Gandhavahasthadi Thalam

Gandhavahasthadi Thalam

Product Highlight: Gandhavahasthadi Thalam

Gandhavahasthadi Thalam is an Ayurvedic oil used for internal administration in the treatment of bloating, abdominal pain, etc. Its base is Castor oil with the roots of castor, as well as barley, ginger, cow’s milk, castor oil etc.

Herbs are infused in the medium of sesame oil, along with a herbal water decoction. Then the solid waste herbal materials are filtered out. Thus the oil contains oil soluble and water soluble photo-active principles of medicinal herbs.

This medicine should only be taken under strict medical supervision. The decision for its usage is exclusively taken by an Ayurvedic doctor. This product is not to be used for self-medication. It is best avoided in children, pregnant women and lactating mothers.

Uses

It is used in the treatment of abscess, splenic disorders, abdominal pain, abdominal bloating, constipation, gastritis, Amlapitta, oedema, inflammatory conditions of the abdomen and ascites. It can even be used as basti karma, for weightloss and to relieve pain.

It is best applied before steam therapy.

In large doses, it is used in Virechana, the Panchakarma purgative therapy.

Dosage

5-10 drops once or twice a day, before food, depending upon the severity of the condition, the body weight, etc. of the patient, and other factors. In low doses, it can be administered for a period of one month.

In chronic conditions, under medical supervision, for longer-term use, to be taken on alternate days.

Side Effects

In higher doses, or in cases where it is incorrectly administered, it may cause loose stools and diarrhoea. In such circumstances, change the medication to the kshayam.

It’s manufacture is referenced from Ashtangahrudayam Chikitsa sthana 15/21. Sahasrayogam.

The information provided is for the use of Ayurvedic practitioners only. If you are not an Ayurvedic practitioner, please consult your Ayurvedic practitioner before using any Ayurvedic or herbal products.

https://ayurpure.com.au/product-highlight-gandhavahasthadi-thalam/

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Coronavirus and our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing

Coronavirus and our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing

Coronavirus and our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing by Shanti Gowans

 

Discussion around the state of the world, Coronavirus and us

Many people are deeply bewildered about so many unsettling events and the state of affairs taking place in the world right now. From politics to wildfires and floods, to viral outbreaks, and climate change, the news can be overwhelming. Many of these world events are out of our control, but what we do have full control over, is our reaction to them and how we choose to feel.

Today’s hectic 24-hour lifestyle promotes overstimulation and overscheduling, a pace that leads to chronic stress, ill health, behavioural, mood and attention adaptations. It is often difficult to pick which one of the current egregious matters has perturbed what matters most to us. Brought down by our naivete, suddenly realising one deadly thing or another… or not realising something soon enough, being ambushed and assaulted by various cultural and personal shocks to the extreme, we now have a history of being gutted.

When we succumb to limiting stories and their harmful narratives, and become afraid of being left behind in the human ‘race’, we can find ourselves willing to do whatever, in order to at least keep up with others. Additionally, with the varied challenges from nature, Australia has seen bushfires, floods and a continued drought, albeit there have also been reprieves, with wonderful soaking rains and luscious growth.

Nevertheless, new concerns arise around us on a daily basis. In addition, stressful environments, highly processed foods, chemicals, pesticides, pollutants, and imbalanced diets can severely compromise a healthy microbiome. In dark times, there is a tendency to veer towards focusing on how much is wrong and unmended in the world.

When we are in a state of fear, stress or anxiety, our immune systems become suppressed.

It is no secret that what has been going on with the coronavirus right has and is causing a lot of stress and anxiety in the world. Because this has never happened in our modern society, people just don’t know what to do or what to expect, which leads to a lot of fear. The challenge is that when we are in a state of fear, stress, or anxiety, two things happen, namely: our brains do not function in the same way, and so we struggle to make good decisions; and our immune systems are suppressed and this is, of course, not a time we want that to happen.

With rising cases of the coronavirus affliction globally, anxiety around renewed travel bans, disruption to businesses, job losses, the current fear and panic gripping so many people have them fall into being weakened by focusing on what is outside their reach and cannot yet be, and thus running their energy down by bewailing difficult times.

Tune into love and common sense, rather than hysteria and fear. 

The mantra is courage. Do not make yourself ill by being overwhelmed. One of the most important steps you can take to help calm the storm is not to be taken up by a flurry of overwrought emotion or despair. Tune into love and common sense, rather than hysteria and fear. To heal is to touch with love that which was previously touched with fear. Despite our attachments, frustrations, sloth, restless and stints of doubt, we are not without resources. We are the leaders we have been waiting for. We have been raised from childhood and spent a lifetime learning, and being in training, in preparation, to signal each other in our collective quest. You are not alone.

The challenges we face in our lives are how we learn, grow, and create solutions. We are only victims of our circumstances when we let the extraordinary power of our thoughts affect everything around us destructively, causing damage not only to our own lives but also to the lives of others.

There are limitations to future-proofing, which is why we need to aspire to be future-fit instead. We are high-functioning physical expressions of the energy that drives the Universe. We have access to amazing powers and capacities. All of our everyday challenges, both small and large, empower us to awaken to our extraordinary potential as human beings in our everyday lives. The key to the future of human civilisation lies in our personal empowerment. Yet, since we are all the One Life Energy, the only way we can ‘win’ is if all of humanity wins. We have the power to accomplish almost anything and change the world when we consider our humanness and Oneness first and avoid decisions that are destructive and regressive. We have surpassed the benchmarks many times when the puny ego contested the enormity of our universal presence.

