By John Douillard, DC, PhD
We have come to appreciate muscle soreness as a humbling reward for a good workout. If you are out of shape, starting a new fitness program or just an occasional jock, you are probably well versed in the morning after hobble. Stiff legs, an achy back and arms that cannot lift the phone are the not so subtle reminders of yesterday’s enthusiasm, or not. Is soreness still the price we have to pay to feel and look good?
No pain, no gain may well have been the fitness credo of our past, but is it destined to be a part of our future. When a muscle contracts, a waste product called lactic acid is released at the contraction site. Under normal circumstances the lactic acid is reconverted into glycogen and reused for energy. If the exercise demands are excessive, the body will be unable to reconvert the lactic acid fast enough and direct it into the blood stream for removal. The problem is that much of the lactic acid is left in the muscle. This lactic acid build up can do much more damage than just a little muscle soreness, particularly if the experience is repetitive.
If the muscle is congested with waste products, then it will not be able to get the proper fuel supply necessary for normal function. Muscles use blood for fuel and if the spigot is off, the body will be forced to manufacture a kind of tissue that does not use blood for fuel. This is commonly called scar tissue. Scar tissue in the muscles is technically called myofibrositis and will change how a muscle functions. Normally muscles are elastic and attach around a joint leaving it supple with ample blood supply and mobility. When scar tissue is laid down in a muscle, it loses its elasticity and becomes ropelike, pulling rigidly on a joint compromising its blood supply and natural range of motion. In this scenario, the muscles and joints will get stiff.
Tendonitis, which is an inflammation at the muscle-joint junction, and bursitis, which is an inflammation around the joint, or even arthritis, which is when the joint itself is inflamed, are all caused by a progressive accumulation of scar tissue in the muscles and joints. What's worse is that the body has a difficult time removing all the accumulated lactic acid and in time, scar tissue can build up in many of the body's muscles and render the whole body stiff and even painful. We have come to accept this as a part of the aging process but we do not realize that when the body loses blood supply, not only do we get stiff, but this is the first step in the disease process.
There are many treatments for the accumulation of blood lactate in the muscles and resultant pain and stiffness. First I would like to discuss how we can prevent this accumulation during exercise with a simple breathing technique. When the muscle is unable to reconvert lactic acid on the muscle site and shunts it into the blood stream for removal, the body will respond to this process as an emergency and start to breathe faster. This happens to all of us when we get out of breath - huffing and puffing as we walk up a hill. When we are forced into more vigorous exercise, it is normal to open our mouths and take deep fast mouths breaths as an attempt to remove carbon dioxide waste from the body.
When we breathe this way, the body is activating stress receptors in the upper lobes of the lungs, indicating the body is in an emergency state due to this exertion. It is much like if you saw a bear in the woods you would take a quick, gasping mouth breath, which would trigger and emergency chemical response that would save your life. In emergencies, anything goes. Degenerative stress fighting hormones are released with disease producing free radicals as waste products. We easily recover from such events, but with a stressful life that produces the same chemistry and cumulative exercise stress that causes lactic acid build up the body is soon the break down.
In the lower lobes of the lungs we find nerves receptors exactly opposite the stress receptors of the upper lobes. Calming and repairing parasympathetic receptors predominate in the lower lobes of the lungs, with an average of sixty to eighty percent more blood supply there as well. Clearly, activating these lobes during exercise would remove more waste more efficiently without triggering a degenerative emergency response. With a little practice, this can be accomplished with nasal breathing.
The nose is designed first and foremost as a breathing apparatus with turbines called turbinates that turbo-charge the breath and drive it deep into the lower lobes of the lungs. Although breathing through your nose during exercise takes a little getting used to, once the rib cage opens from deep nasal breathing, the body learns how to handle higher and higher levels of stress during exercise without the upper chest stress response that causes soreness and degenerative chemistry in the body.
Use the comfortable rhythm of nose breathing - inhaling and exhaling deeply through the nose, as a monitor during exercise of how much exercise is good for you and how much more is potentially harmful. As soon as you have to breathe through your mouth during exercise, the body is under stress, and lactic acid waste products are accumulating in the muscles and blood. The result is fast breathing and muscle soreness. It might take some time to get used to nasal breathing during exercise but the benefits are worth waiting for. In the end, you are going to breathe 28,000 times everyday for the rest of your life. Quite simply, how you breathe will either send a message to your body that your life and exercise are a disease producing emergency that you have to recover from or a rejuvenating experience that makes each day better than the next.
Exercise Tip: Go for a walk and breathe through your nose both during the inhale and exhale. Count how many steps you take for one complete cycle of inhale and exhale. Maybe you will take four steps on the in breath and five steps on the out breath. This is a total of eleven. Keep trying to breathe deeper, longer and slower as you walk and breathe through your nose. Your steps per nasal breath goal (exhale steps + inhale steps) is twenty-one.
Each day you try this you will see improvement, and soon what you could not do when you started nose breathing, you will do effortlessly. Your exercise will now remove and convert lactic acid efficiently without out the age old muscle stiffness. Also as you learn to breathe efficiently, you will be able to exercise at a higher level, but again as long as you are breathing through your nose, you will not be breaking your body down in the name of building it up. It is also well understood that when the body is not responding to the exertion as an emergency it will burn non-emergency fuel - fat - rather than sugar more efficiently.
Currently there are many nutritional supplements that can prevent lactic acid build up and muscle soreness. My favorite for this is botanical medicine called Boswellia serrata. Boswellia is a gummy tree in mountainous India. The bark and gum are used in a wide variety of conditions, however primarily used as an anti-inflammatory associated with muscle and joint pain.
The boswellic acids in the tree resin counteract the effects of leukotrienes that are responsible for free radical damage, auto immune responses, and inflammation. It is a clinically proven alternative to anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic drugs without the common side effects: high blood pressure, gastric irritation, heart palpitations and ulcers.
Another botanical medicine that is indicated for exercise stress and muscle soreness is called ashwaganda or Winter Cherry. Ashwaganda is a small evergreen shrub that grows to 1.5 meters tall. It is found in dry areas of India and as far west a Israel and is now being cultivated in the United States. The word ashwaganda literally means "the sweat of a horse," indicating that one who takes it would have the strength and sexual vitality of a horse. It is a well known adaptogen that tones and normalizes bodily functions and renders the body more resistant to stress. The established active constituent is a number of steroidal lactones that are together called withanolides. The withanolides will affect the function of both the nervous system and musculoskeletal systems ability to handle exercise stress.
Some reports have shown that taking boswellia together with ashwaganda and ginger can enhance its effects for fighting muscle and joint stiffness and soreness. In one study at the Government Medical College in Jammmu, India, nearly 70% of arthritic patients experienced good to excellent results against stiffness and pain.
MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, is probably the hottest nutrient on the market today for muscle soreness. It is a substance than occurs naturally in the body and in small amounts, the food we eat. MSM was created in the wake of years of DMSO research. It is the non toxic cousin that penetrates the cell wall and enhances blood supply deep in the bodily tissues. Its toxicity is very low, similar to that of water and salt. It is a sulfur derivative and the only reported complaints were with people who are allergic to sulfa drugs. Otherwise it well tolerated at high doses of 1000 to 6000 mg per day depending on the severity of the condition. In some cases at high doses it can cause diarrhea and some sleeplessness if taken at night. So start with 1000 mg per day and build up. It is effective for moving blood lactate and scar tissue out of the muscles and relieving muscle soreness. It is also a very effective anti-inflammatory and pain reliever that helps by not masking pain but by reinstating the lost blood flow which is in many cases the cause of muscle soreness and pain.
John Douillard, D.C. is the author of Body, Mind and Sport and is the former Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Nets. He is in practice in Boulder, Colorado. For more information call 303.516.4848 or 866.227.9843.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=36
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Migraine Headaches
By John Douillard, DC, PhD
A migraine headache is specifically a result of vasodilation of the cerebral arteries and the ensuing intracranial, arterial pressure. The reason for this occurrence is varied according to body type and congenital susceptibilities. The most common underlying stress factor is neurological. It is how the nervous system deals with the onslaught of mental, emotional, and sometimes physical stress that will determine the onset of a migraine headache. Each body type will deal with this stress uniquely.
Vata
The vata body type is hypermetabolic in nature, both physiologically and mentally. Vata types think fast and act fast. When the stress builds in the nervous system a neurological as well as muscular tension is created in the head and neck. Blood vessels are first constricted, followed with a rebound dilation. The dilation causes pressure, pain, and toxicity, as the ama floods into the dilated vessels. Often, ama from the seat of vata in the intestinal tract enters the blood stream via the enteric cycle to the liver. From here, this ama is transported into the head and neck to deal with the increased stress. This happens as more blood is shunted into the head and neck in an attempt to provide fuel in the form of blood sugar to the central nervous system.
Treatment
For vata, nervines such as calamus (Acorus calamus) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are useful (one-half teaspoon three times a day, taken one hour before meals). Purgation is also extremely important, as is nasya (see: Nasaya for Migraines, below).
