Have you noticed that as the weather warms up you naturally desire different food and drink than you did during winter? You may like to try the Cooling Cucumber juice or Tropical Sensation recipes below. The change in your appetite and food choices during summer is guided by the increase of heat within you causing an increase of the qualities of Pitta dosha.
Holidays are a welcome break from the routine of work and daily responsibilities. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi often said that routines, though necessary to create order in life, tend to cramp our creativity. Our innate and infinite capacity for creativity becomes limited and narrowed by the normal routines of work and daily life. We have a deep instinctive longing to break the predictable and mind-narrowing activities we are often involved in, and the idea of travelling to a different place feeds into that instinct. After all, we have the saying that ‘travel broadens the mind’. Yet there is another side of travelling – it can be exhausting and stressful.
As the days get longer and warmer, do you find quite naturally the desire to be more physically active arises? Physical activity is a great way for the body to burn off the richer diet of winter, to celebrate the energy that comes with Summer providing increased vigour and to protect your health and wellbeing. Exercise helps to clear congestion and strengthen the metabolic channels (srotas) in the body while providing ‘sthiratva’, or stability to the body, mind, emotions and intellect.
These days the emphasis in nutrition has been placed on protein and whether we are getting enough. The truth is that individuals are more likely to suffer from excess of it than the converse... ...So now I will get to the real issue, which seems to have languished somewhat since the food industry has focused on protein. This is the amount of fibre in our western diet, which is sadly lacking.
According to statistics, men live shorter lives and experience more chronic disease - simply because they don’t take care of themselves as well as they could. It doesn’t have to be this way. Maharishi AyurVeda offers simple, time-tested ways to stay fit, balanced, energetic, and healthy at any age. Here are ten easy-to-do Ayurvedic health tips just for men.
Summer Solstice Great! Summer the warmer time of the year when Pitta the fiery dosha is strongest, is just around the corner. If you follow the guidance of a Meteorologist the hottest months of the year in Great Britain are June, July, and August. Some like to follow the movement of the sun through the sky and say Summer really begins when the sun is at its highest point in the sky on Friday, June 21st this year at the Summer solstice. How Does Ayurveda Mark the Change of Season?
By harnessing all the senses, bath time can be used to heal body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda considers bathing more than just a simple cleansing ritual. The therapeutic ayurvedic bath offers a wide range of benefits — it enhances circulation; elevates energy levels; rehydrates the skin; relaxes tense muscles; promotes better sleep; and balances the emotions, the mind and the nervous system.
The "king of fruits" has been around for at least 6,000 years. Native to India and Burma, this sweet fruit was described in the ancient Sanskrit literature — for example, in Valmiki's Ramayana. The mango was also the fruit of the kings in ancient India, where princes used to pride themselves on the possession of large mango gardens.
Laughter heals. It reduces pain. It protects the heart. But despite hundreds of studies on the healing power of laughter, researchers still haven't answered a vital question. Does making an effort to laugh stop disease, or do people who are naturally happier enjoy better immunity? Maharishi AyurVeda answers that question by taking the concept of medicinal laughter to a deeper level, to the level of bliss. Laughter is healing when it is a spontaneous expression of bliss.
Just as the kiss of a mother brings joy to the child's heart, so too the glimpse of the beloved creates a flow of appreciation within the lover's heart. A kind word of appreciation can lift a persons day into a great day. A walk with your family dog or time spent stroking your cat also cultures finer feelings.
In this newsletter we talked to an expert on Ayurveda from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians about the Ayurvedic approach to balancing cholesterol. Q: Can you begin by telling us about cholesterol from the perspective of Maharishi Ayurveda?...
According to Ayurvedic wisdom, our body and its functions are governed by a unique blend of the three doshas, or mind-body principles: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. “Kapha is that quality of our physiology which increases with close contact of water,” says Dinesh Gyawali, PhD. Generally speaking, Kapha has a binding quality in the body and governs structure, lubrication, and nutrition. It moderates things like weight, growth, lubrication of the lungs, and formation of the seven tissues: blood, fat, muscle, bone, marrow, nutritive fluids, and reproductive tissue. It also has a cooling influence, according to Gyawali. “Ayurveda compares Kapha with the Moon. It keeps our body nourished and cools it down just like the moon.”
Do your joints feel stiff or ache when you bend them? Or does the rainy, cool spring weather make you feel achy all over? More than 10 million people in the UK have arthritis or other similar conditions that affect the joints. Arthritus affects people of all ages, including children. Here is the ayurvedic perspective on maintaining the health of your joints as you age.
One of the fundamental principles of Ayurveda is that there are three different dosha (mind-body) characteristics and that you are a unique combination of each: breezy, enthusiastic Vata; fiery, impassioned Pitta; and earthy, easygoing Kapha. But did you know that each dosha contains five distinct subdoshas that govern specific parts of the body and their functioning? In this article, we’ll focus on the subdoshas of Vata.
No matter one’s age and stage feeling well resourced to meet the day when we wake and as we start our day, be it at home or in the office, really does make a difference. This I call being ahead of the game. Maharishi AyurVeda has a question that identifies if you are ahead of the game. In the morning do you wake feeling rested, clear and alert?
No matter what your age, you can keep your skin looking young by paying attention to the four pillars of youthful skin... To nourish your skin from the inside, follow the Ayurvedic dietary guidelines for the season and your skin/body type. In addition, try adjusting your diet to become more skin-friendly...
Kate smiled at me with bright eyes, self-assured and at ease. She looked healthy, vibrant and was very different from the anxious, frightened, overwrought young woman who for 6 months had slept 2-3 hours a night at times (and sometimes not at all). I asked her if she would be okay to share her story so that her experience may in some way serve others, and she was happy to do so.
