by Nepal Yoga Home | Jul 11, 2019 | Yoga, Ayurveda, Health
Shatavari literally means a woman with 100 husbands. This indicates towards the strong hormonal and reproductive system of the woman making her able, fit and full of vitality. The plant is also called Shatamuli representing multiple roots in a bunch. Shatavari, Latin named Asparagus racemosus is called Asparagus in English. Various species of Asparagus has been used as a general tonic and as an aphrodisiac especially by women since long. Here, we will be discussing the health benefits of Asparagus from Ayurveda viewpoint.
Health Benefits Of Shatavari(Asparagus)
Plant Description
Asparagus racemosus, belonging to the Liliaceae family, is a thorny climber with smooth triangular branches. Tiny long, straight or curved thorns are seen and the leaves are a clade. The inflorescence of this plant is 1 to 2 inches long, white, single or bunched and with creamy white flowers. Tiny globose fruits become red after they ripe. The roots are creamy or whitish in color, many in number and are fleshy. These are distributed in up to 4000 feet altitude and are widely cultivated in Nepal and India.
Energetics of Shatavari
- Rasa (Taste): Sweet, bitter
- Guna (Quality): Heaviness, unctuous
- Virya (Potency): Cold
- Vipaka (Rasa essence): Sweet
- Dosha: Pacifies Vata and Pitta
- Chemical Constitution: steroidal saponins- sarsaponin, protodioscin, diosgenin
- Vitamins A, B, C, E, folic acid, amino acid asparagine, arginine
Actions And Therapeutic Uses Of Shatavari
- When applied externally, it has dosha pacifying and tissues strengthening effects. The oil-cooked with Shatavari, when applied locally, helps in headaches, Vata disorders, neurological problems, weaknesses and skin diseases.
- It is also a tonic to our brain, strengthens the nervous system and also has pain relieving effects.
- Due to its pitta pacifying property and its nature to stimulate biliary flow, it is used in hyperacidity, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, and ulcers in the mucosa of GIT.
- Shatavari is good for the heart and helps reduce blood pressure, thus used in heart diseases, hypertension, and epistaxis.
- Woman’s support at its best – It can be the best tonic for pregnant women, those undergoing problems with their menstruation and specially before, during as well as after menopause, as it helps to balance the hormonal changes and deficiency, females go through in those stages of life. It helps nourish the fetus inside the womb and also promotes the formation of milk in the mother’s breast. This is why powder of Shatavari roots has been distributed for free by the government Ayurveda hospitals of Nepal in each district to the pregnant for the better health of mother and child.
- It also has diuretic properties, thus used in oliguria and difficulty in micturition.
- Rasayana – Shatavari promotes good health, vigor, vitality, and longevity. It has anti-oxidants in it, thus renders anti-aging effects keeping us younger.
The roots of this species of Asparagus are used, 10-20 ml if the extracted juice is taken, 3-6 grams of powder and 50-100ml if the decoction is to be taken.
In a nutshell, despite all the health benefits of Shatavari, it is used as a general tonic by both sexes and specially females. Like Withania serves as a rejuvenating tonic in male, Shatavari is specialized in improving female health in all ages. It is, therefore, woman’s support at its best and ultimately the Queen of Herbs.
by Nepal Yoga Home | Jul 10, 2019 | Yoga, Food, Health
We are what we eat. Food is one of the three basic needs of human. In Ayurveda, it is the prime among the three Upasthambha, which holds us. The food we take is responsible for our growth and development, health and sustainability. Food gives us the energy to perform physical activities on a daily basis, the energy for us to respire and for our hearts to contract. Not only the physical activities, food has an impact on our thinking, consciousness, and alertness. In addition, there are foods described in Ayurveda that would increase the Sattva, Rajas or Tamas qualities of mind.
While in today’s world, newer ideas of nutrition sciences, dietetics, and food hygiene are emerging, Ayurveda illustrates various rules regarding food habits that gives a gross idea of them all. In this article, we will discuss the basics that we shall keep in mind before taking food.
Learn 7 Rules Of Healthy Eating Habits
1. Sadras Food – Ayurveda suggests us to include all the six tastes: sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent in our everyday diet so as to establish a balance between the doshas in our body.
