Ayurveda: The Basics
For the Record, some definitions
Our overall health and the condition of our brain are intrinsically linked: the health of our brain impacts all the actions and experiences we humans go through in life. That’s a pretty big deal. Here are a few definitions to set things straight before we dive in.
What is health? A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity*.
What is brain health? The state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor domains, allowing a person to realise their full potential over the course of life, regardless of whether disorders are present or absent*.
Ayurveda: The Basics
India’s Traditional Medicine System Ayurveda, aka The Science of Life, teaches us to use the wisdom of nature to heal and be well. Here are some of the simplest natural principles we can apply daily to take care of that big squishy organ inside of our head (that also runs all the way down our spine);
- Don’t skip breakfast! Ensure good nutrition as fuel for our brains and bodies.
- Physical exercise. For all ages, young, old & in between, exercise is said to enhance neurogenesis (growth and development of our nervous tissue).
- Get good quality sleep and relaxation time. A HUGE factor for our overall wellbeing and the condition of our brain.
- Practice positive, action-orientated thoughts. This also assists neuron creation.
- Manage your stress. This is a biggie, so we will elaborate on this separately very soon.
We’ve also learned along the way that our brains need us to:
- Challenge ourselves mentally. Crosswords, sudoku, reading music and driving a less familiar route home from work will all do this.
- Learn new things. Apparently, so long as we keep learning, our brain will continue to develop.
- Cultivate and maintain relationships that stimulate us. This also keeps our brain developing.
