“Perfect health is a myth; Good health is a reality.”

Health depends on one’s approach and choice towards it. Here are a few hints that may be helpful in complementing Pranayama and meditation, in improving health of mind and body.

• Drink plenty of clean water in all seasons without fail. Water is the true Elixir. When you drink a lot of water, it keeps the blood thin, making it to flow easily in arteries and veins. It also flushes out heat generated in the body machinery on account of its functioning process, just as water in the Radiator of a Car regulates the heat of the Engine i.e., keeping it cool. Water flushes out all residues and toxins from the body, keeping it clean and healthy.

Residues and toxins in the body if allowed to remain, will be the root cause for all disorders and diseases. Water is the cleanser of the body. Therefore, develop the habit of drinking sufficient water. Many people sparingly drink water, that too only when they are thirsty, which is inadvisable.

Drink a full glass of water half an hour before you go to bed. During sleep, food is digested and the contents are absorbed into blood. Therefore, concentration of the blood increases, i.e., its viscosity increases, and its flow slows down, just as thick liquid flows slower than the thin one.

When blood becomes thick and its flow slows down, the heart has to pump blood with greater effort than normal. This causes stress on the heart. This is the reason we see more heart attacks in the late night, especially in middle and old age people.

Drinking a reasonable quantity of water before sleep helps in maintaining thinness of blood. Water is a natural thinner than aspirin or any other blood thinner. Also, drinking water before going to bed helps in cooling the body, which in turn helps in getting sleep.

Drinking water before going to bed is a good habit in all seasons. Drinking a full glass of water before eating breakfast or food helps in flushing out gas accumulated in the stomach and also it makes you eat less. This is helpful in preventing overeating and increasing of body weight. This is a simple and safe method to reduce overweight of the body.

• Evolve your own tasty but low calorie, high fibre diet. Consumption of germinated green gram is good for all-round development of the body.

• Eat vegetables that are rich in Vitamin ‘C’, ‘E’ and ‘D’. While Vitamin ‘C’ increases your general immunity to infections (Common Cold etc.), Vitamin ‘E’ is the rejuvenator. Vitamin ‘D’ is good for strengthening bones and also as a preventive of various diseases.

• Also, eat vegetables which adequately supply Iron. Iron is not only essential in relieving anaemic condition but also in enhancing the Hemoglobin content in the blood. A normal level of Hemoglobin in the blood is essential to absorb oxygen from the lungs, retain and supply the same to every part of the body, especially to the brain.

When you do Pranayama, and if there is less Hemoglobin in the blood, it cannot absorb more oxygen and supply the same to all parts of the body. Therefore, your Pranayama will be less effective. Also, deficiency of Iron results in tiredness and lack of enthusiasm.

• If you are a music lover, listen to soft and relaxing music. It relaxes your mind and body. Aggressive music excites and irritates the nervous system and in turn disturbs the functioning rhythm of the body resulting in health problems.

• Read always meaningful books that enrich your knowledge and better your personality.

• Develop the habit of doing Charity. Charity gives satisfaction to the mind. Charity also brings a sense of fulfilment to life.

• Positive thinking improves the quality of your mind. Positive suggestions made on the conscious level of mind, percolates into subconscious layers and cause tremendous beneficial effects, resulting in an overall positive state of mind.

A healthy mind is the foundation for a healthy body because the mind is the Master of the body. Therefore, developing a Holistic personality is very important for living a healthy life.