Conscious Choice: Ayurveda: The Science of Life

October 2000

Ayurveda: The Science of Life

by Darlene E. Paris

My best friend Jessica, who lives in Florida, calls me at the beginning of each week to remind me to keep using oil. She’s not talking about the oil I use when I cook, nor is she warning me about the importance of getting a regular oil change to keep my car in motion. Jessica wants to know if I’m slathering warm, organic, cold-pressed sesame oil on my body just before I take a shower, and afterwards, so that I can begin my work week feeling calm.

Regularly oiling the body is just one of the many health care regimens Jessica and I learned about last October during a two- week Ayurveda health care retreat sponsored by Rani Holistic Health Centers in Merrillville, Indiana.

Organized by Dr. Rani Parganoker, Ayurvedic physician and owner of Rani Holistic Health center, the workshop gave me and my friend the chance to sample various health care regimens used in this 5,000 year old traditional Indian medicine system.

Ayurveda, which means science of life, is part of the ancient Indian tradition of Vedas. Thousands of years ago, enlightened sages, or seers, came to an understanding of life and its systems. Out of their understanding came specific guidelines for humankind to maintain good health.

Initially, the wisdom of these sages was passed down orally from generation to generation. Around 1000 B.C., however, their insights were relayed in two treatises called the Charaka Samhita, which focuses on internal medicine, and the Sushruta Samhita, which deals with surgery. The Sushruta is the text from which the origins of plastic surgery came into existence.

Ayurveda in the West

Today, Ayurveda education is occurring in private offices, holistic health care centers, and even colleges and universities around the country. Thanks to Dr. Deepak Chopra who offers Ayurvedic treatments at his holistic health care center in California, Dr. Vasant Lad, a world-renowned Ayurvedic physician who teaches at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Dr. Robert E. Svoboda, one of the first Ayurvedic physicians ever to practice in the West, this healing modality is gaining increased popularity in the United States, particularly in California, but also in and surrounding Chicago.

People are attracted to Ayurveda because it uses natural methods to solve chronic health problems. "I advise people on their diet, nutrition, lifestyle modifications, and changes they should make according to seasons to prevent illness and preserve health," says Dr. Parganoker, who practices in Chicago. "Ayurveda is not medicine per se...it is a way of life."

The foundation on which Ayurveda rests is the philosophy that everything is comprised of prana, or energy.

Although we are, of course, composed of flesh and bone, these materials consist of vibrating bundles of energy. Since energy is in constant motion, we’re changing constantly.

In order to stay in good health, we must learn ways to stay balanced in the midst of change. The goal of the Ayurvedic physician or educator is to suggests ways for us to maintain or bring our bodies back to balance.

The Three Doshas

Doshas are the pillars of Ayurvedic medicine. They are the three vital energies which inhabit the body and are a combination of five elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. The names of the actual doshas are vata, pitta, and kapha.

Vata is a combination of ether and air; pitta combines fire and water, and kapha is an amalgam of water and earth. Each plays a major role in the body. Vata, for example, is related to movement and is connected to the nervous system. Pitta represents fire and controls metabolic functioning and is also responsible for digestion. Kapha denotes water and is related to the mucous lining in the body, phlegm, and lymphatics.

Although we are affected by all three doshas, we are controlled by either one or two dominant doshas which determine our constitution. The characteristics of each dosha are listed below. Try to determine which category best describes you.

Vata: Air and Ether At the workshop I discovered that one of my predominate doshas is Vata. Vata people may be either short or tall, but they tend to have thin, bony bodies. They have dry skin, large or crooked teeth set in a receding gum line. They have a small mouth and dark, dull eyes. Their hair may be dark, curly, or coarse. These people speak quickly and are restless sleepers. They are prone to anxiety and are often fearful. They’re also artistic and imaginative. They eat very little, but like sweet and sour food. Vata people are often constipated.

Pitta: Fire and Water My friend Jessica is predominantly pitta. Pitta people are of medium height. They generally have oily skin, a light complexion, and freckles. They possess a medium frame. Their hair may be reddish or light brown which grays prematurely. They have small yellow teeth and green or gray eyes. They speak clearly and are light sleepers. They are very aggressive and extremely intelligent. Pittas tend to be jealous and judgmental. They like eating and enjoy sweet and bitter foods. They are very intense and are sometimes fanatical.

Kapha: Water and Earth Kapha people have bodies that are large, round and thick. They are often overweight with thick, oily skin. They have thick, wavy, dark or light hair, strong teeth, and a large mouth. They have large eyes that are either black or blue. People who are kapha speak and move slowly. They need lots of sleep. They have a have a tendency to be possessive and prefer not to be rushed. Kaphas are nurturing and compassionate people. They have a steady appetite and like bitter and pungent tastes.

If you don’t fit any one type, don’t be surprised. As I mentioned earlier, people are influenced by all three doshas, and generally ruled by a combination of two. Thus, it is the Ayurvedic physician’s job to determine your constitution and the extent to which one or more doshas are out of balance.

The book Alternative Health Care: A Comprehensive Guide to Therapies & Remedies explains that in Ayurveda, ill health is said to be related to disturbances in the three doshas. An Ayurvedic physician is trained to know what a patient should do to bring the doshas back into balance.

