In this episode of “5 Minutes,” Dr. Robert Svoboda explores caring for the sense organs and maintaining their healthy function through traditional Ayurvedic practices.

A well-cared-for sense organ is a sense organ that will serve you well. There is one word that describes, in general, the best way to care for the sense organs, and that is sneha. Sneha means both oiliness and love. You should have appreciation for the sense organs, which are the main ways you receive information from your environment, and you should apply oil or ghee to them.

Starting with the sense organ of sound, which is the ear, an important aspect of caring for the sense organs is not to overuse, underuse, or misuse them. Going to a loud rock concert is overusing the ears. Keeping them constantly blocked with earplugs so that you never listen to anything is underusing them. Listening to disturbing or inappropriate things is misusing them. Avoid these extremes, and occasionally apply oil to your ears.

I personally like to put a small amount of oil on my little finger and apply it to the external auditory canal. It is also beneficial, when possible, to use oil that has been medicated with herbs, because then you receive the benefit of those herbs. In Ayurveda, bilva is commonly used for medicated ear oils, and in the West, mullein flowers are often used for this purpose.

Next is the sense of touch, which is the entire body. A useful practice is abhyanga, oil massage. This means applying oil to all the limbs and parts of the body. A thin layer of oil is sufficient. You can apply more if you wish, but then you will have to find a way to remove it, and that may become inconvenient enough that you begin wondering why you are doing it and stop the practice altogether. Instead, apply a thin layer, take a warm shower, and allow the pores to open so the oil can be absorbed. If the layer is thin enough, you will not even need soap, and the stickiness will disappear.

It is also very good to apply oil to your hair at least once a week. Apply the oil, allow it to remain for at least half an hour, and then wash it out, remembering that you may need to shampoo two or three times to remove all the oil.

For the sense of sight, applying oil to the eyes can be beneficial. A drop of castor oil once a week can be useful, and ghee is also beneficial for the eyes. Another helpful practice for maintaining the quality of Tejas in the eyes is trataka. Place a candle flame or deepa, an oil lamp, at arm’s length and at eye level, and gaze at the tip of the flame until tears begin to come. Even practicing this for only two or three minutes can have a beneficial effect.

For the sense of smell, Anu Taila is very useful to apply in the nose. It is also beneficial to use a Neti Pot to keep the sinuses clear so that there is no obstruction and the sense of smell can function properly.

For the sense of taste, keep your teeth clean and maintain good oral care. You can practice gandusha or kavalagraha, which involves holding oil in the mouth or rinsing with oil. This allows the surfaces of the mouth to receive the benefits of oil.

Do not forget to clean your teeth and use a tongue scraper, pulling from the back of the tongue forward, to remove accumulated biofilm and material from the oral microbiome. Especially in the morning, this helps the sense of taste function as efficiently as possible.