The Buzz of Vata
Vata, the energy pattern of movement in the energy mindbody physiology, has the qualities or vibrational frequencies of cold, light, mobile, light, dry, rough,subtle, clear These qualities are important because they help identify the energy of Vata when it is prominent in our physiology.
For example, we have all had the experience of the racing mindbody. The whole body seems to be heightened and energized, that is buzzing or what I am referring to as the Vata Buzz.
When needing to get things done, this type of energy is great to have.
But a couple of observations. Vata Buzz is a sympathetic outflow, that is, it is part of the fight or flight response and when activated for prolonged periods of time can promote fatigue and wasting.
Another characteristic for people who are Vata predominant(more Vata than Pitta and Kapha energy patterns) is that their mindbodies cannot sustain long periods of the Buzz even though they would love to because they love mobility. Those of us like this cannot endure like Kapha and Pitta.
As we might expect certain foods bring on the Buzz. Coffee is the common drink that most associate with the Buzz but any food or drink that produces the mobile, light, subtle, and clear qualities will bring on the symptoms of the Buzz.
How to bring down the Buzz? Create more parasympathetic or peaceful things in life to calm the Buzz.
Eat grounding foods such as root vegetables
Avoid the pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes or just go to foodsheal.com and see the PV format
Take a hot tub bath before bed
Get more rest
Do a centering exercise for 5 minutes in the morning before beginning the day
Consider meditation
Recognize that the Buzz is addictive
Until next week To health as a Skill Love DrBill
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Medicinal Effects of Honey
Each of the energy patterns of VPK have specific qualities.... Vata has cold light mobile dry rough subtle clear; Pitta hot light spreading sharp/penetrating liquid oily; and for Kapha heavy slow/dull cool slimy/smooth liquid dense soft hard static cloudy/sticky In the energy science these qualities are universal, that is, they make up all of our observable world, including ourselves
So when the environment is hot our mindbody becomes hot as well and you seek cold for comfort Similarly when you eat food that is hot such as salsa then your mindbody becomes hot The windows to your mindbody's energy field is through its senses of the above qualities Honey is a unique food from an energy science point of view and is far from a simple sweet treat
The Qualities of Honey and Summertime
The energy science of Ayurveda says that everything can be medicine when used appropriately so we need to know about the qualities of honey to use it as food Honey has qualities that can aggravate each of the energy patterns but is most most appropriate for the slow/dull cool slimy/smooth and static Kapha because of its heating qualities
The hot characteristic of Pitta will be aggravated by honey so PK people should not use honey all the time It also follows that during the hot summer months honey should not be used due to the heat
Guidelines for Honey as Medicine
Since honey has a heating quality it can help with clearing Kapha imbalance Mucous is the signature symptom of either Kapha imbalance or release and the mucous of the common cold is an experience that we can all relate to But when Kapha’s qualities show up in disease you can experience the heavy slow/dull and static qualities
Honey guidelines
The best time to use honey is during the cold winter months
Honey and ghee should be used in equal volumes NOT equal weights(toxic if you do)
NEVER cook honey(toxic if you do)
Honey will NOT be heating if used in basti since you’re not digesting it
Use honey in moderation (1 to at most 2x per week during summer)
Don’t use honey with fruit
Honey can be used with herbs to carry it to the lungs or kidneys
Honey is best used in cool mucous Kapha conditions
Honey is best used with warm to hot water
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The Bloats: 10 Energy Science Solutions
Bloating is a common problem encountered in the general population and is one of the bowel symptoms associated with IBS and inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease And the good news is that it's preventable Wouldn't you rather do things to prevent something bad happening to you?
