Ayurvedic Blog

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dismissive Behaviour

We encounter varied and different personalities wherever we are in life and at work. Some are easy to get along with, whereas, others are harder to vibe with.

How well you are able to work with people often depends on your workplace communication style. Remember, you don’t always communicate with your words. A combination of verbal and nonverbal cues and the manner in which you share ideas, information, and issues in a professional setting, affect how you interact, learn, share, and collaborate.

Effective and appropriate communication is linked to greater productivity, better organisational health, and increased team satisfaction. How you communicate can also play a huge role in determining your personal and professional growth, wellbeing and success.

Everyone is unique, and their communication style is based on their unique characteristics, which drive their approach to sharing and exchanging information with others. Being aware of and mindful about your communication style, will allow you to enhance your interactions with others and play an important role in building your personal interactions. In addition, it’s also important to recognise other people’s communication styles. This can be crucial, because we all have different ways of interacting, processing, and conveying information. If you can recognise the differences, you can use your emotional intelligence to adapt to the needs and preferences of others, and make life/work a pleasant experience for everyone.

This message explores some examples, characteristics, and causes of dismissive behaviour, as well as some strategies that can help you cope with a person exhibiting dismissive behaviour

WHAT IS DISMISSIVE BEHAVIOUR?

Dismissive behaviour involves brushing someone off, ignoring them, or being indifferent to them. It can be disrespectful, inconsiderate, or downright rude.

Being dismissed can leave a person feeling unwanted and unimportant, as if that person doesn’t matter. It can be undermining in a workplace, or in a family.

Dismissive behaviour can take many forms. For example, you enter a room and greet someone, but they pretend not to notice you. Or, you make a suggestion in a meeting and a colleague rolls

their eyes, sucks their teeth, sighs or makes comments under their breath but audible enough to have the desired effect.

A dismissive person might be dismissive of only you, of specific types of people (people of a specific age, race, or gender, for example), or of all other people in general.

EXAMPLES OF DISMISSIVE BEHAVIOUR

People have described dismissive behaviour as:

• Not greeting you or acknowledging your presence
• Showing no interest in what you’re saying
• Interrupting you or trying to shut you up when you’re speaking
• Habitually ignoring your calls or text messages
• Brushing off your suggestions without considering them
• Not answering your questions
• Giving short, monosyllabic answers when prompted
• Excluding you from a conversation
• Asking everyone’s preference or opinion except yours
• Pretending your concerns are not valid
• Treating your contributions as insignificant
• Devaluing your needs or wants
• Constantly putting you down in front of others, while simultaneously praising others
• Offering everyone something such as a cup of tea or a sandwich, but excluding the person you’re dismissive of
• Not listening to how that person sees things and putting your own spin on it.

HOW DOES A DISMISSIVE PERSON ACT?

These are some of the actions of a dismissive person:

• Sighing as though you’re tiresome
• Shrugging off your concerns
• Smirking at your words
• Rolling their eyes at your suggestions
• Not making eye contact with you
• Facing away from you during the interaction
• Walking away from you while you’re speaking to them

EXAMPLES OF DISMISSIVE STATEMENTS

These are some examples of dismissive statements:

• “Whatever.”
• “That doesn’t really matter.”
• “I don’t have time for this.”
• “I’ve heard it all before.”
• “That’s not important, let’s move on.”
• “That’s a silly idea.”
• “It’s not worth discussing.”
• “You’re overreacting.”
• “Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
• “You’re being so aggressive again!”
• “I’ve told you a million times…

SOME CHARACTERISTICS AND SIGNS OF A DISMISSIVE PERSON

These are some signs and characteristics of a dismissive person:

• Being judgmental: Judging a person on factors such as their appearance or social status. Finding that person lacking, and proceeding to dismiss them if they’re not the same as you.
• They don’t make you a priority: The person doesn’t make you a priority and treats you like you’re unimportant.
• They always have to be right: The person ignores what you are saying and doesn’t think your concerns are valid. They think they know best and they always have to be right, no matter what.
• They become defensive when confronted: The person becomes defensive and either makes excuses or attacks you if you point out their behaviour.
• They never apologise: The person doesn’t admit to any wrongdoing and never apologises.
• They don’t take you seriously: The person doesn’t take your suggestions, ideas, achievements, or feelings seriously.
• They belittle you: The person mocks you or uses sarcasm to belittle you. They tell other people negative things about you behind your back, so that you donot know what is being said and have no means of redress. You don’t have the opportunity to defend yourself.
• They minimise your feelings: Rather than acknowledging that your feelings are valid, the person tells you you’re overreacting, being a drama queen or making a big deal out of nothing.
• They withdraw from conflict: Rather than dealing with important issues and working them out, the person withdraws from the conflict, leaving you feeling upset and unheard.

