Ayurveda

Ayurveda Fundamentals:

Ayurveda focuses on enlivening the divine inner intelligence of the body and strengthening the body’s natural healing ability.

“Ayurveda’s primary approach is to eliminate the root cause of disorders, rather than focusing on specific symptoms.”

According to Ayurveda, disorders are primarily the result of imbalances and impurities that accumulate in the body over time. The specialty of Ayurveda is in diagnosing imbalances at an early stage—even before symptoms arise, eliminating those imbalances from the body, and providing knowledge on how to live a healthy, balanced routine that supports one’s unique mind/body make-up.

Ayurveda considers every treatment approach in terms of its effect on the entire mind/body system. Maharishi (SVA Lineage) Ayurveda also emphasizes the important role of consciousness, the lively intelligence that underlies the physiology, in maintaining and creating health.

Food is medicine & good digestion is key

Your digestive fire (agni) is one of the most important keys to good health. When you’re digesting your food well and assimilating all its nutrients, your body produces ojas (life’s essense), the source of vitality. When your digestion is out of balance, ama (toxins), can accumulate and lead to long-term health challenges. Ayurveda is all about priming your digestion so you always feel your best.

Dinacharya (daily routine)—Aligned with Nature, Aligned with the Rhythms of the Cosmos

When you’re aligned with nature’s rhythms, you just feel more balanced. Simple things like getting to bed early, making time for meditation and yoga, and eating your largest meal at noon, when both the sun and your digestive fire are at their peak, can help you feel more energized and alert. The Ayurvedic dinacharya (daily routine) helps you stay on track. Ayurvedic living during the spring, summer, fall, and winter offers added insights into how to live in harmony with the seasons.

Healing herbs: Welcome to the Apothecary

Plant-based wisdom lies at the heart of Ayurveda. The medicinal properties in herbal-infused formulated oils will help you to align and restore. In an Ayurvedic diet, herbs are used to heal any imbalances as well as promote healthy digestion.

Here are a few of my favorite Ayurvedic Herbs to work with. I make my own organic Ayurvedic oils from which I utilize in my sessions. The power is in the plants!

1. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is one of the most highly regarded and commonly used adaptogens in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. Maximizing the body's ability to resist stress, it enables the body to reserve and sustain vital energy throughout the day while promoting sound, restful sleep at night. It is considered one of the best herbs for calming vata and for revitalizing the male reproductive system. Used by men and women, it maintains proper nourishment of the tissues, particularly muscle and bone, while supporting proper function of the adrenals. This potent herb is used to promote muscle strength and to support comfortable joint movement. It is also used to maintain potency and a healthy libido, for it is said to bestow upon its user the vitality and strength of a horse. As a rejuvenative, Ashwagandha powder is often included in food and drink recipes that support adrenal health, and is particularly useful to seniors and for anyone that would benefit from a nourishing, natural source of energy.

2. Sesame Oil

Rich, robust, and “true” in scent, unrefined Sesame Oil is a fundamental part of the Ayurvedic tradition. I source the sesame seed oil from an organic vendor where the sesame seeds are harvested at peak ripeness, and the oil is extracted using a chemical free, natural expeller pressed method, creating a wonderfully versatile oil that supports your well-being. This is the carrier oil I will typically use in making Ayurvedic oil blends.

3. Rose

Roses have been used in herbal medicine for centuries and are full of healthful properties.

Rose hips (the seed pods of the rose plant)contain very high levels of vitamin A and C, which boosts the immune system, prevents oxidative stress, and helps prevent many heart and blood vessel disorders.

Vitamins A and C are well-known for their necessity in collagen production. Collagen is the structural protein in skin that maintains its firmness and suppleness. Vitamin C helps to stimulate skin cells and the production of collagen, resulting in more youthful, revitalized skin.

Vitamin C can also increase the skin’s brightness and tone, help pores appear smaller, and even fade acne scarring. It is worth noting that many people have had great success in using rose hip seed oil to fade hyperpigmentation and sun spots.

