I have been following Dr Gowri Rokkam's (https://www.drgaurirokkam.com/) holistic health concepts or a whole plant based food diet for the last 4 years and have been very happy with it. When she mentioned that her mentor Dr.Arun Sharma, (https://www.imanah.com/), whose Grand father, Acharya Laxman Sharma is considered the "Father of Practical Nature Cure" in India, was doing a one week program in Natural health sciences, I was all excited and immediately signed up.
Sharmaji or Guruji as he is fondly called, is 82 years old, runs every day, practises yoga, travels across India and US conducting camps, doing online lectures, publishing books, consulting clients. He kept us busy from 6am till 9pm, for 7 full days, without even for a moment thinking of anything else and it was fun to be with him, full of humour, singing, dancing, reciting verses from upanishads and explaining the natural science concepts behind health, cooking, sharing and we forgot everything and were full of energy and enthusiasm and even saw people improve their health within the first couple of days. Along with science, it is also the psychology that plays on the mind and he is so good at it too. Liked the way, his sessions were free flowing without a structure, more like in tune with the nature!
Here's a glimpse of my learnings & this applies to everyday living
On 13 August 2023, we reached the "School of Ancient Wisdom" and it literally took us back in time, to the ancient times, felt like we were in a Gurukul with the Guruji and eagerly looking forward to every activity and carefully making a note of every word he uttered. It was priceless wisdom, after all.
Our day would always start at 6am sharp, with running/jogging for about 15 minutes followed by stretching and exercises. Movement is important for the body and ensures circulation of energy and walking is the most natural movement which uses most of the muscles. Running exercises all of the internal organs, expels toxins, when we breathe out fast and sweat, and is the best cardio and strengthens the core and the back muscles too, and can be done anywhere. Guruji pushes everyone to run atleast for about 15 minutes every day, irrespective of your age or condition or pains, you can always make a start, even if it is a few steps a day. Running has innumerable benefits for the body.
Guruji says, pain means there is no circulation or flow of energy in that part. So when you start moving, the energy flows and heals. He would keep repeating on how, in spite of his knee pain, he kept running and conquered it. He would always emphasise the importance of being independent and not dependant. He asks us to use our own body weight for strength training, instead of lifting weights in the gym and it works beautifully. After the exercises, we would move to the courtyard with our yoga mats for asanas, pranayama, meditation and some wisdom sharing. (list of exercises/pranayama on a separate blog)
Sun Gazing
Our morning yoga routine would also include Sun gazing, a very powerful technique to keep the eyes healthy. Many people have got rid of their glasses just after 4 weeks of practising sun gazing, eye exercises (exercise techniques on a separate blog) and clean eating.
We chanted Gayatri Mantra for about 11 or 21 times, while gazing at the sun directly with open eyes and then placed our palms on the closed eyes and waited till we saw all the colours fade away and disappear.
Alkaline Drink
We then went to the kitchen for preparing the morning drink. Mornings are the most important period when the body is busy with eliminating wastes from within and it is even more important to cooperate by not overloading it with unnecessary substances. We always start our day with an Alkaline juice (like cucumber, ashgaurd, dhurva grass etc -Recipes on a separate blog). The juice needs to be taken sip by sip, holding it in the mouth for as long as possible, swishing it around, warming it, so the brain can receive the information on the nutrients in it and sends the appropriate message to the stomach to start preparing for its absorption and digestion and this is when the complete nutrients are absorbed by the body without anything getting wasted. Simple technique, huge benefits.
Our bodies are designed to be 70 to 80% in an alkaline state and 20% acidic and if the food intake is also in the same ratio, the healing happens automatically. Guruji would say, focus on consumption of alkaline food, acidic food will anyways get added. Vegetables are alkaline, fruits are acidic, grains turn acidic in the stomach, as acids are required to digest them. We avoided dal/pulses, if needed can be consumed by sprouting them. There is no cell repair and healing in acidic state. So it is good to start the day with an Alkaline juice. The digestive power is weak in the morning and reaches its peak by afternoon, so cooked food to be best avoided in the morning.
Sun Bathing
Next was Sun bathing. Sun is the source of all life on this planet and has more benefits than anyone of us could ever possibly imagine and not just the vitamin D like we are made to believe. Every cell gets charged with sun light, rejuvenates different parts of the body and heals them. We consume sunlight indirectly thru plant foods and the direct consumption is so much more potent. It is the light of the sun and not the heat which is required. Preferable to do it in the early morning and if not, anytime of the day is ok, for about 15 minutes, depending on your body's requirements and stop it when the body gets heated. Essential to do it daily and for the entire body. If not, then with minimal loose porous cotton clothing. Helps to atleast once a month to get a full sun bath even if it means travelling out. Was surprised to know that many people have now started making provisions for Sun bathing in their house, on their terrace, balcony, rooms where ever the light enters. It does wonders to your health. Sun basking is also another technique where you move around in the direct sunlight during the day as often as you can, while carrying on your daily activities.
