Transition to Fall Season

Each of the three dosha namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha governs a specific season. Pitta governs the summer. Vata governs the fall through early winter and Kapha governs late winter through spring. Knowing the dominance of dosha for each season has a great practical value as this knowledge helps us decide our seasonal regime to keep the dosha balanced. To give an example, Pitta governs the summer. Hence during summertime we need to eat sweet, cooling food which keeps Pitta’s hot nature in balance.

It is equally important to know about the Transitioning between seasons because the sudden changes in the nature and our body tend to make is sick. As the season passes, our body gets used to the routine and lifestyle suited for that particular season. The transition period basically comprises of last few days (8 to be exact) of earlier season and the first few days of the new season. This is called Ritusandi. We Texans are just in the middle of the Ritusandhi (meaning the transition from one season to another). We have had a really hot summer this year and we are stepping into the most awaited fall. The air is starting to get cooler and this change in weather tends to bring the respiratory troubles in kids and elderly people. This is the time when a lot of people start getting infections such as influenza. Ayurveda provides specific guidelines on how to help our body to make this transition smooth.

Ayurveda recommends that during this transition period, we should gradually stop following the routine suitable for summer and start with the regime good for fall. To be specific, one should drink warm water. One should stop consuming icecream, smoothies and popsicles. It is advised to take warm water for shower. It is okay to eat food that is hot, sour and salty in taste. Warm soups and Khichadi (a combination of rice and mung beans) are especially helpful. One can really pick up his/her exercise schedule at this time. It is a good idea to consume season vegetables and fruits as they occur fresh in the market. If you see yourself bothered by the cold in the air during night and early morning, give yourself a warm gargle (You can add a pinch of turmeric and sea salt to warm water). Ayurveda also recommends keeping our body well-oleated during this period with the use of oil and ghee. If you have time and resources available, it is a good idea to get the cleansing therapies (the Panchakarma) done during Ritusandhi.

Dosha & Constitution: Vata

In the last article we have discussed the way Dosha are defined and what they are made up of. In this series we will talk about the functions each Dosha performs in the body and mind and its relation with Prakriti or the constitution. Let us start with Vata Dosha.

Vata Dosha (air + space) is the energy responsible for motion. Pitta and Kapha do not have air element and hence they are unable to create or induce any kind of motion in the body. That is the reason Vata is considered the strongest among the three Dosha. Vata thus is responsible for movement and actions of body parts such as joints, muscles. It is responsible for the blinking of eyes, forward movement of the intestines, breathing, all types of natural urges such as yawning, sneezing, sleep etc. Vata is responsible for functions of mind including thinking, imagination, energy, enthusiasm. 

ttr rukso lghu: shitah khrah suksmshkloSnilah

 Reference: astaangahridy sutrsthaan prthm adhyaay

The most important attributes of Vata are mobile, cold, dry, light, rough and subtle. These qualities are most evident in a person whose mind and body constitution is dominated by Vata. We are going to refer them as Vata people. Now let us see how the attributes of Vata Dosha help us recognize Vata people. Vata Dosha is responsible for irregularities. These people are either too tall or too short. Their skin and eyes look dry. The skin tends to be cool. Vata people tolerate warm weather better over the cold weather. There hair is either too short or too long. The hair tends to be curly, dry and rough to touch. Their hair also has more split ends as compared to that of Pitta and Kapha people. Vata people are usually slender. You can often notice their bones visible around the joints. Their nails are brittle and short.

If you still haven’t make out Vata people just by looking at them you most certainly will once you start interacting with them. They seem to talk fast, walk fast and think even faster. The mobile attribute of Vata Dosha is very prominent. These people do lot of gestures while expressing themselves. As a result they can get tired easily. Their appetite tends to be too much or too little. Vata people usually like to eat sweet, sour and salty food. They also prefer to eat when the food is warm or even hot. They do not put on too much weight even if they seem eat a lot. Because of the Vata attributes mind seems to work at an enormous speed. It also makes their moods swing constantly. Vata people are most spontaneous, energetic of all. They are usually the first one to start working and also first to get bored and fatigued.  They easily become anxious and always worried about something. Vata people tend to sleep less than needed. As a result these people are not really very strong as far as the health goes. Thus they can easily get off the balance. At the same time they can quickly come back to balance if appropriate measure are taken.

