AYURVEDA & HERBAL

Benefits of Kapalbhati Pranayam VIDEO Baba Ramdev

2009-09-07T03:27:00.001-07:00

Baba Ramdev demonstrates how to do Kapalbhati Pranayam and explains its benefits. Kapalbhati pranayam Yogasana videos Hindi Yoga Baba Ramdev Pranayama India tv

Fem Herbal Bleach Video

2009-08-21T04:47:00.001-07:00

Wear a New Face , To get Natural Fairness in 15 Minutes Use Fem Herbal Bleach ,
, Natural and Safe, Fem Herbal Bleach is a blend of natures best.

Fem Herbal Bleach is made with the goodness of 16 precious herbs Keshar, Chandan, Lodhra, Patang, Raktachandan, Agru, Walaa, Manjistha, Jesthmadh, Tamaalpatra, Padmakastha, Kamal, Kosth Kolinjan, Halad, Laakh, Daruhalad. These 16 herbs are combined together to form, a proven ancient Ayurvedic secret for fairness - Kumkumadi Tailam.

Naturally fair and beautiful in just 15 minutes.

Naturopathy And Ayurvedic Center Video

2009-08-15T05:24:00.001-07:00

Naturopathy and Ayurvedic Center, is located in Ayer Keroh, Melaka. Spread over 1.5 acres, it comprises four bungalows, swiming pools and many other features, all in one compound.

AYURVEDA GRAM Banaglore

2009-08-04T05:34:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda treatment india, Ayurvedic treatment, Ayurveda wellness centre, Ayurveda health resort, Ayurveda Treatment Arthritis, Low back pain, Diabetics, Depression, Infertility, Panchakarma

Breathing, Posture, and Detoxification Video

2009-08-01T02:04:00.001-07:00

Today I discuss the benefits of proper posture in relation to breathing, and how this is a necessary component for a deep, full detoxifying breath.
Breathing Breath Posture Holistic Raw Vegan Health To be of Service Meditation Millman Awareness Peace Love John Daly Stretching Yoga happiness laughter ideology spirituality guided awakening taoism philosophy ayurveda being stress compassion affirmation gratitude andrew

Marma Bein Fuss Massage Video

2009-07-31T02:44:00.001-07:00

Marmas sind Vitalpunkte, die durch diese spezielle ayurvedische Massage reflektorisch auf Körper und Geist wirken und derer Funktionen harmonisieren. Vorgeführt von Lakshmana Wittig (Leiter der Ayurveda-Oase Yoga Vidya). Weitere Informationen zu Ayurveda bei Yoga Vidya

Medical tourism and Ayurvedic treatment in India to refresh you.

2009-07-28T06:10:00.001-07:00

Medical tourism in India offers world class treatment with indigenous system such as Ayurveda at low cost. Ayurvedic treatment in India, the ancient science of living, has addressed itself to the fundamental principles of good health and longevity. It has developed a tradition of ayurvedic medicines and a system of treatment based in the inherent ability of the human body to rejuvenate, to heal and to restore its natural balance. Ayurvedic treatment in India at Kerela has experienced team of doctors and therapists oriented towards providing personalized services that offer you the best possible treatment in Ayurveda. Ayurvedic treatment in India, the ancient traditional method of treatment involving combinations of herbal medicines, physical massages and various other forms of therapy, offers excellent remedies for many illnesses. Ayurvedic treatment in India can be used to treat ailments like Anxiety, Arthralgia, Asthma, Back pain, Diabetes, Disc Prolapse, Diseases of the eye, Dislocation, Dystonia, Hemiplegia, Hypertension, Impotence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Motor diseases, Multiple Sclerosis, Obesity, Peptic Ulcer, Peripheral Neuritis, Psoriasis and other skin diseases, Rheumatic Joint pains, Rheumatoid Arthritis etc. Apart from treatment for these diseases it also offers therapy that rejuvenates the body and mind from the ills arising out of the frictions of everyday life. Medical tourism in India can make your vacation more than sun, sea and sand by providing leading Ayurvedic treatment centers providing traditional therapies in a matchless therapeutic ambience. Medical tourism in India can help you to discover the power of Ayurveda in one of the very few places in the world - Kerela, where it is practiced with absolute authenticity and dedication. Completely natural, Ayurvedic treatment in India is the safest medical system on Earth. Eminent physicians with generations of expertise behind them will do the diagnosis and will decide the treatment scheduled that matches your body

Ayurvedic Secret for Naturally Healthy Kids

2009-07-28T06:08:00.001-07:00

about chyavanprash. The Ayurvedic formula, Chyavanprash, is an excellent natural digestive aid and rejuvenative for optimal, natural health. This herbal jam contains over 15 ayurvedic herbs that strengthen the immune system and increase vitality. Because it contains ghee and honey, which carry the herbs to the deep tissue in the body, it is sweet and delicious for kids and adults alike. You can be confident that the digestive health of your family is benefiting from daily consumption of Chyavanprash!

Royal wants to keep up with you on Twitter

2009-07-10T01:33:00.001-07:00

Royal wants to keep up with you on Twitter

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Ayurveda Panchakarma -Somatheeram-Kerala

2009-06-18T01:47:00.001-07:00

Ayurveda and yoga are India's centuries old tradition for good living.Indian saints and Rishi's have constituted special therapies for various ailments for the body mind and soul, which has been widely accepted the world over as the best alternative medicine. Somatheeram Ayurveda Beach Resort in Kovalam ,Kerala has pioneered in spreading the concept of Ayurveda medical tourism to the world.Somatheeram resort has successfully integrated the Ayurveda systems to the visting International guests.Last many years has seen a treamendous flow of health consious tourists staying with such resorts in kerala for practicing good living.Just type somatheeram in any search engines and see more than a15 million listing about the worlds first Ayurveda wellness Resort Somatheeram

History of Ayurveda

2007-01-18T23:18:00.000-08:00

History of Ayurveda

Five thousand years ago in the magnificent Himalayas, one of the greatest sages of India, Srila Vyasadeva wrote down the Vedas for the first time, this included a branch which is called Ayurveda: "The science of Life" (Ayur means life and Veda means science).
The Vedas came from an oral tradition that reached back into antiquity. Srila Vyasadev entrusted the original copies of the texts with his most erudite and enlightened disciples, who, along with other great sages, inaugurated a very long sacrificial ceremony for hundreds of years for the purification and blessings of the entire world. Remember people lived for one to two thousand years back then. During that time, they studied and discussed these ancient texts with their own disciples, who wrote commentaries, and expanded and developed these original and eternal truths without ever altering them.
During the years after the conclusion of this sacrifice, copies of this perfect Vedic texts were placed in various temples and libraries throughout India. They were written down in the original Sanskrit language for the benefit of the general population. (Sanskrit is the father of Latin and most of the world languages).
As far as the science of life was concerned - Ayurveda - volumes of wisdom poured forth like the rains during the monsoon season. Beside Vyasadeva's information about hundreds of herbal drugs in the Vedas, there were descriptions later on, by other sages like Sushruta, Charaka, etc. on how to perform prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgery on the nose and elsewhere, caesarean section, and even brain surgery!
Everything was described in great detail and archaeological research has uncovered evidence that proves that some of these operations were performed successfully between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. The great sage Charaka has given information in Ayurveda about the development of the child within the womb week by week, month by month, limb by limb, from conception to birth, that equals our modern medical texts in accuracy.
There is information about atomic energy, gynecology, pediatrics, surgery, anatomy, herbal drugs, Ayurvedic dieting and nutrition. All are described in the most simple and profound manner so as to make it easy enough for any person to have a basic working knowledge of this great science of life - Ayurveda. I know this sounds incredible and you may be wondering, "How is it possible to have one system embrace all systems" How would it be applied? The answer is simple. The first step is to ascertain the individual's "Biological Mode" , and than to treat the person accordingly.

Prakruti - The Unique Genetic Code of an Individual
Everyone knows that there are no two fingerprints alike. No two voice modulations and no two genetic codes are exactly alike. What makes anyone think we all have the same liver, lungs, kidneys, or anything else the same as the next person. Therefore to propose that we all eat the same foods, take the same drugs when we are ill, or perform the same exercise is more than ludicrous. It is unscientific! Ayurveda uses a system of historical analysis and physical examination done almost entirely by observation (with the exception of pulse reading), to ascertain one's original nature and current imbalances.
A diet and health plan are given to the individual according to the needs to correct the imbalance. The basis for all other concepts in Ayurveda is Sankhya (the analytical study of the elements that comprise the universe). Although the modern physicist would delineate well over one hundred elements, Sankhya states there are twenty-four, of which five are the foundation of the gross world: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.
Dr. Robert Svoboda compares earth to everything which is solid in the table of the elements. Water is everything liquid, and air is everything gaseous. Ether is the field in quantum mechanics upon which everything rests, and fire is the transformer of one thing to another.
These five elements, when joined in different combinations, make up the three "doshas" or "biological modes" which are the "Prakruti" or nature of an individual and the nature of all things.

