Treasure of Ayurveda: Immunity Booster Herbs

The Indian Medical Science had been very rich and traces more than 5000 years ago. Ayurveda had different specific specialisations for different kind of diseases including surgical sciences 3500 years back. Varah Mihir, Charak, Shushrut, Nighant etc. are some of the renowned Doctors of ancient India.

Ayurveda is based on the concept of three fundamental energies (doshas) that govern an individual’s inner and outer environments, known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth). These primary forces are the root of the characteristics of an individual's mind and body, and way they respond to any kind of disease or antibody. 

 The imbalance of the doshas is known to cause weakening of immunity, or leading to disease. When there is minimal stress and the flow of energy within a person is balanced, the body’s natural defense systems are strong and can more easily defend against disease or recover any kind of ailment.

1. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a small woody plant native to India and North Africa. It’s considered an adaptogen, which means that it’s believed to help your body manage stress more effectively. Research has shown that it reduces levels of cortisol, a hormone that your adrenal glands produce in response to stress to lower levels of anxiety and improved sleep in people with stress and anxiety disorders. Moreover, research shows that ashwagandha may enhance muscle growth, memory, and male fertility, as well as lower blood sugar levels. 

2. Triphala

 Triphala consists of Amla (Emblica officinalis, or Indian gooseberry), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) & Haritaki (Terminalia chebula). It functions as a natural laxative, reducing constipation, abdominal pain, and flatulence while improving the frequency and consistency of bowel movements in people with gut disorders.

 3. Brahmi

Brahmi (Bacopa monieri) is a staple herb in Ayurvedic medicine and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. It also improves learning rates, attention, memory, as well as reduces symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as inattention, impulsivity, poor self-control, and restlessness. Some studies further suggest that brahmi may help improve body’s ability to deal with stress and anxiety. 

 4. Cumin (Jeera)

Research shows that cumin may boost the activity of digestive enzymes and facilitate the release of bile from the liver, speeding digestion and easing the digestion of fats. It also reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as abdominal pain and bloating. Cumin may also protect against type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin sensitivity. It may also protect against heart disease by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol while reducing triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

 5. Turmeric

Turmeric is the Ayurvedic spice that gives curry its yellow color. Curcumin, its main compound, may help reduce inflammation and improve heart and brain health. However, large amounts are likely needed to attain these benefits. 

 6. Cardamom

Cardamom is an Ayurvedic spice that may lower blood pressure, improve breathing, and potentially help stomach ulcers heal. Inhaling cardamom essential oil may increase the uptake of oxygen into the lungs during exercise.

 

 7. Ginger – Aadrak

Ginger, known as Aadrak or Shunti in Sanskrit, is also known as Vishwa-Aushadh in Ayurveda, the Rasayana that is a cure to many disorders and hence the best immunity booster in Ayurveda. Have an inch long slice of Ginger with a pinch of rock salt prior to lunch, to cleanse the palate and stimulate appetite. This potent combination is also a known and effective antidote to Nausea.

 8. Holi Basil

Holy basil or tulsi, is an aromatic perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics.  It is considered a great remedy for cough and cold ailments and is a general booster of immune.

In case these herbs are not available you can directly have Ashwagandha Choorna (Powder), Ashwagandharisht, Trifla Choorna, Tulsi Ark, Chyavanprash etc. from some good company like Dabur, Baidyanath, Zandu, Patanjali etc. Now a days Indian Health department is also advising for these herbs and immunity boosters to fight against corona.

Would Undoubtable Healing Power of Yoga Help in Fighting Covid 19?

It has always been mystery that what is there in yoga which works so effectively on almost all kind of body disorders and restores & replenishes its original strength. The subject is very vast and even thousands of books have not been able to explain all the aspects of yogic science. What ever little I know I am trying to put forth for the good of society.

Yoga has spiritual as well as materialistic value. Yoga, originates from "युज" ( yuj) धातु  (verb) which means addition or connection. Yoga is such a science which helps in connection of the body with soul and both of them while twined together with the almighty. This is the spiritual sense. In materialistic sense all the resources of body (all senses like visualizing, hearing, sniffing, taste, feel and (execution senses viz hands, feet) are focused and aligned with the soul to perform the single goal. In psychological language it may be considered as oneness of conscious and sub conscious mind to achieve the goal. Its but obvious that if your creative and decisive mind are working together they become almost unstoppable. Unimaginable results may be obtained through this method.
 
 Some of the major benefits of yoga are improvement in back-ache, head-ache, posture related issues, sleeping disorders, improved concentration / focus, improved satisfaction level, happiness, improved social orientation and higher level of inner peace. Yogic science is not like western music or injection which will create and make impact in moments. It is like Reiki and Spiritual healing kind of thing. All the impurities are cleansed slowly and gradually and day by day a better, stronger and more focused, more divine individual appears. Like a butterfly from a cocoon or a large tree from a small seed all the transformational changes are noise less. this is the way nature works.

