My previous article was on how I interpret COVID in Ayurveda. In this article, let us deal with the basic steps one can take to improve general immunity to combat not only COVID, but also all other diseases that originate due to low immunity.
As we all know, COVID is a viral disease but it doesn’t seem to show symptoms in all the people who are tested positive. This is due to the fact that their bodies are able to resist the infection successfully because of their ability to produce strong immune response. However, this immunity may be temporary or maybe as a result of their healthy living.
A person with a good immunity will have good health. This state of good health or “swasthya” is the state of harmony or equilibrium in the body, mind, senses and soul. Hence it can be understood that immunity is not just a physical parameter but also applies to the other components of life like Manas (mind), Atma (soul/spirit), Indiya (senses). It is the physical component of immunity that is quantified using lab tests.
The immune system in our bodies are suppressed or maybe even destroyed due to a number of reasons these days, most significant ones among them being bad lifestyle, smoking, pollution, self prescription of medications and long term medications.
Let us look into the main and immediate influencers of immunity:
1. The body
2. The mind
3. The environment
These 3 factors are like the limbs of a tripod and are hence inter dependent on each other and the outcome (immunity or health) is a result of their combined actions.
1. The body:
The body is a complex system in which every second there are thousands of reactions taking place. These reactions are in accordance with our daily routine. The more disordered our routine is, the more disordered are the reactions in the body and hence there is more chaos in the system. When there is a chaotic internal environment (inside the body), it becomes hard to coordinate the essential activities of the body like digestion, cellular metabolism, etc. These mechanisms being the fundamental reactions providing energy to the body, malfunction and result in grave complications like improper formation and (or) absorption of nutrients, accumulation of harmful metabolic products in the body, etc
Digestion first begins in the mouth and ends at the rectum. This whole tract in the body is supported by a powerful immune system which form the first line of defence against all pathogens entering through the food.The strong acid in the stomach and the strongly basic digestive juices in the intestines also degrade many pathogens. The formation of these components is in turn influenced by the kind of nutrition the body receives and this becomes a vicious cycle. Hence it can be said that immunity is not some commodity that can be purchased from the store, but it is a way of living. And it is from good immunity that we achieve perfect health.
The immune system functions at various levels before the pathogens enter the bloodstream. They form barriers at the level of the respiratory tract, skin, genital tract, sense organs like eyes, nose, etc. Hence it becomes our prime duty to protect and enhance not only the internal immunity buy also the peripheral part of it.
When a person is sick, say in case of a fever, the environment is also affected as the other members of the family are also prone to get infected.
The body also bears a significant impact on the functioning of the mind.
2. The mind:
The mind tends to linger over thoughts which may be directly or indirectly related to the body. Based on the kind of feeling each thoughts manifest, the body reacts to it by producing appropriate hormones. These hormones in turn influence the digestion and metabolic processes of the body which tends back to the cycle. And when the mind is no pleasant it influences the other people around and disturbs the overall quality of the environment.
3. The environment:
The environment or the surroundings where we live has a great influence on the people it shelters. If a family lives next to a dumpster or a sewage canal, they tend to fall ill more frequently. People who live in villages generally tend to be healthier than people in cities. These are well observed facts. The environment has a direct influence on the body, for example, a shopkeeper who sells cigarettes is habituated to passive smoking due to all the smokers near his shop. This may have a severe effect on his lungs than any of the smokers who smoke there.
The environment also has a direct impact on the mind which in turn influences the body, as in, a child brought up in an abusive household tends to fall ill very frequently due to his/her constant worries.
The environment may also be taken as our state/ country or any geographical location. this includes weather changes, elevation of land from the sea level, quality of air, water and soil, etc. Though most of these factors are not under our direcr control, we certainly should not neglect them. Instead, we need to understand their influence on us and learn techniques to protect our health in spite of the changing environment.
The next part will involve with the techniques and solutions to help boost immunity.
