RECOGNIZE YOUR STRENGTH

In 1928,  Penicillin was discovered and caused  a worldwide excitement and relief.  But  in 1947,  the wonder drug  lost its sheen. It could not  kill  the same staphylococcus aureus bacterium it had once spelt doom for.  The microbes had developed resistance to the antibiotics.

The Global Report of WHO  April 2014  says that there is a serious threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria in every region of the world, and has the potential to affect anyone of any age in any country. When such bacteria invade a body, recovery takes a long time, and the risk of  death looms large. The disturbing fact is, not only more and more types of  bacteria are becoming drug resistant, many new types of microbes are attacking human body  and causing  serious diseases like Ebola, which  medical science is not able to contain. And there may be  other deadly infectious  diseases  in  store  for us in the future. But apart from hoping and  praying that  we will be  spared, we do precise little.

Why  should we  wait like sitting  ducks to be attacked and killed by these tiny organisms when nature has endowed us with the most powerful  bug killer?   It is  our own immune system that can kill any invaders. The proof lies with the various types of  vaccinations where weak or dead organisms are introduced to the body; and the immune system, after  recognizing the microbes, prepares  antibodies  to destroy them.  It is this mechanism that has helped human beings to survive the epidemics of plagues and yellow fevers of the past.

We can make our immune system invincible. All we need to do is,  give the system  what it  requires to be really healthy and strong. And they are vitamins A and C, plenty lot of fresh oxygen, abundant ‘prana’- the bio energy,  and a stress free mind. The absence of any of these factors  can weaken the immune cells.

Yoga, especially suryanamaskar and pranayama  are the best means to energize the  body  and strengthen the immune system while stress can be  released most effectively by relaxation techniques such as ‘yoganidra’ and meditation. For vitamin A,  fish, egg,  leafy, dark green, and yellow vegetables are excellent, while  amla (Indian gooseberry), rose, and oranges are the best sources of vitamin C .  This vitamin    should be taken in plentiful  as  it is a water soluble vitamin that gets out of  the body continuously through urine and perspiration.