How to live a long and healthy life? The answer to this question is defined in simple four words “simple life and high thinking”, which is something very difficult to practice.
Although it seems to be easy things at the beginning, they are very hard to practice. The tendency of man is always towards an elevated life and low thoughts. Man becomes what he thinks, if the thought is healthy, the body remains healthy.
In the same way, bad thoughts exert a very bad influence on one’s own body and on others as well. They hurt the thinker and the object of thought; so we should take care of bad thoughts and always entertain noble thoughts.
What means a simple life?
Simple life means a natural life, that is, living according to the rules of nature. Our body consists of five natural elements, earth, water, sun, air and fire. The full use of these elements keeps the body in good condition.
1. The Earth – How Earth is helpful to us?
The earth itself can provide us many health benefits, it is due to magnetic currents that pass through it. So we should walk barefoot, as much as possible, or simply lye down with the earth, it is known as grounding earthing therapy.
The earth has the property of extracting the most deadly poisons, including that of the snakebite and mother earth also have the answer to it. In ancient times, when there was no soap, people used soft soil to wash their teeth, body, and hair.
After the bath, Bhasma was applied throughout the body. It has been discovered that people of past generations were long-lived and in better health than people of the current generation.
In addition, natural life is cheap. We do not need a lot of money for the land. It only takes a little effort.
2. The Water – How water is helpful to us?
Water also plays an important role in the care of the body and to keep it in good condition. First of all, as soon as we get up in the morning, we need water to wash our mouths.
Second, we want the water to drink, which cleans our internal organs and third we need water to bathe. A bath of cold water in the morning gives us more vigor and energy. Ayurveda explains how to get benefits of water in the most possible way. It advises we should avoid drinking water with meals. You should drink the water one hour before or two hours after meals. For better health, one should make water enema once a week or when necessary.
Water can be used as a healing agent, in the form of hot or cold compresses. When the pain is bearable, compresses moistened with cold water, and when it is unbearable, compresses moistened with hot water.
In the rainy season, the water turns cloudy; so it should have to be filtered and then used. For that add a whole lemon in a three-gallon container for an hour and drink. If we need water immediately, we should add a few drops of lemon juice in three gallons of water.
3. The Air – How water is helpful to us?
Air is the most important element for all of us and for the body make up. In the morning, the air has one and a half times more oxygen than at any other time.
Therefore, walking or running in the morning can help you a lot. If one can not run, a quick walk can also be helpful. As much as possible, we should spend most of our time outdoors in the fresh air. It is often found that people who have to work outdoors are healthier than those who work indoors. Exercises and outdoor games are more beneficial than physical exercises done indoors.
People of past generations lived longer because their work was often outdoors since there were no factories or mills.
4. The Sun – How water is helpful to us?
A sunbath can also be beneficial and scientist have already proved it. 10 to 20 minutes immediately after sunrise, the sun provides us with a lot of energy and purifies the body.
So walking outdoors in the morning can be helpful. But it is not possible for everyone is that in this age of machines, most of the work is done in mills, factories, and offices. In ancient times, there were outdoor schools.
In the old days, most people lived in cabins or houses that had tile roofs, so life was more natural. Now it has become very artificial.
Currently, the housing problem has become very serious and most people have to live in homes with many people, which are not aired or sunny. For that people yoga, “Surya Namaskar” made outdoors is very useful for health.
5. Exercise – How exercise is helpful to us?
Exercise is necessary for energy as food for long and healthy life. Surya Namaskar is the most useful exercise. It is based on the principle of Asanas and Pranayama.
The people of previous generations practiced it, which gives physical and spiritual benefits. The men and women can practice them equally or outdoor games are good too. Indian games do not require many devices, while Europeans are more expensive. Running is a good exercise for children and young people. For older people, it is good to walk in the morning and at night. To be healthy it is necessary, some kind of regular exercise.
6. Food – How food is helpful to us?
Food is of great importance in the maintenance of health. The best food is to eat green fresh vegetable, roots, and fruits. The Rishis have lived a long life only by feeding on roots and fruits.
Natural fruits ripened in the sun are very good for health and are also Sattvic. Today most of the fruits are ripened artificially. If available they are very expensive and not available to everyone, cereals are also very expensive.
Germinated cereals contain more vitamins than milled cereals. In the absence of vegetables, the germinated edible grains also serve as vegetables.
With respect to cooked food, foods prepared in a kitchen contain more vitamins than those prepared on direct fire. Poor people can take advantage of cheap fruits and vegetables. Drinks that are too hot or too cold should be avoided.