The combination of air and ether gives us Vata or the Kinetic Biological Mode. Vata is that which is electric in the body and causes all movement in and out of the system (breathing, urination, defecation, menstruation, etc.)
The combination of fire and water gives us Pitta or the Transformative Biological Mode. Pitta is that which mutates or transforms the outside elements of the macrocosm into the inside elements of the body (the microcosm). Pitta governs the digestion of physical, mental, and emotional elements.
Finally, the combination of earth and water gives us Kapha or the Structive Biological mode. Kapha is that which makes for both lubrication (mucus, synovial fluid) and structure (bones, muscles, fat, joints, etc).

Generally speaking most people are a combination of two modes. One is the primary and the other is the secondary. But there are those who are purely dominated by one mode, and in rare cases, those who are a mixture of all three. This elemental theory broken down into divisions of modes identifies not only body types for humans, but also for animals, vegetables, plants, herbs, geographical locations, times of day, seasons of the years, and activities performed.
Everything in the universe is categorized by this system. Ascertaining one's Prakruti (nature of constitution) and imbalances is the service rendered by the Ayurvedic analysis using the processes stated earlier. Then the Ayurvedic practitioner constructs a diet and recommends herbs which would be helpful to regain balance with one's original nature.
In Ayurveda different people with the same disease sometimes receive different diet and herb plans. The constitution, the imbalance, and the various nuances of the development of the disease in each individual must be studied to determine the nature of the imbalance whether Vata, Pitta, or Kapha for that disease.
For example: Two people have a history of weak lungs and chronic coughing. One is dominated by a Vata constitution with a Vata imbalance. The other is dominated by a Kapha constitution with a Kapha imbalance. The Vata has a tendency towards a dry hacking cough in which no mucus or phlegm is present or being expelled. The Kapha has a less frequent, but heavy wet cough which expels large quantities of mucus and phlegm.
For the Kapha dry, hot, spicy herbs and foods are what is necessary for burning up and drying up the excess mucus. Dry ginger, and long pepper are useful while all dairy, fruit juices, and cold food in general are to be avoided. But for the dry Vata cough, hot milk with turmeric is a great healer to soothe and calm the cough, while disinfecting and moistening the dry, hot lungs. Fresh curd with unleavened whole wheat bread (chapatis) and cooling fruit juices are also useful. So a cough is not just a cough according to ayurveda. But according to the constitution and imbalance, "One man's food is another man's poison".
Unfortunately people will give up trying holistic health practices because good food was given to the wrong person. The secret of understanding the dynamics of food and which food is for whom is in the taste, therefore, the appropriate tastes with their elements will correct the imbalance of elements in one's constitution if taken correctly.
The proof is in the tasting.
There are six taste according to Ayurveda: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter, and Astringent. Each is comprised of two elements:
Sweet (earth and water) examples: wheat, sugar, milk, rice, dates;Sour (earth and fire) examples: yogurt, lemon, tamarind;Salty (water and fire) examples: sea salt, rock salt, kelp;Pungent (fire and air) examples: onion, radish, ginger, chilly;Bitter (air and ether) examples: dandelion root, rhubarb root, bitter melon;Astringent (air and earth) examples: plantain, pomegranate, apples;
There are two other considerations in Ayurveda. First, whether a foods action is heating or cooling. The taste sweet, bitter, and astringent are cooling. Sour, salty, and pungent are all heating. The second is the post-digestive effect or how the foods "taste" to the tissues during and after assimilation. Sweet and salty are sweet in post-digestive effect. Sour is sour, and pungent, bitter, and astringent are pungent.
Taste, action, and post-digestive effect are known is Sanskrit as rasa, virya, and vipack respectively in Ayurveda. They are the keys to understanding food and herbs. With this knowledge, one can unlock the mysteries of the energetic dynamics of food and be able to make the right choices for oneself.
Raw Foods According To Ayurveda
Raw foods and juices are magnificent in that they are cleansing and energizing. Sprouts are especially wonderful because they contain large amounts of enzymes and nourishment which help with digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Some of the spicier sprouts help to destroy and eliminate toxins in the system known as ama in Ayurveda.
Fenugreek sprouts can even help in cases of seminal debility. But in general, raw food is very cold and hard to digest in the Vedic sense as it releases its Prana or nourishing life giving energy in the upper portion of the body between the mouth and the stomach. This gives quick, short-term energy, but not long-term tissue building nourishment. This is good for pittas, and some raw foods are good for kaphas, but this is not very good for vatas.
Cooking Foods According to Ayurveda
Well cooked grains, beans, and vegetables release their Prana in the colon. This provides long-term tissue building energy. However, these energies cannot be released from complex carbohydrates without the assistance of enzymes. A Clean intestinal tract is also essential for proper absorption.This coincides with two of the modern holistic health theories of colon cleansing and enzyme consumption. But the Ayurvedic approach again is practical and individualized. Which herbs for which constitution will produce the best colon cleansing varies. Therefore, some people find some of the standard colon cleansing products ineffectual or difficult for their bodies to tolerate.
Triphala ("the three fruits"), used in Ayurveda, is one of the best colon cleansers because it strengthens and tones the muscle action of the colon. It does not cause laxative dependency by doing the work for the colon. Similarly, the consumption of enzyme tablets will cause the digestive organs natural ability to produce enzymes for digestion to become suppressed and lazy and possibly lose their ability to function all together. Ayurvedic cooking uses certain herbs and spices to help stimulate the body to produce its own digestive enzymes.
The Secret of spices in Ayurvedic Cooking
I can hear the sighs now as you read the subtitle and you are asking yourself, "Is he going to advocate eating that hot Indian restaurant style food?" Absolutely not! That is, unfortunately, only a bastardization of the original system. Spices used in small to moderate proportions according to the food being prepared and the person's constitution will stimulate all the digestive organs to produce the enzymes required for total absorption and assimilation. This lets your organs do their work through nourishment without "putting them in a wheelchair" while the chemicals do it. Thus cooked food and spices are better for the poor digestion of kaphas and vatas. Pittas should use only mild spicing, as their "fire of digestion" is generally strong.
As you can see there is no good or bad food, just which food is your food. Once you understand your body type, you can structure a diet for yourself that will really work to make you feel totally balanced and harmonized. How soon you feel balanced, depends on how much you have abused yourself in the past. Generally, it takes month of healing for every year of abuse. That's why the Ayurvedic practitioner asks many questions about your health history. It is very important to ascertain when the problem began and what emotional and mental imbalances preceded it, so that your diet and health plan can solve your health problem by going to the source.
Consciousness and Food
This is probably the most important aspect of Ayurveda: Your state of consciousness when you eat and when you cook. One of the great sages of India, Rupa Goswami wrote: "If you eat food prepared by the wicked, you will become wicked". I' m not calling anyone wicked, but rather I'm pointing out that if the person who is cooking has fears, insecurities, anger, jealousy, greed or any of many emotions we experience everyday, the chef will infuse that preparation with that emotion.
This is important to remember in eating - at home or away - that the consciousness of the cook is in the food. And the consciousness of the animal or vegetable one is eating is in there as well. So in Ayurveda, food preparation is considered a sacred act. Animal food is generally not recommended because of the extreme pain, agony, suffering, fear, anger and terror the animal experiences has gone into the food. Add the highly toxic chemical contamination of modern factory farming like hormones, steroids, antibiotics, pesticides, etc., and you have a prescription for death not life.
Vegetables have life also and they also feel pain and discomfort at being eaten. The great scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose showed through extensive research that plants are living, feeling beings that experience emotions like humans on their own level. The Vedas teach that each living being, from the king to the bacteria, has a soul and is therefore sacred. The kitchen is considered the extension of the altar in Vedic culture. In early Christianity, the people would bring their crops and lay them at the altar for sacrifice and blessing.
This was done much earlier in Ancient India, only there everything was prepared in the kitchen according to the principles of taste and elemental energetics and then offered with great devotion to the deities: Lakshmi-Narayana, Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna and others. Therefore, the act of cooking, the place of preparation, the act of offering, and the offering place were all sacred. The consciousness of the cooks was focused on how all the foods were to be prepared in elemental balance.
Knowing that they were also made of these same elements and the ability to balance them and prepare them were direct gifts from God, they offered back those elements and abilities to the Lord, and through spiritual consciousness cleansed the vegetarian foodstuff of all negative karma by bathing it in love and devotion.
You can do this at home by preparing your food with love according to Ayurvedic energetic principles and offering prayers and meditations of thanks and love to God. You will transform food into prasad or God's mercy. Thus you will raise your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health to the highest possible levels. There is no greater nourishment than this in all the world.
The Right Food for the Right Person
As I think back to the 1985 Whole Life Expo, I can still see the bewildered looks of the crowd. I hope this article helps put things in proper perspective for the confused public. All foods are good, but not all foods are good for all people. You must eat the proper foods for your constitution in the proper consciousness if you want the best nourishment and optimum physical and spiritual health.
The Three Doshas: VATA
A Vata's frame is usually tall or short, and always thin and low in weight with prominent bones and joints. They have thin skin which is rough and dry with a tendency to tan or be dark, with prominent veins and cold to the touch. They will have curly, kinky, coarse, dry hair that's dark brown or blackish. Their teeth will usually be large, crooked and protrude. Both their head and eyes will be small, quick and unsteady. The eyes will also be dark brown or black, dry, thin and dull.
Vatas have variable and scanty appetites. They will be thin as children and have troubles gaining weight. They like sweet, salty and sour foods like cake, crackers, and pickles. Their thirst varies and they will nurse hot drinks to keep them warm. Their bowels are usually hard and dry, or constipated. They are hyperactive and can exhaust easily with restless minds that fantasize. They are extremely creative, artistic, and often musical, with extreme moods of joyfulness and fear, accomplishment and insecurity, and often anxious.
They are erratic and always unpredictable. Their faith is changed easily. Their memory is good if they study the night before the test. But a week later they will have forgotten everything. If they remember dreams at all, they usually are running, jumping and flying, or a nightmare full of fear. They are light sleepers with scanty, interrupted sleep patterns.
They usually speak in a high pitched voice faster than they think. They think and fantasize about sex often, but perform poorly having already expended their energy mentally. They generally spend money impulsively and so stay relatively poor. Their pulse is thin and feeble, and threads like a snake.
PITTA
Pitta stands with medium build, height, and bone structure, with soft, oily skin, that's warm to the touch. They have fair complexions, burning easily. The have a reddish or yellowish hue. Their hair is soft and oily and will bald and gray early. Until then it will generally be reddish or yellow-blonde. They have moderate size, yellowish teeth with soft gums that bleed easily. Their eyes are green or hazel, with a sharp, penetrating, lustrous look, set below a large forehead.
They have strong appetites and need large meals to be satisfied, but will not snack. They like sweet, bitter and astringent foods, like candy, green salads and bananas. This is washed down all day long with cold drinks. They have frequent bowel movements with soft, oily, loose, discharges. They must evacuate immediately when they feel the urge. They are moderately active, but with intensely competitive spirits.
They can be overly aggressive and assertive, highly intelligent and organized, with nearly photographic memories. They become teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, - and angry when not fed on time! They are easily irritated and can be dangerous when jealous, which happens often. They are fanatical about their faith.
They sleep short and deep, with fiery dreams of war and violence, or long conversations with exchanges of money. It's always an epic. They are good orators, but can be sharp and cutting with their speech. They know how to save, but usually for the purchase of luxuries, that make a statement about their position in life and enhance their ego. When not too busy trying to organize the world, they can be roused to passion and perform competently. Their pulse is moderate, and jumps like a frog.
KAPHA
Kaphas are large, thick, big boned and strong. They stand not too tall, but often as the foundation of society. They have a tendency to be overweight and can become heavy by just looking at food! Their skin is thick, smooth, oily, and cool, with a tendency to be pale.
Their hair is thick, wavy, oily, dark black or light blonde with strong even white teeth. They seldom get a cavity. Their eyes are large and well formed with ample whites showing and deep blue irises, decorated with thick, long lashes. These are called the lotus eyes in India because they look like lotus petals and because they adorn the lotus face of the supreme Lord Krishna.
Kaphas have small appetites and eat slowly - many small meals a day - the big snackers of society.They like pungent, bitter, and astringent foods like spicy dishes, green salads, and pomegranates. But they especially like dry, crispy things. They rarely drink, and have one full and heavy bowel movement daily.
They are not very active and must study repeatedly to understand, but will never forget once they learn. Therefore they often prefer repetitious jobs where little innovation is necessary. They make good bankers, insurance agents, or factory workers. Kapha people in general are slow, steady and reliable.
They are good with money which they know how to conserve to an extreme. They can become overly greedy and attached. But they are extremely compassionate, forgiving, loving, and patient, becoming nurses, social workers, and the clergy of different religions. They have a deep, steady faith and highly developed spiritual feelings.
They sleep deep and long, dreaming of romantic settings by lakes and rivers, or swimming. They speak slowly in a monotonous voice, and are not sexually aroused easily, but perform most admirably once inclined. Their pulse is broad and slow like the swan.