Hydrotherapy
Sun bathing was followed by a Spine bath. Spine is where all the nerve endings are located and if only the spine is exposed to water while the rest if the body is dry and warm, the cooling effect will ensure the flow of blood to that part and rejuvenates and activates them. The cells there also absorb water and expel toxins. Most of the bodies pains/aches disappear with about 15-20 minutes of spine bath. Can be done weekly/fortnightly depending on the requirements. There is a special tub available or even a common inflatable bath tub could also be used, where you fill in one inch of regular cold water from the tap and lie down on your back, so that only the spine is in water and the head, arms and legs out of it.
Hip bath is another powerful technique where a special tub filled with water only till the navel is used and one can sit in it for about 10 to 20 minutes, as and when required, a few times in a month.
Sunbathing was followed by a shower. It helps to end the shower with a quick cold water, if you are used to warm water showers.
What I learnt from these procedures is, we all know of the natural rhythm in life, day n night, light n dark, movement n relaxation etc. He extends the same principles from the nature to our body's health as well. Exposure to sun and then water, warmth and cold, partly in water and partly dry. If we know how to tune into this rhythm intuitively, we have conquered most of our health.
Herbal pack, Mud pack, Wet pack
Any alkaline vegetables like cucumber, ashgourd, bottlegourd can be grated and applied to any part of the body for about 20 minutes which has pain or injury or needs attention. By the process of osmosis, the toxins are expelled out from that part of the body.
If there is no circulation of energy in any part, it could result in pain.
Mud packs also can be applied to any part, specifically on the affected part, and acts in the same way as a herbal pack, where the cooling water rejuvenates and ensures proper circulation. The mud pack can even be left up to 2 hours, by ensuring that it doesn't get dry.
A wet cloth can also be placed on different parts for healing/rejuvenation. I find placing a small wet kerchief on my eyes for about 10 minutes a day, very relaxing and comforting.
Life's activity in a clean body is health
Life's activity in an unclean body is disease
After taking a shower, we would then assemble for classes, where he explained the science behind natural concepts. Food is our medicine. "Medicine is a sin that we pay for meddling with nature", is what he says. Medicine is poison and confuses the body and interferes in its natural work.
It is not the germs that cause disease in our bodies. It is the toxins in our body that attracts the germs. Germs come in to feed on the toxins and if allowed them to do their job, they feed on all the dead and sick cells and quietly leave after doing their job. They are our friends and not our enemies. Disease is a process of restoring health. It is the life's activity to bring back health. The only way to keep the germs out is by eliminating all toxins and filth from our system, by clean eating and healthy life style practices.
Unity Principle
Health and Disease is one
Food and medicine is one
Cause and cure is one
He says, the disease or the symptoms, doesn't really matter, because the cause is always one. It is the toxins that is trying to get out of our system in whichever way possible for it to be expelled out. So it is important not to analyse the cause or symptoms, the cure is always the same. As soon as you resort to clean eating and healthy living, within days, people have healed themselves of any disease/condition, including genetic disorders, physical/psychological challenges etc., as the body has the power to heal itself of any challenges, if supported well and with the right mindset.
Germs are the product of disease, not the cause of disease. It is the wrong treatment of disease that kills people. Medicine is poison in our body. Germs never eat healthy cells. They eat only the sick and dead cells.
Law of Unity
Law of unity is that a drug which is poison for the healthy, must not, under any pretext be administered as medicine for the sick, or in other words, what is food for the healthy can alone be medicine for the sick.
Holistic health or Whole plant based food
We need to look at food and health holistically. The sum of the parts has exponential benefits than the individual parts. The food also needs to be consumed whole, with the skin and seeds, wherever possible so we get the benefit of all its nutrients. Many a times there are so many nutrients in the skin/peel and discarding the peel, would mean we are depriving ourselves of the benefits.
Simple tips for Healthy Life
1. Ample exercise
2. Adequate rest
3. Positive thoughts
4. Positive food
5. An occupation that gives you happiness while also being of service to others.
If we follow the above 5 point golden rule religiously, then we don't have to worry about anything. Life takes care of itself and rewards us with good health.
Don't check your body parameters. Check your habits.
