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Art 200

2008-03-15T10:25:00.002-07:00

Ayurveda Can Help Stop Hair Loss

Most hair loss sufferers seek solutions from Western medicine or turn to remedies derived from local traditions. Some experts however argue that the ayurvedic system of medicine has much to offer in dealing with hair loss conditions.

Ayurveda is the traditional system of medicine practiced in India and Sri Lanka. It is a complete approach to health care designed to promote a way of life rather than an occasional treatment. As a holistic system of medicine ayurveda focuses on our uniqueness and takes into account our mental attitude, lifestyle and spirit which should not be treated in isolation from each other.

According to ayurveda, the following principles are beneficial to healthy and plentiful hair:

- The scalp must be kept cool, so protection from sun and washing in cold or lukewarm water are paramount.

- Sound nutrition is key, so a hair-friendly diet should emphasize proteins, iron, zinc, sulfur, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-Complex and essential fatty acids.

- Use should be made of hair analysis to ascertain toxicity levels and nutritional deficiencies.

- Oils, for example sesame and coconut, should be applied to the scalp to nourish, lubricate and strengthen the roots. This will also improve circulation to the head.

You can find out more about alternative hair loss treatments by visiting the site listed below.

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2008-03-15T10:25:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda - Principles & Practice

Ayurveda which has been evolved around 600 BC, apart from treating ailments concentrated more in its prevention. This was followed by the Aryans & Dravidians who were inhabiting India and has been practiced ever since. In the 21st century, Ayurveda has become an indispensable branch of medicine due to its naturalistic approach, that depends on the diagnosis of ones physical base ie Vata, pitta and kabha, and to maintain a right balance.

One of the important principle of Ayurveda treatment is that , treatment is given not only to the ailments or the affected part, but to the person as a whole. This creates an enviornment for purifying your body naturally, which eliminates all toxic imbalances from your body, enabling you to regain natural resistance from diseases and attain good health.

Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests, which caters to the demand for herbs and medicinal plants, and the cool monsoon season (June-November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages. In fact, today, Kerala is the only State in India which practices this system of medicine with absolute dedication.

Every object-plant, animal or human - according to the Panchabhootha Philosophy (5 elements of philosophy), is constituted of Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

The concentration of these elements vary in each individual and therefore the time, place, duration and kind of treatment required to restore the balance also needs to change. This is why Ayurveda have a separate system of diagnosis and treatment for each patient. And a season for undergoing Ayurvedic programmes - the monsoon. The atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.

Rejuvenative Programmes The following are the major rejuvenational therapies practacied in Ayurveda.

Rasayana chikitsa Tones up the skin and rejuvenates and strengthens all the tissues so as to achieve ideal health and longevity. Increases Ojas (primary vitality) and improves Sattva (mental clarity) and thereby increases the resistance of the body. Includes head and face creams, body massage with herbal oil or powder by hand and foot intake of rejuvenative medicines and medicated steam bath. Herbal baths are also used.

Kayakalpa Chikitsa Prime treatment for retarding the ageing process, arresting the degeneration of body cells and immunization of the system. Includes intake of Rasayana (special Ayurvedic medicines and diet) and comprehensive body care programmes. Most effective for either sex if undertaken before the age of 50.

Sweda Karma Medicine steam baths eliminate impurities from the body, improve the tone and complexion of the skin, reduce fat and are recommended for certain rheumatic diseases, particularly for pain. Precious herbs and herbal leaves are boiled and the steam is passed over the entire body for 10 to 20 minutes daily.

Hand massage with herbal oils or herbal powder improves blood circulation and tones up the muscles.

Meditation and Yoga Mental and physical exercises meant to isolate the ego from the body and mind-designed to home your concentration, improve health and help attain peace of mind through 8 stages of training.

Disciplined behaviour yama Self purification niyama Bodily postures such as the lotus position asana.

Control of breathing Pranayama Control of the senses Pratyahara, fixing of the mind on a chosen object dharsana. Meditation dhyana and Samadhi - a state of being where you experience absolute tranquility and well being.

Beauty care Herbal face pack, herbal oil massage, intake of herbal tea etc. improves complexion and beautifulness of the body.

Body Slimming Medicated herbal powder and medicated herbal oil massages, and Ayurvedic diet of herbal juices etc. are part of the programme.

Overal Fitness Panchakarma Treatment A five fold treatment for mental and physical well being tunes the body, organs, mind, breath, nerves and purifies the blood.

Therapeutic Programmes Treatment for chronic head-aches, insomnia, mental tension and cases of hysteria, hallucination and insanity.

Dhara: Herbal oils, medicated milk or buttermilk and decoctions are poured on the forehead/whole body in a special manner. Variations include Oorhwanga Dhara (good for diseases of the eyes, ears and skin). Takra Dhara (for those suffering from memory loss, severe headache or insanity) and Sarvanga Dhara (for both head and body). Treatment to alleviate osteoarthritis, leukemia etc.

Snehapanam: Medicated ghee is given internally in a gradually increased quality of specific periods.

Treatment for spondilosis, rheumatic diseases like arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, nervous weakness and nervous disorders. Pizhichil: Lukewarm herbal oil is applied with fresh linen all over the body by trained masseurs in a rhythmic manner for a period of 1 to 11/2 hours daily for 7 to 21 days. Treatment for diseases like hemiplegia, paralysis, obsety and certain rheumatic ailments.

Udvarthanam: Therapeutic massage with herbal powders. Treatment for musculoskeletal ailments due to trauma or accidents.

Marma Chiksta: Treatment that works on the extremely sensitive vital points of the body (the 107 marmas).

Treatment for nasal ailments: Nasyam: Inhalation of medicated herbal preparations, decoction oils, ghee etx. to eliminate the morbid factors from the head and neck area.

Treatment for ear ailments Karnapooranam: Medicated oils are applied to the ear for 5 to 10 minutes daily to clean as well as treat specific ailments.

Preventing cataract and strengthening vision: Tharpanam: A treatment for the eyes effective in preventing cataract and strengthening the optic nerve.

Treatment for wasting of muscles, all types or rheumatism, sports injuries, pain in the joints, emaciation of the body or parts of the body and certain kinds of skin diseases.

Navarakizhi: The whole body is made to perspire by the external application of medicated rice packs in the form of blouses tied in muslin bags. Treatment for dryness of nostrils, mouth and throat, severe headaches, facial paralysis and burning sensation in the head.

Sirovasti: Lukewarm herbal oils are poured into a leather cap fitted on the head for specific durations as per physician's recommendation.

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2008-03-15T10:24:00.001-07:00

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Weight Loss

5 Easy Steps to A Healthier Weight

Although different people have weight problems for different reason, these 5 tips address fundamental lifestyle habits that affect virtually everyone. The really good news is that these 5 powerful tips are easy to implement and can bring about great changes in your life and health once in place.

Point 1. Eat a light evening meal with easy-to-digest foods.

Everyone dealing with weight loss issues needs to know that it is virtually impossible to make serious progress if you continue to eat large evening meals with heavy foods!

I cannot emphasize this point too much. Ayurveda describes that digestion is less strong in the evening, plus lying down to sleep a few hours later further slows down digestion, metabolism and circulation. The body simply cannot assimilate large evening meals properly. The result is that much of the food is digested poorly and eventually creates toxins, fat and excess weight. For most people using the approaches of eating less during the day, herbs, pills, special powders and drinks, and even exercise cannot overcome this most serious of all weight loss mistakes.

Especially avoid in the evening: cheese, yogurt, rich desserts, red meat, leftovers of any kind, cold foods, processed foods

Avoid or reduce in evening meals: fowl, fish, desserts

Evening meals should be vegetarian, hot, light and liquidy. If you are significantly overweight the foundation of the evening meal should be 1) non-cream soups, 2) grains cooked in water (for example rice, quinoa, cous cous, barley), and 3) vegetables either steamed, roasted or sauteed with small amounts of extra virgin olive oil. If you must have dessert, I recommend cooked fruit desserts made with only small amounts of organic sugar.

2. Eat the largest meal of the day at lunch with a wide variety of warm, cooked food.

Lunch is the time our bodies can best digest and properly assimilate larger quantities of food due to the fact that digestion is strongest at noon and we have many active hours to metabolize the food before we sleep. Lunch is the most important meal of the day and the meal we most need to plan and prepare for.

Lunch should be warm, cooked foods with a wide variety of tastes and dishes. Warm food is essential as it can be more easily digested and assimilated. Cold foods suppress digestion (remember your chemistry- cold temperature suppresses chemical reaction, and digestion is chemistry!) The result of regular meals of cold foods is indigestion, the accumulation of ama (undigested molecules that clog the channels,) and weight gain.

Having a wide variety of foods is essential for nutrition and to prevent the body from developing food cravings-the downfall of many a well-meaning diet plan. Food cravings often occur because of imbalanced diets that included only a few food types. Diets restricted to mostly carbohydrates or protein or fat eventually lead to undernourished tissues that rightfully send hunger messages to our brain. Even though we have just finished eating a large quantity of food, parts of our body are still truly malnourished and hungry. Unfortunately if we dont realize this when the hunger signals come we may reach for even more carbohydrate rich and dense foods like desserts when actually we need green vegetables and legume soups.

A good, balanced lunch also helps us feel less hungry in the evening, making it easier to stick to that all-important light evening meal.

3. Drink hot water frequently throughout the day

By sipping hot water throughout the day you help cleanse the digestive tract and entire body of blockages and impurities. Hot water drinking improves digestion and assimilation of food and helps prevent the body from becoming toxic and clogged. It also is a great aid in reducing food cravings between meals. I have known people who lost over 50 pounds by following only this single recommendation.

Most people can accomplish the hot water recommendation by getting a good thermos and having a cup sitting on a small cup-sized hot plate. You can pour your hot water in the cup, put it on the warmer and sip it throughout the day as you work.

The most purifying and cleansing water is water that has been boiled for about ten minutes. Boiling water for ten minutes reduces its heaviness (you will usually see a fine powder at the bottom of the pan that consists of precipitated materials from the water) and energizes the water. Drinking water from your hot water dispenser at work is better than not drinking any at all, but is not as effective as boiled water.

4. Avoid leftovers

Maharishi Ayurveda holds that putting food back in the refrigerator after it has been cooked seriously deteriorates the quality of the foods and their digestibility. Even if you heat it up after you take it out of the refrigerator, it has lost its life giving freshness.

We get more than molecules from food. We also get freshness, life force (prana) and natures intelligence from our foods. Physics tells us there is a classical world of molecules but also a quantum mechanical world of vibration. The vibration of the deeper fields which comprise natures life-force and intelligence get destroyed by cooling cooked food. As a result leftovers easily lead to improperly digested waste products called ama that accumulate in the body causing toxins, blockages, excessive weight gain and lead to many diseases.

The converse principle sums up the essence of Ayurvedic food guidelines.

Eat fresh food, freshly prepared

Because of the activity of our lives, and logistics of shopping and cooking, this simple statement can be difficult to achieve but every step in this direction will help us with weight management and overall good health.

A convenient way to get a home-cooked, nearly fresh meal of pure, wholesome ingredients for lunch each day, is to cook barley and lentils (a good fat-busting combination) overnight in a crock pot. In the morning, add chopped vegetables and some spices sauted in olive oil (try cumin, black pepper, fresh ginger root, coriander and turmeric.) Put in a wide-mouth thermos and bring for lunch. Add some rye crackers (another fat busting grain according to Ayurveda,) and fresh fruit for a well-balanced, pure and nutritious lunch.

5. Get Moving!

I saw a headline in a health paper some time ago that made a good point Stop Dieting and Start Moving

Exercise is an antidote for almost everything that ails us. It improves digestion, metabolism, elimination, complexion, body tone and strength, bone density, and helps us normalize weight. It is also emotionally positive as it can be enjoyable, increase self-worth and bring us greater energy, freshness and success throughout the day.

At least take time every day to get out and walk. Evaluate your schedule and take walks whenever you can squeeze them in. Be vigilant to take opportunities to walk. It is especially good to walk after meals and especially healthy to take a walk after the evening meal.

Additional tips:

Go to bed by 10:00 PM. Metabolism of waste products takes place after 10 PM and is reduced by being awake and active, or eating the proverbial midnight snack, at this time
Add digestive enhancing, fat-busting spices to your meals like fresh ginger, cumin, black pepper, turmeric and fenugreek.
Keep GOOD snacks around to prevent you eating bad snacks. Examples of good snacks are fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, fresh squeezed vegetable juices and whole grain crackers.
Practice meditation and yoga daily to keep mind and body balanced reduce the mental cravings for food. (Based on hundreds of scientific studies documenting its health benefits, I recommend the TM technique for my patients)
Take a walk in the morning. Exercise of some type outdoors in the morning sun has a powerful positive influence on mind, emotions and energy throughout the day.
Take Panchakarma treatments twice a year. Maharishi Ayurveda recommends panchakarma (the massage, heat treatments and internal cleansing therapies of Ayurveda) be done twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating and eliminating their buildup in bodily tissues. (A recent study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine documented the reduction by 50% of the cancer causing chemical PCB in the blood after five days of Maharishi Rejuvenation Treatment, a specific program of panchakarma.)
Ingest mainly organic extra virgin olive oil. Organic ghee is also acceptable in small quantities (1-2 tsp. per day)or not at all if you are overweight and/or have high cholesterol. Avoid any non-organic vegetable oils especially corn and soy oil. Oils are perhaps the most important food group to get right, as impure oils can contribute to so many diseases if not used properly

Summary

Health is won or lost in how we live day-to-day life. I encourage everyone with weight management issues to take initiative and get on an upward spiral of healthy activity. Your quick reward will be greater freshness, happiness and a lighter, healthier body.

Art 197

2008-03-15T10:23:00.000-07:00

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Allergies

Allergies: The Ayurvedic Answer

In a healthy body, the allergic response serves to protect against invasion by harmful agents. Secretions and inflammation help our immune cells get into the affected tissue, dilute the toxic agent and help wash it away. "Allergies" become a health problem when an excessive and unwanted allergic response occurs to particles that are part of our normal environment and are not actually dangerous to the body.

Some individuals are born with allergies, and have a genetic susceptibility to them. However, most allergies are acquired after birth. While inborn allergies can often be helped by the measures discussed in this article, acquired allergies are generally more responsive to such behavioral approaches, and are the main focus of this article.

The Main Cause of Allergies

Although pollen, dust, dander, trees and other allergens are the trigger for allergies in susceptible people, they are not the underlying cause. Many people are exposed to these substances every day without developing allergic reactions. Rather, it is the inner condition of the body that determines whether an allergic response results from exposure to an allergen.

According to Maharishi Ayurveda, allergies result when the body has accumulated excess wastes, toxins and impurities. How does this happen? According to Ayurvedic theory, improperly digested foods (called ama), and impurities, such as chemical additives, are absorbed into the body, travel through the circulation and lodge in the respiratory tissues, skin and other tissues prone to allergy. These accumulated wastes and toxins block the channels, trapping the toxins inside the tissues, and activating the immune system. When additional allergens such as pollen or dust arrive on the scene, the already irritated immune system goes into high gear, creating the symptoms of an allergy attack.

Symptoms will vary depending on the tissue that has accumulated the toxic waste (ama visha.). If the tissue involved is the digestive tract, diarrhea can result. If in the skin, a rash or hives may occur. And if the respiratory tract is involved, sneezing, inflammation and mucous drainage will occur.

Since the source of allergies lies with our diet and digestion, adopting a proper diet and improving digestion are job one in the fight against allergies. Next, it is valuable to use internal cleansing regimens to reduce the clogging and accumulated impurities.

Recommended Diet for Allergies

The main dietary and eating guidelines for allergies are as follows.

1. Eat the largest meal of the day at lunch, between 12:00 and 1:00 PM, when your digestion is strongest. The sun-- the heat element in nature-- enlivens agni, the fire of digestion and metabolism, making our digestion strongest at the height of the day. Ayurveda recommends eating the largest meal when you are most capable of digesting it.

2. Avoid eating heavy meals in the evening. The single biggest contribution to toxins and clogging in the body comes from eating heavy evening meals, particularly after 7 PM. Since digestion is much weaker in the evening, it is vital to eat lighter, more easily digested meals at that time. Eat a warm, freshly cooked vegetarian evening meal without fried foods, desserts, cheese, yogurt or other curdled products, since these are heavy for digestion and cause more blockage, congestion and mucous.

