Now-a-days there are so many Ayurvedic remedies available online, you see, for example – 5 tips for weight gain, 5 tips for weight loss or 7 tips for headache and so on and so forth.
However, these home remedies fail to produce identical results in all kinds of people. Some people may experience a huge relief; however there might be other who might feel no difference at all. And have you ever wondered- why is that so?
The people who follow Ayurvedic home remedies remind me of a friend who used to mug up all the answers in the text book exactly in the same sequence and she would reproduce these answers exactly in the same sequence in the question paper also. However, in the question paper the sequence will be changed and all her answers will always be wrong. And she would always be so confused “why is this happening?”
You see, home remedies work exactly in the same manner if you don’t know why you are doing them. If you don’t know what fits and what does not and this is what happens with the people who don’t know what their body needs.
You see, applicability is a huge factor here. One home remedy which might work in a great way for some other person might not be applicable to you, because you might have a different body type or you stay in a different region or you have a different climate or currently there is a different season, or you have a different digestive capacity, there can be so many factors at work. Our body is such a complex dynamic metabolic system and it is so disrespectful of our uniqueness to expect exactly the same result from a same home remedy.
Some of the factors are –
PRAKRATI OR BODY TYPE
Vata Dominant
Hot and Oily Herbs
Pitta Dominant
Cool and Sweet Herbs
Kapha Dominant
Hot and Dry Herbs
REGIONS
Ayurveda describes 3 Major types of REGIONS
Anoop (Wet Lands)
Jangalya (Dry Lands)
Sadharan (Normal Land)
CLIMATE
Climatic cycle defines local seasons and weather conditions
That’s why, summer in a desert is different from that in a mountain.
Herbs grown in the local climate are the best for the natives.
SEASON
Classical Ayurvedic Remedies change according to Seasonal Variations.
Ritu Haritaki (Seasonal Combination of Chebulic myrobalan)
DIGESTION
Digestion determines the real benefits of herbal Remedies.
Haritaki (Chebulic myrobalan) is a wonder herb! However a person with INDIGESTION must never consume it.
Even your faith in the home remedy can bring about a drastic change in the results. No one today can deny the impact of placebo in the field of medicine. And if you have a huge faith in a home remedy, you might get incredible results from it even if it does not suit you and that’s why the Bhabhuti given by a sage works!
READ THE QUESTION PROPERLY
In my school, before every exam the examiner will announce” please read the question paper carefully” and it will also be written on the question paper because if we don’t read the question carefully, we will not answer the question, but will just vomit out what it there in our own mind.
When we know our health condition, when we know our body and what it needs , we have read the question properly and this is the right time to answer.
Now you cannot go exploring your body when you are reeling with pain. I quite understand that. And therefore, there is a method to try unknown home remedies, if you must.
UPSHAY
Upshay is an Ayurvedic dosage technique where the patient is given a very small dose, let’s says one fourth or one tenth of the actual required quantity and kept under observation for some time. If he feels relief, the medicine fits otherwise it does not. Plain and simple, we cannot profess to understand everything about the body!
For a Vaidya (Ayurveda physician), this method is a great tool for differential diagnosis as well. It helps to determine or verify the exact Dosha situation in the body. Besides, this method of using minimum dosage also protects you from sudden and harsh allergic reactions, as this method gives ample time to the body to adjust its response.
Therefore, as a lay man, if you must use a home remedy in an emergency, try to use it in very small dosage and observe the response for some time, it can be one hour or a day, depending on your convenience and then decide to use it for a longer duration.
I hope that this information helps you to choose your best home remedy.
Nature works on the base of different systems. Everything happens systematically, whether it is blooming of a bud, or death of a living being.
According to Ayurveda, the body also runs according to a set of systems. Different systems are working in deep synchrony inside the body, for example, excretory system, reproduction system, digestive system, nervous system, etc. There must be something that unites these systems, probably the nervous system.
In our system, we have two parts of the nervous system autonomic and somatic. The autonomic nervous system handles the involuntary functions of the body where is somatic nervous system processes the voluntary functions.
The autonomic nervous system has further divided into two parts sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. These two systems are opposite to each other and help the body in different conditions. The parasympathetic nervous system is dominant where the body is in a resting position, whereas the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for Fright-fight-flight response. One single mode cannot help the body to survive in all the conditions, as it’s not complete.
I assume that Ayurveda has three kinds of control systems that govern the body while balancing each other – vata, pitta, and kapha. They have different characteristics and lead the body successfully in different conditions.
For example, vata dosha is mobile, light, and is comparable to the presence of air in the physical world. All kinds of movements, whether it is bating of the eyelids or running, is coordinated by vata dosha.
Pitta dosha is hot and sharp nature. Naturally, it presides over all the digestive processes chemical reactions or any transformational process across the body.
