An Introduction to Ayurveda

These three doshas govern all the biological, psychological and physiological functions of the body, mind and spirit. When they are in balance they maintain health and when they are out of balance they contribute to the disease process.

Vata relates to the principle of movement and within the body governs all biological movement such as: Expansion & contraction; Pulsations; Movements in muscles and tissues; Respiration; Impulses in nerve cells and Pain. The primary site for vata within the body is the colon. The qualities of vata are: cold; dry; light; mobile; rough; clear and subtle.

Pitta relates to the principle of transformation and within the body governs: Digestion; Assimilation; Absorption; Metabolism; Body temperature; Skin colouration; Intelligence and Understanding.  The primary site for Pitta within the body is the small intestine. The qualities of Pitta are: hot; oily; light; sharp; liquid and soft.

Kapha relates to the principle of structure and holds together the elements of the body. It is responsible for Lubrication, Building, Healing; Memory storage, Immunity, Strength and Stability. The primary site for kapha within the body is the lungs. The qualities of kapha are: cold; heavy; soft; unctuous; stable; solid; dense; slow and liquid.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Ayurveda can help you contact Mary Woolley at Ananda Veda on 02 4957 5727.

A person with a pre-dominate vata constitution is likely to exhibit many of the following characteristics:
- Tend to be light in body weight & bone structure and either tall or short,
- Rarely gain weight and if so it is around the middle
- Skin tends to be dry, rough and cold to touch with darker colouring
- Irregularity in features – crooked nose, teeth etc
- Small active eyes – usually black or brown
- Variable appetite, can tend to skip meals
- Long & thin fingers & toes with brittle nails
- Most likely to suffer from pain and nervous disorders
- Tendency towards constipation and gas
- Tend to be restless, active, curious and creative and dislikes routine
- Talk and walk fast but are easily fatigued
- Will often have a lot of things happening at once,
- Quick to change their mind and may find it difficult to make decisions,
- Most likely to spend money easily & impulsively,
- Speech is fast, impulsive and tend to talk with their hands
- Dreams are about flying, running, jumping, fear
- Sleep is short and light, wakes easily and can experience insomnia
- Dislikes the cold
- Most likely to experience fear / anxiety
- Quick mental understanding but forgets easily

Vata imbalance is caused by:
- Irregular routine and meals
- Staying up late
- Uncooked, dry, cold food
- Cold drinks
- Too much bitter, astringent and pungent tasting food
- Cold, dry weather
- Excessive mental work

How to balance Vata
- Regular routine
- Early bedtime – lots of rest
- Eat warm, cooked food – preferably not alone
- Food with predominately sweet, sour & salty tastes
- Warmth – avoid cold dry winds.
- Daily massage with warm sesame oil
- Soothing environment – soft colours, sound etc
- Avoid excess travel – particularly air travel
- Avoid stimulation – TV, radio, computer work, excess talking & thinking
- Calming & grounding activities – yoga, tai chi, walking, swimming
Understanding Pitta

Pitta relates to the principle of transformation and within the body governs: Digestion; Assimilation; Absorption; Metabolism; Body temperature; Skin colouration; Intelligence and Understanding.  The primary site for Pitta within the body is the small intestine. The qualities of Pitta are: hot; oily; light; sharp; liquid and soft.

A person with a pre-dominate Pitta constitution is likely to exhibit many of the following characteristics:
- Tend to have moderate/ medium physical characteristics – height/weight etc
- Fair complexion with freckles and moles, tends to sunburn.
- Skin tends to be soft, warm, slightly oily – most likely to suffer from pimples, rashes, skin conditions
- Sharp features with reddish lips
- Hair is fine, brown or reddish, tendency towards early greying & hair loss
- Strong appetite and digestion – hates to miss a meal.
- Soft, loose bowel motions
- Natural craving for sweet, astringent & bitter tasting foods
- Sleep is medium and sound – 8 hrs
- Intelligent and sharp thinking with good memory
- Competitive nature and can tend to be excessive
- Can be demanding / tendency towards perfectionist
- Make decisions easily and see things fairly black & white
- Spend money for a purpose
- Good stamina
- Tend to be fairly structured/organised and likes routine
- Most likely to experience anger / impatience / irritable / frustration
- Dislikes the heat, humidity – likes cool, well ventilated environments

Pitta imbalance is caused by:
- Excessive competition
- Too much pungent, sour & salty foods
- Hot, spicy, oily food
- Hot, humid weather
- Lack of rest
- Excessive heat – saunas and spa baths
- Inflexibility and rigidity in thinking and routine

How to balance Pitta
- Cool, well ventilated environment
- Food with predominately sweet, bitter & astringent tastes
- Cool food and drinks (not cold)
- Regular meals – particularly at noon
- Leisure time – stop and smell the flowers
- Walk in the moonlight and cool air
- Competitive team activities that encourage co-operation
- Wear cool colours – blue and green
- Create a soothing environment – fresh flowers, pleasant music
- Daily massage with coconut oil
Understanding Kapha

Kapha relates to the principle of structure and holds together the elements of the body. It is responsible for Lubrication, Building, Healing; Memory storage, Immunity, Strength and Stability. The primary site for kapha within the body is the lungs. The qualities of kapha are: cold; heavy; soft; unctuous; stable; solid; dense; slow and liquid.