Pitta
Pitta-based migraine headaches will follow a similar pattern to the vata migraine, except that the excess of pitta will exacerbate the heat and toxicity in the blood. This is because heat and pitta will rise and the aggravation of pitta will bring more heat to the head and neck area. Pitta body types are usually driven, making for more heat in the blood, with more ama pulled out of the apana vata in the intestinal tract. As the heat rises with the increased energy demanded from the head and neck, ama accumulates and a pressure, causing vasodilation, occurs.
Treatment
Sandalwood (Santalum album) powder, made into a paste and applied to the head.Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita), applied over area of pain. Ghee and castor oil are useful as well, as both are pitta-pacifying.
Kapha
A kapha-based migraine headache is usually rare. If it does occur it is as a result of accumulated ama in the bloodstream, causing pressure, vasodilation, and pain. This type will always have vata and pitta factors to be dealt with.
Treatment
Cayenne (Capsicum frutescens), trikatu (Piper longum, Piper nigrum, and Zingiber officinalis), and clove (Syzgium aromaticum) are all excellent for kapha in this case (1⁄2 teaspoon, 3 times per day). Vigorous exercise with emphasis on deep nasal breathing to pump more prana into the head and neck.
Brahmari Pranayama:
Breathe in deeply through the nose and during the exhale make a humming sound. This sound acts like a micro-ultrasound that will break up ama and adhesions in the head and neck (practice for 10 minutes, maximum).Nasya for MigrainesPlace 2-3 drops of sesame oil (with a pinch of pepper and table salt mixed in), into your left hand. With your right hand, rub your little finger in the oil. Then place your little finger into the right nostril as far up as is comfortable (nail short). Repeat the procedure in the left nostril. Repeat until all the oil is gone. Then hold the nostril closed and breathe in.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=35
A migraine headache is specifically a result of vasodilation of the cerebral arteries and the ensuing intracranial, arterial pressure. The reason for this occurrence is varied according to body type and congenital susceptibilities. The most common underlying stress factor is neurological. It is how the nervous system deals with the onslaught of mental, emotional, and sometimes physical stress that will determine the onset of a migraine headache. Each body type will deal with this stress uniquely.
Vata
The vata body type is hypermetabolic in nature, both physiologically and mentally. Vata types think fast and act fast. When the stress builds in the nervous system a neurological as well as muscular tension is created in the head and neck. Blood vessels are first constricted, followed with a rebound dilation. The dilation causes pressure, pain, and toxicity, as the ama floods into the dilated vessels. Often, ama from the seat of vata in the intestinal tract enters the blood stream via the enteric cycle to the liver. From here, this ama is transported into the head and neck to deal with the increased stress. This happens as more blood is shunted into the head and neck in an attempt to provide fuel in the form of blood sugar to the central nervous system.
Treatment
For vata, nervines such as calamus (Acorus calamus) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are useful (one-half teaspoon three times a day, taken one hour before meals). Purgation is also extremely important, as is nasya (see: Nasaya for Migraines, below).
Pitta
Pitta-based migraine headaches will follow a similar pattern to the vata migraine, except that the excess of pitta will exacerbate the heat and toxicity in the blood. This is because heat and pitta will rise and the aggravation of pitta will bring more heat to the head and neck area. Pitta body types are usually driven, making for more heat in the blood, with more ama pulled out of the apana vata in the intestinal tract. As the heat rises with the increased energy demanded from the head and neck, ama accumulates and a pressure, causing vasodilation, occurs.
Treatment
Sandalwood (Santalum album) powder, made into a paste and applied to the head.Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita), applied over area of pain. Ghee and castor oil are useful as well, as both are pitta-pacifying.
Kapha
A kapha-based migraine headache is usually rare. If it does occur it is as a result of accumulated ama in the bloodstream, causing pressure, vasodilation, and pain. This type will always have vata and pitta factors to be dealt with.
Treatment
Cayenne (Capsicum frutescens), trikatu (Piper longum, Piper nigrum, and Zingiber officinalis), and clove (Syzgium aromaticum) are all excellent for kapha in this case (1⁄2 teaspoon, 3 times per day). Vigorous exercise with emphasis on deep nasal breathing to pump more prana into the head and neck.
Brahmari Pranayama:
Breathe in deeply through the nose and during the exhale make a humming sound. This sound acts like a micro-ultrasound that will break up ama and adhesions in the head and neck (practice for 10 minutes, maximum).Nasya for MigrainesPlace 2-3 drops of sesame oil (with a pinch of pepper and table salt mixed in), into your left hand. With your right hand, rub your little finger in the oil. Then place your little finger into the right nostril as far up as is comfortable (nail short). Repeat the procedure in the left nostril. Repeat until all the oil is gone. Then hold the nostril closed and breathe in.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=35
Mastitis
By John Douillard, DC, PhD
Mastitis, or inflammation of the breast, is caused by a blockage of one of the thirteen srotas or channels of the body. These channels move nutrition and energy, both subtle and non-subtle, throughout the body. In the case of mastitis, the rasa vaha srotas, plasma- and lymph-carrying channels, become blocked. The cause of these blockages is often due to the improper formation of the dhatus or tissues of the body. There are seven tissues or dhatus in the body that are converted by dhatu-agnis (enzymes) from more basic to more complex bodily tissues. This process begins with rasa (plasma, lymph) to rakta (blood) to mamsa (muscle) to meda (fat) to ashti (bone) to majja (bone marrow) to the final dhatu of shukra (reproductive tissue). If this process is interfered with anywhere along the way, then the shukara dhatu is not formed and procreation is halted.
In the case of mastitis, the interruption of this process is at the level of rasa agni, which converts rasa dharau into rakta dhatu. In the transformation process of the dhatus, there are waste products produced along the way. Kapha (ama) which is heavy, sticky, slow-moving and cohesive, is the mala, or waste product, of rasa dhatu. Each of these seven dhatus have a set of upadhatus, or subordinate dhatus, which are nourished by the major dhatus. In the case of rasa, there are two upadhatus: stanya, or breast milk, and artava, or menstrual blood.
When the dhatus are not properly formed, an excessive amount of waste product will be produced and the upadhatus will not be nourished. In the case of a lactating mother, the breast milk would be imbalanced and most likely an inadequate supply for the infant would be produced. The rasa vaha srotas would become blocked by the excessive mala of kapha (ama), and the updhatu would be inadequately nourished. In the case of a non-lactating woman, the same srotas would be blocked. The result would be that the lymph or waste-carrying vessels in the body would be blocked by the rasa dhatu mala of kapha (ama), and the natural cycle of nutrition in waste out , would cease. This lack of circulation and build up of ama (impurities) would irritate breast tissue and, over time, inflame it and render the breast swollen, hard, and tender.
General Etiology
Although this condition may appear acute, it is always a result of an underlying chronic imbalance. Vata is usually the cause of rasa vaha srota blockage. The production of ama (mala of rasa dhatu) will aggravate kapha and soon both vata and kapha are unbalanced. Whenever there is a vata-kapha imbalance, there will always be an underlying chronic condition.Vata and kapha are opposites and as the body tries to correct one, it will imbalance the other, finding it very difficult to correct itself. More specifically, it is the samana vata subdosha of vata that is at the root of the rasa vaha srota blockage. Samana vata is the vata aspect of digestion which means it relates to the quality of the nervous system during digestion that will determine proper function. Any nervous system tension or stress during the meals will aggravate the samana vata and initiate the manufacturing process of ama. This ama moves specifically into the lymphatic system, making the rasa vaha srotas susceptible to blockage. The breast, which is a major site for lymphatic vessels, is often a target for such a lymph stasis and resultant inflammation or mastitis.
General Treatment
In the case of a samana vata imbalance, the first line of treatment must be behavioral: if the vata continues to be aggravated in relation to digestion then ama will continue to be produced and the cause of the problem will not be addressed. Because samana vata has to do with the vata aspect of digestion then what the nervous system is doing during digestion will play an important role in this treatment. There are three aspects of eating that must be addressed for samana vata to be balanced. These three factors are: how, when, and what you eat. Each of these are equally important and must be taken seriously. In the West, we put an excessive amount of attention on what we eat, but rarely are we concerned with how and when.
When To Eat
The Ayurvedic clock tells us that between 10 AM and 2 PM is the pitta time of day. This is the hottest part of the day and has traditionally been when families gather to eat their biggest meal. This is the time of day when digestion is the strongest and is the only time that the body can properly nourish itself to get enough energy to carry it through a long, hectic day. If meals are not taken at this time, then vata gets aggravated and the body often craves sweets, caffeine, or rest, in the late afternoon. Food eaten after the sun goes down is very difficult to digest, and will produce ama and aggravate the rasa vaha srotas in the case of mastitis.
How To Eat
In Western societies, eating in front of the TV, while opening mail, or while reading the newspaper has become accepted as the norm. In Ayurvedic medicine, this is an extreme violation and can lead to a litany of imbalances and diseases. Eating is a sacred time when we nourish our minds, bodies, and emotion. It is not a time to rid ourselves of a hunger pain and move onto the next activity. Here are some eating habit reminders:
• Eat in a settled atmosphere.
• Never eat when upset.
