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Ayurveda Made Simple

India’s ancient science of longevity and self-healing

When I was a student of Dr. Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM (1996-97), each class left me in awe as I learned more about the ancient, profoundly simple, biological and spiritual science of Ayurveda. In the past, Ayurveda has been misunderstood and seen as a religion or a cult, but now, with the yoga craze, people are starting to see that it is a beautiful medical science that encourages people to live in harmony with the earth, the elements and the seasons.  It is a sister science to yoga and astrology.  Ayurveda does not involve mandatory worship of mysterious deities.  Instead it embraces all spirituality and recognizes the divine intelligence within all living things.  It is the ancient healing science of India.

The UN’s World Health Organization recognizes Ayurveda as one of the top three medical systems in America.  Polarity therapy, acupuncture, crystal healing, aromatherapy, magnet therapy, hot stone massage therapy, Reiki, flower essence therapy & iridology are a few healing modalities that can be traced to India.  Ayurveda is the Mother of all healing as it addresses the root of disease, rather than just alleviating symptoms. It doesn’t assign a medical name to disease. Whenever you name something, you are indirectly assigning power to it. Instead, Ayurveda views disease as an imbalance of the five great elements within the body. Some of the modalities used to restore this fragile balance include nutritional and lifestyle changes, specific bodywork, herbs, yoga, meditation, mantra, mindfulness, breath-work, sound, color, crystal, aromatherapy and living intuitively.  This ancient science was designed to empower people with the knowledge of self-discovery and self-healing.

Disease starts in the mind with the thought.  By cultivating the garden of your mind and generating positive thoughts, you can prevent disease.  A thought is absorbed and assimilated into the body, just like food, right down to the smallest structure of the human cell.  An Ayurvedic Practitioner colleague and friend of mine named Ryan Kurczak, LMT once told me:” Many of the people I know who succeed in utilizing Ayurveda as an effective method of health maintenance implement moderate changes over a long period of time.   They are not fanatics and don’t get bent out of shape if someone offers them a piece of chocolate cake when they are supposed to be on a “pure” Ayurvedic diet. When I asked my spiritual teacher about how strict I need to be with Ayurveda he said, “Meditate, and be happy.  Then adjust your diet as you need to.”  One of the most powerful disease causing factors according to Ayurveda is a diseased mind.  When the mind is peaceful, the body will be as well.” Ryan developed the“Ayurveda for Bodyworkers Correspondence Course” at Sacred Stone approved by the NCBTMB.

We are the subatomic structure of God; we are microcosms of the macrocosmic universe.  There are five great elements that exist on our planet: ether, air, fire, earth and water.  Ayurveda classifies these 5 elements into 3 aspects.  These aspects are referred to as doshas, a Sanskrit word meaning biological principle, which generally refers to an imbalance due to “excess” of one of the elements within the body.

Although there are five great elements, there are only 3 doshas or biological principles.   All five elements must exist within our bodies and within the universe in order for us to function properly. As soon as the sperm meets the egg, a unique combination of the five great elements is determined and the physical constitution is born.  This constitution is called Prakruti.

Stress, negative thoughts, feeling disconnected from the divine within ourselves or the ones we love, wrong food choices, and lack of exercise are just some of the things that throw us out of balance. When the doshas are out of balance, it usually means they are in excess and have reached the first of 6 stages in the disease process called “accumulation.”  Restoring balance usually means reducing the dosha by making conscious choices regarding our lifestyle, food, mindfulness, exercise, breath, prayer, meditation and bodywork.

What are the three doshas? 1) Vata is a Sanskrit word meaning “what blows” and lives in the colon/large intestines.  Vata becomes excessive on cold, windy days during the fall and winter.  When vata within the body is in excess, people tend to experience anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, paranoia and loneliness.  2) Pitta is a Sanskrit word meaning “what cooks” and lives in the small intestines. Pitta becomes excessive on hot summer days.  When pitta within the body is excessive, people tend to experience self-condemnation, jealousy, anger, competitive thoughts, and aggression. 3) Kapha is a Sanskrit word meaning “what sticks,” and lives in the stomach. Kapha becomes excessive on cool, muddy days of spring and on cold, snowy days in the winter.  When kapha within the body becomes excessive, people experience greed, lethargy, apathy and heaviness. The weather, the seasons, our genetic constitution and lifestyle choices we make and our thoughts have a direct affect on our health.

After careful observation of the majority of my clients and friends, I have concluded that the most common complaints are stress and anxiety, which consequently deranges vata within the body. Living in a world where we are eating lunch while we are driving our car or reading our email while listening to our voicemail at the same time will naturally disturb vata within the body and mind.  Multi-tasking and feeling like there is not enough time in a day will continually challenge vata.  When the vata dosha is out of balance within the body, it can blow the other

doshas (pitta & kapha) out of balance causing an overflow of the other doshas.  Preventing all the doshas from becoming excessive is important, but remember that vata is the dosha that is critical to health and longevity.  The ancient Ayurvedic texts say the earth is now in the vata stage of its evolution, so vata is high for everyone simply because we are so connected to our earth.

