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January 8, 2008
Nine secrets to a long life
Text by Dada Dharmavedananda
Illustration by Doy Ariola
Everyone wants to live a long and happy life, but not everyone is successful in this pursuit. In case you have been wondering what you have to do in order to be both healthy and happy, there are some tips for living a meaningful life.
 1. Don’t eat unless you are hungry.
If you eat when you are not hungry, you risk getting constipation and indigestion. To properly eliminate wastes, your digestive system should be rested by sufficient gaps between meals.
2. Sleep when you are tired.
You should go to bed when your body tells you. As far as possible, conform to your natural rhythms. Sleeping during the day and staying awake at night when you are tired is said to be one of the causes of cancer.
3. Get out of bed before sunrise.
Each day has a rhythm-like a wave. If you get up too late, you miss the wave and spend the rest of the day struggling to keep up. Some hours of sleep before midnight are said to be twice as valuable as sleep after midnight. Once you are habituated, the dawn hours are the best for meditation and personal development.
4. Take half bath or shower before meditation, taking food and sleep.
Water has tremendous therapeutic value. By doing half-bath (splashing cool water on all the limbs plus the face and neck) before meditation, taking food, and sleep, your body and mind become refreshed and relaxed. As far as possible, take a refreshing complete bath at least twice a day. Water temperature should not exceed body temperature.
5. Practice meditation regularly.
Regular meditation tune the body and mind so that they waste much less energy. Learn meditation in a qualified yoga teacher for proper meditation techniques, breathing and relaxation exercises.
6. Eat raw vegetables, fruits, and yoghurt.
Life depends on vital energy. Raw, fresh vegetables and fruits are life-giving, vital, and energizing. Enzymes enabling perfect digestion are present in raw fruits and vegetables, but are lost during cooking. Yoghurt is easily digestable complete protein which contains bacteria that aids digestion. Milk products are also good for mental development.
7. Fast at regular intervals.
During fasting, the body is not burdened with absorbing and metabolizing nutrition. As your digestive system rests, it shifts into healing and cleansing mode. Thus during fasting, toxic dead and diseased cells are swept out.
8. Get regular physical exercise.
Regular exercise strengthens bones, muscles, organs and joints. Without adequate exercise, the body degenerates. A certain amount of physical work is good for the mind also, releasing built up tensions, maintaining a harmonious link with body and mind.
9. Drink enough water.
Drink at least three to four liters of water daily, (12 to 16 glasses) but not much at a time. You should drink water between meals, not while you eat.
About the author
Dada Dharmavedananda has been teaching yoga and natural therapy for 35 years. He is a senior teacher with the Ananda Marga Meditation & Yoga Society and is the founder of Ananda Marga Wellness Center. Ananda Marga Wellness Center provides in-patient naturopathic treatment and education to overcome all sorts of chronic conditions. For more information, visit http://www.AMwellness.org, email info@AMwellness.org, text 0915-4049321, or call (632) 346-9664.
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