• Always sit down to eat.
• Eat only when hungry.
• Don’t talk while chewing.
• Don’t eat too slowly or too quickly.
• Eat only if previous meal is digested.
• Take a few sips of water with meal.
• Sit quietly for a few minutes after eating.
• Food should please all five senses.
• Put your fork down between bites.
What To Eat
In the case of mastitis, the diet has to be somewhat restricted in order to reduce the ama and move the lymphatic system and rasa vaha srotas. In this case, a light vata diet is recommended because the cause is samana vata and due to the heaviness of the ama the diet must be lightened.
Light Vata-Pacifying Diet
This diet pacifies vata with less of the oily, sweet, and rich foods that are recommended in the regular vata diet. Food should be fresh, well-cooked, tasty, and satisfying. Do not overeat.
Grains: Wheat, rice, and oats, prepared as follows:
Wheat: Finely-ground whole wheat flour, in foods such as crackers, biscuits with low-fat and sugar, toasted light bread, unleavened flat breads (chapati, pita bread, tortillas), cous¬cous, semolina, and cream of wheat.
Rice: Basmati rice (or other white rice), rice flour, puffed rice, and cream of rice. You can fry the rice in a pan without oil, then steam or boil it into a soup.
Oats: Cook with water to make a light porridge.
Legumes: Green or yellow mung beans or lentils (available in health food stores and Indian shops).
To prepare: boil 1 part legumes in 3 - 5 parts water. You can also boil beans with rice and a lot of water to make a thin soup. Adding a pinch of hing (asafoetida) while cooking will increase the digestibility of the beans.
Vegetables: Vegetables should be well-cooked, and prepared in soups, stews, and casseroles, with a high water content. Adding a pinch of hing (asafoetida) to vegetables increases their digestibility. Eggplant (peeled), zucchini, cucumber, asparagus, artichoke, tomato (peeled), celery (not the root), carrots, spinach, and tender white radish (prepared in oil). Almost all vegetables are acceptable.
Dairy Products: Low-fat milk, goat’s milk, buttermilk, lassi (2-3 parts warm water blended with 1 part yoghurt, taken after the meal), and ghee (clarified butter).
Sweeteners: All are acceptable in small amounts, but do not heat or cook with honey.Oils: All are acceptable in small amounts, except coconut oil.
Spices and Condiments: Cumin, ginger, fenugreek, hing (asafoetida), mustard seeds, black pepper (in small amounts), cinnamon, cardamom, anise, fennel, cloves, salt, lemon juice, tamarind. Small amounts of all other spices.
Fruits: Fruits should be sweet, ripe, and in season. Grapes, pomegranates, papayas, pineapples, figs, oranges, and fresh apricots. The juice of these fruits is also good. Raisins are fine in small amounts, if pre-soaked and chewed well.
Cleansing Diet for Rasa Vaha Srotas
This traditional Ayurvedic programs helps to eliminate impurities (ama) which result from inefficient digestion and metabolism, and strengthens the digestive and metabolic fires (agni). It also corrects improper dietary habits which can lead to imbalances. Those with severe weakness of agni, or excessive ama, should follow these guidelines closely for three months and then continue on a more relaxed basis. Others should simply follow the major guidelines, whenever possible. However, the first rule of Ayurveda is to follow your own inner sense, and do what feels right for you.
Major Guidelines
1. Follow a regular daily routine of waking, eating, and sleeping.Wake between 5 and 7 AMLunch between 12 and 2 PMDinner between 5 and 7 PMBedtime between 9 and 10 PM
2. Lunch should be the main meal of the day, and dinner should be light. Breakfast should be very light, and is optional. Favor food that is freshly prepared, avoid leftovers and frozen, canned, or processed foods. Include fresh fruit and freshly made fruit juice or vegetable juice in your diet.
3. Do a sesame oil massage in the morning and follow with a warm bath or shower.
4. Sip hot water frequently throughout the day (every 1⁄2 hour, or as often as desired). This keeps the agni alive and flushes ama from the system. Sipping hot water also settles the nervous system when you feel anxious.
5. Get fresh air and regular exercise or physical activity (by taking a morning and/or evening walk, or by doing the sun salutation and other yoga asanas).
6. Practice meditation and pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) daily.
7. Take a liquid diet for one day a week. Soup, herbal tea, fresh fruit juice, fresh carrot, beet, or celery vegetable juice, and hot water are considerations.
Dinacharya (Daily Routine)
In the morning: Wake up at or before sunrise.Take warm water with a few drops of lemon juice and/or 1⁄2 teaspoon raw honey after rising.Promote regular elimination by sitting on the toilet at the same time each morning, after rising.Do skin brushing, oil massage, bath or shower, yoga, pranayama, and meditation before eating.
At mealtimes: Take lassi (yoghurt mixed with water – 1:1, 1:2, or 1:4) during lunch and between lunch and dinner, as needed to promote digestion. It is best to make lassi with freshly made yoghurt. Lassi can be sweet or seasoned, using:Honey, ginger, and cardamom, or Salt, ginger, and cumin. Avoid cold foods or drinks, especially foods and drinks taken directly from the refrigerator.Avoid heavy food at the evening meal, including heavy desserts, yogurt, cheese, oily food, fried food, root vegetables (carrots, beets, and radishes are alright).Take raisins, figs, dates, and almonds regularly (with warm milk, if desired).Raisins and almonds can be soaked overnight. Season your food to taste with any of the following:Cumin, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mustard, seeds, asafoetida (hing), black pepper, rock salt, crystal or rock sugar, brown sugar.At lunchtime, you can include the following salad with your meal:Sprouts, grated carrot or beet, parsley, fresh basil, freshly-grated ginger, lemon juice and rock salt. Add seasoning to taste. If you have a weak digestion stemming from a vata imbalance, take a small amount and chew well.
Ayurvedic Food Combining
When there are several courses, meals can be eaten from heavier to lighter food, because the digestive fire is strongest at the beginning of the meal:Dessert (heavy sweets)Salad/raw vegetablesSoup/dal (lentils)/pasta/breadCooked vegetablesRice/lassiFresh fruit (sweet and ripe)
In the evening:Go to bed early when you naturally feel sleepy, between 6 and 10 PM.
Specific Herbal Combinations1. Trikatu (Piper longum, Piper nigrum, Zingiber officinalis). Mix 1⁄4 teaspoon combination with 1 teaspoon honey into paste before meals, to inhibit ama production during digestion.2. Avipattikar churna. Take 1⁄2 teaspoon during meals to inhibit ama production during digestion.3. Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia). Take 1⁄2 teaspoon after meals with water to destagnate blood and lymph.4. As an antioxidant, take equal parts ashwaganda (Withania somnifera), gud¬du¬chi (Tinosporia cordifolia) and brahmi (Bacopa monniera).5. Equal parts mahasudarshan, manjis¬tha, purnarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), 1⁄2 teaspoon t.i.d. with hot water, as a lymphatic cleanser.6. Soak wool cloth with castor oil and apply to breast 30 minutes t.i.d. with moist heat.7. Drink 3-5 cups fennel tea per day.8. Soak 1 teaspoon haritaki (Termina¬lia chebula) in 8 oz. water overnight. Strain off sediment and discard. Add 1 teaspoon honey to haritaki water, and drink in the morning. Do this once a day for one month. If a laxative effect occurs, cut back to 1⁄2 teaspoon haritaki or less.
References
-Sharma, P. Cakradatat. Chaukhambha Orientalia, New Delhi, India. 1994.
-Atha Vale, V. Basic Principles of Ayurveda. Town Pinery: Bombay, India. 1980.
-Bhishagratna, K. Shushruta Samhita, Vols. 1 and 2. Chowkhamba Sanscrit Series: Varanasi, India. 1981.
-Sharma, P. Caraka Samhita, Vols. 1 and 2. Chaukhambha Orientalia, New Delhi, India. 1981.
-Devaraj, T. The Panchakarma Treatment of Ayurveda. Dwanwantari Orientalia Publications. Bangalore: India. 1986.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=25
Mastitis, or inflammation of the breast, is caused by a blockage of one of the thirteen srotas or channels of the body. These channels move nutrition and energy, both subtle and non-subtle, throughout the body. In the case of mastitis, the rasa vaha srotas, plasma- and lymph-carrying channels, become blocked. The cause of these blockages is often due to the improper formation of the dhatus or tissues of the body. There are seven tissues or dhatus in the body that are converted by dhatu-agnis (enzymes) from more basic to more complex bodily tissues. This process begins with rasa (plasma, lymph) to rakta (blood) to mamsa (muscle) to meda (fat) to ashti (bone) to majja (bone marrow) to the final dhatu of shukra (reproductive tissue). If this process is interfered with anywhere along the way, then the shukara dhatu is not formed and procreation is halted.
In the case of mastitis, the interruption of this process is at the level of rasa agni, which converts rasa dharau into rakta dhatu. In the transformation process of the dhatus, there are waste products produced along the way. Kapha (ama) which is heavy, sticky, slow-moving and cohesive, is the mala, or waste product, of rasa dhatu. Each of these seven dhatus have a set of upadhatus, or subordinate dhatus, which are nourished by the major dhatus. In the case of rasa, there are two upadhatus: stanya, or breast milk, and artava, or menstrual blood.
