- Many times, we observed that people who had started their new year fitness resolution ended their fitness journey sadly in the first quarter of the year itself.
- 21 days yoga challenge often ends after uploading pictures on Facebook and Instagram and rarely seen to be incorporated in daily practices.
- 1 month of no sugar / no junk food challenge often ends with binge parties.
If we observe deeply, the trends related to diet, fitness, and exercises are changing constantly. People are struggling to choose the right diet, exercise which suits their body and are failing constantly to adopt a new healthy, sustainable lifestyle. This is all because we are not understanding the need for healthy, sustainable, adaptable habit building.
Many of us find it challenging to break bad habits including diet and lifestyle. It takes time, effort and commitment to form positive habits that benefit our well-being.
Ayurveda always emphasizes on building good habits including daily routine (Dincharya), Seasonal routine (Rutucharya). Ayurveda also briefly describes about preventive care according to age and different phases of life. Adopting these habits always leads to health harmony.
William James, a famous Harvard psychologist and philosopher, revealed that daily lives of humans can actually be described as ‘bundles of habits’. Our everyday routines, from the time we get up in the morning until the evening when we go to sleep, are filled with countless actions and choices, almost half of which may actually be habits.
Habits are automatic behavioural responses to environmental cues or triggers.
It’s always the little things that matter – physically, mentally socially or even spiritually. Ayurveda, the science of life, also recommends small practices with significant effects to improve quality of life and instill discipline for holistic health. It is understandable that adopting healthy habits related to lifestyle according to Ayurveda has to be our go-to method for a better and healthy life.
According to Ayurveda, our bodies are made up of three compositions (called doshas) – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Every individual has a dominating dosha. Our diet, lifestyle, exercise, sleeping habits and daily routine greatly influence the balance of these doshas. There are certain habits that might suit a dosha and certain aspects that do not. This is what will determine overall health and well-being.
In Ayurveda, the concept of forming habits that help you maintain good health and well-being is called ‘Satmya’. And this is often personal to you. Ayurveda acknowledges that the human body and mind are nothing but material bases. Thus, they have the ability to change due to various factors including lifestyle, mental pressure etc. The best way to maintain some amount of stability and health is by choosing positive actions that are in harmony with our mind and body.
We can adopt a healthy lifestyle which can reduce risk of lifestyle disorders like heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
Steps in building good habits –
- Create an awareness – The first step in adopting a good habit is to understand the need and impact of that habit. Knowing particular triggers, behavioural patterns related to unhealthy habits are also important for avoiding that habit and adopting new healthy habits.
- Set realistic goals – Set realistic, achievable goals for adopting healthy habits. It is not a one day process so be patient. Make healthy choices related to diet, exercise, seep and set daily goals.
- Track your progress – Record how things are going to help you stay focused and catch slip-ups. Imagine the future. Think about future benefits to stay on track.
Nadi Tarangini can help you in tracking and adopting personalized habits which are necessary for a healthy lifestyle. It is also helpful to learn more about habits, including the science behind them, to enable us to actually develop healthy positive habits for lifestyle change.
Once our habits are learned, repeated and acquired, they start to occur automatically.
Healthy habits according to Ayurveda
According to Ayurveda, inappropriate lifestyle imbalances the Tridoshik balance within the body causing different diseases. So, adopting a healthy daily routine is very important for preventing diseased state.
Ayurveda briefly described Daily routine (Dinacharya) and Seasonal routine (Rutucharya) for maintaining healthy harmony.
Here are some points that we can include in our daily routine.
- Wake up early at least 1 hour before sunrise.
- Never suppress nor forcefully void the natural urges.
- Proper brushing is very important for maintaining good teeth health.
- Mouth wash (Gandush) – Fill mouth with Triphala decoction or other medicated oils – It prevents excess thirst, improves taste and maintains oral hygiene.
- Nasal drops (Nasya) – Put two drops of sesame oil/ ghee for preventing premature greying of hair, muscle strength and good sleep.
- Oleation (Abhyanga) – Application of oil daily (Seasame oil) Keeps skin soft, improves blood circulation and improves overall strength.
- Exercise (Vyayama) – Exercise should be done daily for rejuvenating body and mind.
- Food (Bhojan) – Diet should be followed according to prakruti, season, age, occupation, geographic habitat etc.
- Sleep (Nidra) – One should take proper sleep every night, which should be between 6-8 hours per night.
Seasonal regimens (Rutucharya)
Ayurveda stresses a lot at the role of seasons on the body and advises that we must change our daily routine depending on the seasons. This is known as Rutucharya. It helps in preserving health as the season changes.
Season wise care given briefly in Ayurveda.
Sadvritta (good conduct) –Rules for having a good social life is also described by Ayurveda.
How to break bad habits according to Ayurveda?
Ayurveda specifically says it is important to break habits that do not suit you in order to achieve health and recover from disorders or diseases.
This is especially beneficial if you are trying to prevent the recurrence of a disease. This habit formation or change should also be done in a sequential manner. This change is known as Padamshika Krama in Ayurveda.
As per Charaka Samhita, an Ayurvedic text, an individual should gradually wean himself away from unsuitable and unhealthy practices (which are already part of his routine) and adapt wholesome ones in the right sequence.
We often see that trends like 21-day challenges often fail and cannot get adopted as part of lifestyle. Instead of going for fancy challenges, make the body slowly adaptable for new changes which are healthier. When you provide enough time for your body to adopt the new thing, it responds well. So don’t go for sudden new changes which come with fancy social media challenges.
On the first day it is said you should give up a quarter of the unwholesome practice and subsequently adopt a quarter of wholesome. On the second day, half of the unwholesome practice should be given up and half of the wholesome one should be adopted; this is to be continued for the third day also. On the fourth day, three-fourth of the unwholesome practice should be given up and three-fourth of the wholesome one should be adopted. This process should be continued on the fifth and sixth day also. The process of giving up of the unwholesome practice and adoption of the wholesome practice is completed on the seventh day.
By slowly and gradually giving up unwholesome practices and by increasing the wholesome practices in a proper sequence is very important.
If you want to give up sugar / unhealthy daily food/ bad habits like smoking or if you want to incorporate exercise / yoga in your daily routine then follow the above mentioned method which is more sustainable.
Good habits are very essential for maintaining health harmony. Habits can make or break chances of achieving and maintaining lifestyle goals such as fitness, prevention from lifestyle disorders etc. Good habits are responsible for increasing quality of life and promoting longevity.
Adopting Dincharya and Rutucharya described by Ayurveda which comes with unique individual specific approaches is the most sustainable and concrete way for a healthy lifestyle.
Nadi Tarangini can provide more personalized insights related to diet, exercise, water intake by tracking metabolic health and by analysing Nadi. This is an easier way for adopting healthy habits based on principles of Ayurveda in day today life which leads to a healthy, happy life.