Guruji keeps repeating this. He says never to check our medical parameters which are not even correctly determined, mostly generalised, wrongly recommended. It is natural for the body's parameters to keep varying and they stabilise on their own. We should be in sync with them. Instead of checking the body, check your habits and correct them if necessary. Is there ample exercise/movement, clean eating, expelling toxins, sun light, salads etc.? Even if you have deviated a bit, during travel or for some reason, always keep coming back to healthy living and this helps to keep the discomfort/disease away from the body. I was surprised that Guruji even healed himself out of an accident situation, without taking medical help, but only fasting and resting and healing at home. Many people across the world have done this and healed themselves of major fractures and internal damages. The body has the power to heal itself if allowed to.
Signs of Good health:
1. Equal distribution of heat across the body
2. No complacency
3. Graceful movements
4. Keen hunger
5. Sound sleep/adequate rest
6. Happy mind
7. Physical fitness
8. Effortless timely elimination of waste
9. No discomfort in any part of the body
If food doesn't go bad, its not a good food
We need to consume food which is fresh, full of life, subtle in taste. The food that comes directly from plants, doesn't contain any chemicals and preservatives and hence cannot be stored for long. Items bought in the store are highly processed and have added chemicals to enhance their shelf life and hence harmful. So the simple rule is, if the food doesn't go bad after sometime, it's not at all a good food.
Eat it alone or leave it alone
Anything that can be independently taken or eaten is considered food. For example, we can eat coconut/carrots/beans just like that. We cannot eat tea leaves/coffee beans/turmeric/spices, it has to be mixed with something else to make it edible. So they cannot be considered as food and they add no value. Whatever can't nourish you, can't heal you.
There are 8.4 billion species of animals and every animal has its own selection of food. We have ours too. So we need to stick to those natural, cleansing, healing and nourishing foods alone. We need to eat for the body and not for the mind.
Its not what you eat. Its what you digest
There is no regulation in the quantity of food to be eaten. Each one is unique after all. However, the trick is to chew it completely and eat. That's when digestion happens. It is not what you eat. It is what you digest. Chewing it, till it becomes watery.
Regulated eating is the rule to health, not regular eating
It is important to eat when there is keen hunger in the body and not as per the clock or mind hunger. Eat when the bell rings in the stomach and not on the clock. Guruji would tell us often, "Hunger is the best sauce for the food". We don't need any other sauce. When we are really hungry, we enjoy any food including raw salads.
Chew your liquids, and drink your solids is his mantra.
The first step of digestion is in the mouth. Saliva is alkaline. All our food, if eaten with mindfulness and chewed thoroughly(chewing 40 times is my mantra), will ensure, that it fills our body and satisfies the hunger and we don't over eat nor feel hungry. It also eliminates the need for snacking in between. Every time you snack, the entire digestive system has to be activated. Instead of spending time in healing and repair, the body would be busy only in digesting the food.
Salads
After our morning session, we would proceed to the kitchen for preparing our salads for Lunch. Salads comprising of raw vegetables only(details on a separate blog) is the most important meal in the day. Vegetables are alkaline and fruits are acidic.
Having one salad meal a day, preferably for lunch daily, not in dinner, ok for breakfast at times, does the magic. It not only supplies all our nutrients, proteins required for the body, but also restores the body to an alkaline state and provides fibre for the gut bacteria too. If there is any super food or wonder food on this planet, it is the salads. Never miss your salad meal. Also, remember not to add salt to the salad. Salt pulls out all the nutrients from the vegetables. Mix any 2 vegetables, one watery/juicy and one non juicy and garnish it with tomato, coconut and coriander leaves.
Shreyas and Preyas
In Kathopanishad, in Yajur veda, there is a mention of Shreyas and Preyas. The Upanishad says, Shreyas is that which is good for one's own self and has long lasting benefits. Preyas is that which is pleasing to the senses and gives immediate pleasure or gratification and is short term in nature. Every choice we make has 2 reactions. Long term benefits and short term pleasure. The wise one always chooses "Shreyas". If we apply this principle to everything we do, life becomes easier. Life is simple and we complicate it by over analysing.
4 Meals a day
1. Morning Alkaline juice at around 8 am
2. Fruit Breakfast at around 9 am
3. Salad Lunch around 12:30 pm
4.Conservatively cooked dinner at about 5:30 pm
It is always better to limit to these 4 meals. If eaten mindfully, with enough chewing or following the rule of "Drink your solids and chew your liquids", then we do not feel hungry in between. This eliminates any need for snacking in between meals, which is not a good practice. The entire digestive system has to start working every time we eat, even if it is a small bite. This takes away precious time and hence less time available for healing and repair work which is its important function.
