According to Ayurveda Health is not only the absence of disease but it is the alignment between the physical body, emotional/mental body and spiritual body.

Ayurveda discusses daily and seasonal practices to ensure your optimum health.

1. The Five Elements:

According to Ayurveda everything in the universe is made of a combination of the following five elements.

• Space: concept of emptiness and void

• Air: concept of movement and flow

• Fire: concept of radiance, warmth, transformation

• Water: concept of mending, connection and togetherness

• Earth: concept of structure and stability

Qualities of each of the elements:

• Space: empty, cold, light, dry

• Air: moving, cold, light, dry

• Fire: bright, warm, light, dry

• Water: mending, cold, heavy, moist

• Earth: stable, cold, heavy, dry

Elements and the Fives Senses:

• Space: sound

• Air: touch

• Fire: sight

• Water: taste

• Earth: smell

2. The Three Doshas:

In Ayurveda we talk in the terms of DOSHA. Dosha literally means “that which causes decay”. Each Dosha is a combination of two elements and therefore will have the qualities of these two elements.

• VATA: Space + Air: moving, cold, light, dry

• PITTA: Fire+ Water: warm, medium, oily

• KAPHA: Water + Earth: heavy, cold, moist

Physical Qualities of each Dosha in an Individual:

VATA: thin and flexible frame, either too tall or too short, underweight, small muscles, low stamina, on the move, restless, dry and dull skin, dry and/or curly hair, cold extremities, grayish teeth, brittle nails, could have twitches, variable appetite, light sleep, does not like cold and windy climate

PITTA: medium frame, good muscle tone, puts on weight easily and loses weight easily, warm body, rosy or yellowish complexion, freckles and moles, thinning or early graying hair, slightly yellowish teeth, rosy nails, perspire easily, strong appetite, sound sleep, do not like hot and humid climate

KAPHA: large frame, strong body, broad chest, puts on weight easily, slow metabolism, very good stamina, large eyes, thick and lustrous hair and eyelashes, cold and moist skin, white teeth, strong nails, deep sleep, slow movements, has a hard time in cold and humid climate

Psychological Qualities of each Dosha:

VATA: grasps the concepts quickly but forgets quickly, creative, artistic, prolific imagination, entertaining, fast speech, enthusiastic, irregular routines, impatient, forgetful, disconnected, sensitive, loner, agitated, prone to anxiety and insomnia.

PITTA: understands and analyzes the concepts, good planner, regular routines, good leader, precise speech, generous, humanitarian, intelligent, good memory, good investigative mind, perfectionist, ambitious, critical, controlling, unforgiving of mistakes (others and self), competitive, workaholic, prone to anger and irritability.

KAPHA: retains the concepts, good emotional memory, compassionate, motherly, sweet and loving, tolerant, patient, forgiving, gentle speech, good endurance, few daily routines, good follower, grounded: here and now, co-dependant, high emotional and/or material attachment, possessive, lethargic, prone to depression.

Health Challenges for each Dosha:

VATA: constipation, stomach distention, insomnia from too much restlessness, lower back pain and stiffness, small joints stiffness and pain, cracking joints, muscle cramps, arthritis, sharp and moving pain, dry and itchy eczema, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, palpitations, fear and anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks.

PITTA: diarrhea, hypoglycemia, infections, inflammations, fever, acid reflux, stomach ulcer, liver and/or gall bladder problems, eye problems, heart and circulation problems, anger, irritability, insomnia from thinking too much.

KAPHA: edema, water retention, phlegm and mucous in chest and lungs, sinus congestion, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, tumors and growths, blockages (colon, lymphatic glands and nodes, etc..), loss of taste and smell.

Site of each Dosha in the body:

Each Dosha manifests preferably in its own site. This allows us to follow the imbalances in the specific areas of our body and remedy them more efficiently.

VATA: colon, kidneys, bones, small joints, lungs, ears, nervous system

PITTA: small intestine, liver, gall bladder, tendons, eyes, heart and circulatory system

KAPHA: chest, bigger joints, fat tissue, synovial fluids, pancreas, salivary glands, lymphatic

system

“Ayurveda balances each quality with the opposite quality”

Balancing Qualities for each Dosha:

When we are aware of any Dosha is rising in our life/body/environment we can invite the opposite qualities into our life to balance the rise of that Dosha. For example during a dry and windy winter we should add more moisture, stability and warmth into our life (our house, our daily routines, our surrounding) and body (diet, skin, clothing, physical activities).

