AYURVEDIC THERAPIES
Shirodhara: A Proper Dhara
Ayurvedic Strengthening of the Immune System
The Thatched Hut Diet
Massage: The Breath in the Stone
Shirodhara: A Proper Dhara
by Dinesh Mader, LMT
"Thou anointist my head with oil... my cup runneth over...."
Ayurveda is a comprehensive system of health care and maintenance. The Ayurvedic approach is not limited to any particular diet, herbal formulation, or treatment. An appropriate health regime is determined for each individual depending on one's inherent humoral balance, as well as age, mental capacity, digestive power, compatibility with food, elimination habits, and many other considerations. Treatment in Ayurveda may involve a change of diet, change of lifestyle and habits, herbal regime, internal cleansing, and elimination of accumulated humoral waste.
There is a well-defined procedure to follow in the Ayurvedic cleansing therapy known as Pancha Karma. Strictly speaking Pancha Karma means "Five Cleansings" (decoction enema, purging through the lower channel, induced vomiting, nasal cleansing, and blood-letting) but the term is currently used to indicate any one of these five cleansings. The cleansings are clinical procedures and none are initiated without first implementing a lengthy preparation conceived to arouse, loosen, and mobilize toxins which are enmeshed with the tissues and their fluids. The toxicity is not limited only to the physical tissues but also permeates the mind as well and are associated with unhealthy habits and lifestyle. The process of preparing the patient for elimination is called Purva Karma.
Purva Karma generally involves the application of heat and oil, or fomentation (swedana) and oleation (snehana), both internally and externally, in an effort to arouse the toxins and render the tissues slippery. Certain decoctions are also offered for this purpose. This process of fomentation and oleation is likely to last a week or so before any elimination takes place. There are several treatments in particular associated with the Purva Karma process which stand on their own as rejuvenation treatments, and are not necessarily administered solely for the purpose of elimination preparation: Abhyanga (massage with oil), shirodhara (oil applied to the brow) and kaya seka (or Pizhichil, full body oiling).
Unlike most aspects of Ayurveda there are really no references in the classical scriptures (samhitas) to the actual hands-on procedures involved in these treatments. This important part of Ayurvedic clinical therapy has been kept alive in the public domain mainly within the clinics and nursing homes of Kerala State in south India, where they have been administered for generations by practitioners versed in the lore. Kerala, sequestered from the rest of India by the Nilgiri Hills and the sea, has been the repository of this aspect of Ayurvedic practice. It is the seat not only of India's largest and most respected Ayurvedic treatment facility at Kottakkal, but also many smaller family-operated treatment centers all over the state from Trivandaram to Kasaragod. The Kerala-style treatments are known to set the standard in India for traditional Ayurveda. Among Ayurvedic practitioners all over India Kerala's preeminence in the realm of traditional bodywork treatments is acknowledged.
Ayurvedic oleation treatments are quite specialized and elaborate. Some of these techniques are being integrated into spa and studio treatments in America - for stress reduction, self-awareness, and a taste of the exotic. Foremost of these would be shirodhara (recently featured on the covers of Massage and Bodywork, a professional magazine, and Hinduism Today). Shirodhara seems to have captured the American imagination, but unfortunately its application or effects are not adequately appreciated or respected, as it is being modified for the sake of simplicity and marketability. It is treated as a commercible service instead of a healing modality in part of a comprehensive program.
In this treatment a continuous stream of oil is applied in wavelike motion to the forehead using a pot suspended directly above the head. The entire cranium is thus saturated with oil. The client is mollified by the swaying motion of the oil stream which through its sensation induces a meditative experience. The medicinal oil, prepared with nutritive and tonic herbs, is also absorbed through the hair follicles into the tissues surrounding the brain, affecting the central nervous system. It effectively alleviates stress which is the causative factor in many serious diseases.
Shirodhara is both profound and subtle. In the Ayurvedic clinics of South India this treatment is only offered daily in a series lasting at least a week, and possibly up to 21 days or more. It is only one therapeutic component of an over-all treatment plan that includes diet, herbal preparations, and prolonged relaxation. Clients are not encouraged to engage in any activity that stimulates thought. If one reads it is recommended that the material be conducive to spiritual thought. No sexual activity or intense physical activity is advised.