WHAT MAKES A PERSON DISMISSIVE?

These could be some of the potential causes of dismissive behaviour:

• Conflict-avoidance: People who are conflict-avoidant may prefer to dismiss the issue than deal with it.
• Blame: Blaming you for making them feel a certain way… bad or mad, for instance, for putting them down, or having a negative impact on them. They may walk away or give you the silent treatment.
• Poor anger management skills: Sometimes, someone might be dismissive of you because they‘re angry with you and have not cultivated anger management skills.
• Misdirected anger: If, for instance, someone has been trying hard to control their emotions (or be polite) in a difficult environment or circumstances (as perceived by them), causing them to feel resentful, irritable or pushed around all day, they may want to avoid losing their cool because they feel that they have less willpower to manage their emotions with you. I. this instance, their anger may end up being misdirected and they may take it out on someone else.
• Stress. Some people who are under a lot of stress may withdrawn their energy to cope with the pressures at hand
• Learned behaviour: If a person grew up in an environment where their caregivers or role models were dismissive, they may adopt similar behaviour patterns as they grow older.
• Attachment style: People who had unresponsive caregivers in childhood may have a dismissive avoidant attachment style. They may detach themselves from others and exhibit dismissive behaviour as a defence mechanism, in order to reject others before they can be rejected.
• Low self-esteem: Though it seems counterintuitive, people with low self-esteem may exhibit dismissive behaviour as a way of protecting their fragile sense of self. Dismissing others can help them maintain a sense of superiority over others.
• Emotional trauma: People who have experienced emotional trauma, such as betrayal, abandonment, or rejection, may develop dismissive behaviour as a way of distancing themselves from others and protecting themselves from further emotional pain.
• Passive control: Some people use dismissive behaviour to passively exert control over others. They maintain their dominance by withholding their attention and affection.This, has a stronger effect on the other person who has any desire or need for their attention or affection.

COPING STRATEGY

If you genuinely feel that you are dealing with a dismissive person

• You might consider bringing it to their attention: If someone is behaving dismissively towards you, you could point out how you perceive their behaviour and bring it to their attention. If they were not aware that they were doing it, they might start to be more mindful of it.
• Tell them how you feel: Explain to the person how their actions are making you feel. For instance, you could say: “When you don’t respond to my greeting, it makes me feel like I’m not important to you, or you are unhappy with me for something I have done or you just don’t want to be here.”
• Assert yourself: If the person tends to dismiss your suggestions or preferences, you might need to be more direct and assertive by stating your needs or opinions clearly, firmly, and respectfully.
• Seek support: If the person’s behaviour often causes you to feel upset or overwhelmed, talk to loved ones about it or consider seeking support from a mental health professional.

SPIRITUAL REFLECTIONS 

The consciousness that is you and the consciousness that is me, 

apparently two, really one, seek unity, 

and that is love.

Look at your behaviour to understand the impact of your ‘perception limitations.’  If the person’s behaviour persists towards you, examine whether the suggestions you make are belittling, condescending or warranted. You may have to change something, such as reassessing spending time with them, or not providing unsolicited advice, or not telling them what to do.

• Don’t make assumptions
• Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want.
• Communicate with others as clearly and respectfuly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama

Discover your ‘attentional blindness’ and what it is costing you. Be aware of reactive patterns that ‘hook’ or ‘trigger’ you or ‘them’and release the self-limiting habits, addictions, and behaviours that stop you from living spontaneously and fully.

• Don’t take anything personally.
• Nothing others do is because of you
• What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream
• When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

Be aware of the specific and damaging ‘cognitive virus’ that is spreading unchecked within you.  Internal enemies can wreck your health as you age. The simple way to help combat them is being on the spiritual path. Take a moment to assess even a small corner of your heart. Others are merely mirrors of you. Declutter, reorganise, and even add some inspiration. If you set many rigid boundaries and rules about how other people must treat you, you’re going to alienate yourself or hurt people if your expectations are unreasonable, and hurt yourself when they are not met.

