In Ayurveda the doshas are considered only one aspect of an all encompassing science. A science that takes into account every angle of a persons life including; what time the person goes to bed at night and what time the person gets up in the morning, what season it is, what their job is and what they eat.
What a person eats can affect the being on many levels. Everyone knows the importance of good nutrition, but in Ayurveda good nutrition is not just about eating salads. Many more elements are taken into consideration. Activating the taste buds with the use of spices and adding bitter foods to the diet are well known in Ayurveda to improve health and increase the digestive fire. A good digestion and the bodies ability to absorb protein and nutrients are key components to health in Ayurveda.
The human tongue is equipped with taste buds that enhance the pleasure of eating. The tastes we recognize are; sweet, salty, sour, bitter and astringent and pungent. When each meal incorporates all of these tastes, there will come a quicker natural feeling of satiation. In other words, feeling full with less food.
From psychological stress to nutritional deficiency, allergenic overload to environmental pollutants, from physical overload, electromagnetic pollution to negative thought energies, almost everyone is struggling to maintain a physical, mental, spiritual balance.
There are many ways in our busy world to create a physical imbalance, overeating, smoking, drinking, even staying at the computer too long are some of them. A vaidya (Ayurvedic physician) I once worked with said scary movies could cause an imbalance.
Symptoms of good health; a happy mind, a well functioning body and a love for life, can be nurtured. An unhealthy body can be coaxed back to health.
Knowing what to eat and what types of lifestyle changes to make for your body type are some of the ways of achieving this.
The constitutions referred to as 'doshas' are Vata, Pitta, Kapha. Each dosha is related to elements in nature that also affect our bodies.
Vata/ air -ether
In balance a person with a predominantly Vata dosha is quick witted and mentally alert, has normal bodily functions free of constipation and insomnia.
Pitta/ heat-fire
In balance the Pitta predominant person has a strong digestion, lustrous complexion and a sharp intellect
Kapha/ water-earth
In balance the Kapha predominant person is strong, affectionate, courageous and full of vitality
How does a person find out his or her dosha? The simplest way would be to visit an Ayurvedic specialist. Although much information can be obtained about a person by simple observation. For example, say you just saw someone red in the face angry. Say this person is a man with a balding head and an explosive case of bad skin, without having visited the vaidya it could be said the man was experiencing Pitta aggravations. Aggravations related to excess heat in the body.
This does not necessarily mean that the man was born with a Pitta constitution. It could mean that through lifestyle extremes and other unwholesome habits the man has created aggravated Pitta symptoms in his body.
A vaidya would be able to tell what the man's birth or core constitution is.
I am not against self diagnosis and I have successfully helped myself to alleviate many conditions and illnesses with Ayurveda.
Here follows a very brief description of doshas out of balance and a few tips that can help.
Imbalances/ aggravations related to the doshas:
Vata- A Vata type person out of balance needs calming. They are anxious, talkative, unable to sleep.They have dry-rough skin, and are often too thin. Their eyes are quick moving, their speech is fast. The person seems worried, feels cold, has chills and pain. They need warm comfort foods, a regulated schedule, and less mind activity.
-Favor sweet, sour and salty foods. Warm soups, peaches and cream, hot chocolate, creamy, rich, warm, grounding foods. Clothing should be soft and warm, made of silk, wool or cashmere, also good are thick wool socks. Enjoy relaxing quiet music, time without the computer or TV on. Avoid loud music, crowds and violence.
Pitta- A Pitta out of balance needs cooling down. They are fiery, easily angered or upset. There could be redness on the body especially the face with skin breakouts of acne or other rashes. The eyes are sharp and seem to bore a hole through you, can be balding, have indigestion, can be irritable or bad tempered, even aggressive and hostile. Sexual frustration, excessive ambition and competitiveness are Pitta related aggravations, has excessive hunger or thirst, heartburn, acidity, seems to be hot all of the time or have burning sensations. Menstrual problems, fibroid and problems with the liver are related to excess heat in the body, Pitta.
To cool the Pitta:
-Pitta aggravation can be brought on by heat in the quality or temperature of the food or environment, skipping meals, stress, deadlines, heated emotions, EMF overload (Electromagnetic Frequency) from Television, computers or microwave.
