Basic Concepts Of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a 5000 Years Old Science of Healthy Living and Self-Healing

 Its basic principles involve:

• Every human being is unique
• We are all energy beings
  • Tri-guna is further divided into three constituents:
    • Satva
    • Rajas
    • Tamas
  • Imbalance in the “doshas” and “gunas” are the root of all illnesses
  • Ayurveda cares to eliminate the root of the disease rather than its symptoms
  • We are what we eat and think
    • Prakruti – or nature of food
    • Karana – or processing of food
    • Samyoga – or combination

Ayurveda – Man And The Five Elements

The five elements

• Space
• Air
• Fire
• Water
• Earth

The Three Doshas or Humors

• Vata (air)
• Pitta (fire)
• Kapha (water)

Ayurveda – Your Physical And Mental Constitution

The Vata Constitution

To help maintain balance in Vata constitution, the following are advised:

–          Dress warmly

–          Avoid cold food

–          Avoid raw food

–          Keep a routine/daily habit

–          Try to stay calm/ be aware of impulsiveness

–          Try to stay away from extreme cold temperatures

The Pitta Constitution

To help maintain the balance in the Pitta constitution, the following are recommended:

–          Preferring cooling /bland or non-spicy food

–          Drinking cool drinks but not overly iced

–          Avoiding too much salty  and oily food

–          Exercising during the cooler part of the day

1. C) The Kapha Constitution

To maintain balance in the Kapha constitution, the following are recommended:

–          Prefer dry and light food, avoid heavy food

–          Keep active and get plenty of exercise

–          Avoid dairy products

–          Keep a routine

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Ayurveda – Secrets Of Health

1. Balancing the tastes
2. Getting to know Agni
3. Taste and emotions

Ayurvedic Self-Diagnosis

Examination of the radial pulse

Facial diagnosis

Tongue diagnosis

Lip diagnosis

Eye diagnosis

Nail diagnosis

Ten Factors In Ayurveda That Greatly Affects One’s Health

1. Potential causes of disease
2. Seasons
3. Food/Diet

Examples of wrong food combinations are the following:

o   Melon – best eaten alone, not good with anything else

o   Milk eaten with fish, bread, mung beans or sour fruits

o   Honey and ghee

o   Plants that blossom at night (potato, tomato, eggplant) and milk, yoghurt and cucumber

4. Age
5. Exercise
6. Environmental elements
7. Stress
8. Senses
9. Relationships
10. Prakruti (knowing our psychological constitution)

List of Common Illnesses and their Ayurvedic Home Remedies

(Note: Although there is a science behind Ayurveda, it is generally not recognized by western science. Please consult a qualified practitioner before you begin working with Ayurvedic medicines, and be sure to consult with your doctor)

Allergies

Vata type allergies – characterized by bloating of stomach, colic, gastric discomfort.

To prepare:

Ashwgandha – 1 part

Vala – 1 part

Vidari- 1 part

Procedure: mix all herbs in equal parts then take ¼ teaspoon of the powder 3x a day, washed down with water.

Pitta type allergies – the Pitta dosha is already under one’s skin.

Treatment involves the formulation of the following herbal tonic:

shatavari 8 parts

kama dudha ½ part

guduchi 1 part

shanka bhasma ¼ part

Take ½ teaspoon of the herbal tonic 2 or 3 times a day after meals, with a little warm water.

For hives, rash, urticaria, dermatitis, or eczema, it is best to apply neem oil or tikta ghrita (bitter ghee) on the skin.

Kapha allergies – Symptoms include cough, colds, asthma and sinus infection.

Treatment involves the formulation of the herbal tonic:

sitopaladi 4 parts

yashti madhu 4 parts

abrak bhasma ⅛ part

NOTE: One is to take about ¼ teaspoon of this mixture 3 times a day with honey.

Acne /skin problems – this is a result of the excess of Pitta under one’s skin.

Treatment includes the following formula:

kutki

guduchi

shatavari

One is to mix equal proportions of these three herbs (starting with 1

teaspoon of each), and take ¼ teaspoon of your mixture 2 or 3 times a day. After

meals, place the powder on the tongue and wash it down with warm water.

NOTE: The cumin-coriander- fennel tea is also recommended as well as the drinking of blue water.

Preparation for blue water:

Fill a clear glass bottle or jar with water, and cover it with some translucent

blue paper (blue cellophane in bookstores or some grocery stores is enough). Put the glass of water in the sun for about 2 hours. Drink 1 to 3 cups of the water each day. The water is said to have cooling and soothing effect that helps alleviate symptoms.

