How To Reset Your Body’s Stress Levels: 3 Vedic Secrets
Let’s talk about resetting your body’s stress levels. In your journey of health, you have most likely come to the conclusion that stress ages you, weakens your immune system, and quite literally sucks the life right out of you. If there’s one thing detrimental to our physical health—it’s stress.
A substantial body of research now indicates that chronic stress and environmental factors are far more significant contributors to chronic disease than genetics alone. So we must find a way to understand what stress is, uncover its common source, and acknowledge what we can do to dissolve it.
What is Stress?
No matter what you do in life, you are constantly accumulating stress. This is because stress is the inevitable byproduct of action—a tax paid for both mental and physical movement; a tax paid for the way you live your life.
To understand how stress affects you, let’s view stress as internal pressure. When you think, you build pressure in the psyche. When you move, you build pressure in the body. You cannot escape this pressurization, but you can prevent it from becoming chronic by knowing how to de-pressurize.
Chronic pressure is silent and destructive; it forces lasting changes in your DNA, increases vulnerability to disease, and accelerates biological aging. So we must address the daily pressurization that occurs from our mental and physical effort to ensure a steady evolution. After all, without physical health, how likely are you to pursue your spiritual evolution?
The Vedic Approach to Understanding the Cause of Human Stress
Vedic philosophy tells us that our true evolution is a spiritual evolution, and that each human incarnation is a university for the true Self (atman). You may be familiar with this philosophical idea through the popular quote:
“You are a spiritual being having a human experience.”
Here are examples of this concept from the Maharamayana of Valmiki (Yoga Vasistha) and the Rig Veda to further elucidate this spiritual point:
Maharamayana of Valmiki, Mumukshu Vyavahara Prakarana (2.13.11)
Sanskrit: नरकेभ्योऽप्यसंसारात् संसारात् समुद्धरेत् ।
आत्मानमात्मनैवाशु न कालमतिवाहयेत् ॥
English Translation: "One should lift oneself up from the lower states of existence using the instrument of human birth in this world. By oneself alone, through one's own refined intellect (Atman), one must educate and liberate oneself without wasting time."
Rig Veda, Mandala 10, Sukta 107, Mantra 2
Sanskrit: उच्चा दिवि दक्षिणावन्तो अस्थुर्ये अश्वदाः सह ते सूर्येण ।
हिरण्यदा अमृतत्वं भजन्ते वासोदाः सोम प्र तिरन्त आयुः ॥
English Translation: "Those who cultivate noble wisdom and give generously in this life stand high in the heavens... Those who refine their inner light attain immortality (Amritatva), extending their conscious life toward ultimate truth."
You may be familiar with this spiritual framework for evolution through the popular quote:
“You are a spiritual being having a human experience.”
With that being said, because this human experience is entirely sensory-based, the world becomes a jungle of allurement, generating an Amnesia of the true Self (atma-asmriti). This amnesia is considered a fundamental spiritual condition, where an individual identifies with the world and their personality rather than their essential nature as pure awareness (Cit).
The Katha Upanishad offers a metaphor for this condition, describing your sensory organs of perception as outward-facing "horses" that pull you toward the world rather than towards an inward observation. The ultimate effect of this outward fascination leads you to mental distraction, egocentrism, and a progressive physiological degradation through over-pressurization—leading to death and rebirth.
Sounds pretty stressful right?
The Katha Upanishad then asserts that in order to become free of this “chronic stress” that slowly breaks down the human being (Jiva), we must realize the immortal true Self (Atman). Similar to a how child must become an adult, we are urged to learn the truth (satyam) so we become spiritual, rather than becoming allured and enamoured by the “toys” (sense objects) of the sensory organs. Essentially, our spirituality is an evolution of moving beyond the Matrix (maya/misconception) of the world and character-complex and toward the ultimate truth and eternal reality. Ayam Atma Brahma ("This Atman is Brahman")
Katha Upanishad, 1.3.3—1.3.9
आत्मानँ रथितं विद्धि शरीरँ रथमेव तु ।
बुद्धिं तु सारथिं विद्धि मनः प्रग्रहमेव च ॥ ३ ॥3. Know the Atman as the master of the chariot, and the body as only the chariot. Know the Intellect as the charioteer, and the Mind as the reins.
