Maharishi Ayurveda Health Education

Ayurvedic Approach to Your Health

Health is won or lost in how we live day to day life. It is our regular patterns of eating, sleeping, exercise and what we do for rejuvenation that determines if we get healthier day by day or fall ill.

Before 40 health is a gift. After 40 health is a choice. As we reach mid-life it is essential to become educated in how to live life in a way that avoids the creation of imbalance and actually improves our resistance and healing ability day by day. Ayurveda contains a wealth of information to help you individualize lifestyle, diet and rejuvenation practices to your specific constitution in order to prevent disease and reverse imbalances.

Ayurvedic Determination of
Balance and Imbalance

Ayurveda evaluates the state of biological intelligence in the body

The knowledge of Ayurveda came from the cognitions of the Rishis of the ancient Vedic civilization and has been revived in this modern era by the work of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.The Vedic Rishis formulated Ayurveda based on their personal experience of the deepest levels of natural law functioning within the human being and our environment.

In modern scientific terms we could say the Rishis had purified their mind and body to such an extent they became experientially sensitive to the finest quantum mechanical "fields" that create the physical world. The Rishis directly experienced and described the functioning of these most subtle and primary fields in nature. They named the three primordial fields at the basis of all natural phenomenon Vata, Pitta and Kapha and gave the group the name doshas.

Whereas modern medicine evaluates health issues from the molecular level, the Vedic Rishis evaluated all health issues in terms of the state of balance and imbalance in the three doshas-the subtlest quantum mechanical fields in nature. Because these fields create the matter in nature Ayurveda describes how imbalances on the superficial levels of cells and tissues are caused by imbalances that first develop in the functioning of Vata, Pitta or Kapha.

Once the state of balance in each of these areas is determined then one adjusts the herbs, spices, lifestyle, cleansing programs, rejuvenative techniques, aroma therapy and other Ayurvedic recommendations based on the imbalance resent.Improvements in health and reduction of symptoms is a natural result of balancing the doshas for many people.

1. Evaluation of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha

When different doshas are imbalanced they predispose people to have speciffic symptoms - see dosha chart.

2. Evaluation of Ama

Ama is the Ayurvedic term for the toxins, impurities and blockages in the physiology. Ayurveda describes how nearly all symptoms and disorders have some contribution from the process of ama formation. For example if ama accumulates in the digestive tract then indigestion, malabsorption and constipation can result. If ama accumulates in the respiratory tract we are more prone to asthma. Accumulation in the brain can lead to mental fatigue, loss of memory and headaches.

Determination of the level of ama accumulation and its elimination is the most important first step in an Ayurveda program. As long as ama is present in high quantity the more subtle recommendations of Ayurveda such as herbs, spices, diet, aromas etc. are not as effective as they could be.

If you have been experiencing a chronic disorder, that is not responding to modern medicine or natural medicine treatments, your lack of success may be due to ama blocking the effectiveness of your treatment. See ama chart.

3. Evaluation of Dhatus-The Tissues of the Body

In order to have the most powerful approach to remove imbalances it is essential to determine where in the body the ama has localized. Determining the localization of ama is accomplished through an assessment of the "dhatus" or tissues.

Dhatus are the principles of biological intelligence that control the formation and maintenance of the 7 tissues that comprise the body. The 7 dhatus are

1. rasa (blood plasma)
2. rakta (red blood cells)
3. mamsa (muscle)
4. meda (fats and hormones)
5. asthi (bone)
6. majja (nervous system)
7. shukra (reproductive essence of sperm and ova).

Matching ama removing recommendations to the specific dhatus most clogged with ama increases the effectiveness of purification within the body and speed of alleviation of symptoms. See dhatu chart for description of symptoms associated with imbalances in the different dhatus.

4. Evaluation of Ojas

Ojas is responsible for the immunity in the body and the strength of our healing response. Ojas is the biological factor that connects the gross material of the body (cells, tissues, organs) with the underlying biological intelligence that guides its orderly functioning.

Ojas provides the interface between matter and intelligence. Strong and plentiful ojas is crucial for health as disease on the material level is actually caused by imbalance or blockage of the principles of biological intelligence that were supposed to maintain proper function in that part of the body. When ojas is strong then each part of the physiology is in contact with the intelligence responsible for its proper function and restoration of health results.

See ojas chart for symptoms of balanced ojas.

Ayurvedic Recommendations

1) Diet and Food Preparation:

" When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need. "
Ancient Ayurvedic Proverb

Diet is understood as they key to both prevention and treatment of disease in Ayurveda. Dr. Lonsdorf will provide a two step program to a healthy, personalized diet.

a) instructions in the simple Ayurvedic system to determine what is a balanced diet
b) individualized guidelines regarding what foods and food groups to favor and reduce based on the unique balance/imbalance in your constitution.