VATA: warmth, moisture, regularity, follow daily routines, eat regular meals, eat cooked food, favor mostly sweet/salty and sour tastes, do not eat too much salad and greens, do not fast, add more oil and water in your body and on your body, take care of your constipation, stay in touch, do not neglect yourself, do grounding practices, slow down, calm down, rest, meditate, focus, visualize continuity and connectedness.

PITTA: cooling down (physically and emotionally), eat less hot spices and more green food, stay away from fried and greasy food, decrease the salt intake, favor sweet/bitter and astringent tastes, play with the water, practice more non-competitive sports, stay away from sun, do not push yourself too hard, practice forgiveness and non-judgment, delegate, have more fun and lighten-up, be silly, laugh at yourself.

KAPHA: move, move, move, have a regular exercise program, warm-up your meals with spices, favor pungent/bitter and astringent tastes, decrease your sugar and fat intake, decrease dairy milk and cheese, drink warm and hot drinks, do not take naps, get-up at sunrise, practice detachment, clean-up your closets once a year and throw away unused stuff, push yourself further each day.

Twenty Opposite Qualities for Balance:

Once we find any of these qualities rising in our body (because of the outside environment, seasons, age, diet, psychological impacts, activities, etc…) we should try to balance it with the opposite quality (using the outside world, diet, daily lifestyle and routine, psychological affirmations, etc…).

Heavy Light

Oily Dry

Stable Mobile

Slimy Rough

Gross Subtle

Cold Hot

Slow Sharp

Soft Hard

Dense Liquid

Cloudy Clear

How do we define a balanced Person?

At the time of our conception, there is a specific combination of the three Doshas that come into play and compose what we call our Prakruti. Our Prakruti is an ensemble of qualities that make us who we are. For example our hazel eyes, our height, the shape of our nose or our eyes, etc.

Throughout our live we are influenced by our diet, activities, professional specificities, relationships, marital life, etc. These influences increase some of the Doshas from times to time. For example a person who has to travel for this work contributes to the increase of Vata Dosha in his body. This can affect his sleep, his digestion, his concentration, etc. This new state of the Doshas and the new amount of each Dosha in our body is called Vikruti.

The state of balance is when Vikruti is brought as close to the Prakruti as possible.

Questions:

1. Which body type would benefit from relaxation and rest?

2. Name two activities that are good for Pitta types and are not good for Kapha types.

3. Which season is ideal for Vata types and which one is not good for Pitta types?

4. Why is it better to cool yourself down by spraying water rather than turning on the air condition?

5. How would you remedy Vata individuals weight gain?

SESSION TWO: DIGESTION

Digestion is the phenomenon of transforming the ingested materials into a form able to be used by our body, mind, emotions. We digest food but also air, smells, colors, concepts, emotions, psychological inputs, etc. The Ayurvedic phenomenon that breaks down the original material is called AGNI. We have AGNI in our stomach but also in our mind and our psyche.

1. What is AGNI?

The power of digestion in Ayurveda is called AGNI which literally means FIRE. This fire, as we specified before transforms the materials entered in our body into fragments usable by the body. AGNI being fire, is in direct relation with the sun. In the morning AGNI is small, at noon when the sun is at its highest AGNI is at its strongest. Therefore lunch should be the biggest and heaviest meal of the day. After the sunset AGNI becomes weak and dormant again, therefore eating after sunset is not recommended.

In digestion two phenomena are present: the breakdown of the intake and the absorption of the fragments. So the break down alone is not enough for the body to assimilate the nutritional qualities of the ingested food or the emotional and mental intakes.

According to Ayurveda our longevity depends on the condition of our AGNI.

AGNI exists in each tissue and each cell of our body. The capability of each cell and tissue to function properly depends on the condition of its AGNI. Efficient intelligence, understanding comprehension and perception depend upon the AGNI. Below we see the list of the seven tissues in Ayurvedic anatomy. The nourishment of each tissue is dependent on the condition of the AGNI of the previous tissue.

As for the digestion of food, every part of the GI tract has a responsibility in the digestion and assimilation. The mouth, stomach, duodenum, small intestine and large intestine (or colon) are all of equal importance in the digestion and assimilation.

The undigested food/emotions/thoughts accumulate in the body and create toxins. This toxin called AMA in its turn generates smells, gas, bloating, fatigue, rashes, pains, etc.. which are the primary warning signals of the body. For example some cases of allergies and asthmas are related to repressed sadness and grief in early childhood. At that time the child certainly experienced any of the signs like indigestion, constipation, stomach pain, etc..which did not attract parent’ serious attention. The imbalance therefore grew deeper and manifested in the form of allergy or asthma in the later years.