3. Eat warm food. Warm food is much easier to digest than cold food. Ayurveda recommends we eat fresh warm food, freshly prepared. Avoid micro-waving, which has been shown to destroy over 90% of the protective antioxidants in the food. Also, avoid cold drinks, ice cream, frozen yogurt and other cold foods.

4. Avoid leftovers. Once food has been heated and then gets put back in the refrigerator it becomes hard to digest and very clogging in nature.

5. Avoid excessively hot spices, sour and acidic foods. These foods are irritating to the body and promote inflammation, according to Ayurveda. Many people experience their allergies become worse when they eat foods with chilis, tomato sauces, hard or aged cheeses, refined sugar and sweets, and acidic foods. Bell pepper, eggplant and potato should also be avoided due to their channel-clogging effects.

6. Do include detoxifying spices in your daily diet. Turmeric in particular has anti-allergy, immune-balancing effects. Coriander helps to detoxify on a cellular level; fennel cools and balances; ginger helps the digestion and dissolves ama, and black pepper clears the channels and increases bioavailability of nutrients. Make a spice mixture of 6 parts fennel, cumin and coriander, 4 parts turmeric and 1 part each of ginger and black pepper. Freshly grind the spices, saut them in a pan without oil until lightly browned, and put in a small airtight container. Carry them with you and sprinkle _ to 1 tsp. on your food at each meal, and cook with them when at home.

7. Do sip boiled warm or hot water about every half hour during the day around the change of seasons, to help your body purify and to support good digestion.

Behavioral Approaches to Reducing Allergies

Diet is not the only consideration in allergies. Ayurvedic theory also recommends the following behavioral changes to help tone down the allergic response.

1. Go to bed by 10:00 P.M. Between 10 PM and 2 AM, the body performs a natural cycle of internal cleansing. If we stay up after 10 PM, we interfere with this metabolic house cleaning and toxins and impurities begin to accumulate. Worse yet, the metabolic activity of cleansing tends to trigger hunger, and we may be tempted to indulge in the proverbial midnight snack. Unfortunately, eating after 10 PM further compromises the cleansing process and leads to even more waste accumulation, and more allergy tendency. On the other hand, going to bed by 10 PM improves the overall rejuvenative quality of sleep. You will find that your early bedtime habit helps not only your allergies, but your energy and complexion as well!

2. Cleanse the body before the allergy season. The traditional Ayurvedic answer to allergies includes purifying the body of ama and toxins before allergy season begins to prevent symptoms from arising at all. This internal cleansing may be done at home or, more thoroughly, through in-residence cleansing treatments called panchakarma or Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy.

3. Have a regular routine of life. Eating, sleeping, working and exercising at about the same time each day is very balancing and stabilizing to the immune system and to the body as a whole. Allergies tend to be aggravated when routine of life is hectic and scattered.

4. Practice Yoga asanas and meditation. Yogas asanas and meditation are very balancing to all aspects of mind and body and have been used by many people to reduce allergy symptoms. For meditation, I suggest the TM technique because of its ease of practice and scientific verification.

Summary

The best approach to allergies is to focus on good eating habits, practice stress reduction and do natural cleansing before the allergy season.

Note: This article is for educational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat disease. Please consult your physician regarding any symptoms you have or before you make changes in lifestyle and diet.

Statements in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of disease.

Art 196

2008-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

Concept of ''Agni'' in Ayurveda

Being one of the panchamahabhoota, agni (fire) has the characteristic that it cannot exist without a base. In the body it exists in pitta dosha.

Agni is responsible for the following functions:

Digestion - indigestion (Pakti- Apakti)

Vision- absence of vision (Darshanam- Adarshanam)

Degree of heat (Matra- Amatratvamushmanala)

Normal -abnormal complexion (Prakrit - Vikarit varnam)

Prowess- fear (Shaurya- Bhaya)

Anger - exholoration (krodham- Harsham)

Confusion- clarity of mind (Moha- Prasadan)

For the metabolic processes in the body, there are three main groups of biological factors, probably exhibiting enzymatic functions (agnis).

Jatharagni or Koshthagni:

Present in the pachak pitta. It is responsible for the digestion and the absorption of nutritious substances during this process.

The process of digestion (ahar pachan) is divided in three stages, which collectively is called awastha paka and can be divided in the following.

Amavstha (Madhuravastha) Paka - in stomach

Pachymanavastha (Amlavstha) Paka - in 'grahani' (Duodenum)

Pakavstha (Katuavstha) Paka - in small and large intestine

As the rasa changes in different phase of digestion these phase of digestion are called avsthapaka. At the end of the digestion the digested food have their original rasa which is in accordance with the rasa of the ingested food. This is called as Nistha paka .It is also called popularly as Vipaka.

Madhur rasa & Lavan rasa have Madhura Vipaka, Amla rasa have amla vipaka and Katu, Tikta & Kashaya rasa have Katu vipaka.

Panchabhutagnis :

In ayurveda it is believed that everything is made up of five elements and so is the body. These five elements are the panchmahabhoota and are responsible for constituting every living being in the world. Agni transforms the Asharir Mahabhoota (external mahabhoot) to Sharir Mahabhoota. Example - When we drink water Jala Mahabhoota (water) dominates and later the water is transformed by Jala Mahabhoota agni to the Sharir Jala Containing five types of biological factors, it is responsible for the processing of the five basic elements into a composition useful to the body.

Dhatvagnis : The third group contains seven types, each for the assimilation of the seven tissues This assimilation takes place successively. From the absorbed nutritious substance, plasma (rasa) is produced first; from plasma, blood (rakta) is formed, then muscular tissue (mamsa), adipose tissue (meda), bony tissue (asthi), bone marrow (majjan) and the reproductive cells (shukra).

Besides performing all the metabolic functions agni takes care of digestion (ahar pachan) and in the absence of ahar it acts on the ama pachan i.e. properly metabolize the improper metabolites. When ahar and ama are absence Agni does the function of dhatu i.e. rasa, rakta etc. Digestion of dhatu is a fatal condition in which dhatus are broken down to get energy. The reduction or deficiency of the quantum of dhatu in the human body leads to the disease called 'Kshaya roga'.

In ayurveda it is believed that all the pathology occurs due to the impairment in Agni (Kaya). Hence the correction of Kaya i.e. Agni is called the treatment or 'Kaya Chikitsa' in ayurveda

Agnis are also classified into four categories according to how they manifest in the human being:

Tikshnagni -sharp,

Mandagni - mild,

Vishamagni - irregular, and

Samagni - regular or Balanced.

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Ayurveda and Yoga, Ancient Sister Sciences

Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences that have been united for thousands of years for the sake of healing body, mind, and consciousness. Generally speaking, Ayurveda deals more with the health of the body, while yoga deals with purifying the mind and consciousness, but in reality they complement and embrace each other.

The ancient rishis (seers) were the original masters of all Vedic sciences. They understood that good health is a great asset on the path toward Self-realization. If the body is neglected it can easily become an obstacle to spiritual practice. Anyone who has practiced meditation for any length of time would agree to how difficult it can be to sit still for long periods of time without feeling discomfort and fatigue. Both yoga and Ayurveda are mutually supportive and offer many ways to prevent and heal various disorders as well as to cleanse and rejuvenate the body.

Besides sharing a philosophical foundation, both systems have many similarities in relation to attitude, nutrition, diet, hygiene, exercise, cleansing practices, as well as spiritual practices. Traditionally, a student of yoga would first live close to and serve the guru for many years, during which time he would learn healthy habits. The basic Ayurvedic principles for health and longevity were past on in the lineage in oral form to serve as a foundation for a life of sadhana (spiritual practice).

Nowadays, the teachings of yoga are easily available to all, and whether prepared or not we can leap headlong into its practice. This has its blessings, in the sense that more people can be turned on to the teachings, although much is often lost without the parampara, or close guidance at the feet of an accomplished master. With this in mind, modern yoga practitioners would most certainly benefit from a basic knowledge of Ayurveda to help establish a healthy daily routine and adjust their practice according to the constitution, dosha imbalance, season, and so on, to prevent disease and promote longevity.

First, lets take a look at the similarities between yoga and Ayurveda:

* Both are ancient Vedic teachings. Yoga originates in the Yajur Veda, while Ayurveda originates in the Atharva Veda and Rig Veda.

* Both recognize that keeping the body healthy is vital for fulfilling the four aims of life: Dharma (duty), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire), and Moksha (liberation).

* Both recognize that the balance of doshas (humors), dhatus (tissues), and malas (waste products) is essential for maintaining good health.

* Both share virtually the same metaphysical anatomy and physiology, which consists of 72,000 nadis (subtle channels), 7 main chakras (energy centers), 5 bodily sheaths, and the Kundalini Shakti (energy).

* Both advocate the use of diet, herbs, asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, astrology, prayer, puja, and rituals for healing the entire being.

* Both encourage physical health as a good foundation for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

* Both share the same view on psychology. Ayurveda embraces all six of the main schools of philosophy including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Vedanta (a non-dual philosophical and spiritual path). They both understand that the attachment to the body-mind complex is the root cause of all suffering and that the ultimate state of health is experienced when we abide in our true nature, which is total peace, regardless of the state of the physical body.

* Both use cleansing methods for the body, all of which encourage the removal of waste products and toxins through their natural routes of elimination. Ayurveda has panchakarma (five cleansing actions) and yoga uses Shat Karma (six purification measures).

Ayurvedic approach to asana practice

The use of asana, pranayama, and meditation for healing is known as Yoga Chikitsa, or Yoga Therapy and has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic and yogic adepts. In Yoga Chikitsa, a group of yogic exercises are chosen that will best support the individual and are practiced daily. This can be done over an extended period of time in conjunction with an Ayurvedic regime and herbal and dietary therapies. Yoga Chikitsa also plays an integral role in the Ayurvedic cleansing and rejuvenation process known as panchakarma.

For a well balanced personal yoga practice, it is important to take into consideration the individuals body structure, prakruti (original constitution), and vikruti (present constitutional imbalance). The following are general recommendations according to the predominant dosha.

Vata predominant individuals should remember to focus on calming, grounding, stillness, strengthening, and balancing while doing their practice.

Precautions for vata:

* Vinyasa or flow styles of yoga tend to move too quickly from one pose to the next and can aggravate the hyper-mobile quality of vata over time. Flow sequences can be made to be more vata pacifying if they are not excessively long, the length of time poses are held is extended, and transitions are done slowly and consciously.

* Those with lower back problems may find that bending the knees in standing forward bends can prevent discomfort.

* Back bends should be done slowly, carefully and within one's own limits.

Pitta individuals should maintain a calm, cool, and relaxed intention while doing asanas. Pitta types may benefit from trying to cultivate an attitude of forgiveness, and of surrendering or offering the fruits of their practice to the divine of to those in need of positive healing energy. Because asana practice tends to generate heat in the body, it is best to do them at cooling times of the day, such as dawn or dusk. Also, it is useful to place some emphasis on poses that help to release excess heat from the body, such as poses that compress the solar plexus and poses that open the chest like.

Kapha types tend to be sedentary and often dislike vigorous exercise. For this reason, their practice should be energetic, warming, lightening, and stimulating, providing they are physically capable. Vinyasa or flow style yoga is good for kapha because it is dynamic and moves quickly from one pose to the next, it induces sweating and gets the heart pumping.

Yoga poses that address specific doshic problems can be easily added to an Ayurvedic regime and integrated into an existing yoga routine, or they can be organized as a small session with the help of an Ayurvedic clinician who knows each individual case well and can help set up a well balanced program according to the needs of each client.

Ayurveda also offers Yoga Chikitsa, or Yoga Therapy, for specific doshic disorders. It is advised to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner for an individualized regime.

Ayurvedic Approach to Pranayama (breathing techniques).

The ultimate goal of pranayama is to calm the mind and prepare it for meditation. It also has a therapeutic effect on the physical body as well. It is not essential to do a pranayama practice according to dosha, but knowing its effects on the body is a valuable tool for management of the doshas. Below is a general list of pranayama and bandha exercises according to dosha.

Vata: Nadi Shodhana, Kapala Bhati, Agnisara Dhauti, Ujjayi, Tri Bandha, Maha Mudra.

Pitta: Sheetali or Sitkari, Nadi shodhana.

Kapha: Bastrika, Agnisara Dhauti, Kapala Bhati, Ashvini Mudra (contracting and releasing Mula Bandha), Ashvini Mudra, Ujjayi, Tri Bandha, Maha Mudra.

Furthermore, the Four Purifications taught in our workshops is an ancient method from the Ashtanga Yoga for purifying the gross and subtle body in order to prepare it for more advanced practices. They are tridoshic and safe for everyone, providing they are performed correctly.

Meditation According to Dosha.

These spiritual paths and their meditation techniques can be practiced by anyone, regardless of their prakruti. This list is only intended to give an idea on how dosha can support or influence ones spiritual practice. Many traditions of yoga blend various aspects of the paths listed here.

* Vata: Kriya Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga and other structured techniques help to keep vata stabilized and focused.

* Pitta: Jnana Yoga and Vedanta are good for pitta types because they often have sharp intellects and have a keen interest in self-study (Atma-vichara).

* Kapha: Bhakti yoga is natural for kapha types because they are often loving and devotional by nature.

Ayurvedic and Yogic Diet.

Ayurveda is more concerned with food being constitutionally balanced, while Yoga promotes a diet that is sattwic (light and pure). A combination of both aspects is the best choice for a yogi or anyone wanting to make real progress on a spiritual path.

Ayurvedic diet:

* According to dosha.

* Primarily vegetarian (meat is used as medicine, mainly for extreme deficiencies).

* Primarily cooked (raw food in moderation, especially for vata types).

* Containing six tastes.

Yogic diet:

* Sattwic vegetarian diet.

* Easy to digest.

* Simple meals (to limit desire).

* Both cooked and raw.

* Foods recommended in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika consist of rejuvenating substances such as wheat, whole grain, white basmati, corn, raw milk, raw sugar, butter, ghee, honey, dried ginger, mung beans, pure water, vegetables.

* Fruits, roots and nuts.

* Avoiding excessive hot, sour, salty, fermented, and fried foods.

* Avoiding tamasic (dulling) foods like meat, onions, garlic and mushrooms as a regular part of the daily diet.

Cleansing in Yoga and Ayurveda.

Ayurveda and Yoga both emphasize cleansing of the body for health and support of spiritual practices. Their methods are similar and work by expelling excess dosha and ama, or toxins, using the body's natural routes of elimination.

The yogic method is known in the Ashtanga tradition as Shat Karma, or six cleansing measures. These are:

1. Neti (nasal cleansing):

Jala neti (salt water flushing of the sinuses).

Sutra neti (nasal cleaning with string).

2. Dhauti (washing the GI tract).

Teeth, tongue, eyes, ears and forehead.

Agnisara Dhauti.

Vamana Dhauti (vomiting salt water).

Vastra Dhauti (washing with a cloth).

Varisara Dhauti (washing with water for purgation).

3. Basti (enema).

4. Trataka (forehead wash, gazing into a candle flame).

5. Nauli (intestinal washing, abdominal rolling).

6. Kapala Bhati (skull shining).

The Ayurvedic method for cleansing and rejuvenation is known as panchakarma (pancha karma), or five cleansing actions. This program is usually done for a week or two, but can also be done for longer periods depending on the case. The five actions of this method are:

1. Basti (Enema).

2. Nasya (Nasal application of herbs and herbal oils).

3. Vamana (Therapeutic vomiting).

4. Virechana (Purgation).

5. Rakta Moksha (Blood letting).

It is obvious that Ayurveda and yoga not only complement each other. Both sciences actually embrace each other as they share similarities and fundamental principles on many levels. Ayurveda and yoga should go hand in hand if we want to achieve optimal health, peace, and longevity.

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2008-03-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda, India''s Science of Life, Health and Longevity

Ayurveda is India's ancient science life, health, and longevity. It is thought of by many scholars to be the oldest form of health care in the world. It originated in India over 5000 years ago, and was taught for thousands of years in an oral tradition from accomplished masters to their disciples. The purpose of Ayurveda is to heal, to maintain a high quality of life, and to increase the longevity of the individual. It is an art of daily living that has evolved from practical, philosophical, and spiritual insight. Even though they have been used for thousands of years, Ayurvedic principles have never changed, since they derive from universal laws of nature that are eternally true.

In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means the "Science of Life." Life is the integration of body, mind and consciousness. Ayurveda places great emphasis on prevention and encourages the maintenance of health through diet, lifestyle, yoga and meditation practice, the use of herbs, as well as cleansing and and rejuvenating therapies (panchakarma, abhyanga, shirodhara, nadi swedana, etc.)