• Be impeccable with your word
• Your word is your reality. Speak with integrity
• Say only what you mean
• Avoid using words to speak against yourself or gossip about others
• Use the power of your words in the direction of truth and love

Understand the myth behind self improvement that is keeping you stuck and frustrated, and away from the absolute Truth. Stop. Breathe, and remember that nothing has gone wrong… a dream is dying, that is all. A second hand dream of how this moment should have been.

• Always do your best
• Your best is going to change from moment to moment; It will be different when you are healthy and when you are unwell, when you are happy and when you are grieving.
• Under any and all circumstances, simply do your best and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse and regret.
• Don’t give up before the miracle.

The device of our torture becomes our salvation. Remember Jesus on the cross. Perhaps you will find your salvation in the very thing that you are running away from. There is no better than ‘here’

Infuse the darkness inside with your light.

When a soul is separated from a state of gratitude

Their inner light is uncontrollably dimmed.

In these moments, they lose sight of their blessings.

Their energetic blueprint shifts from a state of abundance to a state of lack.

And their happiness is easily derailed by any small negative thought or idea.

Gratitude is an antidepressant

If we could bottle gratitude and sell it, we would all be buying it because grateful people feel well and are treated well. There’s so much about gratitude that is beneficial for our physical and mental health and well being. It is a God given antidepressant,

Gratitude is an anti-inflammatory

It softens our internal life.

Grateful people are kinder, gentler, softer people.

Gratitude is a mental and emotional anti-inflammatory in its effect on us.

Gratitude takes the sting and the pain out of our suffering.

It defangs suffering and weakens our suffering.

Gratitude is empowering

It is a way of taking our power back from things in life that were stolen from us.

You lose something of your power when you stop being grateful. Gratitude gifts you back your power from people and things who stole it.

Gratitude is free

We should use far more liberally than we do.

SHANTI GOWANS

SEASONAL EATING – Food and the cycles of nature by Shanti Gowans

The energy patterns of the earth change according to its position in the solar system at different times of the year. These changes, which appear as seasonal changes, influence both the animate and inanimate matter on the planet. Ayurveda emphasises the importance of eating foods that are appropriate for each season. Since the different seasonal changes aggravate particular doshas, it is considered beneficial during such times to eat foods which subdue the seasonally aggravating doshas.

Each year, during the spring and autumn equinoxes, on or about March 21 and September 22 in the Northern Hemisphere, and September 22 and March 21,in the Southern Hemisphere, day and night are of equal duration. The rays of the sun are directly above the earth’s equator, as neither pole is tilted towards the sun.

On about March 21, the North Pole starts tilting towards the sun, and this continues until approximately June 21, when it receives maximum heat, energy and solar rays. This is marked by the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The six-month cycle from March 21 to September 21 is called Uttarayama in Sanskrit, which means ‘towards the North (the sun rises in the northeast corner of the horizon).

On or about September 22, the North Pole again is back in its right alignment and is not tilted towards the sun. But, after this date, it starts drifting away from the sun. On or about December 22, the North Pole is at its furthest point from the sun. This is marked by the winter solstice. The six-month cycle from September 22 to March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere is called Dakshinayana in Sanskrit, which means ‘towards the South’ (the sun rises in the southeast corner of the horizon).

In the Southern Hemisphere, consider:

Spring September 22 to December 21

Summer December 22 to March 20

Autumn March 21 to June 20

Winter June 21 to September 21

Return to Wholeness

Return to Wholeness by Shanti Gowans

The post-covid world has graced the modern seeker with one key learning lesson: that health is the secret ingredient to life’s most fulfilling adventures.

Experience inner peace, and the relief you deserve, as ayurveda, yogic practices and meditation come together for a magical 10 days this winter that will be a celebration of wellbeing and conscious lifestyle choices, arising from inspirational lectures, engaging discussions, totally delicious, nutritious, fully satisfying and yet detoxifying freshly cooked daily Ayurvedic vegetarian meals, a blend of music, art, yoga, nature, meditation sessions, nourishing cooking workshops, plant medicine, and much more.

Against the backdrop of the Scenic Rim at Beechmont in the green behind the gold coast, Nirvana Wellbeing Retreat creates an idyllic haven where spiritual enlightenment and deep-rooted wellness reign supreme.

