The strong soil of your body knows which seeds not to grow
Every seed that can grow will not grow in every soil. Ayurvedic wisdom says to empower the soil of the body so that the virus cannot take hold. This is pure personalized medicine at its best.
Ayurveda focuses on the host, not the virus
by Bharat Upadhyay
New Delhi: As alternative medicine gains popularity in the wake of COVID‐19, the age‐old Indian system of Ayurveda can don the role of quiet yet powerful armed forces in the fight against the coronavirus, according to Dr Bhaswati Bhattacharya. She is the Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine from New Yorkʼs Weill Cornell Medical College, which is the biomedical research unit and medical school of Cornell University.
Dr Bhaswati says that practicing Ayurveda is like approaching the disease from the perspective of air, water, land and time.
“This is elaborated in a chapter on epidemics known as janapada+ud+dhvansa in ancient classic medical texts. The daily lifestyle of a survivor includes cleaning the air, using clean water properly, cleansing the land, and becoming aware of time,” she told IANS in an interview.
Alongside this pillar of lifestyle guidelines is a pillar of wisdom for food and a pillar of medicines for epidemics. But she says, Ayurveda does not focus on the virus.
“It focuses on the person, the host. Every seed that can grow will not grow in every soil. Ayurvedic wisdom says to empower the soil of the body so that the virus cannot take hold. This is pure personalized medicine at its best,” she emphasized.
The Ministry of AYUSH in India has proposed to include Ayurveda solutions in the district level contingency plans being drawn up to contain covid‐19. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his recent address to the nation advised all to follow the AYUSH guidelines to help build immunity against the coronavirus.
Dr Bhaswati said that cleansing the air includes fumigation, the use of flames in homam, daily diyas, and any burning of herbs, especially those with anti‐viral proper‐ ties.
“Burned ajwain is used in eye remedies and can be used in a dhoopana, along with neem, haldi, garlic and onion peels, and coconut husk. Opening doors and windows in the morning after rising brings in fresh air allows concentrated particles to leave,” she said.
Known in vernacular languages as jutha, etho, ushta, enjalu, eccam, aintha and engili, among others, many Indians know rules of washing hands, feet and face at certain times of day and around certain activities.
“We know how to bathe before cooking, before eating, and after using the toilet. We know to not touch our faces while cooking or touching children and persons outside the household. We know to wash our hands after handshakes,” she elaborated.
Keeping the land clean around our homes requires removal of inorganic waste, planting of trees, leaving water and food for birds, and consciously ensuring that the space breathes clean air regularly. Fumigation around the home precipitates the particles of germs that hover. The awareness of time is developed by regular meditation, yoga and appreciation of quiet and calm.
Ayurveda also offers guidelines for food during epidemics, stressing that we should keep our guts clean. We should eat simple foods, healthy foods, and foods that do not disrespect the environment.
According Dr Bhaswati, gradually shifting toward eating vegetables, whole grains and pulses, and using less ingredients is advised. Adding raisins, coriander leaves, prunes, spinaches (saag, palak), and dark green leafy vegetables to the diet helps the bowel push contents down and out.
To prevent illness, Ayurveda says to keep gut clean using foods.
“If you need extra help, try taking 1 tsp of triphala with hot water at night. Or you can take 1 tsp of dashmul powder with 1 tsp of psyllium husk (isabgol) with hot water at night,” she advised.
To keep the prana‐vaha‐srotas (ENT+respiratory system) clean, make a bitter kaaḍa. Decoctions at sunrise and sunset are a ritual for cleaning the nasal passages by stimulating the bitter taste buds, which turns on the airwayʼs immune machinery.
“Guduchi/giloy (Tinospora cordifolia) is the best plant for boosting immunity during this pandemic and is found in many forms,” she said.
For more specific symptoms, such as lower airway breathing difficulty, middle airway asthma, or upper airway, special formulations such as Soma Asava, Yashtimadhu churna, Agasthya Haritaki Rasayan, Pushkarmoola asava, Vasa Avaleha, and Chitraka Haritaki Avaleha exist.
According to her, Ayurveda is not a chemistry‐based science. “It includes ecology, geology, biology, botany. Trusting Ayurveda as an overall approach is trusting that all sciences are deeply connected,” said Dr Bhaswati.
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Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya grew up among cows as the daughter of a veterinarian. Her father had a farm in Nebraska and a rural farm in Joggodol outside of Calcutta.
Understanding seeds and soil and sun is in our nature. As a Fulbright Specialist 2018‐2023 in Public Health, she examines the role of all factors in an ecosystem before concluding how to rebalance the system. Her bestselling book Everyday Ayurveda is published by Penguin Random House. To order an autographed copy, write to bhaswati@post.harvard.edu .