- Vata pacifying tastes- sweet, sour, salt
- Vata aggravating tastes- pungent, bitter, astringent
- Pitta pacifying tastes- sweet, bitter, astringent
- Pitta aggravating tastes- sour, salt, pungent
- Kapha pacifying tastes- pungent, bitter, astringent
- Kapha aggravating tastes- sweet, sour, salt
You can also know more about Dietary recommendation as per Prakriti, here.
2. Food Amount – While Acharya Charaka, father of Ayurveda medicine suggests to take food that would make up 1/3rd of our stomach, take 1/3rd amount of liquid diet and leave 1/3rd of the stomach capacity vacant to allow the proper digestion of food; Another scholar of Ayurveda, Acharya Vagbhata allows to fill half of the stomach space with food, a quarter with liquid leaving a quarter space vacant. The idea is not to fill up the entire capacity and leave some space for better digestion.
The food we take shall be in such quantity so that it does not aggravate any of the doshas, helps in the smooth operation of body mechanisms and gets properly digested in time.
Disregarding this rule and taking full-stomach food can lead to laziness, sleepiness, difficulty in moving, lack of energy in short term and inadequate digestive fire that can be a root cause of many diseases in long run.
3. Combination of foods – The combination of several foods can render harmful to toxic effects on our body and are called incompatible foods.
Example Of Combination Of Food
- Ghee and honey in an equal amount can be toxic
- Fish and milk taken together may cause skin problems and even psoriasis
- Tomato or eggplant with milk or yogurt
- Milk and yogurt, sour fruits
4. Eat only when you feel hungry so that your digestive fire will properly act on your food and you won’t suffer from indigestion and the problems it can lead to.
5. Never speak or laugh while eating. Always concentrate on and only on the food you are taking. Food takes care of you. You shall respect it too.
6. Do not eat too fast or too slow, but eat calmly, at time and by properly chewing food. If you eat too fast, you already take a lot of calories before you have eaten enough. In contrary, if you eat too slow, your brain sends signals of fullness in a certain time, but your calories and nutritive needs won’t have met; also, your food gets cold and it’s laborious for the body to digest.
7. Always take clean, fresh food you are habituated with. And keep in mind the place, climate and seasons and properties of food and your own nature, age and health condition before taking food.
Conclusion,
Food is medicine. It purifies your mana, gives the energy to perform activities, makes up your body tissues and body resistance. Therefore, we shall always be thankful for the food in our plate and take it with respect, dedication, and love.
by Nepal Yoga Home | Jul 8, 2019 | Yoga, Ayurveda
Ayurveda is an art of how we live. It is a lifestyle, truly a way of living. It explains every do’s and don’ts in our day to day life, in the form of Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Dharaniya vega, and Adharaniya vega and even more. Human beings have of the body with a machine-like pattern, where different mechanisms are being conducted every time. As a by-product of such mechanisms, various urges come to existence, which if suppressed can cause harmful effects on our body and may even lead to diseases.
Adharaniya derives from Sanskrit word ‘dharana’ which means to hold and the prefix ‘a’ means not to. ‘Vega’ translates to urges. Therefore, the urges of our body which we shan’t hold are simply known as Adharaniya vega.
13 Urges (Adharaniya Vega) Of Acharya Charaka
- Urge for urination
- Urge for defecation
- Urge for seminal discharge
- Urge for flatus
- Urge for vomiting
- Urge for sternutation or sneezing
- Urge for eructation
- Urge for pandiculation or yawning
- Urge for hunger
- Urge for thirst
- Urge for lacrimation
- Urge for sleep
- Urge for deep breathing after exercise
Now, let us discuss the probable effect of suppression of a few urges that we often suppress as well as their management.
Types Of Adharaniya Vega And Its Management
1. Urge of Urination:
Suppression of this urge leads to pain in the pelvic region, the urethra and difficulty in urination. It might also lead to headache and pain in groins. We can manage this by oleation, massage and steaming, intake of ghee before meal and sleep and Vasti therapies.
