I have always been interested in learning new things -- especially information that I can use to help myself and my clients achieve a higher degree of health, wellness, and personal development.
Along these lines, I have long been fascinated by Ayurveda, an ancient system of healthcare largely practiced in India that takes an entirely holistic approach to healing and illness prevention. Ayurveda takes into account your natural constitutional balance, or dosha, in combination with a subjective and objective assessment of your stress levels, spiritual connection, breathing and physical patterns, social interactions, exercise habits, and diet, and recommends changes or enhancements to these areas based on which doshas are out of balance.
The central concept of Ayurvedic medicine is the theory that health exists when there is a balance between three fundamental bodily humours or doshas, called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
- Vata is the air principle necessary to mobilize the function of the nervous system.
- Pitta is the fire principle, which directs digestion and metabolism through the venous system.
- Kapha is the water principle, which relates to mucus, lubrication and is the carrier of nutrients into the arterial system.
Each of the three doshas has particular common characteristics, and there are foods, supplements, herbs, oils, exercises, meditations, and more that will either increase or decrease the effects of a dosha to bring a person into better balance. Every person has some combination of these doshas, usually with one being predominant, though it is possible to be dual- or even tri-doshic by nature. No dosha is better or worse than another, and all are essential to life, but understanding how they work together and balance each other is the art and science behind Ayurveda.
Ayurvedic massage is a form of treatment for various age-related and other disorders. Some of the advantages that are often cited are pain relief, improved circulation, stress relief, better sleep, improved flexibility, athletic performance and emotional benefits. Massage therapy can soothe pain, relax stiff muscles, and reduce the swelling that accompanies arthritis. Advocates claim that with ayurvedic massage, deep-seated toxins in the joints and tissues are loosened and released into the system for elimination through natural detoxification processes (such as via the kidneys, liver, lymphatic system, and through sweating).
When I was last in Merida, Mexico, I had the distinct pleasure of receiving Ayurvedic massage from a local practitioner who studied with perhaps the premier Ayurveda teacher in the west, Vasant Lad. My therapist took my pulses at the beginning of the session and from this derived what types of oils and techniques were needed to help bring my body into better balance. The experience is difficult to describe, but it was quite wonderful. The session lasted for two hours, and afterward I felt a sense of well being that lasted for days -- something that I have rarely felt with traditional Swedish massage.
This is where my learning comes in. I completely and totally believe in the benefits of massage, but if there are ways to extend and increase those benefits, I want to know what they are. Ayurveda may be the answer, or it may not. In the coming months, I will be working on learning and understanding more about Ayurvedic massage with the goal of eventually introducing this knowledge into my professional practice.
In the next issue, I will share with you more of what I have learned about Ayurvedic massage and will also address the Ayurvedic "tastes" and dietary principles that anyone can use to help restore health and balance.
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