The true goals of Ayurveda
Physical fitness and mental balance are all the rage.
Even at an advanced age, women and men still want to look good, be full of energy and resilient and be able to keep up. We are led to believe that professional and personal success depends on this.
The change in the business world is also unmistakable: whereas training and professional expertise used to take centre stage, softer resources such as health, charisma, social skills and a holistic mindset are now becoming increasingly important.
The urge for self-optimisation through constant digital measurement is visible on most wrists - day and night. Questions such as „How are you?“ or „Did you sleep well?“ are increasingly answered via feedback from various apps that provide „objective“ data.
Hardly any company today can do without mindfulness courses; yoga and meditation are now mainstream. Those who can, plan a sabbatical or at least regular time-outs. Pilgrimage routes, retreats or holidays in a monastery - the market is booming.
What is the purpose of all these seemingly beneficial activities? What is the motivation behind our constant desire for further development? When do seemingly health-promoting measures become questionable?
Traditional systems such as Ayurveda provide us with valuable answers.
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Health from an Ayurvedic perspective
The aim of all preventive and curative Ayurvedic measures is Svastha and translates as „resting in the self“.
A classic of Ayurveda medicine states:
„A person is called healthy when he is at peace with himself, his physiology is in balance, his digestion and metabolism are working well, his tissues and excretions are functioning optimally and his senses, mind and soul are full of bliss.“ Sushruta Samhita
Well, the journey is the reward.
We need to do something for our balance every day so that we can constantly move closer to it. This includes beneficial rhythms, fresh and valuable food, exercise and personal hygiene, regular periods of relaxation and cleansing as well as a value-orientated life.
Anyone who has already tried to live „Ayurvedically“ knows the challenges - it feels like we can spend all day on ourselves and healthy routines. If we do this, we become less socially compatible.
And why all this salutogenetic effort if old age, illness and death are waiting for us one day anyway?
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Health is not an end in itself!
Ayurveda has adopted the ancient Indian concept of „objects of human endeavour“ (Purushartha). These are four pillars that we can understand in modern terms as life goals:
- Dharma - Ethical and moral integrity and duties
- Artha - Possessions, prosperity and material self-realisation
- Kama - sensual pleasure, pleasures, desires, lust fulfilment
- Moksha - Spiritual striving for knowledge and liberation
Health is the basis for realising these life goals.
Chronic and serious illnesses make it difficult or impossible to achieve our goals. We should therefore do all we can to prevent them, cure them if possible or at least control them.
This effort is worthwhile. It leads to a long, healthier and meaningful life in harmony with the laws of nature. This is what Ayurveda stands for.
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Higher, faster, better, further?
It is rightly criticised in holistic circles that many health activities primarily serve economic benefits.
If we increase our fitness out of the sole motivation of higher performance, this can lead to exhaustion and psychosomatic complaints in the medium term.
The key question is therefore what we want to do sustainably with increased energy and better health. If we work longer, sleep less, pace ourselves more closely, take on more responsibility, practise multitasking and define success as constant growth, the credit acquired through a healthy lifestyle is quickly used up.
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The key lies in balance
Health arises from a dynamic balance of all the forces within us. The word dynamic is important here: of course we can't organise every day in a balanced way. Sometimes food doesn't fit, sleep is too short, the pressure is too high, conflicts are stressful and there is a lack of balance.
That's part of life. The important thing is that we recognise these digressions and find our way back to the centre: back on track!
I recommend introducing an 80:20 rule. If we live balanced to 80%, we can allow ourselves 20% „freestyle“ - if we want to or if the external conditions don't allow it otherwise.
To recognise this, reflect for a few minutes every evening before you go to sleep and ask yourself the following questions:
- How did my day go on a scale from 0 (disastrous) to 10 (marvellous)?
- Were my actions in line with my values?
- Was I connected with people who are close to my heart?
- Did I manage to balance the tension between activity and rest?
- Have I given time and attention to all four pillars of life?
Keep a log for four weeks, scoring all five questions from 0 to 10. Then evaluate: if your average is below 7, there is a need for change. Then go into a more detailed analysis of the four life goals, if necessary together with a therapist of your choice. In Ayurvedic psychology, these are analysed in relation to five other aspects of life and thus differentiated even more deeply.
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Your quartet for holistic health
Our quest for balance should not only serve economic goals, but of course also. All four life goals are equally important and should be considered on a daily basis in a successful life. Unfortunately, in modern working life Artha, the striving for material realisation.
When we spend our day with practices such as meditation and contemplation around Moksha start and finish, we have aligned the inner compass. Dharma should permeate all activities of the day and Kama create the important moments of balance.
This applied quartet will take your self-optimisation to a new level.
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