Autoimmunity: answers from Ayurveda

Autoimmunity: answers from Ayurveda

Autoimmune diseases are the fastest growing category of disease, affecting today 1 in 12 people worldwide with cost of treatment having escalated x7 in the last decade (see statistics).

There are 125 autoimmune disease having been classified already, and more are appearing.

The diversity of autoimmune expression is staggering: tissues, organs and systems affected vary vastly, and more than one are often present in any given individual.

The medical community has identified triggers of autoimmunity, classified bodily components involved, and yet… no definitive cure has been found.

In the end, modern medicine still leaves us with “we don’t know enough about it” as to the root causes and cures for autoimmune disease.

But there are also ancient healing traditions. Ayurveda, being the oldest, offers a broader perspective on WHY, WHAT and HOW of autoimmune disease…

 

Autoimmunity: get real answers from Ayurveda

 

All of us come into this world with unique set of genetics (prakruti – what we inherit from family, culture, society, place). This can be described as our propensity … toward certain illnesses and how we weather them.

With that prakruti we arrive into unique set of circumstances (vikruti – environment, relationships, work, lifestyle – all potential “triggers”) that shape the quality of our living.

Sometimes, our circumstances (vikruti) overwhelm our natural propensity (prakruti),setting into motion the  process of pathogenesis (disease development).

At early stages we can avert that process. But often the initial symptoms continue to develop and escalate, affecting not just the first line of defense (mucus membranes, digestion, skin, respiratory pathways), but advancing toward less protected, deeper tissues (plasma, blood, organs, muscle, bones, nerves, etc.).

If left unchecked, this pathogenesis eventually disrupts cellular intelligence, affecting the very essence of our bodily tissues – IMMUNITY, causing it to malfunction in a viscous cycle of AUTOIMMUNITY, fueling an ongoing erosion of bodily tissues and systems.

That’s the bad news.

Good news? Ayurveda says that we can do something about it.

Ever heard of “lemons => lemonade” expression?

It does, in fact, describe the purpose of Yoga and Ayurveda – to make good with what we have (propensity and triggers (lemons) => lasting health (lemonade).

We get there with knowledge that Ayurveda provides, enabling us to:

a. prevent the disease potential in us from derailing into life time of chronic pain

b. stop disease that is already present from further eroding our health and sanity

c. reverse the disease process

In case with autoimmunity, yoga can help us relax and target the affected bodily tissues and systems via balancing stretches that will restore cellular intelligence, strengthen the tissues, restoring true immunity, and replenish vitality – to help us feel more alive in our better, healthier self.

Ayurveda, in turn, can support us with appropriate nutrition, herbs, lifestyle practices and understanding of autoimmune process, providing the most important ingredient to healing: KNOWLEDGE (this is in contrast to western medicine, that observes and treats symptoms, but doesn’t provide an actual understanding of root causes).

So, if you or someone you know are:

Stuck in viscous cycle of autoimmune condition(s)

Tired of medications and merry-go-round of trigger avoidance

Frustrated with doctor’s “we don’t know enough about it”

Ready for real answers

I laid it all out in a webinar:

“Ayurveda and Autoimmune Disease”

 

where a broader perspective on autoimmunity is given: ROOT CAUSE, pathogenesis and concrete steps you can take now to reverse it. YES, reverse it.

You can watch excerpts from the webinar in this playlist on @calmaccelerator YouTube channel.

Click on the link in first comment under each excerpt to get to the full version complete with interactive PDF slides, embedded video practices, links to supplies & remedies, and a way to GET HELP.

Takeaways you can expect:

  • insight into the nature of any given autoimmune condition
  • doable and cost effective things you can do right away to improve it
  • long-term strategy you can integrate step by step to reverse the condition

IF you:

  1. watch “Ayurveda and Autoimmune Disease” webinar
  2. try the things shared there
  3. and still need more guidance

– you are eligible to take advantage of a special AUTOIMMUNITY CASE STUDY 50% discount off 1:1 Integral Health Coaching Session, available at this scheduling link:

Autoimmunity Case Study 50% OFF Special

That rate will hold for as many consultations as you need until YOU GET IMPROVEMENT!

