Ayurvedic Insight
Issue #42, May 2005
In This Issue
Spring Cleaning From the Inside - Out
by Shannon Mooney
Spring is a time of renewal. Our bodies are constantly
changing in dynamic response to our environment and are
affected by many factors including our daily work and
activities, diet and seasonal changes. The three doshas,
vata, pitta, kapha, are the bodily humors that reflect
shifts or changes in our environment. Ayurveda teaches that
we must always look to nature for guidance, particularly
during the change of seasons when our bodies are most
susceptible to illness.
Our bodies are a microcosm of the universe around us. Just
as the snow melts and earth thaws, rivers run and water
pools, the heavy, dense kapha that has accumulated in the
body over the winter months begins to liquefy. The fluids
become more free-flowing. Common symptoms of this process
include post-nasal drip, colds, congestion, bronchial
conditions and lung problems.
Spring is considered the best time to cleanse and rejuvenate
the body, mind and senses. In order to maintain harmony and
balance during this time, Ayurveda suggests adopting a
seasonal regime. Diet and lifestyle habits should include
substances and practices that contain the opposite qualities
of the season. Since the spring weather is wet, we should
take more drying foods and herbs and add cleansing habits to
our lifestyles.
Within your morning routine, aside from brushing and
flossing the teeth, gently scrape the tongue. This practice
helps to remove bacteria and toxins, improves digestion and
provides a gentle massage to the internal organs. Gargling
is also an excellent practice to help strengthen teeth and
gums, provide clear sense of taste and protect the voice.
Try gargling with ¼ cup warm water mixed with a little
sesame oil to help nourish the throat and mouth. Finally,
placing a couple drops of Banyan Botanicals nasya oil in
each nostril helps relieve congestion in the nasal passages
and sinuses.
When kapha begins to liquefy, it can be distributed
throughout the body and begin to disturb agni, or digestive
fire. Particularly during the morning when agni is weakest,
heavy foods should be avoided as they can burden the
digestive system. Instead, it is important to begin to eat
lighter foods to help strengthen digestive capabilities.
Favor foods that have a drying quality, avoiding heavy,
dense and cold foods.
While Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of the six tastes -
sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent - being
represented in our diets, we also need to support our bodies
through favoring certain tastes according to our prakritis
(constitutions) and according to the seasons. During the
spring season, favor the astringent taste to help dry and
balance the excess liquid generally aggravated at this time.
Some perfect seasonal spring vegetables that contain these
qualities are arugula, mustard greens, fiddleheads, parsley,
celery, chard, kale, dandelions and asparagus. Grains with a
more drying quality are barley, rye, millet, basmati rice
and corn. Reduce fats, oils and limit dairy during this
time. To help promote digestion and detoxification, include
spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon
and ginger. Ideally, these spices should be tempered in warm
ghee to bring out their medicinal qualities before adding to
vegetables.
Drinking hot ginger tea or tulsi-ginger tea throughout the
day and before meals helps to stimulate agni and assist in
cleansing excess kapha and toxins from the body. This is a
simple, but most effective practice to add to your daily
health regime.
Traditionally in Ayurveda, Sitopaladi is a formula that
assists in drying up excess mucus particularly within the
respiratory channels. Banyan Botanicals Lung Formula is a
synergistic blend of herbs promoting healthy respiration and
is commonly indicated for allergies, asthma, bronchitis,
chest congestion and lung disorders. It is extremely useful
for kapha imbalances.
Our bodies naturally want to cleanse at this time. Proper
elimination is very important particularly during the
cleansing process. When there is undigested matter, toxins
can accumulate in the body causing disease. Taking Triphala
on a daily basis can help ensure proper elimination while
cleansing the entire digestive tract and tonifying the
colon. Triphala can be taken as a tea or in tablet form a
half hour before bedtime.
We naturally have the urge to be more active and alert in
the warm weather months. This tendency helps to compensate
for the slow and dull qualities of kapha. Exercise in
moderation daily. The warming and mobile qualities of
exercise help to liquefy and move excess kapha in the body.