Too much conflict in childhood could result in adult Pitta aggravation.
-Avoid or decrease sour, salty and spicy foods, drinking alcohol and too much time in the sun. Spend time by the sea and outside when it is cool. Spend time under the light of the moon.
Light cotton and silk clothing are best.
Foods that are astringent and pungent are good for their cooling effects. Pasta, rice, milk, raspberries, pears, cucumbers. Most sweet juicy fruits will have a cooling effect.
Spices like cumin, coriander and cilantro are cooling. Jasmine and mint tea cool Pitta. Avoid coffee and alcohol.
Kapha- A Kapha person out of balance needs stimulation. They can tend to feel unmotivated which can lead to depression.Their eyelids can sometimes seem heavy giving a sleepy appearance, or if the thyroid is affected their eyes will appear too large. A Kapha out of balance tends to be overweight, has congestion, mucus, breathing difficulties, asthma, foul smell, itching, excessive sweating and fluid retention. Can be lethargic, have oily skin, tend toward diabetes, tumors, joint swelling, may oversleep often and sleep in the daytime.
-Favor spicy, astringent and bitter tasting foods like leafy greens, avoid eating heavy oily foods. Take walks, dance to music with a strong drumbeat, climb the stairs instead of using the elevator.
A few examples of the tastes:
Sweet: bread, milk, pasta, rice, sugar, grains and nuts
Sour: cheese, pickles yogurt, sour cream, citrus fruits
Salty: salt
Pungent: ginger, radishes, spicy food, onions, garlic, chili peppers, cumin
Bitter: turmeric, fenugreek, green leafy vegetables, endive, romaine lettuce
Astringent: apples, pears, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, lentils, potatoes, pomegranate.
Please view my new blog: http://ascensionpioneer.blogspot.com
Monday, February 22, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Well Being- Ayurveda
I wish I had known Ayurveda when my children were young. How easily I could have cooled and soothed my daughter whose blood often coursed like a heated rage through her. And my sons, one reminding me of a beached whale, the other with a computer brain who always stayed up late into the night.
I would have known their doshas were Pitta the fire element, Kapha-water/earth and Vata, air/ethers.
If I had known the brain, body temperature, metabolic rate, sleep, hunger, blood chemistry and so much more, could be balanced and regulated through Ayurveda we could have all transitioned through the years more smoothly.
In the early 1990's I had the good fortune of meeting and then working closely with a Vaidya named Rama Kant Mishra.
Vaidya Mishra is one of the rare, true experts of Ayurveda still alive today.
He recounted many stories of how his family passed down knowledge from generation to generation dating as far back as the the time of Krishna.
It is told that when Lord Krishna's grandson contracted leprosy he called upon Mandan Mishra an ancestor of R.K. Mishra to heal him. Mandan Mishra is renowned in Vedic texts for his interactions with the great spiritual teacher Shankaracharya, but that is a different story.
Through auspicious circumstances I came to know and work with Vaidya Mishra. His talent is unsurpassed as he brings the ancient knowledge to work in modern maladies. A continuous circuitry has kept the knowledge of this ancient wisdom intact.
Vaidya Mishra had one complaint about the way Ayurveda was presented to westerners today and that was 'doshas' as the end all of Ayurveda.
Starting with doshas he said, was like starting in the middle of the book. Background knowledge is needed to understand and accept the that these teachings help save lives. An example of how this works in Ayurveda was made clear to me once when I was offered hot chili peppers to eat at a Vedic Temple.
The cook proudly presented the crisp dry chillies on a silver platter offering them to all present. I was against eating them. I am sensitive to spicy food and am all too familiar with the repercussions of spicy food in my system.
These chillies will not hurt you! Eat! She implored. I continued to refuse the chillies until her husband came into the room. He said, she needs to understand how these chillies were prepared, then she will know they are not hot at all. I listened as he explained that the chillies had undergone an extensive process which had transformed their heating qualities to cooling qualities. First the chillies had been soaked in yogurt, then they had been set out at night under the moonlight, then placed in yogurt again, for eleven days and nights. They were then laid out to dry only at night, under the light of the moon. When dry, the cooling spices of cumin, coriander and fennel had been used to season them before they were cooked.
