Ayurveda

Dr. Laina KarthikeyanAssociate Professor ( Biological Sciences)

New York City College of Technology

Brooklyn , NY

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OPTIMAL HEALTH

Practice of ayurveda dates back to 5000 years

Officially recognized by the World Health Organization in 1976

Ayurveda gives a comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental and social health

Ayurveda can be used in conjunction with Western Allopathic Medicine to help a person recover faster after being treated with drugs or surgery

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FOCUS This ancient healing system has

three main focuses: 1) Healing illness2) Prevention of disease 3) Longevity

In essence, Ayurveda explains the laws of nature that cause health or disease. The main factors that cause poor health (also described as imbalance) are 1) Poor digestion 2) Weak immune systems

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HOW DOES AYURVEDA WORK?

Ayurveda’s emphasis is on prevention of disease

Each person has a particular pattern of energy-an individual combination of physical, mental and emotional characteristics which comprises their own constitution

Tridhosa Theory:The basic view of Ayurveda is that all life are combinations of three energy-elements: air (called Vayu or Vata), fire (called Pitta), and water (called Kapha)

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WORKING When these elements are

balanced, one is healthy. Illness is defined as an imbalance

of these elements; all disorders are excesses of one or more element.

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THE THREE DOSHAS

Vata or Vayu meaning wind, is composed of the elements air and space. Vata is the subtle energy of movement

Pitta, or bile, is composed of the elements fire and water and is the energy of digestion and metabolism

Kapha meaning phlegm, is composed of the elements, earth and water. Kapha is the energy that forms the body’s structure

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WHAT MAKES AYURVEDA SO UNIQUE ?

This spiritual science offers numerous unique benefits:

It looks at people as individuals, not as a generic group

It heals the root-cause of an illness, not merely treating the symptoms

Only natural therapies are offered

No side effects develop from the therapies

Therapies are inexpensive and effective

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PEOPLE AND ELEMENTS A person's constitution (dosha) is

predominantly one or more of these elements

Each element relates to certain body types, foods and health concerns

By nature, whatever a person's constitution is, they have a tendency for it to become excessed 8

VATA The subtle energy associated with

Movement (SPACE AND AIR) Governs breathing, pulsation of heart,

and all movements including in the cytoplasm and cell membranes

CHARACTERISTICS: Physically Thin In Balance – Creative, Enthusiastic

and Adaptable Out of Balance – Fearful, Anxious

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KAPHA Principle of Stability (WATER AND

EARTH) Kapha supplies the water for all bodily

parts and systems CHARACTERISTICS: Physically Strong - Good endurance,

Muscular In Balance -Steady, Consistent, Loyal,

Loving and Content Out of Balance- Greed and Envy

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PITTA Principle of Transformation (FIRE

AND WATER) Governs digestion, absorption,

metabolism and body temperature CHARACTERISTICS: Physical appearance- Medium Built In Balance – Bright, Good decision

maker, Sharp intellect Out of Balance – Angry, Judgemental

And Jealous11

BALANCING VATA DOSHADry Oil massage. Avoid dry and raw foods. Cook with oil

or add ghee. Use butter, cheese, warm milk, avocado, coconut milk, banana, chicken, eggs, shrimp, fish.

Light Avoid windy weather, autumn season, high altitude, running, jumping, flying, and staying up late. Do not consume light foods, fasting, and alcohol. Use heavy bedding and clothing. Daytime sleep can be good. Nutmeg milk or garlic milk at night. Valerian, skullcap, and vidhari are herbs that ground vata.

Cold Avoid exposure to cold food, weather, season, or room. Keep warm and avoid air conditioning. No cold drinks, coffee, smoking, ice cream or frozen yoghurt. Eat warm, spicy food. Good spices are ginger, black pepper, cumin, mustard seeds.

Rough No rough, raw foods. Do not sleep or sit on a rough surface. No black beans, pinto beans, aduki beans, chick peas. Avoid hard, rough behavior. Be gentle, loving, and kind.

Subtle Avoid psychedelic drugs and alcohol. Be aware of subtle emotions. Let go.

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Mobile Avoid erratic or excessive physical or mental activities.

Clear Do not use repeated enemas, colonics, or drastic purgatives. Avoid obsessive cleaning, such as repeated baths or hand washing. Do not smoke or drink alcohol.

Astringent

Avoid unripe or astringent foods, such as apple, pear, pomegranates.

Herbs Ashvagandha, Shatavari, Bala, Vidhari, or Dashamula as main herb base (5 parts). Add with Aloe vera gel for irregular menstruation. Jatamamsi for anxiety. Tagar for sound sleep. Licorice for low blood pressure. Gokshura or Gokshuradi Guggulu for kidneys-bladder. Sat Isabgol psyllium husk for constipation if Triphala doesn’t work. Slippery elm and licorice for dry cough. Ginkgo or Brahmi for brain, Yogaraj Guggulu or Maha Yogaraj Guggulu tablets - 3 to 6 tabs, 2 to 3 x per day.

BALANCING PITTA DOSHAHot Avoid activities in the middle of the day. No

prolonged sunbathing. No hot, spicy food, especially cayenne pepper and mustard. Avoid hot drinks, citrus fruit, anger, hate, envy, jealousy and aggressive behavior. Keep cool, calm and collected - “Chill out.”

Sharp No alcohol, tobacco, marijuana.

Light Avoid prolonged fasting and only eating light meals. Heavy exercise or intense competitive sports and bright light should also be avoided.