A Mini Consultation

One of the highlights of the workshop I attended was my thirty-minute consultation with Dr. Parganoker. During our meeting, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire which helped the physician determine my body type or constitution. After considering the results, the doctor told me that my body type is Vata/Kapha and that there are certain things I need to do to keep my doshas in balance.

One of the things she recommended was that I keep a regular schedule. Vatas often act spontaneously, but an erratic schedule may cause anxiety and create a disturbance in the doshas. Dr. Parganoker suggested that I choose a specific time to wake up in the morning so that I am not rushing for work, and a set time to go to bed at night so that I get enough rest.

She also advised that I oil my body with warm sesame oil before or after showering, a regimen my Pitta friend Jessica is quick to bring to my remembrance. This treatment relaxes the nervous system and, at the same time, sufficiently lubricates my skin.

Ayurvedic Treatments

Some Ayurvedic regimens are particular and related to the needs of the individual at hand, but others are general practices that are good for an entire population. For example, detoxification plays a major role in this system of medicine.

"We live in an area where we are affected by all kinds of pollution and toxins," says Dr. Parganoker. "We accumulate so many things in the body. We take in chemicals as a result of the food we eat and the air we breathe. We accumulate everything including emotional toxins — the stress from everyday living. You have to get rid of all of that...and for that we suggest detoxification and purification of the body."

There are two types of treatments used in Ayurveda to detoxify and purify the body. Because they include laxative therapies, herbal inhalation, and sometimes vomiting, they must be undertaken with the advice of an experienced and qualified practitioner. The first is known as Shodana, which consists of treatments that eliminate blockages in the digestive system and aids in balancing the doshas. Panchakarma, a five-step therapy, fits in this category. The other is called Samana; it occurs after the detoxification process and involves the use of herbal remedies.

Other Treatments

Ayurveda educator Misty Soderholm, owner of SoderWorld Holistic Health and Wellness Center, provides various Ayurvedic body treatments at her center in Hinsdale. These treatments are very different from, let’s say, a Swedish massage. First of all, two therapists are working on either side of your body instead of one, and, secondly, therapists use herbalized hot oils on the body that are selected based upon the client’s body type. According to Soderholm, a normal Ayurvedic treatment protocol is to get a massage and then a follow up treatment such as an herbal wrap or shirodhara, a treatment in which warm buttermilk or oil is poured over the forehead in a continuous flow.

Jessica and I got a chance to try shirodhara at the workshop. We lay on a massage table while above us was a container full of milk mixed with herbs. The therapist gently rocked the container back and forth as the herbalized liquid slid across our foreheads. The aroma was heavenly and so was the treatment. I was so relaxed that I fell asleep. I later learned that this treatment is commonly used on patients with Parkinson’s disease and those with insomnia.

Complementary Practices

Ayurvedic physicians and educators tend also to be big proponents of yoga and meditation. We participated in a yoga and meditation class at the workshop and also experienced pranayama, or breathing exercises.

I forgot to mention the vegetarian meals we ate, all of which were prepared based upon the principles of Ayurveda. In Ayurveda, you eat foods that are pacifying to your dosha. Some foods are Tri-Doshic, which means they appeal to all doshas, such as Kitcheri, a rice and bean dish made from split yellow mung beans, basmati rice, and spices like cumin, coriander, tumeric powder, and fennel seeds. Others are more appropriate to one dosha or another, and we promised ourselves to focus on making those foods a major part of our diets.

After the workshop was over, Jessica and I felt inspired. We vowed that we would incorporate most of the things we learned in our daily schedules and spread the word about this system of healing to our loved ones. Of course, some of us — including Jessica — take these vows more seriously than others. As a Vata type, I don’t always manage to fit these holistic health care regimes into my erratic schedule. But I’m grateful for my Pitta friend’s fanatical insistence that I stick with the program.

Darlene E. Paris is the author of Healthy and Natural Living in Chicago: The Best Alternative Resources in the City and Suburbs (Chicago Review Press). The book is available at bookstores or by calling 800-888-4741.

Resources

Dr. Jaya Adiga, M.D., Ayurveda Educator, Yoga and Meditation Instructor; Teaches Ayurveda classes at Governor’s State University and offers Ayurveda cooking classes; 708-957-0897

Cynthia Gran, Ayurveda Educator and Yoga Instructor; Waveland Wellness Center, 773-935-5050

Gary Gran, Ayurveda Educator and Yoga Instructor; The Evanston School of Yoga, 847-869-7221

Dr. Rani Parganoker, Ayurveda Physician; Rani Holistic Health Centers, 219-791-1223, 888-882-1223

Dr. Prabha Vaidya, M.D., Practices integrative medicine using Ayurveda, homeopathy, yoga and meditation; Center for Holistic Medicine, 847-236-1701

Dr. Pratima Muzumdar, M.D.; Ayurveda Educator; Tranquil Passage, 630-512-0800

Misty Soderholm, Ayurveda Educator; Soderworld Holistic Health and Wellness Center, 630-455-5885

Healing Quest Center, 312-664-7979

The Raj, Ayur Veda Health Center, Maharishi Ayur-Veda Programs at the Raj, 800-248-9050

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