[Sama]

pranayama is also important in balancing the doshas. my teacher in India told me to immediately stop doing kapalabhati breathing as that was totally aggravating the vata part of me.

[icetea]

There's a comprehensive prakriti test on the Dabur website, I remember trying it once. You can take the test there and they will display the results at the end, plus all the recommendations. Here's the link:

http://www.dabur.com/en/ayurveda/kno...akritiTest.asp

[Sama]

an interesting test. again, I came up 50/50 vata/pitta.

it should also be mentioned that the time of year and the time of day also influences our doshas. I know today I am much more pitta....

I neglected to mention in the post about balancing your dosha with pranayama, that there are also specific yoga practices that also help balance the doshas.

[kiranlal]

The body constitution is like the Poison in the snake as it never harms the snake this is the defenition of the Prakruty-the so called body constitution,
so there is no need to worry about any particular types , you cannot change it , but you can influance the wrong effects by balancing it with other doshas.
and the massage therapies are just a method of preperation for the elemination,

people are giving too much importance to it as it is an easy tool for marcketting

[Nick-H]

Hello Kiranlal, I'm glad you've turned up in this thread and I hope you will contribute more for us!

Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests (with a wealth of herbs and medicinal plants), and the cool monsoon season (June – November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative programs. In fact, today Kerala is the only state in India , which practices this system of medicine with absolute dedication.


Ayurveda, the 5000-year-old natural herbal health care system has been recognized the world over as the most perfected body-mind health care system. Ayurveda, a holistic system of medicine that is rejuvenative and therapeutic, is widely practiced in India . Kerala, the tropical paradise on the southwest seaboard, is well known as the heart land of Ayurveda.

Kerala, the confluence of different natural herbal systems, enriched and fine-tuned Ayurveda. While the Ayurvedic system was enriched by Siddha and Marma systems in southern Kerala, it joined hands with Kalaripayattu and Kalari Therapy in northern Kerala. This resulted in the emergence of a new stream noted for its special procedures and formulations.

Ayurveda is more effective in monsoon season as the atmosphere remains dust free and cool,opening the body pores to maximum, making it more receptive to herbal oils and therapy.

Rejuvenate your body, mind and soul by taking Ayurveda treatment atleast once in your life time.

The duration of Ayurveda tours generally depends upon the type of treatment needed. If you have any specific disease and looking for ayurveda treatment in Kerala, write to us and let our experts help you in planning your trip.


Ayurveda Uses

Beauty Care
Herbal face pack, herbal oil massage, intake of herbal tea etc. improves complexion and beautifies the body.

Body Slimming
Medicated herbal powder and medicated herbal oil massages, an Ayurvedic diet of herbal juices etc. are part of the program.



Hair Care
'Thaali' is a traditional shampoo. It can be any herb, usually the soapy paste of crushed 'Hibiscus Rosa' leaves or 'Cheevakkai' (Shikakai) powder, made into a paste and rubbed into the hair during the bath.

Plain boiled rice soup rubbed into the scalp for ten minutes prior to the bath is an excellent cure for dandruff. 'Moong' (green gram) is a good hair and body scrub. 'Mylanchi' (henna or Egyptian privet) is widely used as a hair dye.

Adding 'Amla' (dried and powdered Gooseberry, 'Phylanthus embilica') and beating in an Egg Yolk makes the dye fast. Unlike chemical dyes, this is quite harmless. A mixture of Coconut Milk and Lemon Juice can prevent hair loss.

Yoghurt, eggs and Lemon Juice rubbed into the scalp is said to accelerate hair growth, while Cucumber has excellent astringent properties.



Skin Care
Pastes of Cucumber, Sandalwood, Papaya and Pineapple Fruit are used for making face masks. Honey acts as a powerful moisturizer. Turmeric paste is another popular skin care herb, applied both as a face pack as well as all over the body, to improve the skin tone and prevent skin disorders.

A mixture of Lemon Juice and Honey is used in skin care. A paste of 'Raktha Chandanam' (red sandalwood) in Honey, applied once or twice a day for about a fortnight, has a magical effect in erasing scars.

PANCHAKARMA TREATMENT
A five-fold treatment for mental and physical well being - tunes the body, organs, mind, breath, nerves and purifies the blood.

[haritha]

So please continue

[haritha]

There are lot of web resources on Ayurveda . I think tourism and ayurveda if it is going to be combined in the way it is done now it will not be beneficial for the both.

[icetea]

Well...so much for these prakriti tests! Two years ago it was saying I'm Pitta-Vatta....no Kapha...now it's saying I'm Vatta- Kapha...no Pitta

I'm not an ayurveda passionate, I didn't try it further than some Himalaya Healthcare capsules of something, and taking oil baths (which I anyway vew from a cosmetic perspective only). I don't like all the "mumbo-jumbo" aura associated with it. But one does have to admit 3 points regarding Ayurveda:

1. The collection of herbs and the knowledge regarding their use is certainly impressive and worthwile exploring.

2. It does go much beyond conventional medicine's ways of solely diagnosing the illness, instead of the whole patient, which is by all means laudable.

3. And it has a comprehensive and (to some) attractive "interface language" (Pitta, Vatta, Kapha and their balance) to explain to us mortal sould what went wrong in the body and what gives us the symptoms we are having. This is not science and it should not be taken as such; certainly not many will believe that the doshas exist in the form they are described. But it is a simple and attractive system designed to be understood by anyone, unlike all the intricate data that a physician is giving during a consultation; no matter how scientifically accurate this one might be, there are many who have trouble understanding it and relating to it.

[Nick-H]

Oh, IceTea! How about the mumbo-jumbo of allopathic medicine? OK... it's understandable to those who also have science degrees...