What I will NOT promise: a miracle.

What I CAN GUARANTEE: a positive change in the way you feel, IF you implement even 5% of the protocol I give you after our session. Space is limited, so schedule your time slot now:

Autoimmunity Case Study 50% OFF Special

Why do it?

  • Because you are not satisfied with medical advice or treatment you got so far.
  • You know there is a better way out of the autoimmune quagmire you are in.
  • You deserve fulfillment in life, and your dis-ease stands in the way 

banyan botanicals affiliate
Blistered, Puffy, Hot, Red, Itchy Summer Skin – NEEM to the rescue!

Blistered, Puffy, Hot, Red, Itchy Summer Skin – NEEM to the rescue!

SUMMER SKIN for most people is not what we see in IG vacation selfies…

Golden rule of summer: the heat is ON, the skin is OFF

It’s mid-July, and my summer body is already sporting colorful swells of:

  • pimples

  • poison ivy

  • insect bites

  • blisters

  • cuts

  • patch of eczema

  • rash of unknown origin and

  • protruding pulsing veins

    Yep, Pitta dosha season is here: FIRE and WATER elements are increased in nature outside and inside us, showing up first and foremost on our SKIN…

    And you know what helps the summer skin? Something that would BALANCE the hot and wet qualities of FIRE and WATER…. Something that would COOL and DRY those red swells of Pitta on our skin… like

NEEM OIL

Cooling and mildly drying, it is your perfect summer skincare!

NEEM is prized in Ayurveda for it’s cooling, drying, calming qualities and, most of all, for it’s affinity for SKIN! It can be used internally in form of powder (with spoonful of honey or in tea, but watch out for it’s very bitter taste!), topically as oil / moisturizer), paste (powder mixed with a little water for spot treatment), or water solution as a toner. It effectively drops internal heat and calms external appearance. Here are some of my favorite and easy uses:

BODY:

Apply Neem Oil BEFORE shower all over the body. Wait 10 min, then either rinse off (use very little soap) or wipe off excess and enjoy yourself in cooler, calmer, softer skin. Especially good on feet (as they are a hot site of pitta dosha).

FACE:

Neem Oil also makes a wonderful facial cleanser for oily, acne-prone skin: simply apply to face with circular strokes, then wash off. In the morning, add a spritz of DIY facial toner made with 1/2 teaspoon of Neem Powder and distilled water in a spray bottle. Your face with thank you 🙂

Finally, use a high quality organic Neem Oil – your skin is like your mouth, everything you put on it should be FOOD to your tissues (skin consists of 7 layers, representing 7 bodily tissues), it is your largest organ, and it deserves the best. Plus, a high quality Neem Oil is less unctuous, more clear – it will not make you or your sheets sticky and stained!

Here is best quality organic, sustainably sourced Neem Oil around.

I’d get the large size and put a little bottle in every purse, car, and bathroom. In fact, I already did… LOL

My legs are already 50% better overnight: poison ivy patches dried up and paled in color, all itching subsided, and blisters emptied of fluid. Neem worked it’s magic on my Pitta skin as it does every time. Without fail.

So, grab yourself a bottle of this Nature’s wonder potion and enjoy this summer in your best skin!

NOTE: if your skin condition is chronic, you may need a more comprehensive protocol that might include Bhringaraj powder or Manjista. For specific chronic skin conditions, please schedule your Ayurveda Wellness Consultation to get a comprehensive protocol in place for long-term healing.

 

banyan botanicals affiliate
TAKRA – drink to your GUT!

TAKRA – drink to your GUT!

“He who uses takra daily does not suffer from diseases, and diseases cured by takra do not recur.” AND “Just as amrita(divine nectar) is for the gods, takra is to humans.”

