night then our body will not be able to digest it properly.  Similarly, there is a certain diet that we need to include or exclude during certain seasons. For example, during monsoon our digestive fire is weak so we need to avoid heavy foods. Whereas during winter, it is very strong so it is advised to take heavy and rich food during that season of the year. Not following these regimes will lead to digestive disorders in the long run.

The second pillar of lifestyle is exercise. Lots have been said and written about the benefits of exercise and most of us follow it too. The major benefit of exercise is that it increases the mobility of bone, circulation of blood, and also excretion of toxins through sweat. 

The third pillar of lifestyle is sleep. Our body requires rest, and sleep is the best way to give rest. It is like a tonic to the body because as we sleep our body repairs its organs of whole day’s wear and tear. A night of good sleep is vital in combating not only physical fatigue but also stress and anxiety. A healthy person requires at least 6-7 hours of sound sleep in 24 hours. How do we get good sleep? Well, it depends on our daily activities. If we are not exercising or exerting during the day then obviously our body will not require the rest. The second thing is if we are exposing too much to the blue light of the computer or mobile screen then we might feel difficulty in sleeping properly. Empty stomach or overeating during the night can also cause poor sleep.  

The fourth pillar of lifestyle is stress.  These days,  we hear a lot about stress, anxiety and depression. The most alarming thing about stress is that it is affecting every age group and the youth all the more. A lot has been said and written about stress, how it affects us, and how to deal with it. A clinical way to deal with stress is to take a few pills. The natural way to deal with it is to meditate. While both might work on some level, the best way is to learn the science of mind management. Since stress is rooted in our mind, it is very important to learn how the mind functions and how we can bring a positive change in our life by adopting a positive mindset. 

Check the article on “The One Indefectible Formula to Overcome Stress” to learn more on the spiritual way of dealing with stress. 

Fifth pillar of a healthy lifestyle is entertainment. It is very important for a person to engage in positive and healthy pursuits to keep his/her mind fresh and motivated. We can take any hobby like music, painting, sports, art and craft, gardening, cooking, reading etc. It will provide us with a creative outlet which is very important in releasing stress and keeping a positive and amiable personality.

Check articles on:

Understanding the Origin of Disease

Signs of Good Health