THE SEVEN AYURVEDIC TISSUES AND SYSTEMS (called DHATUS):

1. Rasa Dhatu: plasma, lymph: responsible for original nutrition

2. Rakta Dhatu: blood: responsible for energy and life force

3. Mamsa Dhatu: muscles, skin: responsible for protection of the internal organs

4. Meda Dhatu: fat: responsible for lubrication of cell walls and joints

5. Asthi Dhatu: bones: responsible for overall stability of the body

6. Majja Dhtau: nerves bone marrow, brain: responsible for interaction with outside world

7. Shukra Dhatu: reproductive system: responsible for creativity and obviously for reproduction. Important in rejuvenation.

Each Dhatu is nourished by the food sent down from the previous Dhatu. Each Dhatu breaks down the food with the help of its AGNI, keeps what it needs and sends the remaining to the down stream Dhatu. If the AGNI of the previous Dhatu is not strong enough, that Dhatu will not function well and all the Dhatus down the line will be malnourished. It takes between 5 to 7 days for each Dhatu to process the food, take its own part and send down the remaining part. So it will take between 35 to 49 days for the food to get to Shukra Dhatu, in case of dealing with fertility.

There is another tissue system called Upadhatus. Upadhatu literally means the “secondary Dhatu”. Since we cannot see the Dhatus in order to evaluate their condition we can do so by evaluating the Upadhatus and the Malas (waste products) which are more at our reach. In the following table you can see the Upadhatu related to each Dhatu and the waste product rejected by each Dhatu. The waste products are yet another good diagnostic element for the condition of each Dhatu.

Food Categories and the Seven Dhatus

2. Different Conditions of Digestive AGNI:

• High AGNI: usually a Pitta condition, digestion is too fast, hunger very strong, tongue is red, stools are usually loose. Bitter and astringents herbs are useful in this case: aloe vera, gentian, red raspberry leaf, coriander, fennel, Avipatikar (an Ayurvedic formula).

• Low AGNI: usually a Kapha condition, appetite is low, metabolism is low, after eating meal heaviness, nausea and fatigue occur, constipation, excess mucus can be present, tongue has white coating. Pungent and sour herbs are useful in this case: cayenne, ginger, black pepper, most spices, Trikatu (an Ayurvedic formula).

• Variable AGNI: usually a Vata condition, appetite goes from strong hunger to the absence of hunger, gas, distension, constipation and dryness occur. In this case pungent, sour and salty herbs are useful: cumin, ginger, rock salt, most warming spices, Asafoetida (an Ayurvedic formula).

• Balanced AGNI: regular appetite, good sense of taste, regular bowel movement. In this case regular use of mild spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, fennel can maintain the digestion condition.

The power of digesting food can be increased with the appropriate exercise, yoga poses to strengthen the digestive tract, breathing exercises (Pranayama) as well as eating mindfully. The power of emotional and mental digestion is increased with meditation, pranayama and the practice of Witness Consciousness (also called Vipassana).

2. Three Stages of Digestion:

Digestion according to Ayurveda has three phases which are in the following order:

• First the Kapha phase (Earth and Water elements): this stage takes place in the mouth and the upper part of the stomach and digests the sweet taste.

• Then the Pitta phase (Fire element): takes place in the lower part of the stomach, duodenum and small intestine and digests the salty, sour and pungent tastes.

• Finally the Vata phase (Air element): this part tales place in the large intestine and digests the astringent and bitter tastes.

2. The Six Tastes and their Qualities:

Each taste is formed by a specific combination of any of the five elements. According to the elements forming the taste, it has specific qualities that we can use to balance our doshic imbalances. Tastes are digested in our GI tract in the order listed below.

• Sweet: is digested before all other tastes, it is formed by earth and water elements. It is very nourishing to the body and is associated with growth and love, compassion and desire and it is taken in the largest amount in our diet. Vata and Pitta types need this taste more than the Kapha type. It nourishes the spleen and pancreas but also depletes these organs if used excessively. It is present in sugars, dairy products, carbohydrates, fats, most grains and fruits. It promotes growth and gives strength to all tissues. The excessive use of this taste causes Kapha imbalance in the body: cold, heaviness, congestion, obesity, low metabolism, lymph congestion, tumors, edema, Type II diabetes, fibrocystic changes in the breasts and in extreme cases in other fat tissues of the body.

• Sour: is digested after the sweet taste, it is formed by fire and earth elements. It is mainly nourishing to the blood and is present in fermented foods (yogurt, vinegar, yeast, soy sauce, etc.) and most fruits. It is mostly beneficial to Vata types and moderately to Kapha types. Pitta types need only a very little amount of this taste. It stimulates the digestion and facilitates the elimination of waste materials from the body but too much of it causes edema. It is associated with sharpness, intelligence, anger and jealousy. It stimulates the liver and gall bladder but also depletes them if used excessively.