Any small, calm thing YOU can do to help yourself or to assist another in some way, helps immensely.

New concerns arise around us on a daily basis. Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. This does not need everyone on Earth. Any small, calm thing YOU can do to help yourself or to assist another in some way, helps immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts, or by whom, will cause a shift in the critical mass. What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts. Though we are not invulnerable, having been to hell and back, we are the living proof that that which has been exiled, lost, or crucified can be restored to life again. We have perfected the knack of resurrection and transcendence over and over again. You are still standing. To stand up silently and reveal your essence is an act of enormous bravery and great necessity. An unlit candle can be lit from another candle that is lit and willing to show it.

One of the most calming and powerful actions you can take is by staying healthy, and supporting and boosting your immune system. This can be achieved by:-

  • supporting a healthy lifestyle
  • changing the gut environment
  • resetting digestive strength
  • detoxing seasonally, and
  • changing our eating habits by eating appropriately for our body type – with appropriate foods, spices, herbs, roots, seeds and flowers in season is an excellent way to let food be the medicine that keeps the body healthy.

Our immunity is also strengthened when we:-

  • release stress
  • reduce anxiety
  • increase calmness
  • improve focus
  • sleep better
  • find balance
  • boost our energy
  • shift our mindset to increase our positive outlook, and
  • build resilience.

The best-kept secret to resilience and health lies in a quiet mind. The quieter we become, the more we notice that silence is not empty. It is replete with a quiet wisdom.

Coronavirus has been declared as a pandemic by the WHO, and with some of the restrictions being eased by various governments, many of us could get it. Although most will be fine, for the more vulnerable it could mean the difference between life and death. We all have someone we love who could be facing this. Our mission now is to slow it down, because the slower it moves, the more our hospitals can cope, and the more lives will be saved.

With the aftermath of the shutdowns, humanity is about to face serious adversity which can either split us apart in fear, or unite us in common purpose and love. Protect yourself. Prevention is better than cure. The most critical mainspring of social change isn’t coalition building or problem analysis. It’s deep, whole, and systemic healing, inside and out. Restoring your body, mind, and spirit amid change is an act of courage, empowerment, and hope. Trust the universe.

Here are some suggestions for being proactive in supporting your own health, and that of your loved ones:

  • STOP THE VIRUS at our doorstep – by washing our hands regularly, avoiding unnecessary close contact with others, staying home when we feel unwell and seeking medical advice early.
  • PROTECT THE VULNERABLE – by offering love and assistance to those who need it most, and supporting humane policies to keep them safe.
  • SPREAD WISDOM – by sharing reliable, factual information with friends and family, and countering voices of fear and demonisation with love and connection.
  • MEDITATE DAILY – to reduce stress and anxiety, access brain states that support you in building your capacity and unlocking your potential, and strengthen your immune functioning.
  • PRACTICE HEALING SHANTI YOGA – and access the power of group consciousness in healing and wellbeing
  • BOOK AN AYURVEDIC CONSULTATION – this can also be by skype, or online, for Ayurvedic herbal and mineral medicine support and to build immunity
  • ATTEND A DETOX RETREAT IN NATURE, at Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat Sanctuary, to access pathways to healing and creating optimal states of physical and emotional wellbeing.
  • PLACE AN ORDER FOR IMMUNE-ENHANCING AYURVEDIC PRODUCTS, such as Narayan Taila, Anu Taila, Chavanprash online
  • BOOK FOR IMMUNE-ENHANCING AYURVEDIC PROCEDURES AND TREATMENTS

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Nirvana Wellbeing Retreats

Nirvana Wellbeing Retreats

The Calling of Joy

Tuesday, 27 December 2022 – Tuesday, 3 January 2023

Live, Love, Laugh and Last a Lifetime

Tuesday, 3 January 2023 – Tuesday, 10 January 2023

The Balanced Life, 8 days-7 nights, Ayurveda and Yoga Retreat. Detox available.

Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat is the home for accessible mind-body solutions curated to boost an individual’s capacity to restore physical and mental health.

The last few years have been….a lot. I know it also hasn’t been easy for many of you. With the turmoil going on all around us, many of us find our minds brimming with greater uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. Rates of chronic and acute conditions are skyrocketing.

Stress, exposure to toxins, aggressive pathogens, and other factors have formed a perfect storm of inflammatory responses that wreak havoc on the body and overall health, all the way down to the cellular level. Over time, these can lead to serious conditions, premature aging, and a decline in overall vitality.

I acknowledge the hardship of all of that, and ask you to see past it, through it, and around it. Focus on what you have, not what you had. We can’t do anything about what has happened. But we can move out of “what was” and into “what can be”. We can stand tall in our truth and focus on what we can do today and tomorrow to make our life better. Our bodies have the incredibly potent capacity for self-healing and maintaining equilibrium during times of distress and disease. We must not become the obstacle that gets in the way.

What if you could learn how to calm your nervous system and restore balance with a practice that is imbued in spirituality (and backed by medical science) and learn how to trust yourself and your body’s innate wisdom?

Here, at Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat we offer the essentials – helping you get free from debilitating pain, improve your breathing, recover from injuries and dysfunction, and increase your energy, wellbeing and happiness.

Ayurveda and Yoga Retreats

These retreats typically include daily transformative teachings based on Ayurveda, the science of life.