According to Maharishi AyurVeda, there are three equally important aspects to mental performance: dhi — learning and comprehension, governed by Vata dosha; dhriti — processing and retention of knowledge, the realm of Pitta dosha; and smriti— memory or recall, controlled by Kapha dosha. For the best mental performance and realization of the fullest mental potential, each of these three factors individually needs to be at its peak, and, more important, the coordination among the three factors also needs to be optimal.
Ayurveda teaches that all six tastes should be eaten at every meal for us to feel satisfied and to ensure that all major food groups and nutrients are represented. Here's why. Each taste has an intimate relationship with the doshas and personal balance.
How does food affect our moods? The food we eat has a significant influence on our minds and hearts. You could even say that the nature of our mind and feelings depends on the food we have eaten. And conversely, the state of our mind, emotions, intellect and senses — and our overall state of contentment — all these, in turn, affect the digestion, absorption and elimination of the food we have eaten. According to Maharishi Ayurveda, the digestive enzymes and metabolic processes are likened to a fire, called kaya agni in Sanskrit. How well we digest the food depends on the strength of our agni.
No longer just a frilly garnish, kale is taking the culinary world by storm. Along with it, leafy greens like spinach, chard, and even collards and turnip greens are gracing plates everywhere from fine dining hotspots to fast food restaurants across the country. These nutrient-packed veggies have long played a starring role in Ayurvedic cooking, and with good reason. They’re hydrating, nutrient-rich, and when prepared while fresh, they contain prana, or life-supporting energy. Below, we’ll share both Ayurvedic and nutritional insights on leafy greens, along with tasty ways to incorporate them into your daily diet.
According to Ayurveda, intake of appropriate and nutritious food is the first step to good health. Food is seen as a prime preventive medicine. And this is not just eating the right foods, but also eating them in the correct combination and quantity. Nutritious food helps us maintain the internal balance of elements. Herbs too, could be grouped into foods. Once the properties of various foods and herbs are understood, Ayurvedic principles can be applied to your daily diet as well as on those occasions when you feel unwell.
If you are wishing to be a parent or are a ‘wannabe’ grandparent, uncle or aunty this question may be important for you. Read on to see what makes a healthy baby. First things, first In answering this question, Maharishi AyurVeda looks to the health of the reproductive system for the Mother and Father - the sperm, ovum, and uterus at the time of conception. So let’s see what is happening globally to impact the health of sperm and ovum and what Maharishi AyurVeda recommends to support the health and vitality of sperm and ovum.
As the turn of the summer season brings changeable weather patterns and cooler nights, have you noticed your digestion has changed or become irregular? As one season fades and the next season starts, Vata dosha often becomes more active in us all. Vata’s role as the bringer of change can give rise to irregular digestion, bloating, gas, acid indigestion or an unusually sharp appetite, where you feel impelled to eat more than you usually do. These symptoms of imbalance occur when Vata accumulates within the digestive tract and starts to create some mischief!
Do you find yourself tossing and turning at night, thoughts and worries from the day running through your mind like a movie reel? Worry and trouble falling asleep tend to go hand in hand, as both have their roots in Vata dosha. Vata governs movement in the mind and body. It controls your blood flow, your elimination, the rise and fall of your breath, and the movement of your thoughts and emotions. If Vata has fallen out of balance, which is easy in Vata season (late fall and winter), you might notice an increase in anxious feelings and difficulty sleeping.
Most of us rejoice when the cold of winter gives way to spring. Yet a large percentage of the population cringe when they see flowers start to bloom, as they know they will soon be experiencing spring allergies. Surveys show that allergy rates are increasing worldwide and will affect 30-35% of us at some stage of our lives. These increases, which were initially found in Europe and USA, are now being found in all countries undergoing industrial development.
Depression is becoming more common among the overall population today. Recently I was asked to visit a local school to talk about depression and how Maharishi AyurVeda helps recovery from depression. It was both enlightening and alarming to see how aware these young adults were about depression, with a number having first hand experience of it within their communities. So this week we thought to look at the causes of depression and suggest key strategies for preventing or recovering from depression.
If you are feeling sluggish, dull or constipated, chances are toxins are building up in your body. According to Maharishi AyurVeda, toxins accumulate when your digestion — and elimination — are out of balance, which can lead to skin breakouts, menstrual cramps, fatigue, feelings of sadness and many other health issues. Good news. Balancing your digestion and elimination is a specialty of Maharishi AyurVeda, and many of our herbal formulas are designed to do just that. Of these, one of the most effective is Organic Triphala Rose, which contains a powerful ayurvedic combination of herbs called Triphala.
Maharishi Revives Ayurveda. At the end of the 1970s, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who brought the Transcendental Meditation programme to the world, started working closely with leading Ayurvedic physicians and scholars to systematize and restore the age-old knowledge of Ayurveda to its complete value. It is this total approach to natural health care that has been given the name Maharishi AyurVeda. 20m Video
The Magic of Maharishi AyurVeda In this series of four articles, Anand Shrivastava, Chairman and Managing Director of Maharishi AyurVeda Products Ltd. based in India, shares his memories of the beginning days of Maharishi AyurVeda. "To tell you honestly, I did not have any experience or any knowledge in those days, around 1984, when Maharishi Mahesh Yogi started looking into ayurveda." "It so happened that when Maharishi asked who should take care of the production of the herbal products, two of our most respected vaidyas (ayurvedic physicians), Triguna-ji and Balaraj Maharishi, pointed their fingers at me. I was really surprised to see this, and I was not able to respond. Maharishi said, "Fine, just do it" and I started with his blessings."
