Is Ayurvedic Medicine Effective?
If the client follows all the directions from the ayurvedic practitioner, then yes, the client can generally expect the 1st shift of many shifts within 2-6 weeks.
Ayurveda
Frequently Asked Questions
What are ayurvedic treatments?
There are many treatments in the Ayurvedic toolbox for rebalancing health. They include:
- Lifestyle changes like going to bed at a regular time
- Diet changes like eating more warm foods or oils or greens
- Herbs – in many forms, loose powder, capsules, teas, medicated ghee/oil, tinctures, honey balls.
- Body treatments
- PanchaKarma – deep cleansing and rejuvenation process
- Yoga, Meditation
- Aromatherapy, Color Therapy
Does Ayurvedic medicine have side effects?
There can be a detox effect which can take the form of mild flu-like symptoms, or a rash. This usually is a normal reaction and means that the herbs are doing their job. Sometimes the reaction can be stronger and usually the practitioner makes an adjustment in the dosing.
Is there any Ayurvedic treatment for cancer?
Ayurveda can help with cancer and it can work very well with traditional cancer treatment protocols. It would depend on the type, stage and aggressive nature of the cancer and what your doctor recommends.
Before Cancer Treatment – your ayurvedic professional can identify a proper diet, lifestyle, and herbs to retain and gain strength before entering treatment.
During cancer treatment – Ayurveda can help to minimize side effects and symptoms from cancer treatments and to keep the digestive fire strong. Herbal juices can be used during chemotherapy and radiation. Herbs and medicated oils can be used in the intervals between treatments to support and enhance the cancer treatment therapies. Meditation, breath exercises and a practice called yoga nidra again provide immense support during this phase.
Post Cancer Treatment – Cleanse the body of the toxins after cancer treatment, strongly tonify and build healthy tissues, rebuild and strengthen Immunity. The usage of herbs, foods, body therapies, and yoga practices to prevent another occurrence.
Can Ayurvedic medicine be taken along with chemotherapy?
Ayurveda can help to minimize side effects and symptoms from cancer treatments and to keep the digestive fire strong. Herbal juices and teas and digestive spices on foods can be used during chemotherapy and radiation. Manjishtha tea decoction and cilantro leaf juice are particularly helpful. Herbs and medicated oils can be used in the intervals between treatments to support and enhance the cancer treatment therapies. Meditation, breath exercises and a practice called yoga nidra again provide immense support during this phase. Ayurveda uniquely offers support in order for the body to let go and allow deep healing to occur.
What is the Ayurvedic treatment for arthritis?
There is usually ama or toxins and poor digestive fire at the root of arthritis. Panchakarma is generally advised because of the toxins. Treatment depends on the doshic imbalance associated with arthritis.
If Vata is primarily involved then stiffness, pain, and dryness and we are using warm cooked moderately spiced foods, haritaki, castor oil internally/externally, and possibly yogaraj guggulu or simhanada guggulu
If Pitta is primarily involved, then there is inflammation with burning sensations and we using greens in the diet, cooling spices, herbs that add moist and cool properties, amalaki, and possibly kaishore guggulu
If Kapha is primarily involved, then there is swelling and water retention and we are using hot pungent spices on warm cooked foods, bibhitaki, and possibly diuretics triphala guggulu or punarnava guggulu or simhanada guggulu.
Yoga is helpful for all arthritic conditions
What is Ayurveda used to treat?
- If you have broken bones, acute bleeding externally or internally, advanced, acute, debilitating forms of diseases, or cancer you are seeing an allopathic doctor.
- Ayurveda helps in all other conditions especially chronic conditions and conditions that are not responding to Western treatments.
Ayurveda helps with GI issues (ulcers, IBS, IBD, Crohn’s, diverticulitis, …), fatigue, pain (low back pain, muscular or bone pain, …), hormone/endocrine function (diabetes, infertility, menopause…) , weight issues, immune system function (cancer), auto-immune (hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS ….) , nervous system (RLS, parkinson’s, ADHD/ADD …), respiratory system (asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis,…), circulatory system (hypertension, cholesterol, heart function…) , cognitive function and psychological disorders/imbalances (memory, depression, stress, anxiety, insomnia, bipolar, …), urinary function, anti-aging, and many more.
