Namaste,
In the previous videos you saw how stress can severely affect your level of concentration.
And also how artificially manufacture stimulants or smart drugs can kill your concentration permanently.
Now in this episode let us discover, what are some of the natural ways to develop excellent levels of sustainable concentration and one of the natural ways is to take ayurvedic herbs like Ashwagandha,Shatavari, Brahmi, Shankhpushpi and so on and so forth.
In this particular episode, let me discuss about Ashwagandha which is a great memory tonic, which is a great neuroprotective agent according to multiple scientific studies.
Ashwagandha and Stress Hormone
As we saw in the earlier videos, stress hormone is a huge factor to rapidly deteriorating level of concentration.
Chronic stress has the ability to flip a switch in stem cells that turns them into a type of cell that inhibits connections to the prefrontal cortex, which would improve learning and memory, but lays down durable scaffolding linked to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/chronic-stress-can-damage-brain-structure-and-connectivity)
And Ashwagandha helps to reduce the levels of stress hormone. According to multiple scientific studies,Ashwagandha not only reduces the level of stress hormone. It also helps the neurons to mature faster and have a long healthy life.
Ashwagandha and Cell Oxidation
Another very important factor for lack of concentration is high rate of cell oxidation. A high rate of cell oxidation can rapidly kill the existing neurons and Ashwagandha helps to reduce cell oxidation.Cell oxidation occurs because of free radicals as we saw in an earlier episode, but Ashwagandha has a great antioxidant effect. The bio active substances in Ashwagandha, like withanone or withferin-A exert an Antioxidant effect and which has been proven by multiple scientific studies as well. This amazing antioxidant effect of Ashwagandha prevents early cell death and ensure that your neurons live a long life.
Stress Relief Effect of Ashwagandha
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23439798/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21388887/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19718255/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21407960/
- https://blog.priceplow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/withania_review.pdf
And that’s Ashwagandha eliminates the basic two factors for low concentration- the stress hormone and the cell oxidation of neurons. It ensures that your neurons thrive in a much better condition. They live longer. And they have a great productivity.
And in this way, Ashwagandha eliminates the cause for low concentration.And when there is no cause (stress), there will be no effect (neurodegeneration). And in return you will have a great level of concentration, a natural and sustainable concentration because there is no deteriorating factor hindering it.
But then these are only two of the multiple ways in which ashwagandha can help our mind and body.
Ashwagandha in Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, “samyavastha” or the balanceed state of metabolism is the key to health of mind as well as body. No organ or organ system in the body works in isolation. Everything is connected. How can we expect the nervous system to function properly when the digestive system or the excretory system is not functioning properly?
Your digestive system is the door to nutrition and when there is a lack of nutrition for neurons, how can we expect a great level of concentration?
And this is where the work of Ashwagandha is unique because it does not work only on the brain cells. It works on the entire body. It heals the entire system.
The essence is that Ashwagandha produces a natural and deep calming affect all over the body. It shuts down the emergency response mode and turns on the parasympathetic nervous system the repair and rejuvenate mode in the body, which naturally repairs all the cells in the body, including neurons.
When all the systems in the body are functioning properly and in their best capacity, there is no doubt why we should not have a very healthy nervous system and a great level of concentration, a natural and sustainable concentration.
Ashwagandha : The Rasayana
According to ayurveda, there is a special category of herbs called “Rasayana”. Now what exactly is Rasayana is a huge topic, but in short, I can tell you that Rasayana are the herbs that can normalize all the body functions. They can bring a balance, a natural level of balance in all the metabolic functions.
In fact, Rasayana are so effective that they can practically stall the aging process all over the body, including the neurons. These herbs are now classified as adaptogens according to modern medicine and Ashwagandhais a rasayan.
If you’re interested in the Dosha angle for Ashwagandha, there are namely 3 dosha in the body – vata, pitta and kapha. Vata dosha is the metabolic pattern responsible for all kinds of motion or kinetic energy in the body. It also controls large part of brain activity. In fact, nervous system is dominated by vata dosha.
Lack of concentration or other severe mental disorders like dementia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, etc. are also attributed to imbalanced Vata Dosha. Apart from its multiple other beneficial qualities, Ashwagandha is a great vata balancing agent. That means it counters the drying and wasting effect of vata dosha, especially on the neurons.
