In his autobiographical book 'Aafno Katha,' BP Koirala writes, “Only a healthy body can think in a healthy way.” The Buddha, Mahavir, Hippocrates, and other persons have expressed the same idea. But how can we remain healthy in an era of profit-driven capitalism? This is a serious question because the market, our diet, the environment, our lifestyle, and our surroundings are against our health.
The word Khalepu is used as an adjective to describe something that appears attractive but is ultimately destructive in my locality of Gundu, Bhaktapur. Capitalism is that Khalepu system. It earns profit by producing and trading goods. It also plays a role in creating demand. By handing mobile phones to children and teenagers, it destroys their creativity (they do not have to think). It provides games and entertainment, turning them into eye patients, and then conveniently comes with expensive glasses and medicine packages to console them.
Fear and stress make people prone to heart diseases. Consuming medication for heart ailments often brings along side effects like arthritis, uric acid, and additional complications. Capitalism, in turn, shows up again with remedies for these issues, only to leave more diseases as gifts. It tempts people with overly flavourful but unhygienic junk foods, poisoning both their bodies and minds. At every moment, it undermines human creativity, pushing them into a pool of fear, stress, despair, and frustration.
Capitalism, by driving people away from natural lifestyles towards artificial ones, is the primary cause of numerous infectious diseases. In truth, capitalism charges a hefty price to make people sick and then robs them further once they are ill. Allopathy is a great invention of science, but capitalism has turned it into a tool for profit.
Yogic essence
Even in such a time, there remains a ray of hope—that is, a natural lifestyle, including proper nutrition and the science of yoga. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare workers, athletes, and politicians lost their lives, but reports of deaths among those following a natural lifestyle were rare. This underscores how crucial a natural lifestyle is.
June 21 is International Yoga Day, while the Nepal government is celebrating National Yoga Day on Magh 1 since 2072 BS. The national day has inspired us to lead the yogic life, claiming it as the highly advanced science concerning physical well-being and mental upliftment, discovered and refined through the research and experiences of Eastern sages. Contrary to what is seen on the surface or claimed by propagandists, it is not a religious practice. Some regard it as Vedic Hindu worship due to the chanting of Om in Udgeeth pranayam and the statements of certain conformist gurus. However, the truth is that the vibrational chanting in Udgeeth rejuvenates the heart, throat, and brain simultaneously. It calms the mind, relieving tension, anger, and anxiety. Moreover, it cures insomnia and helps control hypertension.
According to Modnath Prashrit, an expert in yoga and Ayurveda, yoga encompasses systematic knowledge of why diseases occur in the human body, how to cure them, and how to prevent them from occurring at both physical and mental levels. It includes a broad array of practices, such as postures (asanas), breath control (pranayams), meditation, and states of deep absorption (samadhi), aimed at fostering mental discipline, consciousness, thought processes, and creative capabilities. Yoga is backed by thousands of years of practice and experiential knowledge.
Allopathy can control heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and similar conditions, but even in an era where science has reached its peak, it has not been able to completely cure them. Allopathy treats diseases only at the physical level, meaning patients must rely on medication for life. One drug often causes another problem, turning the human body into a vast repository of diseases. Yoga, on the other hand, seeks to heal both the body and mind. Yoga postures (systematic exercises) work on the physical level, while pranayams (structured breathing control exercises) address both mental and physical aspects to find remedies for illnesses.
The first phase of yoga involves light exercises, followed by more vigorous practices such as yoging-jogging, dance, and Surya Namaskar. After that, there are poses involving core strength (performed with the support of the abdomen and spine), and finally, the practice of pranayams and meditation. These methods can be compared to the process of bathing: light exercises are like soaking the body to loosen the grime, intense exercises are like scrubbing to remove the dirt, and pranayams and meditation are akin to thoroughly washing off and purifying the body. Therefore, all three processes are considered essential in yoga.
If yoga becomes a lifestyle, not only will infectious diseases be kept at bay, but other illnesses will also find it hard to take hold. Even if they do, they won’t be able to weaken the body. Yoga is not just ordinary exercise—it is both a science and an art of living—self-discipline, health, and elevated living. According to Patanjali, yoga is the union of mind and body, enabling one to control mental fluctuations (yogashchittavritti nirodhah). Self-discipline is the starting point of an elevated life.
Yoga places primary emphasis on proper and balanced diet, enabling the words of Hippocrates, the father of medicine, “Let food be thy medicine, not medicine be thy food.” It then emphasises, in daily life, sweating for at least an hour, long breathing whenever you get fresh air, practising pranayams and meditations, laughing and making others laugh, and fostering positive thoughts.