इन्द्रियाणि हयानाहुर्विषयाँ स्तेषु गोचरान् ।
आत्मेन्द्रियमनोयुक्तं भोक्तेत्याहुर्मनीषिणः ॥ ४ ॥4. The sensory organs of perception, they say, are the horses; the objects which they perceive are the paths they range over. When the Atman is joined with the sensory organs and the processing mind—those who rule over their cogitation refer to this as ‘the one who experiences.’
यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्ययुक्तेन मनसा सदा ।
तस्येन्द्रियाण्यवश्यानि दुष्टाश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ५ ॥5. He who is not possessed of understanding, and whose mind is always un-collected, his sensory organs of perception act as wild horses that are uncontrollable by the charioteer.
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति युक्तेन मनसा सदा ।
तस्येन्द्रियाणि वश्यानि सदश्वा इव सारथेः ॥ ६ ॥6. But he who is possessed of understanding, and whose mind is collected, his sensory organs of perception are always submissive, as good horses of a Charioteer.
यस्त्वविज्ञानवान्भवत्यमनस्कः सदाऽशुचिः ।
न स तत्पदमाप्नोति सँ सारं चाधिगच्छति ॥ ७ ॥7. But he who is not possessed of understanding, who is unmindful and always impure, he does not reach the supreme state, but remains in the cycle of birth, living, death and rebirth.
यस्तु विज्ञानवान्भवति समनस्कः सदा शुचिः ।
स तु तत्पदमाप्नोति यस्माद्भूयो न जायते ॥ ८ ॥8. But he who is possessed of understanding, whose mind is collected and always pure, reaches that Goal from which one is not born again.
विज्ञानसारथिर्यस्तु मनःप्रग्रहवान्नरः ।
सोऽध्वनः पारमाप्नोति तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ॥ ९ ॥9. But the man who has understanding as his driver and a collected mind at the reins, reaches the end of the road—that highest abode of Vishnu.
The Chariot Metaphor: Katha Upanishad
In these verses, the Katha Upanishad provides a profound metaphorical framework through the famous Parable of the Chariot. It teaches that our attention is naturally oriented outward, creating a barrier to self-realization (Atma-smriti) that can only be overcome through disciplined mastery and inward focus.
Body (Shariram): Chariot/Vehicle
The Body is the vehicle. It is the physical instrument that allows the Self to experience the world and move through life. Like a chariot, the body requires maintenance and a driver for direction; without a driver, a passenger, or maintenance, it is just an eroding empty shell.
True Self (Atman): Passenger.
The Atman is the passenger of the journey. The passenger does not drive the horses or hold the reins; the Atman is the silent observer who is the purpose for the trip. The goal of the entire human journey is for the Charioteer is to deliver the passenger to the "Abode of Liberation." The reason for using “Passenger” and not “Master” or “ Lord",” is because in Sanskrit philosophy, the Atman is often called Akarta (Non-doer). This is why the translation "passenger" is used. The Atman is the silent Lord who sits in silence; if it leaves, the chariot (body) is abandoned (death).
Intellect (Buddhi): Charioteer/Driver
The Intellect is the driver; the decision-maker. For the journey to be successful, the Charioteer must be sober, reasonable, discerning, awake and wise. If the driver is distracted, the passenger (Atman) will not arrive at its destination.
Mind (Manas): Reins
The Mind is the steering mechanism of the Chariot (body). The mind acts as the "reins" by translating the driver’s commands into action. For the journey to be successful, the reins (will power of the mind) must be strong, flexible, and held with a steady hand. If the reins (decisions) are firm, the driver can guide the horses; if they are loose, the horses run wild.
Senses (indriyas): Horses/Engine
The Five Sensory Organs pull the Chariot (body) through the material world. They are inherently strong, fast, and driven by a natural impulse to consume the environment. They do not think; they only pull. When the senses are disciplined, they provide the steady kinetic energy required to move the chariot (body) forward.
Sense Objects (Indriyartha): Road/Path
The Sense Objects represent the external world. The objects are specific to each sense; what the eyes see, the nose smells, the tongue tastes, the skin feels, and the ears hear. The horses (senses) naturally want to run toward their respective objects (pleasant paths i.e. pleasures), even if those paths delay the journey, jeopardize the vehicle and driver or lead the passenger away from its destination.