2. Urge of Defecation:
Most of us might have this habit of suppressing our urge of defecation when we are at work or outside. If yes, we must have experienced pain in our lower abdomen, the fullness of abdomen, pain, and heaviness in upper thighs. Some might also have experienced faeces and flatus arrested inside following the suppression. To get rid of these, suppository, massage and steaming, Vata pacifying food and herbs are advised.
3. Urge For Seminal Discharge:
The reproductive juices are considered the most vital of all 7 tissues and its urge is not meant to be suppressed as per the Ayurveda classics. If suppressed, it leads to scrotal and penile pain, tiredness of body, pain in cardiac region, obstruction of urine and seminal vesical calculi. Massaging the local area, immersing the area into medicated decoction or oil, intake of alcohol, chicken meat, milk, Niruha vasti, and sexual intercourse are measures to manage the problems.
4. Urge For Flatus:
Due to hesitation or shame, people often suppress flatus, especially when in the crowd. But this can lead to obstruction of the same, urine and faeces, gaseous distension and pain in the abdomen. These problems can be managed by applying oil, steam and suppositories, Vata pacifying food, medicines, and vasti therapy.
5. Urge For Vomiting:
Controlling the vomiting urge can lead to itching in the skin, eruptions and other skin problems, loss of appetite, fever, anemia, and swelling like problems. Though each of these problems may need to be addressed separately, emesis after food intake, medicated smoke, fasting or light foods intake, bloodletting, exercise, and virechana are said to manage them in general.
6. Urge For Sleep:
Suppression of urge for sleep may lead to yawning, fatigue, body pain, headache, heaviness in eyes. These can be managed by a good oil massage to head and sleep.
7. Urge For Hunger:
Not eating when hungry can result in emaciated body, weakness, uneven skin tone, and complexion, pain in body parts, anorexia and dizziness which can be possibly managed by taking warm, light and unctuous food.
by Tirtha Acharya | Jul 7, 2019 | Yoga
Practicing yoga has multiple benefits for the mind, spirit, and body. Yoga Asanas can control aging, lift our disposition and help in curing disease. Moreover, yoga is a practice that anyone can get into no matter what background. This article will look at the basic Yoga Asanas for beginners, and how each of them can benefit your health.
1. Bitilasana
Bitilasana means the cow pose. It’s an easy, gentle technique to warm up the spine. You start on your hands and knees with the Bharmanasana (table top) pose. Ensure that your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are aligned and perpendicular to the floor. Also, keep your knees directly below your hips. As you inhale lift your head and chest towards the ceiling while allowing your belly to sink to the floor. As you do the pose, remember to protect your neck by drawing your shoulders down and away from your ears. When you exhale, come back to the Bharmanasana. This pose helps in stretching the neck and front torso. It also provides a gentle massage to the spine and organs in the belly region. You can pair this with the Marjaryasana (cat pose).
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana
This is more commonly known as downward-facing dog. It’s arguably the most popular yoga pose, also because of its all-over rejuvenating stretch. To do the pose, start with Bharmanasana. Remember to plant your hands and spread your palms. Then, exhale deeply while you lift your knees away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from your pelvis. Push your thighs back and plant your heels onto the floor. Straighten your knees but be mindful not to lock them. Take a few breaths here. This asana has many benefits: it energizes the body, improves digestion and calms down the brain. It also prevents osteoporosis and relieves headaches and insomnia.
3. Sukhasana
Sukhasana is a leg fold that’s also called the easy pose. Start in a seated position on the floor with your legs outstretched. Then, bend your knees and fold your legs in towards your torso. Slip each foot beneath the opposite knee. Remember to relax your feet so that the outer edges rest easy on the floor. You can either place your hands on your lap or knees. This pose helps in calming the brain. It also supports the strengthening of the back, while stretching the knees and ankles.
4. Savasana
Also called the corpse pose, this asana involves total relaxation and neutrality. It involves lying down on the floor with your hands and feet stretched outward. You shouldn’t be feeling any tension during this asana. Savasana helps in quieting the mind and body. It calms the brain as well, relieving it of stress and fatigue. It also aids in lowering blood pressure.
Why You Should Take Up Yoga
The benefits of taking up yoga increase as you continually practice it. A good example of this is how professional sports stars use yoga as a way to keep their career going for longer. Times of India looked at how Canadian Olympic football player Kara Lang used yoga to help prevent injuries and improve her breathing. This allowed her to become one of the youngest members of the women’s national team.