Where does Ayurvedic medicine come from?
Nature! Ayurveda remedies are all based on the concept that you can eat your therapies. That is why there is such an emphasis on making sure that the herbs, oils, and other substances come from clean sources so that we don’t create more toxins in the body.
Who created Ayurveda?
The sages of India receive the gift of Ayurveda was a gift from the Hindu gods at least 5000 yrs. ago. New research is showing that Ayurveda was alive and well 10,000 to 20,000 years ago.
The 3 major books of Ayurveda are authored by Charak, Vagbhat, and Sushrut.
The 3 minor books of Ayurveda are authored by Sharngadhara, Bhavamishra, Madhava
For more information see – https://www.ayurveda.com/resources/articles/the-ancient-ayurvedic-writings
Why is Ayurveda important?
Ayurveda treats the root cause of disease and allopathic methods treat symptoms. Ayurveda goes after the root cause which will have a more longstanding effect.
Ayurveda allows you to take the reins of your own health. You don’t have to wait for a prescription or undergo unnecessary tests. For example, if you normally have a pattern of getting a little constipated in fall, then prior to fall you would start eating more warm cooked moderately spiced foods, ingest more healthy oils, take in more water and warm herbal teas, return to a more regular routine, avoid cold & drying foods.
What does Vikruti mean?
Vikruti is your current imbalance, and Prakruti is your basic constitution you were conceived with. In Ayurveda, we are unwinding the vikruti (imbalance) and returning you to your prakruti (basic constitution).
What are the 5 Prana Vayus?
These are the subcategories of the Vata Dosha. Vata is responsible for movement, and each vayu governs a different aspect of movement of prana. Note that prana vayu is different from prana. Prana by itself refers to vital life force energy; prana vayu refers to the movement of prana or vital life force energy into the head and chest areas from the crown.
- Vayu – Area of Body – Function
- prana – head, chest – governs intake, respiration, inspiration, forward momentum
- Apana – pelvis – governs elimination, downward movement
- Samana – navel – governs assimilation, absorption of food and mental impressions, discernment
- Udana – throat – governs speech, expression, growth, muscle movement, upward movement
- Vyana – heart & whole body – governs circulation from heart to exterior, expansion
What is Prana in Ayurveda and Yoga?
What it is: Prana is our vital life force energy. Prana animates life; it is what brings us to life. Death is prana leaving the body. Prana infuses every cell and tissue with energy. Prana animates our prakruti. It is the energetic and creative aspect of consciousness. The whole universe is a manifestation of prana.
Sources of prana include: air, earth, sun. Since plants grown in the earth and take in sunlight, they contain massive amounts of prana. Eating local, organic, fresh plants yields large amounts of prana. Pranayama in yoga or breath exercises also bring in prana.
Ways to increase Prana: breath exercises (pranayama), spend time outdoors, exercise, surround yourself with high vibration people, eat lots of local, organic, seasonal whole foods, walk barefoot on the earth, chanting
How can I control and concentrate Prana? there are yogic practices of using breath retentions, bandhas (locks), kriyas, visualizations, and meditations to harness Prana
How does prana enter the body? When we born into this life, prana enters the adipati marma point at the top of the head when the fontanels are separated. Prana enters the body thru the 5 senses. Prana comes into the body from the food we eat, the air we breathe, and from absorbing the energies of the earth and heavens. Prana travels through thousands of tiny channels called nadis to every cell in the body.
All yoga systems work with Prana, or energy. In Tantra Yoga, we work with mastering prana in order to master the mind, rather than working with the mind directly.
What are Marma points?
- Juncture points where the matter in the body meets the energetic aspect of our being
- Energy points in the body used for healing body, mind, spirit
- It is where 2 or more types of tissue meet, such as veins, muscles, ligaments, bone or joints; for instance, the point between the eyebrows is a marma point
- Access points to the innate healing intelligence of the body
- There are 107 marma points
How do you do Basti at home?
You lie on the bathroom floor on your left side, insert the enema tubing or bottle filled with medicated oil or tea, and then hold it for as long as you can. Once you get the urge to defecate, you will then use the toilet to release the oil or tea. You then wear pad or disposable underpants overnight to catch any leaking oil or tea. You are fine to wear your normal undergarments the next morning.
