Energetically Protecting the Mindbody
Biologically the mindbody simultaneously coexists as both an energy field or a matter(molecular) field If I put on my energy field glasses I see the mindbody as an energy field and I speak about it in terms of Vata, Pitta, or Kapha In so thinking about the mindbody as both energy and matter there obviously should be a transparency about what we are discussing If I speak about the molecular aspects of the mindbody I should be able to find its equivalency in the energy field model This is true for the GAG(GlycosoAminoGlycan) layer molecular concept and the Kapha energy pattern
Kapha is energy of stability in the physiology It keeps our mindbodies strong and well put together physically It's psychologically grounding for us and is also responsible for our immune system working properly since it is the immune system You can think of Kapha as a protective energy that keeps the mindbody strong Any large structural molecule such as chondroitin(joints), cholesterol, or immunoglobulins are molecular expressions of the Kapha energy pattern
In inflammatory diseaes such as Alzheimer's, GERD, or coranary artery disease one of the hypotheses in its molecular cause is the protective GAG layer is in some way becomes damaged and loses its integrity This layer which is produced by the underlying epithelial cells is thought to be a protective mucous layer and so by what we have just said this would be a Kapha like protection from invasive bacteria but also from the acidic characteristics of the urine itself
Every tubular lining(aka mucosa) that has a connection to the outside world has a GAG layer For example the lining of the respiratory system has its associated protective GAG layer which traps foreign materials so they don't interfere with respiratory function The GI tract and reproductive tracts has GAG layers as well
GAG Layer Repair
There are many reasons why GAG layers get damaged but one of them is inflammation In energy science terminology that means that Pitta is being increased due to blocking by Kapha and in the matter science it means that acidity breaks down tissue Knowing this there are energy science ways to help prevent the GAG layer from being broken down or getting repaired if broken down
Aloe vera There's a reason why aloe as a herb works wonders in inflammatory conditions It molecularly provides mannose which is an often biologically unavailable essential glucosaccharide This provides the building blocks for the mindbody to rebuild the protective Kapha GAG layer Energetically aloe reduces Pitta heat and pacifies overactive mobile quality of Vata
Reducing Vata and Pitta in nutritional formats It follows from our conversation that if having increased inflammatory Pitta molecules around then preventing them from entry into the mindbody would be good therapy The same holds true for Vata molecules that produce movement in the physiology
Reducing Vata and Pitta in incompatible food combinations(IFC) In general IFC's are inflammatory and increase Pitta so avoiding these is Pitta pacifying
Herbs that reduce Pitta Both acacia and psyllium absorb Pitta from the small intestine so in small volumes these herbs are valuable in the management of the IC bladder pain syndrome
Herbs that reduce Vata Vata is composed of space and air When you pass gas from the rectum you're passing Vata energy Since Vata is air if it's increased in the mindbody physiology it can increase Pitta Think about fanning a fire with pushing air across the fire that you're trying to get going Vata herbs like ashwagandha, bala, and vidari are good at reducing Vata
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The Salty Taste: 5 Ways to Avoid Inflammation
The energy science categorizes food according to taste(rasa which has an effect on the energy patterns of VPK), virya(effect that food has on our small intestine and tissues), vipak(effect that food has on our colon and cells), and prabhav(effect that it has on the DNA of our cells) This makes the interpretation of how foods affect us quite complex and explains why the nutritional formats at foodsheal.com are useful because they simplify our understanding of foods and allow us to make healthy balancing food choices that help treat disease states
To recall the qualities of Vata(cold, light, mobile, dry, rough, subtle, clear) and Pitta(hot, light, spreading, sharp/penetrating, liquid, oily) and Kapha(heavy, slow/dull, cool, slimy/smooth, liquid, dense, soft, hard, static, sticky) give rise to disease in the mindbody These qualities combine in various combinations to produce the diseases due to their physiologic excess