At the other end of the age scale, Roger Federer revealed that he also uses yoga for back pain and recovery. His training has led him to be the most successful tennis player in the sport’s history. Federer is also the highest paid athlete in tennis and is one of the sport’s longest playing stars. This is due to him staying almost injury free through supportive practices like yoga. Indeed, yoga is a practice that benefits both beginners and elite athletes. It doesn’t matter if you’re in your early years or later years, now is the time to start, and these poses will help you on your journey.
The article was written for nepalyogahome.com
By: Clara Kaye
by Tirtha Acharya | Feb 8, 2019 | Ayurveda, Yoga
The meaning of yoga is to unify the body, mind, and soul to discover a balanced, harmonious and happy life where there is no sickness and bondage. So yoga fundamentally concentrates for a healthy body. Ayurveda is a sister science of yoga as both of them has the same origin i.e. Vedas.
Yoga and Ayurveda have healing effects on the body, which is their primary function. Unless the body is healthy, one cannot enjoy the real happiness and real meaning of life. First of all Yoga and Ayurveda makes your body healthy and then they lead towards a higher goal.
Healing Effects of Yoga
The limbs of yoga like Asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, detoxification etc. all are directly connected to healing the body. Regular practice of Asana improves flexibility, balance, and strength as well as cures many ailments. The pranayama or breathing techniques gives positive effects on depression, asthma, pain, memory power, etc.
Yoga, with the proper connection of aerobic exercise, meditation, and ayurvedic diet help cardiovascular disease, blood pressure and overall systems of human beings. Yoga helps to cope in a better way with daily demands and sound sleep.
There are various researches that yoga acts as anti-aging effects promotes immunity and has healing effects for various physical and mental diseases. Some of them are as follows:
· Blood Sugar
· Blood Pressure
· Heart Diseases
· Stress
· Depression
· Cancer
· Menopause
“Psychology Today” gives the report,-“Yoga has the antagonistic consequence to suffering or pain on the brain than chronic pain.” Yoga Therapy slackens nervous system tension, chronic pain, headaches and migraines, chronic fatigue, disc problems, carpal tunnel, neck pain, glandular disorder, and many others.
There are many Western Medical institutes that have done researches and studies on health effects of yoga and Ayurveda. Timothy McCall, MD has prepared a summary of various professional medical studies named “38 Ways Yoga Keeps You Fit” which proves Yoga is the best way to cure multiple diseases like cholesterol, back pain, depression, blood pressure and circulation, abdominal diseases and much, much more.
National Geography by Ohio State University reported on a study that “Cancer patients who practiced yoga for treatment were comparatively better than those who didn’t. The rate of Inflammation controlled was much better due to the effects of yoga.
Yoga is not merely physical but has a direct relation with mind creating balance in emotions and thoughts and uplifting consciousness. In fact, more than 90% of the diseases start in the mind and affect the physical body. Yoga practice eliminates the root of suffering and leaves no place to remain diseases.
Healing Effects of Ayurveda
Yoga applies yogic techniques to heal the diseases and provide the best health while Ayurveda uses different types of plants and herbs for healing the diseases and giving the ultimate natural health since they both have the same origin and similar goal.
One of the verses from the Yoga Sutra, “yogas chitta vritti nirodhaha”, betells yoga as the harmoniously settled state of the mind and thoughts which is the perfect state of mental health. There is a verse in ayurvedic texts, svasmin dishati iti svasthah, which means that one who perennially abides coalesced with the Self is a healthy person. These verses reveal that both yoga and Ayurveda focus on the perfect health- physically, mentally and spiritually.
We can understand that Ayurveda and health have healing effects in many ways. There are other many verses in the ayurvedic texts which focus to this self-mentioned state of the mind as the essence of health. A verse from the Sushruta Samhita states, “A person is said to be a healthy person whose doshas are in balance, whose appetite is fine, whose dhatus are working properly, whose malas are harmonized and whose Self, mind and senses remain full of bliss.