Panchakarma
How much does Panchakarma treatment cost?
- At Vibrant Health Ayurveda + Yoga, all PanchaKarma (PK) options include supplies, directions, and recipes, but not the food supplies
- at home cleanse 1rst time, – $200
- at home cleanse, repeat customers – $100
- 4 days of in office body therapies $450
- 5 days of in office body therapies – $650
- 6 days of in office body therapies – $850
What are Panchakarma treatments?
PanchaKarma means 5 actions.
The 5 possible actions that may be used in panchakarma are:
- vamana (therapeutic vomiting for excess Kapha),
- virechana (purgation – strong laxative for excess Pitta and Vata),
- basti (medicated enemas for excess Vata),
- rakta moksha (bloodletting – for excess Pitta, periphery diseases) – when excess toxins are carried in the blood to peripheral areas, ie skin diseases
- nasya (nasal oil – Head, neck areas, lingering doshas) – improves flow of prana, opens channels of the head, cleanses nasal tract and sinuses, helps allergic conditions
- additional body treatments such as: abhyanga (warm oil body treatment), shirodhara (streaming of warm oil on the forehead), and steams, fasting, exposure to wind/sun, exercise, taking herbs that destroy toxins are treatments that may be used in panchakarma
What is Panchakarma detox?
The removal of toxins is part of every PK. It is important to note that the therapies are powerful in PK and there must be a period of clearing out the body before moving into a full PK
What is done in Panchakarma?
- Some preparatory work of removing some poor diet options, substitution of better food options, herbs, and some lifestyle changes.
- Eating a simple diet for 8 – 14 days so that the body can concentrate its resources on removing toxins.
- Body treatments to provoke excess Vata, Pitta, and Kapha to move into the GI tract as well as toxins for removal.
- Taking medicated ghee in the morning for 4 – 8 days.
- Usually purgation with a strong laxative.
- Medicated enemas.
Do you lose weight with Panchakarma?
Most people lose weight on a panchakarma. It varies greatly depending on what was in the diet prior to the PK. PK primes the body for more significant weight loss especially if you stay with a simple diet for a longer period of time.
What are the benefits of Panchakarma?
According to studies of the National Institute of Health in 2002:
- Decreases cholesterol, by lowering toxic lipid peroxide levels
- Decreased the rate of platelet clumping and thus lymphatic congestion
- Decreases 14 major toxic and cancer causing chemicals from the body tissues
- Significantly raised the good HDL cholesterol
- Lowered diastolic blood pressure
- 70% reduction of heavy metals, pesticides and other hazardous chemicals than the general population. There can be up to 80% less doctor’s visits. Pancha Karma recipients showed significantly less aging.
- Reduces free radicals which are the leading cause of all disease
- Significant reduction in bodily complaints, irritability, bodily strain, psychological inhibition and emotional stability
- Decreased anxiety, reduced doctor visits
- removes the root cause of the disease
- improves immunity
- removes chemical toxins (environment pollution, drinking, smoking, chemicals in food, medicines)
- removes emotional toxins ( stress, jealousy, sorrows, fears, anger, relationships, job stress, grief, anxiety)
- reduce extra fat
- reverse aging
- increase skin glow
- remove anxiety, sleeplessness/insomnia and mental problems
- balance blood circulation, high BP, low BP
- balance digestive system
- increase loss of vigor and stamina
Does Panchakarma have side effects?
People generally feel some fatigue and may experience mild flu like symptoms if there are a lot of toxins being released.
If the person does not do the proper preparatory work before the Panchakarma, then the toxins may flood the system too quickly and cause the person to develop strong flu symptoms.
What should we eat in Panchakarma?
The simple diet consists of cooked grains, moong beans or some other lentil, and cooked vegetables. Avoid cold foods, yeast, fats, dairy, processed foods, alcohol, foods with high sugar.
Can Panchakarma be done at home?
Yes, people can do their own body treatments.
How long does Panchakarma treatment take?
The preparatory phase is generally 4 days to several weeks.
The actual cleanse itself takes 4 to 14 days.
The Post phase of slowing reintroducing your normal foods can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
How many types of Panchakarma are there?
Your ayurvedic professional will determine which of the 5 actions (vomiting, purgation, enemas, nasal oil, bloodletting) are appropriate for you.