AYURVEDA AND SPRINGTIME
From the Ayurvedic perspective, good health depends upon our Agni or digestive fire, which allows us to fully assimilate, digest and eliminate food and process/digest information taken in by our five senses.
When this digestive capacity is balanced, we create healthy tissues, eliminate waste products efficiently and produce ‘ojas, a subtle essence that refers to our immunity. On the other hand, if our agni is weakened due to stress, wrong combination of foods, eating before the previous meal has been digested, eating leftovers, cold drinks, salads or sushi at night time, frozen or canned food, digestion is incomplete creating toxins in the body called ‘ama.’ Ama qualities are heavy, dense, cold, and slimy which blocks bodily channels, leading eventually to disease.
Vitiated agni is the root of imbalance, and the formation of Ama is the root of most colds and flu, as well as chronic diseases of a weak autoimmune system, which may range from allergies to arthritis or cancer. Other common symptoms are headaches, brain fog/poor concentration, fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches and pain, and skin problems such as acne or eczema.
Keep in mind it is not just the right diet that is so important, as negative emotions (fear, anger, greed, and guilt) also create mental toxins. These are as damaging as their physical counterparts and obstruct the flow of positive feelings, thinking and actions.
The body has a natural ability to cleanse itself daily. However, this ability is compromised when our system becomes congested. What can we do to support the body’s natural detoxification process this time of year?
Panchakarma is a form of Ayurvedic detoxification that can eradicate the root cause of disease. The minimum effective time dedicated to Panchakarma should be 21 days. Unfortunately, nowadays, there is a huge misrepresentation of this process, where retreats and professionals promote a 10-day cleansing or less by calling it Panchakarma.
A seven-day home detox is more accessible for most. Spring and fall/autumn are ideal times for this.
For a week, eat easy-to-digest foods such as mung bean soup, vegetable soup made with ginger and spices, steamed vegetables and basmati rice. Avoid all dairy products, meats, salads and raw food. Kitchari is ideal—you could eat nothing else for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It should be enough to last the whole day (recipe in my blog).
During this period, food should be cooked, soupy and soft.
Do not have anything cold.
Do not eat outside food.
If you experience constipation due to the mono diet, drink 1 cup of warm prune juice in the morning.
To help the body digest food, use fresh ginger, cumin, fennel seeds, coriander, turmeric, and black pepper—basically, all ‘warming’ spices will act like medicine to break down toxins and boost the digestive fire.
During this time, you will become aware of your addiction to foodstuffs and items we eat with no nutritional value.
Take one tablespoon of ghee in your meals. Ghee removes fat-soluble toxins from the body, helps detox and supports the growth of good bacteria in the Gastrointestinal tract.
Drink warm water first thing in the morning and cleansing tea throughout the day
1/2 tsp. Freshly grated ginger
7-8 mint leaves
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
¼ tsp of cumin seeds A pinch of turmeric
Boil ingredients in 2 cups of water (pan covered with a lid) to reduce to 1 cup. Strain/filter, add fresh lemon juice and honey, and drink first thing in the morning.
Adjust the recipe to make larger servings. Keep it in a thermos and drink it hot throughout the day.
Avoid caffeine and alcohol. You may get a caffeine withdrawal headache after the first day (or even on the first day if you drink large amounts). To help this, try cutting down gradually the week or two before you begin the Detox to allow your body to adjust gradually.
The ideal time to rise is three hours before sunrise or at least ½ to one hour before sunrise. It is the best time to meditate and attain knowledge. The body is rested, and the mind is alert and peaceful.
Asses yourself (Physical and mental condition) upon waking up. Pray in whichever form makes sense to you according to your expression of faith.
Take herbal remedies to help digest ama and cleanse your digestive system.
Triphala is a mixture of three fruits (Amla, Haritaki and Bibhitaki) used to cleanse the whole system by regulating the bowels.
Take one teaspoon with warm water to detox the bowel in an empty stomach.
Trikatu is the ‘three pungents’ made from Ginger, Black Pepper and Long Pepper. Used as a food supplement to help maintain healthy respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems.
Take ½ teaspoon in warm water twice daily before food to aid digestion and break down toxins.
Castor oil- To cleanse the bowels take 1/4 teaspoon of ginger powder, 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of castor oil in a cup of hot water before bed during the entire cleanse.
Apply Oil to the Head and body (Abhyanga): Rub warm oil over the head and body. Daily oil massage of the body and scalp can reduce fatigue, help with skin tone and vision, provide good sleep, prevent headaches, baldness, and graying and promote longevity. Leave the oil for 15 minutes, then shower. Generally speaking, for Vata, use warm sesame oil. For Pitta, use warm sunflower or coconut oil. For Kapha, use warm sunflower or mustard oil.
The head, ears and soles of the feet should be massaged (with oil or ghee)
Udvartana, or scrubs, can be done after the abhyanga. Salts and herbs such as Triphala are beneficial. This is followed by bathing—using warm water for the body and cool water for the head.
Herbal face pack: 1-part Amalaki, ½ part Haritaki, ¼ part during this time; Facial Masks can be applied a few times a week. Triphala, chickpea flour, neem, multani mitti, and small turmeric make great cleansing masks. Another wonderful choice is to mix ½ tsp of Sandalwood powder with 1-2 tsp milk and apply as a face pack. Leave it on for 5 minutes, then wash it off.
You may like to start using a tongue scraper and a neti pot to cleanse your nasal cavity and sinuses. After cleansing, use your little finger to apply a small amount of ghee or sesame oil inside your nostrils and ears.
After slowly incorporating more food items, avoid the above-mentioned foods. Avoid late nights and exposing yourself to inclement weather.
Get plenty of rest, and practice yoga, meditation or other mind-integration techniques to help detox the mind and body.
As a human being, our minds constantly remind us of two things:
We want something we do not have. We call it Raga (desire) in Yoga and Ayurveda.
We have something we don't want. We call it Dwesha (aversion).
Raga and Dwesha increase anger, grief, fear, and anxiety, causing aggravation of the Doshas (imbalance of the body and mind).
Learn how to control your mind since it is the source of disease. The mind is also the seat of true peace, health and happiness.
Optimal health comes when we understand how and why we think and act the way we do! This is deep foundational work for all health and healing.
Happy and Healthy Spring!!!!🐇🌷
