My partner Liana is a Deepak Chopra Ayurveda coach. If you are interested, have a look at https://ritualsmarbella.com. I am a fan of Deepak, and I am now a fan of Ayurveda as we start to follow the practices. It started with warm water, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and cayenne pepper in the morning (“Superlife” suggests the same), now scraping the tongue is part of the morning routine as well. I swish oil. Meditation and movement (five rites) have been part of the routine for a while. Sunshine is a daily routine (we live in Spain). I started dry brushing. Drinking from a copper flask and nose cleaning is next.
Ayurveda Idiot’s Guides
Why is why I started to read “Ayurveda (Idiot’s Guides)”. Ayurveda is 5000 years old, and if you believe in the Lindy effect. you should take note. By 400 C.E., Ayurvedic texts were translated into Chinese, and by 700 C.E., Chinese scholars came to India to study Ayurveda, which greatly influenced Chinese medicine. The Buddha, born around 550 B.C.E., was a follower of Ayurveda.
Healing system
This healing system transcends the physical and combines the medical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and metaphysical, which are all interconnected. It is a holistic system focused on lifelong well-being based on the timeless notion that the human body, mind, and spirit are attuned to nature. It’s the health system from which all others originated—Chinese, Western, and Herbology included. The Sanskrit word Ayurveda means “knowledge of life.
- Ayurveda is based on the belief that health can be achieved only through a delicate balance among the mind, body, and spirit.
- Ayurveda combines science with psychology, spirituality, and philosophy, seeing each individual as a microcosm of the universe, with the complexity of the cosmos.
- The mind-body connection is a cornerstone of Ayurveda.
- Ayurveda recognizes that human beings are so much more than physical bodies, rather multidimensional beings with layers of emotions and intuition.
- Ayurveda is a system with the purpose of maintaining health because our physical bodies are our vehicles for our spiritual experience.
- According to Ayurveda, health does not come in the form of a pill or prescription but rather in a balanced lifestyle.
- Ayurveda’s approach to health is to inhibit the disease from appearing.
- Ayurvedic medicine upholds that our physical conditions reflect our mental and vice versa.
- Ayurveda, sleeping, breathing, mediation and yoga go hand in hand because we cannot become our highest selves if we are not our healthiest selves.
- Ayurveda is based on the natural elements found on earth, the elements we see, feel, and hear around us: fire, water, earth, air, and ether (space).
Its focus is more preventative, whereas conventional medicine’s concentration is more symptomatic. It starts with an analysis of body type, psychological tendencies, specific kinds of imbalances, and diet. The body types are the basis. Vata, pitta or kapha. Learning about the Doshas gives you the framework you need to treat unique areas of your body. Your physical body is deeply connected to your emotions. By understanding the dhatus, you can see how the health of your tissues contributes to high energy, creativity, and confidence. Read “Prometheus Rising” if you are interested in body types.
Balance
It is about finding the balance between those body types. Because balance is the word. Being in touch with the earth’s natural cycles, such as waking up when the sun rises and going to sleep when it sets. Balance in your food. Yin and yang. Hot and cold. Dry and wet. Action and reaction.
Your gut
Ayurveda believes that health begins in your gut. A healthy digestion is the cornerstone of health. You are what you eat, feel and think. And dependent on your body type and your health complaints (which are caused by imbalance), you should adjust your habits. This digestive fire is responsible for all transformation in the body, including the metabolism, nutrient absorption, and elimination. Not only do you digest food, but you also digest emotions, senses, and experiences. Unprocessed emotions are just as harmful as unprocessed foods. To achieve health, you must be physically, emotionally, spiritually, occupationally, and environmentally sound.
Complex
It gets complex after that, 3 body types, 5 elements, 8 branches, 10 values, 6 philosophies, 6 tastes, 6 stages of digestion, 7 tissue groups, 7 chakras, and using a lot of Indian terminologies (dosha, dharma, prana, kama, ojas, ama, dinacharya, abhyanga, etc.).
Food
If you are a foodie, you will love Ayurveda. Tumeric, ginger, oil (the Sanskrit word for oil, sneha, actually means “love), pink Himalayan sea salt, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, asafoetida, cloves, star anise, nutmeg, black pepper and honey all feature regularly.
Energy
Ultimately it is about your five healthy bodies, physical, energy, mental, intuition and bliss. And ultimately, it is about energy. You are a human radio. People are energetic beings. Although they live in human bodies, they have many layers of vibrating energy surrounding them, sending and receiving signals. Not only do you give off vibrations, but you are constantly receiving them as well. That includes food, breathing, mediation, movement, nature, and all the things that Ayurveda preach. As a result, you will be more tuned-in to the subtle vibrations of the universe. The more connected you are with your intuition, the more you receive “downloads” from the universe containing great insight.
Success
Ultimately leading to bliss, flow, karma, health and success. I think Ayurveda will make you a better C.E.O., leader or entrepreneur. It is inevitable.
