Here’s the truth about Health…
Being healthy is the new talk of the town . The pandemic has forced people of the world to try new immunity building potions and hoard fitness gear. It is a desperate measure to be fit; to be alive. Well-being and health were always crucial but the deadly virus seems to be the superstar catalyst that has opened the eyes of millions of humans to take care of their body.
Superfoods, gluten free wheat, quinoa, exotic grains, avocado and vegan diet fads are being thrown around like frisbees. Instagram influencers and celebrities are promoting health, beauty and wellness tips even from behind their screens in lockdown.
But the truth no one's telling you is this:
" ……100% health is a myth……."
Our body from the time we are born undergoes enormous changes due to physiological and psychological factors. We grow till a certain age and then our bodies are designed to deteriorate. Basically none of us are getting out of here alive.
As Sadhguru the Mystic Yogi from India says:
"Our bodies are mere vehicles in this mortal existence. Only our mind can transcend the infinite, but our mortal shells are finite. This body is just a loan from Mother Earth. One day you have to repay the loan."
Hence it is a resource we ought to use consciously. We all want to lead a healthy and happy life, but disease and discomfort to the mind and body are inevitable. Just like the mind cannot always be happy, your body will not ever be 100% healthy. All we can do is try.
Your body is a home you will reside in till your last breath
A beautiful home will exude positivity and wellness. So its a choice how you wish to decorate it.
Do you want it to withhold space, comfort, light and breeze or do you want to store it with extravagant furniture and materials that allow no room for relaxation. This is what we do with food. We feed our bodies with food of quantity more than it can handle, of taste beyond its satiation and at odd times when it repels it.
The evolution of human body is not at par with modernization
Human bodies have evolved into its present form over a period of six million years. And science suggests that it takes a minimum of one million years for any significant evolutionary change to manifest in an organism.
But contrary to this; technology is evolving way faster than Moore ever stated:
"Moore's Law refers to Moore's perception that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles every two years"
Thus our bodily systems are still the same as they were at least a million years ago. The instant solutions of food and beverage or even body transformations in a jiffy : Lose 10 kgs in 10 days are a nothing but a marketing gimmick. Everything has a natural pace and even in this fast paced world our bodies yearn for a slow journey towards health.
On the other hand Nature is a true healer. Pay close attention to nature and its continuous cycles. The more alligned you are with nature, the more rejuvenated you will feel.
Health is not a competition
Health is deeper than the surface. The external indicators of health like physical appearance or body weight speak nothing of the complex living breathing organism that you are. If you are lighter, fairer or faster than someone does not ensure holistic well-being. The media industry is great at selling certain body types, skin care products, expensive supplements and gym memberships as an ideal road to fitness. Real health is way deeper than what meets the eye.
There is NoBody like you
Literally, there is no- body like you. What your body needs, or doesn’t is not based on a set pattern of food and exercise regimens. Just like you look different, your DNA, body type and genetic makeup are vital in designing a healthy lifestyle for your body alone. Popular trends like Keto diet, Intermittent fasting, High Intensity Interval training( HIIT) or even fasting may do more harm than good to your body. A medical practitioner, nutrition expert or a fitness coach are the right people to determine what’s best for you.
Move your body
Our evolutionary roots suggest that we were apes swinging from tree to tree, chewing raw fruits for survival. The Techno- generation that we are ensures we do quite the opposite. We spend 90% of our time staring at Electronic gadgets following sedentary habits. Research suggests that NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) like walking, moving for household chores, climbing stairs, using limbs more often are efficient ways of burning energy and keeping fit.
Every sense matters
The human condition is miserable today because we are unaware. If we are conscious in allowing our mind and body to choose what we consume; it will be a happier and healthier generation. - Sadhguru.
Unlimited consumption of data bytes, fast foods and over indulgence in pleasures of the body and mind are ruining our biochemistry. Sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste and the sixth sense are all tools of being human. We should calm our senses and use them with awareness.
It is not how we look, but how we feel
Health is not a status symbol. A poor farmer who toils under the sun to survive on meagre income might be fitter than a millionaire living a lavish life spending bucks at the Gold Gym.
We cannot overlook the fact that comfort has made us unhealthy. We tend to associate and obsess over how fitness looks like versus how it feels like. Fitness is how energetic and enthusiastic you are about this limited period offer : your body. It is a feeling of positive energy that helps you throughout your life. It is not the mere momentary adrenaline rush of a deadlift at the gym but a child like enthusiasm going about your day. Fitness is a mantra which helps you meet your spiritual self.
Today ancient sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda have found its reach in American homes as well as healed millions whom western medicine has failed. These two sciences that incorporate the facets of mind, body, food and spirituality are few of the proven healing mechanisms by practice.
There is no denial that exercise of any form is beneficial to the body, but the need is to look at it as one of the various ways of being healthy. The path to wellness is a slow but poignant road that is destined to provide a better life. There is no barrier of age, gender, ethnicity, religion to reap the harvests of a holistic lifestyle.
Let’s remember that we owe our bodies care and attention whether there’s a looming pandemic or not. It is a responsibility to look after ourselves before we can be of service to anyone else. Heath is a gift not only to yourself but everyone around you. That it is a continuous choice to sow seeds of compassion and empathy to the flesh and bones we are breathing in.