Stop Smoking Aids Can Increase Your Life

2008-01-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows quite well about how smoking can devastate the life of a smoker, and this fact is known by the hardened smoker also. The toll of the smoking habit on family life, social life and work life is too significant to be just shrugged off. But, that is surprisingly not deterring smokers from kicking the butt.
Perhaps they are dead sure that any of the stop smoking aids prevailing in the world today will not work on them. However, it is not that very difficult to quit smoking if one is determined. In fact, a proper knowledge of the different available stop smoking aids is necessary to make an effective selection. Here is a list:-

Self-Determination - It is an oft-repeated statement, but it is very true that the initiative of stopping the smoking habit must come from within the person itself. Most people who are chain smokers today began the habit as a mere curiosity for the little white stick. And then the habit grows till it begins to rule their life.
The addiction becomes purely mechanical too. Hardly will you find a smoker who says he or she finds the taste of the ingredients of the cigarette delicious. It is only a habit ingrained in the subconscious that makes quitting difficult. That is why determination is the first of the various stop smoking aids needed.
Self Determination and Support - Initially, a smoker may smoke because of the so-called thrill the habit provides, but as time passes on, smoking become a more or less mechanical activity. Hardened smokers do not find any pleasure in smoking; they smoke only because they cannot give up the habit.
Medicine and Therapies - There are both conventional and unconventional medication out there for people who want to give up a smoking habit. Medications help because most of them are antidepressants that can see you through the difficult times of withdrawal. Nicotine will have wreaked great havoc in your body over the years; medication will help you to cope with them. Today, many unconventional forms of medicinal supplements, such as the herbal stop smoking aids have made their appearance. You can use them safely because they are totally natural, and also they will work better by ridding your body of the poisons that the ingredients of the cigarettes have pumped in your body since years.
Nicotine Replacement Therapies - Nicotine replacement has always been popular in the smoking cessation. This method effectively means providing the body with a steady dose of nicotine, and reducing it slowly, so that the person does not feel the craving of smoking for long. Nicotine replacement therapies come in various forms. The most popular ones are the gums, patches and the lozenges.
Nicotine Patches - One reason why most smokers are afraid to give up smoking is that they think they will not be able to resist the withdrawal symptoms that would come in. Withdrawal symptoms will occur if you have been smoking for too long, but if you are a mild smoker, then there will be no such problems. Anyways, today there are nicotine patches for those who cannot give up smoking all at once. These nicotine patches reduce the temptation for a smoke, and help the person to quit smoking. However, many medical experts are against nicotine patches because they are, after all, nicotine products. Experts believe that patches are never able to reduce the urge of smoking, but they can only reduce the frequency.
Alternative Therapies - Today, alternative therapies have made a huge impact on the medical world, just because of their effectiveness at treatment without causing any side-effects. Smokers are using natural therapies like yoga and Ayurveda to a very high degree. Yoga helps the individual to exercise better control over the mind, while Ayurveda is an ancient herbal science that can work at the internal body system.
Generally, Ayurveda and Yoga are combined together to create a treatment program for smokers. Some herbal formulations, quite akin to the herbs used in Ayurveda, such as SmokeRX are becoming very popular in smoking cessation. Today, even therapies like hypnosis and aromatherapy are made use of, and are considered as potentially effective stop smoking aids. There is certainly no dearth of stop smoking aids today. That makes quitting very easy in modern times than it was before. The most important things needed here are a right blend of determination, support and the proper remedies.

