Stay Healthy in the Dhama

by Kaviraj Partap S. Chauhan

During all my years of working with the devotees, I have analyzed some points, which I feel are the causes of problems that devotees face while they are in Vrindavana, especially during festivals. I would like to share these points with all of you who are coming to Vrindavana festival.

COMMON PROBLEMS:

Stomach disorders like diarrhea and dysentery, stomachache, and vomiting are some the most common problems. The most common reason for getting sick in Vrindavan is the water, which is heavy and is difficult to digest. Although many devotees use the bottled water, the water used for cooking or making lemonade, lassi etc. is the regular water.

Another important factor is the changeable weather during the Gaura Purnima festival. It is generally the spring season and the climate starts getting warmer, but it is still cool in the evening, late night, and early morning (mangala arti time). The climate seems quite pleasant, but if proper care is not taken, devotees can catch cold, cough, and flu very easily.

According to Ayurveda, there is a natural aggravation of the kapha dosha during the spring season, which is also responsible for problems relating to mucus, cough, cold and flu etc.

Another reason for catching these common problems is a weakened immunity of the body, as devotees have already exerted a lot in the Mayapur festival. Improper eating and overeating is another major cause. The prasadam is so nice that one can not control the tongue. Mosquitoes are also another cause sometimes, although the frequency of occurrence of malaria has decreased during last couple of years.

HOW TO AVOID SICKNESS:

As the reasons are already listed above, so if simple precautions are taken, one can stay in good health and enjoy the devotional mood of Sri Vrindavana Dharma. Here are some precautions that can be followed and thus the sickness can be avoided.

1. Eat according to your digestion power/fire (Jatharagni). It's always best to eat less and according to your Ayurvedic constitution.

2. Don't eat too many fried, oily, greasy, and heavy foods at one time.

3. Avoid eating too many sweets at one time. Taking a small amount at each meal is OK.

4. It's always good to take some Ayurvedic digestive powder, even if you are healthy. Lying down on your left side for about 20 minutes after meals also helps to digest the food easily.

5. Its nice to take a teaspoon of Chyawan Prasha every day to keep your immunity strong and thus avoid small problems. Taking a teaspoonful of honey is equally beneficial.

6. Be careful with drinking water. It is nice to boil the water before drinking it.

7. While on parikrama, it's nice to avoid direct exposure to the sun and heat. Use a cloth or hat to cover your head.

8. On returning from parikrama, one should take rest for a while to regain the energy. It's nice to put your feet in warm water with salt.

9. Wear warm clothes during night, early morning, and evening. Make sure that the head and the feet are kept warm by using woolen cap and socks.

10. Don't delay in taking medicines. You can stop disease easily while it is in the initial stage; otherwise, it will become difficult to overcome. So consult the doctor as soon as you feel uneasy or abnormal in any of your systems.

11. Try to help the sick devotees so that they don't feel insecure, anxious, or depressed. Even encouraging them would help. I have seen many times devotees feel that there is no one to help them, and that makes them sicker.

12. Maintain proper cleanliness and hygiene in your rooms, clothes, eating, etc.

13. Don't use the fan too much during the night. As mentioned earlier, it might be pleasant to use the fan due to the spring climate, but it can cause trouble.

14. If possible, use a mosquito net or some mosquito repellent to avoid mosquito bites. Eating some Neem leaves or Neem tablets also helps.

15. Maintain a regulated daily routine, especially for eating, sleeping, and waking up.

I hope these points will help you maintain good health and avoid sickness. For any further assistance and free consultation, please feel free to contact me.

Hare Krsna and the best of health!

PS: As mentioned earlier I will try to find some time and come to Vrindavan, but in case I am not able to make it please feel free to contact me at Faridabad.

Jiva Ayurvedic Health Center
1144, Sector 19
Faridabad 121002.
Haryana INDIA.
Phone: 296174
Phone/fax: 295547

THE AYURVEDIC CLINIC AND COLLEGE ONLINE:

Ayurvedic services are now available on the Internet! This is a web site started help the devotees who are unable to make to India. Anyone having in access to Internet can get a lot of useful information about basic principles of Ayurveda, its health rules, and introductory knowledge about this ancient Vedic healing science. Home remedies can be seen for some common ailments. The interesting part is online consultation and asking questions about your health or Ayurveda by e-mail. A list of Ayurvedic products is also available which can be ordered by regular mail.

The URL is: http://www.ayurvedic.org

With this service, you can consult me, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Now there is the facility to be in touch with the doctor, even while you are not in India.

Please feel free to contact me for any further assistance!