As we rush towards a more prosperous tomorrow, our goal is brighter, shinier and our quality of life is getting shallower. India at 76 has over 100 million diabetics, 54.5 million cardiac patients, 1.4 million cancer patients and 56 million patients with depression. Each disease comes with the risk of a poor quality of life, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, brain fog, frequent hospital trips, and the ability to be fresh, energetic, diminishing by the minute.
Physical disease is connected with mental health issues. If you are diabetic or a heart, patient, research shows that your mental health will not be good. The very fact that you are labelled as a patient makes you feel a little inadequate. So how do we rush towards a more prosperous tomorrow when we are struggling to keep up with our day to day medications, symptoms, hospital visits?
On Independence Day, let us break free from this cycle of disease and pain and follow simple steps that helps each one of us achieve the dreams we have always dreamt of. Your body is your vehicle, when this vehicle is healthy, when the mind is calm, only then can we see a new dawn, and see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
1. Embrace Yourself. Simply put, this means that you have to mindfully take charge of your own health, physically and mentally. The food choices you make, the exercise choices you make or don’t make, all lead up to how you are feeling emotionally and physically. When you realise that You are important, You need self care, that is the first step that you take towards nourishing yourself so that you can start releasing some of the issues that pull you down. When you stand up and say that I am the master of my destiny, remember that it also includes the master of your own health. No one can dictate you what choices you want to make. Embrace the right choices, the healthy choices to instil the confidence to walk towards your glorious future.
2. Don’t take the shortcut. There are no shortcuts to good health. There is no magic pill to cure obesity, diabetes, low moods, heart, disease, or cancer. Everything takes time. But the beautiful part is that our ancient wisdom in our Ayurvedic texts and yoga sutras gives us the right path. Educate yourself about the Ayurvedic lifestyle, which shows you the direction that if your gut is healed, you are healed. And this is backed by science. The gut has more neurons than the brain, so when you heal your digestive tract, you are also healing your low moods and Mental health issues.
Understand that yoga is not just an exercise. When you sit in Dhyaan, or do an Asana and hold it, your mind is talking to your body and your organs. There is harmony between all your organs which can play a beautiful orchestra if you allow it to. This harmony will start healing your cells, reduce inflammation levels – and inflammation is the root cause of all diseases. Even if you have an inflammatory condition like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, obesity – just reducing your inflammation levels with yoga, breathing and gentle asanas will help you start releasing your clinical markers which maybe high.
3. Make consistency your guru. Each and every person who follows the consistent path of good health, starts experiencing the miracle. You are not going to see results in two weeks. But two months later, when your reports are better, your bloating is reduced, your brain fog has lifted, it is then that you realise that your body is giving you signs that it is responding to the consistency of healing. Don’t give up on yourself, keep at the consistency. Remember, it took years to build the disease, give it at least six months to start releasing it. Unlike medical science, where the only cure is suppression, by implementing lifestyle modifications as per our ancient healing, you can expect a cure if you are consistent.
4. No matter what, move. Yes, we all have pain and that’s a perfectly good reason to not exercise. But not exercising leads to poor moods, depression, poor balance, suppressed immunity and higher inflammation levels. If you can’t walk, do exercises sitting in a chair and lying down. There is always a way. And I am saying this from experience. For 18 months, I was not able to walk because my left ankle and right knee hurt so much and the doctors said I would need surgeries for both. I slowly rebuilt everything with the healing powers of Ayurveda and yoga. I exercised in a chair and on my yoga mat because I couldn’t walk, but I didn’t want my joints to rust away. So I understand when you say you have chronic pain and you are unable to exercise. You can, believe in yourself.
Movement brings mobility and mobility brings agility. Not just physical activity but also mental agility, which is required for you to perform your daily tasks. Exercise also reduces the ageing process, and if you feel youthful, you will be productive for a long, long time. Whether you are productive as a homemaker, a professional or a student, without exercise, it is not possible to be consistently productive.
India at 76 is a young country. We have the largest population of under 35 people. But on an every day basis, I get so many under 35 people who are struggling with hypertension, high cholesterol, type two diabetes, obesity, depression, and a myriad mental health disorders. Why? It’s because we have been taught over the last few decades that we have to strive to prove that we are successful. Just pause and think – how will you be successful if your body gives up? Go back to the India that was the glorious India , where fresh food, gut healing, an Ayurvedic way of life made us Sone Ki Chidiya. Can we not pledge today to seize back the title? We can. And let’s. Only then can it be – A Happy Independence Day. Because happiness is a mindset and your mind will drive your body to make your country great again.
Jai Hind.
With Gratitude,
Rachna Chhachhi
Cancer, Nutrition & Mental Health Therapist
WHO Certified in Malnutrition for Children
Well done my dear !!