Learn how to cultivate a feeling of wholeness and healing. Through Ayurvedic, food, natural herbal medicines, restorative yoga, breathwork, mindfulness, Yoga nidra, discussion, art, nature and more, you will

  • Harness accessible resources for resilient well-being
  • Restore and revitalise the body with the integrating traditions of Ayurveda, yoga and art.
  • Balance and soothe the nervous system with restorative practices including yoga nidra
  • Use meditation to reflect and connect to your most authentic self and heartfelt values.
  • Return home with a rich array of self-care practices that will ground and fortify you throughout the year.

Regardless of your personal health goals, the end destination is the same for all of us: Feeling better than ever. Longer retreats have the ability to add detox as an optional extra.

I want you to know it’s never too late to start. It is never too late to build a stronger health foundation. So whether you’re just starting your health journey, or just looking for your next best step, take action NOW while it’s on your mind. This is your opportunity to empower yourself, to transform your health, to reclaim your life. Don’t let it pass you by. Let’s improve your health today.

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Mindful Abundance

Mindful Abundance

This course could change everything for you! 

“In order to be a successful Yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner and help people, I had to become a business owner” Shanti Gowans

To be a Naturopath, Nutritionist, Dietician, Masseur, Therapist, Ayurvedic practitioner, Yoga Teacher, or Healer of any description, is a very different profession, especially if you are old school

You didn’t go to school or university to become a business owner. You undertook training, became certified, and secured higher qualifications because you wanted to use your knowledge to help others. You want to help others to not be in pain, and empower them with education, tools, techniques and services towards their wellbeing. Whether you’re licensed and regulated, certified or have a master’s degree, you will need to figure out how to do what you want to do in a way that works for you.

In order to be a successful Yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner and help people, I had to become a business owner. More specifically, I had to figure out how to work with the universe’s resources in a way that supports my values and lifestyle, to help me help them create a meaningful life. When I started out in Australia, (this was in 1972), all I wanted, or needed, was for someone to tell me that I was on the right track. There was no Google, YouTube, online spaces, businesses or social platforms that I could turn to for help. No role models. I made a promise to myself that when I succeeded, I would pay it forward so that professionals coming up after me would not have to feel as alone and as unsure as I felt.

I’ve made good on that promise. I set up Yoga classes and schools, wrote books, taught yoga on public television, went all out for the Australian government to accredit my Yoga Teacher Training courses, and Ayurvedic Practitioner training, to start other teachers and practitioners on their road to success. Touching many lives, paying it forward and giving back is part of my business model… it always has been and will continue to be. We are truly in this together. We are all here to transform lives for a living, all on our own terms. I am proof of that. Let us help you. You can’t model what you don’t see.

Here is something really special for you. I have developed an exceptional suite of comprehensive online professional development learnings especially for busy people, and have put together my findings in an amazing, groundbreaking course called MINDFUL ABUNDANCE. Best of all, you are not locked into inconvenient webinar times. Instead, with my course, you are in control of your own learning journey. This content is presented in digestible pieces, where you can dip in and out of it, as time permits.

https://learn.healthinstitute.edu.au/courses/mindful-abundance/

With this course material, you can gain an outstanding understanding of the cosmic laws, purify your thoughts, feelings and vibrations, and be able to unlock the limitless potential of your mind. You will be able to benefit from opportunities that open up to you because the entire context of your knowledge can be highly advanced by finding information that explains how the universe works.

  • Navigate the chaos of this crazy world
  • with powerful Cosmic principles and practices
  • to break free from the matrix of illusion
  • and rewire optimistic thinking so that you can
  • create your own world of
  • abundant health, wealth, and wisdom.

Take advantage of the special price offer $995,

This would be the best ever Christmas gift you could give or receive.

Choose to pay by PayPal or Credit/Debit card. We also offer Afterpay.

Will revert to $1550 after 25 December 2022.

Shanti Gowans

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Osteoporosis and Ayurveda

Bone is a dynamic living tissue. it is constantly being broken down and rebuilt, a process known as remodelling.

Peak bone mass is reached between the ages of 25 and 35 years. After 35, bone mass is stable until, in women, it starts to drop with menopause. 6-18% of women between 25-34 years of age have ‘abnormally low’ bone density. Hip-fracture rates for white women in the US and Britain begin to rise abruptly between the ages of 40-44 much earlier than menopause begins. This drop occurs more slowly in males.

Bones become porous, or less dense, with age. As we age, the mineral-rich, internal part of bone breaks down faster than it is rebuilt. It should not be treated as disease unless you experience one or following multiple symptoms over a period of time:

  • Bone fracture
  • A gradual loss of height
  • A rounding of the shoulders
  • Gum inflammation and loosening of the teeth
  • Acute lower backache
  • Swelling of a wrist after a minor fall or injury
  • Trouble with nail, hair, teeth, gums, joints, or back
  • Nocturnal leg cramps
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Restless behaviour,

The word osteoporosis simply means ‘porous bones’. Persons with osteoporosis suffer from a loss in bone mass and bone strength at a higher rate than expected with aging. Their bones become weak and brittle which makes them more prone to fracture. Any bone can be affected by osteoporosis, but the hips, wrists and spine are the most common sites.