When the dhatus are not properly formed, an excessive amount of waste product will be produced and the upadhatus will not be nourished. In the case of a lactating mother, the breast milk would be imbalanced and most likely an inadequate supply for the infant would be produced. The rasa vaha srotas would become blocked by the excessive mala of kapha (ama), and the updhatu would be inadequately nourished. In the case of a non-lactating woman, the same srotas would be blocked. The result would be that the lymph or waste-carrying vessels in the body would be blocked by the rasa dhatu mala of kapha (ama), and the natural cycle of nutrition in waste out , would cease. This lack of circulation and build up of ama (impurities) would irritate breast tissue and, over time, inflame it and render the breast swollen, hard, and tender.
General Etiology
Although this condition may appear acute, it is always a result of an underlying chronic imbalance. Vata is usually the cause of rasa vaha srota blockage. The production of ama (mala of rasa dhatu) will aggravate kapha and soon both vata and kapha are unbalanced. Whenever there is a vata-kapha imbalance, there will always be an underlying chronic condition.Vata and kapha are opposites and as the body tries to correct one, it will imbalance the other, finding it very difficult to correct itself. More specifically, it is the samana vata subdosha of vata that is at the root of the rasa vaha srota blockage. Samana vata is the vata aspect of digestion which means it relates to the quality of the nervous system during digestion that will determine proper function. Any nervous system tension or stress during the meals will aggravate the samana vata and initiate the manufacturing process of ama. This ama moves specifically into the lymphatic system, making the rasa vaha srotas susceptible to blockage. The breast, which is a major site for lymphatic vessels, is often a target for such a lymph stasis and resultant inflammation or mastitis.
General Treatment
In the case of a samana vata imbalance, the first line of treatment must be behavioral: if the vata continues to be aggravated in relation to digestion then ama will continue to be produced and the cause of the problem will not be addressed. Because samana vata has to do with the vata aspect of digestion then what the nervous system is doing during digestion will play an important role in this treatment. There are three aspects of eating that must be addressed for samana vata to be balanced. These three factors are: how, when, and what you eat. Each of these are equally important and must be taken seriously. In the West, we put an excessive amount of attention on what we eat, but rarely are we concerned with how and when.
When To Eat
The Ayurvedic clock tells us that between 10 AM and 2 PM is the pitta time of day. This is the hottest part of the day and has traditionally been when families gather to eat their biggest meal. This is the time of day when digestion is the strongest and is the only time that the body can properly nourish itself to get enough energy to carry it through a long, hectic day. If meals are not taken at this time, then vata gets aggravated and the body often craves sweets, caffeine, or rest, in the late afternoon. Food eaten after the sun goes down is very difficult to digest, and will produce ama and aggravate the rasa vaha srotas in the case of mastitis.
How To Eat
In Western societies, eating in front of the TV, while opening mail, or while reading the newspaper has become accepted as the norm. In Ayurvedic medicine, this is an extreme violation and can lead to a litany of imbalances and diseases. Eating is a sacred time when we nourish our minds, bodies, and emotion. It is not a time to rid ourselves of a hunger pain and move onto the next activity. Here are some eating habit reminders:
• Eat in a settled atmosphere.
• Never eat when upset.
• Always sit down to eat.
• Eat only when hungry.
• Don’t talk while chewing.
• Don’t eat too slowly or too quickly.
• Eat only if previous meal is digested.
• Take a few sips of water with meal.
• Sit quietly for a few minutes after eating.
• Food should please all five senses.
• Put your fork down between bites.
What To Eat
In the case of mastitis, the diet has to be somewhat restricted in order to reduce the ama and move the lymphatic system and rasa vaha srotas. In this case, a light vata diet is recommended because the cause is samana vata and due to the heaviness of the ama the diet must be lightened.
Light Vata-Pacifying Diet
This diet pacifies vata with less of the oily, sweet, and rich foods that are recommended in the regular vata diet. Food should be fresh, well-cooked, tasty, and satisfying. Do not overeat.
Grains: Wheat, rice, and oats, prepared as follows:
Wheat: Finely-ground whole wheat flour, in foods such as crackers, biscuits with low-fat and sugar, toasted light bread, unleavened flat breads (chapati, pita bread, tortillas), cous¬cous, semolina, and cream of wheat.
Rice: Basmati rice (or other white rice), rice flour, puffed rice, and cream of rice. You can fry the rice in a pan without oil, then steam or boil it into a soup.
Oats: Cook with water to make a light porridge.
Legumes: Green or yellow mung beans or lentils (available in health food stores and Indian shops).
To prepare: boil 1 part legumes in 3 - 5 parts water. You can also boil beans with rice and a lot of water to make a thin soup. Adding a pinch of hing (asafoetida) while cooking will increase the digestibility of the beans.
Vegetables: Vegetables should be well-cooked, and prepared in soups, stews, and casseroles, with a high water content. Adding a pinch of hing (asafoetida) to vegetables increases their digestibility. Eggplant (peeled), zucchini, cucumber, asparagus, artichoke, tomato (peeled), celery (not the root), carrots, spinach, and tender white radish (prepared in oil). Almost all vegetables are acceptable.
Dairy Products: Low-fat milk, goat’s milk, buttermilk, lassi (2-3 parts warm water blended with 1 part yoghurt, taken after the meal), and ghee (clarified butter).
Sweeteners: All are acceptable in small amounts, but do not heat or cook with honey.Oils: All are acceptable in small amounts, except coconut oil.
Spices and Condiments: Cumin, ginger, fenugreek, hing (asafoetida), mustard seeds, black pepper (in small amounts), cinnamon, cardamom, anise, fennel, cloves, salt, lemon juice, tamarind. Small amounts of all other spices.
Fruits: Fruits should be sweet, ripe, and in season. Grapes, pomegranates, papayas, pineapples, figs, oranges, and fresh apricots. The juice of these fruits is also good. Raisins are fine in small amounts, if pre-soaked and chewed well.
Cleansing Diet for Rasa Vaha Srotas
This traditional Ayurvedic programs helps to eliminate impurities (ama) which result from inefficient digestion and metabolism, and strengthens the digestive and metabolic fires (agni). It also corrects improper dietary habits which can lead to imbalances. Those with severe weakness of agni, or excessive ama, should follow these guidelines closely for three months and then continue on a more relaxed basis. Others should simply follow the major guidelines, whenever possible. However, the first rule of Ayurveda is to follow your own inner sense, and do what feels right for you.
Major Guidelines
1. Follow a regular daily routine of waking, eating, and sleeping.Wake between 5 and 7 AMLunch between 12 and 2 PMDinner between 5 and 7 PMBedtime between 9 and 10 PM
2. Lunch should be the main meal of the day, and dinner should be light. Breakfast should be very light, and is optional. Favor food that is freshly prepared, avoid leftovers and frozen, canned, or processed foods. Include fresh fruit and freshly made fruit juice or vegetable juice in your diet.
3. Do a sesame oil massage in the morning and follow with a warm bath or shower.
4. Sip hot water frequently throughout the day (every 1⁄2 hour, or as often as desired). This keeps the agni alive and flushes ama from the system. Sipping hot water also settles the nervous system when you feel anxious.
5. Get fresh air and regular exercise or physical activity (by taking a morning and/or evening walk, or by doing the sun salutation and other yoga asanas).
6. Practice meditation and pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) daily.
7. Take a liquid diet for one day a week. Soup, herbal tea, fresh fruit juice, fresh carrot, beet, or celery vegetable juice, and hot water are considerations.
Dinacharya (Daily Routine)
In the morning: Wake up at or before sunrise.Take warm water with a few drops of lemon juice and/or 1⁄2 teaspoon raw honey after rising.Promote regular elimination by sitting on the toilet at the same time each morning, after rising.Do skin brushing, oil massage, bath or shower, yoga, pranayama, and meditation before eating.
At mealtimes: Take lassi (yoghurt mixed with water – 1:1, 1:2, or 1:4) during lunch and between lunch and dinner, as needed to promote digestion. It is best to make lassi with freshly made yoghurt. Lassi can be sweet or seasoned, using:Honey, ginger, and cardamom, or Salt, ginger, and cumin. Avoid cold foods or drinks, especially foods and drinks taken directly from the refrigerator.Avoid heavy food at the evening meal, including heavy desserts, yogurt, cheese, oily food, fried food, root vegetables (carrots, beets, and radishes are alright).Take raisins, figs, dates, and almonds regularly (with warm milk, if desired).Raisins and almonds can be soaked overnight. Season your food to taste with any of the following:Cumin, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mustard, seeds, asafoetida (hing), black pepper, rock salt, crystal or rock sugar, brown sugar.At lunchtime, you can include the following salad with your meal:Sprouts, grated carrot or beet, parsley, fresh basil, freshly-grated ginger, lemon juice and rock salt. Add seasoning to taste. If you have a weak digestion stemming from a vata imbalance, take a small amount and chew well.
