We live in paradoxical times. For a good part of our lives, we sacrifice our health and happiness in the pursuit of money and success. Ultimately, we spend all that hard-earned money to save our deteriorating health. We work long, odd hours, catering to clients in different time zones. We endure high levels of work pressure and stress. As much as we pay attention to making a living, we overlook our very life. To some extent, we are all guilty of not paying attention to our overall wellbeing.
Om Swami, an MBA graduate who once ran a multimillion-dollar tech company in Australia, was no different. For most of his life, he suffered from asthma. Even though his body needed rest, he could not afford to take a break and recoup his health. Finally, he renounced his materialistic life and headed to the Himalayas to become a monk. Surprisingly, despite living amidst the ice and snow, he did not contract even a common cold there. He was only eating one frugal meal a day, and yet, his health was significantly improving. This led him to study health and wellbeing across three unique disciplines: Ayurveda, yoga and tantra. Om Swami eventually recorded his reflections in his book The Wellness Sense.
The book begins with the premise that mother nature is present right within our body as the five elements of nature (panchabhoota). It then explores the fundamental principles of Ayurveda–the three dosha (life forces) and guna (states of mind). Interestingly, unlike in modern medicine, our physical and mental constitutions are interrelated in Ayurveda. Alongside dosha, guna too affect the overall wellbeing. “Thoughts can have a positive or a negative impact on our physical and emotional health,” Om Swami writes in his book.
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