Learn to live like a human being
Learn to live like a human being
Most of us are living with metabolic mess in our bodies. We can’t do much about our external circumstances, but we can control what we eat, when we sleep and how much time we spend outdoors. This challenge will gently cleanse your body and get you in touch with the rhythms of nature. It will enable your body to reset its internal environment.
The more I observe people, the more I realise that most people – yes, even doctors and molecular biologists – are unaware of the basics of maintaining their health. And even when they are, they are not able to put the right behaviours into practice. I have spoken to a wide range of people, Western and Indian. I must say that even Indians who were brought up with many of the food and lifestyle behaviours that come up in the challenge are ignoring them. I know that these ideas will sound outlandish to most of my audience. And this is where the beauty of the challenge lies.
Only after having home-cooked meals prepared from fresh ingredients will you know the difference it can make. Only after giving the right circumstances to your body to prepare itself for sleep in the evenings, will you know that it is possible to wake up in the morning totally fresh. Only with living in clean and tidy surroundings, will you know how much space it clears up within you.
The insensitivity about basic function, needs and care of the human body comes from the Western way of understanding the body, food and life. Very unfortunately, this is all that is being taught in schools all over the world. So this challenge will also open your eyes to a new realm.
If you have sleep issues, pay particular attention to meal times, changing out of your work/outdoor clothes once you get back home, switching off the lights in the evening and avoiding tea or coffee in the afternoon. Do activities that make you physically exhausted.
If you have stress issues, spend as much time outdoors as possible with your bare feet on the ground. Do some gardening. Leave your shoes outdoors, change out of your outdoor clothes and shower immediately after coming back home. Have only home-made food.
If you have metabolic issues - diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, pay attention to meal times. Spend time outdoors, get sun on your skin and your bare feet on the ground.
If you have not had children yet, this is particularly important not just for you, but also for your children, grandchildren and all other life that will come through you. If you are planning to have a baby, this could be a great starting point for preparing your body - this goes for both men and women.
If you have any addictions, you will feel them falling off. As your body aligns with nature, it will develop revulsion to anything that doesn’t serve it.
Now is the time to take your health in your hands, because no one else will. The doctors will only prescribe you medicines to block pathways in your body to manage the symptoms. When more symptoms appear, you will be prescribed another ‘latest’ medicine and then some more. Polypharmacy will develop.
Be grateful the doctors are there, so that we have a place to go for emergency situations. But other than that, we should aim to avoid ever seeing a doctor.
So, do something. Otherwise, very miserable last years of life and the multi-billion dollar medical industry to extend those years is there waiting for you.
This is also an opportunity to learn to cook, which is the primary survival skill. For the Westernised populations today, it is the number one tool to bring sanity back into life, family, society and the future of the world.
You can think of this challenge as a public health intervention.
Start this challenge on any new moon day and continue for two months.
Why on a new moon day? Because the moon affects us in ways that the logical, scientific mind can’t understand. You will figure it out once you start keeping a record of your feelings and behaviours over the lunar calendar.
Why two months? Because you need time to put all these changes in place and for your body to reset itself. Some effects will be instant, like being able to wake up early, but some will take time to manifest, particularly if you have any health challenges. If you make this a way of life, your body will be able to bear any health issues and age with grace.
Every day, write down how you felt and any changes you noticed.
- Start your mornings with oil pulling with organic coconut or sesame oil. Use your finger to gently massage your teeth and gums for 2-3 minutes with herbal tooth powder, or just oil and salt. Scrape your tongue (gently, 7 times).
- Have 1-2 glasses of warm water with one tsp honey and 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar.
- Have 1 tbsp ghee about half an hour after this. The ghee should ideally be from A2 cows. In the Western world, you can look for organic ghee from grass-fed cows. Wait another half an hour before breakfast.
- Have 6 almonds and 1 walnut, soaked overnight, in the morning.
- Shower twice everyday, with cold/tepid water. Use soap only where necessary. Use natural materials to clean your skin and hair. You can shower right after coming back home from work. Please make sure not to shower immediately after meals.
- Have 1/2 to 1tsp Triphala with half a glass of warm water at night before bed.
