THE SCIENCE OF SWASTHYA
Let me ask you something what comes to mind when you hear the word “health”? Most of us think about checkups, blood reports, or the number on a weighing scale. But in the ancient Vedic tradition, health or Swasthya is so much more. The word itself comes from Sanskrit root words Swa, the Self, and Stha, to be steady or rooted. Think of it as being anchored deeply within yourself, balanced in body, mind, energy, and spirit.
Our seers didn’t just look at the absence of illness. They looked at life as a flowing ecosystem where your physical vitality, emotional balance, mental clarity, social harmony, and spiritual awareness all interact. And guess what? Modern neuroscience is starting to agree. When our internal environment is stable homeostasis, as the scientists call it our brain works better, our emotions are steadier, our cells stay healthy, and overall, life just feels… lighter.
Here’s a little observation for you: have you noticed how stress first shows up? Maybe a heaviness in the chest, or a tightness in the shoulders, before anything else? That’s the body sending a message. Stress ripples outward, triggers your sympathetic nervous system, floods you with cortisol, and if it lingers, it even shortens telomerase the enzyme that determines the “age” of your DNA. Crazy, right? Our emotional patterns are literally sculpting our cells.
Now flip that coin. When you’re feeling love, gratitude, compassion, or contentment, it’s like your body is bathing in a calming river. Your parasympathetic nervous system switches on, stress hormones drop, telomerase activity preserves your cells’ youth, your brain feels sharper, your emotions steadier, and yes your spirit feels lighter. The rishis called this sattvic, and today, neuroscience calls it resilience and neurochemical balance.
Swasthya, then, isn’t a simple medical term. It’s more like a symphony, where every layer body, mind, emotions, social life, spirit needs to play in harmony. One out-of-tune element affects the whole melody.
THE PENTAHABHUTAS: ELEMENTS OF LIFE
Here’s another way to look at it. Our bodies are made of the Panchamahabhutas earth, water, fire, air, and ether. And this isn’t metaphorical. Bones and tissues? Earth. Blood, plasma, lymph? Water. Digestion and metabolism? Fire. Breath, circulation, and nerves? Air. Consciousness and space inside cells? Ether. When these five elements are in balance, the body’s inner intelligence the ability to heal itself works like magic. But when one element gets too strong or too weak, disturbances first appear in your energy before they ever show up as symptoms.
How do we keep them in balance? Daily life matters. Ancient texts talk about Dinacharya (daily rhythm) and Ritucharya (seasonal rhythm). Long before chronobiology became a thing, Vedic wisdom already knew that timing everything from meals to sleep to activity keeps your hormones, digestion, and emotions in check. Waking in Brahma Mahurat with the sun? That lifts serotonin, sharpens your mind, and calms the nervous system. Sleeping early? Melatonin kicks in and your brain clears out toxins via the glymphatic system. Living with the seasons? Inflammation drops, immunity rises. Modern science is now confirming all of this.
And yes, your internal environment matters too. Most chronic problems thrive in an acidic body from processed foods, stress, dehydration, or shallow breathing. An alkaline, oxygen-rich environment fuels vitality, clarity, and resilience. How do you do it? Eat whole, sattvic foods. Hydrate. And breathe slow, deep, conscious breathing, or pranayama, keeps prana flowing, calms the nervous system, and steadies emotions. Modern neuroscience shows it boosts vagal tone, quiets fight-or-flight, and switches on the body’s repair mode. When all this comes together elements in harmony, rhythms aligned, oxygen-rich environment you’re not just functioning. You’re flourishing. It’s a living alchemy of mind, body, and spirit.
MOVEMENT, GROUNDING, AND NATURE
Movement isn’t just exercise it’s emotional housekeeping. Think about it: your muscles and fascia store unexpressed emotions. When you move consciously yoga, dance, walking it clears that energy and allows it to rise urdhvagami, upward, toward clarity and vitality. Science backs this: exercise releases endorphins, stabilises neurotransmitters, and boosts neuroplasticity. That’s a subtle alchemy transforming stored tension into vitality.
Now, let’s talk about grounding. We’re surrounded by devices that flood us with positive ions, subtly disrupting our physiology. The earth, full of negative ions, helps neutralise this charge. Walking barefoot on grass, soil, or sand isn’t just poetic it’s science. Grounding reduces inflammation, stabilises heart rate, improves mood, and reconnects you with the Panchamahabhutas. This is real-life alchemy connecting your body with nature.
Spending time in nature amplifies the effect. Sunlight lifts serotonin, fresh air oxygenates cells, and trees release phytoncides that support immunity. Whether it’s Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing), Friluftsliv (Nordic outdoor living), or ashrams in forests, being in natural environments recalibrates your internal elements and restores balance.
GRATITUDE, KINDNESS, AND PURPOSE
Here’s where it gets really interesting. Gratitude, compassion, and purpose are some of the most transformative tools we have. In the modern world, we’re often stuck in the “3 Cs” compare, criticise, complain. That drags our emotions down fear, guilt, shame, anger and drains prana. Vedic texts call this avasada, a contraction of your inner radiance.
On the flip side, love, kindness, gratitude, and compassion lift us up, engaging the parasympathetic system and supporting the body’s natural repair. And here’s a mind-blowing fact: acts of kindness release serotonin not only in the giver and receiver but even in someone watching it happen. That’s the ripple effect, or punya, the Vedic wisdom says a single good deed influences far beyond the immediate moment.
The “3 Gs” gratitude, giving, and goals anchor your mind in expansion. Gratitude rewires neural pathways; giving releases oxytocin and deepens connection; meaningful goals stimulate dopamine, fuelling motivation and growth. These aren’t just mood boosters they refine consciousness, strengthen relationships, and create fertile inner ground for Swasthya.
THE EVERYDAY ALCHEMY OF WELLBEING
Here’s the best part: you don’t need drastic life changes to feel better. Small, intentional shifts do wonders. Eat whole, natural foods. Move mindfully. Surround yourself with compassionate, uplifting people. Spend time in nature. Breathe deeply. Honour your body’s rhythms. Even ten minutes of daily meditation can enhance awareness, calm your mind, and strengthen inner steadiness the essence of Swasthya.
Remember: wellbeing isn’t a destination. It’s a process, a continuous alignment brain and breath, body and nature, senses and Self. When ancient wisdom meets modern science, one truth stands out: a vibrant, flourishing life arises from harmony, cultivated moment by moment.
About the Author
Shammi Sanjeevani is the Vice President at Anon Global Foundation, where she leads initiatives in mental health awareness, life skills development, and emotional well-being across educational institutions in India. With nearly two decades of experience spanning education and wellness, her work bridges ancient wisdom, contemporary psychology, and conscious living.
Shammi is deeply committed to helping individuals identify and transcend limiting beliefs, subconscious patterns, and inner narratives that prevent them from living with purpose, joy, and authenticity. Through her work, she empowers people to harness the power of thought, reconnect with their deeper purpose, and make conscious, value-driven choices that support holistic well-being.