Every disease starts in the GUT. That much has been accepted by medical approaches from both East and West.
 
What’s in the GUT? DIGESTION.

When our digestion is disrupted (made either too slow, too fast or irregular) – imbalances happen in our health, starting with constipation, malabsorption, indigestion. From those 3 a host of diseases develops, including autoimmune.

 

Here is a recipe for a simple drink that answers our bodies’ objective to convert food into clean energy and healthy tissues:

 

TAKRA

In simple terms, takra is buttermilk.

Buttermilk is a dairy product, that is a by-product of yogurt making process – the substance that rises to the top, and is naturally low-fat and very easy to digest, since the probiotic lactic acid bacteria in the cultured yogurt have already started the work of digestion.

TAKRA is, perhaps the most powerful and benevolent pro-biotic beverage one could enjoy for relief with:
  • IBS
  • GERD
  • diarrhea
  • food allergies
  • leaky gut (as part of healing the gut progression taught in Ayurveda and Autoimmune Disease webinar, found on products and services page) 

You can buy good quality TAKRA at a reputable Indian or Middle-Eastern grocery store in North America. There it is called “Yogurt Drink”. 

TAKRA can also be made at home if you make your own yogurt.

But, if neither of previous options work for your life, here is an easy hack that will get you the digestive benefits of TAKRA without the hassle of making yogurt from scratch or driving to a specialty store:

What’s in it? Oh, nothing much – it’s basically BUTTERMILK with a pinch of cumin or cilantro…
 
BLEND WELL:
1 tbsp of yogurt
1 cup water
pinch of cumin powder
 
Enjoy!

 

Digestive Tea for Late Winter Kapha season

Digestive Tea for Late Winter Kapha season

Late Winter, peak of Kapha season – digestion slows down, mucus accumulates, and immunity weakens

For those of us in the northern hemisphere, late Winter is the time we carry escess weight, start to feel sluggish, lethargic, heavy and … depressed.

This is the result of slow digestion.

Logical, after indulgence of holidays, more movie nights and shorter days to actively enjoy the outdoors. And very expected at the peak of Kapha season (Winter / Spring)

Ayurveda advises that we start boosting both digestion and immunity in order to have an easier time in the cold, flu and allergies season, Spring.

Here is an easy tea recipe that does precisely that: kindles sluggish digestion and boosts immunity, as well as increases absorption with “warming” (a.k.a. kapha reducing) kitchen staples:

Gather together (find it all here):

  • 1/2 tsp GINGER – digestive herb and immunomodulator. Use fresh or dry (for more heating effect, if congested)
  • 1/2 tsp CORIANDER – ingredient in traditional Ayurvedic all-year-round digestive tea formula, use seeds or ground
  • 1/2 tsp GARLIC – immunomodulator, heating for excess kapha
  • 1/4 tsp LICORICE powder – immunomodulator, sweetener and throat soother
  • 1/4 tsp BLACK PEPPER – expectorant, transporter (ensures absorption of all the above ingredients, increasing their action)

* If using coriander seeds, grind them together with black pepper to increase absorption (it, too, slows down with sluggish digestion).

** You can use a high quality garlic paste or powder in place of fresh garlic.

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized teapot, add 4 cups of hot water, let steep for 5 minutes.

If the licorice does not lend enough sweetness, you can add raw HONEY to taste for extra “scraping” effect on clogged channels and additional immunity boost. BUT: wait for the tea to cool a bit before adding honey. Honey should never be cooked!

Finally – ENJOY! Before meals, with meals, any time of day.