It’s a refreshing revelry that champions holistic alternatives to clubbing and chaotic crowds, positioning self-care experiences, learning and restorative healing at the forefront of fun and glory.

Discover the secrets of your unique constitution applied to eating, breathing, and to help alleviate even the most persistent pain. Break free from the limitations that joint discomfort and migraines impose on your activities. Recoup, build up your immunity, ease your nerves and regain control over your well-being without any hindrances.

Fee is inclusive of twin share or single room accommodation, scrumptious vegetarian meals and program.

We are also very excited to confirm that Dr Manish Patwardhan BAMS will be flying in from India to lead the retreat.

Friday, 28 June – Sunday, 7 July 2024 | “Live Healthier Longer”

10 Days / 9 nights | DETOX AVAILABLE
“Live Healthier Longer”
Relax, Rejuvenate, and Restore with daily yoga, meditation, deep relaxation, Ayurvedic lectures.
from $3,250 (+ DETOX)

Deer, Horse or Bull … Health at Every Size

Deer, Horse or Bull…Health at Every Size by Shanti Gowans

The beauty-obsessed world perpetuates the idea that happiness, health, and the ability to be loved are dependent upon how we look. Body insecurity is rampant, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s time to challenge the poisonous beliefs about food, weight, self-image and self-worth, show every body respect, and get real about inequalities and health.

Weight loss is not the be-all or the end-all keys to health. In the mad dash to shrink our bodies, many of us get so caught up in searching for the perfect diet, exercise program, treatments or surgical techniques that we lose sight of our original goal: improved health and well-being.

Popular methods for weight loss don’t get all of us there, and lead many people to feel like failures when they can’t match unattainable body standards. It’s time for a cease-fire in the war around body image issues, so that we can overcome our culture’s shame and distress. The epidemic is not obesity. Poverty and oppression, including racism, sexism, ageism, transgenderism, homophobia, and classism affect our life’s opportunity, our feelings of self-worth, and even influence our metabolism. The real crisis lies in the toxic stigma attached to certain body types and the impact of living with these inequalities, and not the numbers shown on the bathroom scales.

We’ve been convinced that happiness is something that comes only once we hit our target weight, get those washboard abs, shrink ourselves down and change every part of ourselves. So many people spend their entire lives chasing thinness by dieting, binging, purging themselves either by vomiting or taking laxatives with their weight yo-yoing out of control, spiralling into anorexia, bulimia, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal tendencies before they reach some even more serious illnesses.

The body is not the problem. It’s how we’ve been taught to see our bodies that’s the problem. We need a new way of seeing the truth about ourselves, to shift our perception around food, our bodies and life in general, to live in a world where every body is celebrated.

It is time for all of us to stop believing the lies we’ve been fed, and start demystifying the common, damaging myths and misinformation about what it means to be beautiful that we are bombarded with every day, and that many of us believe without questioning. It isn’t about believing that your body looks good, it is knowing that your body is good, regardless of how it looks. We are all good enough as we are. Take your power back. Hating the way you look, or being at war with your body cannot be your solution. Perhaps the best way to win the war against your body, is to give up the fight.

Ayurvedic health isn’t about promoting weight gain. It’s simply about understanding your body type, accepting all body types, loving yourself by taking care of your physical and mental health, and enjoying life. If you are new to this science, be warned, it is mind altering and challenges even the most self aware person to look deeper into the social conditioning that we are ALL a part of. To build a world that works for everyone, we must first make the radical decision to love every facet of ourselves. Human beings are a varied and divergent group of people, with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive on our inability to make peace with our differences and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.

In this connection,

I invite you to question your current belief system around the diet culture and unrealistic perceptions about beauty.

• How do you feel about your body?
• Have you ever stayed home from a social activity, or not taken other opportunities because of concern about how you have looked?
• Have you ever judged someone because of how they looked or dressed?
• Have you ever had difficulty concentrating on a task because you were self-conscious about your appearance?

Dieting doesn’t work. Not long term. In fact, our bodies are hardwired against it. But each time our diets fail, instead of considering that maybe our ridiculously low-carb diet is the problem, we wonder what’s wrong with us. It’s time we called a spade a spade: constantly trying to eat the smallest amount possible is a miserable way to live, and it isn’t even working. So ditch it.

