By Anuradha Gupta | Posted: March 09, 2020
Did you know Ayurveda holds simple secrets to boosting your immunity?
During a time when Covid cases in India are at an all-time high and the double-mutated and triple-mutated virus strains continue to spread in the country, it is time to go back to the basics. Stay inside, stay safe, and follow Ayurveda to keep your immunity strong.
Improve your immunity with Ayurveda
Here’s how we can improve our immunity, keeping in mind Ayurvedic principles, and remembering that this is the season for respiratory illnesses.
1. Manage your Agni (digestion and metabolism) and avoid the buildup of Ama (toxins)
- Avoid cold, processed, heavy, fried, and junk foods, and reduce nightshades such as potatoes and tomatoes, white sugar, and flour. Eat warm, fresh, easy-to- digest, nourishing food at regular meal times.
- It’s very important to stay hydrated; drink warm water or water at ambient room temperature, and drink herbal tulsi or ginger tea, CCF (cumin, coriander, and fennel tea), or cardamom tea.
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2. Attend to the three pillars, or trayopstambh, of nutrition, sleep and lifestyle
- Besides a healthy diet, adequate sleep and avoiding late nights promotes rejuvenation and healing. Regular yoga, exercise, and breathwork improve vitality and strength.
- Nadi Shodhana pranayama/Alternate nostril breathing and warming breathwork like Kapalbhati is good in this season, but do be cautious if you have a Vata/Pitta Prakriti/Vikriti. Try full yogic breathing or alternate nostril breathing, which has no contraindications.
- Follow a dinacharya (daily regimen) that involves drinking a glass of warm water in the morning with lemon and honey (if tolerated well). Do not have honey with hot water, as this combination is incompatible (a virudhahar). Try waking early and oil pulling with sesame oil, or any oil based on your prakriti. A daily Nasya, called Pratimarsa Nasya, with two drops of Anu Taila or sesame oil helps. It is recommended to start this regimen under the guidance of an Ayurvedic professional. Regular, light Abhyanga (self massage) is also strengthening.
- In your interactions with people, putting your hands together in Namaste instead of offering a handshake or a hug is a good and safe way to keep your distance
- Specifically for respiratory conditions, where your khavaigunya (weak system) is vulnerable, steaming or sudation (with eucalyptus or tea tree oil or just regular water) and gargling with warm water and salt is great. Using a Neti Pot is good in the Kapha season to prevent respiratory allergies.
3. Meditate
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s message to everyone during Covid-19 was to reassure families that the ‘worldwide spread of this new disease’ will be over soon, to care for those who have lost a loved one, and to bless those who have passed away. The overriding direction was that as the world deals with this disease, it’s important to improve your immune system and meditate often.
Meditation is a tool to manage the mind, and there are many studies about how it boosts immunity and improves health. There is a concept of psycho-neurological immunology (PNI) in modern medicine; neuro-hormones that enhance immunity, which is similar to Achara Rasayana or rejuvenation through practices like meditation and a positive state of mind. Here are some tips to get started with a daily meditation practice.
4. Follow a cleansing protocol this season
This is the best time to plan a Panchakarma, or even a gentle cleanse at home, where you can follow a light khichdi diet. Ayurveda classifies nutritional inputs such as food, breath, water, and sensory perceptions. Unplugging will aid a mental cleanse rather than following every stressful news report that can cause build-up of psychological ama.
5. Support your health with herbs
Turmeric is a natural antibacterial herb that can be added to food (with some pepper that reduces Ama).
Amruth, an antipyretic and immunomodulatory, is a Tridosha-pacifying Rasayana (rejuvenator) and one tablet can be taken daily for three months after a meal.
Tulasi Arka has anti-viral properties. 10-15 drops of Tulasi Arka in water twice a day can be taken safely.
Sri Sri Tattva’s Shakti Drops are created from a widely-researched formulation and contain the goodness of 8 powerful herbs that are 100 percent certified organic; 6 drops can be taken twice a day to build immunity and boost Ojas.
For those who take a spoon of Chyawanprash with warm milk or water in the morning or night, this is a good practice to continue.
- Take Kabasura Kudineer, a Siddha formulation that has been found effective in fighting Covid-19 by a German study. It has shown 84% efficacy as an inhibitor of spike glycoprotein in the coronavirus strains, in restricting entry of the virus into cells in in-vitro studies.
- Make sure to consult an Ayurvedic professional before you take herbs. They may advise Immunogen (Sri Sri Tattva), Ojas (KAL), Dashamoola, Amalaki, Trikatu, Sudarshana, Dasamulakatutrayadi Kashayam, Sudarshanasavam or Indukantham Ghritam, or Kashayam, depending on your state and stage of health and Vikriti.
6. Honor nature
- Ayurveda considers our relationship with ourselves, our family, our community, nature, and the environment as a vital part of our health. Honoring nature and respecting the limits of our biosphere and biodiversity is really important.
- We need to address our immunity rather than sterilize our world. By all means, we can sterilize it during this outbreak, but at other times, a natural environment is better for improving immunity.
How to increase your lung capacity
A. Abdominal breathing - Sit cross-legged, placing your palms on your thighs, facing upwards. Close your eyes. Breathe in, slowly expanding your stomach like a balloon, and then breathe out slowly pulling your navel in. Empty your lungs. Repeat this 3 times. Ensure you do this before your meal time.
B. Thoracic breathing - Sit cross-legged, placing your palms on your thighs, facing upwards. Close your eyes. Take a normal breath in, and breathe out. Now, breathe in, and expand your rib cage from the lowermost part. Slowly, expand the sides of the rib cage and the chest. Now, breathe out, relaxing your chest; slowly, try to contract your rib region and empty your lungs. Repeat this 3 times.
C. Pranayama - Supplement these breathing exercises with three rounds of Bhastrika pranayama - 10 times each round, breathing in and out appropriately.
D. Yoga - You can also gently do some asanas like Bhujangasana, Matsyasana, and Pawanamuktasana expanding your chest and opening your shoulders to allow your lungs to expand.
Staying healthy and panic-free
Covid-19 news is constantly being updated. Mortality is generally related to pre-existing conditions or vulnerability. Awareness and caution is important, but there is no need to panic. As events and travel have been canceled again and the economy continues to slow down, many people are worried about their basic livelihood. There are some who are relieved as the frenetic pace of life has slowed down judging by the talk about conscious economic degrowth – and sustainability. Of course, everyone mourns the loss of lives.
A lot is being done at all levels to contain and manage this outbreak, and that is reassuring. What can we do? Stay safe, stay indoors, and follow wholesome practices that boost immunity. When our Ojas and immunity are high, we are less susceptible to disease and the spiral of anxiety and negativity. We live in a global village, and are connected in not just the spread of diseases, but also with information overload and stress. Indeed self-care, resilience, and balance are essential in any regimen we adopt going forward.
To this effect, stay strong and stress-free with the power of meditation, breath, and yoga. Know more here.
This content on the Art of Living blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
With inputs and discussions; Vaidya Lokesh Raturi, Vaidya Jayarajan Kodikannath, Sejal Shah and Shriram Sarvottam
Anuradha Gupta is an Engineer, MBA and Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor. She has a corporate background and volunteers for Art of Living and other nonprofits. You can find her on Facebook or on LinkedIn.