And, of course, don’t forget to add these ingredients to your cooking 🙂

And if you want to kick off the Spring Detox –

throw soma yoga into your morning mix:

Proper nutrition is only part of the solution

Chronic pain, fatigue, anger, depression, autoimmunity are conditions that can and should be reversed safely and naturally. We do this in HEAL your FLAME Program, where we help you craft a sustainable integral path to pain-free living. 

banyan botanicals affiliate
Keep your back and hips healthy in the Fall

Keep your back and hips healthy in the Fall

October opens the season for back pain…

Especially for those of us who are axious, overwhelmed, stressed, 40s and older, on-the-go, multi-tasking busy householders. All of these adjectives have one thing in common: the describe a person who is experiencing

VATA dosha

VATA Dosha, in ayurveda, describes a constitional type in Nature, that is made of AIR and SPACE elements. These elements give the VATA type their unique qualities, through which VATA dosha can be seen and experienced in all living beings, locations on the planet, times of day, seasons in nature and stages of life.

Here are the qualities of VATA dosha and how they express in us, humans:

  • cold  – feel cold, catch cold, back cold, neck cold
  • dry – dry skin, dry hair, popping joints, stiff muscles
  • rough – rough skin, coarse hair. chapped lips, wrinkles
  • mobile –  loose joints, likes to move, busy, multi-tasking, restless, anxious
  • light – bloating, fluctuating weight, weak, depleted, frail

We may not all be of a VATA dosha constitution and feel these qualities all the time. But we all are more likely to experience these qualities take front stage in the FALL. – the season of VATA dosha.

Indeed, it’s in the Fall, that tempretature changes to cold, leaves become dryrough to touch, light, and mobile, they fly in the AIR through SPACE.

Following cues of nature, humans also feel these qualities and the symptoms they create in our body. One of those symptoms is sensitivity to cold in the low back and neck areas – we start to close the car window, wrap a scarf around the neck, cover the back with a sweater…

Connection between cold weather and back pain is widely accepted, in medical community as well as in common households (my dad’s back would get so fragile in his 50s, he would be unable to get out of bed by mid-winter). Another connection is made between lack of movement and back pain. Yet, its often DUE to movement in cold weather, that we catch a back ache! So what to do as the weather turns cold? We certainly don’t want to move inside and wait it out, we want to stay active and productive. What’s the solution to keeping our back safe and continue to actively enjoy outdoors?

Well, according to Ayurveda, health is balance and…

OPPOSITES BALANCE

So, if we do not want beautiful Fall season to get ruined by back pain, we need  to cultivate opposing qualities inside us to balance the cold, dry, rough, mobile and light qualities outside us. We can do it with vata balancing foods (see nutrition articles in this blog for some ideas), lifestyle and self-care routine adjustments such as massage with warm Ashwaganda Bala oil (see an Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor for customized routine recommendation), and yoga  (safest form of exercise for balance).

From standpoint of yoga therapy, I would focus on key qualities to cultivate  in your yoga practice for safe maintenance of your low back in the Fall:

  • warm – to balance the cold
  • moist – to balance the dry
  • smooth – to balance the rough
  • steady – to balance the mobile
  • heavy – to balance the light

These qualities can be increased in your system by adding elements of FIRE, WATER and EARTH (to balance too much AIR and SPACE in Vata dosha).

FIRE, WATER and EARTH, in the body, are concentrated in the pelvic bowl.

FIRE is represented by digestion function of GI tract and mental comprehension (enzymes, gut biome,  metabolism, absorption, communication to the brain via vagus connection, memory, comprehension, enthusiasm).

WATER is represented by smooth muscles of viscera, flow of: urinary tract, digestive juices. reproductive system, elimination; desire, creativity, pleasure.

EARTH is represented by heavy pelvic structure: bones and muscles.

So, to move like you wanna build the core that will hold your back –

  • fire up large muscle groups (quads, thighs, glutes)
  • soften knees, swivel hips (water)
  • widen and lower the stance (earth)

any which way that puts a smile on your face!

A concept we explore in depth in the CHILD of PRANA Method.

Learn more in this video…

 

Awaken the Healer Within

Integral Healing for Curious Minds: are you ready for change?

error

Enjoy this blog post? Please share!