Why am I sneezing so much when others aren’t, though we are breathing the same Bangalore air and eating the same masala dosa? That’s the question one of my patients asked me last week, tissue in one hand and suspicion in the other. “Doctor, is it allergies or black magic?”
Ah, immunity. The invisible armour we all carry—but only notice when it stops working.
I have seen many people come in with all sorts of immune complaints: sneezing, fatigue, and catching every cold around the PG. One young techie told me, “Doc, I’ve had more sick leaves than paid leaves this year. My immunity is working from home, I think.”
Immunity is your superhero. But even superheroes need a support team. Your immune system is like a network of security guards posted at every gate of your body, from the fortress of your gut to the moat of your skin. The innate immunity, your rapid-reaction force, jumps in immediately, but fights like a drunk watchman. Then there’s adaptive immunity, the elite commandos who take time to train, but they remember every enemy’s face when they do.
Not all of us train our immunity. Some of us feed it chips, deprive it of sleep, drown it in caffeine and expect it to behave like Captain America.
I want to tell you about Raghav, a 29-year-old startup employee who came to me with chronic fatigue. “I don’t understand, Doctor,” he said. “I eat oats and multivitamin gummies, and I even do five minutes of Instagram yoga,” I asked him about his sleep. “I usually sleep by 2 a.m., unless I’m binge-watching.” His immunity wasn’t broken; it was burnt out.
Sleep, I explained, isn’t just rest. It’s time your immune warriors sharpen their swords and strategise. If you skip sleep, you’re sending unarmed men into battle.
Ayurveda says immunity is not a switch you flick on; it’s a fire—agni—that needs constant tending. It lives in your digestion, your mind, and your breath. It’s called vyadhikshamatva—your body’s resistance to disease and its ability to recover. It’s dynamic, personal, and deeply connected to your daily habits.
Seventy per cent of your immunity resides in your gut, and Ayurveda has always said, “All diseases begin in the gut.” That’s why we focus on digestion first—reset the gut, reset the system.
Take my patient Savitri Amma—sixty-five, sharp as a pin, and still climbing two flights of stairs daily. “Doctor, I haven’t had a cold in years. I eat fresh, sit in the sun, and drink turmeric milk before bed. And I argue with my husband daily to keep my blood circulating!” she laughed loudly.
Her immunity was intact, not because she took pills, but because she lived in tune with nature. Morning sun exposure (hello Vitamin D!), home-cooked meals, laughter, good sleep, and daily movement are the daily rasayanas (rejuvenators) that cost nothing.
Immunity isn’t found in fancy supplements or fear-mongering ads that promise “boosting power in 24 hours.” It’s in consistency.
Do you want DIY immunity boosters? I’ve got a longer list than a WhatsApp message, but let me share the ones that work.
Start with your food. Think colours, not calories: red tomatoes, green spinach, yellow turmeric, orange carrots, purple brinjal. Ayurveda says varnasampannam aaharaha—eat foods of all colours for rasa (taste), guna (quality), and prabhava (effect). Every colour is a code. Every taste activates a part of your body.
Try this: eat one food from every rainbow colour for a week. Watch your energy shift.
Next, could you spice up your life? Literally. Turmeric, ginger, black pepper—these are ancient antibiotics. A pinch of turmeric with black pepper and ghee? That’s not grandma’s superstition. That’s curcumin activated for absorption.
Now let’s talk breath. Your lungs are part of your immune army, too. And in Bangalore’s traffic, they need backup. Pranayama, especially anulom-vilom and bhastrika, clears the pathways like a traffic cop during peak hours. Just five minutes a day makes a difference. One of my patients started doing it while waiting for her pressure cooker to whistle—multitasking immunity!
And don’t ignore your feet. Yes, your feet. In Ayurveda, the padavaha srotas—channels of circulation—begin in your soles. Soak them in warm water with rock salt and neem leaves. It draws toxins, calms the mind, and improves sleep. I call it a foot spa for the immune soul.
Stress? That’s your immunity’s tender spot. Chronic stress raises cortisol, which in turn suppresses immune function. I’ve had young professionals come to me with no appetite, constant fatigue, and skin rashes—all from stress. One engineer told me, “My code runs perfectly, but I don’t.”
Laughter, on the other hand, is an underrated immune tonic. The Indian knowledge system advises hasya rasa—the taste of joy—as a therapy. One patient of mine watches 15 minutes of stand-up comedy every night before bed. She says it works better than melatonin. I say, why not?
Most people fail to hydrate. Your lymph, which transports immune cells, needs water, not cola or energy drinks, just good old water. Sip warm water throughout the day. Add a tulsi leaf or slice of lemon.
And please, stop Googling symptoms. Immunity doesn’t come from panic. It comes from presence.
One last story. A six-year-old child who was allergic to dust came to me. The parents had tried everything. “He keeps sneezing in the morning, Doctor,” they said. I asked them to give him two drops of Anu taila in each nostril daily, a practice called nasya. After two weeks, his sneezing had reduced by half. The father looked at me suspiciously, “Doctor, was it the oil or just a coincidence?”
“In Ayurveda, we don’t wait for coincidence. We create balance.”
Immunity is personal. Your immunity is not my immunity. That’s why some of us fall sick in the same environment while others don’t. It’s not just about germs; it’s about your terrain.
Whenever you sneeze while others stroll carefree, don’t blame the air. Ask yourself—did I sleep enough, eat right, breathe deep, and smile today?
Because that’s your immunity talking.
Drink turmeric milk, soak your feet, hug your grandma, and laugh at a good joke if all else fails.
Your immune system will stand up and applaud.
P.S.: If you’re smiling, nodding, or itching to soak your feet in warm water right now, then mission accomplished. Let me know—what’s your immunity ritual? Or your quirky home remedy that works wonders? I’d love to hear your story.