Ayurvedic Food Combining
When there are several courses, meals can be eaten from heavier to lighter food, because the digestive fire is strongest at the beginning of the meal:Dessert (heavy sweets)Salad/raw vegetablesSoup/dal (lentils)/pasta/breadCooked vegetablesRice/lassiFresh fruit (sweet and ripe)
In the evening:Go to bed early when you naturally feel sleepy, between 6 and 10 PM.
Specific Herbal Combinations1. Trikatu (Piper longum, Piper nigrum, Zingiber officinalis). Mix 1⁄4 teaspoon combination with 1 teaspoon honey into paste before meals, to inhibit ama production during digestion.2. Avipattikar churna. Take 1⁄2 teaspoon during meals to inhibit ama production during digestion.3. Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia). Take 1⁄2 teaspoon after meals with water to destagnate blood and lymph.4. As an antioxidant, take equal parts ashwaganda (Withania somnifera), gud¬du¬chi (Tinosporia cordifolia) and brahmi (Bacopa monniera).5. Equal parts mahasudarshan, manjis¬tha, purnarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), 1⁄2 teaspoon t.i.d. with hot water, as a lymphatic cleanser.6. Soak wool cloth with castor oil and apply to breast 30 minutes t.i.d. with moist heat.7. Drink 3-5 cups fennel tea per day.8. Soak 1 teaspoon haritaki (Termina¬lia chebula) in 8 oz. water overnight. Strain off sediment and discard. Add 1 teaspoon honey to haritaki water, and drink in the morning. Do this once a day for one month. If a laxative effect occurs, cut back to 1⁄2 teaspoon haritaki or less.
References
-Sharma, P. Cakradatat. Chaukhambha Orientalia, New Delhi, India. 1994.
-Atha Vale, V. Basic Principles of Ayurveda. Town Pinery: Bombay, India. 1980.
-Bhishagratna, K. Shushruta Samhita, Vols. 1 and 2. Chowkhamba Sanscrit Series: Varanasi, India. 1981.
-Sharma, P. Caraka Samhita, Vols. 1 and 2. Chaukhambha Orientalia, New Delhi, India. 1981.
-Devaraj, T. The Panchakarma Treatment of Ayurveda. Dwanwantari Orientalia Publications. Bangalore: India. 1986.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=25
Kicharee Recipe
By John Douillard, DC, PhD
KICHAREE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Quantity Ingredient_______________
1 cup Split Yellow Mung Beans*
¼ - ½ cup White Basmati Rice
1 pinch Fresh Ginger Root
2 Tbs. Ghee – clarified butter
½ tsp. Turmeric
½ tsp. Coriander powder
½ tsp. Cumin powder
½ tsp. Whole cumin seeds
½ tsp. Mustard seeds
1 pinch Hing (asafetida)
7-10 cups Water
½ tsp. Salt – rock salt is best**
1 small handful Fresh Chopped Cilantro Leaves
*It’s important to get SPLIT beans – available at Asian Grocery Store.
*Braggs Amino Acids can be added after cooking for flavor or to replace salt.
Directions:
Wash split yellow mung beans (dal) and rice together until water runs clear. Heat a large pot on medium heat and then add ginger root, ghee, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and hing. Stir all together for a few minutes and add dal and rice and stir again. Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and cover pot and continue to cook until dal and rice become soft (about 30-40 minutes). The cilantro leaves can be added just before serving.
For weak digestion, gas or bloating, prepare beans before proceeding with directions above: Par boil beans (cover with water and bring to boil), drain, and rinse. Repeat 2-3 times. OR, soak beans overnight and then drain. Cook as directed.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=51
KICHAREE RECIPE
Ingredients:
Quantity Ingredient_______________
1 cup Split Yellow Mung Beans*
¼ - ½ cup White Basmati Rice
1 pinch Fresh Ginger Root
2 Tbs. Ghee – clarified butter
½ tsp. Turmeric
½ tsp. Coriander powder
½ tsp. Cumin powder
½ tsp. Whole cumin seeds
½ tsp. Mustard seeds
1 pinch Hing (asafetida)
7-10 cups Water
½ tsp. Salt – rock salt is best**
1 small handful Fresh Chopped Cilantro Leaves
*It’s important to get SPLIT beans – available at Asian Grocery Store.
*Braggs Amino Acids can be added after cooking for flavor or to replace salt.
Directions:
Wash split yellow mung beans (dal) and rice together until water runs clear. Heat a large pot on medium heat and then add ginger root, ghee, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, whole cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and hing. Stir all together for a few minutes and add dal and rice and stir again. Add water, salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and cover pot and continue to cook until dal and rice become soft (about 30-40 minutes). The cilantro leaves can be added just before serving.
For weak digestion, gas or bloating, prepare beans before proceeding with directions above: Par boil beans (cover with water and bring to boil), drain, and rinse. Repeat 2-3 times. OR, soak beans overnight and then drain. Cook as directed.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=51
Introduction to Ayurveda
By John Douillard, DC, PhD
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: ayur, which means life, and veda, which means knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically with logic becomes science. Over time, Ayurveda became the science of life. It has its root in ancient vedic literature and encompasses our entire life - the body, mind and spirit. It is clearly unique in this day and age to find a system of medicine that is over 5000 years old and still today one of the largest on the planet. Ayurvedic medicine, although in its infancy here in America, has over 300,000 Indian doctors in the All Indian Ayurvedic Congress, making it the largest medical organization in the world. Ayurveda focuses on prevention of illness and the body’s natural power of cure.
Prevention
Ayurveda recognizes that all life, whether it be human, plant or animal, must live in harmony with nature in order to survive. Like the owner’s manual of your car speaks of maintenance schedules for the long term health of your car, Ayurveda speaks of daily and seasonal routines that insure maximal health and longevity. For example, birds fly south in the winter as their survival depends on it. Leaves turn red and fall off trees in the Fall. It's a law of nature.
However, we tend to insulate ourselves from any participation in the huge changes that take place from one season to the next even though our survival depends on it. Just putting on or taking off a sweater or eating the same foods 365 days a year is not in keeping with the original human design. In Ayurvedic medicine, prevention starts with a lifestyle that is in harmony with the changing cycles of nature.
Body type
In Ayurvedic medicine prevention is dictated by the unique requirements of your body type. Because we are unique, what we eat, how we exercise, when we sleep and even where we prefer to live can all be understood according to one’s body type. There are three basic mind-body types that combine to make ten unique mind-body types. Vata types tend to be thin, hypermetabolic, and they think and move quickly. They typically have dry skin and cold hands and feet. They do not like cold weather because they already have many of these winter qualities inherent to their nature. Pitta types are competitive, hot and fiery with a medium frame. They prefer cool weather. Under some conditions they may get heartburn, skin rashes, inflammatory diseases or they just burn out. Kapha types are easy going and hypometabolic. They will hold on to more weight and water and tend to develop allergies and congestion. They can become lethargic, obese and even depressed under certain conditions.
Eat to live
We have made eating very complicated. There are more modern theories on eating than there are days in a month. While animals seem to balance their nutritional needs quite well without the knowledge of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, we incessantly count calories and measure grams of fat only to find out about the latest study which tells us the rules of eating have changed once again. In Ayurveda the rules remain constant. As the seasons change and different foods are harvested, we change the foods we eat.
In winter, for example, the squirrels eat nuts, a good source of protein and fat. This is a perfect food to help combat the cold dry weather in the winter months (Vata season). Grains which are harvested in the fall and cooked in the winter are also a perfect winter food. Cooked grains provide a warm heavy nutritional base that helps us adapt to the cold of winter. In spring, after eating all the heavy nuts and grains during the long sedentary winter, nature again provides the perfect food. Light leafy green veggies and berries are the first foods harvested in the spring (Kapha season) and are the natural antidote for the allergy season. As the days get warmer in July and August nature provides cooling fruits and vegetables to balance the heat of summer (Pitta season).
Ayurveda understands the cycles of nature and that these cycles will provide what we need. These cycles also provide a rhythm of life that is enjoyable. Unfortunately our society has demanded that we rush, push and shove our way through life in order to get ahead. The biggest social violations of natural law revolve around our meals. We frequently race through our meals or at times skip meals. Ayurveda recommends that the main meal should be at midday and this meal should be eaten slowly and calmly. Crashing through our day, racing through lunch and coming home to eat our biggest meal of the day at 7:00 PM when the digestion is the weakest could not be more against the powerful grain of mother nature. Living in harmony with nature’s cycles is what I would call "Lifestyle Therapy" because the health benefits of a proper lifestyle will help us heal what Ayurveda considers a major cause of disease, our improper lifestyle.
Exercise
In Ayurveda, exercise is not only about losing weight, winning races and staying healthy. Exercise provides a kind of physical stress that can be used to teach us how to deal with all kinds of stress (mental, emotional and social) with an internal sense of composure. I have integrated a specific nasal breathing technique I call "Darth Vader Breathing" into exercise. Darth Vader breathing (Ujjayi Pranayama as it is called in Ayurveda) allows a deep sense of calm to co-exist with exercise, making it an enjoyable experience rather than a "workout." Billie Jean King recently told me that she has not enjoyed exercise this much since she was a child. I have used this technique with world class athletes like Martina Navratilova, with elderly people who want safe and enjoyable exercise, and as a therapy for people who have difficulty handling stress.