Kapha Dosha offers stability and coolness to the body. It initiates and supervises any creation, formation, or incubation in the body. Kapha dosha provides shape, protection, and structure to the body. For example, the formation of all the body tissues, including bones and fats deposits that form a protective layer around the abdominal organs is a part of kapha metabolism.
Another way we can understand it in the light of political systems. A country or a nation is also a body, and it can run under different systems – democracy, communism, aristocracy, etc. Now, these systems have physical manifestations, functions, and effects, but they are not physical entities themselves. We can see what happens in an aristocracy, but we cannot see aristocracy itself as a physical entity.
Similarly, we can see the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, but we cannot see the nervous system as a physical entity.
Let us take the of an organization. There are some essential functions in all organizations, like sales, finance, and HR. These are also systems. One single function is not adequate can or can have an independent existence. For example, you cannot go selling something without an investment unless you are in a job. So, for a function like sales to exist, there has to be manufacturing/service and some investment (finance). All these functions exist as essential parts of a system and compliment each other.
In Ayurveda, doshas are systems that run the body. They are comparable to different systems in an organization like marketing, HR, finance, operations, etc. These systems are not physical entities; however, no profit-making organization can function without them.
Similarly, vata, pitta, and kapha are three systems that work in perfect harmony to produce a precise balance in body metabolism. These systems become dominant one by one in a natural cycle and run the metabolism; for example, while walking one foot goes ahead, whereas the other seems to go back, but the body as a whole, moves forward.
No human survival can live without air, water, and food. One single resource is not adequate for survival. Similarly, an individual dosha or system cannot run the body in all conditions.
The Contaminators
Vata, pitta, and kapha are called dosha – something that maligns the body. All these three systems have a natural tendency to go wrong and produce adverse effects if left to themselves. This tendency is the defining characteristic of dosha.
The effect of these systems is visible everywhere. Consider the example of a bike. The bike runs on the right track because there is a control over it. But if you leave the handles, then the natural tenancy of the bike will be – to fall. And no matter how good the bike is, it will fall. Similarly, in the case of dosha, there is a natural tendency to get vitiated or imbalanced.
Dosha action is apparent on an inanimate object like a bike, on a stationary living creature like a plant, an animal as well as a human being.
According to Vedic sutra यथा पिंडे तथा ब्रह्मांडे (universe resembles the particle), principles of nature apply to all the objects entities in existence, whether living or nonliving. For example, a natural cycle of creation, life, aging, and death is applicable for a vehicle, house as well as any living person, even the planets.
Let us extend the example of the bike. The system that causes the forward movement of the bike, as well as the internal movement of the parts in the bike, can be termed as the vata system.
As it is natural for a dosha to create imbalance, the bike can get imbalanced if you lose control of the handles. Also, the parts of the bike face wear and tear as it runs more and more. This over-activity is the effect of excess vata.
The primary quality of vata is dryness. Dryness causes necrosis(death of cells), friction, and deterioration. In the case of a bike, long term use without oiling, constant friction, excess wear, and tear and aging.
According to Ayurveda, oil is the best substance that can be used for all kinds of vata disorders, as the oil prevents dryness and friction.
Therefore regular oiling the bike is imperative to prevent rapid wear and tear.
If we try to replicate this concept in the case of the human body, the primary organs of movement in a person are the Limbs. Let us take the example of joints. According to Ayurveda, joints are considered to be a site of vata dosha, because their primary function is movement.
Now dryness in Synovial sacs and resulting friction is the primary cause of all diseases that happen in joints, whether it is knee joint pain.
Now all doshas work together in all entities to produce a life-sustaining environment in the body. The engine of a bike processes petrol or any other fuel into the form of energy. This energy is the fundamental basis for all kinds of movement. Pitta Dosha governs this kind of chemical transformation and heat production that helps the bike as a system to run.
Fire or heat is the primary characteristic of pitta dosha. If pitta dosha is in excess, the bike will get overheated and might even catch fire.
In the context of the human body, stomach or amashaya is a site of pitta dosha. If the system for pitta gets vitiated, then acidity is one of the primary symptoms. General inflammation, redness, swelling, et cetera are some of the essential heat-borne features of imbalanced pitta dosha.
Cold and mild substances alleviate the fiery effect of pitta dosha and help in pitta imbalance.
Earlier many cars had carburetors with water that used to help in cooling the engine and prevent overheating.
The primary characteristics of kapha dosha are coolness and stability. A lack of activity or transformational heat produces inertia that is naturally cooling in nature. For example, if the bike is stationary, then it will not get heated due to combustion in the engine or change in its position continuously.
However, if the bike remains stationary for a very long time, especially in chilling weather, you might experience a lot of trouble while starting trying to start the engine. This difficulty in starting the engine is a result of excess kapha dosha, where probably the oil in the engine freezes.