2) Digestion, Elimination and Assimilation of Food

As important as what we eat is our ability to digest food, assimilate it properly and eliminate waste products. Recommendations to improve digestion, assimilation and elimination are given from the areas of herbs, spices, food preparation, asanas, aroma therapy and eating behavior.

3) Internal Cleansing

Ayurvedic theory describes how the vast majority of diseases are created by the slow accumulation of toxins and impurities that localize in tissues and block channels of circulation. This process contributes to most chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, asthma and high blood pressure.

The good news is the body has a tremendous self-repair capacity that allows it to constantly purify itself of toxins and prevent circulation from becoming clogged. Many Ayurvedic recommendations can be given to help keep these natural internal cleansing processes strong and vibrant. Ayurvedic cleansing recommendations help prevent further build-up of impurities and aid in the removal of the blockages that have already accumulated.

4) Ayurvedic Herbs

Ayurvedic herbal compounds contain natural plant and mineral substances and can be considered nutritional supplements. All foods have the ability to balance some aspects of the body. Ayurvedic herbs are exceptionally powerful in this balancing effect.

Ayurvedic herbs are not picked on the basis of the symptom that a person has. They are not picked for the treatment of disease. Herbs are not prescription drugs. If ten people walk into an Ayurvedic physicians office with the same symptoms they may receive 10 different herbal recommendations because the root imbalance at the basis of the symptom is different in each case.

There are two types of Ayurvedic herbal recommendations:

1. herbs for imbalances: to strengthen the expression of biological intelligence in specific areas of the body where a disorder may exist. These herbal recommendations are individualized for each person and recommended for 4-6 months.

2. "rasayanas": are herbal preparations that have overall balancing and rejuvenating effects on the physiology. Rasayanas are used on an ongoing basis for general prevention and longevity.

It is important to note that most Maharishi Ayurveda herbal recommendations are usually combinations of several herbs to promote synergistic effects and create a balanced preparation.

It is important to note that Ayurvedic herbal preparations are most effective after cleansing programs have prepared the body to take the effect of the herbs more deeply into the tissues.

Also, Dr. Lonsdorf exclusively recommends Maharishi Ayurveda herbal preparations created by Maharishi Ayurveda Products International (MAPI). MAPI has an exceptionally comprehensive and authentic set of Ayurvedic formulations. MAPI performs highly stringent testing of all herbal preparations for freedom from heavy metals, pesticides and bacteria and for authenticity of ingredients.

MAPI also follows the authentic Ayurvedic instructions for harvesting herbs at the proper time, and taking them through the elaborate and profound Ayurvedic formulation procedures to assure maximum effectiveness of each preparation.

5) Lifestyle and Behavior

Dr. Lonsdorf will specify the lifestyle changes that may be the most important for mainntaining health and reversing imbalance. You will also receive a complete introduction to the general Ayurvedic lifestyle guidelines for promoting and maintaining health over the long term.

6) Stress Management and the Development of Consciousness

Wise living can reduce stress to some degree but the challenges of life can never be completely removed. There are three major factors for dealing with stress without becoming stressed:

1. Developing and maintaining a strong and balanced mind through mind/body medicine techniques. Dr. Lonsdorf strongly recommends the TM technique as it has more scientific research verifying its positive effect on mind, body and behavior than any mental program yet studied by science.
2. Maintaining a regular and balanced daily routine
3. Proper diet including specific herbal supplements to balance and strengthen the brain, mind and emotions

7) Rejuvenation Programs

One of the main goals of Ayurveda is to provide people with rejuvenative techniques they can add to their daily life. These include specific Ayurvedic practices for rejuvenation including Ayurvedic herbalized massage, yoga asanas and pranayama (breathing) practice, and specific Ayurvedic herbal preparations.

Dr. Lonsdorf highly recommends for most individuals they take advantage of Maharishi Panchakarma Rejuvenation Therapy at The Raj on a seasonal basis.

8) Spice Waters & Spices for Cooking

Spices are an essential help to the body for:

a) digesting food,
b) building up all the tissues properly and
c) helping the body cleanse itself and eliminate impurities.

Dr. Lonsdorf will help you take advantage of the power of spices through individualized recommendations for spice waters and cooking spices. For example, by adding the appropriate spices to hot water and drinking the water throughout the day it is possible to target and remove specific imbalances. Spice waters are very simple yet powerful recommendations because the hot water permeates the tissues bringing with it the specific balancing effect of the spice.

9) Aroma recommendations

The body can be balanced through any of the senses. For example massage uses the sense of touch, food the sense of taste, music the sense of sound and aromas balance through the sense of smell. Dr. Lonsdorf will draw on the ancient knowledge of aroma therapy to provide individualized recommendations from this pleasant and powerful healing modality.