Bodhimed

There are so many theories about why we each are the way we are.  While there's no one answer to this, the ancient science of Ayurveda offers a very logical, simple explanation based on the universal five elements found in nature and within each of us.  People in the West are now becoming more familiar with this Ayurvedic concept of constitutional types, and you can easily find quizzes that are supposed to help you determine which Ayurvedic type you are.  But it's actually very hard to discern the difference between your original constitution and your present imbalance.  There are a million reasons why we might be experiencing a present imbalance.  Here's an explanation of the difference between who you are meant to be, i.e. in a balanced state, and who you may be today.

How I Learned That I Wasn't Who I Thought I Was

My first exposure to Ayurveda was in 1991 through Dr. Vasant Lad's book, Ayurveda The Science of Self-Healing.  I took the quiz in the book to determine which Ayurvedic type I was, and after answering all of the questions, I concluded that I was predominantly Kapha (earth + water).  I began to identify with all of the attributes of a Kapha person and started to see myself in the world as that.  There was a great deal of comfort in finally understanding why I was the way I was -- sometimes lazy, sometimes greedy, usually even-tempered, always congested, and adoring of my bed.

In the fall of 1991 I began Ayurveda school.  As a student I received a consultation with Dr. Lad right away.  He revealed to me that my Ayurvedic constitution was actually predominantly Vata (space + air) and that I had a long standing Kapha imbalance.  I had had this Kapha imbalance since I was a child, and that was why I mistook the imbalance for my constitutional state.  Growing up in the Midwest, my diet was composed primarily of Kapha aggravating foods -- sugar, wheat, meat, and dairy.  I drank several glasses of cold milk each day, I had unrestricted access to sugar, and I consumed lots of white bread.  As a result, I suffered from terrible allergies, asthma, and sinus congestion.  No wonder I considered myself to be predominantly "phlegm" type!!

As I learned more and more about Vata types, however, I realized that underneath all of the phlegm, I was actually very much a "windy" type. I had always been on the skinny side, not the heavier side.  I was always on the go, doing many things at once, and my skin was dry. As a kid, I wanted to be an artist, I bit my nails, and I was easily distracted.  All of these qualities are classic Vata characteristics.  They just were overshadowed by the long-term, heavy presence of Kapha that had resulted from my diet.

Where Imbalance Comes From

The constitution we are born with is a result of many factors - our parents' health at conception, our mother's health during pregnancy, our genetic inheritance, astrological forces at the time of our conception and birth, past-life karma, and others we may not even be aware of.  This constitution is our unique combination of the five natural elements - space, air, fire, water and earth.  Vata types are mostly space and air, Pitta types are predominantly fire and water, and Kapha types are primarily earth and water.

At any time in our lives, our particular proportion of the elements changes as a result of diet, stress, external pathogens, lifestyle, climate, you name it.  If, as a Kapha type, your fire element is aggravated due to prolonged consumption of spicy foods while living in a hot climate, you may experience heartburn, headaches, irritability.  This is a Pitta imbalance, but it does not change the fact that you are still of Kapha constitution.  You would want to treat the increased Pitta, by switching to cooling foods and lifestyle therapies, to bring you back to your original state of balance, to who you were meant to be.  If you were of Pitta type, but had moved from town to town your whole life, had an unpredictable home environment, suffered injuries in a car accident, and consumed a lot of caffeine, you would undoubtedly have a Vata imbalance.  You might have insomnia, irregular elimination, feel cold, and have trouble concentrating.  But this would not mean you are of Vata nature, simply that you have a Vata aggravation. 

Returning To Our True Nature

The ultimate aim of Ayurvedic treatment is to help us return to our individual true nature.  This state of balance is different for each of us, depending on our particular constitution.  In an Ayurvedic consultation, we determine both the constitution and present imbalance and then prescribe appropriate diet, herbs, and lifestyle therapies to counteract the current aggravation or deficiency.  Ayurveda uses the therapy of opposites to achieve this.  For example, cooling foods for excess heat, drying herbs for excess phlegm, etc. 