There are theories and theories and theories... allopathy, homeopathy, accupuncture, ayurveda and a dozen more. Of course, they are not necessarily mutually exclusive, nor does one being right make the others wrong.

Someone may say that they prefer a proof shown in testtubes in a lab. Another may say that it is the experience that counts.

In that "Science" is, ultimately, knowledge, then yes, it is science!

As to being easily understandable, I rather doubt that it is, other than at a very superficial level. Otherwise it would not be years of study, just as allopathic medicine is.

[kiranlal]

it is very surprising that day by day we are finding more scientific reasoning for age old ayurvedic hypotheses. For example ayurveda prescribe different treatments for different body types, which resembles adopting a treatment line with the Genetic components in mind.
And in ayurvedic embryology there are special recommendations to produce perfect sperms and ovum’s before the copulation and to helps the fertilization in maximum suitable environment.

Special treatments are described to get desirable sex of the child (probably to fix the sexual characters to avoid trans gender changes in future.?)

It is a very surprising science and we are happy to know that it has the historical back ground which connect more civilizations in the world.

[Dr.Barai]

Heavy Metal Content of Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine Products

JAMA. 2004;292:2868-2873.

Context Lead, mercury, and arsenic intoxication have been associated with the use of Ayurvedic herbal medicine product (HMPs).

Objectives To determine the prevalence and concentration of heavy metals in Ayurvedic HMPs manufactured in South Asia and sold in Boston-area stores and to compare estimated daily metal ingestion with regulatory standards.

Design and Setting Systematic search strategy to identify all stores 20 miles or less from Boston City Hall that sold Ayurvedic HMPs from South Asia by searching online Yellow Pages using the categories markets, supermarkets, and convenience stores, and business names containing the word India, Indian cities, and Indian words. An online national directory of Indian grocery stores, a South Asian community business directory, and a newspaper were also searched. We visited each store and purchased all unique Ayurvedic HMPs between April 25 and October 24, 2003.

Main Outcome Measures Concentrations (µg/g) of lead, mercury, and arsenic in each HMP as measured by x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Estimates of daily metal ingestion for adults and children estimated using manufacturers’ dosage recommendations with comparisons to US Pharmacopeia and US Environmental Protection Agency regulatory standards.

Results A total of 14 (20%) of 70 HMPs (95% confidence interval, 11%-31%) contained heavy metals: lead (n = 13; median concentration, 40 µg/g; range, 5-37 000), mercury (n = 6; median concentration, 20 225 µg/g; range, 28-104 000), and/or arsenic (n = 6; median concentration, 430 µg/g; range, 37-8130). If taken as recommended by the manufacturers, each of these 14 could result in heavy metal intakes above published regulatory standards.

Conclusions One of 5 Ayurvedic HMPs produced in South Asia and available in Boston South Asian grocery stores contains potentially harmful levels of lead, mercury, and/or arsenic. Users of Ayurvedic medicine may be at risk for heavy metal toxicity, and testing of Ayurvedic HMPs for toxic heavy metals should be mandatory.


Author Affiliations: Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Osher Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Drs Saper, Eisenberg, Phillips, and Davis); Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine (Drs Saper, Eisenberg, Phillips, and Davis), and Division of Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine (Dr Burns), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston; The Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge (Dr Kales); Occupational Health Program, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston (Dr Kales); and New England Regional Laboratory, Environmental Protection Agency, North Chelmsford (Dr Paquin), Mass. Dr Saper is now with the Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.

[anu_k]

My friend had suffered all her life with crippling menstrual pain and after various treatments, western medicine left her with the option of a hysterectomy in her mid 30s.

After recommendations from a number of people she travelled to Kerala for ayurvedic treatment. 5 years on she continues with ayurvedic therapies and practices yoga and remains free from all the symptoms she had previously suffered.

Her GP says her improvement is due to reduced stress. This may be true but as a biochem post-grad I am still astounded by her story and wanted to share it with you.

[Nick-H]

Ayurvedic medicine and heavy metal toxicity??. its real !!

Yes, it is real, and it has been the subject of scandal here in India.

OTOH, Allopathic medicine kills people too. It has a particularly bad record for people coming out of hospital with deseases they caught there!

[drzog]

the advantage of Ayurveda or Herbalism in western countries is that we now have regulations that in general prevent adulterations or toxins in the herbs, by regulatory requirements via the FDA or equivalent bodies. I am not sure India has any such system, and relies on integrity and skill of the practitioner. U might notice a trend toward westernisation of the herbs there however -freeze dried, "standardised", indications for western diseases not dosha imbalances, and so on- these things are both good and bad. Many herbs are threatened with extinction from over harvesting, and habitat loss- giving incentive to unscrupulous manufacturers to put substitute ingredients in the formulas.

Doctors' these days are in general implicit rather than informative to their patients about iatrogenic problems, primarily as they are educated for many years about drugs being the only way to treat, and it is very difficult to see beyond ones paradigm- I should know I was/am a doctor before I became a herbalist, and it took a number of years to grasp the enourmity of the fraud and its lack of insight into the causes of ill health- something the chinese and ayurvedic systems have identified for many centuries. Historically it is interesting to look back at the 300 + years of blood letting and other heroic forms of medicine before drugs came about. Similar assurances from the medial profession about its value as a treatment went on and on, despite its obvious lethality- including to one George Washington.

On a similar vein, recently homeopathy and medicine have been at each other again in the UK- like the middle east conflicts, it will continue on for many more centuries I imagine...

Happily with the technological revolution we are privileged to be in the midst of , you can inform yourself like at no other time in history- be it drugs, herbs or whatever you choose.