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Ayurvedic Insight
Issue # 13, October 2002
In this Issue
“ Love is the most powerful healing force on earth, and it
is available to us all. If we can learn how to love one another, there
is nothing we can't do."
-- Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ayurvedic Basics
By Melissa A. Sfida
Ayurveda has roots in India, a country that has never tired in its
search for light, and a culture that encourages each of us to feel
life and pray for victory in life.
The word “Ayurveda” is translated from Sanskrit into
English as: “the science of life.” It has been shown to
heal the human being on every level, body-mind and spirit, and to
instill greater health and happiness upon all of those who are faithful
in the use of its remedies.
The practices and prescriptions of Ayurvedic medicine have withstood
the most arduous and thorough test, the one of time. In its 5,000
years of passage, it has journeyed across vast oceans and overcome
cultural, language and spiritual barriers to share its remedies with
millions of people the world over.
Its primary physician, Mother Nature, is familiar to all. Her most
common prescriptions – plants; foods; breath awareness; gentle,
loving touch and prayer are universally accessible. And because of
its ancient roots, Ayurveda has been deemed “the ‘mother’
of all healing systems.”
Its popularity is in large part attributed to trust, as throughout
our lives we are shown that only things that are true actually have
sustenance. When something works, we believe in it, we use it again
and again, and we pass it along. Such has been the journey of Ayurveda.
Yet despite our knowledge that truth prevails while the rest fades,
it seems only natural to want to learn more about what works for us
and why, especially in a society that holds “science”
sacred. So, below you will find a brief breakdown of the basics of
Ayurveda. You can also log onto our website at www.banyanbotanicals.com
for more information.
Ayurvedic basics:
In Ayurveda, the body is primarily understood via the use of three
bodily humours, called “doshas.” The doshas are vata,
pitta and kapha. Vata is best understood as the Ether and Air of your
body --- the spaces, the cavities, the nervous system and gaseous
exchange. It is the most mobile dosha. Pitta is understood as the
Fire and Water of your body --- it is primarily involved in the transformations
of the body, and as such, is composed of fluids that break things
down in the body, such as enzymes. Kapha is composed of Water and
Earth, this is the most stable dosha, and includes the lymph, fat,
large solid organs and heavier parts of the body.
Each of us is born with a natural equilibrium, a healthy composition
of all three doshas. Some of us are primarily vata-types (airy, spacey,
creative); others are mainly pitta (ambitious, aggressive, fiery);
and some mostly kapha (laid-back, sturdy, complacent). We are at our
healthiest when our doshas are in their original composition. However,
throughout our lives, it is common for a dosha to increase beyond
its natural proportion for us (due to stress, weather, emotions, improper
food combinations or amounts, aging, etc…). When doshas increase,
an environment where dis-ease or imbalance can flourish is cultivated.
Ayurveda suggests that decreasing the dosha will help us to regain
a healthy balance in our constitution.
Medicines, in Ayurveda, are those things that decrease a dosha by
providing the opposite qualities to it. Medicines are things like,
but not limited to: herbs, breathing techniques, massage techniques,
yoga postures, foods and/or environments. For example, if one’s
vata has increased due to excess activity - a quiet, calm environment
can be a medicine. If it has increased due to excess dryness, wetness
can be the medicine. Too much cold? Use heat.
Although its roots are deep, it is a simple system of medicine to
understand and use. As you become more familiar with the qualities
of the doshas, you will understand precisely how to treat yourself
to maintain a state of balance. And before you know it, “kapha,”
“pitta” and “vata” will be as familiar to
you as “sturdy,” “fiery” and “spacey.”
At Banyan, it is our commitment to help you learn more about Ayurveda,
so that you can access its wisdom and attain optimal health and happiness.
Please know that your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
May this harvest season be one of abundance.
“In meditation we consider carefully divine things, and we
pass from one to another, so that the heart may feel love…the
love we were seeking is here. The soul enjoys silence and peace, not
by many reasonings, but by simply contemplating the Truth.”
How Reducing Vata Can Restore Your Health
By Dr. Claudia Welch
The main qualities of vata are dry, light, cool, rough, subtle and
mobile. If you are predominantly vata or have a vata imbalance, it
is likely that your body and mind are primarily composed of these
qualities.