Kerala threatened by rapid development

2008-01-15T00:54:00.000-08:00

AS rapid development threatens to dent Kerala’s reputation as an eco haven, Kevin Rushby meets the greens fighting to preserve the traditional way of life.
I’m lying on my back. It’s night and a tropical rain shower is pattering gently on the thatched coconut leaves. Lovely. But there is something else too: a skittering and rustling sound. A creature is moving quickly across the roof. I flick on the torch. Directly above me in the thatch a hand-span-sized spider is tracking a pale-winged moth back and forth. It’s an upside-down mini-safari, a life and death drama. ‘You wouldn’t get this kind of entertainment in a sealed air-conditioned room,’ I tell myself firmly. ‘Thank you, Lord, for eco-tourism.’
Like an antelope on the savanna, oblivious to the approaching lion, the moth stops and - dies in the predator’s jaws. I flick the torch off, listen to the soft scrunching noises, grateful for the doubtful security of the mosquito net.
In the morning my friend Raj is pleased to hear of giant arachnids in his roofs. ‘They keep the bugs down - all part of the eco-friendly experience.’ He’s built what he claims to be a genuinely ‘green’ house up in the Western Ghat hills of Kerala, and he wants to show me around. ‘The coconut leaves for the roof are from the trees here. They’re cool and airy - no need for air-conditioning. Floors are rammed earth, walls are strengthened with bamboo, our electricity is solar, our water is from a spring.’
He takes me on a tour of the hillsides, scrambling up to the viewpoint from where we can see Kerala stretched out beneath us, a sea of coconut trees with hardly a break.
‘Don’t be misled by the view,’ Raj warns me. ‘Below the treetops, Kerala is really struggling. We’re on the brink of an environmental disaster.’
He’s not the only one to think so. Under a recent headline, ‘God’s Disowned Country,’ lampooning the Keralan state motto, the magazine India Today thundered of, ‘large-scale devastation of environment at its famed beaches, backwaters and hills.’
Even just a decade ago India appeared to be a country with impressive green credentials. Almost everyone travelled by public transport; ox-carts were common; wastes like bottles, boxes and rags were collected, sold and recycled; millions cooked on dried cow dung and drank their tea from terracotta cups. Many people still revered Gandhian ideals of simple self-reliance. It was no surprise when the southern state of Kerala, communist-run since 1957, blazed a trail for the rest of the world with a ground-breaking commitment to eco- tourism. Despite some huge polluting industries and problems of rapid population expansion, Indians did seem to have ready access to traditions of sustainability and environmental responsibility that could make a success out of the Keralan vision. Now, a few years on, some say that commitment is disappearing under a landslide of construction and economic development.
Travelling down from Raj’s place in the hills towards the coast, the problems are obvious. Roads are choked with traffic, rice fields lie untended, and everywhere there are new concrete buildings going up. Raj’s use of local materials looks eccentric in comparison to these palaces.
‘They use local sand for the cement,’ he points out, ‘but a lot of it is mined illegally from the backwaters, destroying the rivers.’
Piles of tropical hardwood lie waiting to be made into furniture and fittings - most of it taken from Malaysian rainforests. Moving through the state, I am staggered by the scale of the unending construction boom - hardly a break between towns and villages.
At Poovar, an island created by freshwater channels close to the sea, Mark and Sujeewa Reynolds, owners of small-scale resort Friday’s Place, told me where the money was coming from. ‘Dubai. There’s a lot of non-resident Indian money flowing in from there.’
Poovar is a place that has, as yet, escaped the worst excesses of development. Rivers are lined with coconuts and birdlife abounds. Friday’s Place is a delightfully low-key retreat of stilted thatched lodges connected by wooden walkways. Mark is pragmatic about building a resort - wary of any bold claims of eco-friendliness. ‘We’re small - low impact. I did use Malaysian hardwood in construction, but we do lots of other things: local bamboo and coconut thatch, solar power and local staff. People come here for good food and conversation. They lie in hammocks reading and swim in the river. Our footprint is very small.’
Further north, near Alleppey, Marari Beach resort is a very different operation, spread over a huge area with all the trappings of an upmarket beachside resort: swimming pools galore and a swanky restaurant. Nevertheless, the place does have some real environmentally sound features. Vegetables and herbs are grown on site and much of the cooking is done on methane produced by a huge bio-digester. I particularly liked the bathrooms where banana trees grow in the soakaway areas.
Adrian Briggs, British owner of nearby Fragrant Nature Resort, has found building an eco-lodge much tougher than he imagined when he sold his London home and set out for Kerala three years ago. He is unimpressed by Keralan government avowals of environmentalist objectives. ‘Soon after the state government announced the eco- tourism initiative they also abolished the tax discount on non-AC rooms.’
Sadly Adrian has decided to leave - a pity since Fragrant Nature is an exceptional place - and his view now is that eco-tourism may do more harm than good. ‘I think there’s a real danger that it can be used as an excuse to open up areas best left undisturbed.’
A few miles away I saw what ‘opening up’ an area can mean. Keppel beach, north of the backpacker resort of Varkala, is one of India’s best. At sunset, I watched a pod of dolphins cruising north, feeding on the tuna that were following the shoals of anchovies. Next to me fishermen were binding their boats together: three logs of wood wrapped up with coconut fibre - katu maram they call them in Malayalam - ‘tied logs’, the origin of the English word catamaran. A couple of German backpackers sat in the warm sand, chatting and laughing with locals. Among the coconut groves oil lamps started to flicker in the thatched huts.   One of the fishermen, Abdulsamad, stops work to fill me in on the reality of this apparently idyllic spot. ‘They are building a road along the beach - to bring in more tourists,’ he says. ‘Tourism is very strong now. How can we fight it? They will take our beach and our livelihood.’
Another man takes me to see the concrete surveying markers which villagers have tried, and failed, to destroy. ‘The new road and sea wall will cut us off from the sea. Then they will sell the land from under us for development.’
‘Where will you go?’
He shrugs. ‘I’m too old to go anywhere. My sons will go sand- mining or, God willing, to jobs in Dubai.’
The coast and backwaters are the focus of many problems in Kerala. Move inland and it is still possible to find a slower, more traditional way of life. At Palakkad, I discovered a place called Ayurveda Mana, an ayurvedic retreat built around an ancient royal palace of the Thampurans, a ruling dynasty.
Sajeev Kurup, a descendant of that ruling family, explained to me how the Mana had been created. ‘Our family always had strong interests in Keralan cultural arts like the martial art, kalari, and also elephant-training and elephant medicine.’ He grins at my reaction. ‘Yes, we practise elephant Ayurveda - you can even train to be a mahout here.’
Among all the Ayurvedic treatment centres around India, Ayurveda Mana must have strong claims to being the most authentic. Medicines are made in the traditional way: in bronze cauldrons in a room inside the local temple, the plants having been brought in by local tribal women who collect in the forest. The founding father of the place was the late Aram Thampuran, a legendary master in ayurveda, yoga and kalari, the Keralan martial art. His legacy is an integrated treatment centre that offers a unique range of treatments and activities - all done in accordance with ancient principles.
After a vigorous foot massage, for example (that’s a massage done with the feet) - I was escorted to my airy spacious bedroom by an attendant with an umbrella, as is required by Ayurvedic texts. Food is plain. There is no alcohol - a waiter went into shock when I asked for a beer. But with links to local musicians, yoga experts and martial arts masters, a stay here can be made into something truly memorable.
Gopinath Parayil is a local emigre who came home and saw how the loss of these ancient traditions were impoverishing the state. ‘My home river, the Nila, was dying - over-mined, over-fished, over- used,’ he told me over breakfast at Ayurveda Mana. ‘And communities around the riverbanks were disappearing too. As a child I remember seeing the Pulluvar people, snake-worshippers, come to the door. They’d sing to celebrate the rice harvest. Now there is no harvest and they don’t come any more.’
Gopi decided to do something positive. He went in search of the snake-worshippers and found them. Their culture was dying with the decline of rice-growing and their children didn’t want to learn archaic songs with titles like The Tale of the Eight-headed Cobra. Pulluvars were the traditional bards of Kerala, but they had not found a place in the new tourist-friendly culture, perhaps because of their low-caste status.
Gopi soon realised that there were other groups in the same position: the Manans were a low-caste community of drumming people whose astonishing musical skills were ignored by the Keralan establishment and unvisited by tourists. Gopi set up Blue Yonder to bring visitors to the musicians and dancers. ‘Money from tourism just doesn’t reach people like this,’ he explained to me. ‘I realised that real eco-tourism needs these communities to thrive.’
He even started paying illegal sand-miners to take tourists on boat trips. ‘No one knows the backwaters like the sand-smugglers,’ he says. ‘I wanted to show them they could make money from their knowledge - without destroying their environment.’
Gopi’s hunch is that some tourists want to see genuine music and dance, not lacklustre hotel performances. That evening, by lamplight, we watch Joti, a local Pullavar woman, hammer out a song called - she tells me - The Origin of Snakes. This is what it must have felt like seeing Robert Johnson play Delta Blues at the crossroads in 1929: raw and heartfelt and utterly mesmerising.
Joti and her husband Gopalikrishnan tell me that since visitors started coming to see them perform, their children have started to take an interest in learning the songs - an interest they had previously not had.
‘This is what I’m hoping for,’ says Gopi. ‘If we can convince the kids to stay and learn about their own roots, not go off to Dubai, then we might have a chance in fighting to save the environment.’
Back in Trivandrum’s Chelai Market I find old and new India in a head-to-head confrontation: an ox-cart versus a 4x4 car. The ox-cart driver is sitting, impassively, watching the car-driver honk himself into a frenzy. ‘India at the crossroads,’ I muse. ‘Old and new struggling to co-exist.’ And at that moment, a man dressed in traditional lunghi, pushing a fine old bicycle, threads his way neatly past the cow-car confrontation. On his handlebars is a package of vegetables wrapped in a leaf and tied up with a length of raffia. As he passes, I hear the mobile phone tucked in his shirt pocket start to ring

