Importance of basic five symbolized elements (panchamahabhta)s in relation to health - Fresh air, water, fire, ether and earth

1. Amazing Body
and
Panchamahabhutas
Dr. Shatrunjay M. Kote, Ph.D.,
Asso. Prof.,
M. S. M’s. College of Physical Education,
Aurangabad

2. We all need to Change !

3. Are you
Rich or Poor?

4. Our Magical Body
Cells:
The average developed adult is made up of 60 million million cells. (Cost=?)
300 million cells die in the body every minute, but the number of cells remains fairly
constant throughout our life. Dead cells are replaced immediately. (Cost=?)
Skin:
An average adult’s skin weights about 9 pounds, three times as much as the brain,
and covers an area more than 18 square feet. (Cost=?)
The skin never lie. Lie detectors, or polygraphs, work on the principle that under
stress or threat the skin undergoes certain measurable changes caused by hormonal
activity.
Hairs:
An average human head is covered by about 1,00,000 strands of hair. (Cost=?)
Each ordinary hair has a life span of about three years, eyelashes live about 150
days.

5. Our Magical Body
Eyes: (Cost=?)
A blink occurs once every two to ten seconds, lasting 0.3 to 0.4 seconds. This
accounts for about half an hour of our waking time. An infant does not blink at all in
the first few months of life.
The surface of the eye has considerable freedom of movement. The eyeball can tilt
35 degrees up, 50 degrees down, 45 degrees out and 50 degrees in towards the nose;
covering peripheral vision of 170 degrees.
Smell:
Body smell is as distinctive and individual as a fingerprint, and is unique to family
group.
Police dogs cannot distinguish between the body smells of identical twins, even if
the twins live in different towns, have different jobs and eat dissimilar foods.
Taste:
• An adult has an average of 9000 taste buds, but a baby has many more. Babies even
have buds on the inside of their cheeks. Taste buds are lost as we get older, which in
part explains a child’s vigorous reaction to strong tastes.

6. Our Magical Body
Respiration: (Cost=?)
• It is estimated that we breathe in nearly 500 cubic feet of air per day, consistently,
automatically and most of the time, effortlessly. The surface area of lung is
estimated to be around the size of the tennis court.
• You breath 3 cylinders of Oxygen everyday which amounts to around Rs. 2100/- per
day; Rs. 63,000/- per month; Rs. 7,56,000/- per year; and Rs. 4,53,60,000/-in an
average span of 60 years of human being.
Speed of a sneeze has been estimated at between 60 to 100 miles per hour.
Calculation of Dog, Man and Tortoise calculation “The law of use and disuse”,
Equal breath counts for everybody
(Life span in years X Days X Hours X Minutes X Breath count per minute)
Dog = (20 X 365 X 24 X 60 X 45)= 47,30,40,000
Human = (60 X 365 X 24 X 60 X 15)= 47,30,40,000
Tortoise = (150 X 365 X 24 X 60 X 6)= 47,30,40,000

7. Our Magical Body
Bones: (Cost=?)
The thigh bone is able to bear a pressure of 1200 pounds per square inch when we
walk.
There are generally 206 bones in an adult body, a baby has 350. The extra bones
don’t get lost – they fuse during the maturing process, to accord with our needs.
Muscles: (Cost=?)
• There are around 656 muscles in the body
• There are some 30 muscles attached to the bones of the skull. Their sole purpose is
to give the face expression.
• 1 CC of muscle can generate a force of approximately 50 Newtons

8. Our Magical Body
Heart: (Cost=?)
The human heart weighs 12 to 14 oz. (336 to 392 grams); whereas a horse’s heart
weights about 10 pounds (approximately 4kg 650 grams)
The human heart beats at somewhere between 70 to 80 times per minute
In the course of one day, 8 tons of blood passes through the heart.
The entire network of vessels which makes up the circulatory system measures
60,000 miles, which is more than twice the circumference of the earth.
The power of the human heart is such that if the main artery, the aorta, is cut, a
stream of blood 6 feet high would be released (systolic pressure is 120mmHg ).

