HEALTH + WELLNESS
SVASTHA:
THE ENERGY OF HEALTH from the Ayurvedic Perspective
I
n a culture inundated by the conflicting messages of both do-more-bemore-get-more-done, and the new expectation of spa-like practices of self-care, what deals with the true nature of our health? Ayurveda may provide some straightforward answers to this in classic texts, including The Sushruta Samhita, which gives us the Svastha-Vritta-adhyaya, or “Rules of Health.”
BY MOLLY MCMANUS (SHE/HER) + ILLUSTRATION BY JANICE NELSON
Rules of Health: Samadoşa samāgni ca sama dhātu malakriyah Prasanna ātma indriya manah svatha iti abhidhīyate One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas (fundamental principles), balanced agni (fire of digestion), properly formed dhatus (tissues), proper elimination of malas (waste products), well-functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul and senses are full of bliss, is called a healthy person. — Sushruti Samhita 15/48 Svastha or Swastha is the Sanskrit word for health: sva = my own self, and stha = to be stable. The sloka, or stanza, begins to give us some interesting tools when looking at our health. This sloka can be divided into two sections and states that both the physical body and the human mind and spirit must all be established in harmony for true health.
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