Preventive Approach of Ayurveda
The word “Ayurveda” is formed from the composition of two words “ayu” means a span of life and “Veda” means knowledge. So in short Ayurveda is known as the knowledge about life span. The main approach or aim of Ayurveda is to prevent the health of the healthy person and cure the disease of the unhealthy person. Ayurveda mainly deals with the preventive and promotive aspect of the health of the people. The preventive approach of Ayurveda from the disease by the proper diet and lifestyle regimens rather than the treatment of the disease. Several disease condition is the result of a bad adaptation of the seasonal habit called “Ritucarya” and day to day regimen called “Dincarya”. So for the prevention from the disease, we should have to follow the diet and lifestyle regimens accordingly.
Ritucarya:
Ritucharya is the aahar (dietary) and bihar (lifestyle) regimen for the prevention or maintaining body health in a different season of the year. The regimen for every season is called the Ritucharya which is broadly discussed in most of the Samhitas of the Ayurveda.
| Season Name (Ritu) | Taste | Indication diet and lifestyle | Contraindication |
| Hemanta (Pre-winter) | Use of the sweet, sour, salty, heavy food, oily food | Diet- milk and its preparation, sugarcane juice and its preparation, new grains, new alcohol, fats, oil, and lukewarm water for the use. Lifestyle- exercise, steam, dhoompan, use of aguru(Aquilaria agallocha) paste in the body, massage with oil, hot bath and sunbath, warm and heavy clothes. | A diet which increase Vata like laghu (light), ruksha (dry), and avoid exposure to the winds. |
| Shishira (Winter) | Same as above | Do according to Hemanta Ritu. | Pungent, bitter and astringent taste. Light food, food that increases Vata in the body. |
| Basanta (Spring) | Bitter, pungent, astringent | Diet -Easily digestible food like yava (Hordeum vulgare), honey, the flesh of wild animals, alcohol, water cooked with mustak (Cyperus rotandus), shunthi ( Zingiber officinale) with honey. Lifestyle- exercise, massage with chandana (Santalum album), dhoompana (herbal smoking), Anjana (collyrium), Vanama (emetic therapy) and Nasya (oil putting therapy in the nostrils) are also advised. | Sweet taste predominant food should be avoided, sleeping in the day time, heavy food, day time sleep, oily food. |
| Grishma (Summer) | Sweet | Diet -Sweet, cold and unctuous food and drinks, ghee and milk with the Sali rice, sheet mantha (powder of maize) along with jiggery is advice. Lifestyle- live in the house having well ventilation, application of chandana (sandalwood) powder, light clothes and use of different flowers, day time sleep. | Avoid the taste like sour, pungent and bitter tasted food. Excessive exercise and sexual activities, sunbath, alcohol. |
| Varsha (Rainy) | Sour, salty | Diet – Use of the meat of wild animals and vegetables, sour, salty and oily food, use of honey and old yava (Hordeum vulgare) should be used. Lifestyle- should be live in a proper house, place where insect and snake don’t come, use of different flowers. | Water resource like river, lake water should be avoided, alcohol, bitter, purgent and astringent taste containing food should be avoided. |
| Sharad (Autumn) | Sweet, pungent, astringent. | Diet – use of pungent mixing ghee, amala( Phyllanthus Emblica), light, cold food and drinks, the meat of wild animals. Lifestyle-virechana (purgation therapy), Raktamokshana (bloodletting) procedure are advised. | Avoid curd, fats, oily food, alcohol, sunbath, day sleep. |
Dincharya a preventive approach of Ayurveda
Dincharya is the daily routine of dietary and lifestyle regimen for the prevention of the body from disease. The regimen which is followed every day from the morning to the night is called Dincharya.
| Daily Routine | Explanation |
| Brahma Muharat | Should get up before 5 am in the morning after the knowing digest or undigested food that we take in the night. Due to which feeling of fresh and without elimination of foul flatulence. |
| Malatagya (Eliminate the urges of urine and faeces) | Should eliminate the urges facing north in the day time and facing south at night time. Due to which we get purity and offence less. |
| Face Washing | Should wash our face with the freshwater for the refreshment. Should not use the contaminated water and its help to provide the clean face and refreshment. |
| Cleaning of teeth and tongue | Should use the bitter, pungent and astringent taste herbal plants for this. Teeth and tongue should be clean in the morning and after the meal. Due to which it prevents the disease of the tongue, mouth and teeth. |
| Collyrium | Soubiranjan (use daily) and rasanjan (once a week) which is made from the herb. Helps to make a healthy eye, sight and able to see the minute object, eyelashes become smooth and firm. |
| Nasya | Oil putting in the nose is called Nasya. Daily use of Nasya will provide the skin, shoulder, face and chest strong, prominent and good-looking, voice also pleasant, sense organ clean and efficient. |
| Gandusa (holding liquid in the mouth) | Two types of Gandusa oil holding and warm medicated water holding in mouth. Regular use of oil Gandusa helps to prevent from cracking and roughness of the lips, dryness of the mouth, disease of the teeth and disorders of the voice. Warm water holding will make the mouth clean and healthy. |
| Kabala (moving liquid in the mouth) | Coldwater moving cure loss of appetite, bad taste and excess salivation. |
| Dhoompaan(smoking with medicated drugs) | Its helps to cure the disease of Vata and Kapha disease above the clavicle. |
| Prasadhan (paste applying in the body) | Its helps to provide the glow in the skin, also provide the fragrant like perfumes, also acts as aphrodisiacs, inauspiciousness and improves appearance. |
| Tambul (Pan chewing) | Two leaves of Pan (Piper betle) along with supari (Areca catechu) and khadir powder(Acacia catechu) is used for the tambul. Its helps for good taste, cleanliness and good smell of the mouth. |
| Vritti (profession to earn money) | Should adopt a profession to earn money for livelihood. |
| Niskriman Vidi (purity technique) | Use of the shoes, Ratna (ornaments according to the Rasi), other safety materials. |
| Abhyanga(oil massage) | Massage with Herbal oil for the Vata and mainly for head, feet and the sankha area (frontal head). It helps in insomnia, pains, tiredness, debility, burns, fractures, wound, growth and firmness. |
| Vyayama (exercise) | Winter and spring season with half power exercise and in rest of the season with full power exercise should be done. Its helps to the lightness of the body, increases working capacity, keep appetite, fat reduction and distinct and a firm part of the body. |
| Udvartana (rubbing) | Rubbing throughout the body to alleviates Kapha, liquifies the medas (fats), makes the body parts firm and is best for the health of the skin. |
| Snana(bathing) | Bath should be done with warm water below the head and with cold water all over the body along with head. Bath helps to improve appetite, energy and strength, sexual vigour, life span. Its helps to remove the itching in the skin, dirt, sweat, thirst, burning sensation and sin. |
| Bhojana (taking food) | While taking food it should be observed properly like tastes, well-cooked or not, and offering with a pleasant mind and easily sitting in a solitary place. Food provides the energy and helps to growth and development of the body properly. |
| Sadvritta (good regimen ) | Afternoon time we should spend our time with the liked, good, and helpful persons. |
| Ratricharya (nighttime) | At nighttime having light and suitable food, should go to sleep with a pleasant mind (sound sleep), offering obeisance to gods. |
In Ayurveda, preventive approach of Ayurveda is the most important part of maintaining the body healthy. Ritucharya (seasonal diet regimen and lifestyle) and Dincharya (daily routine) should be followed for the prevention of the disease arise from the vitiation of the Doshas. This both helps to maintain the body physically and mentally healthy. Dietary regimen and lifestyle are the main things to be happy and healthy.