It is a stated principle (in the Chikitsa Sangraham, a manual published by the Kottakkal foundation) that the flow of oil should be constant. The hole in the bottom of the pot should be the size of the patient's little finger. The pressure of the flow is attenuated by the use of a "wick” (cotton cord) which is knotted and run through the hole in the oil pot. It can be adjusted to increase or decrease the volume of the flow of oil accordingly. The wick remains just above the client's brow, thus reducing the pressure and concentration of the oil stream. The flow of oil must not only be constant (dripping means you have botched the effect), but it is kept moving from side to side as low as the eyebrows and as high as the hairline.
In Kerala this treatment is generally performed by two or three attendants. There is an attendant to guide the pot, keeping the stream of oil moving "to and fro, left and right slowly," and an attendant to keep the pot continuously filled. It is possible with considerable practice for one person to fill the pot and maintain the proper movement at the same time. It is very clearly stated in the Chikitsa Samgraham, however, that there is always a therapist on hand, preferably standing or "seated on a stool" next to the table where he or she can be seen by the one who's receiving the treatment for the sake of assurance and security. The text also reads: that the therapist who handles the suspended Dhara vessel "should be vigilant and pay concentrated attention." Dhara should never be performed without a qualified attendant on hand at all times.
I might add here that although there is no actual physical contact between the therapist and the subject, there is a high level of interaction taking place between them, as it is the therapist who actually consciously directs the flow coming into contact with the subject's brow. If the therapist is concentrated then that will be communicated to the client as an effect of the treatment. The human element is fundamental. It does not constitute a proper treatment to simply fill a pot with oil, open a valve, and train a stream of oil to a single point on a person's head. That would be analogous to expecting a massage treatment and then being placed in a whirlpool or a vibrating chair.
The effect of shirodhara is subjective. This treatment in particular represents an interface between the traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda. It creates a meditative sense of awareness as it is focusing and isolating. Dhara, which means "constant flow," is contained in the word dharana one of the seven stages of yoga realization, generally translated as "concentration." The brow, of course, is that part of the external anatomy associated with the fundamental endocrine glands (pineal, pituitary, hypothalamus) which organize and regulate all hormonal secretions. Hormonal secretions are responsible not only for the autonomic responses which control digestion, breath, elimination, etc., but also our moods and emotional state. Not unlike the desired goal of many styles of Western bodywork, shirodhara is meant to establish a state of parasympathetic repose, an ego-less state, during which the primal intelligence of our body can reorganize its constituents in a manner which leads to healing and survival, their inherent purpose. For this reason shirodhara can be applied in Ayurvedic healing for conditions as seemingly unrelated as skin rashes, Tourette's, insomnia, and diabetes.
In addition to the subjective effects the blend of oils used in shirodhara are conceived to impart their healing qualities as the oil is absorbed through the hair follicles and into the soft tissue of the brain. For this reason in the Kerala tradition the client is required to leave their hair unwashed for the duration of the entire series of treatments. The herbal medicinal oils of Ayurveda are prepared according to formulations articulated in the classical treatises. These formulations vary depending on the intent of the treatment as well as the needs and condition of the client. Unlike most massage and essential oils used by therapists in America, these medicinal oils are scrupulously prepared in large vats over a cooking fire for a period of several days. The oils are first combined with a herbal decoction and then gently simmered until the water is entirely removed, leaving only the herbal ingredients integrated into the oil base. This cooking process, like a well-prepared meal, renders the finished oil more assimilable through the skin than ordinary raw oils The aromas of Ayurvedic herbal oils are more like the smell of good food from the oven than the essences of plants and blossoms. Typical formulations for shirodhara might contain various kinds of plant oils (sesame, coconut, castor, etc) animal products (ghee, milk, etc), herbs (water hyssop, calamus root, valerian, winter cherry, passion flower, sandalwood, bringaraj), and spices (cardamom, ginger, etc).
Although shirodhara is being offered as a half-hour spa treatment in America nowadays, traditionally its healing effects are considered too subtle for one single application. As mentioned the treatments must be offered continuously on a routine basis for at least a week. During that time the client is housed and nourished in a therapeutic environment which calls for routine, proper diet, rest, and respite from extremes of all kinds. Because of the client's sensitivity during and after the treatment, additional days of recovery are required to prepare the client for re-entry into the pace of day-to-day life. During these additional days oil is still applied daily to the crown of the head with the use of a saturated cloth (picchu).