With this knowledge of how the chillies had been prepared I knew they could not harm me. All of the qualities of heat had been leached out of them. They were very tasty and no symptoms of hot chili peppers in my system plagued me.
Similarly, Ayurveda teaches that our bodies can be treated to regulate any aggravations. Using lifestyle, food, spices and the elements of nature, such as the sun the moon, gemstones, aromas....
One of my favorite treatments for an argumentative or heated temperament is a sweet juicy pear. Simple and effective. A cup of warm milk blended with a few dates, sipped at bedtime will help calm the Vata mind which tends to keep spinning through the night. Kapha aggravations can be greatly reduced by eliminating cold, sweet, oily foods.
A few examples of simple treatments follow.
(Check with an Ayurvedic physician or your Doctor before using any Ayurvedic remedies.)
Here are a few simple, safe remedies for common ailments which can be made using water and a few spices. A safe amount is one quart of water to one half teaspoon spice. Drink warm or at room temperature.
-Boiled water:
Water boiled well for five minutes and sipped after it has cooled to room temperature increases agni. Agni is the bodies digestive power. Use a good source of water or bottled water.
-Cumin:
Water, boiled, to which cumin seeds are added balances Vata, helps cool Pitta.
-Coriander:
Adding coriander to boiled water helps indigestion, vomiting and heartburn.
-Ginger:
Water boiled with a few thin slices of fresh ginger increases agni, helps reduce Kapha, helps with conditions of a runny nose, diarrhea, and cold.
The complete knowlege of Ayurveda would take at least a lifetime to completely understand , but many aspects of this science are are easy to understand and utilize.
Please view my new blog: http://ascensionpioneer.blogspot.com
I would have known their doshas were Pitta the fire element, Kapha-water/earth and Vata, air/ethers.
If I had known the brain, body temperature, metabolic rate, sleep, hunger, blood chemistry and so much more, could be balanced and regulated through Ayurveda we could have all transitioned through the years more smoothly.
In the early 1990's I had the good fortune of meeting and then working closely with a Vaidya named Rama Kant Mishra.
Vaidya Mishra is one of the rare, true experts of Ayurveda still alive today.
He recounted many stories of how his family passed down knowledge from generation to generation dating as far back as the the time of Krishna.
It is told that when Lord Krishna's grandson contracted leprosy he called upon Mandan Mishra an ancestor of R.K. Mishra to heal him. Mandan Mishra is renowned in Vedic texts for his interactions with the great spiritual teacher Shankaracharya, but that is a different story.
Through auspicious circumstances I came to know and work with Vaidya Mishra. His talent is unsurpassed as he brings the ancient knowledge to work in modern maladies. A continuous circuitry has kept the knowledge of this ancient wisdom intact.
Vaidya Mishra had one complaint about the way Ayurveda was presented to westerners today and that was 'doshas' as the end all of Ayurveda.
Starting with doshas he said, was like starting in the middle of the book. Background knowledge is needed to understand and accept the that these teachings help save lives. An example of how this works in Ayurveda was made clear to me once when I was offered hot chili peppers to eat at a Vedic Temple.
The cook proudly presented the crisp dry chillies on a silver platter offering them to all present. I was against eating them. I am sensitive to spicy food and am all too familiar with the repercussions of spicy food in my system.
These chillies will not hurt you! Eat! She implored. I continued to refuse the chillies until her husband came into the room. He said, she needs to understand how these chillies were prepared, then she will know they are not hot at all. I listened as he explained that the chillies had undergone an extensive process which had transformed their heating qualities to cooling qualities. First the chillies had been soaked in yogurt, then they had been set out at night under the moonlight, then placed in yogurt again, for eleven days and nights. They were then laid out to dry only at night, under the light of the moon. When dry, the cooling spices of cumin, coriander and fennel had been used to season them before they were cooked.
With this knowledge of how the chillies had been prepared I knew they could not harm me. All of the qualities of heat had been leached out of them. They were very tasty and no symptoms of hot chili peppers in my system plagued me.
