Ayurveda has been in an unbroken tradition of professional practice for thousands of years and is flourishing even today in India and several other South East Asian Countries. Its unique holistic pro nature approach and its safe and cost effective green pharmaceutical processings. Currently Ayurveda is one of the official systems of Medicine and is essentially being the science of life and longevity, geriatric health care is its prime concern which reflects well in its Rasayana branch which is one of the eight branches of Astanga Ayurveda.
Ayurveda has survived to the present times down the ages through two sets of texta authored by three sets of specialized practitioners –charak,sushruta and vagbhata called brihatrayee and madhava kara,sharangdhara and Bhavmishra called laghutrayee.
Aging is natural
The life is a time-bound phenomenon. The man is born, grows to adulthood,
passes to senility and ultimately dies. Still a long healthy life is the most
cherished wish of man for which ancient Indian scripture Vedas pray "Jivema Ïaradaí Ïatam,Pashyema sharadah shatam" and so on. The standard human life span as contemplated in scriptures is of 100 years, after which the body becomes senile and decayed to cease; although the jeeva (barring physical body) is immortaland transmigrates from one body to another.
This process of Aging is the very nature of the living body. Beside this there can be a range of environmental factors which accelerate aging process such as nutritional deficits, stress, climatic factors,free radical injury, immune disorder and endocrinal factors etc. The aging is a continued process of involution overwhelming the evolutionary processes which initially set-in to allow the growth and development of the body-mind system. This involution is marked with a range of biologicalchanges which can be identified in relation to Dosha,Dhatu,Ojas, and Agni
Diagram showing the Tri-triangular Ecogenetic Model of Holism in Ayurveda, the
round circle depicting the inherent power of harmony in the nature.
Phases of Life and sequential Biological changes.
Age/Phases of Life |
DoÒas |
DhatÚs |
Agni |
Ojas |
Young Age: Kapha dominant |
Kapha ↑↑ VÁta Optimum Pitta Optimum |
+ + + |
+ + |
+ + + |
Adult Age: Pitta dominant |
Pitta ↑↑ VÁta Optimum Kapha Optimum |
+ + |
+ + + |
+ + |
Old Age: VÁta dominant |
VÁta ↑↑ Kapha ↓Depleted Pitta ↓Depleted |
+ |
+ |
+ |
Scholers of latter stages like Vagbhata and sharangdhara has described the 10-Phasic sequential biological changes taking place during 1st to 10th decades of life which may be restored up to the workable extent by adopting age specific Rasayanas.
Sl.No. Aging Decades Inherent Biolosses
1 0-10 Balya – Corpulence/strong
2 11-20 Vriddhi –Growth/elongation
3 21-30 Chhabi – Lusture/ coquette
4 31-40 Medha – Intellect/comprehension
5 41-50 Twaka – Skin quality
6 51-60 Drishti – Vision Locomotion
7 61-70 Shukra – Virility
8 71-80 Vikrama – Physical Strength
9 81-90 Buddhi – Thinking
10 91-100 Karmendriya-locomotion
Geriatric Svasthavritta and Sadvritta
Codes of healthy living, i.e.Svasthavritta and Sadvritta denoting personal hygiene and mental hygiene respectively in great detail. The Svasthavritta Catuska chapters of Charaka Samhita present a classic account on this aspect of the subject (CS. Su. 5-8).
Dinacharya or daily routine of right living is designed as means of promotive
and preventive health care. The prescribed time to wake up in the morning is
Brahma Muhurta or Amrit bela approximately between 4-5 AM. This should be followed by cleansing the teeth, tongue and mouth with suitable fresh tooth brushes of prescribed wooden sticks(Datun) like Khadira, Karañja, Neem and Babbula or any similar having bitter and astringent in taste with antiseptic property. This should be followed by drinking water,bowel evacuation, oil massage and bath,vyayama and ahara as prescribed.
Ritucharya or seasonal regimen is another important component of Svasthavritta
prescribed in terms planning diet,life style and seasonal Saamshodhana
(biopurification) in consideration of Tridoshika rhythms of Dosas - Vata, Pitta,
Kapha and their Sanchaya(Accumulation), Prakopa(Virullance) and Prashama(Subsidance).
|
Sanchaya |
Prakopa |
Prescribed samshodhana |
Shishira |
Jan-Feb |
|
|
Basanta |
March-April |
Kapha |
Vamana |
Grishma |
May-June |
|
|
Varsha |
July-August |
Vata |
Vasti |
sharada |
Sept-Oct |
Pitta |
Virecana |
Hemanta |
Nov-Dec |
|
|
Sadvritta, Achara, Vega Vidharana:
Ayurveda emphasises on psycho-social factors of good living
and describe in detail the ethics and code of conduct conducive to good mental
and social health.
Sadvritta, Achara (CS. Chi 1) and Vega Niyamana provides comprehensive
Psycho-social and spiritual code of conduct which can be suitably tailored and
updated to suit the present condition as a social and mental health promotion
regimen. Such practices render the life stress free promote health, longevity
and immune strength.
Reference
Singh R.H. Basic tenets of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic
geriatrics :Manual of geriatric Health Care: Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and FamilyWelfare, Govt. of India, New Delhi, India
And
Faculty of Ayurveda, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi,
India