Ayurveda and Osteoporosis

From the Ayurvedic perspective, any vata imbalance or disease pattern in the bods indicated by any one of the symptoms such as stress, anxiety, constipation, dry skin, hypertension, restlessness, insomnia, PMS or many menstrual disorders, Irritable bowel syndrome and Inability to relax and so on. Some of the behavioural patterns that can create a vata imbalance in the body are:

  • when a person is under stress or reacting to stress with anxiety
  • physical exhaustion; mental strain and overwork without giving the body a chance to relax and rejuvenate
  • addictive patterns
  • lack of sleep
  • suffering emotionally from grief, fear or shock
  • travelling (flying or long car journeys)
  • stringent diets
  • eating cold, raw or dry foods frequently
  • living in a cold, dry and windy weather.

Osteoporosis is one of the natural processes that occur with age, however, vata body type individuals or people in the vata stage of life, are likely to experience loss of bone density at a higher rate. Consequently the risk for osteoporosis will be higher in a person of vata body, old people and women after menopausal age. For women, a regular menstrual cycle is important for building and maintaining bone strength throughout a woman’s reproductive years.

Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing and aggravating osteoporosis include:

  • Being female. Women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. Though most women start to think about bone loss only at menopause, it often begins years before. 50%of the bone loss over their lifespan is lost before menopause even begins. The reasons could include:
    • Women’s bones are generally thinner and lighter.
    • They live longer than men.
    • They have rapid bone loss at menopause due to a sharp decline of oestrogen.
    • Natural menopause before age 40;
    • A hysterectomy which includes removal of both ovaries with no hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
    • A lack of, or irregular menstrual flow.
    • Oestrogen/ progesterone deficiency
  • Having a thin, small framed body
  • Heredity and Race – the risk increases if there is a history of osteoporosis and/or bone fractures in your family. Some races, for example Caucasians are at a higher risk than Asians and African Americans.
  • Lack of physical activity especially activities such as walking, running, tennis and other weight-bearing exercises.
  • Lack of Calcium and Vitamin D, Magnesium and other mineral deficiencies from a modern diet of processed foods.
  • Cigarette smoking and Excessive Alcohol – Heavy drinkers and smokers often have poor appetite and poor nutrition.
  • Taking certain medicines such as corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat asthma, arthritis, lupus, etc.) and aluminium containing antacids such as Rolaids or Di-Gel., anti-seizure drugs and overuse of thyroid hormones.
  • Hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, and certain forms of bone cancer, anorexia nervosa, scoliosis and gastrointestinal disease.
  • Malabsorption of nutrients as a result of antibiotic use
  • High Fat, high protein diet

Traditional Treatment includes:

  • Medical management, especially if you are at a high risk of getting the disorder. Doctor may prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and/or calcium. These are recommended to prevent fractures from osteoporosis if taken during or soon after the start of menopause and then on a continual basis. HRT does not rebuild bone, but it is supposed to prevent further bone loss. New research on HRT is bringing question mark on this method.
  • Surgery, such as hip replacement, if necessary.
  • Dietary and lifestyle measures.

Natural Dietary and Lifestyle Measures

Natural approaches to osteoporosis treatment are to focus on supporting the body’s dynamic, bone rebuilding process, and not on replacing the natural and healthy decline of oestrogen during menopause. To prevent or slow osteoporosis, take these steps now:

Consume a diet high in complex carbohydrate, and relatively low in fat and protein. 

If you are non-vegetarian, limit your servings of red meat to lean cuts, no more than three times per week (Red meat is very high in phosphorous, as is soda. High phosphorous intake extracts calcium from bones). To keep calcium/phosphorous levels in balance, concentrate on eating dark green, leafy vegetables.

Calcium

Plan to get enough calcium every day. If our diets were mostly whole grains, greens, beans and vegetables, our bones would be more apt to stay healthy on relatively less calcium, as long as we also exercised and got out in the sun for vitamin D. Some high calcium foods include: Milk, yogurt and cheeses. Soft-boned fish and shellfish, such as salmon with the bones, sardines and shrimp. Vegetables such as dark green, leafy vegetables, broccoli, kale, collards. Beans and bean sprouts, as well as tofu (soy bean curd, if processed with calcium). Calcium-fortified foods such as some orange juices, apple juices and ready-to-eat cereals and breads.

Vitamin C

is involved in collagen synthesis and repair and is found in Citrus fruits.

Magnesium

It is found in organically grown vegetables, whole grains, seaweed (kelp) and meats such as turkey. Over-consumption of processed food, such as refined grains or too few dark green leafy vegetables is usually the culprit in magnesium deficiency.

Boron

The minimum dose of boron needed per day is easily met with a daily diet rich in fruit, nuts and vegetables.

Beta Carotene

Vitamin A promotes a healthy intestinal epithelium and promotes strong joints, which is important for optimal absorption of nutrients. It is found in yellow and orange vegetables e.g. pumpkin, carrots, leafy vegetables and broccoli.

Exercise

The average Australian sits for 11 hours a day. This is what happens while you’re sitting:

  • Muscles deteriorate, fat loss slows and calorie burning drops to 1 calorie per minute
  • Blood flow dips, LDL and triglycerides clog your arteries and heart attack risk jumps by 125%
  • Sugar piles up in your blood, insulin skyrockets and diabetes risk shoots up by 90%.

