The BlogTalk: 12th Question: Is it good to leave our current place? Should we consume immunity boosters?

The Master’s Guidance Continues

Acharya Mahendranath (The Master)

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, the entire country is in a lockdown. All students have been missing the joy of coming to the training centres, practicing in a group, interacting with the teachers, and of course meeting the Master. Everyone has also missed having our monthly “Master’s Talk Session”. But Master says that physical lockdown need not mean lockdown of our lives. We can still do the same things, but do them differently. Which is why the Master has given a schedule for daily practice of Martial Arts, Yoga and Reiki Energy Healing, and all students have responded really well. 

Our activities over Instagram and Facebook have kept us connected with each other’s energy. So why stop here? Why not have Master’s Talk Session as well, but in a different manner? So we asked students to send us questions and the Master has given His guidance through this blog. So we hope that you all read it, understand it, internalize it, apply it and make your life even better. Please share your comments at the end of each question and of course, more questions are welcome on moxshlife@gmail.com.

Snehal Pawar

Q. I am having two questions about current situation. Firstly, in this pandemic situation, everyone ran towards their hometown as they thought they will be safe there. But the problem is there is no specific place which is safe during this time. But now living in our surrounding is also dangerous for us. My question is, it is good for us to leave our current place or not? And another question is, medical retailers are selling different tablets and medicines to increase immunity. So, it is good to consume it or not?

— Snehal S. Pawar, Student of Keimoudo® — Moxsh® Martial Arts

Master’s Guidance: "I am addressing your first question where you said that during this pandemic everyone is running to their hometown because they think they will be safe. And you asked whether it is a good decision.

The entire upheaval that we have been witnessing over the past couple of weeks has multiple, complex angles and there are no straightforward answers.

But here are some things you need to understand: 

When the government initially asked people to stay put and stay where they were, it was the right appeal and a very necessary step to take at that time. Because if people would have been told to go in the beginning of the lockdown, we would have witnessed total pandemonium. People from what have now been identified as Red Zones would have gone to Green Zones, and we would be facing a much bigger crisis than what we are facing today.

So, the government did the right thing, and for some time people complied. But when people began realizing the actual implications of the lockdown, the seriousness of the infection and its rate of spread, and the fact that the lockdown could go on for longer than a few weeks, things started getting out of hand. All those who had come to cities from other states or towns became desperate to go back home. Why?

There are multiple reasons. 

First is basic human psychology. When we are in trouble, we remember our home and our family. People leave their hometowns and come to cities for various reasons. And when things are normal their busy schedule keeps them occupied and they follow a mechanical routine. But when they get sick, or lose their job, or if there is a pandemic, etc. they yearn for their home. Even those who have been told they have very little time to live, prefer to go home and spend the remainder of their life with their family. This nature is there in our DNA.

Then there is the question of safety. You say that no specific places are safe. It is not like that. At the beginning of the pandemic, almost all the villages and small towns in India were safe. According to news reports, instances of coronavirus infection were first seen abroad, and it first came into Indian cities through international travelers who landed in our city airports. 

And this pandemic spread at a very fast rate in cities because our cities are crowded, congested, houses are close by, and many people use common toilets, etc. But things are different in villages.

Villages are not congested and there the houses have bigger premises. People know that their villages and hometowns are safe and they can be fully isolated in their homes, and they know that their chances of getting infected by Coronavirus is very less in their hometowns.

The third factor is practical and financial. Most people don’t have jobs and they have to still pay house rent and pay for food in the city. They also don’t know what the future holds for them. They don’t know how long the lockdown will last, whether they will get a job later, etc. But if they go back to their villages, they don’t have to pay their house rent and they can get food.

Why do you think people walked or cycled thousands of kilometres, traveled by trucks and other vehicles and generally risked their lives to go home? If people were happy where they were, they would not have done this. If they had a proper and safe place to stay and had money, they would not have taken such drastic steps. Given these factors, their decision to go home seems very obvious.

But in their hurry to escape the risk of infection and other uncertainties, they failed to realize that the very journey they planned to undertake was fraught with even bigger risks. The crowds—whether on roads where people were walking in hundreds, or in trucks/tempos that were packed to capacity with people, or at ticketing areas, bus depots, and in train stations where people would gather in thousands—were so great that maintaining social distancing was near impossible. And people didn’t understand that the journey could make them a carrier of the infection and that they could infect their entire family or village after they go home. This is, in fact, happening right now.

The deadly virus, which was so far contained within urban areas, has now reached the rural areas. This, according to me is a very dangerous thing, and will make the situation worse.

And so, is it good to leave the current place? There is no simple answer. If people who are not affected by the virus are able to find a safe way to go home without getting affected during the travel, then going back is fine. But on the other hand, if people travel in a risky manner and contract the infection then they can affect their home and village. This can be an even bigger problem because arranging the required medical facilities in most villages might be difficult.

So, we cannot label the decision of people wanting to leave for their hometown as right or wrong; good or bad. There are pros and cons to everything.

Your next question is about medical retailers selling tablets and medicines to increase immunity and whether it is good to consume them.

Doctors and healthcare experts around the world are now saying that people with good immune system have a lesser chance of contracting coronavirus as well as greater chance of recovery if they do get infected.

Immune system can be boosted in a natural manner by eating proper food, getting good sleep, taking in fresh air and water, exercising, and keeping stress at bay. You need to get 7- 8 hours of sleep. Proper food includes green leafy vegetables, pulses, roots, nuts, and fruits. Most of our traditional food has ingredients like turmeric, ginger, black pepper, jaggery, cinnamon, garlic, onion, cloves, fresh coconut, etc. which are good immune boosters. You can also consume black raisins, honey, coconut water, and fruits like papaya and orange that help keep many infections at bay. You can have herbal tea. You need to exercise regularly.

This is the natural way. But if you feel you are deficient in any way or you cannot manage most of this, then for this particular situation you may take supplements. But don’t buy directly from medical retailers. Consult your doctor and ask them to prescribe, as it is the safest way to take any medicine or supplements. But remember it is just for this situation and I would always recommend the natural way to boost the immune system."

— Acharya Mahendranath

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