CHENNAI: In addition to making a resoution, here are some of the ways you can improve your health, the natural way. The word kaya means body and kalpam means stone. The word kayakalpam means sturdy as a rock and ageless. The Siddha system believes that the aging can be slowed. There are two ways to achieve a long, healthy life: kayakalpa medicines, and kalpa yogam.
Kayakalpa Medicines
The sage Agasthya and his disciples, the ‘18 Siddhars’ codified Siddha medicine and kayakalpam. There are some good kalpa mooligai (herbs): ginger (Zinziber officinalis), kadukkai (Terminalia chebula), amukkura (Withania somnifera), keelanelli (Phyllathus niruri), vembu (Azadiracta indica), tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), lemon (Citrus media varacida) and vilvam (Aegle marmelos).
Nellikkai thenooral (gooseberry soaked in honey), a popular rejuvenating medicine of Kanyakumari district. Put washed gooseberries in a bottle and fill with pure honey until it soaks. Keep the bottle closed for 48 days. The gooseberries will shrink, the essence absorbed by the honey. Take this honey (10 ml) twice a day. The gooseberries may be discarded once the drink is prepared.
Some people use needles to puncture the gooseberry skin before soaking it in honey. Even the gooseberry can then be consumed. We can do the same with inji (ginger) and kadukkai (gall nut). Shelf life: one year. Even if you are not willing to prepare this at home, Tripala Karpa tablets can be taken (two tablets at night), after consulting a Siddha physician.
Kalpa Yogam
I suggest only pranayama or moochu payirchi. Hold your right nostril with the thumb and breathe in from the left. Now release the thumb and exhale from the right nostril while closing the left nostril with the middle and ring fingers. Breathe in from the right nostril. Now close it with your thumb as described above and exhale from the left nostril. Repeat for 10 minutes. Make sure you expand your chest while breathing, and not the stomach. Do this slowly and do not hurry. The time to inhale and exhale may vary depending on your lung capacity. But remember that breathing out time should be twice the breathing in time.
— by Dr B Thamizhkkani
(Government Siddha Physician, Ariyalur)