With more daylight hours available, consider getting outside
and exploring the wonders of nature. Find inspiration in the
rebirth you witness, as nature reawakens after the dormancy
of winter.
Within your yoga practice, asanas should be invigorating,
inviting an upward movement of energy. Sun Salutations
(Surya Namaskara) invoke this quality when practiced
rapidly. Fish pose (Matsyasana) is especially good for
removing excess kapha from the lungs and stimulating the
thyroid gland. Also include standing postures, such as
Warrior (Virabhadrasana) that open the chest with arm
extensions, either out to the sides or overhead. All
standing postures are beneficial to kapha along with any
pose that works the thighs and stomach area. Breathe deeply,
filling the body with prana with each inhalation. Release
old holding patterns with each exhalation.
Bhastrika pranayama is an active breath practice that helps
to create more heat in the body and improve digestion by
increasing agni. It can also alleviate sinus congestion and
create a feeling of exhilaration. Skull-Shining Breath
(Kapalabhati) is a similar, more gentle pranayama offering
many of the same benefits.
Meditating daily is an important cleansing process for the
mind. This may be the most effective way to combat stress
and allow ourselves to release all that does not serve us in
the present moment. When kapha is imbalanced, there is an
emotional tendency towards attachment. Meditation is a
practice of letting go. Each moment serves as an opportunity
to begin again.
Spring is an opportune time to cleanse from the inside, out.
Making seasonal adjustments to your daily routine is a way
of inviting flexibility and harmony into your body, mind and
spirit. By strengthening digestion and cleansing toxins from
the body this spring, we can renew our sense of self just
like the new supple green shoot emerging from the rich,
moist earth.
Exclusive Offer for Ayurvedic Insight Subscribers
During May, we are happy to offer special savings on Tongue Cleaners!
Tongue Cleaners
Benefits of tongue cleaning:
- Reduces the toxins and bacteria on the tongue that cause bad breath
- Enhances the sense of taste
- Improves digestion
- Gently stimulates the internal organs
- Helps eliminate unattractive coating on the tongue (ama)
According to Ayurveda, cleaning the tongue is an important
part of the daily oral hygiene routine, along with regular
brushing and flossing of the teeth. Gently scraping the
tongue with a tongue cleaner, a traditional design made in
the U.S.A., can effectively reduce the bacteria in the mouth
that cause bad breath.
Regular price $6.95 Sale price $5.95
(You save $1.00!)
To place an order and save on each Tongue Cleaner, call us
toll-free at 1.888.829.5722 and mention promotion code
AY505. You can also order online at
http://www.banyanbotanicals.com. To qualify for the discount
you must enter the code AY505 in the "Promotional Code" box
of the check-out form.
All orders must be received by May 31, 2005. This offer may
not be used in conjunction with other special offers or
discounts.
Recipe: Carrot Raisin Salad
- Vata, 0 Pitta, 0 Kapha
- 2 T. raisins, organic
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 t. raw honey
- 2 T. cold-pressed olive oil
Soak raisins at least 10 minutes in a cup of hot water. This
will make them plump and easier to digest.
Drain raisins and add to grated carrots in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together lemon juice and honey. Whisk in olive oil.
Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Ayurvedic Cooking for
Westerners by Amadea Morningstar, Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325,
Twin Lakes, WI 53181.©1995 All Rights Reserved.
Upcoming Events
Three Day Ayurveda Conference with Dr. Vasant Lad, June
3-5, 2005 at Doubletree Hotel, 100 City Drive, Orange, CA.
The course teaches the following: fundamental Ayurvedic
concepts of the five elements and the three doshas,
recognizing a patient's unique constitution, Ayurvedic diagnosis with pulse reading, observation and examination,
the effects of seasonal change, diet and exercise,
pathogenesis and management of disease, herbology and
treatments, case presentations with respect to diseases
arising out of specific doshic imbalances. 13 hours of CME
credits are approved for physicians and pharmacists. For
registration, visit http://www.tulsihealth.com/ or call Dana
714-279-8680.
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