Similarly, Ayurveda teaches that our bodies can be treated to regulate any aggravations. Using lifestyle, food, spices and the elements of nature, such as the sun the moon, gemstones, aromas....
One of my favorite treatments for an argumentative or heated temperament is a sweet juicy pear. Simple and effective. A cup of warm milk blended with a few dates, sipped at bedtime will help calm the Vata mind which tends to keep spinning through the night. Kapha aggravations can be greatly reduced by eliminating cold, sweet, oily foods.
A few examples of simple treatments follow.
(Check with an Ayurvedic physician or your Doctor before using any Ayurvedic remedies.)
Here are a few simple, safe remedies for common ailments which can be made using water and a few spices. A safe amount is one quart of water to one half teaspoon spice. Drink warm or at room temperature.
-Boiled water:
Water boiled well for five minutes and sipped after it has cooled to room temperature increases agni. Agni is the bodies digestive power. Use a good source of water or bottled water.
-Cumin:
Water, boiled, to which cumin seeds are added balances Vata, helps cool Pitta.
-Coriander:
Adding coriander to boiled water helps indigestion, vomiting and heartburn.
-Ginger:
Water boiled with a few thin slices of fresh ginger increases agni, helps reduce Kapha, helps with conditions of a runny nose, diarrhea, and cold.
The complete knowlege of Ayurveda would take at least a lifetime to completely understand , but many aspects of this science are are easy to understand and utilize.
Please view my new blog: http://ascensionpioneer.blogspot.com
Friday, February 19, 2010
Keeping it Real
Today I made tortillas. I've been making them from scratch since I was twelve years old. It is a simple recipe made of ingredients we always had on hand, baking powder, flour, salt and oil. At our house measuring cups were not used. Instead, a palm weighed the ingredients. Fingers sifted some baking powder and a little salt into a bowl of flour. A keen eye was all that was needed for the oil and warm water. Just enough to moisten the dough into a firm ball.
As a teenager I would complain and cry about how unfair it was. I thought of all the fun I was missing. I had to make piles of tortillas while my friends ran free after school. Now as I press my hands into the warm soft dough a contented pleasure fills me. There is nothing more comforting to me then the scent of fresh tortillas baking on a wrought iron skillet. I think of what they could be filled with, slices of avocado, a little salsa, sprinkles of cheese. It is the process of preparing the meal that absorbs me. What will we eat? Will it nourish, will it satisfy? I love to eat. But let the eating be good and then done with.
There is more I want to do today. I want to talk to my daughter. I want to know that she is well and finding contentment in the things she does with her day. I want to know that my son is alright over seas in Iraq.
Above all I am a mother. If nothing else comes of my life, I know that I have mothered well. I have mothered my children, my friends, my husbands, was even once called a smother by my oldest son. I smile at that.
I have learned to balance my desire to be a mother, with an ability to care about myself integrally. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The prana fills my entire being. I breathe and stretch. I am the energy that I feel myself filled with. I am the mother of the universe.
Please view my new blog: http://ascensionpioneer.blogspot.com/2011/10/fearlessly-into-divine.html
As a teenager I would complain and cry about how unfair it was. I thought of all the fun I was missing. I had to make piles of tortillas while my friends ran free after school. Now as I press my hands into the warm soft dough a contented pleasure fills me. There is nothing more comforting to me then the scent of fresh tortillas baking on a wrought iron skillet. I think of what they could be filled with, slices of avocado, a little salsa, sprinkles of cheese. It is the process of preparing the meal that absorbs me. What will we eat? Will it nourish, will it satisfy? I love to eat. But let the eating be good and then done with.
There is more I want to do today. I want to talk to my daughter. I want to know that she is well and finding contentment in the things she does with her day. I want to know that my son is alright over seas in Iraq.
Above all I am a mother. If nothing else comes of my life, I know that I have mothered well. I have mothered my children, my friends, my husbands, was even once called a smother by my oldest son. I smile at that.
I have learned to balance my desire to be a mother, with an ability to care about myself integrally. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. The prana fills my entire being. I breathe and stretch. I am the energy that I feel myself filled with. I am the mother of the universe.
Please view my new blog: http://ascensionpioneer.blogspot.com/2011/10/fearlessly-into-divine.html
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