Everyday Ayurveda – a Practical Guide to Healthy Living
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Everyday Ayurveda A Practical Guide to Healthy Living Danny Cavanagh & Carol Willis Discover the ancient Ayurvedic secrets of balancing the mind and body for health, happiness and fulfilment Ayurveda UK Published by: Ayurveda UK Copyright © 2004 by Danny Cavanagh PO Box 5761, Burton-on-Trent, DE13 9YW Tel: 0870 744 1508 www.ayurveda.uk.com [email protected] All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this booklet is complete and accurate. However, neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions offered in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss, injury or damage allegedly arising from any information suggested in this book. The Practical Guide to Healthy Living Danny Cavanagh & Carol Willis He whose happiness is within, whose contentment is within, whose light is all within, that yogi, being one with Brahman, attains eternal freedom in divine consciousness ~ Bhagavad-Gita ~ Contents Body types & nutrition Page 1 Body-type questionnaire Page 2 Understanding Vata, Pitta & Kapha Page 6 The dosha family go shopping Page 7 Vata dosha & Vata balancing diet Page 9 Pitta dosha & Pitta balancing diet Page 11 Kapha dosha & Kapha balancing diet Page 13 Recommendations for losing weight Page 16 A balanced diet and the six tastes Page 17 Improving digestion & maintaining health Page 18 Other nutritional considerations Page 23 Adverse effects of microwaved food Page 25 Summary of dietary principles Page 27 The day starts the day before Page 28 Daily routines, exercise & yoga Page 29 Dinacharya Page 30 Nature’s natural cycles Page 33 The ideal daily routine Page 34 Oil massage & daily massage plan Page 35 So-hum meditation Page 38 Pranayama Page 40 Exercise & daily exercise plan Page 42 Ayurvedic warm-up exercises Page 46 Yoga postures & Sun Salute Page 47 Yoga practice guidelines Page 50 Yoga Nidra Page 51 Summary of lifestyle principles Page 56 Ayurveda detox programs Page 57 Background to Panchakarma Page 60 Stages of panchakarma – shamana & purvakarma Page 61 Stages of panchakarma – virechana Page 62 Stages of panchakarma – samsarjana krama Page 63 Stages of panchakarma – basti Page 64 Stages of panchakarma – rasayana Page 65 Stages of panchakarma – post treatment Page 66 Panchakarma detox – foods to favour/avoid Page 67 Panchakarma detox – post treatment meal routines Page 68 Castor oil & G h e e Page 69 Maintaining good health Page 71 Ayurvedic therapies Page 72 Dhatus Page 75 Panchakarma FAQ Page 77 Other detox options introduction Page 79 The Mini Detox Page 80 The Dh al Detox Page 81 The Lemon Detox Page 82 The Combination Detox Page 83 Recommended Detox options Page 84 Healthy drinks Page 85 Ayurvedic herbs & oils Page 86 Classification of herbs used in Ayurveda Page 87 Ayurvedic herbs Page 90 Triphala & Aloe Vera Page 92 Herbal formulas for common ailments Page 93 Guide to using aromatic oils Page 97 Practical therapies & advise Page 99 N a s y a Page 100 Skin brushing, tongue cleansing & neti pot Page 102 The Bates Method Page 103 Eye exercises & Netra Program Page 104 Balancing the female cycle Page 106 How to keep joints healthy Page 109 How to cope with allergies Page 111 Stress free vacations Page 113 Tip for air travel Page 114 Balancing the mind & emotions Page 115 How to be happy & peaceful Page 116 Key points for cultivating mental peace Page 120 The Enquiry Page 121 Thought field therapy (Tft) Page 123 Stress free vacations Page 126 Tips for air travel Page 127 Accomplishing goals Page 94 Starting an Ayurvedic lifestyle Page 98 Mantras & healing sounds Page 129 Lakshmi, Ganesha, Gayatri, Maha Mrityunjaya, Dhanvantre, Kubera mantras Page 131 Shiva , Mani, Dattatreya, Vasudeva, Tara, Taraka rama mantras Page 132 Planetary healing & protective mantras Page 133 Planetary strengthening & vastu mantras Page 134 Chakra mantras Page 134 Bija shakti mantras Page 135 Healing sounds Page 136 Additional mantra information Page 137 Overtoning Page 140 Recipes Page 141 Dhal Page 142 Sauces Page 143 Churnas Page 144 Chutneys Page 145 Dips Page 146 Dressings Page 147 Vegetables Page 148 Curry dishes Page 150 Rice dishes Page 151 Grain dishes Page 152 Soups Page 153 Deserts Page 156 Herbal teas Page 157 Lassi & Raita Page 159 Juices Page 160 Other drinks & digestives Page 161 Milk drinks Page 162 Ghee Page 163 Chapatis Page 164 For the kitchen Page 165 Inspirational Q uot e s & Sayings Page 166 Appendices Page 174 Toxins in your bathroom Page 176 Suntan lotions Page 177 Recommended reading Page 179 Scientific references Page 181 Glossary Page 182 Resources Page 183 ii About the Authors Danny Cavanagh and Carol Willis began their study of Ayurveda in the late 1980s and trained as Ayurvedic Panchakarma Technicians at the Maharishi University of Valkenburg in Holland in 1993. Since that time they have also studied with the