- Keep your surroundings neat and clean. Throw or give away stuff you are no longer using. This is not a one-time thing, it is a way of life.
- Spend at least 20 minutes with your bare feet on the ground. Sit down on the ground with your back absolutely straight. Try to be still. Have you eyes open or closed, as you like.
- Stop using the microwave. Switch the Wifi router off at night. Avoid using bluetooth.
- Store drinking water in a copper or silver container overnight before using it. You can also store water in clear glass bottles and keep them in the sun for some time before consuming it. Always carry your own water when going out.
- Have only home-made food, preferably cooked by yourself or someone who loves you.
- Have your largest meal at lunchtime - make sure you incorporate lots of salad and eat it before the rest of the meal.
- Sit down and spend about 30 minutes having breakfast and lunch and 15 minutes having your snack. Chew well! Let the food sit in front of you for 2 minutes before starting to eat. (Remember, digestion starts in the brain). Be grateful for the food and to all those whose life energies have made it possible. Avoid screens.
- While away from home for long hours, take your food along.
- Fill your food diary.
- Write your experiences.
- Eat a light dinner (if at all!) and have it by sunset or about three hours before bedtime. The ideal would be to have your stomach empty by the time you fall asleep.
- Avoid switching the lights on in the evening. Use a diya or a beeswax candle. No TV, no work, ideally, also no reading. Use this time to pamper yourself (by doing yoga/meditation or massaging yourself, listening to something) to prepare your body for sleep.
- Sleep with your head towards the South (or North, if you’re in the Southern hemisphere). If that’s not possible, have your head towards the East.
- Disable your alarm and sleep until you wake up on your own.
- Use the quiet hours of the morning to just be, or for yoga/meditation. Go outdoors for sunrise. Experience the elements. Spend at least 20 minutes in the morning sun, with as much skin exposed as possible.
- Have rest days around the new moon and full moon.
- Spend time in the moonshine and do moongazing on full moon night and the nights leading up to it.
- Step out at sunset for at least two minutes.
- Wear clothes made only of natural materials.
- Wear your glasses only when necessary - like while driving or reading.
- Eat soon after sunrise, to let your body know that it is time to get started.
- Eat organic food as much as possible.
- Avoid tea and coffee, especially after 2 pm.
- Try growing your own food.
- Leave outdoor shoes outside your home.
- Always wear freshly washed clothes.
- Change your clothes immediately after coming back from outside.
- Massage yourself every day - do at least the face and feet every day.
- Have 1/2 tsp ginger with a squeeze of lime and a little pinch of salt about half an hour before breakfast and lunch. Just ginger and ginger tea is also ok.
- Fast once a week, on the 4th and 11th day of the lunar calendar.
- Do Tratak meditation 15 minutes every night. Sit on the floor. Try to sit absolutely still, with the back straight.
- Have home made curds/yoghurt every morning, lassi in the afternoon if you’d like plus one portion of any home-made pickle or vegetables fermented in brine every day.
If you enter the challenge with any health concerns, monitor the symptoms and continue the investigations as recommended by your doctor.
Doing this challenge is mandatory if you would like me to help you with your health journey.
In my practice, I combine my understanding of modern medicine as well as Ayurveda with coaching skills to help you achieve your health goals. Ayurveda helps me give you personalised recommendations in diet and lifestyle based on your body type and current imbalances. I can help you get off allopathic medication, but this must be done in full knowledge of the doctor who prescribed the medicines. I might suggest, but will not prescribe any specialised Ayurvedic medicines, because it is outside my scope of practice.
Remember that it is only your body that can heal itself. Any medicines can help only if the body is able to utilise them. So, when we work together, we focus on creating conditions in the body that take it into self-healing mode.
By the end of the challenge, you will:
- Feel more energetic and fit
- Feel that there’s more time in your life
- Your known and unknown chronic conditions will start to reverse.
- Hunger pangs, compulsive eating will go down, or totally disappear.
- Your body will start telling you ways in which you can treat it better.
- You will develop sensitivity to the subtle aspects of existence.
- You will feel more in control of your behaviour.