हवा (Air)

You eat food 2–3 times a day,
You drink water 5–10 times a day,
But you breathe air continuously countless times.

Now think for yourself
if the air continuously entering your body is not healthy,
then how much can even the purest food or water truly keep you healthy?

Yogis make their bodies long-lived and their minds extremely sharp through pranayama alone. Ancient sages, monks, and ascetics were believed to sustain themselves for thousands of years with air alone as their nourishment while performing penance.

So now consider this
if properly taken good air can nourish a person and keep them alive for centuries,
then can badly taken polluted air not shorten a person’s life?
Yes, it certainly can, and it does.

That is why people living in polluted city air often have a shorter lifespan compared to those living in the pure air of villages away from cities. People living in fields and villages often enjoy much better health than those living in cities and offices.

That is also why when someone remains ill for a long time and even doctors cannot improve their condition beyond a point, they often advise:
“Go to your village and change your air for a while.”

Therefore, we all understand well that it is not easy for everyone to directly access the pure air of village fields. But we should make as much effort as possible. And if it cannot happen immediately, then at least we should make it a long-term goal—to build a life where, while earning, we move in that direction so that we can live a simple and pure life close to villages and fields, even if the income is not very high.

Until then, if you cannot get beneficial fresh air, at least remove harmful air from your life.

But how can this be done?

Keeping different kinds of air fresheners in cars, homes, and bathrooms has become very common nowadays.
Because of this, diseases that were once extremely rare are now becoming very common.

We feel that we are simply removing bad smells and bringing in a pleasant fragrance.
But the truth is that all those synthetic, chemical-based perfumes and air fresheners cause many physical harms. Some of them are listed below:

Headaches, lack of concentration, brain fog, and depression - due to neurotoxins
Obesity and diabetes - due to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction
Cancer - due to substances like formaldehyde commonly present in perfumes
Asthma, bronchitis, and lung inflammation
Hormonal imbalance of testosterone and estrogen - due to phthalates
Fatigue, low energy levels, and sleep disturbance - from constant exposure to artificial fragrances
Itching, burning, eczema, and other skin diseases - due to allergies
Mental development issues in children and harmful effects on unborn babies

Research References
Environmental Health Perspectives (2007, 2008)
American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (2009)
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health (2010)
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC - WHO, 2012)
Contact Dermatitis Journal (2008)
Environmental Health Reports (2011)

To remove bad odor:

Keep coffee beans, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and similar spices wrapped in a cotton cloth inside the house.
Use incense made from cow dung, guggul, camphor, etc.

For fragrance:

Use natural (alcohol-free) attars or perfumes made from vetiver, rose, sandalwood, jasmine, henna, kewda, etc.
Sprinkle rose water.
Regular use of sandalwood tilak and paste can keep the body naturally fragrant even without perfume.

However, once again, pay attention to this point: the best thing is to try to create a lifestyle where throughout life, day and night, we can receive fresh air from trees and nature in fields, farms, and open spaces. But if that is not possible, then whenever possible, try to spend as much time as you can in nearby gardens, fields, farms, and natural fresh air. This can have an effect similar to pranayama for you.

Why? Because the air circulated by fans, ACs, and coolers is considered lifeless and lacking vitality. You may have noticed yourself that when you sleep on a rooftop or in the courtyard of a village home, the freshness you feel in your body after waking up is not the same as when you sleep indoors with the air of fans, ACs, or coolers.

We can manage this during winter and rainy seasons

In summer, when you come home from outside, do not immediately switch on the AC, cooler, or fan. Instead, sit peacefully for about 10 minutes. Do not even drink water immediately. Within 10 minutes, your body temperature will adjust to the home temperature. After that, calmly drink water from an earthen pot. Then, if needed, use the fan, AC, or cooler as little as necessary. And if you can avoid them completely, that is considered best.

Because constantly staying in the cold air of ACs, coolers, and fans prevents the body from sweating properly, and sweating at the right time is very important. If sweat does not come out, it may also lead to diseases.

Ayurveda even says that food prepared in a kitchen that does not receive fresh air and sunlight should be considered like poison and should be avoided.

That is why, in villages, kitchens were traditionally built in open spaces with clay stoves, and people remained healthier.