Ayurveda is a science of self-understanding. By understanding our own unique nature or constitution we can begin to understand how we interact with our environment and thus make choices that will lead us toward greater health. Ayurveda defines disease as the natural end result of living out of harmony with our original constitution. Therefore, the Ayurvedic approach is very individualized, since the path to optimal health is different for each person, depending upon their unique constitution or prakruti.

The Ayurvedic system believes that the individuals constitution (prakruti) is recorded at the time of conception as a genetic code that can be expressed physically and mentally as disease proneness and emotional response. This constitution is determined by vata, pitta and kapha, which are the three main doshas, or psycho-physiological functional principles in Ayurveda. They govern the individuals response to changes and they promote the disease process when out of balance.

Many factors, both internal and external, can disturb this balance and bring about changes in the original constitution that may lead to disorders and disease. Some of these factors include emotional and physical stresses, improper food combinations and choices, physical trauma, or seasonal and weather changes. Once we understand how these factors affect us on a constitutional level, we can take appropriate actions to nullify or minimize their effects and eliminate the causes of imbalance. The aim is to understand the nature and structure of disorder, so we can re-establish order to gain control over our health and well being.

The science of understanding our constitution is the science of tridosha. Tridosha defines the three fundamental doshas or principles that govern the function of our bodies on the physical, mental, and emotional levels. Each individual has a unique balance of all three of these energies. These principles can be related to the basic biology of the body.

Energy is required to create movement so that fluids and nutrients get to the cells, enabling the body to function. Energy is also necessary to metabolize the nutrients in the cells and is utilized to lubricate and maintain cellular structure. Vata is the energy of movement; pitta is the energy of transformation, digestion or metabolism; and kapha is the energy of lubrication and structure. Everyone has the qualities of vata, pitta and kapha, but one is usually primary or predominant, one is secondary and the third is usually the least predominant.

Vata is the subtle energy associated with movement. It governs respiration, circulation, and elimination, as well as the pulsation of the heart and motor neuron impulses. Vata is very much like the wind it is light, cool, dry and mobile. People with a vata nature experience more of these qualities. Their bodies tend to be light, their bones thin, and their skin and hair dry. They often move and speak quickly. They tend to be talkative, enthusiastic, creative, flexible, and energetic. When aggravated, vata can cause confusion, insomnia, flatulence, constipation, weight loss, tremors, spasms, asthma, rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, as well as many neurological and immunological problems.

Pitta represents the fire element in the body. It governs digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, and body temperature. Pitta tends to be hot, sharp, and penetrating. It is also somewhat volatile and oily. People with a pitta nature reflect these qualities. They tend to feel warm, have somewhat oily skin, penetrating eyes, and sharp features. They tend to have moderate weight and good musculature. They tend to be highly focused, competitive, capable, courageous, energetic, and clear communicators who get right to the point. They can however become overly intense and speak with a sharp tongue. Pitta disorders include diarrhea, infections, hyperacidity, ulcers, skin eruptions, chronic fatigue, Crohns disease, colitis, liver, spleen, and blood ailments, as well as numerous inflammatory problems.

Kapha is the energy that forms the bodys structure and provides the cohesion that holds the cells together. Kapha supplies the water for all bodily parts and systems. It lubricates joints, moisturizes the skin, and maintains immunity. Kapha tends to be cool, moist, stable, and heavy. In the body these qualities manifest as dense, heavy bones; lustrous, supple skin; low metabolism and large, stocky frames. In addition, those with a kapha nature tend to feel cool. The heavy, stable nature of kapha reflects in a stable personality, not prone to quick fluctuations. When out of balance, kapha individuals are prone to gaining weight and tend to accumulate mucous. Kapha can also cause obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, depression, edema, asthma, tumors, and a variety of congestive problems.

Ayurveda also states that like increases like. For example, the summer has attributes similar to those of pitta hot, liquid, light, mobile, and penetrating. Therefore, in the summer pitta in the body tends to be increased. Vata is light, subtle, dry, mobile, rough, and cold. So in the fall, which also exhibits these attributes, vata will tend to be increased in the body. Kapha is liquid, heavy, cold, sticky, and cloudy. In the winter, when these characteristics predominate in the external environment, internal kapha tends to be increased. The constitution of an individual is a dynamic force, and vata, pitta, and kapha are dynamic energies that will change and be affected by the environment and other factors in various ways. An Ayurvedic regime and lifestyle, along with dinacharya routines, will enable the individual to gain more awareness and control over how those factors can be diminished or nullified, so as to improve and maintain optimal health and well being.

From the time of birth until death, the body is engaged in maintaining life. Vata, pitta and kapha play an important role in the maintenance of cellular health and longevity. Kapha maintains longevity on the cellular level. Pitta governs digestion and nutrition. Vata, which is closely related to the life energy (or prana), governs all life functions. Ayurveda offers different therapies that may support the individuals constitutional harmony at all levels, while promoting cellular rejuvenation and overall vitality and immunity. The key to optimal health is to help the body eliminate toxins and reestablish the constitutional balance of the doshas. For such purpose, Ayurveda offers diet and lifestyle guidelines, herbal preparations, and cleansing and rejuvenating programs such as panchakarma and vata management therapies.

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The Ayurveda Approach to a Healthy Menopause and Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

MENOPAUSE: IT'S ABOUT BALANCE

The medical community is quickly evolving its understanding of menopause. Following the abrupt, early halt to the HRT portion of the Women's Health Initiative last July, due to findings that Hormone Replacement Therapy's risks outweighed its benefits, headlines now read "Menopause is not a disease, but a normal part of life." Hormone "replacement" therapy (HRT) has become simply hormone "therapy" (HT) in recognition of the fact that replacing estrogen is not natural and brings dangerous side-effects, rather than the fountain of youth once touted.

Shocking and novel as these concepts may be to today's medical community, they are nothing new to Maharishi Ayurveda, a consciousness-based natural medical system from ancient India. For over 5000 years, Ayurveda has acknowledged menopause as a natural transition, not a mistake of Mother Nature's that requires hormone replacement therapy. Maharishi Ayurveda reassures us that menopause can be health-promoting, spiritually-transforming and free of troublesome symptoms.

Experts today are affirming this positive view of menopause, stating that it is not natural to get weak bones, heart disease and rapid aging after menopause. Rather, osteoporosis, heart disease and other chronic health problems develop over a lifetime, resulting largely from poor diet, stress and lack of physical exercise. And hormone replacement therapy (HRT,) once heavily promoted as the medical solution to these problems, is no longer recommended for their treatment or prevention.

Menopause: A "Balance Deficiency"

What is recommended for the prevention of major health problems after menopause is a healthy lifestyle. And, according to Ayurveda, healthy living is also the best way to ease symptoms of the menopause transition itself. How balanced, or overall healthy you and your lifestyle are when you reach menopause largely determines how smooth your transition will be. If you are "burning the candle at both ends" in your 30's and early 40's, you are more likely to have mood swings, sleep problems and troublesome hot flashes when your hormones start to change. Whereas if you are have healthy lifestyle habits and are managing your stress effectively, you are likely to breeze through menopause without any major problems.

Health problems at menopause represent imbalances in the body that were already growing in the body and are unmasked by the stress of shifting hormones. Menopause symptoms are Nature's wake-up call to let you know you need to start paying more attention to your health. Age forty-five to fifty-five is a critical decade, according to Ayurveda. It provides the foundation on which your later health is laid. Just like putting money in your IRA, timely investing in your health can dramatically increase your "yield" of healthy years at midlife and beyond. Particularly if you have not been taking care of yourself in your 30's and 40's, making lifestyle changes now is critical to ensuring that you age gracefully without the burden of chronic health problems.

What You Can Do Now to Get "In Balance"

While eating a healthy diet and getting enough exercise provides the foundation of good health for everyone, each woman's menopause experience is unique. Symptoms vary from woman to woman. Knowing precisely how your body is out of balance can guide you in selecting the key lifestyle changes you should make to relieve your symptoms. Ayurveda describes that the type of symptoms you have depends upon which bodily principle or dosha is "out of balance" in your mind/body system.

There are three bodily principles: movement and flow (vata or airy), heat and metabolism (pitta or firey), and bodily substance (kapha or earthy.) And there are three basic types of imbalances relating to each of the three doshas. Easing your menopause transition can be as simple as "reading" your dosha symptoms and taking measures to get your doshas back in balance. The following symptoms and lifestyle prescriptions are indicated for each of the three dosha imbalances:

V-Type- Prone To Nervousness: anxiety, panic, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of skin tone, feeling cold, irregular periods, insomnia, mild or variable hot flashes, constipation, palpitations, bloating and joints aches and pains.

Ayurvedic Tips: Increase warm food and drinks, regular meals, early bedtime, oil massage, meditation, yoga, walking and spices such as fennel and cumin. Decrease caffeine and other stimulants, refined sugar, cold drinks, salads.

P-Type- Prone to Hot Temper: anger, irritability, feeling hot, hot flashes, night sweats, heavy periods, excessive bleeding, urinary tract infections, skin rashes and acne.

Ayurvedic Tips: Increase cooling foods, water intake, sweet juicy fruits (grapes, pears, plums, mango, melons, apples,) zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, organic foods. Go to bed before 10 PM and try to wind down earlier in the evening. Decrease excessive sun and overheating, hot spicy foods, hot drinks and alcohol.

K-Type- Prone to Weight Gain: sluggishness, lethargy, weight gain for no reason, fluid retention, yeast infections, lazy, depressed, lacking motivation, slow digestion.

Ayurvedic Tips: Increase exercise, fruits, whole grains, legumes, vegetables, spices such as black pepper, turmeric and ginger. Get up early (by 6AM). Decrease meat, cheese, sugar, cold foods and drinks.

Your Hormonal "Backup System"

Ayurveda describes that your hormonal changes at menopause will be smooth and easy if three factors are in place.

Your mind/body system (consisting of three doshas) is in "balance."
Your diet is wholesome and rich in phytoestrogens.
Your body is "clean" and uncluttered inside so your hormones and body can "talk" effectively.

Did you know that your ovaries and adrenal glands continue to produce estrogens and "pre-estrogens" after menopause, providing your body with its own hormonal backup system? Ayurveda describes that this hormonal production after menopause will be optimal if your mind and body are "in balance," providing just the right amount of estrogen to prevent hot flashes and keep your bones, skin, brain, colon and arteries healthy without increasing the risk of breast or uterine cancer.

Balancing your doshas, as discussed above, is the first approach to ensuring optimal hormone production after menopause, but Ayurvedic herbs can also help. Indian asparagus root (shatavari; asparagus racemosus), thick-leaved lavender (chorak; angelica glauca- related to the Chinese female tonic Dong Quai,) licorice root, sandalwood, pearl, red coral, rose and others are used by skilled practitioners in balanced, synergistic combinations to help relieve hot flashes, libido problems, irritability, mood swings and other menopausal symptoms.

Hormonal Help from Plants--It's Not Just Soy!

Diet also plays a key role in balancing hormones during and after menopause. It is well known that Japanese women rarely experience hot flashes, probably because their diet contains large amounts of soy, a food rich in certain plant estrogens called "isoflavones." Soy products are not the only source of plant estrogens, however. Another equally healthful source of phytoestrogens are "lignans," compounds found in a variety of whole foods including grains and cereals, dried beans and lentils, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and peanuts, vegetables such as asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic and broccoli and fruits such as pears, plums and strawberries.

Common herbs and spices such as thyme oregano, nutmeg, turmeric and licorice also have estrogenic properties.

It turns out that if you simply eat a varied diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dried beans you will be ingesting a rich phytoestrogen feast in your daily cuisine! Variety and moderation are important because just as too much estrogen is unhealthy after menopause, too much phytoestrogen may also be dangerous. This danger can be avoided by getting your phytoestrogens naturally from a variety of whole foods, rather than from supplements or concentrated tablets.

When You Can't Stop Flashing, Get The "Lead" Out!

More serious symptoms, such as frequent hot flashes, continual sleep disturbance, and moderate to severe mood swings, are signs of deeper imbalances that, if left untreated, will persist to set the stage for later disease. For these more troublesome symptoms to manifest, the tissues of your bodyyour bones, muscles, fat, organs, skin, and bloodmust be disturbed in some way. Ayurveda describes that stubborn symptoms are usually due to the buildup of wastes and toxins, referred to as "ama," in your body's tissues.

For example, hot flashes that won't go away despite herbs, diet, exercise, and perhaps even HRT usually represent a problem with ama. One of my Ayurvedic mentors explained it this way: When your body's channels are clogged with wastes, the heat from metabolism builds up in your tissues. Hot flashes result from sudden surges in blood flow as the body tries to clear the channels and dissipate the heat buildup quickly. A similar phenomenon occurs when you have a heater set on high in an overheated room with all the windows and doors closed. To cool down the room, first you must turn down the heater (see Tips for P-Type above) but you also need to throw open the windows and doors (as in removing the ama) so the heat can flow out.

We can understand this analogy medically in terms of hormone receptors. No matter how much estrogen or phytoestrogen you have floating through your bloodstream, it does you no good unless it connects with your body's estrogen receptors, the tiny "keyholes" on your cells. Estrogen and phytoestrogens fit these keyholes like minuscule keys and through them gain entry into your cells. When the receptors are clogged with debris or "ama," your hormones cannot get into your cells to do their work. Then bothersome menopause symptoms may persist despite a variety of attempted therapies.

In this case, a traditional Ayurvedic detoxification program referred to as Maharishi Rejuvenation Therapy (MRT), or "panchakarma," may be needed to clear the body's channels and gain relief. This internal cleansing approach is also the treatment of choice for more serious problems such as osteoporosis and high cholesterol. A study published in a recent issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine confirmed that this ancient technology of herbalized oil massage, heat treatments and mild internal cleansing therapies does indeed reduce toxins in the body. Hormone disrupting PCB's and pesticides such as DDT were reduced by approximately 50% after just 5 days of treatment. Other studies have shown overall reduction in health symptoms, a rise in "good cholesterol," and reduction in free radicals from MRT.

In my clinical experience, MRT can be very transforming, eliminating symptoms while at the same time dramatically reducing stress and fatigue. After a week of treatment, my patients not only report feeling much better, they radiate health and youthfulness and many experience a profound sense of well-being and inner peace.

It's Not Too Late

The important point to remember at midlife is that health problems dont pop out of nowhere when your estrogen levels start to fluctuate and fall off. Rather it is the cumulative effects of damaging lifestyle habits--late nights, fast food, eating on the run, lots of stress, too little exercise--over decades that set in motion chronic disease and aging well before menopause. Your symptoms are simply telling you just how out of balance you are. The good news is that with a few basic lifestyle changes, and the healing power of Maharishi Ayurveda when needed, underlying imbalances can be resolved, paving the way for a smooth menopause transition and great health in the years to come.

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2008-03-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Graceful Menopause With The Help Of Ayurveda

Menopause is a unique experience for every woman. It is the ending of a woman's monthly menstrual periods and ovulation. It also signals other changes to the body and mind, brought on in part because the body begins producing lesser amounts of the hormones estrogen and progesterone (among others).

Menopause is not a disease. It is a natural process in a woman's life. How a woman views this time of her life can have a lot to do with how frequent and severe her symptoms are. If menopause is viewed as the end of youth and sexuality, this time will be much more difficult than if it is viewed as the next, natural phase of life, a time of greater freedom, liberation from the restrictions of youth. .

Although menopause is one of the important physical milestones in a woman's life, many women lack concrete information about what is taking place and what are their options. With a proper diet, nutritional supplements, and exercise and simple lifestyle changes, most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause can be minimized to a great extent and with this knowledge and preparation you can step forward with grace and embrace it!

Ayurveda links menopause with aging. Aging is a Vata predominant stage of life. Thus, the symptoms of menopause experienced by some women are similar to the symptoms seen when the Vata dosha rises and upsets the normal balance of the body. Vata-type menopausal symptoms tend to include depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Menopause may also manifest itself as a rise in the other two humors also. Women with Pitta-type symptoms are often angry and suffer hot flashes. Kapha type symptoms include listlessness, weight gain, and feelings of mental and physical heaviness.

The type of treatment depends upon the dosha in which the woman's menopausal symptoms are manifesting.

Here it is important to note that health problems at menopause represent imbalances in the body that were already growing in the body and are unmasked by the stress of shifting hormones. Menopause symptoms are Nature's wake-up call to let you know you need to start paying more attention to your health. Taking proper steps in the direction of balancing the imbalance doshas, paying attention to your diet and making lifestyle changes now is critical to ensuring that you age gracefully without the burden of chronic health problems.