In excess, the “dry” and “rough” qualities
may manifest themselves as dry or brittle skin, lips, hair, nails
or bones (e.g. osteoporosis), as constipation, or as feeling "dry"
emotionally.
The "light" quality may manifest itself as a lanky physique.
In excess, lightness may manifest as being underweight, having muscle
wasting, light bones, insomnia or feelings of spaciness or insecurity.
The “cold” quality of vata may lead you to feel cold
more easily than others, you are likely to have cold hands and feet
and typically crave warmth.
The “subtle” quality may express itself as being introverted,
creative and having an active fantasy life.
The “mobile” quality may lead to a healthy ability to
"multi-task" or, in excess, causes scattered attention,
a tendency to fidget, and even tremors and nervousness. It may manifest
as extremes - such as being drastically different weights at different
times in your life.
Qualities opposite to vata are moist, grounding, warming, smooth,
oily and stabilizing. It is therefore best for vata individuals to
seek out physical and emotional environments, routines and foods that
possess these qualities.
A vata individual does well to have warming, freshly cooked, nourishing,
mushy foods, like soups, stews and one-pot-meals. Because of the inherent
"light" quality in vata, you may think that heavy foods
would nicely balance that quality, in moderation that is true, but
too much heavy food-or just too much food at a sitting--is too heavy
for the lightness of the vata digestive system.
The sweet, sour and salty tastes decrease vata, and these tastes
should be predominant in your diet. When selecting sweet foods, note
that naturally sweet foods like many grains, squashes, and most fruits
are appropriate, but processed foods, high in refined sugars, are
not at all balancing for any dosha. Refined sugars merely offer a
quick burst of energy, followed by a "crash," a pattern
that is already a hallmark feature of vata, and one that the vata
individual does well to avoid.
The ideal environment for a vata individual is warm and wet, like
Hawaii.
Sweet or grounding scents, like the essential oils of rose, jatamansi
or amber; sweet music and sweet emotions are also good "medicines"
for vata. And believe it or not, a daily, 10-20 minute, gentle self-massage
with warm sesame oil can positively change the life of a vata-type.
The mobile quality of vata can drive vata-types to do "1000"
things at one time. This can lead to exhaustion of the nervous system,
which in turn causes emotional and physical restlessness and eventual
"dis-ease." While a routine can feel contrary to your nature,
it can be extremely beneficial for you to incorporate into your life.
For example, rising and going to bed at about the same time every
day, giving regular time to meditation, gentle yoga and enjoying other
strengthening exercises that are easy on the joints. Also try having
regular meals, chewing them thoroughly and taking a breath before
moving on to your next activity.
In general, it is best to move through life as if you were a Zen
master. So, if you are trying to reduce vata, continually ask yourself,
"If a master were faced with this situation, how would she act?"
Take your time, a deep breath, AND THEN enjoy playing that part.
“ One who moistens his head with oil daily does not suffer
from headache, alopecia, graying of hair, nor do his hairs fall. By
applying oil on the head regularly, strength of skull parts increases
particularly, hairs become firm-rooted, long and dark, sense organs
become cheerful and the face with pleasant glow along with sound sleep
and happiness.”
-- Charaka Samhita, circa 700-600 B.C.
Balanced By Banyan Botanicals has
been created in response to the numerous calls and emails we have
received from clients who have achieved greater health through the
use of our products and services. We proudly pass these true stories
along to you - hoping to inspire you on your journey toward improved
health and ever-increasing happiness.
Balanced By Banyan Botanicals
I am writing to thank Banyan Botanicals for their excellent line
of products and friendly and informative staff.
At a recent visit to my salon, my hairdresser quietly asked me if
I had ever considered using Rogaine. He must have picked up on my
discomfort so he tried to reassure me. 'I used to use it and it really
works, although it gave me headaches and nausea, so I had to stop
using it.' His attempt to reassure me failed.
I mentioned this whilst placing an order with Banyan, and your representative
mentioned that Bhringaraj is an excellent Ayurvedic herb for hair
loss. I ordered some and tried it out.
I visited the salon again last night, and my hairdresser leaned over
my shoulder and said 'Wow, that Rogaine is working really, really
well.'
I laughed and said, 'I'm not using Rogaine.'
So thank you for the excellent suggestion. Apparently it is working!