Key Teachings on the Chariot Metaphor:
Outgoing Tendency: The sensory organs are naturally designed to perceive external objects rather than the inner Self.
The Wise Persona vs. The Adolescent Persona: The "adolescent” persona pursues external pleasures and stumbles continually into the cycle of stress. While the “wise” persona turns its gaze inward to attain the True Self.
Spiritual Evolution: Mastery involves a process of keeping the body maintained, its senses disciplined, your understanding sharp, and the mind’s will power strong in order to get the passenger (true Self) to its destination.
Sensory Reset: 3 Principles for Dissolving Stress
I want to sum up three practical principles that you can apply to your life immediately, to depressurize the stress and maximize your Self Realization in this incarnation. Here is your daily prescription for a spiritual advantage:
Maintain the Vehicle (your body)
A Good Driver: Sobriety, Stability and Inspired
The Journey: Knowing the Truth, the Purpose, and Destination
1. Maintain the Vehicle: Keeping the Body Serviced
The Body is your vehicle in this life. It is a biological machine. An advanced robot. A shell without consciousness. If this vehicle is not routinely serviced, it will be bogged down by inflammation and degradation. Viewing the body as a "vehicle" or "biological machine" is a foundational principle for encouraging high performance, longevity and spiritual purpose out of it. It serves to remove our limited reach and concept on “lifes purpose”— replacing it with a logic-based approach. This is a powerful framework to consider. Because by framing your body as a machine, and health as "logic-based maintenance rather than a chore, you bypass the "negotiation" the mind often tries to have with cravings or lethargy.
Here are specific practices that function as "maintenance" for the biological machine:
Fuelling & Hydration (energy Input):
Treat food as fuel or energy rather than entertainment, ensures optimized operations. That is the most important principle to maintain.Living Foods: Prioritize fresh, unprocessed, living foods in minimal ingredient combinations—which transfers high electromagnetic energy and essential micronutrients directly to your cells. Real, whole food builds the actual structure of your body, whereas ultra-processed items break it down. Minimal ingredient combinations, such as mono meals, makes it easier for your body to digest, assimilate and excrete the waste. I’m not encouraging bland meals. Enjoy what you eat! Love it and have an experience.
Pure Hydration: Water is most critical for survival and the primary delivery system for all biological functions. In todays world, choose clean, filtered water as your sole source of hydration to keep the machine’s "pipes" clear and every cell functioning at peak capacity without the interference of synthetic additives. I use distilled water—reverse osmosis is good also.
Intermittent Fasting (energy input schedule):
Intermittent fasting is not the process, it is the schedule. This eating schedule provides a daily maintenance window that keeps the machine metabolically flexible. By retracting from constant consumption, you give the body-machine time to clear out metabolic sludge, ensuring the physical vessel remains light, efficient, and optimized for high-performance output. This is not a starvation schedule or a deficit schedule—it is a proficiency schedule that allows proper digestion, proper assimilation, proper utilization and proper excretion. It is safe for women, men and teens, but unnecessary for children under 10.
Falsehood: There is a modern hypothesis that intermittent fasting is restrictive. And in the modern sense, yes, it is. It is restrictive to destructive eating habits that inhibit proper restoration and operation. Additionally, modern studies have tried for some reason or another to argue a logical eating schedule such as 18/6 or 16/8 as harmful to women, arguing that is can throw off hormones. For this argument, the best thing you can do is weigh the process and look at it with logic. You are still eating what you want, in a manageable window, 3-4 times a day. Because you are breaking a pattern that may have been established for 10-15 years, you will most likely experience an alignment phase.
Fasting (cleaning):
Fasting serves as a total system overhaul, triggering autophagy—the body’s internal recycling program that identifies and removes damaged cells and "junk" proteins. Fasting is ancient and part and parcel to this human journey. We have only forgotten this due to our sensory indulgence. Ideally, fasting is done with distilled water, broth & electrolytes, or green juice.
Water fasting is elite and should be done in a window of 3 days, once a month.
For recovering your inherent weight disposition, broth & electrolyte fasting can be done up to 180 days comfortably.
For constitution, green juicing with herbs and vegetables can be done for 7-14 days.
