Siddha and Healthy Living

Basic Principles of Siddha Healthy Living
~ By Vijayakumar Alagappan

Food

· Take 2 meals a day. In the afternoon and in the evening.

· Take rock salt and fresh ginger before taking food. This will clear the throat and sharpen the appetite.

· When you take food, a tumbler of water should be places on the right side.

· One should not sit for taking food facing the north.

· If one passes wind when he takes food he must leave of eating. He must not take any food during the day.

· Sweet things should be taken first, salt and acid substances next; and pungent, bitter and astringent things at the end.

· Pomegranates, sugarcane and similar things should be eaten first and never at the end of dinner.

· Take hard substances in the beginning, soft things in the middle and the liquids towards the end of the meal.

· Do not run after taking a meal.

· Walking after dinner promotes life. It gives good health.

· After lunch, lie down on the left side for a short time. This helps for digestion. Surya Nadi works when you lie on the left side to ignite digestive fire.

· Immediately after taking food, it is highly injuries to bask in the sun, swim, ride or run, sing, sit by the fire side, fight, and practice physical exercise of asana, pranayama or study.

· Night meals should always be light and 3 hours before sleep.

· Do not take curd at night. Curd should never be taken without the addition of some salt.

· Food, cohabitation, sleep, studying and walking in the street should not be indulged in at sunset.

· Food, evacuation of the bowels, cohabitation, sleep, taking medicine should be done when the breath is passing through the right nostril.

Sleep

· Do not sleep with the head towards the north.

· Sleeping with head towards the south prolongs life.

· You will get wealth by keeping your head towards the west.

· You will get wisdom by keeping your head towards the east.

Sexual Health

 Sexual intercourse is prohibited for the first four days after the appearance of the menses, as well as on the 8th, 14th and 15th days of fortnights (light and dark), on the anniversary days of dead parents, in the day time, at midnight and during an eclipse.

· Morning cohabitation is injuries.

· He who has eaten heavy meals, who is hungry, thirsty, who is pressed with the calls of nature, should not indulge in sexual intercourse
. Sexual intercouse is healthy only when engage every two weeks once