renowned Dr Vacant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico and Dr David Frawley and Atreya Smith at the American and European Institute of Ayurveda. The subjects they have studied include pulse reading, Ayurvedic herbology, Ayurvedic diet and nutrition and Marma therapy. They gave up their careers as Nature Reserve Warden and Photographer respectively and decided to dedicate their lives to passing on this ancient knowledge of rejuvenation and revitalisation to others. They have run many centres across the UK and have treated thousands of clients, including many high- profile celebrities and members of the royal family. In their role as both massage therapists and personal development/stress management counsellors they have witnessed extraordinary improvements in the quality of life of many of their guests due to the power of the programs they administer. Presently they run a very exclusive Panchakarma detox and stress management service in Staffordshire where they take one client at a time and gently guide them in the Ayurvedic way of living harmoniously with their environment. Each client receives instruction in meditation, yoga and exercise and advice on diet and nutrition but the highlight of each day is often the luxurious two-hour massage and detoxification therapy they receive. Danny and Carol also offer business clients a detox retreat program in a beautiful setting in the Peak District as, amongst other things, the knowledge of body-types is an invaluable aid to understanding their colleagues’ innate strengths, weaknesses and behaviour. Learning in a group is an excellent team building exercise and helps forge and strengthen business relationships. As if their schedule isn’t busy enough, they also occasionally administer Ayurvedic detox and education retreats in Europe and the USA, travelling with their team of Ayurvedic massage technicians and custom-built treatment equipment to their client’s homes, albeit usually very large homes. Primarily, they consider themselves facilitators and maintain that, whilst they may help carry out the various massage and counselling therapies, it is the client who ultimately allows the changes to their health, emotions, behaviour and healing to take place. They are committed to spreading the knowledge of Ayurveda and spend much of their time acting as an advice service to both clients and public alike. Introduction This book has been compiled to provide a practical help guide to those interested in following a healthy Ayurvedic lifestyle. With complementary therapies and esoteric philosophies becoming much more widely accepted and available in the west many people are interested in finding out more. However, whilst there is a wealth of information in the public domain, there is little in the way of sound, practical advice available to the lay person, especially in the field of Ayurveda. We hope this book will address some of these shortfalls and provide a practical basis for self-improvement. As an all encompassing holistic health-care system, the science of Ayurveda can be viewed as an umbrella discipline or ‘mother’ of many modern-day alternative therapies. Having been a successful primary health-care modality for millions of people for many thousands of years it’s translation as ‘the knowledge of life’ is most apt. The oldest written records originate in India and date back over 2000 years and its recommendations and advice for healthy living are as relevant today t h e y ever were – and probably even more so. An important aspect of Ayurveda lies in its ability to understand and describe the subtle energies and intelligence flowing through our bodies. Ayurvedic doctors skilled in the ancient practice of pulse reading are able to accurately diagnose imbalances in an individual on a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. This allows them to prescribe very effective herbal and behavioural remedies. Unfortunately, as this skill is traditionally passed down verbally from one generation of Vaidyas (Ayurvedic doctors) to the next, much of this art has been lost and it is now rarely taught in Ayurvedic collages and universities. It is not a subject we will address in this book but it is well worth finding an Ayurvedic practitioner that is skilled in this field if you have severe chronic health problems. However, the Ayurvedic texts contain a treasure trove of knowledge based on its profound understanding of the deeper workings of nature and the rhythms and cycles that govern all life on earth. This knowledge is practical, easy to understand and is suitable for anyone interested in improving their physical, mental and spiritual health. It is our aim to faithfully present this knowledge in clear, easy-to-follow steps which you can slowly introduce into your life if you have choose to take responsibility for your own health and well-being and are willing to dedicate a little time and effort.