Vata people are prone to conditions such as constipation and improper digestion, insomnia, anxiety and stress, pain in various body parts, fatigue. To remain healthy, Vata people need warmth, moisture, vata-balancing food, anything and everything that help to keep their life regular and steady and a lot of pampering.  

Seasonal Guide: Summer

We have been experiencing severe heat with a fair amount of humidity for past few weeks in Texas. Some very general guidelines based on principles of Ayurveda can help us all to better cope up with this extreme weather.As happens in the nature, the heat pumps out the water content of the body. Hence plenty of fluids are necessary to the body. Those can be taken in the form of plain water, fruit juices (better if made fresh at home). A simple combination of water, salt and sugar provides a good alternative to a ready made energy drink. Again is it important to take just enough fluids and not too much more that your body needs. Too much fluid can hamper the digestive power and subsequently the appetite. It is a good idea to process water with a few grains of cumin and coriander seeds by boiling these together. The processed water works really well to satisfy the thirst and keep the skin cooler. If you are peeing 7-8 times a day (or the no of times you would normally do in spring/fall) and you are not seeing dark yellowing coloration of urine, you are probably drinking enough. Eating fresh vegetable such as cabbage, tomatoes, or fresh fruits such as apple, orange, peach, nectarine, watermelon, cantaloupe also helps to keep the water content of the body maintained.

Ayurveda recommends eating less spicy, less hot food during summer. Food that is easy to digest is advisable. One should eat fresh fruits, and vegetable, mild and milk derivatives such as buttermilk, butter. Food items such as carrots, squash, cucumber, cabbage should be consumed. Alcohol intake should be kept to minimum in this weather.

We all know to keep ourselves off the sun whenever possible during summer time. I am sure most of us know about use of sunscreen to protect the skin. If you still need to go out during the day and if you are prone to sun-burns, here is an easy solution. Take a cotton pad and soak it in milk. Apply that pad over your eyes or sun-burned skin. You can also use this as a protective measure before you go out for water activities. This helps keep it cool and moist, reduces the burning sensation and later helps rejuvenation of the harmed skin cells.  


For more information and services, visit Ojal Ayurveda

Introduction to Ayurveda I

Ayurveda - The Science of Life

Ayurved is the Sanskrit term for the ancient Indian medical system, which is practiced all over the world as a complementary or alternative health care. The word Ayurveda itself consists of two parts 'Ayu' and 'Veda'. Veda comes from 'vid' which means to understand or to know. Thus Ayurved is something that can be used to know or to understand 'Ayu'. The second word 'Ayu' literally means life. According to ancient Indian philosophical sciences 'Ayu' means synergy of four factors body, mind, soul and senses. It is easy to infer that 'Ayu' is a pleasant state of the body and the mind. To achieve and maintain this state of well being is the primary purpose of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is a time-tested medical system which originated about 5000 years ago. It has its own theory of health, illnesses, the causes of illness and remedies to those illnesses. It basically emphasizes on living in harmony with the nature.

How can Ayurveda help you?

Today our day-to-day life is a lot more stressful than it was in the ancient times. Our lifestyle has diverted away from nature because of industrialization and technological advances along with our need to cope up with these factors. A large number of physical and psychological disorders have been emerging, many of which are currently incurable. Ayurveda has a lot to offer in these situations.

First of all, Ayurveda considers each individual unique, with a specific constitution of body, mind and soul. Based on the constitution, Ayurveda provides specific guidelines about activities such as diet, sleeping, daily routine, seasonal regime and exercise. This helps to keep a good balance of body constituents (The Doshas namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha), which ultimately helps prevention of sickness. For ongoing health problems Ayurveda offers extremely personalized and thorough health management which includes plant-based herbal medications that are free of chemicals, nutritional supplements, detoxification therapies (panchakarma), exercise regimen and a healthy daily and seasonal routine. Often these health plans can be successfully combined with yoga and pranayama techniques.

The factors such as age (whether an infant or an elderly person), special conditions such as pregnancy and postpartum period are no bar to Ayurvedic health management. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a branch of National Institute of Health (NIH) also recognizes Ayurveda as one of the oldest medical systems. NCCAM has published article on principles and significance of Ayurveda