It advises sleeping early, getting up early, drinking water on an empty stomach, and avoiding water intake during meals. These habits prevent constipation, and maintaining a clean digestive system is the first step toward good health. The yoga postures that follow convert calories into energy, keep the blood, respiratory, and nervous systems healthy and active, and enhance the body’s immunity against diseases. Regular practice of pranayams activates the brain and nervous system, making the body completely disease-free and enhancing brain capacity.
Meditation, in turn, provides relief from all life’s stresses. Some regular practitioners of yoga also tend to avoid meditation. You can begin with the simplest method of meditation—anapan meditation. Close your eyes and become aware of the breath entering through the walls of your nostrils and exiting while touching the same walls. This process of mindfulness towards your breathing is the first step in Vipassana meditation. Even this simple practice can bring us peace and relieve stress.
Every yoga practice generally involves three stages of breathing: purak (inhaling), kumbhak (holding the breath), and rechak (exhaling). Purak brings oxygen into the body, improves lung capacity, and wakes up sluggish cells in the body, while Kumbhak supplies oxygen to every part of the body, increases the energy level, and boosts the life force. Similarly, Rechak expels carbon dioxide, keeps the diaphragm active, and helps reduce stress and anxiety.
Our body has an inherent medical system that initiates a cleansing process when toxins accumulate. Just as the kidneys purify the blood, the body starts a self-cleaning process through symptoms like colds, coughs, fevers, and diarrhoea when toxins build up. Those who practice yoga rarely face such issues, and if they do, the illnesses do not last long because toxins are continually being expelled through regular yoga practice.
Moreover, yoga helps bring out your inherent talents. It emphasises the consumption of Amrit Bhojan, such as raw edible roots, vegetables, sprouted grains, and fruits, and forbids dead foods (refined flour-based products, junk food, and stale meals). Amrit Bhojan supplies vitamins, minerals, and fibre and acts as a natural antibiotic. In contrast, dead food increases constipation and makes the body toxic. For proper nutrition, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water and fibre for digestion are essential. Normally, a regular diet of fresh rice or porridge, lentils, seasonal green vegetables, pickles, and seasonal fruits provides all the necessary nutrients to the body. Additionally, exposure to sunlight for at least half an hour daily helps the body produce vitamin D. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphate, strengthening bones and teeth. It also boosts immunity against infectious diseases, diabetes, and heart ailments.
Yoga in cold season
Many of you might currently be suffering from coughing, tonsillitis, colds, sinusitis, or throat irritation. Even after taking medication, you might be suffering sleepless nights due to persistent coughing. We have a habit of immediately resorting to medicines—taking D-Cold for a simple cold, paracetamol for mild fever, aspirin for headaches, Eno for slight stomach pain, and amoxicillin for throat pain.
However, problems like these can be easily cured through pranayams, acupressure, and home remedies.
Regular practice of Kapalabhati, Ujjayi, and Bhramari pranayams provides a permanent cure for cough, sinusitis, throat irritation, and tonsillitis. Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, and Anulom-Vilom help resolve lung issues, while Anulom-Vilom and Bhramari pranayams help alleviate migraine problems. Kapalabhati, which involves contracting the anal muscles, applying pressure to the lower abdomen, and exhaling forcefully through the nose as if coughing, keeps all the organs from the anus upward healthy. It promptly resolves minor issues in these organs. Consuming vitamin C-rich fruits like oranges, lemons, guava, tomatoes, and gooseberries enhances immunity and prevents infections.
Although allopathic medicine provides immediate relief, these problems tend to recur. During the COVID-19 crisis, when oxygen levels dropped below 90 and oxygen supply was unavailable, doctors administered steroids to patients. These steroids helped prevent pneumonia and acted as a lifesaving remedy in critical situations.
However, they also caused a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of developing black fungal infections under the eyes. This demonstrates how allopathic medicine, while curing one illness, can introduce another complication—something that is much less likely with Ayurvedic and natural treatments.
On the other side, yoga and natural treatment must also keep pace with modern advancements. Some yoga gurus still advise avoiding hot and sour tastes. However, recent studies have shown that except for individuals with conditions like gastritis, ulcers, piles, or internal wounds, consuming hot and sour tastes can be highly beneficial.
Moreover, in cases of accidents, strokes, heart attacks, or major surgeries, modern medicine and technology are indispensable for saving lives. Thus, while modern medical treatment is essential during emergencies, our first priority should be prevention and healing through natural methods.
(Litterateur Shrestha is a yoga instructor as well.)