Unity of Mind, Body, and Consciousness
Yoga, a Sanskrit word, means “unification” or “to connect together”. It is the yoking together to unite body, mind, and soul. Yoga makes the mind stronger by joining the mind with the Self, the Atma. The mind cannot be properly connected with the self if there are diseases or defilements in the body and mind. So, primarily yoga must have healing effects in the body.
The aim of Maharishi Ayurveda is also to experience this unity making the body healthy. The word ayurveda is a Sanskrit word which is derived from “ayu” which means “life” or “lifespan.” Therefore Ayurveda is “the science and process of life and longevity.” Another meaning of ‘ayu’ is described in Charaka Samhita (an ancient ayurvedic text)
— sharirendriya sattvatma sanyogo. . . ayu. The verse states ayu as the integrated state of body, mind, sense, and soul. Thus both yoga and Ayurveda have common goal i.e. complete unification body, mind, and consciousness. To get the unity, the fundamental element is perfect health. Thus, basically, yoga and Ayurveda works for healing.
Yoga is the complement of Ayurveda for healing
Yoga is an inseparable part of Ayurveda. It is mentioned in ayurvedic texts like the Charaka Samhita. Since Ayurveda has healing effects, nowadays many ayurvedic hospitals are opened. Yoga is always in Ayurvedic hospitals for better healing effects. Yoga asana is important for dissolving physical stress, healing the body and calming the mind before meditation and focus at healthy lifestyle (dinacharya) the ayurvedic routine.
Yoga is the ideal ayurvedic exercise, because it enhances immunity power, rejuvenates the body, improves circulation and digestion, removes stress and in this way it heals the body.
Yoga has healing effects which balance all three doshas of an individual. Different yoga poses have different healing effects. For instance, forward bending poses cool Pitta Dosha. Twisting yoga asanas are good for Kapha because they promote digestion. Backward bending poses are warming and heating which balances Vata Dosha.
Yoga is always referred to as long as an individual has the strength to practice it. Yoga asanas tone all the parts of the body and purify the internal organs of toxins, which is one of the aims of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is the complement of Yoga for healing
Yoga practitioners can get benefits from the ayurvedic activities along with yoga. For example, abhyanga (ayurvedic massage) removes toxins from the body, reenergizes the body and relaxes the muscles for yoga practice. Maharishi Ayurveda gives wide support for the better practice of yoga.
There must be a strong foundation of ayurvedic knowledge or hatha yoga runs the risk of becoming mere physical exercise. Yoga aims to purify the nadis (channels) with different postures. But for the cleansing process, only yoga is not sufficient. Ayurvedic principles have vital importance for removing ama (digestive impurities). So it is always recommended ayurvedic principles with yoga asanas by traditional yoga schools as they are too much interdependent to each other.
Along with this, the yoga practitioner needs to understand the way of detoxifying through lifestyle and dietary which will stop the accumulation of toxin in the body rather it keeps cleansing. With this purification, yoga, and Ayurveda give healing effects together.
by Tirtha Acharya | Dec 22, 2018 | Yoga
As per Vedantic philosophy, there is five dimension of life types of Koshas in the human body:- Annamaya Kosha, Pranamaya Kosha, Manomaya Kosha, Vijnanamaya Kosha, and Anandamaya Kosha.
1) Annamaya Kosha
Annamaya kosha of Human body represents the physical body that is solid or gross which is connected with Sthula Sharir. A person who is living in this layer recognizes himself as the mass of skin, bones, muscles, fat, and filth, whereas only a wise know the reality as it is, the true self, as separate from the body. It is formed with the food we take. In order to keep the annamaya kosha healthier, we give attention on a balanced diet, nutrition, and swatik food. So this is also called as the food body or the food sheath. The crops grown without the use of pesticides is also very important as people have been suffering from different problems due to harmful chemicals in food. This body requires proper exercise and rest for physical fitness. So people practice different types of exercises, yoga-asana (postures) for normal health. If the first body is pure and lighter, then it is easier to enter in the second one, pranamaya kosha. Proper fasting is also good to purify the Annamaya Kosha. One should also learn to witness the annamaya kosha during the fasting or it will not be effective.