Your body receives the signal that it’s time to shut down, so it starts preparing you for death. If we also sleep an average of 7 hours a day, that’s 18 hours of not moving. And since most of us are working those other 6 hours (or more), most of us can’t find the time to workout, burn fat, and prevent this bodily decay.
Yet, you must follow a program of regular, weight-bearing exercise at least three or four times a week. Beneficial examples include: walking, jogging, cycling, weight training, low-impact or non-impact aerobics, and anything that places weight on the bones, twenty minutes, five times per week, or thirty minutes three times per week.

Pay attention to your posture. Keep your back straight when you sit, stand and walk.

Take measures to prevent falls and injury to your bones.

Avoid

Do not smoke and limit alcohol consumption.

Smoking makes osteoporosis worse. Smokers, together with those who consume two or more alcoholic drinks daily, are at highest risk of osteoporosis. Smoking poisons the ovaries.

Avoid cola or soda and soft, fizzy drinks

These are too high in phosphate, which directly interferes with calcium absorption.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Osteoporosis

Ayurveda focuses on balancing the doshas, especially vata dosha, and ensuring that the tissues (dhatus) are free of toxcicity (ama), to enable the body’s homeostatic mechanisms more efficiently help our metabolism adjust to a natural aging process. When the body’s natural healing ability is strengthened, and causal and root imbalances in basic bodily functions are removed, the bone rebuilding process will be positively influenced.

Ayurveda recommends:

Detoxification and balancing the doshas, especially vata dosha, using Purvakarmaand Basti treatments.

The detoxification (panchakarma) treatment consists of internal oleation, namely snehana, fomentation, or bashpa swedana, lower back oil pooling, or kati basti, and a steady, thread-like stream of oil, poured on the forehead, known as shiro dhara. This is followed by an appropriate purge to remove all the offending, vitiated doshas from the body systems, then followed by basti with herbal oil to pacify vata (vata shamak or dashmoola) for the vitiated vata dosha.

Food supplements and rejuvenators such as Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and Bala (Sida cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) should be taken in the powdered form in the dose of 2-3gm daily.

Shatavari and vidari mixed in equal parts, or just shatavari taken on regular basis (1/2 tsp twice daily)
with warm milk, help to make up for oestrogen in the metabolic cycle. These herbs are food precursors of oestrogen and progesterone.

Self massage or abhyanga, using sesame oil, for vata pacification.

Ashokarishta

Ashoka bark has silica, sodium, potassium, phosphate, magnesium, iron, and calcium among others. It is used for many uterine disorders and is a good herb during the time of menopause.

Dashamularishta

Dashmoola is used for vata pacification.

These preparations should be taken after consulting an Ayurvedic consultant.

Daily chewing a handful of sesame seeds in the morning provides at least 1200 mg of natural calcium. These seeds won’t clog arteries, as dependence upon calcium from dairy products may do. One part black or white sesame seeds, half part shatavari, with ginger and raw sugar added to taste is good for the bones.

The vata pacifying diet includes warm, heavy, moist and slightly oily food that give you strength.

Frequent small meals, mildly spiced and with only a few different types of foods per meal are recommended.

– Don’t eat when you are nervous or worried.

– If possible eat with your friends/ family.

Amalaki is a rejuvenator (rasayana) for the bones, nourishing the bones, strengthening the teeth, causing hair and nails to grow. Five gm powder in one cup of water, twice a day is used as a general tonic.

Triphala can be used on regular basis as a tridoshic tonic.

Few diet/ lifestyle aspects to complement the beneficial effect of Ayurvedic Medicines:

– Consume more of calcium-rich foods such as milk and spinach, avoiding red meat at the same time.

– Nourish yourself with whole, natural foods.

– Avoid fats such as margarine and saturated fats such as cheese. Instead use ghee, butter or unsaturated fat such as sunflower and corn oils.

– Make exercise a daily routine (after consulting your doctor) to keep yourself fit

– Limit your intake of tea or coffee to a maximum of one or two cups daily, but avoid completely if possible.

– Practise yoga and meditation for calming effects and mind control. If osteoporosis has begun to develop, yoga as exercises should be done gently, with care, to overcome a real danger of breaking a bone.

– Develop a positive approach towards menopause and life in general.

– Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.

– Excess Vata (air) may also be reduced to proper levels by having regularity of routine, providing the body adequate rest, meditation and using vata pacifying essential oils.

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Nirvana Detox Retreats JULY WINTER DETOX 2022

Nature Based Time-Out, Yoga and Renewal Retreats

Being immersed in nature is a wonderful place to focus on healing, wellbeing, peace of mind, and personal growth.

Urban living and contemporary lifestyles are associated with reduced contact with nature. Although not causal, this coincides with increasing rates of mental illness in the world. In addition, mid-pandemic, being cooped up at home, increases the problem.

Forest exposure can be used as part of a holistic and rounded approach to wellbeing. It is one of many ecosystem services that the environment provides for us.

During a time-out and yoga retreat at Nirvana you have an opportunity to restore, rejuvenate and rebalance with gentle, healing yoga, relaxation and breathing. Enjoy scrumptious Ayurvedic vegetarian meals. Perhaps spend a quiet day of reading. You will be able to enjoy the experience that best fits your needs. Your biggest to-do at our time-out and renewal retreat will be: nothing. Ayurvedic treatments and consultations are available.

Exceptional Wellbeing Detox Retreats

One of the main processes of healing the system in Ayurveda is cleansing. The increase of water and air pollutants, food contamination, pesticides and chemicals in our environment all play their part in depleting and damaging our systems. Our liver, kidneys, colon, skin, and lungs help expel unwanted substances from the body. However, when the amount of toxic substances in our body has overwhelmed its capacity, it’s time for the body to detox.

