Therapies

Food/diet




The Six Tastes:
  1. Madhura (Sweet)
  2. Amla (Sour)
  3. Lavana (Salty)
  4. Tikta (Pungent)
  5. Katu (Bitter)
  6. Kashaya (Astringent)

All Six Tastes work together and communicate throughout the body to let the body know how to respond to the consumption of food.  The combinations of different Tastes are beneficial to the body, however overuse of simply one or two Tastes can have very negative effects on the equilibrium of the body. Each Taste has properties that help the individual and without an equilibrium between all Six the body struggles to provide all necessary functions to support a healthy life style.
  • Kulakarṇī, Pāṇḍuraṅga Harī. 2000. Ayurveda herbs. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications.


Each taste corresponds to specific digestive organs, as well as specific benefits:
-Sweet: corresponds to thyroid glands and lungs. Sweet promotes life as a whole, provides overall strength, luster to the skin and is beneficial for the throat. Excessive use will contribute to obesity, congestion and other diseases. 
-Sour: relates to the lungs. It stimulates agni (proper digestive forces), provides energy, awakens the mind and stimulates the salivation. Excessive use will cause heartburn, indigestion, and water retention. 
-Salt: relates to the kidneys. It promotes energy and helps maintain water and electrolyte balance. However, when used in excess salt induces water retention, elevates blood pressure and induces vomit. 
-Pungent: corresponds to the stomach and head. In moderation, it improves digestion, absorption and allows cleansing of sinuses, aids in circulation. It acts as a blood thinner and contributes to the vitality of the body. Excessive use may cause sterility, fatigue and excessive thirst. 
-Bitter: corresponds to the pancreas. Bitter foods, like turmeric, dandelion, and aloe vera stimulate all other tastes. They act as antipyretic, tone the pancreas and reduce fat. Over consumption may cause dizziness. 
-Astringent: relates to the colon. Foods such as unripe bananas, pomegranates and chickpeas, aid in absorption. Excessive use will induce griping, constipation and blood coagulation 


Protocol:
-No less than 4 hours between meals and dinner 2 or 3 hours before sleep. 
-Late meals right before bed produce indigestion, gaseous distention, hyperacidity and disturbed sleep. 
-One shouldn’t eat food in a hurry, and eat it cheerfully and attentively. 
-One should not eat with overpowering emotions such as stress, anger, or grief, as these can produce irregular digestive processes and have a negative impact on the mind. 
-Quantity of food is also important, and an individual should view their stomach as half full of solid food, a quarter with water and a quarter with air. This prevents indigestion.
-One should eat sweet foods first, then sour and salty, and then all other tastes, while saving astringent for last. 
-One must also not drink water directly before or after a meal, as it produces indigestion or obesity.
-One should drink a small quantity of water with food and then a sufficient quantity two or three hours later 
Massage
Massage therapy is an essential part of the Ayurvedic healing system as a therapeutic practice that prevents aging, prevents and cures diseases, and revitalizes the body. Ayurveda recommends massaging daily, with oils, and bathing around an hour afterwards. Three key forms of massage in the Ayurvedic healing system are massaging the entire body, the head or the soles of the feet. Each form has its own benefits. All three are recommended for everyone and all three should include oils.

-Prevents and corrects the aging process, 
-Helps a person overcome fatigue because of routine hard work in life
-Prevents and corrects disorders caused by the affliction of the nervous system
-Promotes eye-sight
-Helps nourishment of the body
-Promotes longevity of an individual
-Helps the individual to get sleep and promotes sturdiness of the individual  
Many people suffer from impairment of vision as a result of misuse, such as improper light, reading small letters, and watching television, or aging process, such as cataracts or myopia. These ailments can be prevented and cured by massage. Massage also promotes longevity of life by improving the function of vital organs and tissues. This will help prolong a person’s life span and, Ayurveda argues, his accumulate experience will be an asset to the society. Ayurveda also believes that man has become a machine. He works constantly without giving his body and mind sufficient rest. Sleeplessness is also derived from excessive intake of caffeine and nicotine, excessive indulgence in sex, irregularity of diet, fear anxiety and mental tension. Massage therapy is very useful for overcoming sleeplessness and fatigue. 


Head massage:
-most important organ in the body because all sense organs are located in it. 
-provides nourishment to all these senses and promotes their normal and natural functions. -prevents and cures headache, hair-fall, premature graying and baldness
-makes hair long, soft and glossy
-prevents and cures refraction errors of the eyes, promotes complexion
-endows a person with sound sleep. 
Foot massage:
-Ayurveda recommends massaging the soles of ones feet before going to bed
-prevents and cures dryness, numbness, roughness, fatigue, lack of sensation and cracking in the soles, 
-promotes strength for walking and running 
-promotes eyesight and hearing, as the soles are very closely connected with the eyes and ears 

Panchakarma
Five procedures:
-Vaman (emesis): the procedure of eliminating doshas from the mouth. The elimination of doshas should be from the nearest route, and the mouth is the nearest route to the stomach. Vaman is commonly used for the treatment of kapha diseases. 
-Virechan (purgation): the elimination of vitiated doshas through the anus. This procedure is commonly used for pitta diseases. 
-Basti (medicated enemas): used to clean the large intestine as well as other benefits. There are three kinds: nirooha basti, in which a decoction of herbs is mainly used, anuvasan basti, in which oily material mainly used such as ghee oil and milk, and uttar basti, which is given in the bladder through the urethra for both sexes and in the uterus through the vagina for females. 
-Nasya (errhine therapy): the procedure in which medicines are administered through nasal route, and is effective in head diseases. 
-Raktamokshan (blood letting): stimulates the spleen and liver to produce better quality by oozing the blood outside the body. 
The Eight Divisions of Ayurveda:
  1. Kayachikitsa (Internal Medicine)
  2. Kaumarabhritya or Balachikitas (Pediatrics)
  3. Grahachikist or Bhutavidya (Psychological medicine)
  4. Shalakya-tantra (Minor Surgery)
  5. Shalya-tantra (Surgery)
  6. Agada-tantra (Toxicology)
  7. Rasayana-tantra (Geriatrics)
  8. Vajkarana (Aphrodisiacs)
Each branch of Ayurveda has a specific category of imbalance seen in diseases that they deal with and together all eight cover the entity of Ayurveda.  The goal is to live the longest and healthiest life possible and by implementing aspects of each branch into daily life one’s body will be cared for holistically. All eight branches work together to provide care for the entire body and provide ways to address the issues experienced within the body and they work to help restore equilibrium.


