Longevity is defined as “a long life”—something we can indeed achieve. But longevity is much more than simply living longer. It is living with vitality as we age. It is extending our period of health so that we have more years of life in which we feel with better spirits, agile and independent.

In this article we will explore some key longevity principles according to Ayurveda, drawn from my latest book, “The Longevity Formula” (Integral Publishing).

ayurveda, LA CIENCIA DE LA VIDA

With more than five thousand years of history, Ayurveda is one of the oldest healing systems in existence. The essence of Ayurveda, often translated as “the science of life” or “the knowledge of longevity,” is that we are not separated from nature; in fact, we are a microcosm within the macrocosm.

Ayurveda teaches us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature, the daily and seasonal rhythms, to use food as medicine, and to increase the flow of vital energy, prana, to balance our symptoms through medical and naturopathic means.

Indeed, in 2017, the Nobel Prize was awarded to scientists who studied circadian medicine, whose principles are present in the Ayurvedic clock, which details how to live in sync with natural rhythms.

RECONNECTING WITH NATURE

Sadly, many of us have lost touch with the natural environment, and as a result, our health too. A lot of us head to work at first light, when it is still dark, and leave at nightfall, when it becomes dark again, so we literally never see the sun.

We spend our days looking at screens, soaking up blue light. To save time, we cook with microwaves and opt for processed foods stored in wrappers.

We climb escalators and walk on moving walkways to exercise. And the list goes on and on. Our days revolve around comfort and technology that undermine our health. And all this because we have lost touch with nature.

Eliminating cellular damage and toxins

Chronological aging is a regular process that is measured in years and known as chronological age. However, the physical changes we see in the mirror are the result of underlying physiological changes: greying hair due to reduced pigment production in hair follicles, wrinkles caused by diminished skin elasticity, or height loss due to lower bone density.

The good news is that physiological aging or biological age is an irregular process that can accelerate or slow down, mainly depending on one variable: the accumulation of cellular damage.

If you reduce the rate at which cellular damage accumulates, you will slow ageing. In this way, the journey from health to disease begins with the accumulation of toxins, the ama in Ayurveda.

When these toxins saturate the system, symptoms appear, which can be low-grade and non-specific, such as “feeling unwell” or “feeling off”, or more specific, such as anxiety, depression, digestive problems, weight gain, headaches, nasal congestion, joint pain, among others.

If, at this stage of the process, we correct the course and begin reducing the toxin load, we can avoid progression toward a condition and chronic disease. Ultimately, this Ayurvedic journey is the everyday practice of balancing toxin elimination, which generates health, with its accumulation, which leads to disease.

Two steps that slow ageing

But how exactly is this accumulation of cellular damage slowed? In reality, it is fairly straightforward. The Longevity Formula, my two-step method for living longer and better, focuses on
preventing the wear and tear of body tissues through:

  • The increase in cellular repair and the factors that contribute to it, such as: healthy lifestyles, balanced routines and diets, daily movement, reduced stress, nervous system regulation, social connectedness and having a sense of purpose. Positive changes in lifestyle, diet, and stress management, using the principles of Ayurveda, help you live with more vitality as the years accumulate.
  • The reduction of chronic low-grade inflammation caused by the slow accumulation of cellular damage, which is the main driver of rapid ageing and the most common chronic diseases associated.

Eight weeks to gain years of life

A study published in 2021 in the scientific journal Aging showed that an eight-week programme of diet and lifestyle modification reversed biological age (measured by DNA methylation) in healthy adult men aged between 50 and 72 by an average of 3.23 years.

While the sample size was small, the implications of these findings are clear: we are more than the product of our genes; we are also a product of our environment. Truly, habits and lifestyle make a difference; we can reduce biological age relative to chronological age.