Because each one of us has a different proportion of the five elements, balance looks like something different for each person.  That's why Ayurveda rarely suggests that any one diet or herbal remedy is good for everyone.  What is poison for one person may be healing nectar for another.  It's crucial to recognize that although we are all made of the same elements, we are unique in our manifestation. 

According to Ayurveda, the root cause of all disease is improper digestion. Why exactly? Because when we don't fully break down food and assimilate nutrients, we accumulate this undigested, toxic material that in Sanskrit is called ama.  When we have ama, our pipes get clogged.  All kinds of pipes. Physical and mental.  This is a big deal, because any number of bodily functions may be compromised. The bad news is there are many, many causes of ama.  The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do about it.  Here we go.

Are you setting New Year's resolutions that are more dream than reality? We all have health goals we'd like to achieve, and it's important to be realistic about what we can change that's practical and easy!  There are simple Ayurvedic ways we can improve our health that don't require massive sacrifice. Ayurveda is full of natural health tips that are actually very easy to integrate and that will totally change your life.  Here's my top 5 Ayurvedic New Year's resolutions that will guarantee you a new level of natural health with very little effort.

1.  Start your day with the right breakfast.

What you eat first thing in the morning sets the tone of your entire day.  Your digestion can either be boosted or totally extinguished depending on what you eat or don't eat in the morning. A hot, whole grain porridge (congee) is the ideal breakfast to kindle your digestive fire, improve absorption, and balance your metabolism.  It's easy to cook in a crock pot overnight so that when you wake up, it's all ready to go! No need to wait on a pot of brown rice and oat groats when you're in a hurry to get out the door.  Congee is easy to prepare and is very inexpensive.  Ayurveda teaches that one of the root causes of all disease is improper digestion, so starting your day with congee will help to heal all types of health imbalances and weight issues.

While stress gets a lot of press because of its harmful effects on your health, guilt is usually overlooked as being equally destructive.  Whether someone tries to make you feel guilty or you succumb to it yourself, what good comes from feeling guilty?  Remorse for hurting somebody is one thing, but oftentimes we feel guilty because we ate cake, or because we think we're not doing something well enough.  What if we turned guilt around and practiced loving kindness toward ourselves, accepting that we are good enough and that we're all doing the best we can?  We might finally experience a new level of well-being and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Guilt-Free Eating

One of the worst things we can do during a meal is to feel guilty about what we're eating.  Think of the mental stress we create if we're not enjoying our food, but rather feeling stressed about it?  I'm not advocating that you eat junk food and feel good about it, but that you choose food consciously and then savor it.  One of the explanations I like regarding why French people are generally thin is that they take time to really enjoy their food. In my blog post about learning this lesson with donuts, I share how I had to confront my desire for donuts so I could then let go of it and move beyond the guilt I had created around it.

One of the most beautiful things about Ayurveda is the way spices are used not only to make food more delicious, but also to heal and balance your body.  Autumn is the season dominated by Vata, otherwise known as Wind. You can easily keep your body, mind, and spirit in balance with the Vata season by including Ayurvedic spices in your cooking. Here's a recipe for a Vata spice mixture that you can carry with you when you eat out, or add to your meals at home.  You can also take 1/2 tsp. of this mixture with warm water in between meals any time you're experiencing gas and bloating.

Vata Digestive Spice Powder

Grind the following spices and combine in decreasing quantities:

Cardamom seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, dry ginger powder, turmeric, sucanat, mineral salt, hing (aka asafoetida). 

Benefits of Vata Spices

Vata is cold and dry.  In autumn when it's also cold and dry, it's important to keep your body warm with good circulation.  Warming, pungent spices accomplish this by keeping your digestive fire stoked.  Ayurveda also teaches that for optimal digestion, all 6 tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent) should be present in a meal. This spice mixture has all tastes except sour, so just squirt a little lemon or lime on your meal to round it out.