Article written by A.V.

Sekhar, Associate Professor,

Faculty of Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Aviation and De-Novo Courses,
MGR Block, Dr. MGR E & R I (Deemed University) Adayalampattu, Chennai-95

Green Life !! No disease, no medicine?

Abstract:
The subject chosen for review in this paper is about the natural means available for human beings,
which are Yoga and Ayurveda, to maintain their health in the best way possible and to lead lives that
are purposeful and fulfilling. Pranayama (which is one of eight essential aspects of Patanjali’s
Ashtanga Yoga), regulation of breath – in-haling and ex-haling and the associated practices – in
people, keep the Nadis (the subtle channels of energy (life force) clean and purified, which in turn help
keep the organs hale and healthy. And Ayurveda (the principles and practices of natural medicine
derived from the Vedic knowledge offering diagnosis and prognosis for ailments in human body in the
event of occurrence) helps through natural ways of treatment of diseases using medicines prepared out
of plant based material. It can also be discerned from the review that both Yoga and Ayurveda –
which are parts of Vedic knowledge offer total green solutions and hence green life. The practice of
Pranayama is a natural way of cleansing the body organs through the regulation of the breath, and
similarly practice of Ayurveda is non-polluting both the human body and the environs by keeping
medicines made of chemicals away.

Introduction
Health is a natural phenomenon – “No disease and no medicine” though appear as an ideal situation
that we all perhaps aim for, close to that or near that state is quite possible. Some enjoy the great boon
of being generally healthy at any given time – suffering only from a rare indisposition and getting
alright in no time without having to do anything with a serious medicine. Even today there are people,
who rarely fall sick; they live their lives in a great style and disappear only when the death takes them
away.

Health is the most primary requisite for humans. Health is a state of well being of body and mind.
Health is not the one that is acquired. It is actually given and existent in every one of us - for careful
maintenance. Humans are born and not made. We can say God made them. Imperfections are so
impossible. Even if science creeps in to explain Life, which it has never made, it can be turned back
explaining away the concept of birth – the appearance of the physical and mental planes of human life
on the earth – the making of which is kept as a secret that only the God held perhaps. We hear that
Science is closer to finding “what is life”. Of course, it is creating new life from the existing live-
cells or tissues, but creating an all new life from out of nothing is not in the hands of science – at least
for now.

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 Article written by A.V. Sekhar, Associate Professor,
Faculty of Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Aviation and De-Novo Courses,
MGR Block, Dr. MGR E & R I (Deemed University) Adayalampattu, Chennai-95

Science does post-mortem - Most of the lives of humans are normal and healthy at the time of birth
except only an unfortunate few, who appear on the earth with infirmities that are logically explained
by science but are not factually and satisfactorily convincing. Creation is not science, trying to
understand it is. Hence science is only doing its post-mortem operation to dissect and discern the truth
behind what it would have not hitherto known. Science seems so very accurate to single out the
reason/s for anything and everything, but reverse process many times proves the science wrong.
Cancer victims may have consumed Tobacco, but all tobacco consumers are not victims of cancer, as a
disease. There is something inexplicable by science. Something it struggles to prove, for the facts that
it speaks about are not the only reason, there is or there are more to it, which science may or may not
explain. Science can only understand something that is material, but there is lot in this ephemeral
world that we live in, where there is something beyond material, which Science, at least, for now
cannot comprehend. This is said not to discredit science but only to point out that science has great
limitations, as it can only probe, but not pre-empt. Science started giving such a lot of confidence that
it is God in the making. But the fact is, Science is not even in the close vicinity of the God almighty.
Some for argument sake do not accept God but alternately settle for the concept of Nature. Nature or a
Supernatural power, they are comfortable with. So be it. Disbelieving others’ beliefs is non-Godly.

Discussion:
PRANA – the Life force - If one closely probes to understand the life of humans, it is actually the ‘life
force’ which is inside every one of us that keeps us alive. It is called “Chaitanya”. As long as the life
energy is there in our bodies, we are alive and alert to the world around. This energy, known as
“Prana” makes all the difference. As long as it is there, we are living and when it exits our bodies, we
are dead. And if Prana is something material, science would have given long back its anatomical,
physiological and other definitions, but unfortunately science is yet to decipher it. Closer is Science
they say to it. But how closer that is, is yet a mystery. We know and are indeed happy to accept
everything as mystery, if science does not vouchsafe for it.

That activity in us which is closer to the Prana is the ‘breath’. ‘Breath’ is the only visible and
perceivable physical activity for the existence of life in the human body. The breath however cannot
be created and sustained as it is the PRANA that is responsible for the breath to continue in a living
being / organism. For one to be living or dead the breath is the only thing that is checked. Breath is
the vital link. All the physical features of the body remain as they are even after death – only to
slowly decay. The very fact that the breath stops with the PRANA leaving the body is vital enough to

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 Article written by A.V. Sekhar, Associate Professor,
Faculty of Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Aviation and De-Novo Courses,
MGR Block, Dr. MGR E & R I (Deemed University) Adayalampattu, Chennai-95

understand and to focus on the importance of breath. Since the exit of prana and stopping of breath
are happening almost simultaneously, the breath is the one that is important and most relevant for our
lives and healthy existence.

“In yogic terminology breath is also called Prana. Pranayama is an important activity in

Ref.1
Yogic practice. “Pranayama is the conscious awareness of breath: the life force that
both energizes and relaxes the body. The term is derived from Sanskrit, prana,
meaning "life force," and ayama, meaning "extension”
Pranayama helps regulate breath, removes toxins through outgoing breath. Specially certain forms of
Pranayama detoxify the body totally, which means health in its prime form. The so called Nadis (the
channels of energy) which are subtle, are cleansed and purified through Pranayama exercises.

