If you want to know if Ayurveda is right for you, you are\nlikely a sincere seeker of knowledge for health, vitality and longevity or have\nbeen suffering with a chronic problem. Either way, it is also likely that you\nhave been struggling to make sense of the vast amount of health-related\ninformation that is readily accessible on the internet, much of it\ncontradictory or tied to financial interests. We moderns value individualism and\nthere are simply too many choices to evaluate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, this is the wrong question. Ayurveda is the original\nowner\u2019s manual for the human body. It is not man made. In simplest terms,\nAyurveda describes the laws of nature from the perspective of the five senses.\nYou don\u2019t need biochemistry or physics\u2014just your intellect. Ayurveda also\ngives us a framework for understanding our individual differences and how to\nharmonize with them to maintain balance throughout life. Thus, the wiser\nquestion is \u201cAm I committed to taking full ownership of my health?\u201d If you are,\nAyurveda is your best guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Too many people are stuck in poor me<\/em> mode. They see\nthemselves as victims\u2014of this germ, that syndrome, such difficult circumstances,\netc. Yes, bad things happen to good people. Our hearts go out to them. But if you\nlook closely at the group who have suffered a serious accident, illness or brutality,\nthose who view themselves as survivors do far better than those who remain\nvictims. Same problems, different outcomes. Some like Christopher Reeve and\nStephen Hawking become inspirations to others. We always have a choice of how\nto respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Willingness to apply your intellect is an asset in adopting\nAyurveda. The application of Ayurvedic principles is not all black and white. One\nmust deal with shades of gray to make the best choice in some situations. Equally,\nit\u2019s not an all or nothing proposition. Whatever recommendations you choose to\nembrace will bring their benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More significantly, Ayurvedo Amritanam<\/em>. Ayurveda is\nfor gaining the nectar of immortality\u2014Enlightenment. Real human life begins\nin Cosmic\nConsciousness<\/a> and reaches its ultimate expression in Unity Consciousness. Suffering\nis not necessary. It\u2019s our birthright to live long and prosper in bliss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ayurveda is a gift of the creator. All healing traditions and\nsurgical practices trace their origin to the same place, even though much has\nbeen lost or distorted with the passage of time. In a general way, we could say\nthat anything that works well to improve health without serious adverse effects\nis Ayurveda. Western medicine excels with serious life-threatening problems. Ayurveda\nexcels at reversing chronic disorders and as a guide to preventing problems\nfrom arising. They complement each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But neither is a panacea. The more advanced the disease and\nthe greater the tissue destruction, the less likely the problem can be fully\nreversed. Take the case of advanced osteoarthritis. You can replace the joint to\nrelieve the pain and ignore the imbalances that gave rise to the disease. After\n3-6 months of rehab you\u2019ll likely have a good result. Alternatively, you can\nfix the imbalances, get relief of pain, improve function and possibly avoid\nsurgery. Better, but not perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing is arbitrary in Ayurveda. All its recommendations\nare supported by a deep understanding of how nature operates. For example, in\nEnglish we speak of digestive fire just as in Ayurveda. It\u2019s not hard to\nappreciate that iced beverages and cold food might impair digestion, although\nwe don\u2019t think much about this problem in the USA where ice water is the norm. Similarly,\nBen Franklin and others echoed the ancient wisdom of early to bed, early to\nrise<\/em>, though to understand why that is important, you need to appreciate how\nqualities of time vary throughout the day and night (see https:\/\/qatoqi.com\/ayurveda\/doshas.htm#time<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nature doesn\u2019t differentiate your level of understanding of\nher laws. Ignorance is no excuse. Neither is disdain. If you violate them,\nsooner or later there will be consequences. This is Karma: all thought, speech\nand actions reverberate throughout the universe and return in time like echoes\nfor better or worse to nudge us in the evolutionary direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nevertheless, when looking at basic Ayurvedic\nrecommendations, some complain that they are out of touch with modern life. In truth,\nmodern life is out of touch with the laws of nature and is thereby fostering a\nhuge burden of chronic disease and suffering. Highly processed convenience foods\nhave been implicated in the world-wide epidemic of obesity and diabetes. Just\nbecause we can enjoy the convenience of electric lighting doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s\nsmart to stay awake in its glow or watch TV until 1 AM. Should Ayurvedic\nprinciples be more widely respected, we would find that modern life could fully\ndeliver on its promises of more<\/em> and better<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people would prefer to take a pill and not be bothered with anything else. This is similar to the elephant who bathes in the river and then rolls in the mud. There is a famous Ayurvedic aphorism that advises, \u201cWithout proper diet and daily routine, herbs are of no benefit. With them, they are not needed.