In the context of the human body, a lazy person has a higher tendency to develop obesity (mass), as due to lack of activity (vata) and heat (sweating, energy conversion, etc.) the fat consumed by the body is not used. Obesity is a result of excess kapha.
However, regular exercise (vata increase) and fat to glucose metabolism (pitta increase) can help to remove excess fat (kapha decrease).
Any formation creation of stability in the body is related to Kapha dosha. The formation of new tissues comes under kapha dosha.
Pitta dosha governs any heat-based transformation, chemical reactions, or digestive processes. Autophagy or cell suicide is also a process lead by pitta dosha, where a cell digests itself.
Any movement, small or big happens with the help of vata dosha.
The entire body metabolism follows the same dosha sequence. Let us take the example of digestion –
Carbs/sugars are the primary sources of energy and nutrition for the body.
Kapha Dosha governs the first part of digestion – sugar metabolism, as the sweetness is one of its central features. Sugar release in the blood creates a cooling effect and stimulate the satiety centers in the brain. Also, it causes drowsiness(stability-sleep) after meals.
The middle part of the digestive procedure focuses on the digestion of proteins that are reduced to amino acids. Acidity or sourness is one of the primary features of Pitta dosha. Therefore this phase of digestion is governed by pitta dosha.
The last part of digestion focuses on fat digestion. Fat digestion produces bitter or katu rasa(fatty acids and glycerol are bitter) the effect of vata dosha in the body. And the digestion of fatty acids comes under vata dosha.
Digestion is just one example. All the metabolic Processes happen under the same sequence of dosha cycle. Even the incubation and spread of diseases in the body is governed by this same dosa cycle, depending on the range of imbalanced dosha. Dosha and body metabolism
If we come to the concept of body types, there are primarily three kinds of body types vat, pitta, and kapha dominant.
Let us revert to the example of an organization with three functions sales finance and HR.
All the organizations have all these three essential functions. The organization is Bank; then the finance will be the primary feature of the organization. Financial activities will dominate this organization.
if this organization is an advertising firm, then the dominant function of the organization will be marketing.
If this organization is an HR consultancy, the dominant feature of the organization will be HR based activities.
All three types of organizations have all three functions. However, one feature dominates all the others. This dominating function gives a unique organizational culture and characteristics of the organization.
Similarly, Prakriti or body constitution is formed by tridosha. Three dosha are present in all the human body’s. However, one of them becomes the dominating feature of the metabolism. This dominant dosha defines the Prakriti or body type of the individual.
Everything, living or non-living has a prakrati or character.
For example, we can say that bike or any vehicle is vata dominant(major characteristics, design, and function is movement), oven or a blast furnace is pitta dominant(primary nature, design, and purpose is around chemical transformation and heat) and lake is kapha dominant (primary features, design function is stability and coolness.
Vata, pitta and kapha dominant people are similar to respectively; a vehicle(always on the move), an oven (high processing capacity), and lake(cool and stable).
Daily Dosha Cycle
The time of the day is also divided according to the dosha dominant in that part of the day. For example, kapha dosha controls first one-third part of the day. Another one-third of the day comes under the control of pitta dosha, and the last one-third of the day comes under vata dosa.
Similarly, the night also has 3 phases.
For this reason, Ayurveda considers morning to be the best time for studies as kapha is the factor for strong memory (stability).
The best time to have the biggest meal of the day is noon (pitta period) as the digestion at this time is at its best.
And you must avoid excess labor or heavy food in the evening, as vata dosha is the factor for tiredness and indigestion.
Also, you will find that most of the breathing and mucous related disorders, numbness, stiffness, etc. occur during the morning time.
Whereas acidity, inflammation, and other pitta related disorders flare-up during the midday.
And vata related disorders like joint pain, muscle cramps, headache, tiredness, etc. happen during the end of the day.
Seasonal Dosha Cycle
Dosha has natural cyclic vitiation throughout the year. For example, kapha Dosha vitiation occurs during the spring. You will find that spring is the season where we can see maximum mucus related disorders.
Sharad or early winter is the time of pitta prakop or vitiation. Therefore early winter is the time where you will see aggravation in pitta related disorders like pimples, acidity, inflammatory diseases like psoriasis, etc.
Varsha or rainy season is the time dominated by vata dosha vitiation. Therefore in the rainy season, we all can observe that all kinds of body pain, headache, migraine, joint pains et cetera get aggravated in this season.
Dosha are everywhere in the body. According to Ayurveda, Lifespan of an individual has three parts – kapha-childhood, pitta-youth, and vata -old age.
Childhood is all about growing up. For any growth, you need nutrition, stability, and peace. Kapha dosha is the spring of all these qualities. Link qualities of kapha dosha
Pitta Dosha governs the young age. Youth is the transformational stage of life. The young person is called Vardhaman in Ayurveda. The word Vardhaman means the one who is growing or advancing. A young person is not growing anymore in structure, but he improves every day in his experience and knowledge. Medha or intellect is a quality bestowed by Pitta dosha. This intellectual growth is the real advancement for a human being.