The Matter Science Approach
Bloating or abdominal distention is a common digestive problem which typically occurs after eating and varies in degree like any symptom At times it may be very transient, lasting for short period of time(hour or less) while in others it may last longer(several hours or an entire day)
It is described by the matter science as a functional bowel disorder, that is, a motility disorder of the gut It's not known why this motility problem occurs although matter science researchers suggest that it's related to alterations in the gut flora or the microbiome This has been termed dysbiosis and SIBO has been used of recent to define this alteration in gut flora There is an older cousin to SIBO that has been recognized for some time initially in children called "leaky gut syndrome" Once felt by the research establishment as a ridiculous concept is now being taken seriously
As is usually the case the matter science is rich in testing and trying to come up with names of these human biological disease phenomena but not so effective in determining treatment Drugs or pharma have not been very effective in dealing with bloating but because they pay the bills for the current medical establishment reports don't surface as to their ineffectiveness
The Energy Science Approach to the Bloats
In the energy science world of Ayurveda there is one primary reason for bloating and that's poor digestive strength or agni As I have written a number of times in this blog agni is essential for health from an Ayurvedic perspective and without it the individual is bound to incur disease of some form It's not a matter of "if" it's really only "when" The fundamental reason that the matter(molecular) science model of healing has trouble with dealing with digestive disorders in general is the Western allopathic model(these are all synonyms) has no understanding of the concept of agni
Poor agni can lead to a couple of different scenarios The primary result is the production of undigested, unprocessed food called ama and this leads to the interference of movement of food through the small bowel.....this interference leads to bloating Since the microbiome(gut flora) is an integral part of agni or the digestive fire, the matter science is getting close to understanding what Ayurveda has been articulating as a model of healing for 5,000 years but still not there yet So for now, take some pills
As ama progresses over time(years) more and more congestion in the gut occurs leading to progressive worsening of the bloating This leads to a second and fortunately less common reason.......a change in the direction of the normal downward movement of energy in the rectum and this interferes with normal rectal function and bowel movement function This becomes the "end of the road" for many who initially are treated as IBS due to the symptoms of their bloating But this progression leads to a severe complex of symptoms that are difficult to treat
Bloating: 10 Energy Science Solutions
These are meant to be added to each other over time Don't try to do all at once or your mind WILL rebel
Eat according to your energy constitutional makeup
Avoid incompatible food combinations
Avoid overeating.....2handfuls for any one meal Place a bowl that sits comfortably in your 2 cupped hands....now that's how much you should eat at your biggest meal of the day
Biggest meal at noon
Use spices ALL THE TIME in your cooking....fresh ginger turmeric cumin coriander fennel vanilla fresh basil
Use GHEE instead of butter or cooking oil....ghee has the qualities of digestive fire
Exercise regularly but don't overdo it....pranayama is the best way to stoke agni
Avoid fatty fried foods
Make a deal with yourself to always sit to eat The more focus and attention you bring to eating the better your agni digestion When you calm the mind you improve agni which from a mental standpoint is better focused attention Calm the mind with meditation....at an energy level the mind and body are intimately spliced...you cannot separate them(you can't say this using the matter science model)
Fasting This does not have to be a water fast....simply using juice or fruit for 24hours....or eat dinner at 6-7p and don't eat until 8a the next morning and you have a 12h fast
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Denial Isn’t A River in Egypt
"How long have you had heartburn," I asked.
"Not very long," my patient responded.
"Well, how long, can you give me an estimate?"
"Oh, say 10years." he replied.
"How often do you have symptoms of heartburn?" I queried
"Maybe every day." he answers
This particular dialogue is not uncommon. We can call it trivializing, denial, minimizing, or all the above But the bottom line is that the symptom that is being discussed is not important Heartburn, headache, anxiety, fear, abdominal pain, blood in the urine, constipation, chronic cough, chronic sinus congestion, overweight; potential problems that we can decide to put on the back burner or better yet hope that it or they won't come back
The issue is this The energy field mindbody never lies and never holds back when it's in pain It will always speak the truth So to have heartburn and not recognize it for what it is misses the opportunity to be healthier And minor symptoms may be the tip of the iceberg
So infrequent means significant Every symptom is significant because it's the body's way of telling us that the energy body is not happy Let's try not to ignore the opportunity for better health and pay attention and have resolve that we'll do something about whatever the mindbody is showing us
Health is a skill that we work at all the time Love DrBill
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What Is Health Anyway?
A new definition of health implies that we have had one in the past and that is arguable If there has been one from a matter science viewpoint, I guess a state of health has meant that we are free of disease But that cannot be a 21st century definition which should be born from a marriage between the matter and energy medical sciences
I would propose that there is more to health than being free of dis-ease
One who is established in witnessing, whose energy patterns
are in balance, whose appetite is balanced, whose tissues are
functioning normally, whose wastes are eliminated properly,
and whose self, mind, and senses remain full of bliss
is called a healthy person
This is a complete definition of health gleaned from the writings of the energy medical science of Ayurveda but as you can see requires a lot more persistent work than "hanging with some supplements" and "hoping" that things will go your way
The good news that this kind of definition starts by simply improving your nutrition....eating according to your energy mindbody constitutional makeup as shown at foodsheal.com
To good health Love DrBill
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