As Ayurvedic techniques are introduced into American culture, practitioners as well as consumers will be tempted to experiment with the tradition, isolating certain elements of the comprehensive treatment protocols to satisfy their curiosity and to present an easily marketable service. The risk in this inevitable kind of fragmentation is that Ayurveda will suffer in its effectiveness as a healing science and its credibility will be tarnished. The elaborate and long-term nature of Ayurvedic bodywork treatments makes them easy targets for American efficiency, simplification, and marketability. However, since the root cause for many disorders is the frantic pace at which we live, over-stimulation, busy-ness, taking life at a breakneck speed, seeking more and more distraction, diversion, and entertainment to absorb our senses, then it will not serve us in the long run to streamline the very styles of therapy conceived to heal us of these excesses. They require a very precious commodity - time. Those who will ultimately avail themselves of Ayurvedic treatments need to be familiar with the principles and application of the true science and accept nothing less in their quest for enduring health.
Dinesh Mader is co-owner and massage therapist at Rasayana Cove, a residential retreat facility founded in 1995, located in the woods of central Florida. He and his wife, Julia, modelled their Ayurvedic treatment program on the chikitsalyams of Kerala, India, where they received treatments, studied, and researched from 1990-1993. He holds certificates from Dr. Lad's Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. and the International Institute of Ayurveda in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. He has worked in the health planning field under the Central Pennsylvania Health Planning Council, and served as promotor and organizer for Dr. Robert Svoboda, Ayurvedic scholar and physician.
Contact info: Rasayana Cove, Ona, Florida Tel: 863-494-7565
Email: rasayana@cyberstreet.com Web site:
www.ayurvedicretreat.com
The Breath in the Stone
by Karyn Chabot, D.Ay.,LMT
“Stones are alive, but they are in a sweet coma.” - Dr. Vasant Lad
Some of the most progressive healers in the world have begun using stones in their massage work — not to replace the healing hand, but as an adjunct to traditional massage, facials and healing treatments of all kinds. Stone massage is an ancient, enduring form of therapeutic bodywork using heated and cooled stones as extensions of the hand. It is a harmonious collaboration of healing energies between the client, the therapist, the divine and the stones. Be mindful that the beauty of this therapy, and all therapies, is manifested by the transference of deep compassion and trust between the therapist and the client. This compassion becomes imprinted within the matrix of each stone.
Pointed, textured stones are used as tools for deep sports massage. Round, flat, warm stones are laid as balancing agents upon specific energetic points along the body known as chakras. Smooth, velvety stones are heated in water, then, glided with firm pressure along oiled, sore muscles. Cooled white quartzite stones refresh the face (especially after waxing), refine the pores and soothe inflamed skin. For some people stone therapy can bring deep tissue release and alignment in body, mind and spirit. For others, it means gently allowing the heat of the stones to soften tension and melt worries away. The experience of an eloquent, deep, structurally restorative and spiritually uplifting stone massage is unsurpassed in its transformational potential. The key is in finding a skilled stone therapist who incorporates highly textured and charged stones at a comfortable room temperature with traditional hand and elbow massage. Add in just enough patience and healing intention and the stage is set for bodywork bliss.
Most people who have experienced good stone massage work will typically use the adjective “grounded” somewhere in the description of how they felt as the stones were glided and laid upon their body. Skilled stone therapists are taught to work with the earth energy, which follows the downward flow in the body called apana vayu, a Sanskrit term. The purpose of stone massage is to anchor the root (muladhara) chakra and the second (svadhisthana) chakra of the body. These chakras help our bodies stay connected to the Earth. Many people in our technological society feel disconnected, rushed, high on coffee, over-stimulated and stressed out. The quietude we are in search of comes from within. The warmth, energy and texture of the stones help distract us from our busy, scattered minds, imparting a quiet focus. This is especially true if you use sea stones. Sea stones soothe the body on all levels, similar to the waves of an ocean. When a stone therapist works with the downward flow in the body and anchors the lower chakras, the client experiences an oasis which restores wholeness and balance in a world where people eat their lunch while they are driving and read their email while listening to their voicemail.
