As far as I know, the elixir of immortality and the fountain of youth haven’t quite been discovered yet.
But gosh… there is an awful LOT we can do to preserve that wonderful vital energy and sparkling quality we call “youthfulness” well into our golden years. I’m talking about your late 70s, 80s and maybe even 90s.
A remarkable secret to preserving this vitality lies in the powerful practice of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda (meaning “knowledge of life”) is an ancient medicinal system with roots in India that is still practiced all over the world.
It’s foundations lie in the interconnected nature of the body, mind, and spirit, and it’s practices include tools and techniques that help you regain balance in these areas and thus, help the body rid itself of disease.
Since Ayurveda is a healing system – not a lone practice or remedy – I’ve put together my short list of 7 Ayurvedic Practices for Lifelong Vitality.
These are a few of my favorite Ayurvedic techniques for staying healthy, fit, clear, and happily energized throughout life.
I love these practices because they are all simple and easy. Not a single complicated one in the bunch. But boy, do they work!
You’ll recognize some of these:
1.) Exercise Daily
You’ve heard it before. Maybe you need to hear it again. I know I often need to hear things multiple times myself.
Just 30 minutes a day of moving your body around in any way you like best (walking, dancing, yoga …) brings an enormous payoff to your quality of life.
Here’s what daily exercise can do for you:
- It’s fantastic for bringing up your mood
- It’s at least as effective as medication in relieving depression.
- It strengthens your bones, increases your energy, and improves your sleep
- It reduces your risk of heart disease, keeps your brain strong as you age, and even enhances your sexual functioning.
So, find what movements bring you joy and incorporate them into your daily routine!
2.) Oil Pulling
Okay, this one’s a bit more esoteric. But still simple!
Take some of your favorite oil – say coconut or olive oil – and just swish it around in your mouth for 15 or 20 minutes. Traditionally, sesame seed oil is used. (For starters, you may want to do it for shorter periods of time until you get used to it.) Then, simply spit it out into the garbage and rinse your mouth with water.
Oil pulling at least a few times a week, can help preserve the health of your gums and teeth. It also generates powerful antioxidants that destroy harmful bacteria.
Discover how to Detox with Oil Pulling
3.) Meditate Daily
Daily meditation has been scientifically proven to increase gray matter in the brain, strengthen the ability to focus and pay attention, reduce depression and anxiety, and support optimal brain functioning as we age.
It is one of the true elixirs of life!
There are many different meditation techniques out there. I recommend selecting one that’s comfortable for you and that you’ll find easy to do each day. It will quickly become something you relish and look forward to – I guarantee it!
4.) Fast For One Day Per Month
Really, it’s not so hard to go a day without eating once in a while. It makes you appreciate food all that much more!
Fasting helps fight inflammation, balance your blood sugar, and improve your heart health.
There is also strong evidence that intermittent fasting boosts your brain power and helps ward off dementia.
Moreover, studies have shown specifically that a monthly fasting day increases longevity.
5.) Incorporate Triphala
Triphala is an Ayurvedic herbal preparation – a compound of three different herbs — and you do need to get this from an ayurvedic practitioner or retailer.
It’s fantastic stuff. It does everything from strengthening the digestive system to reducing inflammation in the body to improving oral health to relieving anxiety. And more!
Triphala is available in tablets, powders, and capsules.
6.) Incorporate Ashwagandha
This widely-available Ayurvedic herb has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, lower blood sugar, alleviate depression, and boost testosterone in men.
Research also indicates that ashwagandha strengthens memory and other brain function, reduces bodily inflammation, lowers cholesterol, and increases muscle mass.
Good deal, huh? This power-herb comes as a tincture or in capsules.
7.) Take Naps
Okay, full disclosure: I’m not 100% certain that this is specifically an ayurvedic technique, but it’s one of my favorites and I know it works! The science is in!
Napping during the day improves memory, enhances creativity, and boosts the brain’s ability to synthesize information. It’s also great for your mood.
Napping helps to ease stress and lower blood pressure. And – get this – a short nap in the daytime actually helps you sleep better at night!