Vata-type menopause

Symptoms Nervousness, anxiety, panic, mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of skin tone, feeling cold, irregular periods, insomnia, mild or variable hot flashes, constipation, palpitations, bloating and joints aches and pains.

Treatment:

Diet - Increase warm food and drinks, regular meals, and use spices such as fennel and cumin. Decrease caffeine and other stimulants, refined sugar, cold drinks, salads.

Lifestyle - Early bedtime, oil massage using almond and olive oil, meditation, yoga, Regular exercise like walking

Anti-Vata herbs include ashwagandha, arjuna, astragalus, cardamom, comfrey root, garlic, ginseng, guggul, hawthorn berries, licorice, myrrh, rehmannia, sandalwood and zizphus.

Pitta-type menopause

Symptoms - Prone to Hot Temper, anger, irritability, feeling hot, hot flashes, night sweats, heavy periods, excessive bleeding, urinary tract infections, skin rashes and acne.

Treatment:

Diet - Increase cooling foods, water intake, sweet juicy fruits (grapes, pears, plums, mango, melons, apples,) zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, organic foods. Use spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and fennel. Avoid hot spicy foods, hot drinks and alcohol. no eating late at night.

Lifestyle - Go to bed before 10 PM , oil massage using coconut and sesame oil. Use Meditation and other techniques to reduce anger, hatred and resentment. Exercise and exposure to the sun are limited.

Anti Pitta herbs to be used include aloe vera, arjuna, barberry, golden seal, gotu kola, saffron, sandalwood and shatavari.

Kapha-type menopause

Symptoms - Weight Gain , sluggishness, lethargy, fluid retention, yeast infections, lazy, depressed, lacking motivation, slow digestion.

Treatment:

Diet Prefer light, dry and warm food, Consume fruits, whole grains, legumes, vegetables. Use spices such as black pepper, turmeric and ginger. Avoid meat, cheese, sugar, cold foods and drinks. Weekly fasting is helpful. Most or all of the daily food should be consumed before 6 p.m.

Lifestyle - Get up early (by 6AM). Mustard oil and linseed oil are often recommended for massage.

Anti Kapha Herbs include bayberry, cayenne, cinnamon, guggul, motherwort ,mustard and myrrh.

Key factors in achieving graceful menopause

A smooth menopause transition and great health in the years to come can be achieved with the help of -

Balancing Doshas - Ascertain the imbalance dosha according to your symptoms and follow the advice given above to balance that dosha.

Balancing Diet - Diet plays a key role in balancing hormones during and after menopause. It is well known that Japanese women rarely experience hot flashes, probably because their diet contains large amounts of soy/soya, a food rich in certain plant estrogens called "isoflavones." Soya products are not the only source of plant estrogens, however. Another equally healthful source of phytoestrogens are "lignans," compounds found in a variety of whole foods including grains and cereals, dried beans and lentils, flaxseed, sunflower seeds and peanuts, vegetables such as asparagus, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic and broccoli and fruits such as pears, plums and strawberries. Common herbs and spices such as thyme oregano, nutmeg, turmeric and licorice also have estrogenic properties.

Eat a varied diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dried beans .Its a rich source of phytoestrogen. Variety and moderation are important because just as too much estrogen is unhealthy after menopause, too much phytoestrogen may also be dangerous.

Apana Vata, which governs the genito-urinary tract, elimination, and menstruation, is a key area to attend to when preparing for menopause. Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day. Eat plenty of cooked, leafy greens, as this helps elimination and is also a good source of calcium. For both Pitta and Vata imbalances, a breakfast of cooked apples and prunes and figs is a good way to start the day, as it balances the doshas and cleanses the digestive track.

Panchakarma - More serious symptoms, such as frequent hot flashes, continual sleep disturbance, and moderate to severe mood swings, are signs of deeper imbalances.

Ayurveda describes that these stubborn symptoms are usually due to the buildup of wastes and toxins, referred to as "ama," in the body's tissues.

In this case, a traditional Ayurvedic detoxification program "panchakarma," may be needed to clear the body's channels and gain relief. This internal cleansing approach is also the treatment of choice for more serious problems such as osteoporosis and high cholesterol.

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2008-03-15T10:17:00.002-07:00

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Beauty and Skin Care with Nancy Lonsdorf M.D.

Every person is born perfect. Inferiority is a mistake of the mind, a cloud covering the light. Dissolve the clouds by observing a balanced life with healthy habits. Nourish your mind and body. Connect with your own inner self. Celebrate your own magnificence and your beauty will always shine through. -Dr. Rama Kant Mishra, renowned Ayurvedic physician and dermatologist

The Three Pillars of Beauty

Maharishi Ayurveda (MAV), the modern, consciousness-based revival of the ancient Ayurvedic medicine tradition, considers true beauty to be supported by three pillars; Outer Beauty, Inner Beauty and Lasting Beauty. Only by enhancing all three can we attain the balanced state of radiant health that makes each of us the most fulfilled and beautiful person we can be.

Outer Beauty: Roopam

The outer signs of beauty - your skin, hair and nails - are more than just superficial measures of beauty. They are direct reflections of your overall health. These outer tissues are created by the inner physiological processes involved in digestion, metabolism and proper tissue development. Outer beauty depends more on the strength of your digestion and metabolism, the quality of your diet, and the purity of your blood, than on external cleansers and conditioners you may apply.

General Recommendations for Outer Beauty

As we will discuss, the key to skin care is matching your diet and skin care routine to the specific skin type you have. Meanwhile, there are some valuable recommendations for lustrous skin, hair and nails that will be helpful to everyone, regardless of skin type.

1. Diet: Without adequate nourishment, your collagen layer thins and a kind of wasting takes place. Over time, your skin can shrivel up like a plant without water from lack of nourishment. To keep your skin plump and glowing:

A. Eat fresh, whole organic foods that are freshly prepared.

Avoid packaged, canned, frozen, processed foods and leftovers. These foods have little nutritional value and also they are often poorly digested which creates impurities that localize in the skin. The resulting buildup of toxins causes irritation and blocks circulation depriving the skin of further nourishment and natural cleansing processes.

B. Favor skin nourishing foods.

Leafy green vegetables contain vitamins, minerals (especially iron and calcium) and are high in antioxidant properties. They nourish the skin and protect it from premature aging.
Sweet juicy fruits like grapes, melons, pears, plums and stewed apples at breakfast are excellent for the skin in almost everyone.
Eat a wide variety of grains over different meals and try mixed grain servings at breakfast and lunch. Add amaranth, quinoa, cous cous, millet and barley to the wheat and rice you already eat.
Favor light, easy to digest proteins like legume soups (especially yellow split mung dhal), whole milk, paneer (cheese made from boiling milk, adding lemon and straining solids) and lassi (diluted yogurt and spice drinks).
Oils like ghee (clarified butter) and organic, extra virgin olive oil should be included in the diet as they lubricate, nourish and create lustre in the skin.
Use spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, and black pepper to improve digestion, nourish the skin and cleanse it of impurities.
Avoid microwaving and boiling your vegetables. They lose as much as 85% of their antioxidant content when cooked in this way. Steaming and sauting are best.

Caring for outer beauty through knowledge of skin type

Besides these general recommendations the key to Outer Beauty is to understand the difference in skin types so you can gain the maximum benefit from your individualized skin care regimen. MAV identifies three different skin types based on which of the three main metabolic principles (doshas)- present in everyone, but to different degrees- is most dominant in your body.

Vata Skin

* Description: Vata is composed of the elements of air and space. If you have a vata skin type, your skin will be dry, thin, fine pored, delicate and cool to the touch. When balanced, it glows with a delicate lightness and refinement that is elegant and attractive. When vata skin is imbalanced, it will be prone to excessive dryness and may even be rough and flaky.

* Potential problems: The greatest beauty challenge for vata skin is its predisposition to symptoms of early aging. Your skin may tend to develop wrinkles earlier than most due to its tendency to dryness and thinness. If your digestion is not in balance, your skin can begin to look dull and grayish, even in your 20s and 30s. In addition, your skin may have a tendency for disorders such as dry eczema and skin fungus. Mental stress, such as worry, fear and lack of sleep, has a powerful debilitating effect on vata skin leaving it looking tired and lifeless.

* Recommendations for care

With a little knowledge, you can preserve and protect the delicate beauty of your vata type skin. Since your skin does not contain much moisture, preventing it from drying is the major consideration. Eat a warm, unctuous diet (ghee and olive oil are best) and favor sour, salty and sweet tastes (naturally sweet like fruits, not refined sugar) as they balance vata. Avoid drying foods like crackers. Drink 6-8 glasses of warm (not cold for vata types!) water throughout the day and eat plenty of sweet, juicy fruits. Going to bed early (before 10 PM) is very soothing to vata and will have a tremendously positive influence on your skin. Avoid cleansing products that dry the skin (like alcohol-based cleansers) and perform Ayurvedic oil massage to your whole body (abhyanga) in the morning before you shower.

Pitta Skin.

* Description: Pitta dosha is composed of the elements of fire and water. If you have a pitta skin type your skin is fair, soft, warm and of medium thickness. When balanced, your skin has a beautiful, slightly rosy or golden glow, as if illuminated from within. Your hair typically is fine and straight, and is usually red, sandy or blonde in color. Your complexion tends toward the pink or reddish, and there is often a copious amount of freckles or moles.

* Potential problems: Among the many beauty challenges of pitta skin types is your tendency to develop rashes, rosacea, acne, liver spots or pigment disorders. Because of the large proportion of the fire element in your constitution, your skin does not tolerate heat or sun very well. Of all the three skin types, pitta skin has the least tolerance for the sun, is photosensitive, and most likely to accumulate sun damage over the years. Pitta skin is aggravated by emotional stress, especially suppressed anger, frustration, or resentment.

* Recommendations for care

Avoid excessive sunlight, tanning treatments and highly heating therapies like facial or whole body steams. Avoid hot, spicy foods and favor astringent, bitter and sweet foods which balance pitta. (Again, naturally sweet, not chocolate and refined sugar!) Sweet juicy fruits (especially melons and pears), cooked greens and rose petal preserves are especially good. Drinking plenty of water helps wash impurities from sensitive pitta skin. Reduce external or internal contact with synthetic chemicals, to which your skin is especially prone to react, even in a delayed fashion after years of seemingly uneventful use. Avoid skin products that are abrasive, heating or contain artificial colors or preservatives. Most commercial make-up brands should be avoided in favor of strictly 100% natural ingredient cosmetics. And be sure to get your emotional stress under control through plenty of outdoor exercise, yoga and meditation.

Kapha Skin.

* Description: Kapha dosha is composed of the elements of earth and water. If you have a kapha skin type your skin is thick, oily, soft and cool to the touch. Your complexion is a glowing porcelain whitish color, like the moon, and hair characteristically thick, wavy, oily and dark. Kapha skin types, with their more generous collagen and connective tissue, are fortunate to develop wrinkles much later in life than vata or pitta types.

*Potential problems If your skin becomes imbalanced, it can show up as enlarged pores, excessively oily skin, moist types of eczema, blackheads, acne or pimples, and water retention. Kapha skin is also more prone to fungal infections.

* Recommendations for care

Kapha skin is more prone to clogging and needs more cleansing than other skin types. Be careful to avoid greasy, clogging creams. Likewise, avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses and rich desserts. Eat more light, easy to digest, astringent, bitter and pungent (well-spiced) foods as they balance kapha. Olive oil is the best cooking oil and a little ginger and lime juice can be taken before meals to increase your characteristically sluggish digestive fire. Take warm baths often and use gentle cleansers to open the skin pores. Avoid getting constipated and try to get some exercise every day to increase circulation and help purify the skin through the sweating process.

Inner Beauty: Gunam.

Happy, positive, loving, caring individuals have a special beauty that is far more than skin deep. Conversely we all experience the quick and deleterious effect on our skin from fatigue and stress.

Inner beauty is authentic beauty, not the kind that shows on a made-up face, but the kind that shines through from your soul, your consciousness or inner state of being. Inner beauty comes from a mind and heart that are in harmony, not at odds with each other, causing emotional confusion, loss of confidence, stress and worry. Inner peace is the foundation of outer beauty.

Maintain your self-confidence and a warm, loving personality by paying attention to your lifestyle and daily routine and effective management of stress (I highly recommend the TM technique for its scientifically-verified benefits on mental and physical health and reduced aging.) You will also be healthier and feel better through the day if you eat your main meal at midday and make a habit of going to bed early (by 10 PM is ideal.)

Remember, kindness, friendliness and sincerity naturally attract people to you. On the other hand, being uptight or tense makes people want to walk the other way, regardless of your facial structure, body weight, or other outer signs we associate with attractiveness.

Lasting Beauty: Yayastyag

In order to slow the aging process and gain lasting beauty there are two additional key considerations beyond those already discussed,

1. Eliminate toxins and free radicals in the body: The main deteriorating effects of aging come as toxins and impurities (called ama in Ayurveda) accumulate throughout the body. These toxins may begin as free radicals in the body, or over time may become oxidized into free radicals, all of which contribute to premature aging in the body. For lasting health and beauty it is essential to avoid and neutralize free radicals, to prevent impurities of all kinds from accumulating and to remove those that have already become lodged in the body.

The most powerful cleansing therapy in Maharishi Ayurveda is "panchakarma" therapy, a series of natural treatments ideally performed twice yearly, that involves 5-7 days in a row of massage, heat treatments and mild herbal enemas. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of undergoing this cleansing program once or twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating, localizing and hardening in the tissues. Just as we change the oil in our cars regularly for optimal performance and lifespan, Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse the sludge from our tissues on a regular basis through panchakarma treatments.

Best of all, panchakarma treatments are luxurious, blissful, and make you feel (and look) completely rejuvenated in just a few days time. I have had many a patient who told me that friends asked them afterwards if they had gotten a facelift, they looked so fresh and youthful!

Other free radical busters include: reducing mental stress, eating antioxidant foods like leafy green vegetables, sweet, juicy fruits and cooking on a daily basis with antioxidant, detoxifying spices like turmeric and coriander.

2. Add rejuvenative techniques to daily living:

The daily activities of life in the modern world systematically wear us down and speed up the aging process. Ayurveda maintains it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to counteract the stressful wear and tear of everyday life. According to Ayurveda the most important rejuvenative routines for your life are:

Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of the most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to MAV.
Meditate daily. Any meditation that does not involve concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be very helpful. I highly recommend the twice-daily deep rest and enlivenment of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research studies.
Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: "Without proper diet. medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need." Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality.
Perform Ayurvedic oil massage in the morning (abhyanga). Morning oil massage purifies the entire body, reduces anxiety and stress, helps prevent and heal injuries and supports circulation. It is especially helpful in creating a radiant complexion and keeping your skin youthful. Research shows it may also help prevent skin cancers.
Practice yoga asanas. Maintaining flexibility and circulation is key to health.
Practice pranayama (yoga breathing) techniques. Pranayama enlivens the mind and body. Ideally practice the following sequence twice a day. Asanas, pranayama and meditation.

Summary

Everyone's unique beauty shines forth when they have radiant health and personal happiness. Beauty is a side effect of a balanced, fulfilled life. Supreme personal beauty is accessible to everyone who is willing to take more control of their health in their day-to-day life through time-tested principles of natural living.

For most of us, beauty is not a gift but a choice. Every woman can be radiantly beautiful simply by beginning to lead a healthier life. You will be rewarded by the glowing effects you will see in your mirror each day and the powerful, bliss-producing effect your special beauty has on everyone in your life.

Art 190

2008-03-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

Preventive Medicine - Ayurveda

It should not be hard for anyone to imagine that man sought medicine to maintain life and gain knowledge since the time of his being pre-hominid and eating plants while learning which ones killed him. Your puppy or kitten will show this when it goes outside for the first time and eats grass to help its gastrointestinal processes. The Therapeutae of Pythagoras who some say developed the pentagram were learning from far more ancient insights that were being lost and we have lost a lot of the knowledge of healing he had in his chanting or Singing of the Spheres.

Ayurveda includes the use of herbs and plants combined with psychic arts of a healing nature. The proper practitioner includes psychology as part of the diagnosis and getting the patient to use their own mental or soulful energy. It comes from very ancient shamanism and has many names for its practice. This art is called ayurveda in India, and it has Taoist and Yogic corollaries.