To order complete article "Breath in the Stone" Volume One, Issue One, Fall 2002
Karyn Chabot,D.Ay.,LMT is the owner of Sacred Stone Healing Spa and School in Newport County, RI. She has her bachelor’s in alternative health and fitness and is a graduate of The Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico. Contact Karyn at 877-832-1372 (toll free) or email Karyn@sacredstonehealing.com. Visit her website at www.sacredstonehealing.com
Ayurvedic Strengthening of The Immune System
by Light Miller, N.D.
In today’s busy society, our immune system is continuously compromised. We spend long periods in automobiles inhaling traffic exhaust, on airline flights in confined spaces, working on computers indoors, often under fluorescent lighting, exposing ourselves to chemicals from synthetic fabrics, paint fumes, cleaning solvents—environmental hazards which are part of modern living. Daily, newspapers are filled with stories of auto-immune diseases and the drugs developed to counteract these diseases. Our body struggles to protect itself from these environmental offenders, yet over time the continual battle to maintain basic health depletes our immune system and symptoms of low ojas begin to manifest.
Fortunately, for Ayurvedic teachers and practitioners, many of these environmental insults can be alleviated by following the principles of the wonderful science of Ayurveda. Ayurvedic practices assist us to gain control and regenerate the forgotten complex called “the immune system”. There are many ways to modify and support this system in order to create strong ojas (the basis of immunity). When the dhatus (tissues) are adequately nourished and function as intended, the remaining energy converts to ojas. When any tissue is starved or malfunctioning, there is not a smooth transfer up the dhatu ladder, ojas suffers and weakness and sensitivity to the environment is experienced. The goal of Ayurveda is to build and maintain strong, well-functioning dhatus that provide adequate ojas; the pillar of the immune system.
Nourishment of the Immune System
• Physical Nourishment: True nourishment occurs when we assimilate that which agni converts into energy. When this occurs, the physical body and all its tissues receive everything needed in order to thrive and we are able to cope with constant life challenges with adequate stamina and vigor. Ayurveda is largely based on appropriate diet regimens for specific body types to ensure appropriate and adequate physical nutrition.
• Mental Nourishment: The source of all disease is the failure of the intellect. Mental nourishment produces acuity of mind, clear thinking, and perception. The development of mental capabilities is accomplished simply by being curious. Exploring the world we live in and creating intellectual avenues of interest causes an expansion of knowledge and of consciousness. Necessary mental nourishment can be facilitated through self-study and the reflective methods of meditation, mantra, spiritual practices, pranayama, and yantra. For example, Divinity can be experienced through the yantra symbol when working in focused concentration. All of these methods build and enhance mental immunity.
At the highest level, Purusha is connected to all things, and our mind is the embodiment of cosmic love and principles (Mahat). Prana, the life force, is the refinement of all movements and the overseer of Vata. Ultimately, development and refinement of Mahat (the conditioned mind) dispels maya (illusion), abolishes fear, and grounds us in the ultimate reality of love and purpose.
• Emotional nourishment is also required. The immune system is greatly benefited by the communication of feelings. As practitioners, we need to maintain our professional career and have emotional outlets. One method of emotional nourishment is meditation, yet meditation without release can cause fragmentation of the wholeness of who we are. Therefore, participation in Master Mind groups, support groups, friendships, and love relationships are of utmost value in producing ojas and building mental immunity.
Practitioners and teachers of Ayurveda must be examples of a healthy mind, body, and spirit to be a guiding light for our communities. In order to create a breakthrough for Ayurveda, we must ‘Walk our Talk’, and “Be In Balance”. Embodying strong ojas, prana, and tejas gives us the strength and vitality to cope with the work and challenges that lie ahead.
Methods for Nourishing the Immune System
• Essential Oils contain volatile components and active ingredients that support the immune system. When essential oils are inhaled, psychological, and physical changes are instantly produced, directly stimulating the nerve pathways between the nose and limbic system, our primitive brain, where memories, desires, and emotions are stored and accessed. The chemical constituents of essential oils are compatible with many of the allopathic medicines that are used today. In fact, the chemistry of many of essential oils is often utilized in the development of today’s pharmaceuticals.
