Ayurvedic Insight
Issue #7, April 2002
In this Issue
Spring Ahead
By John Douillard, D.C.
The earth holds onto more water in the spring making congestion
a problem for many. This is why we call spring “allergy season”.
If the earth is holding on to more water, then so shall we.
The best part is that nature provides the perfect antidote to the
accumulation of water and congestion. The only foods nature is making
available this time of year are light green vegetables, a few berries
and that is about it. These foods are mucous free, fat free and aimed
at cleansing the body of all the excess fats we ate all winter.
In the spring you want to avoid heavier foods like dairy, nuts,
red meats and shellfish. Most vegetables are good and so are beans,
which are not so good in the winter but very balancing in the spring.
The spring is weight loss season in Ayurveda. It is time for a low-fat
and mucous free diet used by all the weight loss gurus like Jenny
Craig and Weight Watchers. The difference is that Weight Watchers
tend to want us to stay on this diet for the rest of our lives, which
no one can do.
Ayurveda changes with the seasons; we eat the Kapha balancing diet
only in the spring and change with each season. When you go with the
flow of nature, you will see it's effortless and yes, this is true
for all body types.
When the seasons change, it is the natural time to cleanse the body.
The Native Americans always did their vision quests and fasting in
the spring. It was a natural time to purify themselves from all the
heavy winter meats, nuts and grains. There are many Ayurvedic approaches
to seasonal cleansing. For optimum health, do not let the seasons
change without some sort of cleansing effort.
Ayurvedic Remedies for Allergies
By John Douillard, D.C.
Allergies, whether from food, pollen, dust, mold, or dander, are
typically a form of hypersensitivity reaction. The underlying causes
of allergic symptoms are rarely from the allergens themselves, making
proper Ayurvedic diagnosis essential.
GENERAL CAUSES: A main causative factor of allergies is a by-product
of improperly digested food. This toxic substance, called ama, is
manufactured in the digestive system and is absorbed into the circulatory
system. Once systemic, ama can block and clog the channels of circulation.
The removal of ama in the circulatory system will often play a primary
role in the management of immediate allergic hypersensitivity. Depending
on body type, the underlying cause of allergic hypersensitivities
will vary. It should be understood that mental and emotional stresses
are also common contributing factors in a hypersensitive allergic
response.
You may want to try this Ama-Reducing Program for one month:
- Sip plain hot water every half-hour
- Drink eight to ten glasses of warm lemon water each day
- Avoid dairy and wheat and favor fruits and vegetables
- Eat a big, relaxing meal at lunchtime and soup for dinner
In addition to an ama-reducing regimen, Ayurveda will initially
recommend a balanced seasonal and daily routine that includes a proper
diet, morning exercise, a large relaxing lunch and light dinner.
Finally, one must have proper rest, which would mean bed by 10:00
pm or earlier, and waking up with the sun.
Note from Banyan: If you are suffering from rhinitis or excess dryness,
in Ayurveda, this may be understood as a Vata cause that would likely
respond well to the Vata treatments Dr. Douillard suggests below.
If you are suffering from sinusitis, internal heat, or excessive irritability
or anger, you may benefit from reading the Pitta causes and using
the Pitta treatments. If you are suffering from congestion or fatigue,
you may opt to read the Kapha causes and select Kapha treatments.
VATA CAUSES:
The vata body type is susceptible to various hypersensitivity reactions.
In the case of allergic rhinitis, a vata imbalance will cause excessive
dryness in the body. When this dryness finds its way to the respiratory
system and sinuses, the protective mucous lining will dry up. This
natural protection acts as a filter, temperature buffer, and first
line of allergic immunity.
When this layer of mucous dries up, the airborne allergens of dust,
pollen, and pollution act as irritants in the sinuses, evoking an
immediate hypersensitivity response. The body’s natural response
to these irritants is to lay down mucous as a means of protection.
The dryness alone will also trigger the body to produce mucous,
making allergic symptoms a common vata condition. In this instance,
allergic symptoms can be chronic and constant due to a deep mucosal
dryness rather than a particular allergen.
The vata body type is also particularly sensitive to lifestyle and
daily routine. Most importantly with regard to allergens, the vata
type must take the proper time to eat a large lunch in a relaxed atmosphere
without the distractions of television, magazines, or phone calls.
Such distractions aggravate the vata aspects of digestion, producing
ama and hypersensitivity reactions.
