HEALTHY AGEING – AYURVEDIC VIEW

Dr. Johnson, M.D. Ayur.

Life expectancy of the human race increased considerably, but with increased morbidity. That means we are living with physical or mental diseases or disabilities in one way or the other and thus the ageing is not healthy.
Ayurveda says that up to 70 years is “youvanam”. Then why are we aging long before that time?
Ayurveda knows the concept of chronological age and Biological age. The balance between these two ages is the key factor in deciding whether we are leading a healthy life and thus ageing healthy.
Life at best is an eternal compromise between the “practical” and the “ideal”.
The symptoms of health in Ayurveda classics are ideal. The way we are living is practical. So the effective shifting of this practical to the ideal is the criteria for healthy ageing.
Concept of OJAS or “Prakrutha balam” is there as the driving force of our entire life. The richness of this OJAS factor and the maintenance of this “Prakrutha balam” by any means (say Food, Activitites and sometimes Oushadham) is the basic theory behind healthy ageing because the above said biological age is under control of OJAS.
There is OJAS – AGNI – MANAS (OAM) axis working in a human being which determines the life. So maintaining an optimal balance in this axis by following Ayurvedic principles is our aim to make sure a healthy ageing.