I consider the use of essential oils a key ingredient of my self-care and the treatment of my clients. It is an easy way to maintain strong ojas, healthy emotions, and a balanced system. In my daily practice of abhyanga, I use essential oils in my massage blend to strengthen my immune response. Abhyanga seals and protects the skin, calms and tones the muscles, centers the mind, and provides a barrier to outside influences. Essential oils may also be added to toothpaste (fennel, neem, peppermint), shampoo (ginger, sandalwood, lemon, mogra, rose), and hair conditioner (lavender, bhrami, bringarash) according to one’s particular constitution.
• Regular hot baths can provide stress relief and relaxation. Oatmeal and ginger baths with essential oils appropriate for your body type are stimulating, and a couple of tablespoons of clay or baking soda added to the bath is relaxing and balances electrolytes after a long day’s work. Footbaths with a few drops of essential oils are excellent for those who spend long hours massaging, doing pancha karma, or other client care.
• Skin brushing with a natural bristle brush (purchased at any good health food store) is important to maintain the health of the body. The skin requires more attention during cold weather as wearing more clothing leads to less exposure to sunlight, causing the blockage of toxins that are normally released via the skin. Brush the entire body for 5-15 minutes daily, (except for the face) and always brush towards the heart.
• Drink appropriate amounts of liquid (pure water, not tap water) or herbal teas according to your dosha.
• Exercise daily (including yoga, tai chi, kung fu, Qi gong) according to your dosha.
• Adequate rest is required according to constitution.
• Maintain the health of your large intestine through regular elimination.
• Daily intake of chyvanprash, dosha appropriate
• Regulate the blood sugar level. For example, Vatas need to eat small amounts of food throughout the day.
• Spritz your office and home with water and essential oils to create a clean, refreshing environment that can enhance daily activities. Lavender is relaxing, bergamot and other citrus oils are stimulating and uplifting.
• Stress is the major cause of immune imbalance. Even with a strong immune system one must be careful not to undermine it through wear and tear of poor lifestyle habits and by continually pushing oneself. Even with the best genetics, the body may succumb to serious illnesses if Ayurvedic practices are not maintained.
• Healers have a tendency to forego nurturing themselves. They see the needs of the world, stretch to accommodate them, and consequently do not take the time to maintain their own self-care.
The immune system is a complex interaction between ourselves and the world around us. How we think, feel and act with our world is a dance that determines whether we affect the world, or the world affects us. Ayurveda gives us many tools for a favorable outcome.
Dr. Light Miller is Director of the Sarasota Branch of the Ayurvedic program of Florida Vedic College and cofounder with her husband, Dr. Bryan Miller, of the Ayurvedic Centre for Self Healing. Dr. Miller is on the Board of Directors of NAMA , is a practitioner of Kaya Kalpa and author of books on Ayurveda and aromatherapy.
Tel: 941-929-0999 EST Email: earthess@aol.com Web site: ayurvedichealers.com
The Thatched Hut Diet: Prevention through Healthy Elimination
by Jay Glaser, M.D.
During my third year in medical school, I went to Zululand to pursue research on tuberculosis. The British surgeon at the hospital wrote me to come in September, and several hours after stepping off the train I found out why. Most Zulu men worked in the diamond and gold mines hundreds of miles to the north and only came home at Christmas. In September we were inundated with the resulting births!
Every Thursday we took a break from the incessant deliveries at the hospital and went to an outlying clinic. The first week we went to a thatched farmhouse in the heart of rural Zululand, where we treated 150 local farmers and cow-herders who presented with primarily infectious and nutritional disorders. Most of these patients presented with problems I had not yet even read about. He taught me to pull teeth, as no dentists were available. A week later, we went to a clinic on the Zululand border where the people commuted from their huts to factories in nearby towns. There we saw diabetes, hypertension, obesity and constipation; now I was in familiar territory. Lurching home on the rutted roads, the wise surgeon and I talked about the phenomenon of diseases of urban life. In his thirty years in Zululand, he had never seen a case of colon cancer and only rarely saw obesity and constipation at the thatched farmhouse. “Did you notice that the lady with hypertension was wearing a watch? She is paid according to how many parts she stamps per hour. Her cousin, whom we saw last week at the thatched farmhouse, doesn’t even know what an hour is. The city cousin also eats city food — processed and salty.”
