In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores the three pillars of life and their importance in maintaining balance and health.

The three pillars of life are food, sleep, and activity. Originally, the texts speak of food, sleep, and sex. However, I am broadening sex to include activity because this includes especially creative activity, or any activity where you are using your creative energy.

These are called the pillars of life because if they are properly established, if you have the right attitude, and if you manage these three areas correctly, they support your organism and encourage you to move forward in a positive direction. If these pillars are not well established within the structure of your life, then there is a serious question as to how long that structure of your existence will be able to remain stable.

The first pillar is food because our physical bodies, our Annamaya Koshas, are nourished by food, disturbed by food, and brought back into balance by food. Food is fundamental. Without food, and without sleep, human beings cannot continue to exist for very long.

Food, sleep, and activity, including especially sexual activity, all need to be managed properly because these are things that you can never simply have enough of. If you eat more today than you did the day before, it does not mean you will want less tomorrow. In fact, you will probably want more. If you sleep longer one night, it does not mean that you will want less sleep the next night. The same principle applies to sex and many other forms of activity.

Therefore, these three things must be carefully measured. We need to pace ourselves and understand what is the right amount for us. We need to know how much food is appropriate to eat, how often we should eat, how much sleep we need, and what amount of activity, especially sexual activity, is appropriate for us during the time we have in our lives.

Of these three, food is generally associated with the fire element, and therefore with Pitta. Sleep is strongly connected with Tamas, and therefore with earth and water. Activity of all kinds is associated with Vata, because it is Vata that causes movement within the organism.

When we have the proper relationship with these three pillars and maintain the proper balance with them, we also create a better relationship with the doshas. God willing, we move in the direction of greater health and greater balance.