Food Classification
Most of these concepts have their source in the scriptures and are scientific too. Bhagavad Gita, under chapter 16, classifies food as Satvik, Rajasik and Tamasik. When we consume food which is satvik in nature, subtle in taste, then the mind also becomes more positive. The way the mind influences the body, same way, the food we eat influences the mind too. Rajasik foods which are extreme in taste(ex.tamarind), acidic in nature to be left alone as they induce Rajasik qualities in mind and not help in healing the body.
Tamasik foods, which are stale, not fresh, half eaten, left overs, which have no life, have must never be consumed as they are disease causing.
There are positive and negative foods, nourishing and cleansing foods, alkaline and acidic foods. Cleansing, Alkaline and Satvik foods always add life, add value to our lives and heal us.
The 5 elements/ Panchaboothas.
Everything on this planet including our bodies are made up of these 5 elements in the same order as they were created in the universe.
Ether - Fasting/Emptiness/Space
Sun - Sunlight - Sun cooked food(Raw)
Air - better breathing/ Pranayama
Water - Water content in fruits and vegetables
Earth - Fire cooked food.
Higher the order of creation, higher the potency. First fill the body with subtle food and then with the gross food. The more subtle the food, the more life it has. For example, ether is more potent than sun and sunlight is more potent than air and continues in the same order. Infact, Ether or space or emptiness is so so potent that just by Fasting, all diseases can be cured.
Everything comes from nothing
Fasting
Fasting is actually Feasting for the body. It is when we fast that the body is relieved of its regular work of digesting and can focus its energy and attention to healing and repair work. It does miracles. By fasting there is also more space that is created in the body and the energy/prana/life force also gets circulated properly. It helps to fast once a week, so that it gives time for the body to eliminate toxins and heal. Ekadashi fasting as per the traditional Hindu calendar's served this purpose of a designated day for everyone to follow the fast, twice a month.
We fasted till about 4pm and spent most of the time outdoors, siting around the Guruji for his lectures, under the trees, feasting on ether, space, sunlight and fresh air. Kept sipping water only as and when we felt thirsty or mouth went dry. We broke the fast by taking tender coconut water at around 4 pm followed by a fruit after sometime. Evening we had vegetable soup for dinner and did not eat any grains. Next day we resumed our regular clean eating.
Dr Arun Sharma keeps emphasising on the importance of fasting, specially when not keeping well. The body needs to divert all its energy and attention to restore the health back and heal us and it needs our support and cooperation. So if we fast and rest the digestive system, the body will do its job. It works like magic. The role of fasting is actually underestimated. It enhances our life.
I was even surprised to know there are different names for fasting done for different purposes. Hygienic fasting, experimental fasting, therapeutic fasting, accidental fasting, even political fasting etc,.
People think that food is a source of energy. Food/digestion is only a detachment of life energy from another source. Sometimes when we have pain and eat, the pain goes away, that is because, the life energy is diverted from healing to digestion. Guruji says continue fasting even when there is pain. The pain goes away when the healing is done and the energy returns on its own. When there is healing happening there is pain. To get rid of the pain, people take medicines. Any wrong practise followed by a number of people, over number of years, becomes a norm.
Elimination and assimilation are the 2 important process. It is better to fast periodically for a small duration so any elimination that has been held up can be completed in that time.
Water
Dr Arun Sharma says, water needs to be sipped and not swallowed and never gulped down. The water we get from fruits and vegetables is the most important source. When we follow this diet, since most of the fruits and vegetables are composed of mostly 80% water, our major water requirement is taken care of. Water can be sipped when thirsty. We don't necessarily require the prescribed normal 8 glasses of water when we follow this clean eating habit. Also, since we do not consume too much salt, and add a tiny bit of salt only after we turn off the fire, we don't need too much water to eliminate this salt.
After our salad lunch, we would continue with more sharing and learnings. We even had sessions under the huge, passion fruit and avocado trees, and occasionally a fruit would fall down around us, which we happily picked it up like kids, admiring the vast open skies, with the fresh cool breeze, and the birds chirping around.
We even sang, danced, shared jokes, listened to others experiences. When we share, we also heal, we let the stuck energy out of our system and feel so light and happy. We also get to learn from others life experiences, mistakes and best practices too. We make space for more life to flow into us. Just like a tea cup when it is empty, is when we can add more into it. We cannot add anything new, unless we empty the cup first. It is that emptiness, which holds the key for opening doors to new learnings, shifting our perspectives and healing and restoring health. So letting go and emptying is like a magic wand in our hands, using which we can create magic in anything.