Punarnava Ayurveda Hospital

2008-06-23T00:41:00.001-07:00

arnava Ayurveda Hospital is situated in Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala. Punarnava, meaning 'New' (it also refers to a medicinal plant, Borrheavia diffusa, widely used in ayurveda), keeps and practices the sublime discipline of Ayurveda in their hospital with all resort facilities in Edappally, Kochi. "We are into serious Ayurveda and we do not want ourselves to be placed only in the leisure sector. We do have a significant presence in the ayurveda linked tourism industry, but we also concentrate on the curative aspects of ayurveda. Our USP is precise ayurveda", says Dr A M Anvar (BAMS), CMD, Punarnava Ayurveda Hospital.

Dr A M Anvar BAMS is a rank holder in BAMS from the Centre of Excellence Government Ayurveda College, Kerala, with specialisation in neurology and cardiology. He has also attended one-year orientation courses in neurology and cardiology and one-year course in advancements in medicine at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi. He has been awarded 'Young Achiever Award - 2004' by Jaycees international and 'Rashtriya Rattan Award' by Global Economic Council in the year 2004. Apart from being a regular contributor and an expert panelist for many international and vernacular ayurveda journals, he is also the international president of the Continuing Ayurveda Awareness Program (CAAP). CAAP launched by Punarnava Ayurveda Hospital has now become a global mission in promoting the health of mind body sprit concept of ayurveda.

Punarnava Ayurveda Hospital maintains high standards for the guest to relax and rejuvenate in its serene surroundings. People come here from most of the European countries and stay here for long periods like 14 to 21 days depending upon the duration of the treatment. The hospital had made achievements in treating thousands suffering from diseases like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, low back ache, cervical spondylysis, psoriasis, allergic respiratory disorders, multiple sclerosis, age related mental stress and rheumatic diseases by a team of ayurveda professionals with experience of decades. The Panchakarma treatments are executed under the strict supervision of the doctors.

The therapists here are all trained from their in-house training centre and are armed with genuine and scientific ayurvedic applications. Punarnava's doctors, therapists, and hospitality crew concentrate in making the guest mentally and physically fresh and fit to meet the challenges of the time.

Ayurveda, medicine to get boost

2008-03-25T02:27:00.001-07:00

New Delhi, March 23: Ayurvedic and medical tourism is likely to be the largest beneficiary of 2010 Commonwealth Games and may gain by around Rs 800 crores. The revenue generation for ayuvedic industry will be mainly driven through spa centres, which means pampering exterior of those tourists that stay in various hotels, beginning five star to one star.

Currently, the medical tourism market in india is estimated to be worth over $300 million with 170,000 foreign patients coming in every year and expected to grow into a $2 billion business by 2012 with advantages of low-cost medical and surgery treatment compared to the US and the EU.

According to Assocham president Venugopal N. Dhoot, the Assocham estimates are based on the assumption that over 1,800 athlete participation would be bare minimum for the Commonwealth Games in 2010 in variety of sporting disciplines and tourist arrivals for the people is projected for six-seven lakh overseas visitors.

The countries of which maximum outflow of tourists would emerge include the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore and Sri Lanka and over four lakh domestic tourists.

The Assocham has suggested that the ministries of health and tourism should jointly set up a separate department and training institutes to bridge the gap of skilled professionals in this field and also authorise the ayurvedic and herbal centres. Some of the major treatments in the ayurveda and spa centres include rejuvenate programmes and therapy, body immunisation and longevity treatment, body sedation, panchakarma treatment etc.

The science of life

2008-03-25T02:26:00.001-07:00

There is a renewed and growing interest in the many different natural therapies available - the re-discovery of the ancient and forgotten healing arts that use oils, herbs, crystals, meditation and the merging of ones self with nature, which are as old as humanity itself.

Originating in India several thousand years ago, Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine based on theories of health and illness and on ways to prevent, manage, or treat health problems. It uses herbs and oils to heal and rejuvenate.

The term Ayurveda combines two Sanskrit words - ayur, which means life, and veda, which means science or knowledge. Ayurveda means "the science of life."

To understand this ancient Indian therapy, a visit to Frank n Sense urban retreat is necessary. Located on Xinhua Road, the retreat is a home of true healing and a sanctuary for the international community in Shanghai.

The retreat provides ayurvedic marma energy treatment, ayurvedic marma point head massage and Shirodhara.

Shirodhara is one part or feature of Ayurveda. For any treatment to be effective, it is essential to know the body type so that the treatment can be tailored accordingly.

Before the beginning of the two-hour Shirodhara treatment, I was asked questions such as how stressed I was, my skin type, my sleep pattern and if I was easily frustrated by other people's incompetence.

General Manager Yoshiko Okada, a certified aromatherapist, advanced Reiki practitioner and Ayurveda healer, analyzed the consultation answers and said I was a Vata type.

Doshas (life force) are referred to in Sanskrit as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. They are the three fundamental operating principles in the physiology. Some people are single-dosha type but others are a two-dosha type. Practitioners seek to determine the primary dosha and the balance of doshas through questions that allow them to become very familiar with the client.

After Ayurveda, Kerala Astrology finding favour

2008-03-25T02:25:00.001-07:00

KOCHI: After Ayurveda, it is Kerala Astrology which is finding favour, especially among foreigners, who are keen to tap the traditional wisdom of this ancient science.

The Kerala method of delineation of horoscopes using 'cowries' (sea shells) is highly valued for its accuracy, according to astrologers from India and abroad.

Well-known astrologer Kailasnath from Parappanangadi near Kozhikode said that no time of birth or place of birth is required for doing the predictions,.

Kailasnath, who is here to take lessons for delegates attending the International Conference on Astrology, which ends today, said there is great demand for the Kerala method.

Drawn by the uniqueness of Kerala astrology, John Ryder from Australia, a structural engineer, who takes classes in Melbourne University on Indian Astrology, is here to learn ways to remove 'vastu doshas' (ill-effects of the construction style of buildings).

Ryder and other practising astrologers were learning ways to use cowries to remove vastu doshas.

Kailasnath, who describes himself as a student of astrology since 24 years, says the workshop is an effort to teach delegates the unique aspects of the state's rich astrological wisdom, particularly 'prasnam vekkal' (suggesting causes of certain events and possible remedial measures).

The delegates have been given practical instructions on ways to use the 'cowries' since the last three days, he said.

The workshop has been organised and coordinated by Komilla Sutton, a UK-based astrologer, who has been practising astrology in the UK and US since 1995.

Besides Kerala astrology, classes on Sanskrit verses and yoga were also held, Sutton said.

Kerala astrology was widely appreciated by the delegates, she added.

Alexander from Latvia, who practises astrology full time, said there was huge interest in this ancient science in his country.

Sutton told PTI that there was scepticism earlier about Indian astrology, but there was 'deep interest' too.

Westerners are interested in astrology as they are interested in Indian philosophy and spirituality, she said. For them, it is a spiritual journey to know themselves.

For her, astrology was always a source of fascination which started off as a hobby.

The interest on Indian astrology began during the eighties and could be attributed to gurus like the late Mahesh Yogi, she said.