The key to understanding the energy science disease model is to begin to appreciate the imbalance in qualities that occur in the mindbody physiology and how you bring about the imbalance As we have discussed in the past the primary way we go out of balance is through foods
The Unique Salty Taste
The energy science of Ayurveda recognizes that there are 6 tastes called rasas(sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) that allow us to scientifically study foods and their intimate impact on the mindbody energy field These tastes are typically in combination with one another in foods For example, seafood(meat that has lived its life in saltwater) has a salty rasa or taste energtically even though it doesn't taste salty Due to protein of the meat it has a heating vipak, and the dense and heavy qualities of seafood produce the sweet taste as the vipak energetic influence
Aside from seafood, mineral salts such as sea salt or table salt and surprisingly cottage cheese are the only ways we encounter the salty taste in foods so the salty taste becomes our first encounter with the concept of a "culinary spice"salty cottage cheese
The qualities of the salty taste are hot, light, liquid, soft, smooth/slimy, and subtle From the above qualities of Vata we can appreciate that the mobile quality will be reduced by the slimy/smooth quality of salt but Pitta will be increased due to the hot quality Because the salty taste carries the hot quality it will be aggravating to people with high Pitta
Due to the hot quality salt produces inflammation and due to the liquid quality it produces its well known congestive effect with fluid retention
Since rasa(taste) has an influence on our mindbody through the qualities of the foods that we take in, if we get an excess of the salty taste it can produce with the hot and liquid qualities, impatience, irritability, and easy frustration
As advertised in potato chip commercials, "Bet you can't each just one", implies that the salty taste can be addictive This addictive like characteristic of salt is why ALL fast food chains use a lot of the salty taste in their food preparation
Due to salt's penetrating and hot qualities it can be very effective in massaging and warming muscles and so soaking in epsom salt baths becomes valuable Another use of salt is with neti sinus wash that reduces Kapha mucous in the sinuses where it accumulates This is the experience everyone has with the common cold Neti uses a salt solution since tap water will burn the delicate mucous membranes But salt also is important in mobilizing with its hot quality the cool, slimy/smooth, liquid, heavy, dense, slow/dull, and static qualities of Kapha which are those of mucous
5 Takeaways About the Salty Taste
When it comes to high Pitta disorders(anything with inflammation) there are some basic things to remember when it comes to the salty taste
Avoid salt at the dinner table
Avoid all seafood Eat fresh water fish
Avoid all fast food
Avoid salt in food preparation at home
Avoid cottage cheese
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Sleep and 10 Solutions for Help
From an energy science perspective nutrition, rest, and exercise are the foundational pillars to a healthy life In chronic disease all pilllars get typically involved to produce disease progression But rest can be an energy drain to the mindbody and since healing is already an energy drain there is a significant stress on the physiology that requires remedy
Proper Rest
The pineal gland located in the third ventricle is a significant endocrine gland involved in the daily rest cycle and secretes two important neurotransmitters, serotonin and melatonin The former is the energetic equivalent of groundedness and the latter is intimately involved in the diurnal variations of daylight and nighttime, signaling our mindbody when it is ready for rest
As usual in the energy science the amount of rest varies according to the constitutional energy makeup Vata due to its delicacy requires the most rest, typically 7-8h per night and Kapha requires the least, 5-6h and Pitta somewhere in between Most of us have 2 dominant patterns so PV would be around 6-7h and PK 6h But commonly Kapha loves to sleep in and so even though Kapha "desires" more rest, in fact Kapha needs to "move it" and take advantage of its good stamina and endurance
When there are health challenges we can see that there are more energetic demands on the mindbody so that naps are naturally an acceptable way to "catch up" So keeping the same rest schedule at night with PV in bed by no later than 103o and PK 1130 are reasonable guidelines Appropriate rising times no later than 7 for PV and 6 for PK are reasonable But if fatigue sets in during the afternoon a nap could be valuable