A person with a pre-dominate Kapha constitution is likely to exhibit many of the following characteristics:

- Tend to be short, stocky build – carry extra weight particularly around hips & thighs
- Heavy muscle and bone structure
- Thick, cool, oily skin
- Fair complexion but tan easily.
- Dark, thick, wavy hair
- Eyes are large and attractive – often brown
- Regular appetite – tend to eat slowly
- Crave bitter, pungent and astringent food
- Soft, pale, plentiful stool.
- Excellent stamina once going but tend to move slowly.
- Loves sleep and lots of it – very sound
- Most likely to experience depression / grief
- Steady & dependable but can be possessive, clingy, jealous
- Dislike cold, damp weather,
- Good savers
- Takes time to make decision but then sticks to it – can be stubborn
- Slower comprehension but once learnt never forgets
- Can be complacent, dull & lethargic – most likely to get stuck in a rut
- Most likely to suffer from congestion conditions – colds, flu, sinus etc

Kapha imbalance is caused by:
- Excessive sleep and rest
- Excessive food intake
- Insufficient exercise
- Lack of variety in life
- Heavy, oily/fried or cold foods
- Too much sweet, sour & salty tastes

Morning: (helps start the day feeling peaceful and energised.)

? Have a clean body, work area and cooking implements.

? Use proper food combining and include a range of tastes (more information on this later).

? Try and use fresh ingredients – avoid canned or frozen food.

? Avoid microwaving food.

? Allow enough time for the previous meal to be digested before eating again – usually 2-3 hours but up to 4 hours if you have eaten meat.

? Avoid doing any strenuous exercise for at least 1 hour before & after eating.

? Avoid drinking water for at least _ hour before eating &1 hour after eating

? Wash your hands and face or bathe before eating

? Try and eat in an environment free of distractions – avoid TV / reading / excess talking.

? Try and avoid eating stale food (older than 24 hours).

? Eat slowly and try and be conscious of what you are doing.

? Don’t overeat – eating slowly and concentrating on what you are doing will help you be aware of your body’s signals when it has had enough.

? A short 10 minute walk after eating will promote digestion.

? Avoid lying down or sleeping straight after eating.

Be realistic and don’t feel as if you have to do everything at once, or try to even if you want to. The key to successfully introducing Ayurveda into your life is to make small gradual changes. As you experience the benefit of one thing you will be more likely to continue its practice and feel more open to trying the next step.

Some basic ayurveda practices/principles of food combining include:

? Avoid eating large amounts of raw and cooked food together – raw food has to be cooked in the stomach and takes longer to digest than cooked food. However a small salad at beginning of meal will stimulate the digestive fire.

? Avoid eating fresh cooked and leftover food together and minimise use of leftovers from previous day.

? Most vegetables can be readily combined with most other foods in meals.

? Fruits are best eaten alone because they digest quickly. When eaten with or after other food that takes longer to digest the fruit becomes trapped in the stomach and ferments creating a sour indigestible wine that impedes the digestion of all the food.

? Most fruits will promote digestion if eaten 10-20 minutes before meal.

? Whole grains are neutral and can be combined with most foods – vegetables, nuts, diary & animal products.

? Never cook honey – becomes glue like and clogs channels producing toxins.

? For optimal digestion avoid mixing different types of concentrated proteins eg meat & milk or beans with nuts, egg & cheese (exception is yogurt – small amount with most meals will enhance absorption)

? Avoid eating too many heavy foods at the same time eg banana and avocado.

? Avoid combining milk/yogurt with sour foods/fruits.

The key to food combining is to listen to your body and be aware of how you feel after eating.  If you are used to eating fruit after your meal try eating it 10-20 minutes before hand and see if you feel any difference.  Experiment and introduce changes slowly at your own pace.
Ayurvedic Disease Process

Ayurveda regards the digestive process as the main factor in maintaining wellbeing and health and the treatment of disease. Correcting the digestive process is therefore always the first component of an Ayurvedic treatment plan.

The disease process as described below commences when digestion is impaired allowing the formation of toxins in the digestive tract. Know as Ama, these toxins aggravate the doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) causing imbalances within the body which further impair digestion and result in the formation of further toxins. As these toxins travel throughout the body it causes blockages in the bodies channels and becomes deposited in tissues causing disease.

Ayurveda’s unique understanding of the development of disease recognises six (6) stages that provide a basic formula for the progress of all disease:
1. Accumulation
2. Aggravation
3. Spreading
4. Localisation
5. Manifestation
6. Permanent change and complications

Accumulation
In this first stage lifestyle, dietary, emotional or environmental factors cause an accumulation of one or all of the doshas in their main sites. This affects the digestive process and results in the creation of toxins within the stomach. These toxins further reduce the efficiency of metabolism and create obstructions in the channels which block the elimination of the accumulated doshas. Symptoms at this stage are subtle and will vary depending upon the primary dosha affected e.g. feelings of fullness or heaviness, volatility of emotions and fatigue

Aggravation:
In the second stage the accumulated dosha/s continue to increase and start to provoke and irritate the local tissues. Symptoms continue to be subtle with no recognisable features of disease and depending on the affected dosha may include an increase in intensity of above symptoms, stiffness, burning sensations, uneasiness in the stomach and changes in bowel movements.

Spreading
In the third stage the aggravated doshas begin to overflow and spread throughout the body with the created toxins. Symptoms are less subtle but still not recognisable as a specific disease. Depending on the affected dosha they may now include dryness, muscle fatigue, discolouration of stool & urine, nausea and more noticeably impaired digestion.

Relocation
In the fourth stage the aggravated doshas and toxins relocate in site/s of tissue weakness. The site of relocation will be influenced by the individual’s basic constitution, former illnesses, injury and genetic condition. This increase in dosha concentration and toxins will affect the tissues and the first physical signs and symptoms of disease will begin to manifest. Depending upon the doshas affected this may include: pain, oedema, obstructions to flow (wastes, breath, secretions, thoughts, and energy), insomnia and abdominal distension.

Manifestation
In the fifth stage the specific characteristics of the disease appear.