• Salty: is next to be digested in the small intestine. It is formed by fire and water elements. It is moisturizing by causing water retention in tissues, it stimulates the digestion and salivation, good for the circulation and clearing the mind and has sedative effect. It is useful for Vata types mainly. It is also associated with attachment and greed. It is mainly found in salts and seaweeds. In excess it causes thirst, hyperacidity, irritations to the skin and the mucous, water retention, exacerbates infections, causes irritability and difficulty of letting go. It stimulated the kidneys but also depletes them if used too much.

• Pungent: is digested in the large intestine. It is formed by fire and air elements. Mostly beneficial to Kapha types, moderately for Vata types. It stimulates the appetite, metabolism, the nervous system and secretion of enzymes as well as the discharge of fat and liquids in the body. It is germicide and dissolves blood stagnation and obstruction. It is associated with stimulation and resentment. It nourished the lungs but dries them out if used too much. It is found in most spices like garlic, ginger, nutmeg, basil, cinnamon, peppers, etc.. In excess it causes dryness, irritability, agitation, insomnia and hallucination.

• Bitter: is digested last, puts a closure to our meal. Bitter taste is cold and is composed of water and air and is the best taste for detox regimen. Bitter is scraping and purifying, so too much of it is depleting to the body. It is also germicide, anti-inflammatory and is drying. Bitter is mainly good for Pitta cases of fever and inflammation, and moderately for Kapha cases of excess fat and phlegm, it is too cooling and drying for Vata types. It is associated with segregation, separation, loneliness and grief. It nourishes the heart. But too much of bitter taste depresses the digestion and weakens the heart. This taste is found in most greens like kale, arugula, lettuce, bitter melon, aloe vera, etc..

• Astringent: is digested last along with the bitter taste in the colon. Astringent is composed of earth and air and is therefore drying and firming to tissues, a little of it has a healing effect on the skin and is moderately sedative. It is the best taste for Kapha cases of excessive discharge, water retention and edema or excess mucous. It is good for Pitta cases of diarrhea or bleeding. It is associated with detachment and fear. It is nourishing to colon in small quantities but in large quantities it is drying and weakening to the colon and causes constipation and obstruction. Astringent taste is found in most legumes, goldenseal, plantain, turmeric, unripe bananas.

2. Food Combining Rules:

How we eat our food and how we combine different components is of the extreme importance for our digestion. In the table below we see the category of foods that will not combine well together and if they are eaten together they will depress the digestion and create AMA.

In addition to this table, animal protein (dairy or meat) does not combine with carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potato, grains, etc..) because proteins get digested in a different environment than the carbohydrates. Same rule apply about the combination of animal and vegetable proteins. During the digestion of proteins, the carbohydrates or vegetable proteins sit in the stomach and ferment in the presence of acidic enzymes. The by-products of this fermentation are toxic to the body and in the long run create AMA.

The best combination is grains, legumes, seeds, nuts. This combination creates the most complete proteins acceptable by the body. However, the best ratio is the legumes or seeds half the amount of grains. If the digestion is strong we can mix the equal ratio.

2. Food Antidotes:

Besides knowing which foods do not combine well, it is important to know which foods combine well and even help reduce each other’s digestive side effects.

UNDIGESTED MATERIAL: AMA

AMA is what is left behind during the digestion when the original material is not completely broken down. If our Agni is weak it will not be able to completely digest the incoming food, thought or emotion. The results is a left over that is defined as being “sticky, heavy, obstructive and toxic” called AMA.

In Ayurveda it is believed that AMA is a sticky material which clogs the channels in the body disrupting the flow of nutritious materials to the cells and the waste products out of the cells. This flow is generated and regulated by the existence of the natural life force or PRANA in the body. PRANA is a component of VATA and is also the BREATH. The disruption of this flow deprives the cells of their inherent intelligence. The loss of this intelligence affects the communication between cells and isolates them from each other. Isolated cells are confused cells turning into pathological cells.

One of the external ways to monitor Ama in our body is to look at our tongue on a daily basis. The tongue is the map of the inside of your body. By looking at our tongue we can determine which part of our body needs attention. The presence of coating on our tongue is a sign of Ama in that part of our body. Cleaning our tongue with a “tongue scraper” is a necessary habit after brushing the teeth. This allows the taste buds to be clean and free to taste the food in our mouth and send the necessary signal to the rest of the digestive tract, having them ready for an optimum digestion of the incoming food.

The only way to flush AMA out of the system is to be on a diet compatible with our doshic type, follow the food combining rules and the correct eating habits, following the daily routines suggested by Ayurveda and from time to time do a gentle home detox following the Ayurvedic protocol.