There are specific bodywork techniques and lifestyle choices that pacify and calm the vata dosha.  Massage therapists are at risk for having excessive vata because of the nature of the job.  Most massage therapists will tell you they are in constant physical motion on some level during a session. Massage therapists are movement-centered, energetic and on the go. Since vata is the dosha responsible for motion within the body and the universe, massage therapists need to take extra care not to accumulate too much vata.

Massage therapy can become a vata-provoking job, so choose a lifestyle that will soothe and balance your vata. Here are some easy vata soothing activities:

1. Eat your meals at the same time everyday (or at least one meal).
2. Plan your meals to avoid becoming anxious, cranky and hungry.
3. Stay quiet during each massage session; be an active listener.
4. Walk slowly, unless you are exercising. Walking more than 2 hours will irritate vata.
5. Think positive thoughts and read daily affirmations.
6. Avoid chatty people and long phone calls.
7. Eat warm, unctuous foods, especially on cold, windy, dry days.
8. Avoid scary movies.
9. Avoid being in confused relationships.
10.  Stay warm.
11. Go to bed at or before 10 p.m.
12.  Get a weekly massage with warm, organic, edible oil, ie, sesame, sunflower or castor oil.
13.  Give yourself a daily oil rub-down (abhyanga)
14.  Surround yourself with soft things, i.e., pillows.
15.  Avoid being late or rushed.
16.  Avoid over exercising.
17.  Surround yourself with friends who make you laugh.
18.  Adopt a personal daily restorative yoga routine and pranayama breathing.
19.  Avoid carbonated beverages.
20. Avoid excessive mouth breathing while giving a massage.  Instead, learn ujjayi breathing in and out of the nose.

Dr. Vasant Lad taught his staff of massage therapists to say (or chant) the sounds of Hari Aum to make the experience more powerful and auspicious.  Aum is the sound that contains all possible sounds made by all possible creatures through all possible times and the sound made by Gaia (Mother Earth) herself as she dances her dance of creation, sustenance, and absorption.  It is the sound astronauts have reported to hear when they are launched into space. Alexander Graham Bell was perplexed and intrigued by this sound.  While he was inventing the telephone, he noticed that the sound of aum was always present when he tapped into the “airways” regardless of his geographical location.

Saying the name of God with great reverence is auspicious, no matter what name you’re saying.  “Hari”, translated from Sanskrit, has many meanings: 1. Pure existence without thought, 2. The end of knowledge, 3. Choice-less, passive awareness.  Hari is Shiva, king of oneness,  Vishnu, the protector, and Krishna.  Silently saying the sound of Hari aum or chanting it out loud before each healing session invokes a loving, gentle force where no duality exists.  The sound Hari aum creates a sacred space in the room. The sounds of Ha activates the heart chakra.

The sound of Ri activates the throat chakra and the sound Aum actives the 6^th and 7^th chakra. The actual sound of aaahhhh is the sound of the Creator.  You will find that in every culture and religion, the name for God has the sound of aaahhh somewhere in it.  If you question where the sound aaaahhhh is in Jesus, keep in mind the Hebrew pronunciation was, “Yesh-u-ah.”  Wayne Dyer, an internationally renowned author and speaker, advocates using the sound aaahhh during meditation to manifest and create the things you desire in your life.

Bodywork Techniques that will Sooth the Vata Dosha:

1. Slow, confidant effleurage strokes using wide hands covering as much surface area as possible.
2. Wringing and squeezing motions as if you are gently squeezing the air out of the body.
3. Very defined draping techniques to create trust and eliminate any fears of possibly being exposed and embarrassed.
4. Defining the beginning and ending of each massage session using the same signal or modality every time. For example, connecting with your client’s feet while silently setting a prayer of intention before the session starts and using Tibetan bells to signify the end and whispering, “Thank you, take your time getting off the table. Go gently.”
5. Focusing each stroke to move out towards the feet, hands and root chakra, which are some of the terminal ends of the body. Ayurveda calls this “Terminal Clearance.”
6. Activating the downward flow in the body called “apana vayu”, which is a Sanskrit word meaning “direction towards the earth”. Instead of using strokes towards the heart, use strokes towards the feet.
7. Use copious amounts of warm, edible oil.
8. Use soft lights, soft pillows and cushions, a soft voice, soft music and a soft heart because people with excessive vata are like delicate flowers.
9. Keep the room warm and use a fluffy blanket instead of a thin sheet to cover your client.
10. Gentle compression.
11. Swedhana Steam Therapy.
12. Thermotherapy such as Hot Stone Therapy. (Certified Sacred Stone Massage Therapists are trained to pacify the vata dosha with heated stones. Find a Sacred Stone Therapist in your area by visiting sacredstonehealing.com)

“One of the most important things I’ve learned from Ayurveda in regards to bodywork is that the oils, stones, herbs and techniques applied during a session are all secondary to the therapist’s state of consciousness.  If the vitality of the therapist is not strong, clear and centered in a space of balance and wholeness, which can easily be actualized by following simple Ayurvedic principles, even the most well intended treatments may fail to give results.” Ryan Kurczac, LMT.

