Recent trends suggest that even people as young as 20 are worried about ageing and, therefore, the use of anti-ageing creams and beauty treatments is on the increase.

Everyone wants to look and feel young right into old age and carry on enjoying the things they like to do. So how can we maintain our youth into old age ?

The ancient sage Bhrugu Rishi, who is reputed to have lived hundreds of years of active life, said: "A happy soul is a healthy body. The mind, spirit and body are the tripod of life so look after each one."

The root cause of illness and early ageing today is essentially the same as it was in ancient times - the greedy nature of man.

All too often, man is a slave to his passions and loses control over his senses, leading to the degeneration of the body.

A well-balanced lifestyle in harmony with nature and based on the solid foundation of genuine spirituality offers the best hope of preventing early ageing.

Following the principles of healthy living and oneness with the universal creative energy generates a feeling of inner power and control, genuine compassion and contentment.

What is most needed today is for us to learn to control the flow of our emotions and the turbulence of our thoughts.

Once the mind has been stilled, it can start concentrating on repairing damaged DNA, heart, liver, brain cells, the immune system and skin. It is like a virus scan on the computer, cleaning up and repairing faulty or infected programmes.

How can we repair our bodies if our minds are constantly distracted by worldly pursuits which use up energy resources?

If we keep stressing out our mind and body, constantly depleting our nervous energy, our skin starts ageing, we suffer fatigue and our heart and other organs are deprived of vital healing.

The powerful emotions experienced as a result of bereavement as well as relationship conflicts and other resentments also have an ageing effect. The worst culprit is anxiety and worry.

Spiritual masters teach of the importance of healing ourselves on a daily basis through meditation and yogic breathing. Love and compassion are key to reducing inner conflict, enabling us to lead contented lives free from worry.

The solutions lie within ourselves: Eat a healthy diet, avoid smoking, develop healthy, positive feelings, maintain a disciplined use of lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego.

If you have to take something for anti-ageing, my recommendation is chyavanprash, the Ayurvedic restorative rejuvenator which is still the most popular herbal tonic in India even after 3000 years.

Keep smiling.

Dr Milind Jani works as a conventional and
holistic GP and Dr Asmita Jani as Ayurvedic Consultant from 3 Eaton Gardens, Hove.

Call them on: 01273 777448 or email: milind.jani@ntlworld.com