We are a culture guided by the alarm clock but the energy science of Ayurveda would suggest that such a tool is Vata provoking and physiologically disruptive So if we set a good sleeping schedule there becomes less of a need to use an alarm because the mindbody gets set into a rhythm of rest, allowing the mindbody to go "au naturale"
Sleep disruption comes in all forms of shapes and sizes Some have trouble getting to sleep, other wake up during Vata time(2-6a) and can't get back to sleep, and others wake up to urinate several times a night due to many different causes
Dreams of falling, being attacked, being pushed, or of always doing something in the dream as well as being frozen with fright, seeing the death of a loved one, or being locked up or flying are Vata dreams Certain animals such as snakes, camels, and flying birds are related to Vata Dreams about the autumn season are about vata In vata dreams, the person is trying to fulfill a desire These dreams are about a person falling or being attacked In some cases, Kapha or Pitta may attack Vata
Helpful Solutions for Rest
There are tools that can help with setting the tone for getting into a "normal rest cycle Of course this is not an all inclusive list but some of these have stood the test of time Using one or a combination of these solutions may be helpful
Having a set time for bed every night is a good lifestyle habit to cultivate The mindbody is subject to habit which sets the tone for rest
The bedroom should be just that....a place for the bed and for rest Some turn their bedroom into a media suite or library and this creates confusion
Cherry juice is a source of melatonin and seratonin as mentioned above are important in rest Amazingly cherry juice is a rich natural source of both and using glass of warm cherry juice with perhaps cinnamon before 30min before bed would be helpful for rest
Warm milk with ground almonds(without skins) and pinch of cardamom and pinch of nutmeg Nutmeg is a culinary sleep aid and can be quite effective
Chamomile tea has been a longstanding herbal remedy for inducing rest, relaxation, and sleep
Cup tomato juice with 2t sugar and 2 pinches nutmeg
Herbal therapies such as tagar can be helpful in inducing sleep
Bhringaraj oil to feet and head after a warm tub bath for relaxation can also help for sleep inducement
Practicing So Hum mantra meditation can be a way to soothe the Vata aggravated mindbody and put it in relaxation mode It's a way of counting sheep but much more peaceful
The addition of a pharmacological such as Ambien or other sleep aids can be used as prescription and supported by the above
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Pitta and Transformation
Pitta is the energy of transformation and its qualities are hot, sharp/penetrating, light, mobile, liquid, and oily
Of the three energy patterns discussed, Pitta is the only pattern with the hot quality Heat transforms The emotion of anger often gets a bad rap Anger can be transformational It can stimulate us to get moving and get things done
Sharp/penetrating helps with discrimination and seeing through problems and having healthy digestion
The light of Pitta is different than light of Vata(feather) because light here means illumination, shedding light on a subject; intensity here is a good word for Pitta Vata's light vibrational frequency is associated with playfulness and levity
The intensity of Pitta is not too intensive There is a great deal of warmth by hot vibrational frequency but not burning; it's not like a pit bull that won't let go There is an ease of the intensity Otherwise the intensity becomes rigidity
A fire is mobile as the flames of a fire dance Pitta in balance is flexible in the mindbody; able to entertain different alternatives But the mobility of Pitta is different than that of Vata as well
The mobility or movement of energy causes us to notice things in our environment So the stock market moves up and it attracts our attention It is this aspect of Pitta's vibrational frequency of mobility that promotes survival and evolutionary behavior when in balance
So hook up with Pitta if you want to see through problems, guidance, nourish the best choices, have great wisdom, incredible intensity, highly focused, determined, and thorough
Pitta is a great change artist for himself and others(if they so choose) It is able to give good intellectual guidance well thought out. keen, and brilliant(light)
Do you know anyone in your life or celebrities who expresses the characteristics of the balanced Pitta? How do they make you feel when you're around them? Can you think of any celebrities or leaders that carry this balanced energy?
To Health as a Skill DB
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