“Nadi Shodhana purifies the blood and respiratory system. The deeper breathing enriches
Ref. 2

the blood with oxygen. This Pranayama strengthens the respiratory system and balances
the nervous system. It helps to relieve nervousness and headaches”.
The system of Pranayama thus by acting on the nadis works and improves the health of bodily
organs and their well-being. There is therefore a natural phenomenon of purifying the nadis and
in turn leading to the health of a human being

Nadi shodhan – natural process for maintenance of health - Pranayama is a simple and
natural phenomenon of regulated breathing, the guidelines of which when followed, the nadis are
automatically cleansed, purged and purified to result in health. The health thus is attained by no
external medicine or application of any antidote that is chemical in nature. They are all natural and of
non-polluting systems. Pranayama hence provides a natural repair, system which when practiced the
body becomes clean. While the physical body has its own well developed health sustaining systems
through the organs such as Lungs, kidneys (which constantly work to cleanse the physical body of the
toxins and other unnecessary wastes), the subtler system comprising of nadis clean and purge these
vital physical organs and the glands. Hence the vital external activity – Pranayama when practiced
regularly as per the guidelines, thoroughly cleanses the nadis. Nadis therefore have a key role in our
health.

Ayurveda – natural medicine - Ayurveda is a part of the Vedic knowledge and hence dating of
Ayurveda must be beyond human ability. It must have pre-existed the life that was first found on the
earth. Let how many ever layers of health safety systems exist, the human body ought to suffer
fatigue, exhaustion, infection and other disorders or damages sometime or the other. The very

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 Article written by A.V. Sekhar, Associate Professor,
Faculty of Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Aviation and De-Novo Courses,
MGR Block, Dr. MGR E & R I (Deemed University) Adayalampattu, Chennai-95

existence of body – the material built element – would be prone to suffer diseases, damages or both.
While Pranayama is the first natural practice option – strong as it is known – to be able to clean and
cleanse the nadis which in turn enable the organs and the glands to be brought to an healthy state, there
is a possibility of the Nadis getting chocked, when an external natural medicinal support would be
required to repair the tissues and the cells within, which would have got damaged and dead.
“Nadi Pariksha is done to analyse and estimate the quantity of Tridosha in the body. Tridosha, i.e.
Vata, Pitta and Kapha are considered as the fundamental. Concept of Nadi Pariksha found in various
Ref. 3.

ancient Ayurved Samhitas like, Bhavprakash, Nadi Pariksha by Ravansamhita, Nadivigyan by

Kanad. Theacharya Sharangdhara flourished it in his work as a means of diagnosis and prognosis.
The concept of Nadi Pariksha is described in third chapter first part.. Yogratnakara also describes
Nadi Pariksha as diagnosis, in first chapter under heading Rog Pariksha. The examinations of Nadi
Pariksha (Pulse examination) are evidence of many diseases as per Yogratnakara”.

“Treatment - Nadi Pariksha is an ancient ayurvedic technique of diagnosing physical, mental and
emotional imbalances through the pulse of the sufferer. This technique helps to get to the root cause of the
Ref.4

disease and not just treat it according to the signs and symptoms that are being seen or felt. Great
intellectuals, vaidyas and saints, like Sharangdhar Samhita, Shri Bhav Mishrji, Maharishi Kanada and
many others, have contributed to the science of nadi. The treatment can range from therapeutic massages,
personalised diet, rigorous detoxification and exercise programmes”.

The rejuvenation will be possible by the correction process which is fulfilled by Aurveda. Aurvedic
medicine is determined by the expert and exponent in the field of Ayurveda, which includes in the
process Nadi pareeksha and Treatment for which the process is natural and the medicines administered
are the natural extracts from the flora chosen and collected carefully for preparation of the natural
medicine – ayurvedic aushada.
d

Conclusion:
Nature has therefore given us the option to choose the right means to keep our body healthy. It has
given us the science of Pranayama, the practice of which regularly could keep our body, mind and
emotions healthy and balanced. And not stopping at that it has led us to the roots of Ayurveda, again a
revelation from Vedas – a science that understands human body better from the angle of creative
wisdom, which has a range of treatment possibilities and medicines that are totally natural for
administration resulting in immense benefit to the human life at the same time has a zero negative
effect on the planet and the environs. These are a combination of most natural and environment
supportive twin remedies that the humans are endowed with and benefit from for years. The entire
world is now acknowledging both Yoga and the Ayurveda, the two rich and traditional gifts that this
land of ours offer to the entire humanity.

If Green life is something that could mean achieving Health without polluting medicines made out of
chemicals of different permutations and combinations (attained through Pranayama and Ayurveda, as

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 Article written by A.V. Sekhar, Associate Professor,
Faculty of Hotel Management, Culinary Arts, Aviation and De-Novo Courses,
MGR Block, Dr. MGR E & R I (Deemed University) Adayalampattu, Chennai-95

preventive and curative processes) then there is a readily available solution which does not call for an
innovation. May be extensive awareness and confidence building measures, convincing trials and
documentation of results need to be done to the required level. Looking for an innovation may be to
much for asking.

Key Words: Green life, Pranayama, Ayurveda – Nadi Shodhan, Nadi Pareeksha

Ref.1 https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/4990/pranayama
Ref.2. https://www.yogaindailylife.org/system/en/level-2/nadi-shodhana-pranayama-level-2
Ref.3
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317278461_Nadi_Pariksha_An_Ancient_Ayurvedic_Metho
d_of_Diagnosis
Nadi Pariksha: An Ancient Ayurvedic Method of Diagnosis Kalpana B. Kachare*, Santosh G. Girbide, Snehal A. Bankar
Ref.4. https://www.lybrate.com/topic/nadi-pariksha