PITTA CAUSES:
The pitta type will be subject to an accumulation of heat in the
body and blood. The heat is produced as a result of a physiological
hypermetabolic state needed to burn off the excess ama in the blood.
This heat, as does all heat, will rise up in the body into the head
and neck.
When this heat rises up into the sinuses, the effect is one of dryness
along with the accumulation of impurities (ama) in the blood. The
result of the dryness aggravates vata as we mentioned previously,
and the excess blood ama aggravates pitta. The sinuses respond by
acting as organs of excretion rather than secretion producing an allergic
response.
The treatment for pitta-based allergic response is twofold. The
blood must be purified with pitta-pacifying herbs and the dryness
must be dealt with, as in the case of vata.
KAPHA CAUSES:
The kapha body type is classically the most susceptible to allergies
and kapha imbalances and is often mislabeled the causative factor
in most allergic conditions. It is the nature of kapha to produce
and hold onto more water, congestion, and ama, however, and the treatment
of kapha in all allergies is a common mistake.
The symptoms of most allergic responses are kapha in nature with
the production of congestion, fatigue, and malaise; but the CAUSE
of these kapha symptoms may be vata, pitta, or kapha. This diagnosis
is crucial.
It is, however, very common for the cause and symptoms of an allergic
response to be kapha in nature. In this regard, the treatment is straightforward
with the focus on pacifying kapha with bitter, astringent, and pungent
herbs and spices, in order to remove excess mucous.
Allergy treatments can become more complicated when multiple causes
are present. Imbalances in vata and kapha, for example, can easily
create chronic allergic symptoms. Treatment for each are opposite
in nature, and care must be given to balance both kapha and vata at
the same time.
VATA TREATMENTS:
- Nasya: Sniff sesame oil deeply into both nostrils two to three
times a day
- Triphala: ½ teaspoon per day on an empty stomach
- Ginger root tea: Three to four cups per day; also, chew small
pieces as a lozenge
PITTA TREATMENTS:
- ½ teaspoon of cumin seed as a lozenge during the day
- Triphala: ½ teaspoon twice a day on an empty stomach
- Nasya: Sniff coconut oil deeply into both nostrils two to three
times a day
- Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon with ¼ cup warm milk,
three times a day after meals
- Neem leaf tea: 3-4 cups per day as a detoxifier
KAPHA ALLERGY TREATMENTS
- Trikatu: ¼ teaspoon with raw honey before each meal
- Sitopladi: ½ teaspoon with raw honey three times a day
on an empty stomach
- Licorice: ½ teaspoon with warm water after meals
- Maintain a liquid diet one day per week, as ama-reducing therapy
Liquid Diet
This diet generally consists of eating vegetables and fruits which
have been put through a blender and liquefied, at regular intervals.
Meals can be taken warm or cold, and even with ice added. The liquid
diet is normally part of an Ayurvedic cleansing program; putting foods
through a blender prior to ingestion puts less strain on the digestive
system.
References
Atha Vale, V.B. Basic Principles of Ayurveda.
Town Prinery: Bombay, India. 1980.
Bhishagratna, K.L. Sushruta Samhita, Vols. 1-2.
Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office: Varanasi, India. 1981
Frawley, D. Ayurvedic Healing. Passage Press:
Salt Lake City, Utah. 1989.
Sharma, P.V. Caraka Samhita. Chowkhamba
Orientalia: Varanasi, India. 1981.
Note: The above articles have been published with permission from
Dr. John Douillard and have been slightly edited from their original
form. To read the original articles and learn about Dr. John Douillard,
please go to www.lifespa.com.
Or you can reach Dr. Douillard via:
John Douillard's LifeSpa
6666 Gunpark Dr E #102
Boulder, CO 80301
303.516.4848
Balanced By Banyan Botanicals
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Recipe:Ama-Reducing Dal
Preparation time: 30 minutes to one hour to make
the soup
3 days to sprout the mung beans
In a pressure cooker, put 2-3 c sprouted mung beans and 3-4 c of
water
Bring to pressure and cook for about two minutes. Or cook the beans
and water in a covered saucepan until soft. Blend the beans and cooking
liquid in blender. Set aside. In a stainless steel soup pot, warm:
- 1.5 Tbsps. ghee or olive oil
Add:
- 1-2 inches fresh ginger root (1-2 Tbsps.) peeled and finely chopped
- 1-3 cloves of garlic, minced (omit if Pitta is high)
- ½-1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. coriander seeds
- ½-1 tsp. turmeric
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1/8 tsp. each of fennel seeds, hing, cinnamon, and cardamom
Toss until coated and their aromas emerge. Add to the spices
and oil:
- 2-3 c. chopped vegetables (broccoli, carrots, greens sprouts,
green beans, or asparagus work well)
Toss until coated. Stir for two minutes, then add:
Mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until
veggies are cooked. Add pureed mung beans to soup pot. Stir. Bring
to a boil again. Reduce heat and let soup simmer for 5 minutes. Add
more water if a thinner consistency is desired. Add: ½ tsp
salt to taste.