9. IMPORTANCE
OF BASIC FIVE ELEMENTS
(PANCHAMAHABHUTAS SYMBOLISED)
IN RELATION TO HEALTH

10. SYMBOLIZATION OF BASIC ELEMENTS
AIR - Oxygen and Fresh Air
WATER – Water
EARTH - Food, Rest and Sleep
FIRE - Solar Energy and Sunlight
ETHER - Sportsman Spirit and
Exercise

11. (1) AIR in the form of OXYGEN and FRESH AIR:
Air is medium for sound waves, enable us to hear beautiful, exciting, sad,
melodious, warming notes etc.;
We cannot produce sound or vibrate our vocal cords in spite of good health and
size without the medium as air.
Oxygen supplies energy to our brain to think, heart to beat and muscles to contract
for performing physical movements.
Air helps to evaporate the perspiration to feel cool.
Germs in our lungs can be cleared off with deep breaths of fresh air.
Fresh air speeds up circulation resulting in supply of oxygen and nutrition to all our
cells which increases efficiency.
Sleeping in fresh air was an early remedy on tuberculosis.

12. (1) AIR in the form of OXYGEN and FRESH AIR:
Pollution free air at country side, hiking or camping resulting in calming nerves and
enabling us to sleep more soundly.
Deep breathing chase away depression.
Over exposure of cold air is harmful as it puts load on our heart to keep body
warm.
Because of exposure to cold air out white blood cells become less active and this
may result in lack of immunity against cold and other infections.
Too warm air is also harmful, the ideal temperature is about 60o to 80o F with 30
to 65% humidity.
Sir Philip Sidney quoted “The ingredients of health and long life, are great
temperance, open air, easy labor and little care”.

13. (2) WATER in the form of WATER:
Drinking lot of water with meals will dilute the saliva, gastric and digestive juices effecting digestive
process. Hence yoga & Dr. Mervyns Harding of Loma Linda University, California, prescribes “drinking
water 15 minutes before meals and 90 to 120 minutes after meals will help our digestion better, provided
we do not miss to drink enough water in between times”.
Our digestive juices work best at normal body temperature, so no cold water or beverages.
Drinking at least six to better eight glasses of water between meals is advisable.
Water is a solvent and dispersion medium for nutrients, electrolytes, minerals (sodium and potassium)
and waste products.
plenty of water will help every cell flush impurities from skin, lungs, kidneys for excretion.
Oxygen from air dissolves in thin layers of fluid in the air sacs of lungs and makes it way through.
Blinking of eye lid is possible only with the help of lubrication and that is water.
The grey matter of brain is 85% water.

14. (2) WATER in the form of WATER:
Water delays fatigue in hikers, mountain climbers and marathon runners.
Water lubricates every part of the body protecting it from injuries and making it
supple.
Cold water may be applied for sprains and strains for first 48 hours avoiding
swelling and pain.
Water application on burns stop tissue destruction and speeds up recovery.
A hot footbath is an excellent means of reliving a headache, as it dilates the blood
vessels in our feet and this draws the blood away from our head.
Refreshing shower or bath stimulates our circulation, which clears our brain, helps
digestion, circulates more white blood cells, thus building resistance.
Water is often called as the universal solvent.

15. (3) EARTH in the form of FOOD, REST and SLEEP:
:FOOD:
To start high protein food is a good breakfast to keep us feel energetic and alert during the
mornings.
A study revealed that the children who eat a really good breakfast stay more alert and can
concentrate better than those who eat a skimpy breakfast. Also it is noticed in factory workers
than breakfast eaters produces more and suffered fewer accident during the hour just before
lunch than their counterparts who ate poor breakfast.
Good breakfast will keep optimum blood sugar levels. Brain cells entirely depend on glucose.
Heavy meals at dinner associated with immediate going to bed leads the ground work for
heart attack or stroke, because the Cholesterol rise.
Inter society commission for Heart Disease Resources Recommends “a more vegetarian diet
with excess calories” for heart. This will result in lowering our cholesterol levels.

16. (3) EARTH in the form of FOOD, REST and SLEEP:
:FOOD:
A study by David Nieman says “The latest studies have concentrated on the importance of carbohydrates
in the diet. Vegetarian diets can easily provide for high carbohydrates intake that can double or triple
endurance time”.
Dr. Scharaffen Berg also says that “our risk of heart attacks can be reduced by 90% chiefly by not
smoking and by using a vegetarian diet, which can also reduce our risk of cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis
and a whole host of disease”.
Dr. James Blankenship of the department of Nutrition says “Contributing factors of heart disease are
reduced by the consumption of olive oil, because the arteries become more pliable, more elastic and
therefore able to respond to the pressure.
Dr. John Scharffonberg at last suggests “Eat at proper times a variety of natural foods in quantities to
maintain ideal weight”.

