Sleep is one of the essential pillars of Ayurveda and is considered as important as diet in maintaining health, restoring balance, and increasing longevity. Ayurveda states that lack of sleep is one of the leading causes of today’s health problems like insomnia, hurt burns, anxiety, obesity, and depression.
Sleep is the time when the body can repair and heal itself. Aligning your mealtime, sleep, wake, exercise, and other daily rituals to the Ayurveda clock’s cycle will help restore your health and balance.
Acharya Charaka stated that sleep is caused by the nature of the night (Bhutadhatri), who takes care of all living beings. Bhutadhatri is a Sanskrit word deriving from the root words Bhuta (your physical body) and Dhatri (mother). Sleep nourishes your body like a mother nurtures her baby.
He explained in Charaka Samhita, one of the primary Ayurveda texts, how rest gives you everything: strength, fertility, knowledge, contentment, happiness, and life itself. Have a good night (7 to 8 hours) sleep every night. The mind and emotions become balanced through sleep. One should avoid sleeping in the daytime.
Fix a time for your exercise
Exercise is one of the pillars of health. Walking, stretching, swimming, doing yoga asanas, or pranayama (breathing exercise) are some examples to maintain health and balance your doshas. It will improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, help control body weight, and prevent diseases.
Exercise decreases stress and keeps you healthy every day. Expose yourself to the early morning sun for 15-20 minutes every day to get vitamin D. The sunlight on your body is all you need to strengthen your bones. Ayurveda advises Yoga Asanas as the best form of exercise.
Regular physical activity, practicing controlled breathing exercises (pranayama), and meditation are essential for longevity.
Also Read: Ayurveda Home Remedy for Flu, Cold & Cough
In summary, the holistic health of Ayurveda encompasses the three pillars of health: food, sleep, and exercise. These three pillars are closely related, and each one supports the other just like the house is supported by the pillars. These three pillars offer a solution for staying healthy in this challenging situation, both mentally and physically.
Ultimately, it’s the balanced lifestyle that is the most important. Your meals, exercise, and sleep patterns should be in harmony with the sun cycle- eat three nourishing meals at about the same time each day, do your workout at about the same time each day and go to bed at about the same time for a good night sleep every night.
A healthy diet and regular exercises are the most potent sleep inducers, and all three together are a prescription for good health, increasing life force (prana), vitality (Ojas), and boosting immunity (vyadhi kshamatva).
Other Ayurveda Home Remedies
Jeera Water / Cumin Water:
Jeera’s (cumin) health benefits were documented in Ayurveda since time immemorial. Cumin seeds are packed with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, Vitamin A, C, copper, and manganese. Drinking cumin water every day gets several health benefits. Warm cumin water is an immunity booster decoction. It helps in digestive tract disorders, detoxifies by eliminating toxins from your body, strengthens metabolism, and balances our tri-doshas – Vata, pitta, and Kapha.
Cumin Water Recipe:
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1½ cups water
Method:
> Bring water to a gentle boil in a non-reactive pot or pan.
> Add cumin seeds to the water and simmer until reduced to 1 cup
> Cover and let cool down until warm.
> Strain jeera water and drink warm or at room temperature.
> If you prefer to have jeera water the entire day, then boil 5 grams of cumin seeds in 1 litre of water for 15 minutes. Following the same steps mentioned above. Strain it and drink the whole day.
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