Sutton, who is also an astrology teacher, said 18 practising astrologers and researchers from 12 countries, including Wilfredo from Puerto Rico and Keiko Ito from Japan, were here for the workship.

Dr Ajith Sinha, Sanskrit scholar from Mumbai, took classes in Sanskrit.

The next workshop, to be held in 2009, will be on 'Shani' (Saturn), Sutton said

'Cancer curing' cow urine available in India

2008-02-12T22:34:00.001-08:00

India's northern Uttarakhand state has launched a programme to buy 5000 litres of cow urine daily for use in an ancient system of herbal medicines and cosmetics known as Ayurveda.


	The urine 'has the potential to fight disease'

State animal husbandry minister Trivendra Rawat said his department would begin collecting the urine for Rs 5 (0.064 pence) per litre from next month through a network of 1900 specially created milk cooperatives.

Officials said they would have 26 species of mountain cows as their urine had a 'richer' herbal residue content compared to what was available from the plains, with unique ingredients capable even of curing diseases like cancer.

"Cow urine had the same potential as allopathic medicines to fight disease," Ayurvedic chemist Rakesh Bahuguna said.

The provincial government also plans on setting up a Cow Science and Technology Institute to research the medicinal values of cow urine and cow dung.

And eventually it plans on creating a state-wide network by which cattle owners can interact directly with buyers who make a range of Ayurvedic pills and potions that claim to cure liver ailments, diabetes, asthma and hemorrhoids.

Ayurvedic products like Sanjivani Ark - a transparent urine-based potion - are marketed as treatment for cancer in addition to face creams, shampoos, memory pills and even aphrodisiacs, all of which are becoming popular in India as alternative, non-chemical commodities.

Several Spa and weight loss treatments are also increasingly being marketed as Ayurvedic remedies.

And while many Indian scientists and doctors believe in the efficacy of some Ayurvedic medicines, few agree that there is proof of cow urine enhancing their impact.

They also warn against blind faith in its curative powers.

"Supposedly successful experiments in no way vindicate the use of cow urine as a bio-enhancer," Dr Ish Pal Singh Ghai said.

Deeper study needs to be carried out before we can even begin to consider its potential utility, he warned.

Grape juice helps cure fever

2008-01-15T00:47:00.000-08:00

Grapes have been used for both medicinal and nutritional purposes since antiquity. The use of grapes dates back at least 6,000 years. The healing properties of grapes and grape wine was praised by Greek philosophers. Grape cultivation and wine making in China took place before the Han Dynasty in 206BC.
They are fruits of a vine called Vitis vinifera. These fruits are eaten raw and are used to prepare juices, jellies and raisins. They are commonly used to prepare a wide array of wines. They are cultivated all over India, especially in regions of Maharashtra and Punjab. Grapes of different varieties differ in shape, colour and size. Furthermore, some of them are even seedless.
Ayurveda, the ancient science of life, terms grapes as "The best of all fruits," considering their nourishing properties. They are soft, lubricative and cool in potency and therefore provide immediate nourishment soon after consumption. They are rich in moisture and sugar, can be absorbed easily by the body and provide instant energy. Grapes are capable of quenching thirst and are therefore consumed raw or in the form of juices during summer. Unfortunately, this wonderful fruit is not available throughout the year.
Dried yellow grapes are known as Kishmish and dried black grapes are called Raisins. These dry grapes possess all the aforementioned properties, are available throughout the year and can hence be used in the absence of the fresh fruit variety.
q In the case of fever, when one feels thirsty frequently, grapes can help quench thirst and provide instant energy. Soak 20 to 30 raisins in hot water. Smash them and drink this Sharbat or mixture warm. This reduces the constant dryness in the throat.
According to Ayurveda, grapes have a pacifying effect on the Vata and Pitta dosha in the body. Owing to their mild laxative properties they are capable of bringing down a bad fever.
Chewing a handful of raisins along with hot cow’s milk at bed time and consuming the above mentioned Sharbat can help banish a fever. When consumed in excess, they increase the peristaltic activity of the intestine and help evacuate the bowel.
In case of frequent constipation, chew a handful of black raisins at bed time, then drink a glass of warm water. Follow this procedure for six to seven months to get rid of constipation.
Raisins also eliminate the excess Pitta from the digestive system and reduces flatulence by lubricating the internal mucosal lining of the intestines.
In case of jaundice, when the excessive toxic bile in the digestive system needs to be eliminated and the patient is already weak due to illness, grapes or raisins should be consumed with cow’s milk. This gets rid of the Pitta, without weakening the patient further and provides immediate nourishment.
In case of dry cough or tuberculosis, grapes play a vital role by pacifying Vata. Grapes lubricate the constricted bronchi and reduces chest pain and uneasiness caused due to coughing.
Consume soaked raisins with water and honey at bedtime, daily, for four to five days. This will help alleviate dry cough and throat irritation caused by Vata and Pitta aggravation, especially during the monsoon and summer seasons.
If you are overstressed and have trouble sleeping peacefully, consume four tablespoons of grape preparation in self-generated alcohol like Drakshasava or Draksharishta with warm water. This will calm your agitated mind and induce sleep.
Only overweight and diabetic people should be a little cautious while consuming grapes. They are a rich source of sugar. Hence overeating will definitely lead to weight gain and a rise in the blood sugar level.
So if you want to stay healthy forever, rush to your nearest fruit market and grab a perfect bunch of grapes.

Online Ayurveda Remedies

2008-01-07T23:45:00.001-08:00

India's age-old system of medicine -- Ayurveda -- now recognized the world over as one of the oldest medical sciences, and an authentic branch of medicine, will soon be available for online consumption.

Which is if the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) has its own way. The institute has said it will make available Ayurveda remedies at the click of a mouse.

Mahesh Chandra Sharma, director of NIA, said the institute will begin its online consultancy service within a month, and later offer tele-medicine.

The way this online consultancy service will work is that people will be able to report their illness/es on NIA's Web site. User queries will be forwarded to the concerned experts, and their advice will be submitted back to users.

A panel comprising Ayurveda experts will be constituted, and will offer advice on diseases ranging from Obesity and joint pain to Diabetes and Depression. Information will also be provided on various Ayurveda therapies like Panchkarma, etc.

Apart from the online consultancy service, NIA plans on setting-up Web-server based centers at three divisional levels in Rajasthan; namely, Jodhpur, Kota, and Udaipur.

NIA is run by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and comes under the purview of the Department of 'Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy'. It runs a hospital facility, research centers, and an educational institute in Jaipur

Your Health: Benefiting from the AYURVEDA secrets

2007-06-21T23:34:00.001-07:00

Your Health: Benefiting from the AYURVEDA secrets

LOBSTER and pomfret tandoori, crab curry, and cheese naan for lunch? Not a chance, if you allow an ayurveda guru to do the ordering. CHAI MEI LING and R. YASOTHAI learn how forgoing some of life's indulgences can make a big difference to your ticker.

The restaurant setting was perfect. Stomachs were growling and the menu had never looked so good. All it took was a slip of the mind to spoil it all.

"So doctor, what should we eat?" we asked ayurveda guru Dr Rangesh Paramesh.

Big mistake. The good doctor took it as an invitation to order for the table. He studied the menu, flipped to the vegetarian section and ordered away. "Paneer makhani, bendi masala, plain rice…"

Going vegetarian for lunch wouldn't have seemed such a bad idea if we weren't dining in one of KLCC's upscale restaurants, where glorious food lined the menu.
Sensing our envious stares at other patrons tucking into their scrumptious fare, Dr Rangesh gave a look which seemed to read, "Don't worry, you are not missing out on anything."

As the doctor puts it, ayurveda is more than just ancient rites on healthy living or popping of herbal pills. It's a lifestyle, and one which he projects effortlessly.

The senior medical adviser to the Himalaya Drug Company paints a picture of robust health, and a calm, self-composed nature.

His days are made up of simple actions atypical of most urbanites' routines: Choosing the stairs over elevators, parking the car further away from the building entrance, not talking during meals, starting meals with something sweet and ending them with bitter items, and basically, just living life in the slow lane.

These are also the acts Dr Rangesh recommended to others when he was flown into town last month from India to give a public talk on ayurveda's approach to managing cardiovascular health.

Ayurveda, derived from the Sanskrit terms ayus (life) and veda (knowledge), basically means knowledge of life, which is what bioscience is today.

Besides curing diseases, this ancient art also protects and promotes health using therapeutic measures relating to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony.

Its all-encompassing nature, fostered by the extensive use of herbs, is a natural and effective way of nursing the body, including treating cardiovascular diseases, says Dr Rangesh.

Cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, stroke, chest pain, and arteriosclerosis, are the number one killer in the world, claiming 17 million lives each year.

In Malaysia, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death — one out of three die from it.

Statistics show six new cases of stroke occur every hour in the country, with an estimated 40,000 new cases recorded annually.

In ayurveda, the human heart is controlled by four factors — prana vata, which controls respiration and oxygen intake; vyana vata (circulation and blood vessels); sadhaka pitta (enzymes in the heart); and avalambaka kapha (fluid between the cells).

As for nourishing the heart, rasa, rakta, and ojas deal with nutrient fluid, oxygenated blood and immune system.

A holistic approach to heart health requires one to nourish the emotional as well as the physical heart, says Dr Rangesh.

"The heart is not just a pump. It is the fountainhead of all emotions, from joy and exhilaration to sadness and frustration. Mental and emotional stress disrupts the emotional heart."

Aside from staying positive and warding off excess stress, it helps to take ayurvedic herbs like Arjuna, Brahmi and Ashvagandha, which possess positive influence on the mind and emotional heart, he says.

Arjuna, the bark of a 60-foot high medicinal tree, improves heart muscle tone and regulates blood circulation, while Ashvagandha has rejuvenating properties and helps one in coping with life's daily stresses.

Diet-wise, how one eats is as important as what one eats, says Dr Rangesh.

"Eat moderately. The ideal ayurvedic portion is what fits in two cupped palms.

"Skipping meals is unwise, as eating three meals at regular times each day trains the digestion to anticipate and digest food."

If one's physiology fails to rid toxic matter that builds up in the blood vessels efficiently, it turns into arterial plague or ama.

Part of the ayurvedic cleansing ritual which helps the body flush this out involves drinking lots of warm water throughout the day and eating a lighter diet high in fibre and antioxidants.

One should also be in bed by 10pm as that is when the body's natural purification takes place, and avoid taking drugs, alcohol and smoking.

The best exercise for the heart is the moderate and regular kind, and one good example is plain walking, said the medical researcher.

Healthy living may seem to command a highly disciplined, regimented lifestyle, but it is not such a chore as many had assumed, as one doesn't have to give up on life's many sinful (delightful) indulgences in favour of it.

One can still splurge on rich food, but just don't make it a habit, says Dr Rangesh.

The best chance to avoid health complications as one ages is to stay well, and one way is to keep indulgences to a minimum.

If you have been living life in the fast lane with instant food, alcohol, cigarettes, stress, sleep deprivation and sedentary lifestyle making up a huge part of it, it's still not too late to change for the better.

Begin by making small, simple changes to the factors in life you can control — diet, exercise, and stress — and there will be results in no time, says the doctor.

The harder part is staying committed.

"Resolution is a must for staying healthy, and healthy living is the key to getting the most out of life."

* The Himalaya Drug Company's pharmaceutical range offers research-based pure herbs as alternative medicine. Its heart-friendly products include Lasuna (garlic) for cholesterol protection, Brahmi for calming effect, Amalaki for lowering serum cholesterol level, and Shuddha Guggulu as a lipid regulator.

Monsoons the best time for ayurveda

2007-06-21T23:25:00.001-07:00

Monsoons the best time for ayurveda

With the monsoons making a grand entry into Kerala, tourist resorts and ayurvedic spas are all ready with rejuvenating health packages. The rainy season, experts say, is the best time for ayurvedic treatment.

Although ayurveda evolved centuries ago in India, it is only in recent years that it has become a huge selling point for Kerala's tourism industry, especially in the June-August period.

According to ayurveda specialists, the monsoon season is the best time for treatments as the atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, which helps open the pores of the body to the maximum. This makes the body more receptive to herbal oils and other ayurveda medicines.

Ayurveda believes in the treatment of not just the affected part, but also the individual as a whole. It is considered a natural way to refresh oneself by eliminating all toxic imbalances from the body and thus regain good health.

C J Naveen, a physician at the Somatheeram Ayurvedic Health Resort near Kovalam, said his resort was all geared up for the monsoon rush.

"We cater to tourists who come specially for treatment and not just for sightseeing. For those who have a time constraint, we get their medical files early and study their problems in detail even before they arrive. So the treatment protocols are ready when they come here," Naveen said.

Ayurveda offers excellent treatments for skin problems, ailments related to stress and joint pains.

The numerous resorts in the state have drawn out specific plans ranging from a few days to three weeks.

"For skin problems, we generally ask patients to stay back for 28 days. And for people who don't have much time at their disposal, we give them medicines that they can carry with them and we have constant interaction with them," Naveen said.

And for those who are on a short holiday, a general oil massage is sure to put the spring back in their step.

Five years back, the ayurveda tourism industry in Kerala saw a mere 5% occupancy during the monsoons but in most resorts, it is expected to cross 70% occupancy this season. Almost all resorts, big or small, now boast of an ayurveda spa. And they all have separate vegetarian kitchens, as vegetarian food is considered a must during the treatment period.

The tariffs for a treatment plan ranges from over US$60 for a day to over Rs65,000 for a three-week comprehensive package. This includes food, accommodation and the treatment charges.

But the popular ones are slimming, stress management and beauty packages - all using oils, herbal powders and leaves.

Praveen George of Poovar Island Resorts, near Kovalam, said their ayurvedic spa that opened in February has already got substantial bookings for June.

"In this spa, spread over 14,000sq ft, we have 10 fully equipped treatment rooms that have water bodies all around. This is believed to be essential for good results. We have also four floating cottages, specially designed using medicinal woods," George said. Similarly, Tomy Pullikattil, who launched an ayurveda houseboat in Alappuzha, has bookings for the next two months.

Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, recognising the tourism potential of ayurveda, said his department has drawn out the basic standards to be followed by the industry while offering ayurveda as a product. "These standards are necessary because ayurveda is a sensitive tourism product. If there are any violations, we might lose tourists forever. The department will try to ensure that the best is offered," he said.

The state health department has also got strict measures in place to check fraudulent ayurveda services and products.

"Ayurveda is like a gold mine for the tourism industry, so we have to be extra cautious that tourists are not taken for a ride," Health Minister P K Sreemathi said

AYURVEDA IN KERALA

2007-06-21T23:20:00.001-07:00

An ayurvedic tour of Kerala

Dr. Cyril Thomas. BAMS, DMT, BLSHP

Hitha hi tham sukham
dukham ay usthasya
hithahitham
Manam cha thacha
yathroktham
Ayurveda sa uchya the

Ayurveda - Monsoon Therapy - An Unforgettable Experience

Monsoon clouds bring good news to lovers of Ayurveda all round the globe. Kerala, where Ayurveda is a way of life and monsoons spectacular, is getting ready to receive tourists from around the world who flock to experience Ayurveda rejuvenation therapy during the monsoon. The reason: the monsoon season is known to be the best time to receive Ayurvedic therapy.

There is no harm in taking Ayurvedic therapy at any other time of the year, if you take complete rest and do not tire your body. But monsoon is the ideal time any one can go for an Ayurvedic therapy without a second thought. Ayurvedic oil massage and other treatments rejuvenate the body. The goodness of the soothing oil made of mountain herbs, when torrential rains lash outside is an out of the world experience making the monsoon the ideal time for Ayurvedic therapy. Traditional texts reveal that people of any body type can have Ayurvedic therapies during monsoon and the human body will respond better to therapy during the monsoon, than any other time.

"Number of health tourists to Kerala will cross half a million mark, thanks to Ayurveda," says a prominent tour operator, analyzing the current trend. In Kerala for the past so many years Ayurvedic tourism has been a big draw. There is a steady growth in tourist flow owing to the interest in Ayurveda. Monsoon rejuvenation therapy is the fastest growing segment in health tourism here. Ayurvedic tourism has a cultural component, which is best experienced in Kerala by tourists from the western world. This is one reason why the influx to Kerala keeps on increasing. It is a culturally vibrant state where tourists love to return.

What is Karkidaka Chikitsa (Why monsoon Therapy)?

In monsoon season all the Tridoshas namely Vata, Pitha, Kapha aggravates. Especially Vata. It is the ideal time to flush out aggravated Vata and all impurities and to bring back all the Tridoshas to a balanced state. This comes under Sodhana Chikitsa (Elimination and Curettage). This therapy purifies the whole body to attain proper balance of Thridoshsas (Vata, Pitha, Kapha) and enhances immunity, thus to maintain health.