Giving the digestive system a break once a week by only ingesting fruit and vegetable juices along with herbal teas is a good practice to decrease AMA. Along with this dietary regimen, breathing exercises are of the utmost importance to attain the expected results.

OTHER RULES OF DIGESTION:

1. Always eat fresh food: the food grows according to seasons, climate and other geographical and environmental conditions. When we live in a geographical area, our body tunes up to the characteristics of that area and it needs food that nourishes it according to what is missing in the surrounding.

That is why it is best to eat food that grows locally, not imported from other regions, other continents and the other hemisphere (where the season is the reverse of ours).

Additionally when you keep the food in the fridge (or worse, in the freezer!) the food loses the nature energy that it is infused with. What truly nourished us in the food is this nature energy called PRANA. Leftovers or refrigerated and frozen food being devoid of PRANA feed us without nourishing us.

2. Do not eat when you are emotional. Each emotion takes its energy from a specific organ of the digestive tract. When eating during the emotional upset that specific organ cannot perform its digestive task.

Worry Stomach

Concentration Spleen/Pancreas

Indecisiveness Gall bladder

Anger Liver

Resentment Small intestine

Agitation, stress Colon

3. Eat food when you are hungry, avoid eating meals too close to each other. If you are not hungry, have some ginger tea or a piece of fresh ginger with a little rock salt to rekindle your Agni. Start eating when feeling hungry.

4. Do not overeat. The ideal amount of a meal should be less that the amount held in the two palms of the hands together (called Anjali).

5. Do not eat if you are constipated (have not processed the previous food)

6. Eat in a calm and peaceful environment. Try to talk about pleasant subjects during your meals.

7. Do not drink cold beverages with your meals. Try to get into the habit to only drinking room temperature or warm water. No sodas, no milk, no fruits juices. A little wine is ok but beer is not ok even in small amount. Beer is a very nutritious substance and it disrupts digestion by interfering.

8. CHEW each bite 25 to 55 times (carbohydrates get mainly digested in the mouth)

9. Do not eat a full meal after sunset. If hungry in the evening, drink a cup of warm milk with a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom or eat a cooked apple.

10. Eat according to your dosha: what is good for Pittas is not necessarily good for Vatas.

11. Always follow the cycles of nature:

• Rainy Spring is Kapha season

• Hot and dry Summer is Pitta season

• Dry and windy Fall is Vata season

• Cold and rainy Fall is Kapha season

• Cold and dry Winter is Vata season

• Wet and snowy Winter is Kapha season

12. Make contact with the food and thank the plants and animals who offered themselves for your nourishment (you can hold the palms of your hands over your plate and feel the energy of the food).

To rekindle your digestion and reduce AMA you can try to make the following herbal mixtures and take them before or with each meal:

You can change the mixture, make it hotter or cooler according to seasons: add more coriander seeds and fennel seeds in the summer and add more mustard seeds and ginger powder in the winter time. Also taking one cup of Lassy with meals facilitates the digestion. Lassy is a mixture of ½ cup of freshly made yogurt with 1 cup of water with a pinch of black pepper and turmeric or ginger.

THE THREE GUNAS (MENTAL QUALITIES)

Besides physical qualities, three subtle qualities are present in all living beings, from plants that we eat to the human psyche. These qualities are Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. All these three qualities are necessary in the creation and sustenance of life. However Sattva is the Guna that helps us grow spiritually and be in harmony with our true nature.

SATTVA: (SAT = the highest existence) is consciousness, awakening, purity, tranquility, clarity, balance, equilibrium, goodness, happiness, truth.

RAJAS: activity, movement, passion, perception, expansion, excitability, desire, attachment, greed. It generates change, birth, mutation, generation. The goal of Rajas is the pursuit of pleasure and the effort to change, therefore, it causes pain in the individual.

TAMAS: inactivity, sleep, exhaustion, solid ground, darkness, dullness, stagnation, inertia, death, ignorance, delusion.

Each Dosha or Doshic type is affected by one of these Gunas from time to time. Below are the characteristic of each Dosha when affected by each of the Gunas.

THE THREE GUNAS AND FOOD:

By knowing the quality of the food we are eating we can gauge them according to the activities of our daily life and the qualities we bring into our body.

Questions:

1. Analyze the elemental composition of red chili pepper

2. Why should we not eat sweet dessert after our meals?

3. Why is yogurt with cucumber a summer food? What happens if it is eaten in the winter?

4. If somebody has diarrhea what kind of taste would you give him?

5. Why shouldn’t we eat while angry or irritated?