Ayurveda offers a simple path, away from the inherent flaws of dieting and the diet culture, and shares powerful and practical advice about how to heal our physical, emotional, and mental relationship with food. Move away from the empty promises around image sold by the media, advertisers, the fitness, beauty and weight-loss industries, towards one of self-reflection and self-compassion, which offer an alternative vision for redefining beauty.

Losing weight is not your life’s purpose. It is empowering to see the world through the lens of more than just a body. Escape the cult around thinness, the diet trap, the arguments from presumed authorities, disinformation campaigns, half-baked lies, information that is left out, and misdirections, and understand it for what it is; bad health advice masquerading in pseudo-scientific jargon, that has been formulated by a food advertising industry that is intentionally trying to confuse consumers. Every one of us deserves to have a happy, healthy relationship with food and with our bodies. We need to see and accept that the distortions we have around our self-image and our weight-stigma as being the prejudice and hatred that it really is, and promulgate the lies from the diet culture and give ourselves permission to eat all foods.

What is the secret anti-diet? Eat. Whatever you want. Trust that your body knows what it is doing. And don’t forget to rest, breathe, and be kind to yourself.

Ayurveda endorses health and self-esteem for people of every size. The body is not an apology. Tune into your body’s expert guidance. Find the joy in movement. Eat what you want, when you want, choosing pleasurable foods that help you feel good. You can feel great in your body right now

Food is a major determining factor for your health, and is one of the main tools you have at your disposal. Sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent tastes tantalise the taste buds. The qualities and potencies within food help metabolise it, converting it into what ultimately transforms into you. We can’t ignore the post digestive effects and special qualities that food imparts on the body either. To live on rice, beans, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruit and so on, doesn’t cost any more than living on pre-packaged garbage. In fact, it costs less. Nobody is saying that eating like this is good, or that this food will cure diseases, but it sure has a good track record of reversing many diet related diseases. Furthermore, if you are concerned about your health and want a healthier body, it is a good way to start to know what your body runs well on, and why.

Most importantly, with this renewed understanding about health and wellbeing for your unique constitution, Ayurveda lays out an action plan that arms you with the skills you need to reconnect with your whole self, and to free yourself from the constraints of self-objectification. It also gives you the permission to embrace all that you are, right now; and that is perfect.

Your body is an instrument, not an ornament.
Ayurveda invites you to reconnect with the radical origins of your mind and body and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own universal majesty and shake off the indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others too and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we start acting from this truth on a global scale, we will usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world – for us all.

As our invaluable guide and teacher, the body is an indispensable resource for us, at any age, to help us connect with ourselves better, value ourselves, love ourselves, and ultimately, be ourselves.

Ayurveda – Wellness Naturally by Shanti Gowans

A revolution is shaking up the healthcare industry, and if you are concerned about your own health and the health of your family, it’s time you jump on board too. Ayurveda, the science of life, is the revolution now shaking up the world of powerlessness and dependence on drugs and medication and their severe side effects. Not only does Ayurveda give you natural and powerful solutions to problems, Ayurveda also prescribes the most effective ways to proactively prevent ill-health and build immunity.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda, literally the ‘science or knowledge of life’, is a 5000 year old Indian medical practice that encompasses a range of treatments, including Herbal Medicine, appropriate diet and lifestyle changes, meditation, massage and Yoga, tailored towards one’s specific unique constitution, or body type, to maintain or restore health.

This system of natural healing that originated in India, has a rich history of oral and written traditions which have been passed down for thousands of years. It is the oldest documented system of medicine in the world.

The word Ayurveda is derived from the words Ayus meaning life and longevity and Veda meaning science or knowledge. Originating in India, founded by ancient ‘seers’ or rishis, it then spread to Egypt, Greece, Rome, Tibet, China, Russia, Japan, and is the cornerstone of many other traditional systems of medicine. But more than just a system of medicine, it is a way to promote longevity and the harmonious integration of body, mind, senses and spirit. Ayurveda is the most senior, continuously practised, complete healing and health care system on the planet.

Ayurveda is wellness naturally.

Ayurvedic principles are based upon the unchanging laws of Nature. As we are part of nature, so the treatments that correct our weaknesses will be found in nature. We are all part of a greater whole. Everything in nature is reflected in each organism and is reflected in ourselves. For instance, according to Ayurveda every person contains a combination of the universe’s five building blocks, the basic elements of space, air, fire, water and earth, which in each individual functions as three biological and metabolic types, or doshas. Ayurveda uses the terms Vata (air/space), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth/water) to describe unique psycho-biological make-up which are the components of your body type. Illness arises by an imbalance in one or more of the doshas, which disturbs the tissues and wastes in the body, resulting in toxicity in the body and mind.