The Significance of Karkidaka Chikitsa (Monsoon Therapy)

Karkidakam is the agrarian days in Kerala. Karkidakam is the period of the year for many rituals and customs related to agriculture linked with religion. The monsoon was a period of misery and scarcity during the agrarian past in Kerala. It detained the peasants from their workplace, the paddy fields because of the fury of wind and rain. Gloom reigned everywhere and so people turned towards the almighty and concentrated more on Godly matters like Karkidaka seasonal medicinal foods, ritual, sacred and holy things. The invaluable herbs are rich with their magical healing powers during these seasons. These potent herbs were collected and preserved to make great variety of seasonal medicinal foods and potions, which contributed for the purification of the body and the soul. The most important among them and simple to prepare is the Karkidaka Kanji - a concoction of 42 herbs.

Benefits of Shirodhara in Monsoon

According to Ayurveda, Shirodhara deeply relaxes the nervous system, lowers metabolism, integrates brain function and creates brain wave coherence and an alpha state. When the brain is under stress, cerebral circulation is compromised. As oil is poured on the forehead, the nervous system is deeply stilled. The brain waves slow down and become coherent. Once the brain is relaxed, more life, energy and oxygen and other nutrients flow more freely to the brain. The result: better brain function, mood stability and improved stress handling ability. With each successive Shirodhara treatment, the mind systematically achieves an even deeper state of silence and more healing takes place. Regular treatments are said to increase blood circulation to the brain, improve memory, nourish the hair and scalp, encourage sound sleep and calm body and mind.

"Ayu" means "life", "Veda" means "knowledge". Ayurveda is misinterpreted as a medical system only. Ayurveda deals with all aspects of life. Medicines and methods of curing disease are well explained in Ayurveda. But major areas give much emphasis on noble way of living. Daily Routine, seasonal routine, food habits etc. are explained with moral codes in chapters "Dina charya" and "Iruthu charya"

Ayurvedic tourism is no more a passing interest to the western tourist; it is fast becoming a trend. British, Americans, Germans, Spanish, French and even next-door neighbours Sri Lankans make a beeline to Kerala. So, see you in Kerala this monsoon

A pile of herbs

2007-04-02T22:40:00.001-07:00

A pile of herbs

ANCIENT WISDOM, MODERN SCIENCE

Haemorrhoids can be such a pain to live with. Find out what herbs can help with the condition.

PILES refer to a condition in which the veins around the anus or lower rectum are swollen and inflamed. Medically known as haemorrhoids, piles may result from straining to move stool. Other contributing factors include pregnancy, ageing, obesity, chronic constipation or diarrhoea, liver diseases, and anal intercourse.

Piles occur both in men and women. According to a recent health estimate, as many as 40% of the population have experienced symptoms of this disease some time in life. By age 50, about half of adults have had to deal with the itching, bleeding and pain that often signal the presence of piles.

Piles are either inside the anus (internal) or under the skin around the anus (external). The most common symptom of internal piles is bleeding, presenting as bright red blood covering the stool, toilet paper, or in the toilet bowl.

Mimosa pudicais a short-lived evergreen shrub that can be useful for alleviating the symptoms of piles.

External piles are characterised by painful swelling around the anus, inflammation and little or no bleeding. Other symptoms include itching around the anal area, pain during and after defecation, redness around the anus, mucous-like discharge from the anus and in stools, irregular defecation, weakness, headache, and anaemia.

According to Ayurveda, piles or "arshas" result from impaired digestion. Apana vata, the biological energy responsible for defecation, is aggravated by the factors cited above. This leads to pathology of rectal tissue and formation of pile mass.

Common treatment measures for piles are tub baths, application of ice packs and anti-haemorrhoidal cream. It is advisable to drink lots of water and eat nutritious foods with water-soluble, easy-to-digest fibre such as whole juicy fruits, carrots and cucumber. Avoid becoming overweight and lose weight if you are overweight. Exercise regularly.

A number of herbs are used in Ayurveda to treat piles.

Lajjalu/Touch-me-not plant/Mimosa pudica

Mimosa pudica is a short-lived evergreen shrub. Commonly known as the "touch-me-not" plant, the characteristic feature of Mimosa pudica is the drooping of its fern-like leaves when touched, usually reopening within minutes.

It has prickly stems and small, fluffy, ball-shaped pink flowers in summer. It is common in hot, moist localities, lawns, open plantations, and weedy thickets. It forms a dense ground cover.

The roots of Mimosa pudica are bitter, astringent, acrid and cooling, and they are used in the treatment of ulcers, inflammations, haemorrhoids, and fistulas. The leaves are additionally used to treat cuts and wounds.

The plant contains the alkaloid mimosine, and the extract of its leaves contains an adrenaline-like substance. The root of the plant is considered useful to relieve asthma, diarrhoea and urinary complaints.

The juice of freshly crushed leaves is used internally and externally in piles. It is also applied externally to fissures, skin wounds and ulcers. The haemostatic property of Mimosa pudica helps in controlling bleeding in piles. Its anti-inflammatory activity reduces inflammation and helps to control secondary infections.

Bhringaraja/Thistle/Eclipta alba

Eclipta alba grows as a common weed throughout India. It is a branched herb with white flower heads. The herb contains wedelolactone and dimethyl wedelolactone and is a rich source of ascorbic acid. It also contains an alkaloid, ecliptine.

Eclipta alba is widely used in Ayurveda for its anti-hyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, analgesic, and hepatoprotective activity.

The plant is bitter, acrid, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic and hematinic. The fresh plant is considered anodyne and absorbent. It stimulates liver function and aids digestion.

Eclipta alba is good for stopping haemorrhages and fluxes. It is beneficial in the treatment of skin diseases, wounds and ulcers. Being an effective anti-inflammatory agent, it is very effective in the treatment of piles.

Nirgundi/Five-leaved chaste tree/Vitex negundo

Vitex negundo is an aromatic large shrub. The whole plant, including fruits, seeds, flowers, leaves, bark and root, has therapeutic value, according to Ayurveda.

The plant is bitter, acrid, carminative, digestive, anthelmintic, antiinflammatory, antipyretic, and antiseptic. Vitex negundo is useful in the treatment of arthritis, inflammations, diarrhoea, cholera, fever, liver diseases, haemorrhages, wounds, and ulcers.

Casticin, isoorientin, chrysophenol D, luteolin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, beta sitosterol and D-fructose are some of the chemical constituents of Vitex negundo.

It is used therapeutically for its antihyperglycemic, anticonvulsant and antinociceptive activity. The juice of the leaves is used for the treatment of foetid discharges.

The leaves show antiinflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal activity. The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic action of Vitex negundo reduces inflammation associated with piles and expedites healing. It also has strong antihistaminic activity, which helps to control associated itching.

Zergul/Pot marigold/Calendula officinalis

Calendula officinalis is an aromatic and erect herb. It has an angular, hairy stem, and flowers that are light yellow to deep orange in colour. The flowers contain calenduline, which is the major constituent. The extract of flower shows antimicrobial effect. Various studies have proved the antiinflammatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antibacterial, immunomodulatory, and antiedematous activities. Medicinally, it is credited with tonic, stimulant and astringent properties. It is used in gastrointestinal and genitourinary complaints.

Due to its wound healing and topical anti-inflammatory properties, it is used to treat pains and bruises. In addition to accelerating wound healing by epithelial regeneration, Calendula officinalis also helps control pain and itching associated with piles.

External treatment of piles is effective with a topical application having anti-inflammatory, analgesic, wound healing, membrane stabilising, and antimicrobial properties. However, use of the right part of the herb, extracting the herb in the right way, proper blending and the right mixture will determine the efficacy of herbal products.

The herbs described above can help check bleeding, control irritation and itching, relieve pain, and shrink pile mass.

Malaysia seeks help to set up Ayurvedic hospital

2007-04-02T22:39:00.001-07:00

Jaipur: Malaysia has sought the help of a premier Jaipur-based institute to introduce ayurveda in their country.

A high-level delegation headed by the Malaysian health minister visited the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) in Jaipur to check out the academic, research and patient care functions there, NIA officials told IANS here Friday.

The Malaysian team showed interest in collaborating with the institute for developing ayurveda in their country, they added.

"We have asked them to let us know about the kind of assistance they need from us," said NIA director Mahesh Chandra Sharma.

"The delegation went around the institute and saw the teaching and training activities, the methods of preparing different kinds of medicines in the pharmacy and other hospital activities," Sharma added.

NIA is an apex institute under the central government's department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy). The institute also has a well-equipped hospital.

The pharmacy manufactures around 125 types of ayurvedic medicines.