How Ayurveda Can Promote Good Health During Turbulent Times
I learned about Ayurveda many years ago when my first son was born with health challenges. As a new mom, I was overwhelmed and desperate to find a sensible solution to my baby's life-threatening allergies, frequent infections, croupy coughs, asthma, and sleepless nights. I was worried, tired, and discouraged by the lack of practical guidance despite the best intentions of the many conventional doctors I visited.
My new journey started when my son and I walked into the tiny office of Dr. Nita Desai, a physician and Ayurvedic practitioner in Boulder, Colorado. She greeted us with a big smile and a long, warm handshake. Despite my hesitation, I knew I was in the right place. In the matter of days, months, and years, I found the answers to my child's health challenges, as well as a solution for life-promoting health and a new sense of wellbeing. Since then, I have applied Ayurvedic principals to everyday life, especially when I need to stay grounded, centered, and deal with life's difficulties with strength, clarity, and optimism.
Ayurveda, considered holistic medicine, originated in India during the Vedic Period 5,000 years ago. The term, a combination of the two Sanskrit words Ayu and Veda, means the Science of Life. And perhaps the best way to understand the modern meaning relates to living a healthy lifestyle using common sense and a pinch of medicine. Ayurveda recognizes the powerful connections between the body, mind, and spirit as the only way to achieve perfect health, and is a different approach to western medicine. Still, it is similar to traditional healing systems such as Chinese (TCM), and Japanese (Kampo) medicines. These medical philosophies recognize the body's built-in healing capability that must be identified, activated, and maintained to overcome our health-related issues. So, our thoughts, reactions, emotions, and physical sensations play fundamental roles in healing, and are hard to incorporate if the body is in constant pain or discomfort.
The Ayurvedic method is like tuning an instrument; each mechanism in the orchestra must create perfect harmony. Thus, listening and paying attention are essential elements that allow the body's "orchestra" to perform using the same components that function in everyday life.
Ayurveda can bring our health and wellbeing to the next level of our potential, but it takes effort, self-discipline, and understanding of how to go about it. Here are fundamental concepts that create the foundation of Ayurvedic philosophy. Are you ready? Here you go:
Optimizing digestion
According to Ayurveda, you are what you can digest, absorb, and assimilate. Good digestion creates building blocks for a healthy body, a calm mind, and a blooming soul. The most popular ideas are: eating according to your constitution (dosha), creating a menu based on seasonal and local foods, eating slowly and mindfully, cooking with herbs and spices, having the largest meal at midday, avoiding snacking, and drinking pure warm water first thing in the morning.
DIY therapies
Ayurvedic therapies incorporate the mind and body because the autonomic nervous system responds appropriately to external and internal triggers. Some treatments take only a few minutes and are easy to perform every day, while others require regular commitment and self-discipline. The treatments mentioned in this blog are worth the time and effort: self-massage (Abhyanga) using warm oils, dry brushing before showering, tongue scraping, oil pulling (swishing oil in the mouth for 10 – 20 minutes), neti pot (nose irrigation), a hot bath with Epsom Salt, using a hot-water bottle, or castor-oil packs.
Physical activity
Ayurveda recommends staying active and choosing exercises according to one's constitution, time of the day, age, and the state of one's health. There is no single exercise plan that is right for everyone, just as with our diets. Ayurvedic practice favors physical activities that incorporate the body and mind, such as yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, walking, jogging, or gardening. These practices build strength in the body and give relief to busy minds.
Mindfulness
Being in the present and paying attention to what we experience "in the now" is the core of Ayurvedic philosophy, and meditation is the ultimate form of mindfulness. However, there are many other ways to practice mindfulness, such as yoga, walking in nature, breathing with awareness, concentrating on a single task, eating without distractions, and feeling sensations in the body with curiosity rather than judgment.
Connection to nature
There is no doubt that we are part of nature. Ayurveda states that the five elements—space, air, earth, water, and fire—comprise the physical world's foundation. These elements are essential ingredients for everything, including human beings. Understanding and cultivating this connection with nature creates harmony and health in our bodies and our lives. We can accomplish this by eating correctly, maintaining a daily routine (waking up at sunrise and winding down at sunset), and taking time to notice the beauty, peace, and wisdom of the natural environment.
Our bodies are continually looking for balance and our role is to promote this process. Ayurveda can help no matter where we start and which direction we want to go. This gentle approach can be applied at any age, any situation, and any condition. Ayurveda might be the answer we are looking for to heal ourselves, the world, and the planet.
Resources:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ayurveda
Dr. John Douillard at Lifespa.com
Finding Your Yoga; Essential Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle with Yoga and Ayurveda
Author’s note: The information in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It should not be considered as medical advice or a substitute for professional medical opinions, diagnoses, or treatment. Always consult your medical practitioner regarding a medical condition and before changing your diet, supplements, fitness, or other health programs.
About the author:
Urszula Bunting is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Registered Yoga Teacher, and published author. Urszula is passionate about empowering people to take charge of their health and to transform life’s difficulties into opportunities to grow. For more information, please visit www.ubwell4life.com.
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