For extreme cases, where service and maintenance of the body-machine has been a matter of serious neglect, extended water fasting of 14-40 days can be done, but under professional supervision and should be approached with caution and care. For support, guidance and structure, you can book a 1:1 Life Coaching Session with me.
Fasting is a special service treatment for the “vehicle,” and is a lot like flushing your transmission and cleaning out the bottom pan for metal shavings, flushing the front and rear differential, flushing the brake system, flushing the fuel lines and fuel pump, and of course flushing the engine with new oil, as well as clearing out carbon from the injectors and combustion chambers. That is what fasting is for the body.
Asana & Rebounding (Structural Fluidity):
Asana: This practice ensures the physical frame is lengthened, aligned, supple, and stable. It removes structural "kinks" and ensures that energy and fluids can flow without resistance. Proficiency in asana is like becoming your own massage therapist, physical therapist and chiropractor.
Rebounding: Bouncing on a mini trampoline introduces a G-force effect that manually flushes the lymphatic system—the body's waste removal pipes. Because the lymph system lacks a pump of its own, the vertical acceleration and deceleration of rebounding act as a manual purge, clearing metabolic waste and keeping the internal environment pristine.
Weight Training, Callisthenics & Walking (Structural Reinforcement):
This is the armour and horsepower of the machine.Weight Training: By utilizing resistance—whether through iron, bands, ankle weights or your own body weight—you increase bone density and muscle strength. This builds the structural armour and physical power needed to protect the frame and carry you efficiently through old age.
Walking: Think of this as the "low-idle" cooling system. Constant, low-impact movement like walking ensures the machine stays lubricated and prevents the system from seizing up due to stagnation. Walking is the greatest, most easiest way to maintain your cardiovascular system. Being accessible to the vast majority of people, walking is the greatest barrier to entry fitness program.
Dry Sauna (non-infarred):
Regular dry saunas (160–200°F, low humidity) usage improve body maintenance by promoting cardiovascular health, accelerating muscle recovery, and reducing stress. Regular use (4-7 times/week) is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and lower all-cause mortality. The intense heat induces deep sweating, improves blood circulation, and aids in relieving joint pain.
Frequency:4–7 sessions per week is the benchmark for the 40% reduction in all-cause mortality. Using the sauna just 2–3 times a week still offers a significant 24% reduction.
Improved Cardiovascular Health: Regular dry sauna use is linked to a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death, coronary heart disease, and hypertension. The high heat causes blood vessels to dilate, improving circulation and acting as a form of moderate cardiovascular exercise.
Detoxification: Profuse sweating helps flush out toxins and impurities through the skin.
Pranayama (The Greatest Nervous System Reset):
Pranayama is the ultimate tuning of the engine, providing a direct interface to the nervous system and ensuring every cell is saturated with high-grade oxygen. Because Pranayama includes Meditation, it is the most effective way to de-pressurize the vehicle of the body.The Nervous System Reset: Our greatest tool for recalibration is Conscious Nasal Breathing. By detaching from shallow, rapid mouth-breathing, you reclaim authority over your vital life current (Prana). This shift moves your physiology out of a sympathetic and parasympathetic dominate state and into one resonant frequency of dynamic equilibrium, idling the nervous system into autonomic balance.
The Nitric Oxide (NO) Advantage: Nasal breathing acts as a delivery system for Nitric Oxide, a potent vasodilator produced in the sinuses that provides critical physiological upgrades:
18% Higher Oxygen Absorption: Improves pulmonary blood flow, allowing the lungs to extract more fuel from every breath.
Systemic Cooling: Relaxes blood vessel walls to lower blood pressure and mop up residual adrenaline.
Immune Shielding: Utilizes NO’s antimicrobial and antiviral properties as a primary defense against pathogens.
Mastery Over Survival: Transitioning from a sympathetic (fight-or-flight) state to a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) mode allows you to move from survival mode into absolute mastery of the vessel.
2. A Good Driver: Sobriety, Responsibility and Staying Inspired
The Intellect (Buddhi) is the driver. If the driver is distracted, uninspired, or operating under the "intoxication" of the ego, the horses (the senses) will inevitably bolt toward the nearest worldly distraction.
