GENERAL HEALTH RULES

1)Body and clothing must be kept neat and clean.
2)After urinating use water or cleansa yourself by some other means.
3)Pay attention to the regular clearing of the bowels.
4)Do not sleep on a soft bed.
5)When taking a bath, all parts of the body, in particular the armpits and groin,should be cleaned properly.Soap,oil and comb should be used every day. The body hair never cut ,espesially in the armpit and pubic regions.
6)Before morning and evening Sadhana ,either do vyapaka shaoca or take a full bath.
7)Before and afterb meals,and before sleep,do vyapaka shaoca with cold water. If it is very cold,use lukewarm water.
8)Drink a sufficient quantity of water every day,but do not drink too much
at any one time.
9)Sleeping during the day and staying awake at night are to be avoided.
10)All intoxicants are tamasika and are to be discarded like poison.

FOR MALES:
1)Immedietly upon reaching adolescence(in india one reaches adolescence in between
the ages of twelve and fourteen),males should startusing kaopina(laungota) and should pull back the foreskin of the penis.
2)The foreskin should be pulled back and the area washed and kept clean.
3)Never indulge in bad practices ,such as mastrubation,etc.

FOR FEMALES:
1)Women must make it a habit to spend some time outdoors every day in the open air and the sunshine.
2)The best room of the house should be used for giving birth.
3)During the period of menstruation:
    a)Women must not bendforward to lift heavy loads and utensils.
    b)They must not touch any adult male.
    c)They should not blow conch shells or sing loudly.
    d)They should not remain in close proximity to fire.
    e)They should eat nutritious and easily digestible food.
    f)They should not exert themselves excessively.
If mothers are not healthy themselves, their children cannot remain healthy .So a mother who has the welfare of her children uppermost in her mind should keep a careful watch on her own health. A women should be allowed to rest and abstain from all sort of household
chores for at least twenty one days after childbirth.

g)Ashokasathii and Ashokastamii observances:
On the Ashokasathii day every menstruating woman should take in onegulp six mung or masakalai seeds along with six Asoka flowers or buds .They should be taken eithet in a ripe banana or with water or milk. similarly, on the Ashokastamii day,eight mung or masakalai seeds and eight Ashoka flowers or buds should be taken.
4)Married women and widows should also observe Ashokasasthii and Ashokastamii
vows.On other sasthii days they should eat fruits and roots instead of rice and bread during the day,and in the evening must never eat rice or similar preparation.

FOR CHILDREN:
The main diet for children who are under five years of age is milk,fruits,and roots.It is not proper ,under any circumstances, to offer non-vegetarian food to children who are under five years of age.When they have reached the age of five,food containing sugar,starch and fatty substance can be given in increasing amounts. Alkaline
food is the most beneficial for children. It is also good to give lime-water (after the lime
sediments have settled) to children from time to time. It is particularly benificial for children to spend some time every day in the fresh air and sunshine.