    The Three Divisions of Ayurvedic Drugs:
    1. Pure Herbal preparations
    2. Pure Mineral preparations
    3. Mixed preparations such combine both herbal and mineral ingredients
    It is highly suggested that herbal remedies be prepared within the patient’s home for full effect and to implement a routine that will promote overall health throughout one’s lifetime.  There are specific principles that Ayurveda observes and they include, “ daily routine (dincharya), nightly routine (ratricharya), seasonal routine (ritucharya), and ethical routine (sadavrata)” (Lochan 2003, 88).  Ayurveda is a way of life that must be observed daily instead of just being seen as medicine. 

    • Kulakarṇī, Pāṇḍuraṅga Harī. 2000. Ayurveda herbs. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications.
    Ayurvedic Organizations:
    1. The Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America (AAPNA)
    2. The National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA),
    3. The US National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
    4. The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (CAAM)
    5. The National Institute of Ayurvedic Medicine (NIAM)
    6. The College of Ayurveda (CCA)

    Since 1995 Ayurvedic institutions have become common and have impacted Western medicine.  The California College of Ayurveda claims to be the first official college outside of India to train students in Ayurvedic medicine.  This school offers the ability to earn a certificate to be a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, also known as a C.A.S. (www.ayurvedacollege.com/). The California College of Ayurveda is proud to offer many seminars on the Ayurvedic lifestyle to promote a health life.  This college is working hard to provide the world with trained specialist who can impact the world by delivering Ayurvedic treatments to those who seek alternative medicine.(www.ayurvedacollege.com/) All of these institutions are proof that Western medicine is finally accepting the principles of Ayurveda as effective and useful.  Ayurveda is a common alternative medicine that patients are seeking to help cure their ailments and Ayurveda has been able to provide treatments that do not involve some kind of pill.  Each organization listed above provides training with Ayurvedic medicine and hope that their positive impacts with increase knowledge and interest in Ayurveda.
    • “Faith Freedom,” Last modified 2011, http://www.faith_freedom.org/articles/op-ed/how-muslims-carried-hindu-wisdom-of-ayurveda-to-the-west-2/). 

    Marmapuncture
    • Aka Acupuncture in Western medicine
    • Use both medicated and regular needles
    • Marmapuncture used to restore Prana (life force)
    • Provides relief and returns the body to Homeostasis
    • Can be used all over the body
    • Marmapuncturist’s feel the patients energy to provide the proper relief
    • “Marmapuncture,” Last modified July 16,2009, http://www.dreddyclinic.com /ayurvedic/marma_points.htm
    Medoroga
    • Aka Obesity in Western Medicine
    • Chronic Disease
    • Causes
      • Lack of exercise
      • No sexual intercourse
      • Daytime sleeping
      • Possible genetic predisposition
    • Treatment
      • Diet regulation
      • Specific grains
      • Exercise
      • Sexual intercourse
      • Specific combination of herbs
        • Shamana
        • Kumbha
        • Chandraprabha
        • Triphala
        • Arogyavardhini
        • TG globules
        • Vangabhasma
        • Utanechurna
        • Lohabhasma
        • Amruta guggulu
    • Focus on herbal remedies rather than gastric bypass surgery




    • Kulakarṇī, Pāṇḍuraṅga Harī. 2000. Ayurveda upachar: treatment. Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications.
    Yoga

    Yoga was originally taken up by a group of religious individuals for ascetic practice, but has now opened its practice up to an assortment of applications.  There are various types of yoga such as; asana which is the changing of body positions to stabilize the mind and body, and dhyana which involves removing one from their external environment via mental practice.  Regardless of the form of yoga being practiced, each is striving toward harmony and balance.  Yoga has proven to be efficacious during childbirth, during prenatal care, and in helping the mothers lose their baby weight.  For the most part, children do not practice yoga, but recent studies have shown that introducing yoga into the elementary schools has been really helpful in the discipline area and have led to more emotionally stable students.  Furthermore, yoga has been proven effective in regulating the constant flux of emotions of adolescents as they move through puberty (Udupa 2002). 





    Yoga is fluid.  Each practice varies for each individual, and each individual benefits from yoga in a different way.  According to Gharote “There is a tendency to look for help from yoga in every walk of life to overcome the problems and reach a level of peace and satisfaction in life,” (132). With that said, it is important to note some of the curative aspects of yoga, especially on the mental aspect.  
    Stress disorders such as anxiety, asthma, diabetes, and migraines are caused by various external factors and environmental stimuli as well as genetic components.  “Yogic practices bring about the normalization of disturbed neurohumoral pattern of the entire brain tissue…As a result the entire body and its vital organs regain their health, and take the stressful situations more effectively and efficiently,” (Udupa 2002, 135).  Because of its ability to prevent and alleviate mental stress, yoga has become increasingly popular throughout the world.  
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