The Gandhian way of life was a life of austiarity - minimalistic, simplistic and very much in the flow and rythm of nature.
Waking up early with the sunshine, sleeping early and eating frugally, small meals, simple meals, simple vegetarian food and mingling with the cosmic elements are the Gandhian way of life.
Being able to seeing nature’s beauty and being in nature with sunlight, fresh air, surrounded with colourful and fragrant flowers, beautiful butterflies, water, listening to the chirping of the birds are also part of the Gandhian way of belief.
Doing yoga, breathing, meditation was a part of it. Naturopathy was a big part of it. Gandhiji was a promoter of naturopathy. He believed nature can cure and heal. Sunbath, mud bath are beneficial as they can help promote good health. As much as breathing right, sleeping under the open sky when possible helps good health.
Very few people knew that Gandhiji had set up a nature cure hospital and Seva Gram, among his other ashrams like Wardha across India. Plough fields, nurse lepers with care and love, set up discourses and made people meditate, and took them on the path of Naturopathy.
The Gandhian way of life promotes following the yogic sutras with sincerity – Ahimsa or non violence, Satya or truthfulness, Asteya or not stealing, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha , Saucha or cleanliness, Santosha or contentment, Tapas or austerity, Swadhya or looking inwards and Ishwar Pradhana or praying to the divine .
Yoga became a very very important part of a Gandhian way of life everyday. The Dinncharya of the Gandhian way of life would start with gratitude to the deity, yoga, meditation, chanting, walking, mingling with nature. This yoga is not the fancy yoga. It is the Sehaj yoga. Also, for senior citizens, it could be the Sushma yoga - simple, soft and gentle. It would be the yoga that doesn't kill you, the yoga that increases the life force within you.
The Gandhian way of eating was being vegetarian, eating satvik and eating minimalistic and light. Eating as a matter of duty to help sustain the body and never for palate satisfaction is suggested. Eating regional and seasonal foods, including lots of fruits, dry fruits, vegetables, herbs, eating wholesome foods that are not refined, and most importantly, eating simple cooked food and drinking clean water. It included cows and goat milk, which was given a lot of importance. He was also in favour of pure ghee and jaggery. Overall, taking in only minimal - as much needed by the body.
Fasting is also important to give the body a break. Water fasting, fruit and juice fasting once in a while helps the body purify. It assists This way, it keeps light and focus on meditation is much more.
Gandhian way of life also is being physically active and walking as much as possible. Doing super light exercises in the evenings and resting between busy schedules is also the way.
Most importantly, there was activity through service, seva and work and also passivity with bhajans, kirtans, satsangs and meditations.
The Gandhian way of life was also influencing people to lead and walk that path, helping others navigate walk that path by becoming a leader and leading by example, by becoming an influence rub off where you didn’t have to teach but by the mere virtue of being with someone like that, one would keep learning and absorbing like a sponge.
The Gandhian way was the way of have-nots with choice. Letting go off all vairagya, wanting to live with peace, joy and happiness with nothingness, happiness with soulfulness, and this nothingness is actually wholeness. Cleansing of your mind, body, emotions, spirit and regulating your mind, body, emotions, spirits and fortifying your mind, body, emotions and spirits.
The Gandhian way of life was a life of empathy, karuna, flow, rhythm, taal-mel. This way of life was to share, care, love everyone, use affectionate words, create joy, trust everyone. With trust grows celebration, with trust grows happiness, with trust one moves forward and with trust, one can evolve and find new experiences in life.
That’s the Gandhian way, the complete way, the total way, the clean way, the whole wholeness way.
Wholeness maximized, life naturalized, with Gandhian way, get Mickeymized!