Young people have excellent digestion, lots of energy and best immunity, thanks to dominating pitta dosha.
Vata dosha governs the last stage of the life old age. A mature person is called vriddha in Ayurveda. This word means the one who has reached complete advancement or growth. An older adult is like a ripened fruit that naturally dries up and breaks away from the branch. In this stage, the physical structure starts deterioration; however, the intellectual level has reached its zenith.
These three dosa are the Trinity of the body they are like Brahma(creator), Vishnu (sustainer), and Shiva (destroyer).
Dosha and Disease Susceptibility
According to the above dosha sequence in the lifecycle, you will find that most of the kapha related disorders like cough cold, etc. occur during childhood. Children are Highly susceptible to mucus are respiratory system associated disorders as compared to youth or older adults.
Similarly, youth are most susceptible to pitta related disorders like pimples, hyperacidity, inflammation.
And in the end, the elderly are most susceptible to vata related disorders like dementia, hair fall, and all kinds of body pains.
Dryness is the primary quality of vata dosha. For this reason, we find that older people have excessively dry and wrinkled skin, dryness related problems like body pain joint pain. They also have weak digestion because of recessive pitta dosha.
Omnipresent Tridosha
Ayurveda focuses on the tridosha concept for body formation, structure, physiology, and pathology. Some classical Ayurvedic texts say that there is nothing else in the body metabolism except dosha. Everything that happens in the body is a function of the cyclic effect of the dosha accumulation, vitiation, and stabilization.
I am trying to understand Ayurveda myself. However, according to my current experience, the curative effects of Ayurveda are absolutely incredible. If you have a query or doubt, please let me know. It will help to improve my knowledge.
Hope you are all doing well and keeping safe in these uncertain circumstances.
One of my clients is an Ayurveda teacher in US. She was practicing Ayurveda for more than 10 years …..and she did not know the very basic concept of ritucharya!!!. There are so many people who want to practice real Ayurved, however all quality information is either very expensive or very hard to find. Therefore, I am trying a new way to make authentic Ayurvedic information available in easily understandable manner.
Many people recently suggested that videos and animations are a more expressive way to explain Ayurvedic concepts. It is true because I understand better when I see something. Besides, video is always a better way to present a procedure.
So, I welcome you all to the Ayurveda Channel! Here you will find authentic Ayurvedic information direct from the original Ayurvedic texts. Initially, I will cover the basics of Ayurvedic preventive healthcare, very simple and easy to implement. Yet, these basics are the very foundation of Ayurvedic preventive healthcare. Some of the topics are –
Orientation (Essential steps for true Ayurveda immersion)
Nidan Parivarjanam Series(eliminating the cause of disease)
Ayurvedic Meals (How to choose, process and consume food)
Dinacharya ( Ayurvedic daily regimen)
Ritucharya ( Ayurvedic seasonal regimen)
I know that it is hard to change some harmful habits. But we all are intelligent creatures. And I believe that instead of telling you what to do and what not, I can present you with simple logic and leave the decision to you.
And I am sure that once you understand something, you feel empowered and more prepared to make a change. You can find a list of health habits everywhere. But I will try to explain the logic behind the Ayurvedic tenets in all my videos. I sincerely hope that it empowers you to make a positive change in your life!
There is tons of “Ayurvedic” advice floating online. And they are meant to direct you to some “product”.However, many times they do not have any base in classical Ayurvedic text. I hope to create videos and animations on the authentic Ayurvedic text, with a logical explanation.
But, Ayurved is healing wisdom. It should be free of marketing clutter. I want people to know that they can keep healthy without any expensive medicines, health supplements, therapies, or exotic herbs. No one needs to buy health. Health is an innate gift given to all. Ayurved teaches us to preserve the gift!
This is a short video(1 min) to emphasize on the need of authentic Ayurvedic information for the layman. I hope that you enjoy watching it!
Initially, I will focus on the basics and preventive measures. I hope that these videos help people to find natural ways to prevent and cure diseases. We need to understand that true health, beauty, and happiness come from within, and not without. I want to make these creations freely accessible to all. If you like my content and feel that I can make a difference, please contribute on https://www.patreon.com/theayurvedachannel / Paypal (dockanikaverma@gmail.com)
Welcome to the Ayurveda Channel. This is my attempt to put my ideas about Ayurvedic medicine in visuals and I hope that it will help to convey them in a much more effective manner.
There is so much “Ayurvedic information” available online. However, most of this information is not directly derived from any authentic Ayurvedic text. This information is a just a bye-product of the growing Ayurveda market. Unfortunately, this unverified herbal info eats on the reputation and authenticity of classical Ayurveda.