2) Pranamaya Kosha
The next layer of the body after annamaya kosha of human body is pranamaya kosha. It is the vital force i.e. pranic force which drives both the physical and the mental activities. It is an energetic sheath and keeps radiating. Pranamaya Kosha is life force energy like electricity that gives heat and power to continue the life since it is the Kosha consisting living energy. Pranayama, chakra suddhi, Kundalini and Kriya etc are necessary to deal with pranayama kosha. The food has some effects on Pranamaya Kosha, so it requires the food earned with right action, with honest and just action. The food intake earned through dishonesty affects the pranic force as well as it causes different diseases in the physical body as well. A longer breath is the best diet for Pranamaya Kosha. One of the spiritual masters suggests taking 108 long breaths (before sunrise) between 3:30 and 5:30 am. Due to it, one becomes aware of the breath throughout the day which leads to longer breath.
The pranamaya kosha of human body gives you more freedom, newer spaces. It is not limited to the physical body, but bigger than the physical body, the annamaya kosha. It is inside the annamaya kosha and outside the annamaya kosha, which is enclosed by a subtle climate, known as aura.
3) Manomaya Kosha
Manomaya kosha of human body is also called as mind-sheath, the layer after the Pranamaya Kosha. The manomaya sheath consists of mind and manipulates the senses in mind acquired through sense organs. It is the dimension of thoughts and mental awareness. This layer is composed of mind(manas) and intellect (Buddhi). The mind is thoughtful; several thoughts arise in mind throughout the day. The mind-sheath is more approximate to the personhood than the previous two koshas. Manomaya kopsha is the cause of diversification of I, me, and mine. It carries the sanskaras. The bondage is caused due to sanskara which is at mind. This the cause of bondage and liberation is the mind. To manage the mind or thinking pattern; the intellect and awareness play a vital role. To balance manomaya kosha mantra, pratyahara, Yantra , dharana, concentration, etc are practiced.
4) Vijyanamaya Kosha
After the layer of manomaya kosha of human body, there lies an insight sheath called vijyanamaya kosha. This kosha is related to knowledge, thus it is also referred to as wisdom sheath. ‘Jnana’ means wisdom. The ability to discriminate right from wrong, virtue from vice is the function of this layer. It is an intellect body which receives information and knowledge from an outside source as well. The activity of this vijyanamaya kosha gives the ability to ask who am I, how can I help humanity? The prefix ‘Vi’ signifies the intensity. It approaches the real source of wisdom which is hidden within us; to which we were unaware. As we start being aware or it, it becomes easier to transcend this kosha.
5) Anandamaya Kosha
After the realization Vijnanamaya kosha, we move ahead to the next layer into the experience of anandamaya kosha. It is the realm of bliss, rapture etc. which consist of an unalloyed joy. It is the sheath consisting bliss. So, it is called the bliss body or the bliss sheath as well. Anandamaya kosha is the true state of ananda, connected to the deepest source. Only after experiencing Samadhi we can feel Anandamaya Kosha.
There are two types of joy- ephemeral and eternal. On the fulfillment of our desires and favorable situations, we acquire ephemeral or transitory joy while eternal joy is unconditional which is experienced after reaching anandamaya kosha.
Vedantic philosophy states that a wise person becomes mindful on the subtle influence of the five elements within each kosha, perennially cognize the self.
One of the interesting facts is that every physical cell has pancha kosha. Annamaya Kosha is connected with sthula sharir (physical body). Next three kosha- pranamaya, manomaya and vigyanamaya koshas are linked with shukshma sharir (astral body). The fifth sheath, anandamaya kosha is related with karan sharir (causal body).
There is an important series of yogic practice to deal with all pancha kosha. Yoga asana (postures) with adequate holding is practiced for the exercise of annamaya kosha. During the holding, awareness of breath is practiced focusing particular point. At this time, long breath with ujjayai sound can also be practiced to bring the mind in concentration. It is the part of pranayama to deal with pranayama kosha. The same sequence can be practiced again bringing deeper feeling and sensations on the body in each posture which deals with manomaya kosha of human body. The body gets tired after the practice of asana (postures), so savasana (corpse pose) or yog nindra (yogic sleep) is practiced after the completion of asana practice. This relaxation helps to communicate to vigyanamaya kosha. Finally, the time is for meditation after savasana. Meditation is only the way to enter in the realm of anandamaya kosha.
