Recently I was chatting with a friend who was speaking with admiration and wonderment about the robust health enjoyed by one of his relatives who was much older than he was. He were advanced only in years.He enjoyed youthfulness in many ways and inspired awe and wonderment in others
Surely all of us know some such people who are blessed with that kind of health. When they grow, they only put on years. Aging does not seem to have touched them. They are more free in the movements of their joints than most of us. They are likely to remain more of less healthy until the last day of their life. They hardly land themselves up in ICUs except perhaps in cases of unfortunate accidents.
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Naturopathy in India was an example. He said that he took to Naturopathy to avoid the indignity of old age.He lived up to it. His energy, youthfulness and health were there for every one to see during the famous Dandi march.The spring in his stride, his pace, his very bearing had put younger ones to shame, as they struggled to catch up with him during the march.He declared that he would live to be 120 years. It is a different matter that he died of a bullet.
I had a good opportunity to meet a few such people, some of them in their 80s and even early 90s. But all of them were glowing with health.I often discussed with them the secrets of their lasting youthfulness. I learnt more secrets of lasting health and youthfulness from the living examples set by these practisng adepts, than from my books, class rooms and academic training. Each one was an interesting example of one or the other aspect of discipline for the youthfulness. For some, it is the diet and hygiene and not much of other components. For some, hatha yogis, it is the physical culture, pranyama and kriyas etc. For some, rajayogis, it is the meditation, the way they faced their life and the way they worked out their emotions etc, and only a bit of the other aspects.
Whatever be the method chosen by each, I notice some common features among all. They all share a sincere commitment. They acknowledge this body as a precious partner in their lives and treat their bodies with due respect. They highlight the value of a sustained discipline in any pursuit.
But do we all really need to take huge pains to retain the youthfulness? Do we really value it so exclusively,for its own sake? Surely not all of us. But perhaps we can put in a bit of extra effort to remain youthful enough (or delay the aging process long enough) to go about the business of our lives without too many hassles and hindrances.
Dr. D. Bharadwaj
Surely all of us know some such people who are blessed with that kind of health. When they grow, they only put on years. Aging does not seem to have touched them. They are more free in the movements of their joints than most of us. They are likely to remain more of less healthy until the last day of their life. They hardly land themselves up in ICUs except perhaps in cases of unfortunate accidents.
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of Naturopathy in India was an example. He said that he took to Naturopathy to avoid the indignity of old age.He lived up to it. His energy, youthfulness and health were there for every one to see during the famous Dandi march.The spring in his stride, his pace, his very bearing had put younger ones to shame, as they struggled to catch up with him during the march.He declared that he would live to be 120 years. It is a different matter that he died of a bullet.
I had a good opportunity to meet a few such people, some of them in their 80s and even early 90s. But all of them were glowing with health.I often discussed with them the secrets of their lasting youthfulness. I learnt more secrets of lasting health and youthfulness from the living examples set by these practisng adepts, than from my books, class rooms and academic training. Each one was an interesting example of one or the other aspect of discipline for the youthfulness. For some, it is the diet and hygiene and not much of other components. For some, hatha yogis, it is the physical culture, pranyama and kriyas etc. For some, rajayogis, it is the meditation, the way they faced their life and the way they worked out their emotions etc, and only a bit of the other aspects.
Whatever be the method chosen by each, I notice some common features among all. They all share a sincere commitment. They acknowledge this body as a precious partner in their lives and treat their bodies with due respect. They highlight the value of a sustained discipline in any pursuit.
But do we all really need to take huge pains to retain the youthfulness? Do we really value it so exclusively,for its own sake? Surely not all of us. But perhaps we can put in a bit of extra effort to remain youthful enough (or delay the aging process long enough) to go about the business of our lives without too many hassles and hindrances.
Dr. D. Bharadwaj
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