The Ayurveda Channel is an attempt to make authentic Ayurvedic information, based on classical Sanskrit text available to a layman. This is the link to a short introductory video to the Channel. Please share and subscribe if you like it. Also let me know about the Ayurvedic topics that you would like to see on this channel.
I hope that we discover the bliss of Ayurveda together, with the Ayurveda Channel.
If you are happy with my answers, please consider a small donation for the afforestation project at Kanha Shantivanam (Home | Green Kanha)
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Also, check out my new video on the Ayurveda Channel
Ayurvedic treatment starts with stoppage of any disease aggravating factor. Appropriate food, which is easy to digest and creates minimum toxins while getting digested.
The digestion normally becomes weak when the body is faced with a disease. Non-vegetarian food is a little harder to digest and absorb as compared to the vegetarian diet. Therefore to avoid any extra burden on the digestive capacity of the body, it is advisable to avoid it.
However, it is not compulsory to avoid the non vegetarian diet. The point is to have easily digestible food. In this light, even heavy or oily vegetarian food should be avoided!
Also, Acharya Charak prescribes non vegetarian soups esp. chicken soup for early recuperation in case of Shaya(tuberculosis) if the patient is very weak. Here you can find a list of best non-vegetarian food suggested by Acharya Charak – Best Foods in Ayurveda
The food and medicine should be “satmya” or agreeable to the patient. if the patient detest the medicines or the food, he might not get the full psychosomatic benefit from them. If a person is a vegetarian by faith, chicken soup will make him more sick, if he is non-alcoholic by faith, alcoholic cough syrups might have 0 effects or side effects. Because mind controls all body responses on conscious or subconscious level. In fact, the feeling of guilt or stress due to eating non-vegetarian food, or an alcoholic cough syrup might trigger severe degrade in immunity. How stress kills your body
Similarly, an active person, for example a soldier, will benefit immensely from a light non vegetarian diet, because it is compatible to his nature. It will be unfair if he is denied his best suited diet.
Unfortunately, Ayurveda is tinged with the religious thought process. It will take sometime for the saffron fog to clear!
Please visit the link for more information – Satmya
Ayurveda believes that any disease is not about germs but the tendency of the body to fall sick. And therefore, Ayurveda is not about killing coronavirus inside the body. It is more about developing the internal resistance to not only coronavirus but all the diseases. Ayurveda and Law of Attraction-II
The single most important factor for coronavirus and for all diseases is “body receptivity” for the pathogens. In a state of perfect metabolic balance, there is no space for the viruses to survive. And therefore, nidan parivarjanam is the primary and the single most effective treatment for coronavirus – remove the internal cause of the disease.
Spring is a transitional junction where the winter changes to summer. The body also follows the seasonal cycle. And this seasonal change is the time, where the body is changing its physiology, suitable to the new season.
We all need a changing room. Similarly, the body also needs a secure environment to make a huge shift from the cold weather to the hot one. When the body gets exposed to pathogens during this vulnerable period, we get disorders.
Right now, the spring is coming to end and the summer is going to start. According to Ayurveda, this season brings Kapha prakop or Kapha vitiation in the body.
In short, this is the time when the body is coming out of the heat preservation mode (good hunger, digestion, less blood flow to the skin, etc. ) to heat elimination mode( suitable for summer).
According to Charak Samhita, in this season, the Kapha dosha ( includes mucus, phlegm, and other fluids in the body) melt like ice and overflow from their natural station. This excess mucus handling is extra stress to the body. And it provides a good residence for the pathogens to thrive.
And therefore, this Kapha vitiation makes us susceptible to all kinds of respiratory disorders. This is an annual cycle. A young body with a vibrant metabolism rapidly flushes away the extra mucus from the system. And that’s why there are no major systems. However, if you have weak digestion, and a week immunity, you will have to go through the cycle of seasonal disorders.
In the case of coronavirus, it is one of the many pathogens that can find a suitable abode inside your body. And therefore, the fundamental treatment is to make the body invincible for coronavirus and avoid contact with sick people.
The first and elementary factor is – digestion as it is the base for survival for all others. Here are some of the ways to boost your digestive system –Ayurvedic Lifestyle for Excellent Digestion
The second factor is the seasonal detox. In every season, one or the other dosha gets imbalanced. It is a natural cycle. Brief Ritucharya for 6 seasons
Fasting Detox
Dry fasting is the easiest, cheapest and very effective detox in case of excess Kapha in the system. Intermittent dry fasting creates an immediate Kapha balance. However, you should not be extremely weak, skinny or facing any physical trauma while dry fasting.