17. REST and SLEEP (As Earth is with Gravity):
Quote by Ovid “Take rest, a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop”.
Dr. Charles Thomas, of the Banning prevention health care and education centre,
says rest for half an hour increases white cells in our body dramatically, which
increases immunity.
Because of overtiredness, brain also gets sluggish, the treatment is to rest for a
while. Plenty of sleep is good program to our 10 billion brain cells to flash correct
answers to our problems.
Dr. W. Proctor, Harvey, Georgetown University, classifies people into A, B, C and
D types. According to his grouping, if you are of type A, you are alert and active in
morning and slow and inactive in the evening. Types B are more awake and active
at night. Types C are good both times, and type D neither time. He says “We should
pay attention to which type we are and if possible, do our most important thinking
and work during the time we are alert”.

18. REST and SLEEP (As Earth is with Gravity):
Sleep also helps us to rebuild cells of our skeletal muscles, heart muscles, kidneys,
bone marrow, stomach and brain. It prepares us for greater speed, accuracy,
efficiency both physically and mentally.
Shakespeare aptly referred to the “Sleep that knits up the revel’d sleeve of care”
means: a tangled thread of care or worry is well knitted by the sleep.
Earth provides us food and rest; hence the importance of this element in health
cannot be neglected or denied.

19. (4) FIRE in the form of SUNLIGHT and SOLAR ENERGY:
Sunlight brings health and wealth of beauty into our lives. color in flowers,
changing starch to sugar in fruits like strawberries, cherries and oranges on the
contrary it also changes sugar to starch ripening corn, wheat etc.
Sunlight builds vitamin D in our body, enabling to use calcium for building bones
and teeth (study by Ralph Steinman, California).
Sunlight increases lever activity and saves the lives of premature babies with
yellow jaundice. The infrared (heat) rays of sunlight penetrate deeply aiding
circulatory and muscular systems.
Sunlight helps not only to kill germs around us, but facilitate the production of
white cells which act as immunity against infections.
People who get up early and welcome the glorious colors, boundless energy and
healing rays in the eastern horizon are found always with better health.

20. (5) ETHER in form of SPORTSMAN SPIRIT and EXERCISE:
By regularly engaging oneself in sports and exercise relives us from anxiety, depression,
allergies, asthma, regulates normal blood pressure, increases resistance, increases alertness
and keenness.
A study confirms that exercise with the aim to loose weight scheduled in morning is more
beneficial than in the evening. Another advantage of morning schedule is of not missing a
session for a single day.
Dr. Lee S. Berk, assistant research professor of Pathology, California found that “in runners
and other routine exercisers, an endocrine hormone called beta-endorphin becomes elevated
differently than in sedentary people. A natural opiate (pain killing) substance, beta-endorphin
not only kills pain, but also helps reduce blood pressure, heart rate and respiration”.
Swimming is a good aerobic exercise and reports that, the swimmers have less tension,
depression, anger, confusion and more vigor than those of non-swimmers.
Several researchers have discovered that during exercise we have an increased alpha-waves in
brain, which are associated with a relaxed, meditation like state and that reduces anxiety and
depression.

21. (5) ETHER in form of SPORTSMAN SPIRIT and EXERCISE:
Exercise use up the excess electrical charges produced by anger resulting in calmness of emotions and
helps strengthening relationships.
Studies show that those who exercise regularly reduces heart attack by one third over a seven-year
period.
Sports and exercise not only develop our physique but also enhances mental qualities like intrinsic
motivation, leadership, communication, imagery, managing psychic energy, stress management,
attention, self confidence, space orientation, time value, quick decision capacity, sportsmen spirit and
may more which may be said as overall development of an individual.
It is required to balance our emotions with motion. Dryden quotes “The wise for cure, on exercise
depend”.

22. IN SHORT
Lastly to quote Francis Bowen “To become a thoroughly
good man is the best prescription for keeping a sound mind
in a sound body” and to add up from my side “with the help
of yoga and these basic five elements in a natural way”.

23. PROMISE TO KEEP NATURE PURE AS IT IS
Panchamahabhutas have their own balance and
rhythm to keep the nature pure and they also help us
to maintain our balance and rhythm to keep us
healthy. Hence, any action polluting or adulterating
nature is crime against ourselves.

24. I PERSONALLY
THANK YOU ALL FOR KEEPING THE
NATURE IN ITS PUREST FORM AND
BALANCED FOR COMING GENERATION
“AUM”

25. Keep Balancing