In fact, it is a “balya” rasayana. That means it strengthens all the body cells, including the neurons and therefore it ensures that the neurons have a long and healthy life, definitely resulting in a great concentration.
According to Ayurveda also, negative emotions like stress, anxiety, or worry can trigger vata imbalance and result in a low levels of concentration.
But Ashwagandha is a proven anti-anxiety agent, and therefore it brings a sustainable and natural level of concentration without any deterioration.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race!
Now Ashwagandha does not produce an instant result. So it is not like you take a tea spoon of Ashwagandha and you’ll be transformed into a human supercomputer.It has a very organic and very sustainable effect in a long term.And that is why if you want to see the real effect of Ashwagandha, consider taking it for a long duration of time, at least for a month.
And the best thing about ashwagandha is that it is not a habit-forming herb and therefore there is no question of addiction.
In fact, with every usage, it repairs and strengthen the entire system so that it can stand on its own. So, you will have a great concentration even if you do not take ashwagandha after a period of time.
How to consume Ashwagandha for concentration?
Each one of us is unique and I know one person who suffers from migraine after taking Ashwagandha. So, it is always best to consult your physician for a personalized advice regarding any herb. However, there are some basic rules that might help you to get the best benefit from Ashwagandha.
How much to take?
To determine the perfect dosage of ashwagandha for your particular need, it is best to use the ayurvedic technique of “upshay”. I have described this process of upshay in detail in one of the previous episodes “why home remedies don’t work?”
In short, upshay means that you must start taking any medicine with a veryvery small dosage. A small dosage is a very safe and simple method to implement any medical treatment. This small dosage ensures that your body able to tolerate the medicine. It helps the bodyto adjust its metabolic response to any medicine without any danger of widespread side effects.
And therefore I will advise that you can start taking Ashwagandha with half a teaspoon a day and increase it according to your convenience, probably to 100 grams a day.
However, it completely depends on your body and you must be very very careful. You must observe the changes in your body very carefully while you’re taking ashwagandha, at least for a month’s time. Once your body is habituated to the medicine, then there is no potential for any harm.
This technique of upshay will ensure that you do not face any kind of side effect or allergy from Ashwagandha.
When to take?
Vata dosha has five subtypes and one of them is “prana vayu”. Prana vayu is primarily responsible for intelligence and concentration and this prana vayu is dominant during the night time, therefore, the best time to consume any medicine for the head region is before bed.
If you want to take Ashwagandha for increasing concentration, try taking it at night time before bed. In the end, I want to say that Ashwagandha is a great remedy for low levels of concentration. It is definitely better than all kinds of synthetic stimulants. It has no side effects.And in fact, it provides long-term benefits to the bodyover all benefits to entire body.
Better Than Ashwagandha!
Therefore, if you have a choice between Ashwagandha and stimulants, always go for Ashwagandha.
However, probably, today they are more human beings on the planet than Ashwagandha plants. So if you’re not able to get Ashwagandha from a trusted source, try using a better method – meditation, because when you can make the change in the mind itself, it will naturally reflect in the body.
And meditation is the way through which you can make a permanent change in the mind.
I want to tell you one thing. I never had Ashwagandha. But I’ve been practicing meditation for past 20 years and I can tell you that it has a far better effect than Ashwagandha or any Ayurvedic herb. So let us start with Ashwagandha, but not end there. And move on to much better and subtler practices for developing a better concentration and a better life.
I sincerely hope that you benefit from all this information.
Research Links:
Anti-aging studies link
- https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2016/11/23/Ashwagandha-root-extracts-shows-anti-aging-effect-Cell-study
- https://www.ayush.com/anti-aging-potential-of-ashwagandha
- https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/healthy-living/ksm-66-ashwagandha-shows-strong-anti-aging-effect-human-cells
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301295944_Withania_somnifera_Root_Extract_Enhances_Telomerase_Activity_in_the_Human_HeLa_Cell_Line
Rasayana links
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887410500228X
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1573(199906)13:4%3C275::AID-PTR510%3E3.0.CO;2-S
Toxicity Study for Ashwagandha
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Namaste!
Ritucharya 