Picture Credits: Amazon
Introduction
Book's Title - The Wellness Sense
Author’s Name - Om Swami
Genre - Guiding manual
Language - English
I would like to say first, when we read a different book, at first we feel a little nervous and I did too. But when I read this book, I am so glad I did.
About the Book
Om Swami’s The Wellness Sense gives a good overview on the basics of Ayurveda and yogis wisdom, living in tune with mother nature, the role of food in one’s health and most importantly, the role of our mental thoughts and emotions in modern-day ailments.
It is not a book that gives you information on Ayurvedic medicines or concoctions; instead, it talks about the underlying principles of health and tells you about various ways to achieve it.
If you are searching for a book on Ayurvedic principles on Amazon and this book was among the top suggestions. The blurb as well as the readers’ comments on the book looked promising. The book is written in a simple and easy to understand language, and I have gone back to reading it multiple times to soak in the wisdom and bring necessary changes in my lifestyle.
The Book starts off with the Basic Premise
“The health of an individual is not just the state of his physical body but an aggregate of the body, senses, mind and soul. Your immune system is directly impacted by your state of mind. The more positive and happy you are, the stronger your immunity.”
Our body is the finest, in fact, the only, medium of experiencing all pleasures and sorrows. In Ayurveda, as in yoga and tantra, the health of an individual is not just the state of his physical body but an aggregate of the body, senses, mind and soul.
Your immune system is directly impacted by your state of mind. The more positive and happy you are, the stronger your immunity.
The author stresses the importance of mental and emotional health throughout the book.
“How you respond to what life throws at you affects your health in the most significant manner. The way you look at anything and the manner in which you accept or reject are the two most important – if not the only – factors that determine your overall well-being.”
The Wellness of Mind, Body, Health and Soul
Yogic texts believe that as bliss is the natural state of your mind, health is the natural state of your body. Just focusing on your physical health by the way of better diet and exercise is only a fraction of the solution.
The important part is taking care of your mental and emotional health. How you respond to what life throws at you affects your health in the most significant manner.
On absorption of food and its close relationship with our mental health, I loved this particular passage.
“Your physical health is almost entirely dependent on how your body accepts and processes food, which in turn is affected by your mental and emotional state. The body is not just a mechanical machine, for if it were, all stomachs would process food exactly the same way.”
The way food has been explained in the book and the stress on developing the right ‘eating sense’ has been a big takeaway for me. Right from understanding food from the Ayurvedic viewpoint (Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic), understanding the six tastes of food, the four stages of food, to understanding the five aspects of consuming food the right way, there has been a lot of perspective change the way I look at food.
These were things that I had known in bits in some way or the other but rarely put to practice.
Detailed Explanation of the Book
The first 3 chapters are similar to that of any Ayurveda focused book – where the author explains about five elements, seven dhatus, our constitution/three doshas and the importance of balance. These might be a good revision if you have already read a few Ayurveda books.
What definitely needs to be stressed upon in today’s age where a universal diet with fixed and calculated macro-nutrients is prescribed to everyone is this absolutely crucial point:
“In Ayurveda, nothing is absolute. The utility, value and effect of anything is relative. Hence the efficacy of its healing is dependent on the receiver, the time and the environment. Foods that may be good for you could be catastrophic for another person.”
“Mental and physical exertion directly impact your energy flow. Further, other people’s energy and the external environment can also impact your energy flow.”
In the final chapters of the book, the authors talk about methods of physical cleansing, fasting, pancha karma and some ways for mental detoxification like visualization, meditation, and journaling.
Apart from food, the book stresses a lot about negative emotions which according to the author “are unwholesome food for the mind.” Mental detoxification techniques such as meditation, visualization, erasing psychic imprints (a similar concept was covered in “The heartfulness way”) and mindfulness are explained in detail.
Personal Verdict
I loved the way the content of the book is designed. Any person (like me with no knowledge of Ayurveda whatsoever) can read and understand the underlying principles with ease.
The language is jargon-free and a breeze to read and understand. Even if you forget the details, you will remember the key takeaways and the lessons and that is the important thing.
Quoting some lines from the book to give you an idea of the tone of the book ‘I am not suggesting that Ayurveda is a panacea. No system of medicine is. But when you combine the principles of Ayurveda with yogic thoughts, you make a giant leap in your understanding of the human body and its well being.’
The Bottom Line
Physical cleansing techniques as prescribed in Ayurveda, the importance of fasting etc are also explained in easy-to-understand procedures.
I would highly recommend ‘The Wellness Sense’ by Om Swami to anyone looking for a wholesome book on wellness.
Buy your own copy from Amazon - The Wellness Sense
Written By - Resmita Barai
Edited By - Pavas Shrigyan
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