Now a days Covid 19 is the worry every where. "How would yoga help us over come such a pandemic? " is the natural question which comes to one's mind. Yoga is known for its healing powers. The regular practice of different kind of pranayam and aasanas (poses) helps one boost his/her immune system and raise confidence level. Both of these things are important for healthy human being.

The beauty of yoga is that one need not be a yogi or yogini to reap the benefits. Whether young or old, overweight or fit, yoga has the power to calm the mind and strengthen the body for every body. Don’t be intimidated by yoga terminology, fancy yoga studios and complicated poses. Yoga is for everyone.

Anulom Vilom, Rechak, kumbhak, Bhrastika, Bhramarika are some of the most common pranayams. Similarly Tadasan, Trikonaasan, Uttanpadaasan, Bhujangaasan, Naukaasan, Chakrasan, Matsyendraaasan, Marjaaraasan, Halasan, Mayurasan, Surya Namaskaar are some of the aasans which can be easily performed. help of a guide or help of books, audio / videos may be taken to understand the details.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy life:

सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः । सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद् दुःखभाग्भवेत् ॥

The Alchemist Through an Indian's View

Its really an awesome novel and those people who cant understand Sanskrit or feel that they are elite class people and cant switch over to any other language for reading they too must go at least once for the novel as it has pure essence of 'vedantas' in it.

The best part of it is the solid stone which can convert any thing into gold, actually its a metaphor and symbolizes concise, tried and tested philosophy of the life which is packet of bundles of positivity and positive energy. Gold has always been remembered and admired for its purity and any thing that becomes pure and absolute is as good as gold. At the other end the fluid is metaphor for the thoughts in the process of formation and that are yet to be tested.

 In the chase of worldly matters we forget the most precious gift given to us by the GOD. The gift is our heart which can recognize good and bad omens just like black and white stones of the boy. Even very readily we forget our own goals and start imitating the social consensus and the top of the irony is that we try to find our inner peace also in that picture itself, which is not possible at all.

 Really the book is full of positive thoughts and one should go for it when ever need to re-energize one self.

Wish:-                               ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
                                           सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
                                           सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
                                        मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
                                   ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Social Media a Firewall Against Covid 19 in World Wide Lockdown

“Be it a day or be it a night all the moments we hold our social media gadgets tight.”

And it’s not just blame but a grand reality that people have started preferring likes and pokes over the real conversation. Our elder generation goes on nagging that these people are always in their mobile or laptop or palmtop. And with all the hymns and sounds we try to find out some way or avoid them.

Even after being teaches and being drowned in these gadgets we barely would have noticed that Twitter has 6 different forms of communication networks or that Facebook is most active on Fridays, do you still think that you’re a social media guru?

Whether we would have been knowing less or more about what ever social sites we have been using, it doesn’t matter for us. The user friendly feature, the ease of connect even after being apart, that personal touch , caring and sharing from a distance are some of the very charming features which our mechanical life has taught us to strive for.

But these are the only things which were dire needs of the world wide lock-down since March. And certainly social media has helped us to withhold ourselves in our own shells as has acted as a key aid. ‘‘With a projected 25.0% annual growth over the next 5 years Social networks are one of the fastest growing industries in the world’’.  

Here are some of the crucial and interesting facts about 10 top most social media platforms. 

1.      Facebook is the biggest and arguably most powerful social network in the world with 2.23 billion active monthly users. Facebook allows users to post, like and share content (pictures, videos, articles, etc.) with just the click of a button. Much of the content is made public so it can reach as large of an audience as possible.

2.      You Tube with 1.9 billion MAU is a video-sharing platform where users watch a billion hour of videos every day. To get started, one can create a YouTube channel and can upload videos for subscribers to view, like, comment, and share. It is also the second largest search engine after Google.

3.     Whats App with 1.5 billion MAUs is a messaging app used by people in over 180 countries. Initially, Whats App was only used by people to communicate with their family and friends but gradually, people started communicating with businesses too.

4.      Messenger with 1.3 MAUs used to be a messaging feature within Facebook, and since 2011, Facebook has made Messenger into a standalone app by itself and greatly expanded on its features. Businesses can now advertise, create chatbots, send newsletters, and more on Messenger.

5.      We-chat with 1.06 billion MAUs has grew from a messaging app, just like Whats App and Messenger, into an all-in-one platform. Besides messaging and calling, users can now use We-Chat to shop online and make payment offline, transfer money, make reservations, book taxis, and more. Places where social media platforms like Facebook are banned, We-Chat can be a good alternative.