In Hindu tradition, there are provisions of dry fasting at least 10 days every month – Chaturthi (4th day after full/new moon), Ashtami (8th day after same), Ekadashi (11th day after same, sometimes extends for 48 hours), Chaturdashi (14th day of the waning moon), Amavasya (no moon), Poornima( full moon). There can be many more occasions of fruit/milk/no grain fasting like Shasti(6th day), Pradosh vrat(13th day), etc. Lots of other details can be added here. but this is enough to get started with.
My granny was fasting almost 15 days in a month for almost 70 years. And she doesn’t fast all that much now, but she is all upbeat when her children have developed hypertension, hyperthyroidism, IBS, migraine and a hoard of other lifestyle problems.
Bottom line is that fasting can be a good way to combat coronavirus. It is not scientifically proven in the case of coronavirus, however, fasting can reverse a lot of disorders, even cancer and is a healthy and uncomplicated way to detox.
You can try a simple vomiting procedure by drinking a lot of warm water (with a pinch of salt) and putting a finger on the back of your tongue to induce vomiting. However, you must not try it more than 2 times. Frequent touch of the finger on the inner tongue can deposit germs and irritate the outer lining. It might also induce cold and cough.
Morning is the best time to try this procedure.
Besides, it is good to go to a panchkarma center with a DEMONSTRATED history of panchkarma treatment.
Herbal Detox
Traditional food meant for preparing the body for seasonal transition is the best detox. And awla is the star ingredient you must have with every meal. In fact, you can do an awla detox in this season by having awla based recipes. Try following recipes –
Awla kadi (kadi prepared with boiled awla or Indian gooseberries)
Awla candy, Awla halwa, Awla murabba, etc. (good for kids)
Awla chutney varieties
Awla sabji
Awla tomato carrot soup
Note – normal temperature awla juice is cooling in nature and therefore use it very carefully if you are prone to cold and cough.
Interestingly, the traditional Indian festivals are centered around the main health supplement for the season, for example – awla Ekadashi for this month, Shat-tila (the six types of sesame preparations) for the end of winter! all these are a part of a very comprehensive Ayurvedic detox process!!!
Will keep updating this answer, thanks for reading
Today, most people above the age of 35 years are suffering from at least one lifestyle disease. Digestive disorders, sleep problems, and stress are more common than a few decades back.
These primary disorders are the base of severe lifestyle diseases like hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypertension, etc. And this is because of the unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits that we are following.
We have severe defects in our daily routine that interferes with our healthy metabolism. They lower our immunity and makes us more susceptible to diseases and rapid aging.
Most of the people today have no fixed routine or time for eating. They skip their meals when they are hungry. On the other hand, they eat voluptuously when they are not hungry but have time to eat.
Similarly, most of us skip sleep in the night, the natural time to sleep according to the bio-rhythm of the body. Instead, they sleep till late. They miss the healthiest time of the day – Brahma muhurat and an opportunity to reset their metabolism.
However, if we review and re-tune our bodies to the natural biorhythm, we will ensure 100% prevention from all diseases and have a life full of vigor and vitality. Ayurvedic ritucharya (seasonal health regimen), dinacharya (daily health routine), and sadvritta (moral and social conduct) ensure a healthy body as well as mind.
Ayurveda defines the wrong food and lifestyle as the root cause of all diseases. The aim of Ayurveda underlines the importance of a healthy lifestyle. According to Acharya Charak the objective of Ayurveda is –
Preserve the health of the healthy | Treat the ones who fall sick||
Compared to Ayurveda, modern preventive medicine depends mainly on health supplements. It is vague and lacks a precise and natural order of prevention. In fact, it has been only a few decades since modern medicine accepted the therapeutic importance of food or meditation.
Ayurveda is one of the oldest sciences to have an elaborate preventive system. Ayurveda defines the ideal food, cooking methods, and food habits. It defines daily lifestyle (Dinacharya), seasonal preventive lifestyle (Ritucharya), and overall prevention of all diseases by maintaining the homeostasis of the body in all kinds of external conditions (Sama Dosha).
Dinacharya
Dinacharya is the ideal daily routine, according to Ayurveda, that should be followed to maintain the health regularly. It constitutes the dos and don’ts for everything, right from brushing the teeth to ideal sleep habits. Dinacharya regimen of Ayurveda specifies even the wood(datun) that should be used for cleaning the teeth by the people of different body constitution or prakrati.
It underlines the importance of having an optimal amount of food at the right time and in the right way. It also mentions various other preventive measures like the use of Kajal (Kohl) for the daily prevention of eye diseases, the use of Ayurvedic nasal drops for the prevention of all the disorders in the head region. It stresses the benefits of the right exercise and sleeps patterns for everyone.
Our bodies are exposed to disease-causing factors every second. And therefore, we must actively prevent diseases 24X7. And Dinacharya makes this daunting task completely effortless! It provides a precise and comprehensive guide to complete health preservation. It is a complete code to prevent diseases daily.
