General Health
Becoming Whole, Complete, & Perfect
Becoming Whole, Complete, & Perfect Ayurveda is based on the concept of balance. The primary goal of Ayurveda is to identify each person’s state of balance, determine where one may be imbalanced and ultimately provide the most personalized care one needs to experience perfect health; Body-Mind-Soul. Knowing nature to be whole, complete, and perfect – good health implies restoring health naturally to a state of balance. The first step in correcting any imbalance is becoming more aware of the underlying cause. According to Ayurveda, disease is caused by the overuse or misuse of the body, mind, and emotions. Essentially, misuse is doing anything against your personal nature and the ancient Ayurveda recognizes the unique needs of each individual. “Any treatment that attends only to t...
7 Tips For A More Relaxing Evening – An Ayurvedic Evening Routine
7 Tips For A More Relaxing Evening It’s no big secret: for many of us, it’s extremely difficult to unwind — especially after a long day of answering emails, attending meetings, taking phone calls, taking care of kids or pets, and battling traffic on the way to and from our jobs. It seems increasingly difficult to find the “off” switch once we enter our personal sanctum — home, at the end of the day. The advent of technology and electronics that multitask our schedules is great in one way: they provide some efficiency and ease in checking off those ever-increasing priorities from our to-do lists. However, they can also spur a disconnect between mind/body/spirit, and aggravate Vata and Pitta — turning us into scattered, unfocused versions of ourselves (especially in the all-but-inevitable ev...
Ayurveda – Deep Rest & Blissful Sleep
by Jody Berger Ayurveda – Deep Rest & Blissful Sleep There was no siren nor light nor gentle nudge that woke me up. Nothing external interrupted me and yet, suddenly, in the middle of the night, I was awake and my brain was racing. I wanted sleep; I needed sleep; and none was coming. All I could do was lie there, frantically making mental lists and composing what seemed to be brilliant and urgent plans that I would no doubt forget in the morning. I didn’t even need to look at the clock. I knew what it would say. It had said the same thing every night for a week: 2:30 a.m. “because your mind is going too fast…” “If you wake up between 2:00 and 3:00 and can’t go back to sleep because your mind is going too fast, that’s the hallmark of a Vata imbalance,” said Dr. ...
The Ayurvedic Consultation
The Ayurvedic Consultation Health is not simply the absence of disease, but is a state of balance that provides for wellbeing, clarity, and joy. Ayurveda – “The Science Of Life” is considered to be the longest continuously practiced system of traditional medicine and emphasizes on creating balance in all areas of life. Not only does Ayurveda examine the body but inquires further about daily diet, lifestyle, relationships, stress, and overall sense of well-being. THE INITIAL CONSULTATION The initial consultation involves a thorough examination allowing the consultant to identify key symptoms and potential causes of imbalance and to eventually determine suitable food and lifestyle recommendations. Observation [Darshan]: An Ayurvedic practitioner is able to evaluate the state of ...
Ayurveda Daily Rhythms
Ayurveda Daily Rhythms According to Ayurveda, a person is a miniature reflection of nature and the rhythm of life is governed by cycles. In order to maintain health and balance we need to learn how to live in accordance to nature’s daily cycle. Ayurveda speaks about biological time as a function of three doshas [vata–pitta–kapha] in relation to chronological time with each dosha being more active at a particular time of day and night. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” – Benjamin Franklin Daily Rhythms: Early Morning [2 am – 6 am] – Vata Time Morning [6 am – 10 am] – Kapha Time Mid-day [10 am – 2 pm] – Pitta Time Afternoon [2 pm – 6 pm] – Vata Time Evening [6 pm -10 ...
Want Good Karma? Then Do Your Dharma.
Want Good Karma? Then Do Your Dharma. According to Ayurveda, every human being has four basic responsibilities. The four responsibilities are dharma [righteous actions], artha [wealth], kama [desire] and moksha [liberation]. Ultimately, these four responsibilities provides the seeker the highest ideal of eternal bliss while enjoying the worldly joys. Prithivim dharmana dhritam – Mahabharata “This world is upheld by dharma.” The Four Basic Responsibilities Dharma is the first responsibility. Dharma is the path of righteousness and living according to the codes of conduct – living truth. Want good karma? Then do good dharma. Artha is the next responsibility which is to acquire life’s basic needs – food, shelter, and clothing. One meaning of artha is mone...
