Health and the Elements … Sw. Sivananda

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This body is composed of the five elements: earth, water, fire

(light), air and ether (Akasa). It has a natural power to heal

itself, If: we help this power by means of the above five elements,

the work of healing is accelerated.

 

The body has the power to assimilate those things that are congenial

to it and throw away matter which is foreign to it. It is our duty to

help the body in its efforts to self-heal.

 

How to utilize Air: (i) By wearing few clothes, (ii) By exposing the

body to fresh air, (iii) By taking morning and evening walks, (iv) By

keeping the windows fully open in the working places and while

sleeping as well, (v) By deep-breathing exercises.

 

Use of Water: (i) In the form of hot-baths, cold-baths, vapour-baths,

herbal-baths, etc. (ii) As a stomach-wash (taken in through a rubber

tube, Dhauti-kriya), (iii) By taking a glass of water on getting up

from bed and while retiring to bed and before and after meals. The

body requires a minimum of 10 liters of water a day. (iv) As enema

for cleaning. Water controls the heat in the body and helps expulsion

of impurities through the skin and kidneys.

 

Light and Its Use: Sun-light costs nothing. We should expose our

bodies to the morning sun and get Vitamins from it. Rickets can be

cured by Sun-light. Chromopathy can cure many diseases. Electric

light also can cure some diseases, but it is not available to all

(i.e., is not free to all)

 

The Use of Earth: Earth contains magnetic currents and many

properties of curing diseases. It is used as cold or hot packs. It

removes the poison out of the body and cools the system.

 

Health and Diet: Golden Rule for Dieting:

 

The vegetarian diet is the most perfect diet that one can follow. The

intellect is rendered keen, subtle and sharp by a vegetarian diet.

Vegetarians should include in their diet some raw leaves sliced and

mixed with lemon juice and salt.

 

He who drinks butter-milk, eats tomatoes and lemons, walks three

miles daily, is healthy and attains longevity.

 

As a rule, condiments, tea, coffee, alcohol, foods rich in starch,

sugar and fat and all stimulating drinks should be avoided.

 

Spices and condiments cater to your unnatural cravings, but ruin your

health. Therefore, avoid them.

 

Do not be a slave to any diet theory. Use your commonsense. Eat

things that are agreeable to your stomach. Only that; do not

overstuff yourself. Chew the food well. Remember, the stomach carries

no teeth with it.

 

Digestion starts in the mouth through saliva and mastication. Pushing

down the food with a cup of water after each handful of food taken in

is highly injurious to the stomach.

 

Eat when you are hungry. Eat slowly but grind the food well with your

teeth. Do not take water just before meals or along with your meals.

Take water a few minutes after you have finished your meals.

 

Do not talk while eating. Do not eat late at night. This will disturb

the night sleep as well as hinder the process of digestion that takes

place at night. Take only a light meal at night. This will give you a

sound sleep. There is no foundation to the statement that a cup of

coffee or tea will keep you awake at night to finish your reading or

school work. It is injurious to health and digestion. Light meal

consists of no solids; only milk or whey.

 

The statement that you will pure more fat and flesh by eating too

much is baseless. Eat little but well. Take plenty of exercise, and

be regular and moderate in your activities. You will develop an

excellent muscular body.

 

Your body is continuously growing till you reach the age of 25 years.

You are in need of more nutritious food during this period.

 

Stunted growth is due to various reasons, the chief of them being

malnutrition and want of proper exercises.

 

The diet of modern civilized races is too concentrated and too rich

in protein and sugar. Therefore, the intestines do not contain enough

waste matter to stimulate it into action.

 

In a natural diet containing good proportion of whole meal bread,

fresh fruits and vegetables this difficulty is removed.

 

Milk, cereals, potatoes, fresh leafy vegetables, juicy fruits and

honey must find a place in your daily diet schedule.