Importance of Lifestyle for Healthy Living
Importance of Lifestyle for Healthy Living
Recent
study shows that changing lifestyles induce stress which is responsible for the
genesis of many illnesses. I discuss the importance of lifestyle for healthy
living:
A
loaf of bread, a jug of wine and though
Beside
me singing in the wilderness
And
the wilderness is paradise enow
KAAWYAGRANTHACHI
EKA, EKA SURAEE MADYARKA LAABHO MALAA/
KHANYA
BHAKAR EKA, AN TARULALEE TOOHEE TITHE PREMALA/
MATPAARSHWEE
TAWA DIWAGAAYANASUDHAA RAANAAT WAAHE JADHEE/
SAARE
JANGAL MANGALPRADA NAWYAA SWARGAAPAREE TE TADHEE/
As
religion started evolving, the religious rules and regulations became stricter
and oppressive.
Omarkhayyam
was scientist, geologist, astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, philosopher,
atheist and hardcore poet
He
defied religious doctrines saying…..
One
thing is certain, this life flies
This
life flies and the rest is lies
The
flower that once has blown for ever dies
Further,
Omarkhayyam preferred to live inhibition-free life. He defied taboos
saying…..
How
time is slipping underneath our feet
Unborn tomorrow and dead yesterday
Why
fret about them if today be sweet?
True!
It makes no sense asking old vexing question repeatedly!!
PAL
PAL JEENA HAI AAJ KAA DIN APNAA HAI
Since
time ancient to medieval era living in India was a joy journey. You must have
read about or heard of Sindhu Sanskriti, Mohenjodaro-Harappan civilizations.
They were and are admirable, venerable civilizations. Even this date the Vaidic
culture is venerable worldwide. Get the word Vaidic correctly, what is derived
from Vedas is Vaidic, hence the word Vaidic culture, and not Vedic culture.
The
Sanskrit language was lingua franca or bridge language, meaning in short a
language of common use and trade language. The Sanskrit grammar developed by
Panini is accepted even today as the perfect science of language. The computer
wizards say that Sanskrit is the best suited language and Devanaagaree is the
best suited script for computers.
Vaidic
mathematics has come back a big way. My school mate travels to Middle East
countries to teach Vaidic mathematics.
The
Western astronomers are astonished to read information about astronomy
mentioned in Vedas.
The
Indian philosophy is the best philosophy of life. My pen-friends on
allpoetry.com often come from Europe, America, to Varanasi to learn Indian
philosophy.
The
science of Yoga combining mind and body is an unique gift from India to the
world. Yoga has now received worldwide applause. The book “Paatanjala
Yogasootra” has a place in modern psychiatry also.
Books
like “Nagar-Rachana” and many others describe about town-planning.
Books
like “Sangeet Ratnakar” describe the art and science of music and physics of
musical instruments.
Nagarjuna’s
“Rasashastra” can be regarded as science of metallurgy and use of metals in
pharmacology
Dinacharya,
Rutucharya in the section of Swasth-Wrutteeyam of Ayurveda describe the
discipline of lifestyle for attaining tension-free, stress-free, healthy
living. Those days folks lived in joint families and united society, not in
isolated or nuclear families as is seen these days.
In
summary lifestyle in India was in tune with Nature’s rhythm
So
the incidence of stress related illnesses, lifestyle related diseases was
minimum or negligible.
Bhartruhari describes an ideal or
model life style in a poem….
SAA
RAMYAA NAGAREE MAHAN SA NRUPATI: SAAMANTCHAKAM CHA TAT
PAARSHWE
SAA CHA VIDAGDHRAAJAPARISHAT TAASHCHANDRABIMBAANANAA:
I
explain,
Imagine
before your mind’s eye a beautiful city. It is ruled by a good king. expert
ministers help him in administration, the abutters i. e. owners of small or big
properties around the kingdom respect him, minstrels (Bhaat or Shahir in
Marathi) sing peans of his valor and glory, in august gatherings musicians sing
mellifluous-melodies, wise men hold symposia on various subjects, belladonnas
(beautiful women) amuse …….
Isn’t
this living “A Heavenly Bliss”? This living indeed is a Heavenly bliss!! No
wonder then, the incidence of stress-induced illnesses was negligible.
Bhartruhari
was a good king. He was a philosopher and poet. He was a multifaceted person.
In one of his poems he describes impacts of contrasting life styles.
Dhanyaanaam
girikandareshu wasataam jyoti: param dhyaayataam
Aanandaashrukanan
pibanti shakuna: ni:shankamankeshayaa:
Asmaakm
tu manorathoprachit praasaadwaapeetata
Kreedaakaananakelikoutukjushaam
aayu: param ksheeyate
I
explain…..
Hail
to those sages! Hail to those blithe spirits! They dwell in secluded caves;
meditate on stars, in the state of trance tears of ecstasy trickle down their
eyes, fearless birds perch on their lap; the birds quench their thirst by
drinking tears of ecstasy…..
Hmmmm……
he sighs and says our aspirations are many, our demands in life are high and
unrealistic, we crave for huge palaces with beautiful wells for water supply,
well maintained lawns and gardens for recreation, all imaginary and many times
unattainable, we run after such mirages….
Hmmmm…..
We are dissatisfied, disappointed, frustrated, develop distress,
depression….
Hell
with this life….
All
these contribute to lifestyle related diseases such as mental depression,
hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, metabolic syndromes, degenerative
diseases, early aging etc.
This
reminds me the story “Sukhee Maanasaachaa sadaraa”, “The shirt of a blissful
man” I learnt in a school text book.
There
was a king. Like Bhartruhari he was dissatisfied. He consulted his ministers,
pundits, astrologers etc. The astrologers advised the king to wear the shirt of
a blissful man. The king sent his ministers in search of such a man. One of the
ministers found such a man. The man was relaxing on the bank of a lake. The
minister approached him, narrated the agony of the king and requested for his
shirt.
The
man replied “I don’t wear shirt. I live with Nature and as near Nature’s rhythm
as possible”
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