6.      Tik-tok with 500 million MAUs is a rising music video social network. It was the world’s most downloaded app in the first quarter of 2018, beating Facebook, Instagram, and other social media apps.

7.    Twitter is known as the ‘‘in the moment’’ platform and boasts a respectful 255 million active monthly users. Twitter has a character limit to its messages, so messages are more concise and, at times, more informal.

8.     Instagram is a visual platform designed for customers to post, share, comment and engage through digital media. Users can post content on their general news feed or give live video updates as part of the Story feature.

9.    LinkedIn is regarded as the professional social networking site. Professionals can share articles in their field, look for job updates or watch informative training videos to increase their industry knowledge. It largely focuses on b2b marketing rather than b2c.

10.  Pinterest lets users discover new content (pictures, articles and links) based on their favorite interests. They can browse by topic and categorize their findings.

     All though all of the above mentioned platforms had started as social media, but they are very good marketing tools and are being used as digital marketing platforms. The commercialization of these apps has made the market more dynamic and influential. At the same time doors of digital marketing has brought opportunity in disguise to a lot of people.

Safety Measures for COVID -19

COVID-19 has been announced as pandemic by WHO (World Health Organization). So far more than 25 Lakhs of people have got effected and more than 1.6 Lakhs of people have died of this disease all over the world. Certain studies have showed that children and old age people are getting more affected from the disease. All though Governments all over the world are trying their best to save their citizens but scarcity of resources, communicable nature of disease are major challenges along with the financial challenges for almost all countries.

As is said, prevention is always better than cure, we must be aware different characters of the disease and ways to prevent the same. Here are some details:

Way of Spread: The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. Normally these droplets are too heavy to hang in the air, and quickly fall on floors or surfaces.

One can get infected by breathing in the virus if he/she is within close proximity of someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then one's eyes, nose or mouth.

Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people (carrier) who are not showing symptoms.

Cure of  COVID-19: There is no particular cure of COVID-19. Research teams of different countries are working day and night on concepts of injection, plasma therapy and others to get a solution for this but no one has got success. Certain primary researches have brought hope but lab test and human tests are still pending. Although Hydroxychloroquine produced in bulk in India has shown good results in control of the disease but is not the permanent solution.  In such consequences prevention is the only way for cure.

Ways to prevent COVID-19:

Hand Hygiene: Clean your hands often. Use soap and water, or an alcohol-based hand rub. Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

 

Social Distancing: Stay home  to avoid contact with people. Maintain a safe distance (2 meters recommended) from anyone who is coughing or sneezing if you are out of home.

Cover Cough and Sneezes:Cover your nose and mouth with your bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Use face mask. Disposable / washable face masks readily available may be used. How ever  hand made face masks from khadi cloth is highly recommended. In absence of face mask handkerchief, dupatta or gamcha may also bee used to cover face.

Seek Medical Attention: If you have a fever, a cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention. Call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Avoiding unneeded visits to medical facilities allows healthcare systems to operate more effectively, therefore protecting you and others.

Use of Detergents, Soaps & Disinfectants: All kind of soaps, detergents and disinfectants are helpful in breaking the chain by destruction of RNA of virus. Regular Use of these will certainly prevent you from getting infected.

  

Raise Your Immunity: As per Ayurveda certain elements are natural boosters of immune viz. tulsi, ginger, ashwagandha, laung, kali mirch, peeper, mulethi etc. Food suuplements like Chyavanprash, Kesri Kalp, Ashwagandha Risht etc. may also be taken.

Success

Every body aspires for success but digesting success is even more difficult than achieving it. Our holy scriptures have told a lot on success which is quite relevant in today's consequences as well.

If one is on the way of success and all things go in right direction but the result turns to be failure in last one should not get de motivated or disturbed as its an incident and misfortune. The same way if nothing goes right in one's life and success is experienced all of a sudden out of no where the person should not be elated, as it is luck. Certain times all things are synchronized and the expected result comes from the actions performed by the individual. This Incident must be enjoyed as it boosts your confidence and tames your subconscious to have a systematic approach to fulfill your goals.

in short one must never have negative thoughts viz. -" In spite of hard work, I don't get good results etc." Negative thought are like corrosion in life. The reaction taking place is in evident but corrodes you regularly and stances question mark on one's existence. In Bhagvat Geeta Lord Shree Krishna has himself told to Arjuna-

                      श्रीभगवानुवाचप्रजहाति यदा कामान् सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।
                       आत्मयेवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥ (५५)

The person who leaves all kind of desires and remains neutral and contented in all kind of situations is  stable minded. Such kind of person can stand tall in all kind of situations and will prove himself stallwart and successsful in the long run.