One year later, I met Denis Burkitt, a senior physician, who had spent his life in Africa and was noted for describing Burkitt’s lymphoma. He had become an astute observer of human stool because he loved to walk about in the great outdoors; in Uganda, this was the outhouse of preference. Ugandans had im-pressed him with their large, soft stools that have a high water content. Rural African stools resemble a cow pie more than an American or British stool, he told us, and have a faster transit time, with undigested roughage from supper showing up the following morning instead of days later as is often the case in the West. Most importantly, he concluded, the presence of these stools helps explain the scarcity of diseases of western civilization: constipation and its sequelae—hemorrhoids, varicose veins and hernias resulting from pelvic congestion and straining at the stool; also not seen are diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, obesity, elevated cholesterol and heart disease. Colon cancer is absent, likely due to carcinogens having less contact time with the wall of the colon.
During the decade after our conversation, the medical community was eager to debunk Dr. Burkitt’s theory that had created such a stir. In one study, adding fiber to the diet of people who had eaten a standard western diet all their lives did not reduce the incidence of colon cancer. However, these subjects did not have a truly African diet, nor would they tolerate one. My own practice experience has confirmed that nearly everyone with chronic constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulosis does better eating what I call a “Thatched Hut Diet,” in honor of our Zululand clinic.
The House of Vata
A popular medical textbook defines constipation as “a lack of fulfillment following a bowel movement,” relegating the problem to the field of the subjective. Indeed some people pass a small, hard rock only once a week and are symptom-free in ignorant bliss, while others have an abundant stool several times a day yet feel the world is coming to an end. The ancient Sanskrit texts of Ayurvedic medicine profess that an easy, daily motion, like a good night’s sleep and freedom from worry, is the reflection of living in accord with the laws of nature, an expression of suitable diet and exercise and of synchrony with circadian rhythms.
According to Ayurvedic texts, constipation is understood to be a disorder of the physiological operating principle called vata, which governs transport and movement in the body. More specifically, the aspect of vata that generates the impulse for the expulsion of materials outward and downward through the pelvis, called apana vata, is weak and irregular. Apana means outward and creates the driving force for the elimination not only of stool, but also of gas, urine, menstrual fluids, semen and babies. Indeed, because the pelvis is the center of so much movement in the body, the ancient texts describe it as vatasthana, the seat or the house of vata, which, like the seat of a government or the house of a family, is the site in which vata accumulates.
Vata governs movement and is like wind, creating a drying, shifting, cold, rough and brittle influence in the body when it becomes imbalanced, mimicking the effects of aging. In the pelvis, a vata imbalance presents itself as a drying, irregular and weakening effect on elimination. Intestinal motility becomes weak, irregular and sluggish. Since the main function of the colon is to reabsorb water from the stool, thus making elimination much more convenient and preventing dehydration, a prolonged time the spent in the colon creates a drying influence on the stool. In surgery I have noticed that the colons of patients with chronic constipation resemble an aging body. The colon becomes irregular, weak, thin-walled, pouched, stretched, and dry, including its contents. The normally muscular walls with ample folds appear withered and smooth.
Chronic constipation is the result of a vicious cycle. Initially the stool becomes pasty and dry, say after a long trip where you spend the day sitting, eating starchy foods, getting dehydrated, and missing your chance to eliminate in the morning. As things slow down, the colon fills up and stretches, and, like blowing up a balloon, the bigger it becomes, the easier it stretches. The muscles in the colon’s walls lose their mechanical advantage, and over time they lose their tone and strength. Like a slave who has been asked to shoulder an excessive burden, the exercise only makes her weaker, especially if the taskmaster adds the strain of a whip, a laxative.
Relief from Constipation
This brings us to the value of the “Thatched Hut Diet,” a diet that mimics what you would eat if you ate only the food that you could grow on your own bounteous land, without anyone to refine, process or package the harvest. It is also similar to what the homesteading prairie pioneers must have eaten. This diet contains large amounts of raw fiber from unrefined grains, seeds, legumes and vegetables, which absorb water, functioning like a sponge. This diet also eliminates the cement we add to our usual fare, breaking the vicious cycle by creating a stool with a high water content, which by definition is softer and more voluminous. Here are the practical points.
