It’s time people should seriously think of building up immunity through cost effective Ayurvedic practices rather than living in fear of diseases, renowned Ayurvedic scholar Dr Bhaswati Bhattacharya has said.

“…the AYUSH systems (should) come and create a grassroots movement of people re-prioritizing their health (needs)…,” the medical doctor-turned Ayurvedic practitioner said during a recent webinar on topic ‘Ayurveda for Covid-19 Prophylaxis’, organized by the Ayush Valley Foundation in association with the Ayurveda & Health Tourism Magazine.

As per Ayurveda, Ojas, the vitality of the body and the mind, acts as a shield against diseases. “The vulnerability to illnesses occurs when our Ojas is compromised …In a majority of cases, issues with the mind and the gut are leading to diseases. So building up Ojas and getting your mind in order is important.”

The observance of Dinacharya (daily regimen) and Ritucharya (regimen as per the various cycles like Day/Night, Fortnight or Solar cycles) go a long way in building up Ojas.  Among other things, we should consume food judiciously. For instance, if it’s humid and hot, go for things that are easy to digest. Similarly the usage of herbs like tulsi, guduchi and ginger is good in building up immunity.

“Healthy practices like scraping the tongue, daily nose oil usage, having hot water in the morning, keeping the gut clean with warm cooked food and sound sleep, all goes a long way in ensuring the robust health of a person,” she added.

Adhering to hygiene practices and carrying out fumigation (using Ethernet or organic shell, neem leaves, turmeric, onion, garlic, turmeric, aromatic spices and a few drops of ghee) too are effective in preventing diseases like Covid-19, Dr Bhaswati pointed out.