To be a good driver—the Buddhi (your intellect) and Manas (your mind) must understand your raw animal impulses and your divine potential. Without a skilled driver at the helm of your body and life, the chariot is a runaway vessel; no matter how healthy the body is, an unskilled, "intoxicated" intellect and a mind that lacks Will-power, will eventually drive the vehicle into a ditch of distraction, addiction, confusion and burnout.
The driver’s importance lies in maintaining direction and of course hospitality. If the driver is sleepy or distracted, the horses (the senses) will dictate the path. If the driver is inhospitable, the vehicle will be mistreated and the passenger (your soul) will of course not enjoy the journey. But when the driver is inspired, conscious, sober, hospitable and responsible, the senses are transformed from wild animals into a disciplined team that serves the driver.
Sobriety of Consciousness: In the Vedic sense, sobriety is the practice of seeing the world, yourself and your life as they actually are, rather than through the distorted lens of your cravings (Raga) and fears (Dvesha). When the driver is "intoxicated" by the ego, every small bump in the road looks like a catastrophe. Your foot is heavy on the petal, you grind the gears of the transmission, ultimately wearing out the chariot’s hardware. A Sober Driver possesses a steady hand; they don't overreact to the terrain because their vision is clear. They recognize that the "bumps" are temporary and the path is vast. This clarity allows for minimal effort and maximal efficiency in navigation.
Sobriety of the Inner Temple: Your body is the temple of your spirit (the Atman). When we loose our inner purity we are fundamentally compromising the Driver’s ability to function in its inherent state. The crutches we use don't just "relax" us; they sedate your Intellect (your intellect is a quantum processing engine that analyzes and collapses dualistic data into a singular comprehensible conclusion). Your crutches cover the windshield (your view on life) in grime, turning a state of clarity into a state of inertia. The Driver becomes sluggish, loses the ability to distinguish right from wrong, and eventually “falls asleep at the wheel” of living and leading a purposeful life.
Habitual use of substances, alcohol and so forth creates a "fake peace." It tricks the Driver into thinking they are reaching a "higher state," when in reality, they are making you a passenger to your impulses rather than the Master of your direction. By choosing sobriety, you are reclaiming "sovereignty" so the Driver can effectually navigate the path. But sobriety is not only about the absence of alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs. It’s also the absence of TRT, HGH, Botox and fillers—things that we use to make us who we inherently are not, naturally. Sobriety teaches us to be our baseline self and build from that stable foundation.
Responsibility enables Reasonability. Responsibility is the end of the "Victim Narrative," regardless of what you were born into or what your condition in life is. Continuing the analogy of the Chariot, when we lack responsibility, we are unreasonable, blaming the horses (senses) for where the Chariot goes. We blame the quality of the road, the weather, or the others for the cause of our challenges. Taking responsibility means realizing that while we may not be able to control the terrain, we can be 100% accountable for how we navigate the vehicle.
The Shift: Reasonability is the calm mediator between right and wrong choices. When we stop blaming external factors, the power to change our direction returns to our hands. A responsible Driver doesn't react. They anticipate the curves in the road. They maintain the tension in the reins. This "Active Presence" is what prevents the Chariot from deviating course.
Inspiration: A Driver who is responsible but uninspired is merely a commuter—bored, weary, and prone to falling asleep. Inspiration come from having a Map and Compass. With a map and compass we are inspired by the land, sparking great excitement to the inner-adventurer in us all. This Map and Compass is our Scripture; fuel that keeps the intellect sharp and our vision deep. If the Driver is not inspired by a grander purpose, they will inevitably become distracted by the "scenery" of petty social drama and trends, material greed, and sensory shortcuts. Scripture (The Map): Inspiration is found by immersing the intellect in insight that outlasts the current moment. Scripture is not a collection of "rules" to be obeyed; it is a topographical map of human consciousness, true reality and the material world. Given to us by the Rishis (the "Seers") who traveled the road before us and marked the locations of the hidden pits, the dead ends, and the direct path to the summit. Scripture provides the "Aerial View," allowing the Driver to understand how the current "valley" of suffering fits into the larger Human journey. Life is full of Maya (misconceptions)—an illusory fog that makes what is temporary appear permanent and the harmful, helpful. Scripture (our map) acts as a Compass, pointing toward the North Star of the True Self (Atman) even when the fog of misconceptions are so thick you can barely see your own hands on the reins.
