Ayurveda – Do Emotions Matter? The ancient wisdom of Ayurveda aims to promote health, happiness, and longevity by taking into consideration the trinity – body, mind, and spirit. In fact, Ayurveda explains further that only when the influences of the body, mind, and senses are balanced and one experiences the sense of happiness is one thought to be in good health. Let us now explore the realm of emotions. e·mo·tion [noun] instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge. Storehouse Of Emotions Many ancient cultures have described feelings and emotions to be a refined and subtle aspect of the intellect; intellect being the act of discrimination or discernment. The science of Ayurveda explains that the connective tissue of the body serves as a ...
A Personal Look At Depression ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective “For underneath my tears and the hallow feelings is a deep intrinsic knowing that our sadness is always here to teach us something, to help us grow and lead us to a deeper evolution of ourselves. I know that once I have moved through the darkness, I will be very grateful for the lessons learned along the way. I’ve heard it said so many times, being vulnerable is a pathway to deeper connections, a richer life, healing and a profound experience of “Aliveness”. But how easy is it to be vulnerable when we have jobs to keep up, social statuses to maintain, teeth to brush and lives to live? Yet, a gift of this depression is that at times I have no choice but to be vulnerable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a co-worker I barely...
MENTAL HEALTH ~ AN AYURVEDIC PERSPECTIVE According to the National Institute of Mental Health [NIH], major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. Depression affects more than 10 million Americans each year. It is so common in our society that it is estimated that one in 9 people will be diagnosed with it at one point in their life. Digestion and Feelings ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective – “Gut Health” According to Ayurveda, healthy Agni (digestive fire) creates an overall sense of happiness and joy. When the Agni is suppressed, there is grief, sadness and depression. Interestingly, there are a large number of clinical studies correlating “gut health” to overall wellness, including the effects on mood. Even further, it has been estimated th...
SATTVIC MIND ~ EXCELLENCE OF THE MIND: Individuals having the excellence of mental faculties are characterized by good memory, devotion, gratefulness, wisdom, purity, excessive enthusiasm, skill, courage, valor in fighting, absence of sorrow, proper gait, depth of wisdom and sincerity in actions and virtuous acts. – C.S. Vimanasthana Ch. VIII Sutra. 110 According to ayurveda, a “sattvic” [pure] lifestyle is the best way to develop strength, clarity of the mind, good health and longevity. Sattvic qualities of the mind are considered to be clarity of the mind, understanding, and compassion. Sattvic foods are those foods which nourish the body and calm the mind. When both the body and mind are balanced only then can one truly appreciate joy and happiness. Basic Sattvic Considerations: &...
I don’t have to tell you about the body/mind/spirit connection. YOU KNOW THIS. You know that when your body is not feeling well, your mind is focused on the suffering of the body and your spirit is praying for relief. When your body feels great and your mind is focused on good thoughts, your spirit soars. When your body feels good and the mind is taking in bad images, your spirit has difficulty soaring and eventually the body won’t feel good. There are many combinations in mind body spirit equation. You get the picture, you’ve been there, done that, bought the T-Shirt. “Ayurveda is the complete study and practice of maintaining, restoring and rejuvenating the body/mind complex so that the spirit can soar and uplift you and society as a whole.” Ayurveda is HUGE! There is nothing in thi...