Dinacharya also constitutes “Achar Rasayana,” a comprehensive guide to prevent all mental problems like stress, anxiety, etc. It is the ideal spiritual and social code of conduct that, if followed, can save us from various psychological and social problems.
Ritucharya is one of the most interesting Ayurvedic preventive systems. It is one of its kind as it deals with a preventive regimen for each season.
Seasons affect the body due to continuous changes in the external temperature and the environment. These seasonal changes disturb the physiological balance of the body and can cause severe disorders in the long run. Most of the problems in the body first reflect as seasonal disorders.
Ritucharya describes in detail the Ayurvedic concept of seasonal changes and their effects on body metabolism. It is the comprehensive ayurvedic preventive system that helps the body to adjust seamlessly to the changing external environment and prevent any metabolic disturbances.
Ritucharya constitutes the food habits, ideal food for each season, lifestyle changes to be incorporated with the seasonal changes, and so on. The most admirable aspect of Ritucharya is it’s a proactive approach. It makes the body immune to seasonal changes, instead of treating seasonal disorders!!!
Here are some interesting links related to ritucharya
Therefore, the one who will follow Ritucharya will never fall sick through the changing seasons and maintain a very high level of immunity. Ritucharya is the fountain of youth. The one who drinks from it will stay in the spring of health and youth always!!!
Unrestricted Metabolism
Ayurveda stresses the preservation of natural and unrestricted metabolism. It strictly prohibits artificial control of natural urges.
Animals live in an environment free from social bondage. And probably that’s why they stay free from diseases too. Esp. Wild animals do not have any access to medicines. Still, they usually remain healthy and live out their average lifespan, just because they do not exert unnatural control over their bodies.
However, humans lose a lot in the name of civilization and society. We tend to control our natural urges like thirst, hunger, urination, defecation, etc. very frequently. Due to social influence, we tend to control our natural urges forcefully and hinder the natural metabolic rhythm.
Ayurveda suggests that the body should be allowed the freedom of natural conduct. Most of us today have become insensitive to many of our natural urges like thirst, hunger. We might overlook thirst, hunger, or defecation if we are working or watching TV! This outrageous conduct daily impedes the brisk rate of metabolism and lowers immunity.
All classical Ayurvedic texts have a separate chapter elaborating on disorders resulting from unattended natural urges and their treatment. So, it’s a significant health issue.
Next time you are in an important meeting, don’t be sorry to sneeze or cough!
Satva means the mind, and the term satvavjay is the victory over the mind.
According to ancient Vedic wisdom, the body is nothing but a projection of the mind. If you are a “Matrix” fan, you would agree! And, therefore a sensitive, meditative, and balanced mind is the core of a healthy Ayurvedic lifestyle. It is a healthy mind that is unoccupied by external noise or clutter. A soul that listens to the body and let our social obligations, stress, fear, or anxiety take a back-seat, is the very foundation of perennial health.
Each set of human mind and body has its own dharma – swadharma. Hindus whisper “tvama vedosi” in the ears of a new-born child. It means – you are the infinite wisdom. You see, your soul, your body knows what’s best for you. And a meditative mind can help you to discover a distinct and utterly personalized approach to health. Therefore, connecting with the body through meditation is the ultimate cure to all worldly diseases.
The key of Ayurveda is balance! and with this key, Ayurvedic lifestyle can enable us to have a long, healthy, and fruitful life. Vedic Sutra “Jivem shardah shatam” means – let us live a hundred years(autumns). Ayurvedic preventive lifestyle, armed with healthy daily routine( Dinacharya), healthy seasonal routine (Ritucharya), ideal mental and social conduct ( Achar Rasayana), and other health habits, is the most comprehensive preventive system in the world.
Besides, these rules are simple and easy to follow. They can be readily observed by the sick and the healthy, the rich, and the poor alike. Ayurveda makes no distinction for imparting health to all. Let’s follow these age-old and time-tested tenets of Ayurveda and live a prosperous and healthful life.
Tribals (majority Gond tribe) in Baster (Madhya Pradesh) have unique healing techniques. And their efficacy is more astounding than their simplicity. Here, I would like to share one such method of emergency treatment for wounds (esp. with excessive swelling)
I heard this method from a senior Ayurveda doctor posted in Madhya Pradesh tribal zone when I was still a student. Unfortunately, I do not recollect her name as we met very briefly and only once in a meditation center. However, years later, her story encouraged me to try wound healing experiments with sattu. I am incredibly grateful to her and wish her the best!.
Baster is a relatively backward area of Madhya Pradesh, blessed with beautiful forests and abundant wildlife. But other resources like proper medical care, education, infrastructure, etc. are not up to the mark. And therefore, tribals turn to nature for all their requirements. As my devoted senior went to stay and work in the rural areas, she learned to work with abundant natural resources. She had an excellent opportunity to learn the natural healing techniques first-hand from the tribal healers in Baster.
