About Ayurveda
Ayurveda at a Glance:
a Brief Introduction
You've probably seen Ayurveda mentioned in health magazines and articles, and you've undoubtedly heard of Deepak Chopra, but many people still have no idea what this elegant healing system has to offer. Ayurveda (pronounced "Ai-ur-veh-duh") is one of the oldest healing systems in the world, originating in the Himalayas over 4,000 years ago. The word Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit: "Ayur" translates as life, and "veda" means science or knowledge of.
Ayurveda Lifestyle Counseling
In lifestyle counseling sessions, you learn how to integrate basic, easy to use concepts from this natural, holistic healing method and to work in alignment with your true nature instead of against it. And -- not to worry -- although Ayurveda can get quite technical and in-depth, its common-sense principles are very accessible to us living in modern times.
To understand how Ayurveda might help you, there are a few important points you need to know:
The Doshas
The foundation of Ayurveda is the viewpoint that everything, on all levels, is composed of three basic elements:
Vata (Air/Ether), which has qualities that can be described as light, dry, irregular, hard, subtle, rough, clear, agitated, and dispersing. Vata in its "purest" form in the body can be seen as the electric impulses running through the nervous system, thoughts, and the chi in the meridians. Disorders of Vata include gas, bloating, migrating aches and pains, nervousness, tremors.
Pitta (Fire) is described as bright, smooth, hot, fluid, sharp, flowing, liquid, oily, penetrating, aggressive. Its most evident manifestation in the body is seen in the digestive fluids that transform food into nutrients and energy, and the ability to concentrate. Disorders include inflammation, fevers, rashes, irritability.
Kapha (Water/Earth) is described as heavy, cold, inert, slow, dense, dull, thick, soft, damp, sticky, and clouded. It's most evident in the body as fatty tissue, lubricating fluids in the joints and throughout the body, and as tissue/muscles. Disorders include obesity, diabetes, depression, lethargy.
We are born with all three as part of our physical constitutions, with one or two usually dominant. These three elements are referred to as doshas, a word meaning "that which rots," or "fault," for when Vata, Pitta or Kapha go out of balance, disease can result. Imbalance can occur through improper lifestyle, poor nutritional habits, accident or trauma, emotional and/or physical stress, etc.
Another important aspect of the doshas to understand is that they play a role in our thoughts and feelings as well as physically. Pitta of the mind manifests as irritability and competitiveness, for example, and may be provoked in a Pitta person who eats too much spicy food. It also works the other way 'round -- the mind can affect the body -- for example, a Vata person feeling spacey after too much mental stimulation may feel shaky physically, or restless. Anxiety can interfere with digestion, causing constipation and/or bloating.
The Importance of Good Digestion
Ayurveda places a great deal of emphasis on digestion in order to maintain health. Poor digestion is thought to be the root of disease.
Ayurveda maintains that "ama" (undigested food stagnating in the system) is the root cause of disease. The effects of Ama are experienced as fatigue, heaviness, constipation, indigestion, gas and diarrhea, and bloating. When the doshas are provoked because of poor diet and lifestyle and/or negative emotions, this first affects "agni" (the body's biological fire), which governs digestion and assimilation of food.
When this process is weakened or disturbed, digestion is further impaired and food is not digested properly. These undigested food particles accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and turn into ama, which is sticky and toxic. When this goes on long enough, these toxins are absorbed through the intestinal wall and overflow into other bodily channels. You can tell if ama is present if you see a thick white coating on your tongue.
According to Ayurveda, disease is a process by which the body is trying to clear itself of this toxic build up, so you can see why Ayurveda places so much emphasis on strong digestion and healthy food choices.
Ayurveda lifestyle counseling helps you to figure out how to rebalance at all levels - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually - by assessing how your current diet, activities, exercise routine, sleep patterns, and personal interactions are working (or not working) with your pakruti (elemental doshic nature).� You can then determine what changes, if any, you'd like to make to reduce stress and feel better.
One aspect I appreciate about Ayurveda is that by balancing the doshas, you balance the body at the energetic and emotional levels as well. It's a great complimentary modality to use with energywork.
We can focus on specific current concerns, such as increasing your energy level, improving sleep, strengthening your digestion, etc.
The Essential You
The first step is to determine your physical constitution -- whether you are primarily Vata, Pitta, or Kapha, and from that you can determine is likely to aggravate your dosha. You can discover how to mitigate imbalancing choices and how to support your dosha to achieve optimal health and wellness.
If you'd like to receive your free copy of the ebook "Ayurveda Basics" to take the assessment questionnaire and determine your dosha, click here.
We then meet, either in person or by phone, to discuss your current concerns, and you are asked to complete a detailed, in-depth Client Assessment form which includes your medical history. We can then see how your past and current imbalances translate into Ayurvedic patterns.
Food Diary
You'll also be asked to keep a food diary for two weeks so we can look at food choices and combinations to see how this might affect your doshic balance. From there, sessions are highly individual. Some people might want more help with menu planning, others with lifestyle issues such as type of exercise, work environment evaluation, or may want guidance with herbal formulas to choose those that are most balancing for them.
Ourselves as Healers
One of the strengths of Ayurveda is acknowledging the individual's power in healing themselves. Taking responsibility as much as possible for our health and willingness to deliberately participate in our healing process is crucial to maintaining health and balance.
Responsibility is not about blame, guilt, praise, fault, or burden.
All such negative states of mind can be immobilizing and will slow down the healing process by directing energy away from where it's needed. The goal of this system is not to provide you with another excuse for self-criticism, but to give you the opportunity for informed choice.
Click here to find out more about Ayurvedic lifestyle counseling.
Click here to contact me about an appointment!
Important disclaimer:
All
information contained on this website is educational, given for purposes for self-care only and is
not meant to take the place of standard medical treatment.
Ms. Fiore does not diagnose or prescribe but offer information about alternative healing philosophies, leaving
the choice of how this information is used up to the individual. The
product descriptions on this web page contain information on the
traditional healing properties and uses of various plants.
This
information has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended as a
substitute for medical advice, but only to apprise the reader of some
of the many applications of the Ayurvedic healing system and other
holistic approaches, the possible uses of plants, herbs and products
for wellness.
The information and products listed on this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
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