Samudra Mekhale Devi Parvatastana Maale| Vishnu Patnim Namastubhyam Padasparsham Kshamaswa Me
Meaning: You who wear a waistband of oceans, huge mountains cover whose breasts; who is the eternal Companion of Lord Vishnu, I pay obeisance to you Oh Mother Earth! Kindly forgive me, as I have to commit the sin of putting my feet upon your surface (to begin my journey of life for the day ahead). The third major step is drinking fresh water. It should be drunk slowly, but continuously, to fill the stomach completely. This should be done before going to the toilet, as it helps in fast and smooth excretion and proper cleansing of the stomach. This activity is called "ushapana" and is recommended in Ayurveda as "One who does ushapana every day after getting up in the (early) morning indeed protects his body from diseases and makes his body health y". Generally cold (normal temperature below lukewarm) water is supposed to give best effects.It is a pity to note that even in India the land of the genesis and practice of Ayurveda , many people mostly the so-called educated ones, who are supposed to be more aware of health - are now getting used to ’bed tea’ or ’bed coffee’ which is harmful for our body in all respects. Normally cold water is good for our teeth and it also strengthens our digestive system. Our metabolic system has the capacity to heat up the chilled things entering the stomach, but there is no process to cool down the hot things up to the health y or normal temperature. Consumption of hot tea, coffee, other drinks or eatables damages the delicate tissues in our tongue, food pipe and the stomach; these give rise to ulcers at times, which might become cancerous, if neglected. Ushapana in the morning is also useful as it helps curing the indigestion, if any, due to the food consumed during the previous night. The following quote in "Bhav Prakash" also highlights the importance of ushapana:
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Akhandjyoti July- Aug 2003