When I lived in Vegas I grew Aloe Vera, and its Vitamin E may be part of why it works to heal so many things. Comfrey tea is something my brother took to help a broken leg that wasn't healing in the traditional medical approach. There are many ways to enhance the immune system along with our natural ability to heal and help each other. 'Cleansing' auras or meridians of 'Chhi' or pranha, positive visualization and what is sometimes deemed wholistics have been available for longer than books or politicians were practicing their questionable arts. The ancient priests and shamans who were corruptible became even more so as this knowledge grew. The Incas 'magic' and healing may have been one of the best balances of knowledge and compassion ever exercised on behalf of every citizen.

Can you honestly say you trust the future of gene therapy and near immortality to our current system? Do you want more transparency or honesty? Shouldn't we all become 'informed consumers' and have alternatives considered when they make sense? Much of what Western doctors learn about anatomy and diseases is easily input and reacted to by modern computer and diagnostic tools. Can you imagine them ever putting these things in the public forum and trying to engage us all in honest dialogue that might diminish their power, money and influence? In China you don't pay the doctor when you are sick and preventive medicine is the rule. Bill and Hillary Clinton tried to emphasize 'preventive medicine' and ran into the same kind of lobbying that George Bush and Dan Quayle saw when they ran with a commitment to institute 'tort reform' in the legal system.

The idea that a fully diluted homeopathic tincture might heal through some imprint left by Cyanide found in peach pits or laetrile is just one of the conundrums that science still struggles to face. But the fact is cyanide kills cells and results have been achieved by some people who might have attuned themselves with that small amount of Cyanide that Japanese researchers found in peach pits after the US researchers said there was no possible agent that could kill cancer cells in peach pits. The implications of this extend to genetic rituals that modern science cannot see the effects of, and other energy lattice memory or Intelligence.

There are forces in society which seek to keep certain knowledge hidden or what one might term occulted. We do need to learn to stop the shelving efforts or those who do the shelving and denigrating. They would rather have a monopoly and power before seeing all mankind capable of greater things.

Art 189

2008-03-15T10:16:00.001-07:00

Preventing Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy Through Ayurveda

Definition: Benign prostatic hypertrophy is swelling of Prostate gland. The prostate is a walnut sized gland that is only present in men. It is located just below the bladder and top of the penis. This gland surrounds the urethra (the tube through which urine flows from the bladder and out through the penis).

It is a very astonishing fact to know that the condition BPH has been explained in ayurveda long back. The anatomical position of prostate gland, symptoms of BPH and its remedies are explained by Acharya Sushruta.

The anatomical position of prostate gland is described in ayurvedic classics as follows... In Yogaratnakara it has been described as -- NAABHERADHASTHAATSANJAATAHA SANCHAARI YADI VAACHALAHA | ASHTEELAAVAD GHANO GRANTHIROODHWAR MAAYATA UNNATAHA ||

Which means Below umbilicus (NAABHI), there is a hard gland which is little bit bulged and changes its place some times and some times stays stationary. This gland is like Ashteela (A small stone used to sharpen swords). This gland when affected by vitiated vata causes a disease called vataashteela (or benign prostate hypertrophy)

Sushruta explains the structure, anatomical position of prostate gland and symptoms of BPH as follows.

SHACRANMAARGASYA BASTHESHCHA VAAYURANTARAMAASHRITAHAI ASHTEELAAVADGHANAM GRANTHIMMOORDHVAMAAYATA MUNNATAM||

Which means - the place between rectum and bladder is occupied by vitiated vata it affects the easy flow of urine, stools and semen by enlarging the gland Ashteela.

The prostate gland enlarges in all men as age advances. BPH is very common and affects one third of men who are over 50. A person suffering from BPH does not have the increased risk of prostate cancer. Functions of Prostate gland.

One of the main functions of the prostate is to produce a fluid, which contribute to the liquid portion of semen and this liquid allows the sperm to move freely.

The gland is divided into peripheral, transitional and central zone. The overgrowth takes place in central zone which leads to BPH. Effects of BPH Prostate gland surrounds urethra. When prostate gland enlarges, it constricts the urethra reducing the urine flow. The emptying of bladder becomes very difficult because of this. Causes of BPH According to present medical concepts the actual cause of prostate enlargement is unknown. But the causes of BPH are very well explained In ayurveda which is based on tridosha theory.The causes of vataashteela or BPH are explained as follows.

Causes for vataashteela according to dosha theory: vataashteela is caused by vitiated vayu and apaana vayu ( a subcategory of Vayu)

(APAANA VAYU is located in two testicles, urinary bladder, phallus, umbilicus, thighs, groins, anus and colon. Functions of apana vaayu are Ejaculation of semen, voiding of urine, stools, elimination of menstrual blood and expulsion of fetus.)

The vitiation of vayu and apaana vayu is caused by

1. Controlling the urge of urinatio

2. Controlling the urge of defecation

3. Over indulgence in sex

4. Consuming dry, very cold and less quantity of food

5. Old age

6. General weakness

7. Indigestion

8. Physical and mental overexertion

Symptoms of BPH

Difficulty in starting to pass urine ( hesitancy ),

A weak stream of urine,

Dribbling after urinating

The need to strain to pass urine,

Incomplete emptying of bladder.

Difficulty to control the urination urge.

Having to get up several times in the night to pass urine,

Feeling a burning sensation when passing urine.

Passing urine mixed with blood (indication of infection)

Symptoms of vatashteela are described as follows.

VINMUTRAANILA SANGASCHA TANNAADMAANAMCHA JAAYATE| VEDANAA CHA PARAA BASTOU VAATAASHTEELETI TAAM VIDUHU ||

The vitiated ashteela gland when enlarged is called as vatashteela. This enlarged gland causes

1. Obstruction to easy flow of urine.

2. Obstruction to Easy passage of stools and gas

3. Bloating of Stomach.

4. Pain in bladder.

When the above mentioned symptoms are noticed then one should seek proper medical advice.

Diagnosis

A digital rectal examination will be performed to examine the size of prostate by inserting a finger into the rectum. A distended bladder can be felt per abdomen. Ultra sound examination will be done to determine the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination. Routine urine test will be done to rule out infections.

A prostate gland tissue may be collected using a needle to check for cancerous cells.

Ayurveda tips for SELF-CARE

If symptoms are mild, the following methods can be tried for relief:

1. Vata gets vitiated when natural urges are controlled. Hence do not control the natural urge of passing urine. Urinate when you first get the urge.

2. Go to the bathroom even if you do not have urge.

3. Alcohol, tobacco, coffee increase vata and vitiate it. Hence avoid alcohol, tobacco and coffee, especially after dinner.

4. Vata gets normalized and vitiation comes down when body is warm. This can be accomplished with regular exercises and keeping the body warm.

5. Mental exertion leads to increase of vata. Avoid mental exertion at work place and at home.

6. Avoid foods which cause constipation as constipation causes vitiation of vata.

Other general tips

1. Avoid drinking fluids from two hours before going to bed.

2. Avoid cold and cough medications that contain decongestants or antihistamines. These medications can increase BPH symptoms.

3. Avoid drinking excess amount of liquids. Distribute the intake of fluids throughout day.

Prevention

BPH can be prevented by -

1. Consuming low fat diet

2. Including lots of fiber in diet ( fruits and vegetables which are rich in fiber).

3. Visiting your family physician as soon as you notice any symptoms while passing urine.

Apart from these many effective herbal remedies have been mentioned in Sushruta samhita and Yogaratnakara.

Art 188

2008-03-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Ayurveda Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction

Definition of Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for his sexual needs or the needs of his partner. Erectile dysfunction is sometimes called as impotence.

The term "erectile dysfunction" can mean the inability to achieve erection, an inconsistent ability to do so, or the ability to achieve only brief erections.

Ayurveda defines Erectile dysfunction or ED as follows.

Sankalpapravano nityam priyaam vashyaamapi sthreeyam ||
na yaathi lingashaithilyaath kadaachidyaathi vaa yadi |
Shwaasaarthaha swinnagaatrshcha moghasankalpacheshtitaha ||
mlaanashishnashcha nirbeejaha syodetat klaibyalaxanam |

This means even though a man has a strong desire to perform sexual act with a cooperative partner, he can not perform sexual act because of looseness (absence of erection) of his phallus (penis). Even if he performs sexual act with his determined efforts he does not get erection and gets afflicted with tiredness, perspiration and frustration to perform sex.

Physiology of erection

The two chambers of penis (corpora cavernosa,) which run throught the organ are filled with spongy tissue. The corpora cavernosa are surrounded by a membrane, called the tunica albuginea. The spongy tissue contains smooth muscles, fibrous tissues, spaces, veins, and arteries. The urethra, which is the channel for urine and semen runs along underside of the corpora cavernosa.

Due to sensory or mental stimulation, or both, the erection begins. Due to impulses from brain and local nerves the muscles of corpora cavernosa relax and allow blood to flow in and fill the spaces of spongy tissue.

The flow of blood creates pressure in the corpora cavernosa, making the penis expand. The tunica albuginea helps trap the blood in the chambers, thereby sustaining erection. When muscles in the penis contract to stop the inflow of blood and open outflow channels, erection recedes.

In ayurveda physiology of erection and ejaculation is described as follows

Vrishunow basthimedram cha naabhyuuru vankshnow gudam|
Apaanasthaanamantrasthaha shukra mootra shakrunti cha||

The apaanavayu one of the five types of vayu is located in the testicles, urinary bladder, phallus, umbilicus, thighs, groin, anus and colon. Its functions are ejaculation of semen, voiding of urine and stools.

Shushruta explains the process of erection and ejaculation as When a man has desire (iccha) to have sex, his response to touch increases (Vayu located in skin causes flow of signals from skin to brain, thus causing sensation of touch). This causes arousal or harsha. Arousal or Harsha intensifies actions of vayu and at this moment highly active vayu liberates the teja or heat of pitta. Thus tejas and vayu increase body temperature, heart beat and blood flow causing erection.

Causes of ED

Erection requires a sequence of events. Erectile dysfunction can occur when any of the events is disturbed. Nerve impulses in the brain, spinal column, around the penis and response in muscles, fibrous tissues, veins, and arteries in and around the corpora cavernosa constitute this sequence of events. Injury to any of these parts which are part of this sequence (nerves, arteries, smooth muscles, fibrous tissue) can cause ED.

Lowered level of testosterone hormone: The primary male hormone is testosterone. After age 40, a man's testosterone level gradually declines. About 5% of men that doctors see for erectile dysfunction have low testosterone levels. In many of these cases, low testosterone causes lower sexual interest, not erectile dysfunction.

The whole male body responds to testosterone.

Even sushruta has illustrated about this response of body to the element Shukra . He has said "yatha payasi sarpistu goodashchekshow raso yatha shareereshu tatha shukram nrinaam vidyaadhbishagwara." This means the shukra (the element which helps in reproduction) is present all over the body.

This can be explained with the following examples:

1. The ghee is present in milk in an invisible form. This is extracted from milk using many processes.

2. The sugar is present all over the sugarcane. It is extracted by subjecting the sugarcane to number of processes.

Same way shukra is present all over the body. But the cream of shukra (semen) comes out of the body only during the process of ejaculation. But this process of ejaculation needs a joyful union of mind and body.

Decrease in production of Shukra causes erectile dysfunction.

Over exertion - physically and mentally: Working for long hours in office, mental stress at office and home, short temperedness ,insufficient sleep cause erectile dysfunction.

These causes are explained in ayurveda as "shoka chintaa, bhaya, traasaat .... " which means that erectile dysfunction or Impotence occurs due to grief, fear, anxiety and terror.

Strained relationship with sexual partner: Erectile dysfunction also occurs when there is a disliking towards sexual partner.

Ayurveda describes this as "naarinaamarasamjnatwaat..." means disliking for women.

Diseases that cause Erectile dysfunction: Neurological disorders, hypothyroidism, Parkinson's disease, anemia, depression, arthritis, endocrine disorders,diabetes, diseases related to cardiovascular system also become reasons for erectile dysfunction..

According to ayurveda the diseases which cause erectile dysfunction are "Hritpaandurogatamakakaamalashrama..." - Heart diseases, anemia, asthma, liver disorders, tiredness. Apart from these the imbalance in tridoshas also cause impotence or erectile dysfunction.

Consumption of medicines, drugs and tobacco: Using antidepressants, tranquilizers and antihypertensive medicines for a long time, addiction to tobacco especially smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, addiction to cocaine, heroin and marijuana cause erectile dysfunction.

In ayurveda texts these causes have been said in brief as "rukshamannapaanam tathoushadham" - "dry food, drinks and medicines" cause impotence or erectile dysfunction.

Trauma to pelvic region: accidental injury to pelvic region and surgeries for the conditions of prostate, bladder, colon, or rectal area may lead to erectile dysfunction.

These causes are mentioned as abhighata (trauma), shastradantanakhakshataha (injury from weapons, teeth and nail.) in ayurveda.

Other reasons: Obesity, prolonged bicycle riding, past history of sexual abuse and old age also cause Erectile dysfunction.

Ayurveda describes the cause of impotence or erectile dysfunction due to old age as follows. "diminution of - tissue elements, strength, energy, span of life, inability to take nourishing food, physical and mental fatigue lead to impotence."

Remedies for ED

ED is treatable at any age. The total treatment in for impotence is called as Vajikarana therapy in ayurveda. As this therapy increases the strength of a man to perform sexual act, like a horse, it is called 'Vaajikarana'. ('Vaaji'=Horse.)

Vaajikarana therapy leads to

Happiness.
Good strength.
Potency to produce healthy offspring.
Increased span of erection.

Eligibility for vajikarana therapy.

1. The vajikarana therapy should be administered to persons who are between 18 to 70 years of age.

2. These therapies should be administered only to a self controlled person. If this therapy is administered to a person who does not have self control, he becomes nuisance to society through his illegitimate sex acts.

Psychotherapy

Decreasing anxiety associated with intercourse, with psychologically based treatment helps to cure ED. The patient's partner can help with the techniques, which include gradual development of intimacy and stimulation. Such techniques also can help relieve anxiety when ED from physical causes is being treated.

Same treatment is illustrated in ayurveda. It has been said A woman who understands a man and is liked by him, along with erotic environment act as best aphrodisiac.

Drug Therapy

Numerous herbal preparations are mentioned in Ayurveda to treat ED or impotence. It has been said that people who have strong sexual urge, who want to enjoy sex regularly have to consume these preparations regularly to replenish the energy, vigor, stamina and strength. These preparations also supply the nutrients which are necessary for production of semen.

Ayurveda tips to overcome ED

1. Consuming herbal preparations to rejuvenate the reproductive organs.

2. Massaging the body with a herbal oil which gives a relief from physical exertion and also acts as aphrodisiac.

3. Practicing Yoga and Meditation to overcome mental exertion and to cope up with stress.

4. Sleep at least for 8 hours a day.

5. Avoiding the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, heroin etc.

6. Exercise regularly.

7. Avoid hot, spicy and bitter foods.

8. Favor sweets, milk products, nuts and urad dal.

9. Add little ghee in your diet.

10. Give a gap of four days between two consecutive intercourses

Art 187

2008-03-15T10:14:00.002-07:00

Ayurveda Approach to Genital Herpes

Dosha theory which help in diagnosis of the diseases.

According to ayurveda three doshas or three energetic forces control the activities of the body. These doshas are

1. Vata
2. Pitta
3. Kapha

VATA: The Vata dosha is the most important of the three doshas. It has been said in ayurveda classic books that pitta, Kapha and all other body tissues are considered lame without assistance of VATA. Vata dominates the lower part of the body, which is below umbilicus. The movements of body fluid, metabolism, elimination of waste products, semen ejaculation, pushing the fetus out of body, relaying stimulus to brain and response to organs and tissues, heart beat, respiration, body movements etc are assisted by VATA.

Vata dominated regions are intestines, lumbar region, ears, bones and skin.

Vata gets vitiated due to following reasons.

1. Controlling natural urges like urination, defecation, hunger, thirst, etc.
2. Late nights.
3. Irregular food habits.
4. Talking in a high pitch.
5. Over physical and mental exertion.
6. Consumption of spicy, dry, bitter foods.
7. Exposure to severe dry and cold climate.

The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated vata.

PITTA: The pitta dosha assists the body fire or Agni, which plays a major role in bodys metabolic activities. The locations where pitta dominates are digestive system, skin, eyes, brain, and blood. Pitta maintains body temperature. The secretions like digestive juices pigments like melanin (bhrajaka pitta), hemoglobin (ranjaka pitta) are all types of pitta.

Pitta is dominant in regions of Umbilicus, stomach, sweat, lymph, blood, eyes and skin.