Digestive problems – Common digestive problems include bloating, indigestion, slight stomach pain, acid reflux, and constipation. Undigested food in the stomach will cause non-absorption of nutrients and pathogens that will later on become toxic and cause disturbance in the immune system.

Suggested herbs for the treatment of simple digestive disturbances:

• One should always be reminded that Agni is not tolerant of the following taste: sour, salty and pungent while is tolerant of astringent, bitter (small amount, before meal) and sweet.
• In order to increase one’s Agni, spices should be part of one’s diet.
• During instances when the agni is already high and disturbances are already present, spices should already be avoided and digestive bitters should be considered. Examples are aloe, gentian and barberry.
• But during instances when agni is low, hot spices are recommended. Examples are ginger, cayenne and black pepper.
• When agni is in a normal state, all spices are recommend and especially the uses of harmonizing spices: coriander, fennel, turmeric and cardamom.

Liver and gallbladder ailments – the liver and the gall bladder is where repressed, negative emotions, especially anger and anxiety is collected. Its function in the bodily system is detoxification.

Recommended herbs to care for the liver:

• Bitter herbs are good in promoting the flow of bile. Herbs that are good for bile flow are: barberry, gentian, golden seal and dandelion.
• For clearing the liver and to aid in the prevention of emotional stagnation, turmeric and barberry mixed in equal parts are recommended. Adding gotu kola to the mixture is calming to the liver and mind.
• For sluggish or congested liver herbs such as fennel, cumin, coriander, mint and cyperus are recommended.
• For liver cleansing, green herbs such as chickweed, dandelion, comfrey leaves and nettles are recommended.

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Ayurveda – Good Habits In Relation To Eating

1. Whenever possible, eat quality and fresh produce
2. Eat whenever hungry and on time, avoid binge eating
3. Eat while eating. This simply means, focusing on the act of eating and not watching television of checking one’s social media accounts
4. Eating not more than the amount of food one can hold in his two cupped hands
5. Choosing food that is recommended for one’s constitution
6. Drinking when thirsty and not while eating; this is so to make sure that digestive enzymes are not diluted and agni or digestive fire is not suppressed
7. Chewing at least 32 times before swallowing to allow digestive enzymes to work properly
8. Not drinking iced drinks or hot drinks while eating

Ayurveda – Awareness / Knowledge/Prevention

• Knowing the cause and how to modify it
• How to restore balance
• The importance of the space one lives in
• How to rejuvenate and rebuild the body/soul
• How self esteem/confidence affects overall health

Ayurvedic Food Guidelines For Body Constitution Types

Vata individuals – best compatible with cooked cereals, grains and whole wheat bread. Diet recommendation consists of 50 percent whole grains.

Pitta individuals – best compatible with food like tempeh, tofu, chicken, turkey, raw milk, rabbit, and shrimp. Diet must consists of 50 percent whole grain and 20 percent protein.

Kapha individual – best compatible with boiled eggs, rye crackers, most beans, chicken and turkey. Diet must consist of 40 percent whole grain and 20 percent protein.

Five Cleansing And Purification Techniques Of Ayurveda

One must be reminded of the following when practicing the cleansing method:

• Pancha karma is a powerful technique, pregnant mothers are not recommended to practice it.
• One has to be sure that he is not weak physically when engaging in the technique, when anemic or feverish, the technique is not recommended
• The practice of pancha karma may also unleash deep-seated negative emotions, if this happens, one may rest for a while and drink tranquility tea to regain balance

Five Basic Processes

1. Vomiting
2. Purgatives or laxatives
3. Medicated enemas
4. Nasal administration of medication
5. Purification of the blood

Ayurvedic Sample Healthy Daily Routine:

• Waking up early around, ideally before the sun rises (4 to 6 am is considered as “Brahma muhrta” or time of creation, and considered the best as it is full of vital creative energy)
• Meditating or saying a simple verse/prayer
• Washing face with cold water to “activate” organs
• Drinking a glass of water before anything solid is taken by mouth
• Eliminating
• Brushing of teeth and tongue
• Conscious breathing exercises
• Oil massaging the body with extra effort to massage the scalp
• Bathing
• Exercise
• Breakfast
• Off to work (remember proper posture at all times)
• Lunchtime
• Taking a break/having a walk
• Super time
• A short ritual before sleeping (reading, listening to relaxing music, etc)
• Bedtime between 10:00pm to 10:30 is ideal

Try incorporating Ayurveda and Yoga into your life and you will see and feel the changes, mentally and physically.