Ayurveda - health enhancement and disease prevention

Ayurveda promotes physical and spiritual well being. It works towards illness prevention and the practical treatment of a disease.

It's emphasis is on the maintenance of health through a proper diet, using theories based on the daily consumption of normal food which restore and maintain the balance in Doshas - vital body energies - known as Vaata, Pitta and Kapha. When the body energies are in imbalance, pathology starts in the body and mind.

Dr Sha identifies any imbalance in Doshas and using Rasaayanaa - specific herbs and/or spices - restores the balance of both body and mind. These rejuvenating Rasaayanaa have extensive detoxifying and cleansing properties. They can help improve digestion and stimulate tissue.

Many energies work simultaneously to restore balance in both mind and body.

The word Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit "Ayus" meaning life and "Veda" meaning Science, so Ayurveda is the science of life. (Ai-ur-ve-da)

In Ancient India, about 5,000 years ago, the Rishis, (very wise sages) observed fundamentals of life and organized them into a system called Ayurveda.

Ayurveda thus deals with life in its' totality. It is not only concerned with the body but also the mind and spirit. The main aim of Ayurveda is balance. This is balance to your own true nature. (Prakriti.)

We interact with mind/ body and we all have different qualities, some of which are more predominant than others. These qualities are made up of the different elements.

The air element is gaseous and has airy qualities. It is light, clear, dry and dispersing. VATA
Ether is subtle and we are not really aware of it. It is equated to size or space. VATA
Fire is the power of change and transformation. It has the qualities of heat, dryness, and upward movement. PITTA
Earth is substantial and has the qualities of heaviness, hardness, and only a little downward movement. KAPHA
Water is liquid, cool, flows downward and has no shape of its own. KAPHA/PITTA

Vata is predominantly: Air and Ether.
Pitta is Predominantly: Fire and water
Kapha is predominantly: Water and earth.

Think about some one you would describe as "earthy." You are probably thinking of someone who is solid and reliable, who could be very grounded and who doesn't change their mind often. They could be stubborn, and when not in balance physically may have a lot of mucus related problems. You would be thinking of a predominantly Kapha person.

Now go to a person who has a fiery temperament, quick to do something, is ambitious and sharp on the uptake, who can get impatient and will not bear grudges, and here y ou have a predominantly Pitta person.

Finally your mercurial personality, some-one whose digestion is irregular whose moods fluctuate, quick to learn and quick to forget, who is never boring to be with but who can also be indecisive. This type of person will have many different friends and many different opinions, they would be predominantly Vata.

The key to Ayurveda is knowing how Vata, Pitta, and Kapha work in the body and how they are affected by the influences outside and inside the body. These influences include the state of your metabolism, what you eat and do each day, how you think and feel, and the climate and environment in which you work and live, and this would include mental, physical and emotional environment. For example, if you are a glass blower your working environment would have a high pitta quality having to work in the heat for the better part of your day, Whereas if you worked on the top of Table Mountain all day you would have a strong vata influence to your day, with wind, dry and cool air. If you work in a mine there would be a strong earth/ kapha influence in your life.

Now take a look at the food we eat. If we eat mainly heavy food with a sour taste such as cheese and yogurt we may well find that we will increase kapha in the body. If we eat mainly raw foods or food that is dry, like dry biscuits we will increase vata. Should we be fond of chili and hot spicy foods we will increase Pitta.

Summer is higher in Pitta than winter. In the Cape winter is wet and cold which will increase Kapha, but in Gauteng where it is dry and cold it would increase vata.

But now how does all this information affect our body?
Each individual has a specific body type. It can be a combination of the three qualities (doshas) such as Vata/Kapha or Vata/pitta or Pitta/Vata or Pitta/Kapha, or Kapha/Vata, Kapha/Pitta or Vata, Pitta, or Kapha or a combination of all three which would be termed tri-doshic. Try the quiz to establish your doshic type.

What could you expect to feel like if you are in balance with yourself.

You would have a good digestion and be wide awake and alert. You would have sound sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. You would have a clear skin, sweet breath and a zest for life. Your hair would shine you would have strong healthy teeth and nails and you would have bright clear sparkling eyes.

I am sure there are times when you are well and healthy and feel that life is worth living. Remember the first time you fell in love? Well it is possible to love your body enough to want it to feel good again.

We first have to rid ourselves of toxins. In Ayurveda toxins are called AMA. What is AMA and how do we identify it? Ama is a sticky substance that surrounds each cell in our bodies. When you wake up in the morning stick out your tongue and have a look at the whitish coating. This is what ama looks like on your tongue. What are the symptoms of ama in the body?

Ama manifests as:

Continual fatigue
Acne
Poor digestion
Indigestion
Insomnia
Dullness
Skin eruptions i.e. boils rashes pimples
Poor elimination
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Constipation
Diarrhea
Dull headaches
Bad breath
Loss of appetite

There are very simple ways of getting rid of Ama in the system.

Step 1. Drink hot water, about 3 to 4 glasses a day. Sip the water as hot as you can, do this frequently.
Step 2. Do not eat old food. This means NO leftovers; food starts decaying about 4 hours after you have cooked it. It is important to only eat foods that are freshly prepared and suitable for your body type
Step 3. Eat a small slice of fresh ginger 15 minutes before meals to encourage digestion.
Step 4. Walk for at least 20 minutes every day, breathing deeply.
Step 5. Give praise to your creator.

The optimum is fresh food. Obviously if it is made with the vegetables you grow in your own garden even better! We strive for the ideal in all things that we do! In Ayurveda gentleness is very important, so do not become fanatical about anything. As you ease into a more sattvic (pure) lifestyle, body and mind will be attracted to a more gentle way of living.

If you have a predominantly VATA imbalance it could mean that you suffer from more mood swings than some-one who has a KAPHA imbalance, so you would treat yourself very gently with increased rest and avoid food that increased Vata. You would have a nutritional program that would include chamomile tea or peppermint tea after meals.

If you have a Pitta imbalance, you may notice that you are more irritable, to assist in balancing Pitta add peppermint tea to your diet as well. Using less heating foods such as chili and spicy foods.

A Kapha imbalance would make you feel sluggish and lethargic so it would be better to avoid dairy products and increase your intake of fresh ginger to stimulate digestion and help clear mucus.

Do some light exercise, for Vata constitution walking, yoga dance and cycling are all done restfully, not so much that you are exhausted.
For Pitta constitution, swimming, hiking and brisk walking, in moderation.
For Kapha constitution dancing, weight training, yoga, running and aerobics, quite strenuously is advised.

Enjoy an adventure into Ayurveda. Please remember to be easy on yourself. Take time to relax and meditate, or chant some uplifting mantra or prayer. Look after your mind, think happy thoughts and eat fresh foods.

SANHN would like to acknowledge Vital News for the permission to publish this information. For more information, see Association Page and Practitioners.