A good night’s sleep is what you need the most. Any health professional should be able to tell you how important sleep is for the well-being of any individual. Children and the elderly tend to sleep more, but the average adult needs about 8 hours of sleep a night. According to your body’s constitution, you may need either more or less sleep. For example, those who are predominantly Kapha tend to sleep more than those who are Vata and Pitta.
Most career professionals and students do not get enough sleep. Sleep, as we all know gives us the rest we need to go about the activities of the day. The main text of Ayurveda, Charak Samhita, states, “Proper sleep brings about happiness and longevity.” When you get a goodnight’s sleep, you feel happier and fresher throughout the day.
According to Ayurveda, there is one particular dosha that is predominant during certain time periods of the day. Vata time period is from 2 am to 6 am and 2 pm to 6 pm. Pitta is most dominant from 10 am to 2 pm and 10 pm to 2 am. Kapha is strongest from 6 am to 10 am and 6 pm to 10 pm. These dosha periods of the day play a key role in sleep. Ayurveda recommends going to sleep before 10 pm. The reason for this is that it is best to go to bed during Kapha time. Kapha time in the evening is the time of day where your body begins to slow down. Around 8 or 9 pm is also when you begin to feel sleepy. Ideally, this should be the low point of your day. When you go to bed before 10, then you bring the Kapha influence with you and are likely to fall asleep much more easily. It is between 10 and 2 at night in which your body does the most repair work of the day. Between 10 and 2 is when Pitta works to eliminate any toxins and ama (undigested food) from the day. Even modern medicine agrees that sleep between 10 and 2 is the most important sleep of the night because many hormones, such as the human growth hormone, are released which ensure a balanced functioning of the physiology. The eyes are organs of Pitta and sight involves fire or light. Therefore, if you are awake after 10 pm, then Pitta becomes more active to keep you awake rather than to clean the channels of circulation and remove any ama that has been accumulated. Ayurveda also recommends waking up before 6 am, so that you awake under the influence of Vata, which is lightness and movement. If you awake under Vata, then you will bring those qualities with you throughout the day. Those who awake under the influence of Kapha tend to feel more heavy and lazy throughout the day. Sleep is most important to maintain good health. Ayurveda supports the old saying, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
Cold water dampens the digestive power and therefore, the digestion won’t be able to digest everything you eat, which will lead to ama (sanskrit for undigested food). In western medicine, ama is known as plaque or Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is hardening or narrowing of arteries and veins due to plaque. The buildup of ama restricts blood flow to and from the heart. Once food is digested, the first place the digested nutrients go to is the heart. The quality and health of the body’s tissues, blood, and organs is dependent upon digestion. The first tissue that is formed from digestion is Ras Dhatu (Sanskrit for interstitial fluid and blood plasma). If there is ama, then the blood plasma will not be properly formed and Ras Dhatu will be impure. Ras Dhatu then forms Rakt Dhatu (red blood cells) and the first place blood and blood plasma go to after digestion is to the heart. If there are any impurities, then the impurities will begin to localize themselves in the channels in and around the heart. This will cause heart problems. When the fuel does not match the fire, problems arise. If one eats too much food and has a dull digestive fire, there will be ama in the system. The buildup of ama will block the srotas (sanskrit for channels of circulation), causing impurities to flow throughout the body. Digested food first goes to the heart. If there are any impurities within the digested food, then it will flow throughout the heart, lungs, and throughout the body, causing the body to not receive the maximum amount of nutrients.
Diet is essential to the healthy functioning of any physiology. The classic saying, “you are what you eat” is very true. Your body will work according to what you put in. Just like your car…the wrong type of fuel can damage the overall functioning of the engine.
There are six tastes according to Ayurveda. They are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. In everyone’s diet, during both lunch and dinner, one should consume all six tastes. A balanced intake of all six tastes will result in a balanced diet. Here is a short explanation and examples of each of the six tastes.