Vata gets vitiated due to following reasons.

1. Excess consumption of spicy, sour, salty foods.
2. Consuming alcohol in excess.
3. Over exposure to hot sunny climate.
4. Short temperedness.
5. Using dried vegetables.
6. Indigestion of food.

The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated pitta.

KAPHA: Kapha provides bulk to body, lubrications, moistness, fertility, stability, strength, and memory. Helps in binding process wherever necessary. This is heaviest of all doshas.

Kapha dominated regions are chest, neck, head, stomach, body fat, nose and tongue

Kapha gets vitiated due to following reasons.

1. Sleeping in daytime.
2. Consuming sweets, chilled food, in excess.
3. Consuming fish, sesame, sugarcane, milk and milk products.

The opposites of above-mentioned reason normalize the vitiated kapha.

When these doshas are in balanced condition the body remains healthy. If these doshas get imbalanced the body succumbs to diseases. Doshas get imbalanced frequently due to change in climate, seasons, lifestyles, diet etc. The treatment is to bring back the doshas to normalcy and expel the toxin or ama produced during the imbalanced condition.

Causes of Genital Herpes

Herpes is caused by a virus the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which belongs to the same family of viruses that cause chickenpox. There are two types of herpes simplex viruses

1. Herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and mostly causes oral herpes
2. Herpes simplex type 2 (HSV-2). And mostly causes genital herpes

However, both type-1 and type-2 can occur in the genitals, oral area or both. Due to unhealthy life styles and diet the delicate balance between doshas get disturbed. This disturbs the body fire or Agni. (Agni is the body fire, which is responsible for transformation of one substance to another. It breaks down the food substances, eliminates toxins and wastes, maintains body temperature, and resists the invasion of microbes by maintaining strong body immunity.

The body fire, which is assisted by balanced doshas, digests the food completely to form Pakwa Anna rasa (the liquid form of food which is completely digested by digestive enzymes), which is ready to get absorbed by body tissues. According to ayurveda Pakwa Anna Rasa nourishes the body and its components to keep the body devoid of diseases. But when body fire is impaired there will be an incomplete digestion of food forming Apakwa Rasa (indigested food). The indigested food fails to nourish the body components leading to lowered body resistance.)

The disturbed Agni fails to digest the food and toxins get accumulated in body due to improper metabolism. Accumulation of toxins reduces the body immunity and paves the way for invasion by microbes. When a person who has low immunity comes in contact with HSV virus, he/she gets the genital or oral herpes.

Unhealthy lifestyle

1. Over eating
2. Sleeping in afternoons.
3. Over physical exertion.
4. Over mental exertion
5. Consuming food frequently even when not hungry.
6. Constant exposure to hot sunny climates

Unhealthy diet

Excessive consumption of

1. Salty, sour, hot, spicy food.
2. Sour curds
3. Alcohol.
4. Cheese
5. Charred and overcooked food.
6. Sesame, Bengal gram, horse gram, sesame oil, rice flour, garlic, fish.

Opposite foods

1. Curds, salt, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, sour fruits, meat, prawn, pork, should not be consumed with milk. The above-mentioned foods should not be consumed by mixing one item with another.

2. Sprouts, honey and milk should not be consumed with meat and fish.

3. Fish & milk: fish &sugarcane juice; jaggery & pork; honey & pork; milk & mango; banana & milk; are opposite foods.

The Transmission Of genital Herpes

A person can get genital herpes in following conditions

1. If he is sexual active and when he performs sex (oral or genital) with infected partners.

2. A person who has oral herpes transmits herpes to genital organs of a partner during oral sex and a person who has genital herpes transmits this to his partner during coitus when they have a genital contact.

3. The disease gets transmitted when mucous membrane comes in contact with infected area.

The disease gets transmitted mostly during active phase. But it may spread even during asymptomatic (when person is free of symptoms for a particular duration) phase. The virus needs a fluid media for its transportation. The body fluids like saliva, semen, vaginal tract secretions etc. Mucous membranes in mouth, vagina, urethra or open wounds facilitate the virus invasion due to their moistness.

In Genital herpes there is an imbalance of all three doshas (VATA, PITTA, KAPHA), which in turn vitiate lasika (lymph), blood (rakta), muscle (mamsa) and skin (twacha).

The imbalanced doshas vitiate skin and the immunity of skin cells is lowered. The virus attacks these weak cells and starts exhibiting symptoms on affected area.

Local symptoms

1. Pricking sensation

2. Edema

3. Pain

4. Feeling of constriction

5. A sensation of ant creeping

6. Many small eruptions gathering in a small area.

7. These eruptions or blisters burst soon with exudates.

8. These blisters will have different colors according to involvement of doshas. (Blackish red or blue in vata, red, yellow, copper colored in pitta, shades of white in kapha).

The weakened body immune system tries to resist the virus invasion but fails to achieve the goal. In this futile attempt the following systemic symptoms are exhibited.

Systemic symptoms

1. Fever
2. Weakness
3. Indigestion
4. Impaired bowels
5. Increased frequency of urination.
6. Body pain.
7. Increased thirst.

Imbalanced vata causes the symptoms like pain, swelling and body ache

The imbalanced pitta and vitiated blood and skin cause

1. Blisters,
2. Change the color of skin,
3. Cause burning sensation, and fever.

The imbalanced kapha and vitiated lymph cause itching, tingling sensation.

After the first attack the virus moves from skin through the nerve paths to base of the nerve and becomes inactive. Now the herpes infected person will be devoid of all symptoms. But the imbalance of doshas still persists.

Reactivation of Virus to cause outbreaks

At unpredictable times, the virus becomes active. It multiplies and resurfaces on skin by traveling through the nerve path and exhibits the symptoms locally. The severity of symptoms of out break depends on the strength of body immunity.

The pelvis or shroni, nerves and skin are dominated by vata. When vata gets vitiated due to precipitating factors, it reactivates the virus dormant in base of nerve end and the virus travel through nerve paths to reach the skin surface.

Precipitating Factors

As we know the outbreaks have few precipitating factors like

1. Excessive exposure to sun.
2. Illness,
3. Poor diet,
4. Emotional stress
5. Physical stress,
6. Friction,
7. Steroids
8. Menstruation. 9. Emotional stress.
10. Genital trauma and intercourse.
11. Repeated infections such as a cold or pneumonia.

These factors increase vata and increased vata activates the virus, which is dormant.

Low Immunity The systemically imbalanced doshas interfere with the body metabolism by vitiating the body fire (agni). This leads to indigestion and malassimilation of nutrients, which in turn causes poor immunity. Due to decreased immunity the body fails to offer resistance to outbreaks.

Ayurveda Tips to avoid outbreaks

Avoid

1. Spicy, sour, fried and junk food, which aggravates vata.
2. Precipitating factors.
3. Sleeping in afternoon.
4. Meat products over fried or deep fried in oil or fat.
5. Charred and overcooked food.
6. Consuming opposite food like fish and milk etc
7. Physical exertion after a meal
8. Taking bath immediately after exercise or heavy outdoor work.

Include honey, pomegranate, and fruits of Emblica officinalis, legumes, dates and raisins in your diet.

Practice Yoga and Meditation to control emotional disturbances

Ayurveda References

1. Sushruta Samhita
2. Charaka Samhita
3. Madhava nidana
4. Ashtanga Sangraha
5. Yoga Ratnakara

Art 186

2008-03-15T10:14:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda - The Natural Remedy

The word Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words ayur and veda meaning life' and knowledge' respectively. Taken together they mean the science of life'; in a more limited sense, the term is used to imply the science of medicine.

Legend has it that Brahma, the Creator (a part of the Hindu holy trinity of gods) first perceived it and taught it to his sons, Daksha Prajapati. Subsequently, Lord Dhanwantri, the God of healing and the teacher of the medical sciences passed it on the prominent Hindu sages Atreya, Bharadvaja, Kashyapa, Sushruta, Parashara and Charaka. Sage Atreya's disciple Agnivesha is said to have written the original Agnivesha Samhita around 1000 BC which has come down to us in the form of Charaka Samhita. This text is considered an authoritative pronouncement of Ayurvedic doctrine.

The universe is made up of the pancha mahabhutas or five primary elements:

Fire (Agni),

Water (jala),

Ether (akasha),

Earth (prithvi) and

Art 185

2008-03-15T10:13:00.001-07:00

Be Natural! Treating Chronic Diseases with Ayurveda

Ayurveda is perhaps the oldest system of health care in the world and originates from the Indian subcontinent. Ayurveda is based on scientific principles of diagnosis and treatment. It differs from conventional medicine in the basic principles of investigation and assigning causes to processes rather than specific areas of physiology.

Ayurveda has been a vogue since 5000 years ago. Our Vedas have been repeated references to the efficacy of Ayurveda as a science of healthy life. The western world is now realizing the value of Ayurveda in treating Chronic diseases like Arthritis, Paralysis, Stroke, Neurological disorders etc. Even WHO has given high rating for Ayurveda system.

It differs from conventional medicine in the basic principles of investigation and assigning causes to processes rather than specific areas of physiology. The increasing awareness of herbal medicines in Western markets such as USA, UK, Canada and Japan and the technological advancements in biotech industry were two major reasons which compelled us to offer a platform like this.

The key to the success of www.AyurvedicCure.com is the quality of the ingredients they use, the way in which formulae are based on ancient Ayurvedic traditions, a careful manufacturing process and an ongoing research program for testing and evaluating new and old products.

Here are some Important Herbs and their Uses:

Ashvagandha ( Withania Somnifera), ( Winter Cherry): Traditionally, Ashwagandha has been used in many ways--as a sedative, a diuretic, a rejuvenating tonic, an anti-inflammatory agent, and as an "adaptogen" (endurance enhancer). Many Western herbalists refer to this herb as "Ayurvedic ginseng" because of its reputation for increasing energy, strength, and stamina, and for its ability to relieve stress. It is especially beneficial in stress related disorders such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, general debility, etc. It has also shown impressive results when used as stimulants for the immune system. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/ashwagandha.htm

Amla ( Emblica officinalis), ( Indian Goosebery): Amla contains the highest amount of Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid), Phyllembin, Phyllemblic acid, Gallic acid, Ellagic acid in natural form and Cytokin like substance identified as Zeatin, Zriboside, Z nucleotide, Tannins 30%. It is one of the strongest rejuvenatives in Indian pharmacopoeia. It contains 30 times the amount of Vitamin C found in oranges. Its antibacterial, carminative, hypoglycemic, stomachic, Hypotensive and astringent action prevents infection, helps in healing of ulcers, treatment of jaundice, dyspepsia and cough and controls hyperacidity. Alma is a good Cardio Tonic and its mild stimulant action on heart helps to control blood pressure. The use of Indian Gooseberry enhances the antidiabetic action of Karela. Phyllanthus Emblica is a very good hair tonic. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/amla.htm

Brahmi (Bacopa Monniera): Aside from increasing intellectual and cognitive function, Brahmi induces a sense of calm and peace in its users. It is unique in its ability to invigorate mental processes whilst reducing the effects of stress and nervous anxiety. This makes Brahmi extremely applicable in highly stressful work or study environments where clarity of thought is as important as being able to work under pressure. Many people have the intelligence to perform to strict standards, but lack the composure and self-confidence to reach them. Additionally, Brahmi helps soothe the restlessness and distraction that nervousness causes. Brahmi is ideal for students and workers faced with this problem. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/brahmi.htm ,

Shallaki ( Boswellia Serrata): Today its major use is as an anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, low back pain, myositis, fibrositis, and osteoarthritis. Experimental and clinical usage of boswella indicates it has none of the side effects on blood pressure, heart rate of the gastric irritation and ulcers associated with many anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic drugs. It is now an approved herbal medicine in India for use against osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue rheumatism, low back pain, myositis and fibrositis. In the United States,physicians are giving boswella high marks for effectiveness. Dr. E. W. McDonagh, a Kansas City physician, has reported success among some 350 patients suffering from a variety of advanced muscular and skeletal conditions for which other treatments had failed to help. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/shallaki.htm ,

Karela ( Bitter Gourd), ( Bitter Melon), ( Momordica charantia) : Bitter Melon, also known as Karela, Momordica Charantia or Bitter Gourd is a herb that helps regulate blood sugar levels and keeps body functions operating normally. It contains Gurmarin, a polypeptide considered to be similar to bovine insulin, which has been shown in experimental studies to achieve a positive sugar regulating effect by suppressing the neural response to sweet taste stimuli. Karela's principle constituents are lectins, charantin and momordicine. The fruits have long been used in India as a folk remedy for diabetes mellitus. Lectins from the bitter gourd have shown significant antilipolytic and lipogenic activities. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/bittergourd.htm

Shilajit (Asphaltum) : This is Shilajit, one of Ayurvedas most potent and unique rejuvenatives. The ancient medical literature attributes many health benefits to Shilajit known as "conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness." It has been said that there is hardly any curable disease which cannot be assisted with the aid of Shilajit. Shilajit has been used historically for general physical strengthening, anti-aging, blood sugar stabilization, libido, injury healing, urinary tract rejuvenation, enhanced brain functioning potency, bone healing, kidney rejuvenation, immune system Strengthening, arthritis, hypertension, obesity and many other application for numerous conditions. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/shilajit.htm

Garlic ( Lasuna), ( Allium sativum): The platelet and hypolipidemic activities of Lasuna ensures smooth coronary function. Garlic is regarded as one of the most effective remedies to lower blood pressure. The pressure and tension are reduced because it has the power to ease the spasm of the small arteries. It also slows the pulse and modifies the heart rhythm, besides relieving the symptoms of dizziness, shortness of breath and the formation of gas within the digestive track. It has an antiseptic effect and is an excellent remedy for infectious diseases and inflammations of the stomach and intestine. Human population studies show that eating garlic regularly reduces the risk of esophageal, stomach, and colon cancer. This is partly due to garlic's ability to reduce the formation of carcinogenic compounds. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/garlic.htm

Triphala: Triphala, a cornerstone of ayurvedic medicine, is a composite herbal preparation containing equal proportions of the fruits of three myrobalans, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula and Terminalia bellirica. When consumed for a long period, it helps reduce excess weight. It promotes good colon health and acts as a laxative without causing cramps or irritation. It gently stimulates the intestinal walls and restores tone to the colon, thus helping in the elimination process, providing a colon cleansing effect. When consumed for a long period, it helps reduce excess weight. It promotes good colon health and acts as a laxative without causing cramps or irritation. It gently stimulates the intestinal walls and restores tone to the colon, thus helping in the elimination process, providing a colon cleansing effect. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/triphala.htm

Guggulu: ( Bedellium), ( COMMIPHORA MUKUL): Studies show that a 14-27% of LDL cholesterol and 22-30% of triglycerides levels were reduced when guggul was given to men and women with high cholesterol for 12 weeks with no change in diet or exercise. Research with laboratory animals suggests guggul may help enhance thyroid function. Since the thyroid gland produces hormones that are needed to regulate metabolism, it can help in weight loss. Studies show guggul may change thyroid hormone metabolism, increase levels of circulating T3, or triiodothyroxine, a thyroxine metabolite known to raise overall metabolism, which in turn increases fat burning. Since guggul supports atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which may impede blood flow to and from the penis, guggul may possibly be the treatment for impotence many men are looking for. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/guggul.htm

Tulsi ( Holy Basil), ( Tulasi): Tulsi has antioxidant properties, and helps boost the body's ability to fight off damaging free radicals, which have been linked to disease and aging. It is an adaptogen that helps the body fight the effects of ongoing stress and also balances the mind, nerves and emotions. Tulsi maintains the health of the throat chest and lungs. In fact, it helps protect the entire respiratory tract. It is an anti-inflammatory. A herb that promotes optimum respiratory support. Tulasi has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, expectorant properties and is useful in respiratory tract infections. It helps during respiratory stress. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/tulasi.htm

Neem (AZADIRACHTA INDICA): Neem effectively kills the bacteria that cause Acne and studies prove that Neem will reduce inflammation, even the inflammation produced by Acne. In the case of eczema clinical studies demonstrate that even the application of weaker Neem leaf extracts effectively cured acute conditions of eczema, what to speak of the fresh cold pressed oil with its high concentration of active ingredients.Modern clinical studies have identified a number of compounds in the Neem tree that effectively regulate immune system functions. Whether drinking a simple cup of tea out of the leaves or taking extracts of the Neem leaf, Neem significantly and consistently reduced insulin requirements for nonkeytonic, insulin fast, and insulin sensitive forms of Diabetes.The pain, inflammation, and swelling of the joints in arthritis can be greatly reduced by different compounds in Neem http://www.ayurvediccure.com/neem.htm

Arjuna (TERMINALIA ARJUNA): Arjun improves cardiac muscle function and pumpingactions of the heart. Scientific studies have shown Arjun to be very effectivewhen used regularly over a period of time for the treatment of angina, coronary artery disease, heart failure, edema, and possibly hypercholesterolemia. Studies have also shown Arjun to have positive effects in the treatment of gonorrhea. Externally, this herb has been used to treat acne, blemishes, wounds, dysentery, and diarrhea. http://www.ayurvediccure.com/arjuna.htm

Art 184

2008-03-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Therapeutic Uses of Honey in Ayurveda

The FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission defines honey as the natural sweet substance produced by honeybees from the nectar of flowers or from secretions coming from living organisms feeding on plants, that bees gather, transform and combine with specific ingredients, store and leave to ripen in the combs of the hive.