Simply breathing deeply through the nose while walking fast for twenty minutes can teach you to handle stressful situations. ( And here’s a tip: while walking fast, If you you have to breathe through your mouth, you are walking too fast.) With eighty percent of all disease related to stress, learning how to take an experience of calm into dynamic activity is an integral part of prevention and cure. The ability to know exactly how much exercise is good for you and how much is harmful becomes more automatic as you learn to listen to your body. Breathing Ayurvedically during exercise provides numerous health benefits including a natural experience of calm that can stay with you all day long.
Ayurvedic diagnosis
In Ayurveda, the primary form of diagnosis is the reading of the pulse. The Ayurvedic practitioner can read your pulse and obtain valuable information about the workings of your body, mind and spirit. In addition, the purpose of pulse diagnosis is to identify and treat imbalances; and the treatment protocol is based on the body’s healing rather than mere symptom removal. In Ayurvedic medicine the removal of symptoms is viewed as a side benefit of a larger healing of the heart and mind.
Ayurvedic healing
In Ayurveda we believe that healing starts from within. The idea of giving an herb to sedate you for insomnia or a laxative to relieve constipation is contrary to the Ayurvedic philosophy. Basically, we believe that the body can heal itself. When this is not happening it is usually because the body does not recognize the problem as a problem. The cure then is in the enhancement of the body’s own internal awareness of itself. The most powerful form of Ayurvedic healing is a series of treatments called Panchakarma. These are extremely powerful healing therapies that were in ancient times reserved for the kings and queens. The treatments last about two and a half hours, seven days in a row, and often two therapists work on you simultaneously. Over thirty different treatments are employed to remove gross physiological stress and impurities that can inhibit healing and awareness. During this process the basal metabolic rate is dramatically slowed and awareness enhanced with techniques such as the "shiro dhara" where warm oil is poured over the forehead for 45 minutes. This treatment calms the mind and disarms the "fight or flight" nervous system response which holds stress and toxins captive in the tissues of the body. This treatment enhances a deeper level of self awareness. With this heightened state of awareness, Ayurveda says that, "there is nothing that the body can’t heal."
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=16
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word derived from two roots: ayur, which means life, and veda, which means knowledge. Knowledge arranged systematically with logic becomes science. Over time, Ayurveda became the science of life. It has its root in ancient vedic literature and encompasses our entire life - the body, mind and spirit. It is clearly unique in this day and age to find a system of medicine that is over 5000 years old and still today one of the largest on the planet. Ayurvedic medicine, although in its infancy here in America, has over 300,000 Indian doctors in the All Indian Ayurvedic Congress, making it the largest medical organization in the world. Ayurveda focuses on prevention of illness and the body’s natural power of cure.
Prevention
Ayurveda recognizes that all life, whether it be human, plant or animal, must live in harmony with nature in order to survive. Like the owner’s manual of your car speaks of maintenance schedules for the long term health of your car, Ayurveda speaks of daily and seasonal routines that insure maximal health and longevity. For example, birds fly south in the winter as their survival depends on it. Leaves turn red and fall off trees in the Fall. It's a law of nature.
However, we tend to insulate ourselves from any participation in the huge changes that take place from one season to the next even though our survival depends on it. Just putting on or taking off a sweater or eating the same foods 365 days a year is not in keeping with the original human design. In Ayurvedic medicine, prevention starts with a lifestyle that is in harmony with the changing cycles of nature.
Body type
In Ayurvedic medicine prevention is dictated by the unique requirements of your body type. Because we are unique, what we eat, how we exercise, when we sleep and even where we prefer to live can all be understood according to one’s body type. There are three basic mind-body types that combine to make ten unique mind-body types. Vata types tend to be thin, hypermetabolic, and they think and move quickly. They typically have dry skin and cold hands and feet. They do not like cold weather because they already have many of these winter qualities inherent to their nature. Pitta types are competitive, hot and fiery with a medium frame. They prefer cool weather. Under some conditions they may get heartburn, skin rashes, inflammatory diseases or they just burn out. Kapha types are easy going and hypometabolic. They will hold on to more weight and water and tend to develop allergies and congestion. They can become lethargic, obese and even depressed under certain conditions.
Eat to live
We have made eating very complicated. There are more modern theories on eating than there are days in a month. While animals seem to balance their nutritional needs quite well without the knowledge of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, we incessantly count calories and measure grams of fat only to find out about the latest study which tells us the rules of eating have changed once again. In Ayurveda the rules remain constant. As the seasons change and different foods are harvested, we change the foods we eat.
In winter, for example, the squirrels eat nuts, a good source of protein and fat. This is a perfect food to help combat the cold dry weather in the winter months (Vata season). Grains which are harvested in the fall and cooked in the winter are also a perfect winter food. Cooked grains provide a warm heavy nutritional base that helps us adapt to the cold of winter. In spring, after eating all the heavy nuts and grains during the long sedentary winter, nature again provides the perfect food. Light leafy green veggies and berries are the first foods harvested in the spring (Kapha season) and are the natural antidote for the allergy season. As the days get warmer in July and August nature provides cooling fruits and vegetables to balance the heat of summer (Pitta season).
Ayurveda understands the cycles of nature and that these cycles will provide what we need. These cycles also provide a rhythm of life that is enjoyable. Unfortunately our society has demanded that we rush, push and shove our way through life in order to get ahead. The biggest social violations of natural law revolve around our meals. We frequently race through our meals or at times skip meals. Ayurveda recommends that the main meal should be at midday and this meal should be eaten slowly and calmly. Crashing through our day, racing through lunch and coming home to eat our biggest meal of the day at 7:00 PM when the digestion is the weakest could not be more against the powerful grain of mother nature. Living in harmony with nature’s cycles is what I would call "Lifestyle Therapy" because the health benefits of a proper lifestyle will help us heal what Ayurveda considers a major cause of disease, our improper lifestyle.
Exercise
In Ayurveda, exercise is not only about losing weight, winning races and staying healthy. Exercise provides a kind of physical stress that can be used to teach us how to deal with all kinds of stress (mental, emotional and social) with an internal sense of composure. I have integrated a specific nasal breathing technique I call "Darth Vader Breathing" into exercise. Darth Vader breathing (Ujjayi Pranayama as it is called in Ayurveda) allows a deep sense of calm to co-exist with exercise, making it an enjoyable experience rather than a "workout." Billie Jean King recently told me that she has not enjoyed exercise this much since she was a child. I have used this technique with world class athletes like Martina Navratilova, with elderly people who want safe and enjoyable exercise, and as a therapy for people who have difficulty handling stress.
Simply breathing deeply through the nose while walking fast for twenty minutes can teach you to handle stressful situations. ( And here’s a tip: while walking fast, If you you have to breathe through your mouth, you are walking too fast.) With eighty percent of all disease related to stress, learning how to take an experience of calm into dynamic activity is an integral part of prevention and cure. The ability to know exactly how much exercise is good for you and how much is harmful becomes more automatic as you learn to listen to your body. Breathing Ayurvedically during exercise provides numerous health benefits including a natural experience of calm that can stay with you all day long.
Ayurvedic diagnosis
In Ayurveda, the primary form of diagnosis is the reading of the pulse. The Ayurvedic practitioner can read your pulse and obtain valuable information about the workings of your body, mind and spirit. In addition, the purpose of pulse diagnosis is to identify and treat imbalances; and the treatment protocol is based on the body’s healing rather than mere symptom removal. In Ayurvedic medicine the removal of symptoms is viewed as a side benefit of a larger healing of the heart and mind.
Ayurvedic healing
In Ayurveda we believe that healing starts from within. The idea of giving an herb to sedate you for insomnia or a laxative to relieve constipation is contrary to the Ayurvedic philosophy. Basically, we believe that the body can heal itself. When this is not happening it is usually because the body does not recognize the problem as a problem. The cure then is in the enhancement of the body’s own internal awareness of itself. The most powerful form of Ayurvedic healing is a series of treatments called Panchakarma. These are extremely powerful healing therapies that were in ancient times reserved for the kings and queens. The treatments last about two and a half hours, seven days in a row, and often two therapists work on you simultaneously. Over thirty different treatments are employed to remove gross physiological stress and impurities that can inhibit healing and awareness. During this process the basal metabolic rate is dramatically slowed and awareness enhanced with techniques such as the "shiro dhara" where warm oil is poured over the forehead for 45 minutes. This treatment calms the mind and disarms the "fight or flight" nervous system response which holds stress and toxins captive in the tissues of the body. This treatment enhances a deeper level of self awareness. With this heightened state of awareness, Ayurveda says that, "there is nothing that the body can’t heal."
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=16
Hypertension
By John Douillard, DC, PhD
The most common cause of hypertension is related to lifestyle. Some of the rasayanas or behavioral intelligence techniques apply here with regards to both prevention and treatment.