Routines in favour of longevity

Let us look at a 24-hour day sequence aligned with circadian rhythms to support Ayurveda’s longevity formula:

  • Morning hygiene. Begin the day with habits that eliminate toxins from the mouth, tongue, nose, eyes and skin.
  • Cleanse the gut. Then drink a glass of water at room temperature or warm. You may add lemon juice, which supports the movement of the digestive tract. Make a habit of sitting on the toilet, distraction-free and relaxed, each morning.
  • Delay morning coffee. Enjoy some morning sun, even for a few minutes, and if you have coffee at breakfast, wait about 90 minutes after waking before drinking it, so it doesn’t merge with the natural cortisol spike that wakes you. Do exercise, such as yoga, and have a light, easily digestible breakfast.
  • Lunch should be the largest meal. Have your main meal between 10:00 and 14:00, when the sun is at its hottest and highest in the sky. Chew well and start with fibre; then proteins and fats, and finally carbohydrates.
  • No snacking between meals. According to Ayurveda, we should eat a maximum of three times a day. This allows time to digest, process and fully assimilate foods, and helps prevent digestive symptoms such as pain, a sense of fullness and gas.
  • Plan physical and mental activity. Exercise before ten in the morning; between ten and two, undertake intensive intellectual tasks and problem-solving; between two and six in the afternoon, schedule time for creativity and brainstorming. During tasks, take mindful breathing breaks.
  • Time to unwind. After six, slow down, relax with family and friends or enjoy a routine of gentle stretches, a post-dinner walk, reading for pleasure, keeping a journal, praying or meditating.
  • Dine in daylight. Dinner should be light and easy to digest, preferably before seven in the evening, or at least three hours before going to bed. Dim the lights in your home and limit blue-light exposure from devices (computers, phones, e-readers, tablets, etc.). This will help release melatonin.
  • Nightly fast and restorative sleep. At night, do not eat. Do not break the fast before at least twelve hours have passed. In doing so, you support autophagy and longevity.
  • Learn something new every day. Feed your curiosity to promote neuroplasticity and mental digestion.
  • Staying connected. Socialise, share, live in alignment with your purpose. And live longer and better.

Follow this morning routine to combat toxins

purify your senses

According to Ayurvedic medicine, it is important to remove toxins accumulated overnight in the eyes, mouth, nose, tongue and skin. Upon waking, you can perform an Ayurvedic morning routine, starting with the eyes.

wash your eyes

Wash your face and eyes with cold water and gently massage the eyelids. Blink a few times and move the eyeballs in both directions. Then dry your eyes and face with a clean cotton towel.

mouth and tongue

Stick out your tongue and carefully scrape from back to front with a tongue scraper. Repeat three to seven times. Then brush your teeth with a soft brush and toothpaste or powder. Finish with a coconut oil mouth rinse.

nasal irrigation

Rinsing the nasal cavities with a saline nasal irrigator helps to remove allergens, bacteria and contaminants filtered by the nasal mucosa and mucus. Do one nostril first, then the other.

dry brushing

Helps remove residues from the skin’s surface through a gentle exfoliation of the outer skin layers and by increasing blood flow to the area. Start by massaging the feet and then work upwards. The aim is to create some friction and warmth.

More prana: your vital energy

Drink warm water: Water is an essential nutrient and a source of prana, the body’s vital energy. Sip warm water throughout the day. Ayurveda suggests “cooking” it by boiling for about ten minutes, as this aids digestion and absorption.
Oxygenate your cells: Breathe consciously to optimise the supply of oxygen and fresh prana to the cells. Pay attention to your breathing. Prolong the inhale to gain energy or the exhale to relax. Studies show that when oxygen availability is dysregulated, ageing is promoted.

Add sun to your day: Dedicating time to deliberately observe natural sunlight first thing in the morning is a powerful tool to keep cellular clocks in sync with the master circadian clock.

Gratitude walks: If you can, take a morning walk or spend time outdoors every day, and you will access both the healing power of gratitude and the three main sources of prana: earth (and water), air and sun.

Move your muscles: Practise yoga to move the prana, remove toxins and balance your body. Better in the morning on an empty stomach or at any time before 6 pm. The Sun Salutation sequence is a good practice.