Compression therapy using 10 lb handmade heated sandbags will initiate the relaxation response. The sandbags sold at Sacred Stone Healing Center are handmade by an Ayurvedic Practitioner with care and are shipped empty.  You can fill them with sterile sandbox sand from any hardware store or with volcanic black sand. Compression immobilizes the muscle, so there is a surrendering that must occur on the part of the client. When the body stops twitching and wiggling to find comfort, only then can we attain the inner stillness we all seek.

Sandbags create a perfect amount of pressure and can be heated on an oil heater.  Laying sandbags on the top of the thighs will encourage the femurs to ground more deeply into the hips sockets. When the hip sockets are not in perfect alignment, it increases the likelihood of disturbing vata because spaces within all joints belong to the vata dosha, especially in the hips. It also helps redirect the energy downward by simply increasing body awareness in the legs.

The roots of hot stone massage therapy can be found in India. Stones are the ancient bones of the earth. There is an ethereal pulse within the earth and within each stone which will harmonize perfectly with the human pulse, if we allow it. Dr. Naina Marballi, BSAM, DAC, owner of Ayurveda’s Beauty Care in NYC, a sister school to Sacred Stone School and Center in Newport, RI, reports that part of her curriculum at Poddar College and Mombai University in India was a course called “Shila Abyhanga”.  Shila is a Sanskrit word for stone and abhyanga is a Sanskrit word for oil massage. She told me that this course dates back more than 5,000 years as part of the standard protocol for most medical Ayurvedic physicians. If you are ever visiting NYC, be sure to book an appointment with Dr. Naina or Amita.  They are profound teachers and healing facilitators. Ayurveda’s Beauty Care is located at 99 University Place 5th floor.

Another profoundly effective healing modality is the Swedhana Therapy, which integrates a steam tent handmade by Sacred Stone that fits perfectly on the massage table.  It’s a powerful addition for those therapists who need to save their hands. Students may purchase this online continuing education (CE) massage course approved for massage credits by the NCBTMB, aka, CBTMB at the links below, as well as above.

The Shirodhara Therapy course is an ancient sacred treatment to the forehead and crown of the head.  Shiro means head and dhara means flow. Warm, herbal oil is poured in a continuous stream over the client’s forehead and crown for 20-50 minutes.  Shirodhara helps disperse negative electrical impulses that accumulate at the skull from stress.  It opens the third eye, increases intuition and renews the sweetness of life. It also has powerful medical value for healing neurological disturbances and chemical imbalances within the brain.

There are many books on the subject of Ayurveda that include lists of food that pacify the doshas. Let these Ayurvedic food lists be your “training wheels”.  These “training wheels” will assist in developing your intuition. Living intuitively is synonymous with living in harmony with nature, which is the very foundation of Ayurveda.  Do not get caught up in food lists and lifestyle rules.  Educate yourself with the knowledge of Ayurveda, apply the principles to your life, then learn to eat and live intuitively.

Become aware of how your body feels after you eat a certain food or after you do a certain exercise or if you go to bed by a certain time.  Each person is a conglomerate of many attributes and a beautiful mixture of the five great elements.  You are not just a vata person, a pitta person or a kapha person. We contain all the doshas within us. Yet, we are all genetically predisposed to one (maybe two) doshic attributes that will have a preponderance to go out of balance more easily than other doshic qualities.  Knowing how your body tends to go out of balance is extremely helpful.  This is something that can be observed and intuited through meditation and keen body awareness or with the help of a skilled Ayurvedic practitioner or doctor.

Determining your imbalance is just as important, if not more important, than determining your Prakruti (constitution).  Your Prakruti may not always be the same as your imbalance.  The Sanskrit term “Vikruti” refers to imbalance. Most Ayurvedic self-tests are designed to determine your Prakruti, not your Vikruti.  The test at Sacred Stone is geared for discovering your imbalance and finding effective remedies.

Observe your actions and thoughts without judgment. Know your body, know yourself. When you observe yourself this way, observe the observer.  “Watch the Watcher,” as my teacher Dr. Lad would say.

This article, “Ayurveda Made Simple”, is to be published in Massage Today October 2004.