It’s all about body, mind and soul & a healthy lifestyle

In today’s fast paced world, we see that the tradition of washing hands and feet at home after coming in from outside has disappeared. What does Ayurveda say about this tradition?
—Guruprasad, Talegaon

There are three reasons why it is important to wash our hands and feet when we come back home from outside.

First is cleanliness. Cleanliness is understood in the modern habits also. We all have experienced this very strictly in hospitals where things need to be sterilised, disinfected or washed before use. In Ayurveda, and in general Indian traditional lifestyle, such principles of daily and seasonal disciplines to be followed for good health are mentioned in the subject called swashta vrutta – i.e. ‘healthy lifestyle’. It abounds in advice and in small tips that are not direct administration of medical treatment but rather a manual for living in good health.

The second reason - micro-organisms. Outside the house we may be wearing only slippers or sandals. Children may be playing barefoot. Thus, there is direct contact of skin with the ground that may be contaminated with both bacteria and viruses. Since India is a tropical country, the climate is helpful to the growth of micro-organisms. In earlier times, houses were designed with a small porch that always had an arrangement for washing up before entering. With urbanisation and apartment housing, this arrangement is now gone. Now, one has to go through the house and get into the washroom. This can become a source of continuous contamination. It may go unnoticed as there is no direct relation between where the contamination begins and who gets affected. For instance, the person who enters the home and doesn’t wash their hands and feet and brings in micro-organisms may not fall sick. Maybe a child in the house will catch the infection instead! The child could end up suffering from cold or diarrhoea but one cannot know the culprit or source.  

The third reason is that when one enters the house, especially after a hard day’s work, the individual is tired and his praanic force is very low. Praan or life energy in Ayurveda is unique concept in medical sciences. It is very dynamic. If a person has walked a lot his legs and feet will be exhausted. When the feet are washed the entire meridian system in the body is re-activated and one immediately feels fresh.  

Is there any relationship between stress and acidity and what is the easy remedy?
—Ramesh Kale, Mumbai  

The answer is simple. Yes, stress is one of the significant causes of acidity. We all know that stress produces heat and that will add to the digestive acidic juices or Pitta. When heat is in excess it converts food and any other intake into acidity. Another link is that if one cannot relax, cannot sleep calmly or is in the habit of always sleeping late at night, all these produce acidity. Acidity can become a long term issue. In the beginning acidity seems like a simple problem solved by taking an anti-acidity pill or something like Isabgul or some calcium carbonate soda. Over a longer time the same acidity is going to produce aam - a sticky impurity, which is the culprit behind many grave diseases. The easy remedy in Ayurveda for acidity is to consume a proper digestive salt. Another simple way is to mix two teaspoons of lemon, one teaspoon of honey and half a teaspoon of ginger juice mixed together and taken after food so that food is digested properly thus eliminating the problem of acidity altogether.  

The author is an authority on Ayurveda and spiritual science and is founder of Atmasantulana Village, a world-renowned holistic healing centre. If you have any query then email it to us on ayurveda@dnaindia.net.