By Rachna Sharma | Posted: July  26, 2019

Health is the supreme foundation for the achievement of a happy life. Ayurveda considers sukha (happiness) as the state of health & well-being, while anything that causes dukha (misery) is a state of suffering.  

If we look around us, we can see that almost everyone we know suffers from poor health and wishes they were happier, even with all of our technological advancements and a readily-available plethora of entertainment to distract us.

So what is it that we are doing wrong? What’s damaging our health and also making us so discontent and unsatisfied? Ayurveda, the science of art and living, might have the answer. 

According to Ayurveda, our life expectancy and health depends on three sub-pillars of life: Ahara (diet), Nidra (sleep) & Brahmacarya (control of sexual energy). These supports are called the Upastambhas, which add to the strength of main stambhas (pillars), or the Tridosha (the three main biological forces of energy that we call Vata, Pitta & Kapha). For a healthy life, regulation of these three pillars is essential.

Among three Upastambhas, Ahara is mainly related to physical factors, Brahmacharya is primarily concerned with mental factors, while Nidra has a psychosomatic approach to wellness. 

These three sub-pillars endow the body with strength and vitality that last a lifetime, provided a person does not indulge in habits that are detrimental to their health.

Ahara (Diet)

We can’t survive without food! Ahara is the first and foremost upastambha. Without proper nutrition, the body becomes depleted of the nourishment required to grow & replenish itself. 

Ahara affects not only the physical body but also the mind by influencing our attitude, actions & emotions. Ayurveda considers food to be a primary source of prana, or life-energy. Ahara is a physical requirement for life to be sustained.

We can keep illness away by understanding the science of diet and its effects. A man remains healthy by eating appropriate foods. There’s a reason hospitals don’t serve fried chicken! Even if drugs are given to a diseased person, he cannot be cured without proper ahara.

Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, has said, ‘Let food be thy medicine & medicine be thy food.' How true these words are, and yet society has forgotten to live by them. A diet high in saturated fats, refined sugar, oil, meat, and commercially processed foods has overtaken the use of fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Health isn’t just about counting calories, even though in Ayurveda, Ahara prescribes discipline & self-control. Ayurveda considers the cooking preparation, storage, season, Prakriti (body constitution) of every single individual: for good house, we must consider the nature of a substance, its effect on the body, the way we take food, digestive power, and much more. The size of meals is not based on calories, but on the power of digestion & fullness of the stomach.  

In Ayurveda, Ahara is not separated from lifestyle. A lifestyle that balances Prakriti is vital in maintaining the balance of doshas, leading us to purity and Sattva (consciousness). All three pillars are linked in the sense that if food is not consumed correctly, then it results in indigestion, which then affects sleep. 

When food, rest, or both are improper, then sexual vitality is disturbed. A poor diet is considered to be the root of most illnesses, which, of course, is very much prevalent in today's society. Therefore, Ahara is the most critical factor in your health. You are what you eat!

Nidra (Sleep)

The inclusion of Nidra in the Upastambhas establishes its importance. For every living creature in the world, sleep is an indispensable resource for maintenance of both the body and mind. During sleep, the Kapha dosha increases. Kapha Dosha is related to the growth & development of our body tissues, and boosts immunity.

A good night’s sleep is a gift from nature. It’s too easy, in this technology-saturated world, to forgo a proper sleeping schedule in favor of extra screentime. This disturbs our internal clock and disrupts the harmony that our body has with nature. 

Once this harmony is violated, sleep as well as total health is hampered. Despite knowing the importance of sleep, we live in a society where sleep deprivation is common. This is generally true in our time where ‘we crave more, work more & expect more..... And in the process, abandon sleep'. 

Stress caused by personal problems, work schedules, and other lifestyle demands, as well as diseases, contribute to acute and chronic levels of poor sleep. Abundant evidence exists about the role sleep plays in our health and wellness. 

In Shakespeare's words, sleep is the "Chief nourisher at life’s feast." Regular sleep patterns induce Rasayana (rejuvenating) effect on the body, which could explain why individuals who sleep poorly lose healthy body weight, have low hair and skin quality, feel depression at higher rates, and suffer from Ajeerna (constipation). 

The goal of the Ayurvedic approach is to create more potent individuals through increasing and honing the Ojas. Ojas are the energies responsible for immunity, youthfulness, and glowing health. Restful sleep, of course, is a pinnacle of Ojas. With proper sleep, Agni (our digestive fire) is adequately maintained and the evacuation of Mala (excreta) takes place correctly. 

Today's life is so competitive that so many people remain in a state of anxiety, which damages Vata & Pitta. Prolonged wakefulness due to late night parties, scrolling on your phone, watching T.V., or studying and work further enhances the destruction of Vata, which leads to progressive malfunction of the mind & abnormal behavior in the nervous system.

Currently, a majority of people are suffering from these harmful effects of sleeplessness. Hence, it has become essential to educate people about sleep hygiene. In such circumstances, there is a need for the proper management of insomnia such as massage, yogic treatments, meditation, etc.

Yoga and meditation are super effective in increasing the quality of your sleep, which will keep you energized and sharp throughout the next day. 

Brahmacharya (control of sexual energy)

Brahmacharya is the third upastambha of the body. It is often misunderstood and not much discussed, but Brahmacharya is an integral part of human life.

Ayurveda defines chastity with a more profound view than a more Western-informed approach; Brahmacharya isn’t just about abstinence, but means to walk in the path towards God. It’s not about completely disregarding pleasure, but living life free from indulging in excessive sensuality. According to Ayurveda, too much indulgence leads to loss of physical strength and memory, a lack of vitality, and it also disturbs physiological functions.

Ayurveda looks upon sexual intercourse not merely as an act of pleasure and connection, but also as one of the objects of life, the goal of which is to conceive children.

Shukra (semen) is the final essence of Ahara. According to Ayurveda, the more you waste Shukra, the more you waste strength. In Yoga literature, it is said that the falling of Shukra invites death, while the preservation of Shukra gives life.

Shukra is the most powerful source of vitality. It imparts Brahma (lustre) to the face and strength to the intellect. If the secretion of Shukra is continuous, it must either be expelled or reabsorbed. Whenever Shukra is conserved, it is reabsorbed into the system & goes towards enriching the blood & strengthening the brain.

In the Vedas (ancient Indian texts), four phases of human life are mentioned. Among them, Brahmacarya Ashram is a stage of life where one learns to control the senses to focus on study & attain a ripened understanding of life. During this period, one can channel their sexual energy into pursuits of mental & physical development.

Brahmacharya is ultimately about self-preservation of energy & saving Shukra. Sex plays a very crucial role in our lives: it is not evil, but overindulgence, just like with every other aspect of health, will do more harm than good. 

The proper practice of Upastambhas

Food, sleep, and sex are what we have in common with all other creatures on earth. That which differentiates a man from an animal is the ability to think and to inquire--a pursuit that is greatly fuelled by regulation of these sub-pillars.

Ahara, Nidra & Brahmacarya affect our physical, mental, ethical, social & spiritual well-being. Only by proper practice of these three essential factors of health will longevity, strength, knowledge, wealth, vigor and devotion to spirituality be achieved. 

Today, in many ways, people have more opportunities to pursue a better life than ever before, but this doesn’t mean that life isn’t difficult. In this complex modern world, following the golden rules of the ancients is more important than ever. 

Rachna Sharma is an Ayurveda doctor in the making, avid reader and book lover. Heading the Ayurveda pillar for Stemjar, she focuses on building exhaustive and unique content on this ancient medical science.