Comments: This recipe comes from Ivy Blank, based on a dish made
by Drs. Smita and Pankaj Naram of Bombay. It is specifically designed
to reduce ama and rest the digestive tract during illness, convalescence
or rejuvenation therapy. The mung beans are cooling by nature, yet
are warmed by the addition of the ginger and the other warming spices.
Amounts of the spices and the type of vegetables used can be adjusted
to suit the individual. One stick of kombu can also be added to reduce
gas and add trace minerals. This is an excellent one-dish meal which
can be served a few times each week to rest the system, if you like.
Recipe reprinted with permission from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea
Morningstar with Urmila Desai, Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes,
WI 53181. ©1990 All Rights Reserved.
Prana - Discovering the Health Benefits of Yoga
An interview with certified yoga instructor, Chitra Giauque
Ayurvedic Insight (AI): Chitra, there are so many yoga practices
and ideas about yoga, what does yoga really mean to you?
Chitra: Yoga is using our form, this mind-body complex, to understand
more deeply who we are and why we are here. Each person’s journey
through that form is going to look different. If we move beyond the
competitive mind it allows a unique understanding of our own inner
landscape through breath and movement. We can learn how the contractions
in the body have a connection to our thoughts and feelings and really
how the mindstuff we are creating actually manifests into form. We
are creating that moment by moment, so if we become aware of it, we
can start to unravel it. It isn’t just a physical practice,
it is being able to witness the mental, emotional and spiritual process
too, so we can understand how we are creating and start to shift into
something more life-affirming and positive.
AI: So, it’s been said that the sun salutation is a great practice
for beginners as well as those who have been practicing for some time.
Can you tell us why?
Chitra: Each of the twelve movements are done in tandem with the
inhale or exhale and so we are able to feel the shakti/energy of our
life force potentized through the practice.
Once we directly join the breath with the movement, we really feel
the benefits of the poses. This is most important. This set of poses
tones and strengthens the whole endocrine system, and the body takes
its cues from that glandular system. The whole system can become harmonized
because of that feedback loop. The sun salutation can build strength,
flexibility, and endurance. It’s all there, it’s a complete
practice and you’ll be healthy and happy for the rest of your
life if you do it.
AI: How can the sun salutation help what single poses maybe can’t?
Chitra: The sun salutation is a series of twelve poses, and a repetition
of those poses. Once in a flow, the mind is able to let go of the
structure, the marriage of the breath and movement happens, the mind
is able to relax and the body gets benefit of opening more deeply.
So, it isn’t that it isn’t happening when we are doing
single postures, but it’s just that it isn’t as obvious
as when we are working with a variety of movements. Vinyasa (flow)
is a kind of meditation in motion.
AI: How long and how often should one do this practice?
Chitra: In the beginning it’s enough to just focus on each
of the poses individually and begin to understand the alignment of
each posture as it stands by itself. Each pose has a certain action
as well as its own energy. To really get the alignment and fluidity
of the pose is what creates the completeness. Then, the next step
is to focus on the transition between the poses and flow them together
like beads on a mala; that whole flow has a larger impact on transformation
and healing.
Once you are able to be in a continuous flow then you can begin by
maybe doing 3 to 4 sets and then work up to 12, the classical number.
12 sets mirror the 12 phases of the sun. This is traditional.
AI: In sun salutations and yoga in general, how important is the
breath?
Chitra: If the breath isn’t there, it is not yoga. What really
distinguishes yoga and cardio-vascular exercise is just that, the
breath is being channeled and directed. It is regulated and controlled
as we are doing the postures. Next month, I’d like to focus
on breath in this column.
Namaste.
Chitra is a certified breema bodyworker and private therapeutic yoga
instructor based in Albuquerque, NM. She is on staff at the Ayurvedic
Institute and New Mexico Sports and Wellness and can be reached at
505.323.8023.
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