Dietary Measures
Avoid constipating foods. Unfortunately, most people, including people with chronic constipation, have no idea what is actually constipating! Most critically, avoid white flour. Do you remember how you made paste as a kid? White flour and water; a few hours later everything was fused. This partly explains the high prevalence of constipation in societies that live on this staple. During the eight days of Passover, when Jews eat no leavening, taking only matzo made from flour and water, they observe the tradition of eating raisins as an antidote. The word pasta, pastry and paste, in fact, derive from the same root; so practice moderation with these and with all kinds of bread, including whole wheat, as well as with crackers, pretzels and cookies. While you are at it, skip nearly everything that is refined, processed or packaged, except dry staples like grains and lentils. Don’t forget other constipating items such as cheese, fowl, tea, potatoes, bananas and white rice. Identify any constipating medications you may be taking as well, including antihistamines, antacids, tranquilizers, antidepressants, antihypertensives, anti-spasmodics, and narcotics.
Favor foods that are high in fiber content. Use whole wheat or bulgur wheat, and substitute barley, rye, oats, brown rice, corn, buckwheat and quinoa for wheat. Beware of millet which the ancient Ayurvedic texts describe as being potentially constipating. Add nuts and seeds to the diet by putting them in your cooking, such as in stir-fried vegetables and casseroles (not macaroni and cheese — the ultimate glue) and eat them for snacks. Include sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, melon and squash seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. Use almonds with the skin, instead of blanched. Avoid peanuts, which are not really nuts, but legumes, and will just add heaviness and gas to an already uncomfortable situation.
Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Some people who are chronically constipated may unconsciously suppress thirst and need to count glasses of fluid drunk per day. Avoid black tea, which may be constipating, and coffee, which is diuretic.
Eat abundant amounts of fruit. After all, a fruit is a tree’s way of tricking an animal into eating its seed. The tree packages it in a sweet, enticing, aromatic container containing a good dose of natural fiber and laxatives, which hustle the seed through the digestive system to get deposited a few miles away in a pile of manure. There are more pleasant ways to get your dose than the traditional prune juice; taking fresh fruit is more important nutritionally and more likely to become a permanent habit, in addition to providing both soluble and non-soluble fiber. Avoid fruits that may create gas, such as pears, as well as bananas, which are constipating. One traditional Ayurvedic remedy is a handful of fresh grapes or freshly squeezed grape juice at bedtime.
Augment your diet with other sources of fiber. The natural fibers in the Thatched Hut Diet may be all that is needed for most people. You can also add flax seeds or bran. The best place for fiber supplements is with your meals, added to oatmeal or granola, for example. One of the finest sources is flax seed. Soak a teaspoon of seeds for a few hours: they swell with water and become mucinous. In your GI tract flax seeds hold water and create lubrication. Mill flax seeds in your coffee grinder or use them whole. You can also drink the soaked seeds with some juice.
Psyllium seed husks are the treatment of choice for anyone who does not get the desired results from dietary changes alone. The ancient Sanskrit word for psyllium is isabgool, and nearly all the psyllium in the world today is grown in India, where the Ayurvedic physicians have long prescribed it as a dietary supplement. I recommend brands that utilize the unrefined husk and leave out the sweeteners and other unnecessary additives. Add psyllium gradually to the diet, starting with a bare half teaspoon and take it with juice or water just before the meal. People who start taking fiber too enthusiastically may experience bloating or gas and give up. Work up to a good teaspoon or two with each meal.
Homemade granola can be a remarkable cure, providing more useful fiber with fewer calories and fat than the packaged varieties. Use whole oat, rye, barley and almond flakes, bran, flax and sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Bake it well, because these grains are harder and rougher than wheat. Mix the raw grains with a little warm olive oil or ghee (clarified butter) before baking at 325 degrees, stirring often until it turns a few shades darker. I spoon in some maple syrup as it cools. You can then add dried fruits such as raisins and date bits. A bowlful with milk or yogurt is all many people may need to conquer their irregularities.
