Ayurveda’s
Intelligence of Nutrition and Digestion
by:
Chaya~Sharon Heller
Nutrition is a big issue in all countries, and particularly
in ours. We are consumed with conflicting evidence and opinions
that are continually changing. Many of us are not only informed,
but obsessed by it, and yet still suffer, with many illnesses,
mostly from over nutrition and a misuse and inappropriate relationships
to food since how, when and why we eat is still not aligned
with our natural rhythms and the rhythms of the world, due
to our improper digestion of the information, a mistake of
intelligence.
Ayurveda
is the ancient science and wisdom of how to live a healthy
and harmonious life by living in accordance with out true
nature and the natural rhythms of the universe. It’s
approach is thousands of years old and is therefore been time
tested. It is an individualistic approach, and teaches each
person to “read their own book” written based upon
their unique ayurvedic constitution, current imbalances, lifestyle,
stage of life and condition.
Ayurveda is a physical and metaphysical
science. On the physical level we use food and herbs to heal
the body, and on the mental level we use yoga, mantra and mediation
to heal the mind. To do this we must take into consideration
the total lifestyle and constitution of each person, including
their body, mind and spirit, to support health and wellness
and by learning to live again in the most natural way possible,
according to nature, to access our highest intuition and truth,
liberating the spirit, thereby unlocking the human healing
potential.
To
understand it, one can begin to study the five elements of
ether, air, fire, water, and earth of which everything is
composed of, and in particularly our senses, which allow us
to perceive the world. The combination of the elements into
their respective doshas, forms the senses, and govern our functioning.
When polluted they become dull and are obstacles to true perceptions,
intelligence and pure awareness. Through purification of
the senses, we develop this pure intelligence or awareness
to empower us, in order to find inner balance and ultimate
joy.
Intelligence is associated with pitta and the digestive fire,
agni. It considers what, and how we eat, as well as our daily
patterns, routines, and consciousness, as the way to health
and our innate ability to heal, through their impact on our
digestion. The intelligence of ayurvedic nutrition incorporates
balancing the doshas by using the 6 tastes which balance the
elements and harmonize the senses, improving digestion, balancing
agni, and eliminating ama, metabolic waste, or toxins, to restore
proper intelligence and nutrition to the individual.
The 6 tastes are sweet, sour, salty, pungent,
bitter and astringent. Each has the qualities of the elements
and is used to balance the doshas. For example, sweet and sour
tastes balance vata dosha (composed of ether and air), due
to their tonifying, heavy, and warming qualities. Bitter and
sweet tastes are balancing for pitta dosha (composed of fire
and water), due to their cooling and calming qualities and
pungent and astringent tastes are pacifying for kapha dosha (composed of water and earth), due to their reducing, light,
drying and warming qualities.
The 4 states of agni (digestive
fire) are:
1. Vata – irregular, 2. Pitta – sharp,
3. Kapha – mild or dull and 4. Balanced.
Agni is vitiated by improper diet and lifestyle and then creates
ama, or metabolic wastes or toxins. When agni is disturbed,
incompletely digested food forms an internal, toxic, morbid,
substance known as ama. This undigested, glue-like, sticky
substance may accumulate, putrify and ferment, and lodge
anywhere in the body, with a tendency to begin at it’s
weakest place. It is the end product of poorly digested food
and forms due to weak, dull agni. Ama clogs the channels, such
as the blood and lymph, giving rise to diseases, such as arthritis,
high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, thyroid conditions,
diabetes, etc. Reducing already existing ama and not creating
more of it is the aim of proper digestion.
Signs and symptoms of ama are:
Abdominal distention, blocked channels, body aches, constipation,
diarrhea or dysentery, dullness, excessive salivation, mental
and physical fatigue, feeling of weakness, fever, flatulence,
giddiness, headache, heaviness, improper movement of gases,
indigestion, laziness, lethargy, loss of appetite, numbness,
pain in the abdomen, profuse urination, restlessness, sinus
congestion, stiffness in the back and hops, tastelessness
of food, excessive thirst, vomiting, and yawning.
Signs and symptoms of proper digestion are:
Lightness of the body, appropriate appetite, and conditions
of balanced agni. Doshas will be in balance, dhatus (tissues)
will be well formed, malas (waste products) eliminate properly,
and one will have enthusiasm and a bright and shining soul.
Click here to read other articles written
by Chaya.
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The
word yoga is Sanskrit for yolk or union. The body, mind
and spirit are united in this ancient practice of postures
through the bridge of the breath. Prenatal yoga is also
a holistic experience for pregnant women. Not only is it
good for mom, but it can also deepen the connection with
the baby through the peaceful, introspective nature of
yoga. Practicing yoga can be viewed as journeying inward
to experience all the sensations and joy of being alive.
During pregnancy practicing yoga provides the opportunity
to attune to the enhanced experience of being alive and also
of having life growing inside of you.
