The ancient texts of Ayurveda (the Indian health system also known as the Science of Life) may be pretty old, but these folks sure had the right idea about how to keep the mind and body ripe and ready to greet the day. It reminds me of a Tahitian woman I met one time that told me “Tahiti is all about food, dancing naked and sleeping.” Somehow in the West I think we missed the mark.
So what does it mean by pillars of life?
These are noted to be the ultimate support in health and longevity. We need food to feed our tissues with nutrients and digest them well to feed the body as a whole. In Ayurveda the vital essence of our being is called ojas. It is the end product of the tissue systems that is produced as the tissues themselves form, the last being the reproductive system or shukra. This ojas is what we see as bright eyes, healthy radiant skin, sexual vitality and the healthy essence we exude into the world. This then feeds us to be healthy, happy, peaceful humans, sexually ripe and fully capable of navigating the world.
One sign of healthy ojas is waking up feeling rested, and getting good sleep. See how these three pillars work together. Ayurveda offers a clear road map to life that becomes the ultimate pathway to healthy aging and longevity. It even tells us the when, why and how of getting the most from of our slumber.
Time for Bed
The best time for sleep is between 10pm-6am, ideally waking up with the sun and feeling good starting the day. Ever noticed how if you stay up past 10pm you may find you get a second wind? This is because we have neglected the natural wind down time that happens after dinner and our bodies begin converting food into energy. We stay up later, resulting in us using the energy to keep us awake instead of allowing the body to support healthy tissues and function.
Observing sleep patterns can have profound effects on our physical and mental aging process, health, our beauty and supporting the mind to find clarity and balance.
To support this it’s recommended to eat an easy to digest dinner. Engage in calming activities at night, and then head to bed. Sexual activity is recommended between 9-10pm, which would make it easy to fall asleep and rest comfortably until the sun rises to start your day.
Oh, you have a hard time sleeping?
Oil, oil and more oil. If sleep has become an issue it’s recommended to increase the heavy, unctuous, soothing qualities in the body. Ever heard of having a warm cup of milk before bed? It works, try it! Or even better, give yourself a warm oil massage. External oleation is extremely effective at calming the system down, grounding yourself and slowly easing into a gentle evening. We recommend using a high quality unscented oil like almond or coconut on the body and trying our tallow based FOREVER CREAM for the face and neck. Use gentle circular movements paying extra attention to the hands, feet and scalp. After oiling the next step is to steam or take a warm shower allowing the oil to penetrate into the skin and deeper systems. It is dreamy.
Put your phone down
This is often obvious and yet overlooked. Turn off electronics by 9pm. Stimulating the eyes through screen time scrolling could be your main issue keeping you up. Instead try utilizing your other senses with aromatherapy, soft lighting and calming music after you massage. The softness of sleep may soon be welcoming you.
Lets recap
So the three pillars in healthy life are food, sleep and sex. If you are not eating well stay tuned for our post on Healthy Eating Guidelines. Stay sexy in a supportive way. Sexual activity needs energy and vitality from food and sleep. So if you are feeling depleted work on those parts first. Remember to try the following:
- sleep at an appropriate time between 10pm-6am
- oil massage daily
- minimize screen time after 9pm
- eat easy to digest and healthy foods
- engage in sexual activity only if rested with proper energy and with a meaningful partner
Consider how you are connecting to the food you eat, your sexual energy and ojas (vital essence). Is your current sleep schedule supporting the other pillars of your life? They are all equally important. Give in and allow your body to stand firm in its potential with these three areas of joy and support. There is an old saying in Ayurveda “ one who manages these three pillars properly is guaranteed a full life span that will not be cut short.” Sounds good to me!