Is Ignorance The Root Cause Of All Disease? Man is a trinity of body, mind, and Soul and life as a whole is designed to promote human happiness, health, and growth. That said, the question naturally arises – what is the root cause of disease? According to Ayurveda, disease is often the end result of a long process and can actually be detected and addressed at the early stage of development; hence prevention being better than a cure. More simply, disease is an imbalance. Ayurveda explains that the disease process begins with disturbances in the balance of the doshas; i.e. bodily humors. “Health results from the natural, balanced state of the doshas. Therefore, the wise try to keep them in their balanced state.” – Charak Samhita “Ignorance Is Not Bliss.” We email. We goog...
How To Reduce Stress There is no event in life which is intrinsically stressful. However, stress by which we mean psychological stress may not be any more “real” than any other thought within the mind. Likewise, not all stress is considered equal and not all stress need be harmful. For example, it’s only natural to feel the excitement about an upcoming event [i.e. your wedding] while at the same time feel nervous. Interestingly, this motivated yet stressful state of the mind is sometimes referred to as eustress, or “good stress” which may be beneficial for meaningful and purposeful action. However, if this state of stress or heightened state of arousal goes unchecked – we often can feel stressed out! “Wherever a thought goes, a chemical goes with it.” – Deepak Chopra Tu...
Gut Health & “Ama” Over the course of a lifetime, we ingest roughly 50 tons of nutrients and our ability to properly digest these nutrients determines to a large extent the state of our health. “Ama” is a concept of Ayurveda which can be best understood as the accumulation of toxic metabolic by-products at various levels of physiology. More simply, ama is the by-product of poor digestion and according to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda – ama is the root cause of nearly all diseases. Ayurveda states that proper diet and optimal digestion are the major pillars of good health. Similarly, optimal function of the GI tract requires proper mucosal integrity and a balanced microbial ecosystem in the gut. In essence, “gut health” relies on “good bacteria”. Any compromise...
Nature’s Greatest Antioxidant The continuous production of free radicals in the body is inescapable and living in the modern world is a recipe for free radicals. Free radicals are molecules [i.e. oxygen] that have lost an electron and therefore become very reactive, unstable, and damaging. Being reactive and unstable, free radicals attempt to steal electrons from neighboring cells which can disrupt normal cellular activity. For example, if free radicals attack the cell membrane, enzymes, or even DNA this can produce a chain reaction of cellular destruction. Even worse, if DNA is altered this can lead to cellular dysfunction, mutations, and even cancer. Antioxidants – Your Defense Against Free Radicals According to the NIH [National Institute Of Health], antioxidants are substa...
Healthy & Natural Ways To Manage Stress Stress is inevitable and we all respond to stress differently as there’s no “one size fits all” solution to managing stress. It’s as if stress walks in and out of our lives on a regular basis and at times – walks all over us. Fortunately, the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda identifies three important pillars of good health which are needed in order to achieve a state of wholeness and balance. Diet Sleep Lifestyle Healthy Diet According to Ayurveda, perfect health begins with perfect digestion. Ayurveda speaks of the digestive fire (“Agni“), located in the stomach, as being the primary location where either health or disease begins. According to Ayurveda mostly all diseases start in the digestive system; this also includes the ...
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...
Boost Your Immunity For The Winter Despite the immune system doing an incredibly remarkable job defending against disease causing germs – at times, it fails. The good news is that you don’t need to travel far in order to help boost your immunity. In fact, most of what you need is already right in your kitchen. The immune system is just that, a system. Therefore, in order for the immune system to function optimally it requires balance and harmony which can be established by lifestyle considerations such as proper diet, spices, herbal preparations, and finally – deep rest and blissful sleep. Immune Boosting Food Winter is a season to eat plentiful nourishing and warm food to help enhance the immune system. Generally, the food we eat during winter season should be warming, nouris...
The Ayurvedic Guide For The New Year With the New Year slowly nearing and with the holiday season already upon us, many of us are reevaluating some of our own personal life choices. The New Year has always provided a perfect opportunity to look back at the past and more importantly, to look forward to the coming year. According to ancient teachings of Ayurveda, every aspect of our life contributes to our overall health and well-being. In essence, Ayurveda considers good health as being a state of balance. By obtaining this unique state of balance and well-being we can resolve nearly all the common New Year’s Resolutions. Top New Year’s Resolutions 1. Eat Healthy 2. Lose Weight 3. Stress Less 4. Improve Relationships New Year Message From Sadhguru – Come Alive 1. Eat Healthy How you ...
The Ayurveda Guide For Winter Season Winter is a time when nature’s energy withdraws back unto herself as nature’s many expressions begin to slow down. According to Ayurveda, a person is a miniature reflection of nature and winter represents a time for much needed restoration. Every season has certain attributes which may cause aggravation and imbalances of doshas. For example, winter is generally considered a “kapha season”. Therefore, colds and other kapha conditions [i.e. congestion] are more common as the heavy, cold, and cohesive qualities of kapha are predominant. However, a balanced lifestyle in accordance to seasonal changes helps to create the needed elements in order to maintain health and well-being for the body and mind. Winter Tips – How To Stay Balanced & Healthy Du...
Amalaki – The Most Nourishing & Rejuvenating Herb According to Ayurveda, Amalaki is considered one of the most nourishing and rejuvenating herbs. In fact, Charak – the ancient scholar of Ayurveda states “of all the Rasayanas, Amalaki is revered as one of the most potent and nourishing; Amalaki is the best among rejuvenative herbs.” Amalaki is a strong natural antioxidant containing high levels of vitamin C and acts as a powerful immune strengthener. Amalaki is one of the best sources of natural vitamin C and contains 20 times more vitamin C than an orange. Amalaki is commonly known as Indian gooseberry or amla, and the Sanskrit name “Amalika” means ‘sour juice of the fruit’. Interestingly, despite all the health benefits, Amalaki is also commonly known as the “poor ma...
Amrit Kalash – The Nectar Of Immortality According to Indian mythology, during the ancient of times there was much suffering amongst humanity. The gods and demons [Devas & Asuras] got together and made a solemn oath to help resolve the origin of all suffering. Together they entered the depths of the ocean and churned the water to produce the most precious gift – Amrit Kalash. Amrit Kalash is thought to be the ambrosial gift to bring about health and happiness for all of humanity. Amrit Kalash Traditional ayurvedic formula of 13 herbs that supports the health of mind, brain, and nerves; increases vitality and inner strength; powerful antioxidant — research shows it to be up to 1,000 times more effective than vitamins C and E The Queen Of All Ayurvedic Formulas Amrit K...