Nourishing The Body, Mind, & Soul – An Ayurvedic Perspective
Nourishing The Body, Mind, & Soul Ayurveda is considered the world’s oldest and most complete system of natural healing. It’s said that the knowledge of Ayurveda is eternal and is revealed in order to help relieve the suffering of humanity. Perhaps the most universal aspect of Ayurveda is to establish balance, peace of mind, and happiness. “The natural force within each of us is that perfect healer of all.” – Hippocrates According to the classic texts, three aspects of the mind include: Dhi, the ability to learn and acquire knowledge Dhriti, the ability to process and retain information Smriti, the ability to recall, memory Recalling Our True Nature In nearly all ancient cultures, nature has often been considered the greatest healer. Interestingly, in Ayurveda “praj...
Healthy Living With Ayurveda
Healthy Living With Ayurveda “Samadosha, samagnischa samadhatumala kriyaha prasanna atmenindriya manaha swasthya ityabhidheeyate” Acharya Susruta has described the features of a healthy person in the above quote. It follows that the doshas must be in equilibrium, the digestive fire must be in a balanced state and the tissues (dhatus) and malas (wastes) must work in a normal state. The sensory and motor organs and mind, atma must be also in a pleasant state. Such a person is called a healthy person or “Swastha”. Samadosha: The doshas that are present in the body and mind, namely vata, pitta and kapha, must be in a balanced state in order to keep a person healthy. When the balance of the doshas is disturbed, either aggravated or decreased (vitiated) it produces a state of Dosha V...
“Ice Is Not So Nice” – Ancient Wisdom Regarding Ice
“Ice Is Not So Nice” We add it to beverages. We use it to chill food. We apply it topically and we use it in food, like smoothies. The question is, is ice the best for our health? In traditional Chinese medicine, ice is considered a poison when ingested. Ayurveda says the same. Why would these age-old medical systems say something against what so many of us have found great pleasure in? I mean, we use ice in smoothies, cocktails, chilled water with our meals and other similar instances. Why would ice be looked down upon? According to Ayurveda, ice is an astringent that causes vasoconstriction, or narrowing of the blood vessels. When we ingest ice, it enters into the cavern of the mouth, which has a direct relationship to important organs in the brain, such as the hypo...
Three Phases Of Life – According To Ayurveda + Sweet Potato Pancake Recipe
The Three Phases Of Life Ayurveda relates the five elements to three phases of life — Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The five elements dance through time and space and become the biological medial terms of Ayurveda: Vata, made up of ether/space elements; Pitta, the combination of fire with water; and Kapha, comprised of water and earth. These three “doshas” are describing qualities, tendencies, characteristics and attributes relative to the phases we all go through. Kapha The first phase begins with Kapha, the “Spring Type.” We all begin in the womb, a womb of sorts, and this environment is very watery. We establish the solidity of earth known as immunity. This happens from in utero and until the onset of puberty — traditionally from birth and until 15. The word “kapha” means to grow, to cr...
Ayurveda – A Guide To Happiness
Ayurveda – A Guide To Happiness “When the emotional heart is balanced, one gains pure knowledge, the desires of the mind are always righteous, and one experiences unbounded bliss.” – Sushruta Samhita Digesting Our Experiences … Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. One of the characteristics of modern life is that we are moving at an ever-increasing rate. However, the wise resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of everyday life. In the last 150 years, our relationship with time has radically changed. That said, our ability to metabolize our daily experiences have also changed greatly. In a way, the body metabolizes the emotional content and feeling of every experience. With increased demands of daily living and limited time for ones...
How To Stay Healthy With Ayurveda – Awareness Is The Key
Staying Healthy With Ayurveda Prevention is strongly emphasized in Ayurveda and the main goal of Ayurveda is to maintain the health of a healthy person and heal the illness of a sick person. According to this ancient science, much of being healthy is simply being [more] aware. “The master key to remaining healthy is awareness.” – Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician Awareness – The Master Key By being aware of your [doshic] constitution and remaining aware of how your body, mind and emotions respond to the ever changing world – this itself, allows us to make the informed choices required to maintain good health and well-being. In fact, the lack of this very awareness or “Prajnaparadha” [Crime Against Wisdom] is considered the root cause of all diseases according to ...