In our brief meeting, she described how she learned a non-invasive folk medicine method from the tribal healer who extracted a splinter from a leg based abscess. Interestingly, the tribal patient himself did not know that there was any foreign object inside the wound. He came with a complaint of a non-healing abscess. By that time, the injury was already 2-3 months old and badly festered.
Kachchi Pakki Roti
Roti is an Indian flatbread. It is heated on both sides equally to ensure proper cooking. However, if the roti is roasted only on one side, one side becomes slightly hard and dry, and the other unbaked part remains soft and doughy.
How to make Kachchi Pakki Roti
Make a regular wheat dough using boiled water. Make a small roti (flatbread), large enough to cover the wound. The ideal thickness should be around 3-6 mm. Increase roti’s thickness if the wound is deep and wide. Also, make sure that it is uniformly thick. Heat the roti on tava for 1-2 min(depending on the thickness) to make one side roasted and slightly dry. Make sure that the other side of the roti is slightly soft and raw. The dry part also should not be too hard.
Where to use Kachchi-Pakki roti
In Charak Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana: Ch. 20), the use of roasted flour (rice, channa,jowar, etc.) is indicated to promote healing in the secondary stage of wound-healing. In line with the above classical text, it is best to use Kachchi Pakki roti in case of edema of any origin. It helps to absorb the excess liquid and prevents fluid stagnation around the injury. It can be used for extracting foreign objects from an abscess or as a poultice to heal normal wounds.
I would suggest this method in a wound where the basic blood mesh is already formed. It might work wonders for old wounds with a lot of swelling, redness, and inflammation.
I want to try Kachchi Pakki roti in the non-healing wounds of diabetic patients. I was detected with the pre-diabetic state, and my wounds would take an abnormally long time to heal. However, the use of sattu poultice (link) helped to cure my injury without the use of antibiotics. (link) Now, fortunately, with diet and lifestyle change, I am completely healthy. The bottom line is that if sattu poultice can work for small wounds in a pre-diabetic state, Kachchi Pakki roti also can have a significant effect.
Note: It is not advisable to use Kachchi Pakki Roti in deep wounds with excess blood flow. It can be used in a secondary stage when the initial blood flow has subsided.
How to use Kachchi-Pakki Roti
Make a fresh warm roti immediately before use. The warmth of roti helps to boost blood circulation in the swollen area.
Wipe away all moisture, sweat, or pus from the wound.
To ensure complete dryness, sprinkle dry turmeric powder on the wound and let it sit there for a few seconds. It will absorb all moisture.
Remove the wet layer of turmeric powder and sprinkle fresh powder.
Repeat the process till all the moisture is completely removed.
If possible, do a little massage around the swollen wound and apply hot, dry fomentation. You can use a heated cloth pad for it.
If the wound has a thick layer of dead skin, try to it scrap away as much as convenient. This step will help the wound to heal faster and reduce the rate of decay.
Sprinkle a fine layer of dry turmeric powder.
Cover the injured area with the unbaked side of roti so that the dough sticks to the injured part.
Tie roti with a bandage to keep it in the proper place.
Reduce movement in the injured part to ensure that roti stays in place.
Change the roti twice a day in a cold/normal climate. You can change it thrice in hot and humid weather.
I understand that this half baked (Kachchi-raw, Pakki-baked) roti resembles the skin in some manner – hard and dry externally, soft and meshy on the inside. And it can serve as an extra layer where the skin can safely deposit its debris without exposure to the harsh external environment or pathogens. Typically, abnormal protrusions like boils, warts, pimples, etc. also serve the same functions in the skin.
Happy Ending!!!
Let’s continue with the tribal story. With the application of this Kachchi Pakki(half baked) roti continuously for a few weeks, she could see the tip of a wooden chip emerging from the abscess. Even the patient had no clue that about the splinter(a sharp piece of wood) inside his calf. But his abscess failed to heal in any other way, which was an indication of something stuck inside.
After a few weeks (I do not have the full details), the fragment came out completely. It was stuck to the roti and was gently pulled out. In fact, the body needed a safe medium to open the abscess and expel the foreign object. Besides, this method also produced excellent results in swelling elimination as well.
This experiment is no more than a tale that I heard from a senior. The final proof in Ayurveda is pratyaksha praman(visible and replicable evidence). I am sharing this information so that if anyone has the facility to experiment on this method with animals/humans safely should try it. I have an intuition that it might work. And if it does, so many complicated things will become more straightforward, and with more such information, emergency healthcare will be so much cheaper, esp. in the rural areas.
Let’s hope that this information multiplies and. I have not used this method personally, and therefore, if you want to experiment with this treatment, try it on a tiny cut/wound. As soon as I get my next cut, I will make sure that I try it and share my experiences with all of you.
Ritucharya 