In Ayurveda honey is called as "Madhu". Its qualities are explained as follows.

Vaatalam guru sheetam cha raktapittakaphapaham | Sandhatru cchedanam ruksham kashayam madhuram madhu ||

It has sweetness (madhura rasa) with added astringent as end taste (Kashaya anu rasa). It is heavy (guru guna), dry (ruksha) and cold (sheeta). Its effect on doshas is as follows It aggravates vata, scrapes kapha and normalizes pitta and rakta. It promotes healing process.

The contents of Honey are
1. Sugars like fructose, glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose and other disaccharides and trisaccharides.
2. Proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids,
3. Volatile aromatic substances.
4. Ashes and water etc.

Various ingredients of honey have helped it to become not only a sweet liquid but also a natural product with high nutritional and medicinal value.

The medicinal quality, taste, texture, color, aroma of honey differs according to the geographical area and the species of plants from which it has been collected.

Types of Honey:

Eight types of honey are described in ayurveda depending on the type of bee which collects it. They are Pouttika ,Bhramara .Kshoudra, Makshika , Chatra , Arghya ,Oudalaka ,Dala .

Pouttika - This honey is collected by very large bees from the nectar of poisonous flowers. It increases vata, causes gout and burning sensation in chest.It is also sedative and reduces fat.

Bhramara - This honey is collected by large bees and Sticky in nature.

Kshoudra - (Honey collected by medium sized honey bees ) light and cold in nature. Dissolves Kapha.

Makshika - (Honey collected by small honey bees) very light and dry natured. Usefull in VataKapha diseases and kapha diseases

Chatra - Heavy and cold in nature usefull in gout, Leucoderma (Shwitra),

Arghya - Good for eyes but causes arthritis .

Oudalaka - Useful in skin diseases, and helps in modulation of voice.

Dala - Dry and reduces vomiting.

Amongst all the above "Makshika" is considered as the best type with immense medicinal properties.

Therapeutic uses of Honey:

1. As it contains sugars which are quickly absorbed by our digestive system and converted into energy, this can be used as instant energizer.
2. As it is hygroscopic it speeds up healing, growth of healing tissue and dries it up.
3. Honey acts as a sedative and is very usefull in bed wetting disorders.
4. Honey is very good antioxident which restores the damaged skin and gives soft, young looks.
5. Honey has antibacterial properties due to its acidic nature and enzymically produced hydrogen peroxide.
6. Constant use of honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacteria and viral diseases.

In Ashtanga Hridaya the great classic of ayurveda, the therapeutic uses of honey are explained as follows.

Chakshushayam Chedi tritshleshmavishahidmaasrapittanut | Mehakushtakrimicchardishwaasakaasaatisaarajit || Vranashodhana sandhaanaropanam vaatalam madhu ||

Honey is very good for eyes and eye sight.
It quenches thirst.
Dissolves kapha.
Reduces effects of poison.
Stops hiccups.
It is very useful in urinary tract disorders, worm infestations, bronchial asthma, cough, diarrhea and nausea -vomiting.
Cleanse the wounds.
It heals wounds.
Helps in quick healing of deep wounds.
Initiates growth of healthy granulation tissue.
Honey which is newly collected from bee hive increases body weight and is a mild laxative.
Honey which is stored and is old helps in metabolism of fat and scrapes Kapha.

Ayurveda explains another special quality of honey. Honey is called as Yogavahi . The substance which has a quality of penetrating the deepest tissue is called as Yogavahi. When honey is used with other herbal preparations it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues.

Precautions to be taken before using honey:

Honey should not be mixed with hot foods.
Honey should not be heated.
Honey should not be consumed when you are working in hot environment where you are exposed to more heat
. Honey should never be mixed with rain water, hot and spicy foods, and Fermented beverages like whisky, rum, brandy etc, Ghee and mustard.
Honey includes nectar of various flowers of which some may be poisonous. Poison has hot or Ushna qualities. When honey is mixed with hot and spicy foods the poisonous properties get enhanced and cause imbalance of doshas.

Few Home remedies with Honey Mix 2 tea spoon of honey with carrot juice and consume regularly. This helps to improve eyesight and is very helpful for those who sit before computer for long hours.
In cold, cough and congested chest mix 2 tea spoons of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice and should be consumed frequently.
A mixture of black pepper powder, honey and ginger juice in equal quantities, when consumed thrice daily help to relieve the symptoms of asthma.
Regular use of one tea spoon of garlic juice mixed with two tea spoons of honey help to control blood pressure.
One glass of warm water taken with two tea spoons of honey and 1 tea spoon of lemon juice in early morning reduces fat and purifies blood.

Consuming one spoon of honey daily help us to lead a healthy long life.

Art 183

2008-03-15T10:11:00.001-07:00

6 Truths about Ayurveda

6 Truths about Ayurveda
#1 Ayurvedic medicine is less effective.
Truth: It is true that this method of treatment calls for more patience and endurance. The effectiveness can be cited by this example.
Whenever there is a tear in a cloth or a hole in a pitcher, we intend to rectify it using the similar material that it is made of. Similarly any fault in human body also calls to be corrected by use of natural resources, as much as possible.
#2 Ayurvedic medicines are slow in showing results.
Truth: The irony lies with the delay from patients side. Most patients visiting holistic practitioners take their time in trying other systems of medicine so as to derive a faster result. This not only delays the effect of medicine, it also hampers the working of the drug. This is because the patient has either tried much more complicated and powerful combination of drugs, the effect of which needs to be neutralized first. Or in the mean time, his malady has substantially become deep rooted and taken chronic form. It may at times show to work slowly, but as the fable goes slow and steady wins the race.
# 3 Ayurvedic medicine has side effects.
Truth: Any side effect from medicine, of any therapy, may result from the misuse of drug, either in processing or in prescribing. As far as side effect or after effect is concerned, I believe time tested medicines are safer provided the former two factors are precise. The safety of Ayurvedic medicine and mode of treatment may be advocated in 3 pints.
1. In Ayurveda the very first principle in treating a disease is to do away with the basic cause, and also to see that no new ailment emerges as a consequence. A disease is eradicated from its roots. 2. Ayurveda insists that medicine be centered at the patient, than on the disease. The mind, body and soul are considered a tripod and medicine is prescribed for overall health augmentation. 3. Since Ayourvda deals with preparations mainly from herbs and natural resources, it is a harmless therapy with least or no side effects.
#4 Ayurvedic medicines are for older patients.
Truth: There is no known limitation in this form of treatment. It is equally suited to all age groups. Ayurveda could be considered a boon for children when their body system is yet tender and in process of immunity building. The natural products do not interfere with their body resistance and at the same time tends to be more safe and comforting.
#5 Ayurvedic medicines are just an alternative.
Truth: Ayurvedic system of medicine is incorrectly quoted as an alternate therapy as this has always been the most ancient and complete system of medicine. Its been existing before the birth of other medical therapies. The word Ayurveda is itself derived from Ayush which means life and Veda which means science. There fore, Ayurveda is the complete science of life. It is a treasure to provide every individual a life full of health, vigor and vitality.

Art 182

2008-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ayurveda Regimen for Winter Depression

Long nights, short days, sweaters, warm clothes and chilly weather make many of us sick and depressed. This depression which surfaces especially in winter is a Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and is often called as winter Time Blues or Winter depression. The exact cause for this depression is as of yet unclear. But yet few scientists believe lack of exposure to sunlight as the reason for this disorder.

The symptoms of winter depression are tendency to over eat, craving for carbohydrates and sweets and weight gain.

Had our ancestors observed this change in humans? The answer is yes. Have they recommended any remedies? Yes, they have recommended simple and effective natural remedies to overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder. They have laid down explicit guidelines about diet and lifestyles which have to be followed according to seasons.

The winter season is marked as Hemanta ritu and Sisira ritu in ayurveda. Hemanta ritu starts from mid November and ends in mid January. This falls in southern solstice which is called as visarga kala or dakshinayana in ayurveda. Sisira ritu starts from mid January and lasts till middle of march. Sisira ritu falls in Northern solstice which is called as Aadana kaala or uttaraayana.

The response of human body to this season is very well explained in ayurveda. People will have increased strength and their digestion capacity is increased. This is marked by increased hunger. These symptoms are caused by increased body fire which is supported by vata. Vata inside body increases in winter because of cold and dryness which is prevalent in outer atmosphere.

The winter time depression is noticed mostly in persons who have vata as major constituent in their prakriti or body constitution. The cause for this type of change is longer nights of winter.

Light therapy is recommended by doctors for winter time blues. Exposure to artificial light may cause headache, Irritability, Eye strain, Inability to sleep and fatigue. Exposure to sunlight and if sunlight is not available sitting near fireplace is the remedy suggested in Ayurveda.

Keeping the home well lit with lights help to reduce the intensity of depression.

Moderate exercise like yoga is another remedy for winter depression. Ayurveda recommends oil massage (abhyanga) to body and head (moordha taila). Indulging in sexual act to keep the moods elevated and to keep the body warm is another strongly suggested ayurvedic remedy.

Meeting friends who are kind and understanding boosts morale and brightens up the day. Spending time with friends on the beach helps to expose your body to sunlight and keeps your spirits high.

Relaxing with meditation, massage, light music and laughter helps to great extent.

The following ayurvedic tips help to prevent and reduce the intensity of seasonal disorder of winter, the winter time blues.

1. Expose yourself to sunlight as much as you can. In absence of sun light sitting near fire place is very helpful.

2. Massage your body with vata balancing herbal oil (abhyanga). Never forget to apply oil on your head (moordha taila).

3. Then remove the oil by taking hot water bath. A mixture of flours of yellow gram (channa), green gram (moong), fenu greek seeds (methi) in equal proportion is the best herbal scrub which can be used to remove the oil. This mixture prevents the washing of natural oil from skin.

4. Consume hot soups.

5. Use vata balancing foods like wheat, oil, corn, black gram and jaggery.

6. Tickle your taste buds with sweet, sour and salt tastes

7. Always use hot water for all daily routine activity.

8. Use thick blankets and sheets made of cotton, silk and wool.

9. Always wear foot wear.

10. Indulge in sexual act.

11. Spend your leisure time with friends and relatives whom you like.

Art 181

2008-03-15T10:09:00.002-07:00

Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a branch of the Vedas. Originated in ancient India, 'Vedas' means knowledge and it there were Vedas written for every aspect of life. Ayurveda provides an integrated approach to the prevention and treatment of illness through lifestyle interventions and a wide range of natural therapies. Ayurvedic theory states that all imbalance and disease in the body begin with imbalance or stress in the awareness, or consciousness, of the individual. This mental stress leads to unhealthy lifestyles, which further promote ill health. Therefore, mental techniques such as meditation are considered essential to the promotion of healing and to prevention. Artha-Veda unfolds statecraft

Ayur-Veda sets forth medicine and health

Dhanur-Veda discusses military science

Gandharva-Veda illumines music and the arts

Sthapatya-Veda explains architecture

The Universe, according to ancient Indian thinking is composed of five basic elements, namely: Prithivi (earth), Apya(water), Teja(fire), Vayu(air) and Akash(ether). As the human body is similarly constituted, there is a fundamental harmony between the universe and man, a healthy balance between the microcosm and macrocosm. Ayurveda describes all physical manifestations of disease as due to the imbalance of these basic physiological principles in the body.

Ayurveda_2 True medicine, according to Ayurveda is one, which cures the disease without causing any side effect. It is in this aspect that Ayurveda enjoys an advantage over the modern system of medicine.Health, according to Ayurveda, is the natural state of all three aspects of human being i.e. body, mind and the soul (Indriyas, Manas and atma). In addition, effects of yogic postures and breathing on finger blood flow showed consistent changes with various breathing practices, changes that were more pronounced in trained yogic practitioners. Changes in endocrine hormone measurements also have been associated with certain Ayurvedic practices.

Measurement of metabolic rate, oxygen exchange, lung capacity, and red and white blood cell counts have been found to be associated with general yogic training and in some cases with specific asanas (posture). When the natural state comes in contact with unhappiness (Dukhasamayoga) disease result. Ayurveda has eight distinct- branches :-

1. General medicine
2. Surgery
3. Ear, nose, throat, eye and mouth diseases
4. Psychiatry
5. Midwifery and pediatrics
6. Toxicology
7. Rejuvenation and tonics and
8. AphrodiasicsIt is because of these eight branches that Ayurveda is known as the Astanga-ayurveda.

Ayurveda describes all physical manifestations of disease as due to the imbalance of three basic physiological principles in the body, called doshas, which are believed to govern all bodily functions. Evaluation of these three doshas--vata, pitta, and kapha--is accomplished primarily by feeling the patient's pulse at the radial artery, which is a detailed and systematic technique called nadi vigyan.

This evaluation determines the types of herbs prescribed, and it guides the physician in the application of all other ayurvedic therapies.Vata - is likened to the wind, which is constantly moving and hence represents the central nervous system.Pitta - the sun, which is a source of energy. It represents the digestive system and biochemical processesKapha - governs the balance of tissue fluid and controls the cell growth and the firmness of the body. Similar to the moon governing the tides.Specific lifestyle interventions are a major preventive and therapeutic approach in Ayurveda as well. Each patient is prescribed an individualized dietary, eating, sleeping, and exercise program depending on his or her constitutional type and the nature of the underlying dosha imbalance at the source of the illness.

The Ayurvedic practitioner uses a variety of precise body postures, all derived from the age-old discipline of yoga; breathing exercises; and meditative techniques. These postures are used to create an individualized self-care program to improve both physical health and personal consciousness. In addition, herbal preparations are added to the patient's diet for preventive and rejuvenative purposes as well as for the treatment of specific disorders.In addition to mental factors, lifestyle, and dosha imbalance, Ayurveda identifies a fourth major factor in disease: the accumulation of metabolic byproducts and toxins in the body tissues. Ayurvedic physical therapy, called panchakarma, consists of physical applications, including herbalized oil massage, herbalized heat treatments, and elimination therapies (e.g., therapies to improve bowel movements), which promote internal cleansing and removal of such toxic metabolic wastes. Certain of the agents used in panchakarma therapy are proposed to have free-radical scavenging, or antioxidant, effects.

Free radicals are naturally occurring atoms or molecules that are highly reactive with anything they come into contact with. A recently developed theory suggests that free radicals play important roles in causing a wide range of degenerative and chronic disorders, including cancer and aging. Thus, substances with antioxidant properties may be effective in preventing, or even treating, myriad conditions.

Ayurveda emphasizes the interdependence of the health of the individual and the quality of societal life. Therefore, measures to ensure the collective health of society, such as pollution control, community hygiene, the collective practice of meditation programs, and appropriate living conditions, are supported.In addition, effects of yogic postures and breathing on finger blood flow showed consistent changes with various breathing practices, changes that were more pronounced in trained yogic practitioners. Changes in endocrine hormone measurements also have been associated with certain Ayurvedic practices.

Measurement of metabolic rate, oxygen exchange, lung capacity, and red and white blood cell counts have been found to be associated with general yogic training and in some cases with specific asanas (posture).Ayurveda has been known to treat people with various chronic diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, eczema, psoriasis, hypertension, constipation, headaches, chronic sinusitis, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus In addition, published studies have documented reductions in cardiovascular disease risk factors, including blood pressure, cholesterol, and reaction to stress, in individuals practicing Ayurvedic methods and have shown improvement in overall health care utilization measures among meditators.

The "technology" of meditative practices has been subjected to studies showing physiological changes of heart rate, blood pressure, brain cortex activity, metabolism, respiration, muscle tension, lactate level, skin resistance, salivation, and pain and stress responses (improvement), and both negative and positive behavioral effects.