Our eating habits, lifestyle and environmental conditions can cause toxins to accumulate in the body and result in an imbalance of the tridoshas (the body’s functional aspects). Nirvana’s body purification therapy supports the body’s natural mechanism of excreting these toxins and purifying the whole body so that it regains its natural balance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. The 10-day detox package is based on panchakarma (purification processes in the narrow sense) and includes herbal medicines, dietary tissue cleansing that results in purgation, various oil applications (snehanakarma) and sweat treatment (swedanakarma). (Detox: Add $100/day or $500/week.)

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Ayurvedic medicine – Avipattikar Churna and Avipathi Choornam 

Ayurvedic medicine – Avipattikar Churna and Avipathi Choornam 

Avipattikar Churna and Avipathi Choornam 

Avipattikar Churna and Avipathi Choornam are both Ayurvedic medicines in herbal powder form. Both have a similar set of ingredients. But there are substantial differences between them, in terms of indication, method of administration and so on.

Reference
Avipattikar Choorna is mentioned in Bhaishajya Ratnavali, Amlapitta Chikitsa 25-29.
Avipathi Choornam is mentioned in Sahasra yoga Choorna yoga prakarana.

Use in practice
Avipattikar is used in Ayurvedic treatment in North India.
Avipathi is used more commonly in South India, since Kerala Ayurveda practice is based more on Sahasra yoga.

Indication
Avipattikar is used in treating a wide variety of disorders, which range from gastritis, urinary tract disorders, constipation and so on.
Avipathy is used in treating Pitta imbalance disorders such as burning sensation, gastritis, migraine, etc.

Administration
Avipattikar Churna is administered just before food and in between food.
Avipathi Choornam is administered before or after food. It is mixed with little quantity of honey, made into a tablet or soft small ball and then it is administered to the patient.

Effect on Tridosha
Avipattikar Churna is targeted towards all the three dosha.
Avipathi choornam is targeted mainly to achieve Pitta balance.

AVIPATTIKAR CHURNA
Avipattikar Churna an Ayurvedic herbal powder mix, usually used in the treatment of constipation. It is one of the very effective medicines of Ayurveda.

Ingredients in Avipattikar Choorna
10 grams of each of the three pungent substances in trikatu, which are
Black pepper, maricha
Long pepper, pippali
and ginger, shunti

The three Ayurvedic fruits, Triphala, which is the best anti-oxidant combination. These three are:
Chebulic Myrobalan fruit rind, Terminalia chebula, haritaki
Belliric Myrobalan fruit rind, Terminalia bellirica, bibhitaki
Indian gooseberry fruit, Emblica officinalis Gaertn, amalaki

Nut grass (root), Cyperus rotundus, musta, which is one of the most commonly used herbs in urinary tract disorders
Vida salt, vida lavana
False black pepper, Embelia ribes, vidanga, a useful anti-microbial herb
Cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum, ela, relieves pain and inflammation
Cinnamomum tamala, patra, relieves pain and inflammation
Clove, Syzigium aromaticum, lavanga. 110 grams, anti oxidant
Operculina turpethum, trivrit. 440 grams
Sugar, sharkara. 660 grams.

There are twenty types of Prameha is a group of urinary tract disorders. The downward wind, Apana Vata is mainly vitiated in them. All the ingredients are directly or indirectly useful in urinary tract health. Hence, it is useful in Prameha.
Also, in any condition, including Prameha, where daily detox / daily purgation, Nitya Virechana is required, 5 – 10 grams of Avipattikar Churna is administered, as it is mild, usually does not cause twitching abdominal pain and is easier to consume.

Reference
Bhaishajya Ratnavali Amlapitta Chikitsa 25-29.
There are many companies that manufacture this product, such as: Dabur, Baidyanath, Swadeshi, Baba Ramdev (Divya Avipapttikar Churna), Dhanvantri and so on..

Benefits of Avipattikar churna 
It helps to relieve gastritis very quickly, amlapittam nihanti aashu.
It helps to relieve constipation and difficulty in urination, vibandham malamootrayoho.
It helps to relieve indigestion, agnimandya
It is used in treating diseases of urinary system, prameha.
It is used even in chronic conditions, durnama nashanam.

In clinical practice, it is widely used in liver disorders and alcoholism.

Dose
1 – 5  grams. Suggested to be taken at the starting of meals and in between meals.

Side effects  of Avipattikara Choornam
It may cause diarrhoea, watery stools, abdominal pain and dehydration with a few people.
If the patient is diabetic and has uncontrolled blood sugar levels, better to avoid this product, due to the sugar ingredient.

People with diabetes, hypertension, sensitive stomach, ulcerative colitis, diarrhoea, should exercise caution while taking Avipattikar Choorna.

It is dangerous to take this medicine without prescription from an Ayurvedic doctor.
It is not advisable for pregnant ladies and for children below 12 years, unless a doctor prescribes it.