I will continue to take my Bhringaraj, and I expect that you will
be receiving an order from my salon soon.
Yours sincerely,
Gavin Gourley, 25
Office Manager
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Recipe: Curried Potato Patties With Carrots
Preparation time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- 6 large or 8 small red potatoes
- 2 large carrots (2 cups grated)
- 1 ½ tablespoons sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (to taste, the lesser amount
for kapha)
- 2/3 cup green onions, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped (optional)
Put water in a large pot to boil for the potatoes. Wash the potatoes
well and leave on their skins. Put them in the water to boil until
tender, about ½ hour. While they are cooking, wash and finely
grate the carrots. Wash and finely chop the green onions. Put the
oil in a large skillet and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add
the grated carrot and cook just long enough to wilt them slightly.
Stir in the curry powder and salt. When the potatoes are done, drain
them and let them cool enough to handle them. Mash them well, with
a fork or your hands, and stir or mash in the rest of the ingredient,
including the uncooked green onion and coriander leaves. Form the
mixture into patties and cook on a skillet, browning them 1 to 2 minutes
on each side. Serve hot. If you are trying to reduce kapha or if you
have high ama (toxicity), use a non-stick pan and no oil. Makes sixteen
4-inch patties.
Comments: This goes well with Cucumber Raita and
a vegetable side dish. When making this recipe for a mixed group of
vatas and kaphas, you can make up the original recipe with a minimum
of oil and make the kapha patties first. Then add an extra tablespoon
or two of oil or ghee to the remaining mixture before making patties
for the vatas.
Cucumbers and potatoes are a good way to understand more about how
Ayurveda views foods. Both are cold and sweet, and yet cucumber is
considered relieving to vata and aggravating to kapha, while potato
is considered the opposite. It aggravates vata and calms kapha. Why
so? How is it that starchy potato calms kapha while cucumber balances
vata? It is due to the effect of their qualities. Cucumber is moist,
which vata needs. And potato is dry, which kapha needs. So vata needs
additional moisture with potatoes. The best bet is to try these and
see for yourself what works.
Garnish with extra ghee for vata. These delicious patties come from
Martha Callanan, cook and caterer extraordinaire in Santa Fe.
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
A Monthly Interview With Certified Yoga Instructor, Chitra
Giauque
AI: The last time we did this column we talked about the light, cold
and dispersing qualities of the fall season. These are the qualities
that are going to influence all three doshas the most during the next
couple of months. Is this going to bring balancing or imbalancing
qualities to each person?
Chitra: The fall season is a time that is particularly aggravating
to vata. So, people that are vata-predominant and people with vata
imbalances tend to suffer from things like dry, rough skin; constipation;
coldness, and a variety of other vata-caused conditions. Some of the
poses we discussed last month can help vata-types avoid such conditions,
and many of those poses good for people with pitta or kapha constitutions
as well. But this month I am going to cover more specific poses for
pitta and kapha types during this vata season/fall.
AI: O.k. Tell me more.
Chitra: Well, there are twenty qualities that characterize vata,
pitta and kapha. Some qualities are unique to each of them and some
are shared by them. Pitta and vata, for example, share the quality
of light. Vata and kapha share the quality of cold. If we become aware
of the qualities of the doshas, and understand which components of
each we have in our constitution, we can bring ourselves into balance.
In my experience, and in an Ayurvedic framework, like attracts like.
So, for example, because vata types are inherently mobile, they tend
to move around often and are attracted to change. They need the quality
of stability in order to stay grounded. This applies to the season
and environment as well. So, windy seasons like fall are particularly
aggravating to them, with the junction between seasons being a particularly
difficult time for them.
A pitta person is going to be attracted to qualities that are already
inherent in it, like heat. So, a pitta person may be attracted to
rigorous practices like the primary series and bikram’s, but
these practices may be too heating for them. In fact, because like
increases like, this is exactly the opposite of what an overheated
pitta person needs to stay balanced. For pitta-types with heat irritations,
they may need to bring in the exact opposite quality into their practice;
they may do best with a more cooling practice, even in the cooler
months.
And kapha types should shake up their tendency to be stable with
a change in routine. They do best with a flow (vinyasa) style yoga
practice. This is the best medicine for them. The kapha person will
benefit from the movement, air element, mobility and change. That’s
good for them because their tendency is to become too stuck…too
stagnant.