\u201d While a fundamental principle of Vedic technology is to do less and accomplish more, it doesn\u2019t really apply to this situation. Our choice of bedtime is just that: a choice. No greater effort is required to go to sleep before 10 PM than at some later time. For the most part this is also true for dietary choices. Whether you take your main meal at noon when digestion is strongest or in the evening when weaker digestive power is less capable of handling it, it\u2019s the same amount of work. Also see https:\/\/qatoqi.com\/ayurveda\/blog\/quick-and-easy-ayurvedic-meal-preparation\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Others worry that Ayurveda might require sacrifice of things\nthey enjoy. This is not so. You always have a choice. In general, however, the\nthings we enjoy can always be replaced by things we will enjoy more. The biggest\nchallenge is often just getting started on the road to personal improvement.\nThe good news is that the benefits of following Ayurvedic principles far\noutweigh the effort required for change. Still, it\u2019s not wise to try to change\ntoo much too fast. (See my advice for Managing Personal Change<\/a>.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n On my first encounter with a Vaidya (the traditional term\nfor an Ayurvedic doctor) in 1984, I was advised to stop adding bananas to my\nmorning granola & yogurt. My chronic nasal stuffiness cleared within a few\ndays. Later, after I adopted Nasya<\/a> into my morning routine,\nmy chronic sinus drainage resolved. In the late 90s, I decided to forego alcohol.\nI got fed up with the gastritis and rosacea that invariably followed ordering\nwine with dinner when out with friends. I also came to dislike feeling fuzzy in\nthe head when I was so clear, alert and settled from my meditation<\/a> practice. At that\npoint, I was happy to give away my stash of cognac and fine liqueurs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n About 20 years ago while taking some advanced training in\nAyurveda, I decided to re-commit to lacto-vegetarianism<\/a>. I never\nfelt I was sacrificing anything. Cooking in harmony with my Doshas<\/a>, I avoided the gas which\nhad plagued me the first time around. I soon enjoyed a greater sense of\nwell-being. My aggressive tendencies gradually subsided. I also delighted in\nnot having to deal with greasy hands and kitchen surfaces from handling meat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n My clients have had similar experiences in following\nAyurveda. One recently shared this story:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I have lost 7 lbs. in a month which for me is a major miracle. In the past I’ve had to go to 750 calories a day just to lose a pound a week, so I am quite happy. I ate a burger, fries and a beer the other week and promptly got sick – my body is telling me that kind of food is not digestible for me.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n These few examples are only part of the story. Once you make\nprogress on the path of self-improvement, the experience of feeling good is\nself-reinforcing. Moreover, Ayurvedic recommendations enhance Sattva<\/a>, which is the force of\npurity, evolution and progress in life. At a deeper level, such purification of\nthe physiology and mind supports more rapid growth toward higher states of\nconsciousness through regular meditation<\/a>\npractice. The immense bliss of the unbounded, eternal, unchanging transcendental\nfield of pure consciousness (Atma\u2014the Self of everyone) dwarfs the transient\npleasures we derive from various aspects of the material world. Atma is the\nhome of all the laws of nature. The more we connect with that, the more joy we\nexperience in daily life and the more we act spontaneously in accord with\nnatural laws and create the Karma for a better future. When we don\u2019t make\ninnocent mistakes, we suffer less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If I\u2019ve convinced you that Ayurveda is worth investigating\nfurther, you can learn the basics beginning with this Overview<\/a>. Alternatively,\nyou might start by evaluating your Health Habits<\/a> against\nAyurvedic ideals to get an idea of your improvement opportunity. Either way, you\u2019ll\nfind lots of resources on my website and blog. I wish you all success and\nfulfillment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ayurvedo Amritanam<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ayurveda in the Modern World<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
No Sacrifice Required<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Self-Reinforcing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n