Ayurveda routine can be an elixir for all modern lifestyle ills

In modern times, we customize everything — from garments to gadgets — but seldom do we care to change our lifestyle habits. Worries, stress and tension are eating into our health. While fighting the battle of life, we forget that self-awareness is the key to success that can be attained only when we have a clear perception of ourselves.

Tanya Malhotra, an Ayurvedic physician, in her book Urban Ayurveda, gives a crisp account of how we can customize our life with Vedic science and Ayurveda, which have an empirical as well as a rational basis. Ayurveda also serves as the handiest practical guide on all imaginable material and non-material aspects.

This book, with seven chapters, emphasizes the importance of Ayurveda, the science of life. The author offers a variety of instances demonstrating the wisdom of applied Ayurveda in the urban paradigm; simple, practical and sustainable ideas for creating a balanced life. Moreover, she narrates personal anecdotes, patient case studies, cooking techniques and some wonderful Vedic recipes for the urban kitchen that allow one to combine the age-old tradition of Ayurveda with the modern concept of wellness.

Ayurveda is one of the earliest medical sciences to talk about the benefits, significance, and herbal methods of brushing teeth to oiling to bathing and Pranayam to self-grooming. In one of the chapters, the writer describes the different Ayurvedic methods to pamper yourself for specific periods of a year called Ritucharya which is basically seasonal regimen to be observed throughout a particular ritu (season).

From surviving in the jungles of corporate politics to pragmatically dealing with the workload during the office hours, one needs to be in tune with oneself, listen to one’s body. This book gives a tailor-made routine that should comprise a clean bowel in the morning, followed by exercise, yoga and meditation, a nice shower, a healthy breakfast and a five minutes of wholesome entertainment, be it dancing on your favourite songs or listening to music.

Vedic cooking is about awakening the spirit of Annapurna within you and transforming that beautiful energy via food to other human beings. The concept of diet management by following Ayurvedic cooking can be of utmost benefit in our lives. The other aspects of Ayurveda, the natural way of living, like intake of various foods, their emotional effect, food combinations and incompatibility, quantity, where to eat and when to eat (place and time of intake) etc are elaborately discussed in the book.

This book is a holistic guide to a glorious life. In a chaotic world like ours, we can assure a happy life now and always by adopting healthy Ayurveda practices. The book offers the reader many practical lessons which can be emulated in life that enable one to juggle work pressures and stressful life and lead a good healthy lifestyle by reinforcing positivity.

Picture for representational purposes only. Photo courtesy: Dr Sudha Ayurveda