Since vata and kapha are inherently cold, and so is fall, it’s
unwise to increase cold in a yoga practice, pranayama routine, diet
or lifestyle.
The light of pitta and the mobile of vata are also particularly vulnerable
to imbalances during the fall because they are inherent in the dosha
as well as the season. So, a heavier routine is going to be more beneficial.
A kapha person should do well in this season because most of fall’s
qualities are naturally opposing to kapha’s nature, making it
easier for them to stay balanced. Heat liquefies kapha. So, if there
is excess fat or congestion it will move it. Heat-inducing routines
will help kapha digestion and also help prevent kapha types from getting
colds. Sun salutations are wonderful because they provide a mobile
and warming routine to them. They also increase circulation, respiration,
and move the lymph. In that way, that kind of routine will not allow
for aggravating kapha. Also, a great single pose that comes to mind
is camel.
AI: And for Pitta?
Chitra: Pitta is sharp and penetrating. Pitta-types tend to zero
in on something in a myopic way, almost, and that’s the why
they are the most obsessive. The expansive and dispersing quality
of vata is good for them. It lightens them up and forces them to relax
and let go of their fixations. The cold quality is ok for pitta, because
they are usually too hot. So, for a pitta person, in fall, they can
do forward bends which are also vata reducing. They can do moon salutations
which give them the movement that they have to have. Moon salutations
will also shift their energy without increasing their heat. They also
help balance emotions, which tend to be hot.
Pitta types usually do well, physically, in the cooler seasons. Their
minds are more likely to be affected by vata energy. They need to
focus the energy back into the core, so that there is not unrest in
the mind, otherwise they are doing well in this season. So the most
important thing for a pitta person in the fall is usually to pay attention
to the mind. So that then they can feel relief from the internal and
external coolness. Too much movement can be aggravating. Forward bends
like Janu shirsana come to mind.
AI: Are there some more tri-doshic poses?
Chitra: Shoulder stand, plow pose and fish pose will help balance
and harmonize all three doshas and simultaneously work on the endocrine
system. This helps balance the hormonal and chemical composition of
the body, which in turn helps balance the systems and organs in the
body. When the endocrine system is balanced, everything in the body
functions better. And this is a system very much positively affected
by a yoga practice.
AI: And tri-doshic breathing techniques?
Chitra: Tri-doshic breath of alternate nostril and ujjayi are really
good. Bhastrika or Kapila bati can be added to vata and kapha, so
that the cold doesn’t affect them too much. For a pitta person
in fall, we want something more balancing and not necessarily heating
or cooling, so best to just stick to alternate nostril breathing or
ujjayi.
AI: Anything else you’d like to suggest?
Chitra: Well, I feel like I should say that these are broad generalizations
using the Ayurvedic framework. I think it is crucial to note that
each of us has an individuality that expresses. We need to fine-tune
this by having a consultation or by becoming exceptionally self-aware.
If a pitta person is experiencing cold hands and feet, if they can’t
bring their energy up, then it would be fine for them to do something
heating, but if they are feeling heated or angry at the end of a practice
typically recommended more for vata and kapha, then they need to acknowledge
this and avoid heating practices. To really experience the benefits
of Ayurveda, you have to really go into yourself. Do chili peppers
cause acid reflux...or do they have positive results on your digestion
system?
Which qualities of the doshas affect us…and how do we remedy
them? The mystery of Ayurveda totally disappears as we learn to attend
to our lives - moment by moment. If I’m kapha and I love chocolate
and I notice I become lethargic, gain weight, and don’t feel
good about myself, then - do I really want to continue doing it? How
do I get to the place where I am taking care of myself and do not
want to negatively affect my health and progress.
As far as I can see, this is what liberation is. We liberate ourselves
first on the material plane…and then we get to the subtle. Every
time we get to a place that we stop doing things that are not life-affirming,
we’ve eliminated suffering a little bit, we become that much
closer to liberation. The more inner freedom we have, the less bound
up we become, and we come closer to expressing our full potential
and the beauty of individuality of that.
Chitra Giauque 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. If you are interested
in a private session, Chitra can be reached at 505.323.8023.
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