Eat everything fresh, and reduce your use of canned, frozen, packaged and leftover foods. In addition to making food constipating, processing and preserving removes many vitamins and minerals. When you are shopping, remember the thatched hut.
Other Measures to Promote Elimination
Get plenty of exercise. The best kinds are those that involve some bending to massage the abdominal contents, so housework counts as well as yoga postures that involve forward bends.
Re-establish your colon’s circadian rhythms using the gastro-colic reflex. Whenever you eat, nerve and hormone messages are sent by the stomach to the colon, signaling that new inventory has arrived and that room needs to be made by moving out the old. The Ayurvedic texts recommend a glass of warm water in the morning on arising. Find a regular time ten to thirty minutes later to sit on the toilet non-judgmentally for a minute or two, even if you think nothing will transpire. This is akin to toilet training. Culture this habit for a month or two and your colon will begin to keep time with the drumbeat of dawn.
Cultivate good stool habits. Make your visits to the bathroom brief and pay attention to what is going on in your body. Leave War and Peace in the den. Don’t strain; this is the best prevention for hemorrhoids and fissures.Try eliminating from a squatting position. One summer I noticed that Asian visitors, who had been walking barefoot outside, left footprints on the toilet seat. They were using the toilet the way nature originally intended. It is not, however, the way the manufacturer intended, and can result in a broken toilet. Instead, try putting two tin cans about six to eight inches high as footrests on both sides of the bowl. If this position, which naturally compresses the abdominal contents and tilts the pelvis, seems more efficient, you can purchase a permanent, more elegant footrest that slides behind the bowl and out of the way.
Laxatives, Herbs, and Basti
Avoid laxatives. Use them only to prevent or relieve the most uncomfortable circumstances. Keep in mind that constipation is best managed through prevention, and that regular use of senna, castor oil, irritant laxatives, milk of magnesia, cascara and their like can only make the problem worse by interfering with the normal tone of the colon and creating both dependence and tolerance; you will eventually need increasingly bigger doses. If people with healthy elimination find themselves constipated for several days after taking a laxative for a diagnostic test or a therapeutic cleanse, just imagine what laxatives are doing to your already feeble, listless colon.
One fortunate exception to the above advice is the regular use of an Ayurvedic remedy known as triphala. Phal means fruit, and triphala is a combination of three fruits that have been dried, powdered and usually pressed into tablets. Triphala is traditionally used as an upper digestive aid, and as a tonic. It nourishes the skin and eyes, and aids weight loss; its side benefit is gentle laxation. Triphala can be taken in the morning or at bedtime. South Indian vaidyas prescribe triphala to be taken in the morning; in the north it is used before meals or at bedtime. The usual dose is one to six half-gram tablets. For faster effect, the dose can be soaked in a half cup of water for a few hours then drunk, dregs and all. If you are a regular user of laxatives, don’t expect much from triphala until you have implemented the rest of the program above.
Enemas are unnecessary if you properly implement this Ayurvedic program. If, however, hard, impacted stools still develop, it is preferable to use a simple oil retention enema than to take a laxative. The oil will soften and lubricate the stool and make it easier to pass, without disrupting your natural rhythm, as would a laxative. The Ayurvedic medical texts recommend sesame oil, but olive oil is a reasonable substitute. Avoid mineral oils which are harsh and do not have the same nourishing effect on the rectal and colonic walls. Discard the contents of a Fleet enema syringe (the best thing for someone with chronic constipation to do with these irritating salts, in my opinion) and use the syringe to administer two ounces of lukewarm sesame oil. Lie on your left side for ten minutes afterward to allow the oil to ascend the sigmoid colon, and then go about your day (with an optional disposable liner in your underwear in case you forget the oil is there).
One precious side benefit of the Thatched Hut Diet is that it has also been shown to prevent other common serious disorders: heart disease, cancer, hypertension and obesity. Learn to cook and enjoy whole, unrefined, fresh ingredients and every aspect of your health will benefit.
Reprinted from: LOAJ Summer Issue, 2003, Vol. I, Issue 4
Jay Glaser, MD is a board certified internist and medical director of the Lancaster Ayurvedic Medical Center in Sterling, MA. You can obtain more information on the center by calling 978-422-5044 or at www.AyurvedaMed.com. Order his free newsletter at subscribe@AyurvedaMed.com