Ayurveda itself is a complete, holistic science, encompassing preventative health, health maintenance, health improvement and the treatment of disease. It not only addresses specific health concerns, but also offers explanations as to why one person responds differently to another, both physically and psychologically, in similar circumstances. It can be applied to every activity in life, and for some, becomes a complete way of life. Research has shown that individuals who practice Ayurvedic health are at decreased risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and all factors for heart disease, and stress. Herbal remedies within the treatment are considered to help allergies, arthritis, chronic fatigue, menstrual cramps, Parkinson’s disease and digestive disorders, including constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.

Ayurvedic principles are natural. Amongst its basic principles, Ayurveda proposes:

• The microcosm and macrocosm reflect each other
• Every cause has an effect…and every effect has a cause
• For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction
• Like increases like
• A quality is decreased by its opposite quality.
• There is no pain in the body without vata, no inflammation in the body without pitta and no oedema in the body without kapha.
• Balance and health for each individual is unique – one size/treatment/medicine/regime etc. does not fit all.

By applying these and other Ayuredic principles to everyday life, Ayurveda helps you create harmony in the body, mind and spirit, thereby prolonging life and eliminating the causes of disease and dysfunction.

Ayurvedic medicines and treatments

Ayurveda is the medicine of nature and the medicine of life. The treatments of Ayurveda are found in the natural world, and most are simply diet and lifestyle. Plant-based herbs help the body get balanced and then the body heals itself. Eating foods that are most beneficial for your body type will keep you healthy. Regular regime is important.

This magnificent system of holistic medicine and living reveals knowledge about life and health after careful observation of hundreds of thousands of individuals, animals, plants, trees and nature in general, over thousands of years. Ayurvedic sages recorded in encyclopaedic writings the strategies that worked and those that didn’t for every aspect of health and way of living. Being over 5,000 years old and having stood the test of time, this science proven true from the time that the early India sages shared their wisdom and knowledge of this science to today.

Ayurveda recommends specific lifestyle routines, foods and diet, medicines and procedures based upon your unique psycho-biological make-up (your body-type, prakruti, which was determined at birth). Ayurvedic diets and treatments are body type specific.

Does Ayurveda complement conventional medicine?

Ayurveda is a safe system of medicine, with an extensive history of traditional use and depending upon the ailment, can be used as a complete alternative to conventional medicine or alongside it as a complementary or integrated medicine for good health and well-being.

The World Health Organisation recognises Ayurveda as a holistic system of healthcare. Ayurveda can be used whilst undergoing conventional medicine treatments. Ayurveda can help restore balance to your body, and may reduce the need for many conventional medicines. Your Ayurvedic practitioner and doctor can work together to maximise your treatment result. Its speciality and strength lie in its individualised approach to your unique requirements.

While orthodox medicine helps to manage the symptoms through prescribed medications, often the cause of the condition is left untreated, and the patient remains dependent upon the medication. On the contrary, Ayurvedic remedies, while managing the presenting symptom, will also aim at treating the root cause of the illness.

What can Ayurveda treat?

Ayurveda is often referred to as Ashtanga Ayurveda, because it has 8 branches.

The eight brances are:

1. Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, kayachikitsa.
   The word ‘kaya’ represents the digestive fire in the body, agni, which is responsible for the metabolism in the body. Imbalance to ‘agni’ is the cause for many diseases. Kaya chikitsa deals with the treatment of general ailments, such as fever, diarrhea and cough, by treating your agni.
2. Gynaecology, Pediatrics and Treatment of Children, kaumara bhritya or baala chikitsa.
   There are three aspects that must be remembered while treating children:Children cannot explain their complaintsThe dosage of medicine is different for childrenThe medicines given to children must be palatable to them.Because of these conditions, treating children is addressed in a different manner. Hence a separate study is devoted for them.
3. Psychology and psychosomatic diseases, graha chikitsa or bhuta vidya.
   This branch of Ayurveda provides treatment for diseases of psychosomatic disorders, including insanity, and also epilepsy and diseases caused by affliction of external factors.
4. Treatment of disease of the organs above the clavicle, urdhvanga chikitsa, or shalakya tantra.
   This branch of Ayurveda addresses the head, opthalmology, oro-dental, E,N.T., and thus includes the treatment of eyes, ears, nose, throat, mouth, teeth and head.
5. Surgery, shalya chikitsa.
   This branch of Ayurveda deals with treatment of diseases caused by foreign bodies and diseases that need surgical therapies. It is carried out only for diseases, which cannot be cured by medicines.
6. Toxicology, damstra chikitsa or visha chikitsa or agada tantra.
   This form of treatment specialises with the treatment of poisoning from animals, such as snakes, insects, spiders, scorpions and also of plants, metals and minerals.
7. Geriatrics, rejuvenation and anti-aging, jara chikitsa or rasayana chikitsa.
   Treatment for rejuvenation and restoring the youthfulness of an individual, and prescribes various therapies and herbs that have to be taken to restore your youth and vitality.
8. Aphrodisiac therapy, vrsha chikitsa or vajikarana chikitsa.
   This branch of Ayurveda deals with treatment of reproduction that helps to get good progeny and provides various medicines and therapies to improve the virility and the sexual prowess of a person to help towards this end.

Thus we can see that Ayurveda is effective in treating a wide range of health conditions relating to physical, mental and emotional states. It can be effectively employed in treatment of both acute and chronic diseases. Ayurveda treats the individual by addressing the imbalance in the vitality of a sick person. Thus Ayurveda can help people suffering with any named or unnamed (undiagnosed) illness. Most common, acute and chronic disorders respond well to Ayurveda.

Would you like to deepend your knowledge and study Ayurveda?

Our sister organisation, Health Institute Australasia, runs comprehensive education in Ayurveda. Courses are available at our Gold Coast, Queensland campus. Please visit the Health Institute Australasia website to find out more about Ayurvedic Lifestyle and Wellness Counsellor studies or the Ayurvedic Wellness Practitioner studies. Regular short courses are also available – please visit healthinstitute.edu.au or shantiyoga.com.au

I am Shanti Gowans, and I welcome you to contact me at my website here if you would like to learn more and travel down this healing journey with us. I believe in wellness naturally. The natural health practices, methods and education of uniting the worlds of Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda both in our urban, city lives, and during our Wellness retreats provide the best options to live a healthy life. These paths share the common understanding that all disease is rooted in the mind’s disharmony with one’s heart. This is a special time for the emergence of Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda throughout the health and wellness industry. Leveraging the authentic heritage of these disciplines, from my birthplace, India, with the modern voice of Australian leadership, Health Institute Australia hopes to contribute substantially towards preventative, curative and promotive health care through our education and inspirational programs, and our ministry of healing. Through our work at the Institute and through the efforts of our alumni, we can all contribute to the larger sustainability of our planet’s resource, its people. My goal is to share information and knowledge to help us live our best lives and achieve the highest levels of health, wholesomeness and success possible. Please forward this website and our material to any family, friends and business associates who you think will benefit from it.

Fungal Skin Infections

Ringworm, Tinea Versicolor, Dermatophytosis, Dermatomycosis Furfuracea
Fungal skin infection is a burst out of the exterior condition of the skin, leading to circular or various shaped skin patches/lesions along with itching. Blisters may also be present. Tinea infections are very common, they spread easily, and may affect any age group. Proper hygiene, regular health care, and avoidance of allergic chemicals are the easiest ways to prevent the possibility of this illness.

Sites of the affliction

Fungal skin infections can appear on various areas on the body, and are named based upon the site of the affliction
Scalp: Tinea capitis, also known as scalp ringworm
Body: Tinea corporis
Whole-body surface: Tinea universalis
Neck: Tinea versicolor
Face: Tinea faciei
Groin and buttock: Tinea cruris, also known as jock itch
Hand: Tinea manuum
Feet: Tinea pedis, athlete’s toes, athlete’s foot
Nails: Tinea unguium

Predisposing and promoting factors for fungal skin infection:

• Poor nutrition – leading to less immunity, and increased proneness to infection
• Excessive sweating, in hot and humid conditions – leading to moist skin
• Debilitating and chronic diseases – compromised immunity
• Poor hygiene, poor living conditions
• Diabetes – diabetic patients are usually more prone to skin diseases
• Administration of portico-steroids and immune-suppressing agents leads to compromised immunity, which increases the chance for the fungus to invade.
• Impure blood