The occurrence of hypertension will depend primarily on body type and genetic susceptibility (or likely imbalances). Lifestyle stress is usually the first factor to trigger onset.
A frantic daily pace, staying up late, eating large evening meals and skipping or missing meals is probably the most serious offense with regards to blood pressure. Overexercise, and excessive intake of pungent, sour, and salty foods, or dehydration, or rushed meals, are also common offenders.
Such lifestyle stress puts extreme pressure on the sympathetic nervous system to illicit an anti-stress response. This response triggers stress-fighting adrenal hormones, which are both catabolic and emergogenic. This emergency effect, when in excess and as a result of a daily routine, will produce higher heart rates, and pressure on both the nervous system and circulatory system. This pressure aggravates both vata and pitta (specifically, the ranjaka pitta, which controls the quality of the blood, and the yana vata, which controls nerves, arteries, and veins). Vyana vata is typically seen in hypertension, as all three aspects are involved.
Botanical treatments will often have little effect on hypertension unless such behavioral modifications are made. These lifestyle changes provide prevention first in order for a permanent cure (see: achara rasayana and BITs sheets).
Vata
Vata-caused hypertension will be directly related to an excess amount of lifestyle and nervous system stress. In this case, the blood pressure comes and goes for many years, until it begins to aggravate pitta and kapha, respectively, and becomes increasingly more constant and more difficult to treat.
Treatment
Treatment for vata-caused hypertension will provide support to the nervous system with herbs such as ashwaganda (Withania somnifera) and brahmi (Bacopa monniera). It is generally recommended that the individual take 1⁄2 teaspoon of both, 3 times per day. Garlic (Allium sativa) also calms and strengthens the nervous system and cleans the blood with antiseptic and antioxidant properties, as well (1 clove, 3 times per day). Calamus (Acorus calamus) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are both nervines and work well in all types of hypertension (recommended dosage: 1⁄2 teaspoon 3 times per day).
Pitta
Pitta-caused hypertension is most common in the classic pitta body type (sometimes demonstrated through a red face and bloodshot eyes). They may have a temper with an aggressive and competitive nature that incessantly drives them. A vata type hypertension can become a pitta type as the body tries to shunt the nervous system stress or pressure to the circulatory system. Headaches are common with this type and usually come late in the day after stress or overheating.
Treatment
Vata treatments will work for pitta-type hypertension as well. Some cooling, bitter herbs must be added to cleanse the blood and vessels as well as cool the circulatory system. Manjistha and gudduchi (1⁄2 teaspoon with meals, 3 times per day), are great blood purifiers along with strong bitter herbs, like haritaki (Terminalia chebula) and muhasudearhan. Both can be taken after meals, 1⁄2 teaspoon per day, 3 times per day.
Kapha
Kapha hypertension is often associated with obesity and edema. This imbalance is usually long-standing and chronic. The dosha of kapha can act as a storage site for all the circulatory ama created in the doshas of vata and pitta.
Treatment
The herbs for vata and pitta are necessary as needed, and some pungent and astringent herbs to detoxify accumulated ama are important. Garlic, cayenne (Capsicum frutescens), and pippili (Piper longum) or trikatu (a combination of Piper longum, Piper nigrum, and Zingiber officinalis), are useful here.
Behavioral Rasayanas: Achara Rasayanas
A most important key for long life according to Ayurveda, is to follow Achara Rasayanas, which means code of behavior or code of ethics. According to Charaka, the ancient authority on Ayurveda, one who follows very optimistically all codes of conduct need not take other rasayanas, and those who take other rasayanas without following this code of conduct do not receive the optimum benefits.
This is a list of traditional behavioral rasayanas that help create a harmonizing effect in the physiology and increase the production of ojas. Ojas is the finest material aspect of the physiology which is produced when digestion is functioning flawlessly. Ojas is the link between consciousness and matter, and is responsible for establishing and maintaining balance among vata, pitta, and kapha. The more ojas your body produces, the greater your health, immunity from disease, and happiness.
Achara Rasayana, as spoken of by Charaka, is as follows. Review this list on a regular basis to keep the points lively in your awareness. Do not strain to remember or follow these points.
• Always speak the truth.
• Do not be angry.
• Do not indulge in alcoholic drinks.
• Observe celibacy and the sexual act according to the code.
• Do not be violent.
• Avoid over-exertion.
• Be calm and peaceful in mind.
• Do not hurt others with your speech; speak pleasantly.
• Clean the body by bathing and regular washing.
• Be courageous and do not lose patience in any situation.
• Donate always to others.
• Follow religious and virtuous acts according to your own beliefs.
• Respect your teachers, priests, elders, guru, and all animals.
• Do not be cruel to anyone.
• Be merciful to all who are in need of your help.
• Maintain balance in waking and sleeping in the night; do not stay awake long in the night and do not sleep in the daytime.
• Take milk and ghee in moderation in your diet.
• Be a knower of place, time, and measures of activities.
• Be a knower of planning; always do everything according to a plan. It is said that failing to plan is planning to fail.
• Avoid super-egoism.
• Maintain good behavior established by the great sages and saints of society.
• Do not be mean-spirited; be generous and sharing.
• Engage yourself all the time in the achievement of pure consciousness.
• Respect and serve your elders.
• Respect and serve priests, sages, and saints who serve your religion and God.
• Respect and serve the people who have conquered their senses.
• Keep your self busy in religious activities.
• Continually study new science, advances, research, and philosophies, and utilize them for the benefit of all human beings.
Body Intelligence Techniques
• Eat in a settled atmosphere.
• Never eat when upset.
• Always sit down to eat.
• Eat only when hungry.
• Avoid ice-cold food and drink.
• Don’t talk while chewing.
• Don’t eat too slowly or too quickly.
• Eat only if previous meal is digested.
• Take a few sips of water with meals.
• Favor freshly prepared foods.
• Cooked foods are easier to digest.
• Don’t heat or cook with honey.
• Don’t take milk with your meal.
• Sit quietly for a few minutes after eating.
• Food should please all five senses.
• Put your fork down between bites.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=44
The most common cause of hypertension is related to lifestyle. Some of the rasayanas or behavioral intelligence techniques apply here with regards to both prevention and treatment.
The occurrence of hypertension will depend primarily on body type and genetic susceptibility (or likely imbalances). Lifestyle stress is usually the first factor to trigger onset.
A frantic daily pace, staying up late, eating large evening meals and skipping or missing meals is probably the most serious offense with regards to blood pressure. Overexercise, and excessive intake of pungent, sour, and salty foods, or dehydration, or rushed meals, are also common offenders.
Such lifestyle stress puts extreme pressure on the sympathetic nervous system to illicit an anti-stress response. This response triggers stress-fighting adrenal hormones, which are both catabolic and emergogenic. This emergency effect, when in excess and as a result of a daily routine, will produce higher heart rates, and pressure on both the nervous system and circulatory system. This pressure aggravates both vata and pitta (specifically, the ranjaka pitta, which controls the quality of the blood, and the yana vata, which controls nerves, arteries, and veins). Vyana vata is typically seen in hypertension, as all three aspects are involved.
Botanical treatments will often have little effect on hypertension unless such behavioral modifications are made. These lifestyle changes provide prevention first in order for a permanent cure (see: achara rasayana and BITs sheets).
Vata
Vata-caused hypertension will be directly related to an excess amount of lifestyle and nervous system stress. In this case, the blood pressure comes and goes for many years, until it begins to aggravate pitta and kapha, respectively, and becomes increasingly more constant and more difficult to treat.
Treatment
Treatment for vata-caused hypertension will provide support to the nervous system with herbs such as ashwaganda (Withania somnifera) and brahmi (Bacopa monniera). It is generally recommended that the individual take 1⁄2 teaspoon of both, 3 times per day. Garlic (Allium sativa) also calms and strengthens the nervous system and cleans the blood with antiseptic and antioxidant properties, as well (1 clove, 3 times per day). Calamus (Acorus calamus) and valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are both nervines and work well in all types of hypertension (recommended dosage: 1⁄2 teaspoon 3 times per day).
Pitta
Pitta-caused hypertension is most common in the classic pitta body type (sometimes demonstrated through a red face and bloodshot eyes). They may have a temper with an aggressive and competitive nature that incessantly drives them. A vata type hypertension can become a pitta type as the body tries to shunt the nervous system stress or pressure to the circulatory system. Headaches are common with this type and usually come late in the day after stress or overheating.
Treatment
Vata treatments will work for pitta-type hypertension as well. Some cooling, bitter herbs must be added to cleanse the blood and vessels as well as cool the circulatory system. Manjistha and gudduchi (1⁄2 teaspoon with meals, 3 times per day), are great blood purifiers along with strong bitter herbs, like haritaki (Terminalia chebula) and muhasudearhan. Both can be taken after meals, 1⁄2 teaspoon per day, 3 times per day.
Kapha
Kapha hypertension is often associated with obesity and edema. This imbalance is usually long-standing and chronic. The dosha of kapha can act as a storage site for all the circulatory ama created in the doshas of vata and pitta.