The sweet taste generally gives a feeling of satisfaction and pleasantness to the sense organs and tends to be heavy for the physiology. The sweet taste increases Kapha and decreases Vata and Pitta. Sweet tastes promote strength and is good for children, the aged, the wounded and emaciated. Sweet taste in excess can cause tumors, obesity, and diabetes. Some examples of sweet taste are grains, such as wheat, rice and barley, pulses, lentils, milk, cream, butter, sweet fruits such as dates, figs, coconut, and mango, cooked vegetables such as potato, carrot, cauliflower, and of course, sugar.
The sour taste makes the mouth water and its properties are light, oily, and hot. Therefore, the sour taste increases Pitta and Kapha and decreases Vata. Sour taste is good for stimulating the digestive power and is good for the heart and digestion. Excess intake of sour foods can lead to acid gastritis, swelling, and fever. Some examples of sour tastes are sour fruits, such as lemon, oranges, and pineapples, sour milk products such as yogurt, cheese, and sour cream, fermented substances such as wine, vinegar, and soy sauce, and carbonated beverages.
The salty taste increases salivation and has the qualities of heaviness and warmth. Salty taste increases Pitta and Kapha and decreases Vata. Salt is good for digestion and it clears up obstruction in the channels of circulation. Excess salt intake can lead to excessive thirst, skin disease, and can lead to a stroke. In order to get the salty taste in your diet, you must add salt to your food.
The pungent taste is really felt on the tongue and is most often associated with the spicy taste. Pungent increases Vata and Pitta and decreases Kapha. The pungent taste is good for digestion, throat problems and indigestion. Its excess use can lead to fainting, tremors, and may aggravate allergic reactions. The pungent taste is found in spices, such as chili powder, black pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, cardamom, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, oregano and mint. Raw vegetables such as onion and cauliflower are also pungent in taste.
The bitter taste cleanses the mouth and is light, dry, and cold. Bitter increases Vata and decreases Pitta and Kapha. The bitter taste cleanses the channels of circulation and prevents blood disorders. If used in excess, the bitter taste can weaken the tissues of the body. The bitter taste is found in most green vegetables, especially leafy greens such as spinach and cabbage. Fruits such as olives and grapefruits and spices such as fenugreek and turmeric are also bitter in taste.
The astringent taste affects the taste buds of the tongue and it is primarily heavy, dry, and cold. It increases Vata and decreases Pitta and Kapha. The astringent taste cleanses the blood, dries up moisture and fat, and is cleansing for the skin. Excess intake of the astringent taste causes stasis of food without digestion, flatulence, and pain in the region of the heart, excessive thirst, and constipation. Some examples of the astringent taste are turmeric, honey, walnuts, hazelnuts, pulses, beans, vegetables, such as sprouts and lettuce, and fruits such as pomegranate, berries, and most unripe fruits.
This is a short explanation of each taste along with some examples. Most foods and spices have more than one taste, such as turmeric, which is pungent, bitter, and astringent. It is ideal that all six tastes are incorporated into every meal.
One of the most unique approaches in diagnosis in Ayurveda is Pulse Diagnosis. It is through Pulse Diagnosis that many Vaidyas (Ayurvedic Physicians) diagnose and treat patients. There is a different skill and style to using the pulse as an effective tool to diagnose. Although most Vaidyas learn the skill, only a handful are actually really good. Through the pulse, everything about your physiology is known to the Vaidya.
When taking the pulse, a Vaidya will take into consideration more than just the number of beats per minute and how strong the pulse is. When examining the patient through their pulse, a Vaidya will take a look at the physiology on the level of the doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Through the qualities of the doshas and the various levels of the pulse, the Vaidya will be able to accurately assess the individual’s constitution and the balances and imbalances of the physiology. The three great benefits of self-pulse and pulse diagnosis is the ability to detect balances early on, find the root cause, and restore balance. Ayurveda treatments do last longer because not only does Ayurveda treat the root cause, but it also treats the body as a whole. Pulse diagnosis is an effective method in diagnosis that will allow for an effective treatment.