Appearing at least 35 million years ago in the fossil record, roses have a long history of use in medicine and beauty since their domestication. Early Native Americans used roses for medicinal purposes including the treatment of colds, fevers, the flu, burns, cataracts, sore throats, and various stomach upsets. One species of rose, Rosa chinensis, has long been used as an element in Chinese traditional medicine.

4. Brahmi/Gotu Kola

Those familiar with "the doctrine of signatures" may not find it surprising that a plant with a leaf that resembles a cerebellum would have a special affinity for the brain. Brahmi (Centella asiatica) is a renowned mental rejuvenative traditionally used to promote the intellect, enhance mental performance, and support proper function of the nervous system. The leaves are highly sattvic (pure, harmonious) and historically have been eaten by yogis to assist in meditation. Brahmi is said to improve concentration, memory, and alertness. It is a natural blood purifier and helps support clear, healthy skin. Brahmi is also famous for promoting healthy, lustrous hair and is often applied as an oil for this purpose. Gotu Kola supplements are cooling and relaxing, making them an excellent tonic for pitta. Brahmi also calms vata in the mind and reduces excess kapha in the body. A truly amazing herb that lives up to its name, which means "the energy of universal consciousness."

5. Tumeric

This common Indian kitchen spice has a broad range of beneficial properties. It bolsters the immune system, purifies the blood, and promotes clear, healthy skin. Turmeric (Curcuma longa) strengthens digestion and eliminates toxins from the GI tract. It supports proper function of the pancreas, reduces kapha, and promotes healthy blood glucose levels that are already within the normal range. Turmeric soothes and nourishes the joint tissue and promotes comfortable movement. An excellent herb for those with kapha constitutions or imbalances, turmeric supports proper function of the heart and helps clear the channels of the physical and subtle bodies.

6. Shatavari

Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) is a rejuvenating herb that cools the body and strengthens and nourishes the tissues. Traditionally used to maintain the healthy production of female hormones, Shatavari may be translated as "100 spouses," implying its role in promoting fertility and vitality. As a nutritive tonic it encourages the healthy production of milk in lactating mothers and the healthy production of semen in would be fathers. It is also useful during menopause and for women who have had hysterectomies. Shatavari supports a healthy immune system and assists in both physical and mental digestion. Its unctuous quality soothes and nurtures membranes of the lungs, stomach, kidneys, and reproductive organs. Sattvic (pure, harmonious) in nature, Shatavari calms the mind and promotes love and devotion.

7. Tulsi

Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) is one of the most sacred plants in India and is often kept in courtyards and houses for its purifying and beneficial influence on its surroundings. It removes excess kapha from the lungs and upper respiratory tract promoting clear, comfortable breathing. Tulsi promotes healthy circulation and supports proper function of the heart. It strengthens digestion and supports proper weight management. Tulsi bolsters the immune system and is useful for maintaining a normal body temperature. Highly sattvic in nature, it heightens awareness and promotes mental clarity. It is said to open the heart and mind and bestow the energy of love and devotion. Tulsi clears the aura and strengthens faith and compassion (Yoga of Herbs)

8. Punarnava

Literally meaning "the one that renews," punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa) is well known in Ayurveda for its health promoting qualities. It is one of the best herbs for balancing and rejuvenating kapha and is an ingredient in most traditional kapha-reducing formulas. Punarnava is used to support proper function of the heart, liver, and kidneys and to promote comfortable movement of the joints for those with kapha constitutions and imbalances. It promotes healthy weight management especially when one is prone toward easily gaining weight rather than losing it. Punarnava also supports the healthy elimination of urine and comfortable fluid levels in the tissues.

Life presents us with many challenges and opportunities. Though there is much of which we have little control, we do have the power to decide our diet and lifestyle. In order to maintain balance and health, it is important to pay attention to these decisions. Diet and lifestyle appropriate to one’s individual constitution, strengthen the body, mind and consciousness.