AVIPATHI CHOORNAM

Ingredients in Avipathi Churna (Sahasra Yoga)
Black pepper, maricha
Long pepper, pippali
Ginger, shunti
Indian gooseberry fruit, Emblica officinalis Gaertn, amalaki
Nut grass (root), Cyperus rotundus, musta
Vida salt, vida lavana
False black pepper, Embelia ribes, vidanga
Cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum, ela
Cinnamomum tamala, patra, twak
Clove, Syzigium aromaticum, lavanga.
Operculina turpethum, trivrit
Sugar, sharkarawith the proportion of Clove (lavanga), trivrit and sugar being different in the two medicines

 

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Patient and Disease Examination, Rogi and Roga Pariksha

Patient and Disease Examination, Rogi and Roga Pariksha

by Shanti Gowans © 2021

Ayurvedic assessment methodologies include several assessments and protocols to detect an individual’s mind-body constitution and their state of imbalance. Ayurvedic classical texts clearly explain how to identify subtle disease conditions, which a physical examination or other assessment techniques are unable to recognise.

There are 9 different ways to examine a disease,
Five sense organs to examine a disease,
Five different modes of disease examination, and
10 ways of patient examination.

Clinical examination of a disease and its condition (roga), together with the diseased person, (rogi), form the basis of a comprehensive protocol for examination. The exact nature of the disease and the diseased person should be clearly known,  and are critical for comprehensive treatment to be planned and administered.

The Benefits that arise from Examination (Pariksha) 

Proper diagnosis of a disease
Proper step-by-step assessment of the disease process,
Knowing the prognosis, thereby obtaining a clear idea of the physician’s limitations in handling a case. It helps the physician decide whether they can handle the case, or if it would be wiser, and in the best interest of the patient, to refer the case to related specialists.
It helps to ascertain the physical and mental condition of the patient.
It helps in the planning of a comprehensive treatment protocol which includes dietary and lifestyle recommendations.
A comprehensive treatment can be planned and administered, only if the diagnosis of a disease is made properly and the condition of the disease known. For this to happen, the physician should be well versed in the knowledge and skills of clinical examination. Clinical examination of the disease and the diseased person, form the cream of clinical success.

Examination of the Patient, Rogi Pareeksha

The constitution of a person from the time of their conception, is known as Prakruti. This is the balanced state, or state of health for a person.

The imbalanced state is known as a person’s Vikruti.  The cause and subsequent development of an abnormal condition or of a disease is known in medicine as etiopathogenesis (plural etiopathogeneses), from the words: etiology + pathogenesis.
etiology: the science of finding causes and origins (of a disease)
pathogenesis: the production or development of a disease
For an accurate assessment, a physician needs to differentiate between a person’s constitution that was established at conception (prakruti), and their current state of health (vikruti). if it is different to their constitution.

The systems and channels in the body, known as srotas, also need to be assessed. This is known as sroto pariksha.

This article is about the examination of a patient. There are many tools and ways of assessment in Ayurvedic practice, in which the examination of a patient, or Rogi Pariksha, is conducted in Ayurveda.
The patient can then be assisted and their constitution (prakruti) can be brought back to balance for them, which in Ayurveda means to bring them back to their constitution, prakruti established at conception. They can also be educated in preventing illness, by understanding their constitution and living in accord within its parameters.

Tools for Examination of a Patient, rogi pariksha

There are several ways to examine a patient. These include:

Two-fold assessment, Dwi Vidya Pariksha includes:
– That which is seen and perceived by a doctor directly, pratyaksha
– Through inference, anumana

 Three-fold assessment, Trividhya Pariksha includes:
– Inspection, darshana.  Darshan is a way of seeing, and is regarded as a blessing. It is observing things as they are, without judgement or comparison. An Ayurvedic practitioner must develop ‘darshan’.
– Touch, palpation, percussion, auscultation or by feeling the diseased area, sparshana.
– Questioning the patient thoroughly, prashna.

Four-fold assessment, Chaturvidhya Pariksha 
– That which is seen and perceived by the physician directly, pratyaksha
– That which is assessed through inference, anumana
– Application of knowledge learnt from the science (shastra) and its teachings, aptopadesha
– Situational application of wisdom and knowledge, yukti.

Six-fold assessment, Shadvidhya Pariksha 
– Examination by seeing/inspecting, chakshurindriya dwara pariksha
– Examination through smelling, ghanendriya dwara pariksha
– Examination through hearing, (auscultation), shravanendriya dwara pariksha
– Examination through taste, jihvendriya dwara pariksha
– Examination through touch, sparshanendriya dwara pariksha
– Questioning a patient, prashna pariksha

Eight-fold assessment, Ashtavidhya Pariksha includes examination of 
– Pulse diagnosis, nadi pariksha
– Tongue diagnosis, jihva pariksha
– Visual examination, netra or drik pariksha, of the external appearance of the person
– Stool examination, mala pariksha
– Urine examination, mutra pariksha
– Examination based on sound, shabda pariksha, such as the timbre and hoarseness of a patient’s voice, and various bodily sounds, such as cracking in the joints (arthritis),
– Touch, sparsha pariksha, examination of the skin, twak, to ascertain body temperature, localised rise of temperature in a swelling, dryness/oiliness etc.
– Examination of the whole body, such as its structure and shape, the build of a patient, their, gait, decubitus, akriti pariksha.