Ultimately, a driver that isn’t Sober, Responsible, Reasonable and is without the Inspiration of a map—is a Driver that is weary and anxious. When the Inner Temple is polluted, the result is a rapid decline in the Driver’s capabilities. Memory fades, so you forget the Purpose of the journey. Focus fragments, so you can no longer sit in the silence required for realization. Stability dissolves, leaving you a slave to your next "hit" of comfort.
3. The Journey: Knowing the Truth, the Purpose, and Destination of Your Passenger.
The Journey is an intentional movement of the Human Being (Jiva) through the material world for the sole purpose of Self-Realization (knowing and understanding and believing your are the Atman). We must be sober and disciplined enough to remember that the Human journey is not a race to accumulate material possessions or a struggle to maintain a "Somebody Complex". The Human journey is a sacred transit, where the Material World acts as a School, Vedic Sastra acts as the Curriculum, and Your Life Challenges are the Exam.
Stress arises the moment we mistaken the chariot as the passenger, and the scenery as the destination. When we forget that the True Self (Atman) is in fact a Passenger in the vehicle of this Human Journey—me feel delay by never graduating. It is a feeling of being in limbo or of homelessness. By spending our lives decorating the vehicle (body), impressing the world with our persona (driver), and feeding the horses (senses)—the passenger (atman) sits in a state of neglected silence.
The Truth: The Truth is that this Human incarnation is a University for learning to understand, experience, know, believe and reinforce on a daily basis that your are in fact the true Self. Secondly, to remember the reason for incarceration and to not loose sight that you have reincarnated. (have fun!)
The Purpose: The purpose of the journey is not to "win" at the material world, but to facilitate the evolution of the Jiva (Human being) into a Jiva-Mukta (living liberated Human being). When you align your thoughts, intentions, actions and associations with this higher purpose—worldly stressors lose their "sting" because your not fighting to protect impermanence. You know this University is a school experience dishing out lessons in each moment.
The Destination: Knowing and remembering The Destination is the ultimate stress-reset. When you realize the purpose is to be a living liberated being—the destination of Moksha (liberation from reincarnation) becomes clear. You stop personalizing the bumps in the road. You realize that Time (Kala) is moving the body but not the true Self. You realize the Passenger (Atman) is always home. And if you can maintain the momentum of this realization in your thoughts intentions, actions and associations throughout your life and at the moment of death—there will be no need for reincarnation.
Conclusion of Principles: Becoming The Master of the Chariot
When you integrate these three principles, you stop merely "managing" your stress and begin fundamentally dissolving it.
The chronic anxiety and low-grade alarm you feel on a daily basis are not design flaws by God; they are simply the check engine lights showing due to negligence. Stress is ok and is part and parcel with living. But when proper living and service of the vehicle are neglected, the friction that occurs from everyday living will wear out the systems prematurely. Unconscious living is the culpret of neglect and will have you mistaking the temporary vehicle for the eternal Passenger, allowing a distracted driver to run the chariot into the ditch of sensory addiction while chasing the ghosts of material derangements.
You were never meant to spend this entire incarnation exhausted, fearful, frantic, and desperately protecting a "Somebody Complex.”
By executing logic-based maintenance on your physical vehicle, reclaiming the reins of responsibility with a sober intellect, and leading an epic life, charting your course by the timeless map of Scripture, the chaos of the world loses its grip on you. You realize that you aren't a fragile entity trapped in a storm; you are the Master of the Chariot, and the storm is merely the scenery passing by the window.
It's time for the Driver to wake up and enjoy the ride.
Summarizing Today’s Lesson
You’re probably going to need to read this one over a few times, as I jam packed it with information. But to summarize, do not underestimate the power of your evolution through the responsibility of maintaining your body and life-path direction. By doing so, you gain a spiritual advantage that makes you untouchable by the trivial stresses of daily life.
Which of these principles do you find most challenging to practice?
Applying these timeless truths to a modern schedule is a practice, and it’s normal to have questions about how to start. Whether you’re curious about fasting protocols or finding silence in a noisy world, drop a comment below. I’ll be checking in to answer your questions and help you navigate your journey!