Causative Factors, according to Ayurveda

Causative factors arise from an unwholesome diet and habits, such as

• Food, habits and lifestyle that increase Kapha and Pitta – itching, and burning sensations are the predominant symptoms, contributed by Kapha and Pitta respectively
• Oily food, junk food, soft drinks, etc., upset the stomach and intestines, and worsen your immunity.
• Incompatible foods – poor combinations, and wrong food combination
• Excess intake of seafood
• Heavy food intake
• Excessive food intake
• Slimy and spicy food
• Intake of sour curd and milk, together, in excess for a long period of time
• Excess intake of black gram
• Drinking cold water reduces the strength of your digestive and metabolic power
• Contact with dust and contaminants
• Night awakening
• Improper bowel habits etc.

Prevention of Spread

• After bathing, make sure to dry your skin completely
• Do not share clothing, sporting equipment, towels with others
• Wash thoroughly after suspected skin contact
• Avoid tight-fitting clothes.
• Change your socks and underwear repeatedly, if needed. Replacing them at an interval of 6 months to 1 year.
• Groin: Wear loose-fitting undergarments. Apply talcum powder to keep the skin dry
• Athletes foot: Put your socks on before your underwear so that the infection does not spread
• Scalp: do not use old and infected combs, brushes or other hair care products which may be contaminated
• Avoid using oily skin products
• Reduce your exposure to the afternoon sun. Increased sweating causes a worsening of the infection
• Wear natural fibres, such as cotton clothing, which absorbs sweat and moisture completely.

Wholesome diet and habits

• Drink warm water
• Eat light and easily digestible food
• Favour foods with astringent, bitter, and light tastes
• Wash and bathe regularly
• Improve your body’s strength and immunity with appropriate exercise
• Drink homemade buttermilk
• Use turmeric, curry leaves, cinnamon, and cardamom in your food preparations.

Line of Treatment, dadru chikitsa

• As the disease is due to the predominant vitiation of Kapha and pitta, measures must be taken to pacify these dosas first.
• External medications, washing, and cleansing to prevent superinfections.
• Various home remedies, herbs, and Ayurvedic medicines can be employed for both external applications as well as ingesting.
• If the condition is severe, and the disease is chronic in nature, classical emesis, Vamana Panchakarma can be undertaken

Home Remedies: 

1. Turmeric and Neem
   Mix 10 grams of turmeric powder in 100 gm of neem oil
   Apply over the skin lesions, 30 mins before bathing, every day.

   2. Mustard seed paste
   To 1 tsp of crushed mustard seeds, add a little water to make a paste.
   Apply on the affected area, and leave on for 60 minutes.
   Wash off with lukewarm water

   3. Tulsi leaves
   Crush some tulsi leaves, press the paste onto a sieve and extract its juice
   Using cotton wool, apply 2 tsp of this juice to the affected area.

   4.Jatyadi oil
   Used for external application for quick healing on blisters, sinuses, non-healing wounds etc.

Herbs

Aragwadha – Cassia fistula
Bakuchi-Psoralea corylifolia – used in a wide range of skin diseases, including leucoderma
Dhattura – Belladonna – Datura metel

Gandhaka – Sulphur
Haratala – Purified yellow arsenic (to be used under medical supervision)
Haridra – Turmeric – Curcuma longa
Jati-Jasminum officinarum – the main ingredient of many skin preparations, notably Jatyadi oil
Nimba – Azadirachta indica
Patola – Pointed gourd – Cucumerina dioica
Tuttha – Copper sulphate solution is used externally in skin disorders (to be used under medical supervision)

Ayurvedic medicines

Arogyavardhini – used in the treatment of liver diseases, fever, skin diseases etc.
Aragwadhadi kasha – used in the treatment of vomiting, diabetes, skin diseases with itching, and non-healing wounds
Guggulu tiktaka kasha – used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the skin, joints and bones
Hajrul Yahood Bhasma – mainly used in urinary calculi, for external application of skin disorders in children
Haridra Khand – used widely in the treatment of allergic skin diseases, and itching skin, to improve the skin quality and complexion
Mahatiktaka kasha – used to treat a wide range of skin diseases, abscesses, non-healing wounds, and sinusitis
Panchatiktaku guggulu – used in skin diseases and fever

PLEASE NOTE:
This information is provided only for the purpose of education. Do not use the information for self-medication or treating others. Always consult your doctor before trying any remedies, lifestyle modifications or medicines.