Ayurveda is a medicinal science that shows us the healthy approach towards life. Swasthavritta is a part of Ayurveda that deals with the science of Health, which prescribes the theory, and practice of the maintenance of public and private health. ‘Swasthavritta’ i.e. the code for a healthy conduct literally means ‘the regime of abiding in one’s own nature’. Swasthavritta in Ayurveda means maintaining one’s health. Ayurveda is an art of medicine incorporating centuries of wisdom. According to Ayurveda a healthy person is one who maintains a complete equilibrium of all the four basics of ayurveda like Dosha, Dhatu, Agni and Mala along with Physical and emotional functions. For achieving this healthy approach towards life Ayurveda has laid stress on certain principles subjected to specific Ahar, Vihar and Achars based on Hetu (Material cause), Kala (Season) and Desha (Habitat). These principles are defined as Charyas (Routine or life style). People who have followed the Ayurvedic lifestyle in the early years is proof in itself on how beneficial following a healthy regime is. The principles of maintaining a proper well being of the body and mind are two-fold
- Consumption of diet
- Observance of personal, moral, seasonal and spiritual conduct.
Swasthavritta’ explains how to prevent disorders and how to maintain social health. The branch parallel to Swasthavritta is ‘Preventive and Social Medicine’ (PSM) which is now considered to be one of the important branches in modern medicine. Ayurveda defines the healthy state as: ‘A person, whose somatic and psychic humors are in equilibrium, digestion is uniformly healthy, with normal functioning of the fundamental tissues of the body and body wastes, accompanied by the processes of the soul, cognitive organs and the mind, is said to be a healthy person.’ Swasthavritta mainly emphasizes on following a proper routine regime as well as seasonal regime. Daily regime stresses on day-to day instructions like morning routine, basic cleanliness, natural urges, evening routine etc. The seasonal and climatic changes also have an important effect on the health. Hence Ayurveda has certain seasonal specific guidelines, which help us to cope up with the changes in the environment. Swasthavritta also includes Sadvritta that can be classified into five types. They are as follows:
- Good mental conduct
- Good social conduct
- Good religious conduct
- Good personal conduct
- Good moral conduct.
Thus we can sum up Swasthavritta as lifestyle of a person and how we live each day is the crux of Ayurvedic living. Ayurveda is really the art of moment-to-moment living. Thus through Swasthavritta, Ayurveda recommends different lifestyles according to age, sex, climate, time of day and time of year.