Liquid No hydrophilic (water retentive) foods, such as yogurt, salt, apricots, grapefruit.

Oily Avoid fatty fried food, sesame oil, peanut butter, sharp or fatty or salty cheeses, and fatty yogurt. 14

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Spreading (mobile)

Do not become aggressive or be highly competitive. Be watchful of these activities in your daily life and calm these tendencies.

Foul Smell

Sweat of pitta have a strong smell. Avoid fermented foods and strong perfumes. Use mild, natural odors such as sandalwood, jasmine, chamomile.

Sour Avoid sour fruits, such as grapefruit, lemons (lime is OK), green grapes, tamarind. No sour or acidic food, such as vinegar, tamarind sauce, store-bought yogurt or more than 1000mg per day of vitamin C. Eat sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes.

Pungent No spicy food, such as salsa, chilis, cayenne pepper, and mustard.

Herbs Shatavari or Guduchi as main herb base (5 parts). Kaishor Guggulu for skin problems and-or burny- hot-red arthritis, Tikta or Kutki with Aloe vera gel for liver, Brahmi - Shankhapushpi for anger, Shankha bhasma or Kama dudha for acid belly, Arjuna - Passion flower for heart, Sitopaladi for lungs with yellow mucous, Musta for pain, Punarnava for liver-lungs, Bilva or Sat Isabgol psyllium husk for diarrhea or loose stool, Ashoka for heavy menstrual flow or menorrhagia, Neem - Turmeric - Manjishta - Bakuchi for skin problems. Echinacea or Mahasudarshan for immunity, Ginkgo or Brahmi for brain, Skullcap for sound sleep, Amalaki, Tikta ghrita (bitter ghee), Pomegranate syrup. Virechana (mild purgation using Amalaki, Bhumyamalaki or Triphala) is useful for many pitta disorders.

BALANCING KAPHA DOSHAHeavy No meat, such as beef, pork, and other dark meats.

Avoid wheat, pasta, pancakes, cheese, yogurt, and fatty food. Ideally avoid meat, dairy and eggs all together - be Vegan. Emotions such as depression, greed, and hopelessness are heavy and should be avoided.

Slow Avoid a slow, sedentary lifestyle and daytime sleeping. Depressed, slow, melancholy mood further increases slow quality. Keep active and do exercise.

Dull No meat, frozen food, dairy products. Use spicy food, brahmi + pippali with honey.

Cool Avoid cold drinks and cold, frozen food. Don’t become emotionally cold by suppressing emotions – let go. Eat warm, spicy food and hot drinks. Honey and hot water is good, especially with lemon. Pippali, cumin, black pepper, ginger, garam masala.

Oily Avoid fatty, fried food and cheese, yoghurt, and fatty meat. Drink warm water, from a pure copper container if possible, with honey.

Smooth Avoid smooth or overcooked food. Eat raw vegetables and millet, corn, barley, dry oats, and buckwheat. Drink hot water with honey and cider vinegar.

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Dense Avoid meat, cheese, and other dense foods. Daytime sleeping should be avoided as it increases kapha molecules.

Soft Do not sleep on a soft bed or water bed. Sleep on a hard mattress.

Static Avoid a sedentary lifestyle and excessive sleep. No sleeping during daytime. Don’t use remote controls and do a lot of physical activities.

Liquid Minimize your liquid intake and the use of hydrophilic substances such as salt and yoghurt. Dry massage is good.

Sticky Avoid cheese, yoghurt, and other heavy, sticky foods.

Sweet Avoid refined sugar and sweets.

Salty Avoid table salt and excessive use of salt.

Herbs Punarnava, Chitrak, Kutki for fatty liver, Pippali for lungs, Talisadi for lungs with white mucous, Trikatu, Gokshura for kidneys, Chandraprabha for weight and diabetes, Shilajit for kidneys-prostate, Gokshuradi Guggulu for kidneys-bladder, Punarnavadi Guggulu for edema, Arjuna for the heart, Echinacea or Mahasudarshan for immunity,

WHAT THERAPIES DOES AYURVEDA OFFER ?

Using a holistic approach, Ayurveda offers therapies for each of the five senses because different people learn better through different senses Therapies include:

Taste: Herbs and nutrition Touch: Massage (abhyanga), Yoga,

exercise Smell: Aromatherapy Sight: Color therapy Hearing: Music therapy and spiritual

therapies like mantra meditation and chanting

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MEDITATION Knowing yourself as an energy

field Tool to quiet the mind All diseases begin because we

unconsciously make bad choices, eg. smoking, overeating and wrong diet

Over a period of time this manifests in diseases

Key is to cultivate consciousness (awareness) that is to quiet the mind, so we can evaluate what we’re doing

Being present in the moment

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REVIEW Health means balance. Each constitution

has a natural tendency to become imbalanced or excessed. By eating foods and living a lifestyle that reduces the excesses, one remains balanced. Balancing produces healing, prevention, and slows the aging process

Many people have two or even all three elements in their constitution. In these cases, both elements tend toward excess. Thus foods and lifestyles that reduce both elements need to be followed 20

BIBLIOGRAPHY Lad, Vasant. Ayurveda: The science of

self healing. Lotus Press: Santa Fe, 1984 Lad, Vasant. The Complete Book Of

Ayurvedic Home Remedies. Harmony Books: New York, 1998

Morrison, Judith H. The Book Of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health and Longevity. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1995, A Fireside Book.

Special thanks to Dr. Rakesh Kumar for his invaluable contribution 21

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