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2008-03-15T10:09:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Medicines, and Important Herbs

What is Ayurveda and Its Importance?

Ayurveda is a traditional holistic healing. Translated from Sanskrit, Ayurveda means 'the science of life'. ayur means "life" and veda means "science. India system which largely depends on plant support to form major Chunk of its medicine. Most of the herbs, spices, seeds, roots, leaves, stems, petals and flowers are deeply ingrained in all Indian homes where 'home remedies' are popular. Even certain family members in some family are adept in curing even intricate disorders by simple and cost effective formulations which, at times, have shown marvelous and astounding results.

All over the world today we are looking for a natural system of healing that is comprehensive and complete, that is not merely some curious form of folk healing but a real and rational system of medicine that is sensitive to both nature and the Earth. This is exactly what Ayurveda has to offer, for it has a many thousand year-old clinical tradition and a comprehensive natural method of treatment ranging from diet, herbs and massage.

With Ayurveda we learn the right diet for our individual type, how to improve our immune system, he keys to right use of sexual energy and rejuvenation,a nd a conscious way of life that can lift us to a new level of awareness in all our endeavors.

Without such natural wisdom as Ayurveda, we may find ourselves not only unhealthy, but unhappy and spiritually confused.

Ayurveda Principles and Theory

Ayurveda system is the prominent user of herbs and its basic theory revolves round imbalance and vitiation of three humors (Doshas).

Ether (Akash), Air (Vayu), Fire (Agni), Water (Jal) and Earth (Prithvi) are the great five elements which underline all living systems. these elements are constantly changing and interacting and can be simplified into three Vitiations (Doshas). When these doshas remain under harmony and balance, health of body does not get disturbed but, when their balance gets disturbed, a diseased state sets in.

The three doshas are vata (Wind), Pitta (Bile) and Kapha (Phlegm) and due to predominance of the one dosha, a person's personality is determined that is ' Vata-Prakriti', 'Pitta- Prakriti' or 'Kapha Prakriti'

Vata formed from ether and air, governs all movement in the mind and body and must be kept in good balance.

Pitta formed from fire and water, governs "all heat, metabolism and transformation in the mind and body

Kapha formed from earth and water, cements the elements in the body, providing the material for physical structure

Each person has an individual blend of the three doshas, with one or sometimes two doshas predominating.

Common Herbs used in Ayurvedic Medicines

Amalaki (Amla or Indian Gooseberry or Emblica officinalis) - The fruit is reputed to have the highest content of vitamin C of any natural occuring substance in nature. It maintains balance amongst three doshas and effectively controls digestive problems, strengthens heart, normalises cholesterol, prevents cancer, builds up and sustain defence mechanism, improves eye-sight and detoxifies the body.

Amla is said to have 20 times more vitamin C than orange. The vitamin C content of amla is between 625mg - 1814mg per 100gms. Other studies show that amla increases red blood cell count and hemoglobin. A research tem discovered that when Amla is taken regularly as a dietary supplement, it counteracts the toxic effects of prolonged exposure to environmental heavy metals, such as lead, aluminium and nickel.

Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry or Withania Somnifera)- Ashwagandha is one of the main herbs for promoting ojas and rejuvenating the body in Ayurveda. It is a well known semen promoter and it treats impotency and infertility.

Clinical studies show that Ashwagandha has antibacterial, antitumor, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties. The strong anti-stress actions, increases memory and learning capabilities. It has also found to be useful in Rheumatic and Arthritic disorders like pain, swelling etc

Summing up, it is a strong Aphrodisiac and has Immunomodulating, anti- inflammatory, anti tumor and anti stress properties which clearly shows why Ayurveda has such a high opinion of this herb as a general tonic.

Arjuna (Terminalia Arjuna) - It is a cardiac tonic of high quality. Terminalia arjuna, is known to be beneficial for the treatment of heart ailments since 500 BC. Clinical research has indicated its usefulness in relieving anginal pain, and in the treatment of coronary artery disease, heart failure, and possibly hypercholesterolemia.

"Terminalia arjuna bark extract, 500 mg 8 hourly, given to patients with stable angina with provocable ischemia on treadmill exercise, led to improvement in clinical and treadmill exercise parameters as compared to placebo therapy." Result on Clinical Research Conducted.

Improvement of cardiac muscle function and subsequent improved pumping activity of the heart seem to be the primary benefits of Terminalia Arjuna.

Brahmi (Bacopa, Gotu Kola) - Brahmi is known as "the food for brain". Traditionally Brahmi is used as a mental tonic, to rejuvenate the body, as a promoter of memory and as a nerve tonic. It promotes a calm, clear mind, and improves mental function.

Modern Research claims that brahmi improves memory and helps overcome the negative effects of stress. Brahmi is especially suitable for students as it enhances the minds ability to learn and to focus and for an elderly person hoping to regain their memory. It is unique in its ability to invigorate mental processes whilst reducing the effects of stress and nervous anxiety.

As a nervine tonic, Brahmi has been used to help those affected by stroke, nervous breakdown or exhaustion and Attention Deficit Disorder. The best Ayurvedic brain and memory formulas contain brahmi, as do many of the long life promoting compounds.

Guggulu (Shuddha Guggulu, Guggul, Commiphora Mukul) - Modern Research shows that it is the prime Ayurvedic herb for treating obesity and high cholesterol. Studies shows that guggulu lowers serum cholesterol and phospholipids, and that it also protects against cholesterol- induced atherosclerosis. Guggulu were seen to lower body weight in these clinical studies.

Guggulu also as anti-inflammatory properties and is effective in treating arthritis and other joint pains.

Karela (Bitter Melon, Bitter Gourd, Momordica Charantia) - At least three different groups of constituents have been reported to have blood sugar lowering actions in bitter Mellon. These include a mixture of steroidal saponins known as charantin, insulin-like peptides, and alkaloids. Scientific studies have consistently shown that bitter melon lowers blood sugar level of Type 2 Diabetes.

It could probably reduce the patients intake of antidiabetic drugs. Also Bitter Melon has two proteins which are thought to repress the AIDS virus.

Recently, the Department of Health in the Philippines has recommended bitter melon as one of the best herbal medicines for diabetic management.

Neem (Azadirachta Indica) - Neem is an extraordinary blood purifier, good for al skin diseases like acne, eczema, psoriasis and teeth and gums. Neem is included in most Ayurvedic Skin products because it is as effective on an external application as through internal indigestion.

In Ayurveda it has been safely used for over five thousand years and are a good immunity booster to prevent colds, fevers, infections and various skin diseases.

Shilajit (Mineral Pitch, Asphaltum) - Shilajit is one of the prime Ayurvedic compounds for rejuvenating the body. it is an aphrodisiac, anti-aging herb and to treat diabetes and debilitating urinary problems.

The Charaka Samhita states that a person must use shilajit for a minimum of one month before starting to realize he regenerating effects. It is also used to treat impotency and infertility. it is well known that Shilajit would return the libido of people to level of teenagers.

There is a folk saying by the indigenous people who live in the Himalayan region that Shilajit makes the body strong as a rock. It is an adaptogen, (Rasayna), that helps to combat immune disorders, urinary tract disorders, nervous disorders and sexual dissatisfaction.

Shallaki (Boswellia Serrata, Salai Guggul) - Modern Research indicate that the Boswellia herb may assist in treating joint mobility, pain, and may be a useful remedy for a variety of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A recent clinical trial suggests positive effects of Boswellia serrata extract in knee osteoarthritis.

Boswellia has also been found to be useful for a number of other disorders and best for treating Back Pain, Knee Pain, Joint Pain and Arthritis. This herb has also been proposed as a possible therapy for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Triphala (Amalaki, Bibhitaki, Haritaki) - Triphala has got the properties of three famous nutrients: amla, haritaki and bibhitaki. The advantage of this formula is that it is milder in action and more balanced than any of the three alone.

It has cleansing and detoxifying action. Used regularly it is good for gentle, slow detoxification of the digestive tract and then the deep tissues. It also has the ability to normalize all three humors with continued use.

As a daily supplement triphala is hard to beat; that' s why in India they say "even if your mother leaves you, every thing will be fine if you have triphala"

Tulsi (Holy Basil, Ocimum Sanctum) - Its very name Holy Basil certifies to its sacred nature. It is a sacred plant worshipped in many Indian homes and is a must in every Hindus house.

Holy basil is also a major ingredient of many Ayurvedic cough syrups. it is a good stress reliever, and modern research has found it to be good for Respiratory problems, Cold, Fever and all types of Cough.

http://www.ayurvediccure.com - Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Medicines and Herbal R

Art 179

2008-03-15T10:08:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda Or The Science Of Life Shows The Way To Live One Hundred Years! - Part I

The term Ayurveda consists of two words, namely Ayus and Veda meaning The Science of Life. The Hindu religion is not only a religion, but also a philosophy, not only a religion and philosophy but it is a way of life- so says Somerset Maugham in his book Points of View.

The Hindu religion places four ideals before the mankind.

1) Dharma meaning Righteousness

2) Artha meaning Wealth

3) Kama meaning Desire

4) Moksha meaning Liberation.

Dharma is associated with the soul itself which is to be inferred from its results. Artha is the attainment of wealth like gold, money etc. Kama is the fulfillment of desire like embracing women. Moksha is liberation from the world.

In order to attain the above four, man has to live long. Out of the three basic desires namely desire to live, desire to earn and desire to perform virtuous acts, one should give priority to the desire for longevity; because with the end of life there is end of everything. There are four ages namely Satya Yuga or Satya age, Treta Yuga or Treta Age, Dvapapra Yuga or Dvaprara Age and Kali Yuga or Kali Age.

Human beings having disciplined life were enjoying a span of life for 400 years in Satya Age. In Treta Age it was reduced to 300 years. In Dvapara Age it was 200 years. And in the present Kali Age it is 100 years. A cart with normal qualities and carriage comes to the stage of destruction, only after the expiry of the specified period. So the life of a person with undefined span of life is destroyed even before the attainment of the normal span of life due to his own faults so says Agnivesa, the great sage. To live happily one should take a wholesome diet. There are ten principles underlying the wholesome diet and its intake.

1)The food should be hot.

2)The food should be unctuous

3)The food should be taken in proper quantity

4)The food should be taken only after the previous meal is digested

5)The food- ingredients should not be contradictory in their potency.

6)The food should be taken in a pleasant place with required accessories

7)The food should not be taken in excessive hurry.

8)The process of intake should not be exceedingly slow.

9)While eating, one should neither talk nor laugh; during this time one should concentrate on eating only.

10)Only such food should be taken which is wholesome to the physical constitution and psychic temperament of an individual. (The English translation of the verses of Caraka Samhita given in this series of articles is by Dr Ram Karan Sharma and Vaidya Bhagwan Dash).

One who is desirous of living for hundred years should always perform certain noble acts with proper care. The acts that are to be performed will be enumerated in the next article.

Art 178

2008-03-15T10:07:00.002-07:00

Ayurveda and the Raw Food Diet

The word, Ayurveda, is from the ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, and literally means "Knowledge of Life". The Ayurvedic approach to life involves listening to and addressing the unique needs of your body, recognizing and balancing your mental and emotional states and deepening your connection with your spirit, your essential self.

The raw food diet is based around the principle that eating a diet high in raw food will normalise and alkalise your body. This, in turn, connects the mind with the body; thus, Ayurveda and the Raw Food diet are very similar.

This article will hopefully provide a brief guidance on how you could connect the two in a way that is optimal to your health.

In Ayurveda, the idea is that you eat according to your dosha; vata, pitta and kapha.

Vata is composed of the elements of air and ether
Pitta is composed of the elements of fire and water
Kapha is composed of the elements of water and earth

Vata types are generally thin and find it hard to gain weight. Vatas need to get sufficient rest and not overdo things, as they can tire easily.

Pitta types are generally medium sized and well proportioned. They also tend to be intelligent, with a sharp wit.

Kapha types tend to have sturdy, heavy frames. They are prone to gain weight easily. They often tend to have a positive outlook on life.

So, what does this mean, and how does it apply to you? In Ayurveda, it is believed that each person is governed by one dominant dosha and you should eat according to that dosha. However, this article is concerned with Ayurveda and Raw Food, so I will only mention the foods that coincide with both these diets.

Vata

Balances: Sweet fruits, apricots, avocado, bananas, berries, grapes, melons, asparagus, beets, cucumber, garlic, radishes, zucchini.

Aggravates: Dried fruits, apples, cranberries, pears, watermelons, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, raw onions.

Pitta

Balances: Sweet fruits, avocado, coconut, figs, mango, prunes, sweet and bitter vegetables, cabbage, cucumber, okra, potatoes.

Aggravates: Sour fruits, berries, bananas, plums, oranges, lemon, pungent vegetables, garlic, onions.

Kapha

Balances: Apples, apricots, berries, cherries, cranberries, mangos, peaches, pungent and bitter vegetables, broccoli, celery, garlic, onion.

Aggravates: Sweet and sour fruits, bananas, coconut, melons, papaya, sweet and juicy vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes.

There are many suggestions in Ayurveda, which are very easily translated to a Raw Food Diet. Such suggestions are:

Eat mainly seasonal fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains
Eat according to your constitution, or dosha
Fast for one day every two weeks
Establish a regular eating routine
Eliminate or limit caffeinated, carbonated and alcoholic
beverages from your life
Drink herbal tea, fruit and vegetable juices

Art 177

2008-03-15T10:07:00.001-07:00

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an ancient holistic healing system which treats the mind, body and spirit as a whole. Ayurveda translates as the science of life and is still India's mainstream health care system. It works on the philosophy of Prevention is better than cure and uses medicinal herbs, oil therepies, massage, yoga and meditation together with diet and lifestyle choices for specific body types and temprements - in order to restore and maintain well being.

Legends say that about 3 million years ago, a group of Indian sages travelled high up into the Himalayas in search of enlightenment. They wanted to banish all disease from the world because only those who are physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy could reach enlightenment. So they meditated collectively on how to get rid of illness and eventually the secret of true health and happiness was revealed. These findings were preserved in the ancient vedic texts. The Ayurvedic sages believed that a healthy state is a natural state, and deviation from this natural state by taking on stresses found in modern living, and from an inappropriate diet, will ultimately lead to ill health. There is a direct link between emotional distress and physical disease and ayurveda treats both mind and body to cleanse and rejuvenate one back to their true balance.

The concept of the 3 doshas is at the heart of Ayurveda. Vata (like air, or wind), Pitta (like fire or bile) and Kapha (like water, or phlegm). These are the 3 forces that work within us all and they determine our body shape, colouring, metabolism and emotional temperament among other things. Your individual type is known as your prakriti and this gives clues as to which types of disease you will be prone to, making prevention easier. Illness occurs when the dominant Doshas in prakriti take over or when your dominant Dosha becomes imbalanced, which normally causes an increase in its main element, e.g. - imbalanced Pitta usually results in excess fire element, resulting in symptoms such as burning sensations or inflammation. Everyone has the three Doshas, yet normally, there are one or two that dominate in our prakriti. e.g. a pure Vata type is someone who has lots of Vata energy compared to Pitta and Kapha energy. A dual type such as a Pitta-Kapha, would have relatively more Pitta and Kapha compared to Vata.

Ayurveda in a complex science, but it can be easily simplified and used at home in everyday life. If you are suffering from a 'fire' inbalance - with which you could be feeling hot emotions such as anger, or experiencing hot rashes or fever - it makes sense to cut out foods such as hot spices and alcahol, and replace them with options that have cooling properties. However, if you experience symptoms that indicate you do not have enough of the 'fire' element - such as sluggish digestion or chills - it will help to eat foods with heating properties, as well as massage with warming oils.

Art 176

2008-03-15T10:06:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda Or The Science Of Life Shows The Way To Live One Hundred Years! - Part I

The Hindu religion places four ideals before the mankind.

1) Dharma meaning Righteousness

2) Artha meaning Wealth

3) Kama meaning Desire

4) Moksha meaning Liberation.

1)The food should be hot.

2)The food should be unctuous

3)The food should be taken in proper quantity

4)The food should be taken only after the previous meal is digested

5)The food- ingredients should not be contradictory in their potency.

6)The food should be taken in a pleasant place with required accessories

7)The food should not be taken in excessive hurry.

8)The process of intake should not be exceedingly slow.

9)While eating, one should neither talk nor laugh; during this time one should concentrate on eating only.

One who is desirous of living for hundred years should always perform certain noble acts with proper care. The acts that are to be performed will be enumerated in the next article.