Treatment
The herbs for vata and pitta are necessary as needed, and some pungent and astringent herbs to detoxify accumulated ama are important. Garlic, cayenne (Capsicum frutescens), and pippili (Piper longum) or trikatu (a combination of Piper longum, Piper nigrum, and Zingiber officinalis), are useful here.
Behavioral Rasayanas: Achara Rasayanas
A most important key for long life according to Ayurveda, is to follow Achara Rasayanas, which means code of behavior or code of ethics. According to Charaka, the ancient authority on Ayurveda, one who follows very optimistically all codes of conduct need not take other rasayanas, and those who take other rasayanas without following this code of conduct do not receive the optimum benefits.
This is a list of traditional behavioral rasayanas that help create a harmonizing effect in the physiology and increase the production of ojas. Ojas is the finest material aspect of the physiology which is produced when digestion is functioning flawlessly. Ojas is the link between consciousness and matter, and is responsible for establishing and maintaining balance among vata, pitta, and kapha. The more ojas your body produces, the greater your health, immunity from disease, and happiness.
Achara Rasayana, as spoken of by Charaka, is as follows. Review this list on a regular basis to keep the points lively in your awareness. Do not strain to remember or follow these points.
• Always speak the truth.
• Do not be angry.
• Do not indulge in alcoholic drinks.
• Observe celibacy and the sexual act according to the code.
• Do not be violent.
• Avoid over-exertion.
• Be calm and peaceful in mind.
• Do not hurt others with your speech; speak pleasantly.
• Clean the body by bathing and regular washing.
• Be courageous and do not lose patience in any situation.
• Donate always to others.
• Follow religious and virtuous acts according to your own beliefs.
• Respect your teachers, priests, elders, guru, and all animals.
• Do not be cruel to anyone.
• Be merciful to all who are in need of your help.
• Maintain balance in waking and sleeping in the night; do not stay awake long in the night and do not sleep in the daytime.
• Take milk and ghee in moderation in your diet.
• Be a knower of place, time, and measures of activities.
• Be a knower of planning; always do everything according to a plan. It is said that failing to plan is planning to fail.
• Avoid super-egoism.
• Maintain good behavior established by the great sages and saints of society.
• Do not be mean-spirited; be generous and sharing.
• Engage yourself all the time in the achievement of pure consciousness.
• Respect and serve your elders.
• Respect and serve priests, sages, and saints who serve your religion and God.
• Respect and serve the people who have conquered their senses.
• Keep your self busy in religious activities.
• Continually study new science, advances, research, and philosophies, and utilize them for the benefit of all human beings.
Body Intelligence Techniques
• Eat in a settled atmosphere.
• Never eat when upset.
• Always sit down to eat.
• Eat only when hungry.
• Avoid ice-cold food and drink.
• Don’t talk while chewing.
• Don’t eat too slowly or too quickly.
• Eat only if previous meal is digested.
• Take a few sips of water with meals.
• Favor freshly prepared foods.
• Cooked foods are easier to digest.
• Don’t heat or cook with honey.
• Don’t take milk with your meal.
• Sit quietly for a few minutes after eating.
• Food should please all five senses.
• Put your fork down between bites.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=44
Daily Home Oil Massage
By John Douillard, DC, PhD
DAILY HOME OIL MASSAGE
The purpose of Ayurvedic daily oil massage as part of the daily routine is to assist in preventing the accumulation of physiological imbalances, and to lubricate and promote flexibility of the muscles, tissues, and joints. The classical texts of Ayurveda also indicate that daily massage promotes softness and luster of the skin as well as youthfulness. The following are some simple instructions to assist you in learning the Ayurvedic daily oil massage.
1: Unless specific oil has been recommended for you, then sesame oil should be used for the daily massage. If you find sesame oil unsuitable in some way, you may also try olive oil or coconut oil as alternatives. To purify the massage oil, “cure” it by healing it to about 220 degrees Fahrenheit, the boiling point of water. By adding a drop of water to the oil in the beginning, you will know that the proper temperature has been reached, when the water boils. We suggest curing one quart or liter of oil at one time as this will cover about fifteen abhyangas.
Note: Please be aware that sesame and other oils are flammable, for this reason they should be cured in the following way:
1) Always heat oil on low heat, never on high heat.
2) Oil should never be heated unattended.
3) Once oil reaches the proper temperature it should be removed from heat
and stored in a safe place to cool gradually.
2: Heat ¼ cup of cured oil to slightly above body temperature. Start by massaging the head. Place a small amount of oil on the fingertips and palms and begin to massage the scalp vigorously. The massage for the head and for the entire body should be with the open part of the hand rather than with the fingertips. Since the head is said to be one of the most important parts to be emphasized during Ayurvedic Daily Massage, spend proportionately more time on the head than you do on other parts of the body.
3: Next apply oil gently with the open part of the hand to your face and outer part of your ears. You do not need to massage these areas vigorously.
4: Massage both the front and back of the neck, and the upper part of the spine. Continue to use your open hand, in a rubbing type of motion.
5: You may want to now apply a small amount of oil to your entire body and then proceed with the massage to each area of the body. This will allow the oil to have maximum amount of time in contact with the body.
6: Next massage your arms. The proper motion is back and forth, over your long bones, and circular over your joints. Massage both arms, including the hands and fingers.
7: Now apply oil to the chest and abdomen. A very gentle circular motion should be used over your heart. Over the abdomen a gently circular motion should be used, following the bowel pattern from the right lower part of the abdomen, moving clockwise towards the left lower part of the abdomen.
8: Massage the back and spine. There will be some area which you may have difficulty reaching.
9: Massage the legs. Like the arms, use a back and forth motion over the long bones and circular over the joints.
10: Lastly, massage the bottom of the feet. The feet also are considered especially important, and proportionately more time should be spent here than on the other parts of the body. Use the open part of your hand and massage vigorously back and forth over the soles of the feet.
11: This completes the Ayurvedic Daily Oil Massage. Ideally, about 10-20 minutes should be spent each morning on the massage. However, if this time is not available on a particular day, it is better to do a very brief massage than to skip it altogether. Once you have added this Daily Oil Massage into your daily routine, the benefits will make it quite natural for you to continue it on a permanent basis.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=54
DAILY HOME OIL MASSAGE
The purpose of Ayurvedic daily oil massage as part of the daily routine is to assist in preventing the accumulation of physiological imbalances, and to lubricate and promote flexibility of the muscles, tissues, and joints. The classical texts of Ayurveda also indicate that daily massage promotes softness and luster of the skin as well as youthfulness. The following are some simple instructions to assist you in learning the Ayurvedic daily oil massage.
1: Unless specific oil has been recommended for you, then sesame oil should be used for the daily massage. If you find sesame oil unsuitable in some way, you may also try olive oil or coconut oil as alternatives. To purify the massage oil, “cure” it by healing it to about 220 degrees Fahrenheit, the boiling point of water. By adding a drop of water to the oil in the beginning, you will know that the proper temperature has been reached, when the water boils. We suggest curing one quart or liter of oil at one time as this will cover about fifteen abhyangas.
Note: Please be aware that sesame and other oils are flammable, for this reason they should be cured in the following way:
1) Always heat oil on low heat, never on high heat.
2) Oil should never be heated unattended.
3) Once oil reaches the proper temperature it should be removed from heat
and stored in a safe place to cool gradually.
2: Heat ¼ cup of cured oil to slightly above body temperature. Start by massaging the head. Place a small amount of oil on the fingertips and palms and begin to massage the scalp vigorously. The massage for the head and for the entire body should be with the open part of the hand rather than with the fingertips. Since the head is said to be one of the most important parts to be emphasized during Ayurvedic Daily Massage, spend proportionately more time on the head than you do on other parts of the body.
3: Next apply oil gently with the open part of the hand to your face and outer part of your ears. You do not need to massage these areas vigorously.
4: Massage both the front and back of the neck, and the upper part of the spine. Continue to use your open hand, in a rubbing type of motion.
5: You may want to now apply a small amount of oil to your entire body and then proceed with the massage to each area of the body. This will allow the oil to have maximum amount of time in contact with the body.
6: Next massage your arms. The proper motion is back and forth, over your long bones, and circular over your joints. Massage both arms, including the hands and fingers.
7: Now apply oil to the chest and abdomen. A very gentle circular motion should be used over your heart. Over the abdomen a gently circular motion should be used, following the bowel pattern from the right lower part of the abdomen, moving clockwise towards the left lower part of the abdomen.
8: Massage the back and spine. There will be some area which you may have difficulty reaching.
9: Massage the legs. Like the arms, use a back and forth motion over the long bones and circular over the joints.
10: Lastly, massage the bottom of the feet. The feet also are considered especially important, and proportionately more time should be spent here than on the other parts of the body. Use the open part of your hand and massage vigorously back and forth over the soles of the feet.
11: This completes the Ayurvedic Daily Oil Massage. Ideally, about 10-20 minutes should be spent each morning on the massage. However, if this time is not available on a particular day, it is better to do a very brief massage than to skip it altogether. Once you have added this Daily Oil Massage into your daily routine, the benefits will make it quite natural for you to continue it on a permanent basis.
Further Information
http://www.lifespa.com/article.asp?art_id=54
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