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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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This ancient healing system has three main focuses:
1) Healing illness
2) 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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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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When these elements are balanced, one is healthy.
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Illness is defined as an imbalance of these elements; all disorders are excesses of one or more element.
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Vata or Vayu meaning wind, is composed of the elements air and space. Vata is the subtle energy of movement
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Pitta, or bile, is composed of the elements fire and water and is the energy of digestion and metabolism
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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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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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A person's constitution (dosha) is predominantly one or more of these elements
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Each element relates to certain body types, foods and health concerns
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By nature, whatever a person's constitution is, they have a tendency for it to become excessed
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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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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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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 Jealous
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Dry
Light
Cold
Rough
Subtle
BALANCING VATA DOSHA
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Astringent
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.
Avoid unripe or astringent foods, such as apple, pear, pomegranates
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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.
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Hot
B ALANCING PITTA DOSHA
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.
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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
Oily
No hydrophilic (water retentive) foods, such as yogurt, salt, apricots, grapefruit.
Avoid fatty fried food, sesame oil, peanut butter, sharp or fatty or salty cheeses, and fatty yogurt.
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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
Pungent
Herbs
Avoid sour fruits, such as grapefruit, lemons (lime is OK), green grapes, tamarind. No sour or acidic food, such as vinegar, tamarind sauce, storebought yogurt or more than 1000mg per day of vitamin C. Eat sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes.
No spicy food, such as salsa, chilis, cayenne pepper, and mustard.
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.
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Heavy
Slow
Dull
Cool
Oily
BALANCING KAPHA DOSHA
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.
Avoid a slow, sedentary lifestyle and daytime sleeping. Depressed, slow, melancholy mood further increases slow quality. Keep active and do exercise.
No meat, frozen food, dairy products. Use spicy food, brahmi + pippali with honey.
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.
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
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vinegar.

Dense
Soft
Static
Liquid
Sticky
Sweet
Salty
Herbs
Avoid meat, cheese, and other dense foods. Daytime sleeping should be avoided as it increases kapha molecules.
Do not sleep on a soft bed or water bed. Sleep on a hard mattress.
Avoid a sedentary lifestyle and excessive sleep. No sleeping during daytime. Don ’ t use remote controls and do a lot of physical
activities.
Minimize your liquid intake and the use of hydrophilic substances such as salt and yoghurt. Dry massage is good.
Avoid cheese, yoghurt, and other heavy, sticky foods.
Avoid refined sugar and sweets.
Avoid table salt and excessive use of salt.
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 kidneysprostate, Gokshuradi Guggulu for kidneys-bladder, Punarnavadi
Guggulu for edema, Arjuna for the heart, Echinacea or
Mahasudarshan for immunity,
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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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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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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
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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
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