I just saw the Advil commercial on TV. The commercial was about a mother with pain…pain in knees from working out, tension headaches from work, back pains from lifting her son, and so forth. Advil was claiming that it could work for all types of pain so that you don’t have to take a different pain killer for the different types of pain.

Pain is a sign. It is a sign that there is an imbalance in the physiology. It is a sign of weakness in that area. When you feel pain, your first thought should not be where is the painkiller, but rather, how can I fix this? My yoga teacher in fact says, “pain is a blessing.” How is it a blessing? According to Ayurveda, before you are actually facing the disease or illness, you are first face to face with the preliminary symptoms. When preliminary symptoms come about, it is the first sign of an imbalance. Therefore, pain is a warning and as always, warnings should not be taken lightly.

What does Yoga do for pain? Yoga works not just on the physical level, but it works on a deeper, cellular level. All yoga postures provide a health benefit. For example, the cobra position will improve circulation and improve digestion. The downward dog will balance Vata, while stimulating Kapha. And the warrior pose helps to open up the chest and lungs. There is a yoga pose or a series of asanas (postures) that will aid in the recovery from any kind of pain. From basic to complex poses, every point in your physiology can be addressed through yoga.

Suryanamaskar, also known as sun salutations, are great for Vata and Kapha type of people. Vata people should do them slowly and steadily, where as Kapha people should do their round of sun salutations with a quicker, more active pace and do more rounds. Pitta people are recommended to do moon salutations more than sun salutations. The reason being is that Chandra Namaskar (moon salutations) are more calming and cooling for a Pitta physiology.

Many types of pain, such as arthritis, back pain, joint pain, and even headaches, can be addressed through the practice of Hatha Yoga. If you do have any physical pain, my recommendation is to practice Hatha yoga, rather than taking a painkiller. But remember, when you are using yoga as a form of healing, it is important to work with a certified yoga teacher. It can be dangerous to do yoga on your own through the Internet or a video. I have helped many people with their headaches, back pain, shoulder pain, and so much more through Hatha yoga. If you suffer from pain, give yoga a try; you have nothing to lose, except lose the pain itself.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

In many cultures around the world, fasting is said to be a good thing and throughout the year, there are many religions that recommend fasting during certain religious times of the year. The first question you should ask is what is fasting? The dictionary defines fasting as “The act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food.” Some cultures define fasting such that you do not eat any food from sunrise till after sunset. Some say that you only eat one meal in a day. Some say that you only eat fruit and have milk throughout the day. In other words, there is no set definition of what fasting actually entails.

In terms of Ayurveda and health, fasting is not recommended for everyone. If you are thinking about fasting for your health, here are some general recommendations for you. There are three doshas according to Ayurveda, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Rather than discussing only the different body types and whether or not you should fast, I am going to approach this from the angle of how strong is your digestive power according to Ayurveda. The main factor you should consider when you are thinking about fasting for your health is your digestion, not necessarily your body type.

There are four general types of digestion. They are balanced digestion, irregular digestion, too strong of a digestion, and a weak digestion. The first type is a balanced digestion and that is known as sama-agni. Sama meaning balanced and agni meaning fire. Thus, it means a balanced digestive power. Those who have a balanced digestion do not need to fast because all aspects of their diet and routine are balanced. A balanced digestion also means that your Ojas levels are higher. Ojas is the finest product of digestion and represents your immune system.

The next type of digestion is an irregular digestion known as Visham-Agni according to Ayurveda. This type of digestion tends to be irregular and thus it is correlated with Vata. Sometimes it works great and other times, not so well. Some days you will have a nice bowel movement and some days you will be constipated. With an irregular digestion, the best way to balance it is to be regular with your diet and routine. Fasting is only recommended if you are to fast on a regular basis, for example every Wednesday. A one time fast is not recommended for Vata types or those with a Visham-agni.

If your digestion is too strong, your digestive power is known as Tikshna-Agni and thus it is correlated with Pitta. If you are one of those people who must eat on time and can eat all the food you want and wont gain an ounce, then most likely you have a Tikshna-agni. Pitta people and those with a Tikshna-agni must be fed on time; otherwise they are not happy campers. Thus, fasting is definitely not recommended for them. They cannot tolerate not having food.

The last general type of digestion is a weak digestion, known as mand-agni. A mand-agni is correlated to the Kapha dosha. If you have a weak digestion, chances are that you have ama in your physiology. Ama is undigested food or toxins. You will know if you have a mand-agni, because you will tend to feel heavy all the time and not too hungry. If you have a mand-agni and/or if you are the Kapha type, it is ok for you to fast. In fact it is recommended because fasting will allow for your digestion to catch up. Again though, if you are to fast, do it on a regular basis and do not get carried away with it.

Fasting is not recommended for everyone and one should not fast over a long period of time. Even if you choose to fast, be sure to still somehow obtain all the necessary nutrients through fruits and milk. Ayurveda looks at fasting in terms of resetting the digestion and cleaning out the toxins. By not consuming as much food, your digestion will basically get some down time to clean up. But remember, everything in moderation is good for you.

These days, no matter where you go, you often see products that claim that the usage or consumption of this product will make you look and feel younger. Everything ranging from pills to hair color to cosmetics to plastic surgery is available to get the younger look again. Of course the effectiveness of all of these products is questionable from the theory and chemical perspective. But have you ever noticed that there are some of those people who are 50 years old and look like they are in their 30s or 40s? Or what about those people who never get gray hair? Or never develop that big belly? Have you ever asked them their secret?

The trick is that not only do you want to look younger, but also feel healthy. Their secret is simple. They take good care of themselves. They have effective means of managing their stress, they exercise, they sleep, but most importantly, they watch their diet. In future postings, I will touch on the correlation of stress and the graying and thinning of hair, but for now, I want to discuss diet as a form of a rejuvenative.

Would you believe that looking younger is as simple as keeping an eye on your diet? Well, it is. The classic saying, “you are what you eat” is true. Ayurveda has always said that diet and digestion is most important because an improper diet leads to an imbalanced digestion, which is ultimately the root cause of all illnesses.

A proper diet consists of a balance in all six tastes, which are sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. The sweet taste consists of grains and cooked vegetables. Sour tastes are fruits and fermented substances, such as yogurt and soy sauce. Salty taste is of course anything with salt. Bitter taste consists of green leafy vegetables. Astringent tastes are nuts and berries. And the pungent taste is anything spicy. Using spices, such as turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel, etc. will also count towards the balance in take of many of these tastes. But chances are if it doesn’t look healthy, then it probably isn’t healthy for you to eat.

If you truly want to look younger, then take my advice. Rather than spending hundreds and thousands on chemicals, save that money and shop more wisely the next time you go to the grocery store. And if you are young in age right now, you should also watch what you eat, because someday, your poor diet will catch up to. Remember, inner reflects the outer. Take care of yourself now for a healthier future.