Ten-fold assessment, Dasavidha Pariksha.
All in all, you must ascertain the following:
– The basic constitution (the physical and mental makeup) of a patient as acquired at birth. This is known as their prakruti.
– The changes occurring in the patient’s basic constitution, together with various changes taking place in different parts of the body or mind (or both), in relation to their basic constitution. This is known as the patient’s vikruti. Vikruti is the abnormal deviation or imbalances of a person’s Prakruti.
– The essence of the tissues, (dhatus), their status, quality and quantity etc. This is known as sara.
– The compactness of the body, samhanana.
– The measurement of the size and proportion of the human body (anthropometry), and any deviations according to mathematical proportions of the body. This is known as pramama.
– Compatibilities relating to a patient and wholesomeness developed by habits which result in suitability to the patient and are conducive to their health (homologation). This is known as satmya.
– The psyche and mental faculties and parameters, such as the mental strength, tolerance levels, emotions and mood of a patient. This is known as satva.
– The patient’s capacity regarding food intake, such as appetite, digestion and metabolic capacity. This is known as ahara shakti.
– The patient’s capacity and tolerance for exercise. This is known as vyama shakti.
– The age of the patient, vaya.
– The physical build, strength and immunity of a patient. This is known as Bala. Their endurance, compactness and stamina will need to be factored in too.

Pulse reading or pulse diagnosis, nadi pariksha is amongst the eight methods of examination. However, it has.not been elaborated by Archarya Charaka, Sushurata, or Vagbhata, in the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita or Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hrudaya. These texts span a period of time between 1000 BC – 2000 AD.

It is referenced in the later books in Ayurveda, and seems to appear after the arrival of the Unani doctors, knowns as Hakims, who introduced the Unani system of medicine to India. They could be attributed to the popularity of nadi pariksha, pulse diagnosis.. It involves spirituality, science and elements of astrology. However, it must be remembered that a doctor’s performance is ultimately based on their ability to generate a cure for their patient’s disease,  rather than telling their patient about their health history, or predicting their past or future symptoms.

For the Hakims, the importance of pulse diagnosis was crucial, especially when the patient was female, as the culture required her to cover up her face.The only available part for the physician to touch and examine was the hand. Thus, the Hakim was professionally compelled to examine the pulse. If the patient was a princess, she never came out from behind the padra (veil), or curtain. A thread was tied to the princesses’ wrist, and the other end of the thread was given to the Hakim to predict her disease. Such were the limitations under which the Hakim had to work.

When the science of the pulse came to Ayurveda, everybody was very hopeful about pulse diagnosis, as the arterial pulse of the hand tells a seasoned practitioner, known as a nadi vaidya about all diseases,. There are  some 108 pulse differences, some of which feel like the slithering of a snake, or a jumping frog, or the subtle gliding of a swan etc. This diagnosis is indicative of gross and subtle observances of the pulse.

The text entitled ‘Sarangadhara’, in the 12th century, gave importance to pulse diagnosis in the following verse:

Karasyangushta mooleya, Dhamani jeevasaksini
Tat Cheshtaya ‘sukham’ ‘dukham’
Njeyam kayasya panditaha

“the vein that is found in the root of the Palm is the symbol of life. The behavioural pattern of the same  explains to an expert the body’s well being (sukham) as well as any ailments (dukham) of the patient”.

Details about pulse diagnosis are also mentioned in Yoga Ratnakara, a 17th century text.

Pulse reading provides a practitioner an index of cardiac rhythms, which can also be supported by the use of a stethoscope. Sometimes, if there is a disease process in between the heart and the pulse, the rhythm of the heart may be different to the rhythm of the pulse. It also indicates whether the volume is full or weak, and whether the heart rate is fast or slow.

The text ‘Nadi Tattva Darshanam, by Vaidya Satya Deva Vashisth, has produced some commendable work, having collated all works on Nadi pariksha from the Vedas, Upavedas,  Charaka Samhita, Sushurata Samhita, Rava Nadi Pariksha, Kanada Nadi Pariksha and others.

Ayurvedic practitioners now diagnose Blood Pressure with sphygmomanometers, and check for sugar and cholesterol through blood and urine tests as well as urine and faecal examinations. These tests were mentioned by Yoga Ratnakara, and Ayurveda has welcomed many forms of diagnosis, which have now been extended to laboratory tests since the early renditions.

Examination of a Disease, Roga Pariksha

Disease examination, Roga pariksha
Understanding the nature of a disease helps with accurate diagnosis of the disease. The disease should be examined to know:

The quality and nature of the disease, vyadhi svabhava
The quantity or magnitude of the disease, vyadhi pramana
The cause/s of the disease, nidana jnana
Premonitory symptoms, those which occur before the manifestation of the disease, poorvarupa jnana
Signs and symptoms of the disease, rupa jnana
Aggravating and pacifying factors of the disease, upashaya-anupashaya jnana
The process of the formation of the disease, samprapti jnana
Prognosis, in terms of curabnility or non-curability of the disease, saadhya-asaadhyata gnana
Complications and progression of a disease, upadrava-udarka jnana

Tools for disease examination, nidana panchaka
Five key tools, known as nidana panchaka, are used for the diagnosis of a disease (roga pariksha), and to know the nature of the disease. These are:

The causative factors of the disease, nidana, the knowledge of which is the key to knowing why and how the disease process was initiated.
Premonitory symptoms of the disease, purvarupa, which helps to know the disease in its earlier stages of manifestation.
Signs and symptoms of the disease, rupa, which help us understand the manifestation of the disease.
Identifying a disease, upashaya-anupashaya, or diagnosing it on the basis of a trial and error method, after analysing the aggravating and pacifying factors operating on the disease.
The disease’s story, samprapti. The pathogenesis of the disease helps us understand the process or steps in which the chain of events leading from ‘exposure, or causative factors’ to the ‘manifestation of the disease’ occurred.

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