7. Consume milk & derivatives products
Cow’s milk is useful from early childhood to old age, it is a perfectly complete food. But now it has become very expensive and many can not afford it.
At the beginning of the 20th century, milk was cheap and affordable for everyone, poor and rich alike. Now only the rich can afford to consume milk, yogurt, Ghee, etc.
This days the Ghee is hadrly found in the meals of poor and middle-class people. Against that artificial Ghee has replaced it. The cream of butter and yogurt is as good as milk. Middle-class men can take advantage of this product. But from a medical and health point of view, cow’s milk is better. Even better if it is newly milked, but this is not possible for everyone today. Therefore, you can consume milk once boiled.
8. Eat healthier fruits or vegetables
Vegetable and fruits are also very necessary for good health. In truth, our food should contain ¼ of cereals and ¾ of fruits and vegetables.
These have also become expensive, so cheap leafy vegetables can be eaten. Vegetable salads are very good. Otherwise, the vegetables can be boiled or cooked and then eaten.
Among the vegetables, spinach and lettuce are good. Among the vegetables, carrots, radishes, and tomatoes are within reach of many people. Of the economic fruits, bananas and lemons are good.
9. Good habits for a healthy life
Good habits are also very useful in maintaining health. “Going to bed early and getting up early makes the man healthy, rich and wise”.
For people who work at night, it is not possible to get up at 4 a.m. and go to bed at 10 p.m., but those who do not have night duty also get up after dawn and stay up late at night.
The habit of morning walking is also necessary for those who often have to be in closed environments. As much as possible, you should eat at fixed times.
It would be necessary to chew the food well and not swallow it quickly. Hot drinks, such as tea, coffee or chocolate, are not necessary for the climate of our country, although they are necessary for those who live in mountainous regions.
10. Maintain good conduct health
Good behavior is as necessary to be healthy it is must as food. We must be kind to one another and always ready to help others since we are the children of the same almighty God who rules the entire universe.
“Man becomes what he thinks”. We must always harbor good thoughts. Bad thoughts not only cause harm to others but to ourselves. So we should never wish evil on anyone. We should not hurt the feelings of others by hard words or unnecessarily criticize others, “To err is human”. In this world, no one is perfect, so we must forgive any harm that is done to us, thinking that it is due to ignorance on the part of the other man. We should make him see his mistake affectionately.
If we behave unfairly towards someone, If we harm him or deprive him of something that does not belong to us, naturally our mind becomes restless and this has a negative effect on our health, as it stirs our conscience. Therefore, we must be more careful about the things of others.
The feeling of anger is also very harmful, so we should try to control our mind under unfavorable circumstances. The fear of something adverse happening does not lead to good health either. Anxiety and worry undermine the body and the mind. We should have foresight but we should avoid the anxiety in our mind as much as possible.
Laziness is also bad for health. An unoccupied mind is the workshop of the devil. Therefore, we should always be busy in some or other work, private or public. Excess work is not good either. It is necessary to have enough rest. Rest means changing jobs.
To rest, we should have some light and interesting work, some hobby or reading a good book of which we can learn something. The library is the people’s university. We can accumulate a lot of useful knowledge by reading good books. Gardening, a night walk or a good conversation with friends are better entertainment than going to the movies or playing cards.
11. Brahmacharya – How celibacy can be helpful?
Brahmacharya plays a very important role in keeping us healthy and having a long life. It gives a lot of power and strength.
In ancient times, much emphasis was placed on Brahmacharya. Now, generally, we do not pay attention. All the great men practiced Brahmacharya; they were pure in thought and act.
For a man who leads a family life, it is necessary to practice Brahmacharya until he is 25 years old and then to get married. After marriage, it is also necessary to have a lot of self-control.
The films and cheap third-class literature, which is produced in large quantity, is a great obstacle for the Brahmacharya. Before there was gold, now everything is imitation only.
12. A good healing prayer
Finally, we should pray to God that he protects us at all times in our lives. If we do not find the time during the day to beg him to grant us his grace and meditate for just minutes.
Beg for mercy, because of the heavy work we have to do to earn our living or home and social duties. One must practice prayer as soon as we wake up, and before to go to bed Through prayer, more things are accomplished than a man can imagine.
Therefore, prayer is as essential as food. We should not forget God under any circumstance, good or bad. The unfavorable circumstances are due to our own faults, either from this life or from previous births.
Remember we alone are responsible for them, not God. In short, simple life and high thinking is the watchword of long life.