Even quick naps have a big beneficial effect. You’ve heard the term “power nap”? Well, it’s a real thing.
So if you’ve got the time and you feel the urge, don’t just stand there! Go lie down!
I said this was all easy stuff – but it does take some effort to get into these habits. Maybe just add one at a time to your lifestyle until it feels like second nature.
Any or all of these practices can potentially bring massive health benefits to your life for decades to come, keeping you feeling young and energized and glad to be alive!
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Host of Proven: Healing Breakthroughs Backed By Science
& Founder of The Sacred Science
8 Responses
I look forward to your posts Nick they are like water to a thirsty soul in the desert.
I have been following you for three years and you have enlightened me beyond measure ~ I am so grateful and cannot thank you enough ~ I will always remain curious ~ with love from South Africa
Thank you for the wonderful and valuable information above.
But gee Nick, your disclaimer below shows the death grip and fear of their mighty power is still chains around your neck by the medical establishment.
It also does a disservice to your readers pushing them to continue their blind faith in medical disease care which serves to promote the perpetuation of long term (starting in youth) end of life diseases along with their end of life prescription drug sales of carcinogenic petrochemicals. These chemicals are self treatments of toxic substances that people ignorantly dose themself with for many decades, even 3, 4, 5, 6, or more decades, starting out as young people and losing life early, living with at the very least annoying diseases until death do they depart.
You’re basically urging your readers to stay with the prescription drugs sales cartel, who sell 4.4 Billion prescriptions a year. They also pull out of the American economy $4 Trillion dollars in testing, procedures, surgeries, and prescription drug sales per year.
Of course following your advice pulls people away from the health scourge of medical disease care, but your disclaimer puts people out of fear right back into it.
Sort of life knowing nothing about immunology, immune response, immunity itself, etc., and fear the Covid19 virus, and know less about vaccines but gladly accept “1 in each arm”.
It is not as per Ayurveda to map in the day for all constitutional types, and is in fact recommended that Kapha Types, working with the slowness, sluggishness, heaviness, and density of Earth Element (most likely to want to nap in the day), should not, especially after meals, as to exacerbate their condition(s); contrary to Pitta who really needs one, especially during the peak of the summer, and really has a difficult time doing so.
Beyond the Ayurvedic herbs you have recommended, there is so much more to the daily observances of Ayurveda that can extend life, most notably being the Essence of Ayur Vidya itself, and that is Digestion of our food and life experiences, and all that hinders and reduces this most basic and essential function and aspect of our bodies ability to build its blocks effectively and do its functions efficiently.
Brilliant and simple philosophy that can feel very complicated to apply in our modern structure and function at times.
Thanks for highlighting some of the simplest.
🌹
Nick Thanks for this info’ I never heard of Triphala .
Simply Choose Health **
Tricia
Nick thank you always for sending out extremely helpful information for our health and well being
We are all living in difficult times , uncertain situations .
If we only focus on the good and healthy lifestyle
And be honest and kind with ourselves and others , maybe there is hope for the better .
We all need to do our part and stay positive.
Thank you once again for your hard work and quest for knowledge that you impart and share with everyone. Much appreciated Nick and keep up the good work .
All the best ,
Samina
Tks Brother …i appreciate your Health series and now this post…i check many of the 7 and particularly …I consume 5 grams of ashwaghanda (indian ginseng for some ) a day ..most days in my morning smoothie …not expensive as i buy 200gram for 12+$CDN….their is a run on it these days the world is catching on to this Balancing & stress reliever /root …Blessings and health to you all..In JOY
Interesting. Thank you very much for your hard work in this sacred path and for sharing your precious knowledge with us.
I’m worried about the metal contents in the ayurvedic remedies that are available on the market. I need pure original medicines. I used to take these remedies before but they badly interacted with my thyroid levels. I had to increase the thyroxin potency. It’s not good either to consume remedies just like that when someone has autoimmune disorders without consulting ayurvedic physicians. And again finding experienced ayurvedic doctors is difficult nowadays.
Thanks. a lot.
I do most of these. I am 80 and I am often told I can’t believe your age as you still have a young out look about life. I am keeping it up