Tona
The same letting go principle applies to Tona, one of the most important tools for a healthy body. It is important to eliminate all stuck toxins and flush out all filth out of our system, so our clean diet can restore health and balance. There are special tona kits available, which are used to take in water, so that the colon muscles can be toned and restored to work more effectively. Tona is preferred to enema. Enema could be harmful. Of course, Tona is also not a natural method, however, it is not unnatural or violent like enema. It is safe and is used more for toning the colon muscles and in keeping them clean and toxin free. A clean system does wonders to the body. Tona is indeed a magical tool.
It also reduces the waist size, obesity. I was surprised, that there is even a standard measure to indicate a healthy body. The size of the calf muscle and the neck, put together, should ideally be the waist size.
The accumulation of wastes, sometimes, accumulated over several years, is one of the main source of toxins in the body. When the food is rotting in the large intestine, it also attracts the bacteria/germs/virus to feed on them and release gas and at times this gas gets accumulated in the joints or even deposits in the brain and causes us to be dull, foggy and lifeless.
Tona can change or turn around lives or even better, it gives life to a dull body by eliminating all filth and toxins and making space for health to come back.
Tona when done on the fasting day is even more effective. Also, when someone is not keeping well and healing, it can be used.
Earth - Fire cooked Food
The evening dinner around 5:30 pm is a conservatively cooked dinner, comprising of 80% vegetables and 10% grains, 10% water, preferably a single grain. We would eat composite rotis or rice/millets cooked in palak with plenty of vegetables and vegetable chutneys. Composite rotis are prepared by kneading the wheat flour in nicely ground vegetables like palak, beetroot, carrot etc. Vegetables added to idly, rice, millets etc., adds more nutrition. All Chutneys were made from different vegetables like ivy gourd, ridge gourd, radish etc. Coconut was used in plenty in all dishes and it is good for health. Only when heated on fire, it turns into cholesterol. Otherwise, it gives us good fat. We also had dessert made of Ragi laddu/ poha/ bottle gourd payasam and it was very delicious.
We even made peanut curd and it tasted so good. All his grandfathers recipes with animal milk is now replaced with nut milk. No meat, no animal products, no diary, not even honey. He would say, let's leave the animals alone and not disturb them. He also mentioned about keeping up with times and making changes/ course corrections with every generation.
It is important to keep the raw salad meal and cooked meal separate and not to mix them, which is also one of the main causes of bloating and gas. The right combinations of food is equally important. We could eliminate many diseases and conditions by understanding when to eat, what to eat, and in the right combinations. Moderation is the key. Anything done in moderation is ok, even indulging in one's favourite food once in a while.
Eating a early dinner gives sufficient time for its complete digestion before we go to sleep so the body can get adequate rest. It is also important to keep the mind positive and happy and calm.
Every evening was dedicated to Satsangs, filled with fun n laughter, singing n dancing, relaxing n sharing. Everybody sang and danced to whatever tunes they could. Guruji would always emphasise on the fact that, it is not how good you are, it is how much you try to keep improving from where you are. He would tell us, never compare or compete with anyone, but only focus on excelling in your own journey. Guruji is more like a kid, would scold us when required, mock at us if needed to, make fun of us at times, but mostly made sure we all understand the importance of what he was sharing. He would enjoy every moment of the evening satsang, singing most of the Hindi movie songs in multiple languages and dancing at every opportunity, always leading us and when others forgot the lyrics, he would google it and help us continue singing.
We would wind up around 9pm with a prayer and retire for the day. I was happy and as soon as my head hit the pillow, would sleep like a kid, unaware of what was happening around and eagerly look forward to the next day early morning run.
It was a huge learning experience for me, both practically and theoretically. Never imagined that small habits like eating right could be so very powerful and could make or break our lives. Like Guruji says, "Simplest solution is always the surest solution". Grateful that I got an opportunity to spend time with Dr Arun Sharmaji, who is a walking talking encyclopedia of knowledge and wisdom on Natural Health Science concepts. He would always keep quoting from scriptures or come up with his own quotes. He says,
Mind and body are interconnected.
Positive food leads to positive mind.
Disturbed mind leads to disturbed body.
Natural health is a divine science of health. By understanding and experiencing its benefits, anybody can achieve anything. He says age or condition doesn't matter. Everyone can heal themselves and he is so passionate about spreading this knowledge, that we would sometimes see tears roll down his eyes, when he spoke and shared from his heart.
- Savitha Reddy
22 August 2023
https://wellness.akarma.life/OpentoAll/recipe
Sevanam Mitha Pathasya - (Eating in moderation)
Langanam SamayeSathi - (Fasting periodically)
Vayu Tejo Jalanamcha - (Air, sunlight, water)
Sevanam Beshanam Sadha - (Consuming is a healing process/technique always)
- Dr Arun Sharma
