Guest guest Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Ayurveda & Recovery From Addictions > >by > >Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha > >Over the past few years, recovery from addictions has been made easier due >to the incorporation of natural foods and yoga into one's lifestyle. Now, >the mother of all healing, Ayurveda, has gained much prominence in the >field >of recovery. Ayurveda, the science of life, is the first holistic approach, >developed in India, over 2,000 years ago. Not only was yoga and nutrition a >part of Ayurveda, but healing systems from other cultures, like the Chinese >Macrobiotics, have their roots in India's ancient healing system. Although >one may wonder if such an old system of healing is valid for today's health >concerns, Ayurveda has proven its efficacy in recovery from drugs, alcohol, >overeating and smoking. > >A person must sincerely want to recover for any healing system to work. Yet >the problem is that the withdrawal symptoms seem to feel like one is being >punished for trying to recover. The uniqueness of Ayurveda is that it not >only helps one remove the cause of addiction (ie. anxiety can cause >smoking), but it helps evaporate the toxins in the body so there is little >to no discomfort from withdrawal symptoms. Ayurveda does not say, `stop the >addicting activity', it says, `lets replace it with another- more >constructive activity'. If a young child is holding our most precious glass >vase, and we ask them to give it to us, they usually won't. But if we trade >them for a doll or a piece of candy they will do so. Taking from a person >leaves them empty. Trading allows the person to still have something to >hold >onto. > >The main therapies that Ayurveda employs are, herbs, nutrition and >spiritual >counselling. Secondary approaches include aromatherapy, gem therapy, yoga, >massage, and color therapy. Herbs produce the most dramatic effect. >Simultaneously, spiritual life-counselling is employed to help the >recoverer >to find their inner self-worth. Additionally, by revealing to the person >their inner Divine nature, Ayurveda offers a method to overcome >co-dependency. > >Co-dependency is having the mistaken idea that we need to rely on another >person, drug or food for our support. Re-discovering one's inner Divine >nature gives the recoverer a sense of inner quality, grace and fulfillment. >As they begin to experience a sense of self-love, a habit of self or inner >reliancy develops. > >Mental & Physical Roots of Recovery >Ayurveda views the roots of addictions as mental inertia, which is caused >by >excess mental activity. An addiction grows because we attempt to calm these >excesses through artificial, external means (drugs, food, tobacco etc.) >rather than through natural or holistic measures. If one is anxious, angry, >worried, impatient, lethargic or uncaring, Ayurveda sees this as an excess >of one of the three basic elements (a€ , fire or water). Too much a€ in the >mind creates anxiety and worry; excess fire element in the mind creates a >hot temper, impatience and anger; an overabundance of the mental water >element creates lethargy and a lack of caring or concern. The Ayurvedic >herbal approach suggests a person take herbs which balance these excesses, >ie. taking herbs that are of the elements which are lacking. For example, a >hot tempered person may feel the need to smoke cigarettes. By ingesting >cool >(a€ ) and moist (water) herbs, the hot temper is balanced and the cause of >the smoking desire is reduced and eventually eliminated. A worried person, >with too much a€ in brain, would take warm and moist herbs, which remove >the >excess a€ and restore mental elemental balance. A lethargic person would >take hot, spicy herbs to stimulate and awaken the mind. > >These three elements, a€ , fire and water, are known in Ayurveda as Vayu, >Pitta and Kapha respectively. This healing system is able to offer a more >personalized approach to health because it does not lump people into one >generic mass. People are individuals, and some individuals are of a more a€ >element nature; some people are of a more fire temperament; and others have >a more watery constitution (of course there are people with combinations of >these three elements as well). By determining one's Ayurvedic constitution >(called dosha), we can learn which element is causing the excess, and thus >know which elements to increase and which to decrease. Physically, Vayu (a€ >) constitutions are thin people; Pitta (fire) doshas are moderate and Kapha >(water) people are large boned, with a tendency towards overweight. > >Addictions which are caused by Vayu (a€ ) create a nervous dependency and >mental instability. These individuals will be the most easily and severely >damaged by addictions; they can give up addictions for a while, but either >resume them or shift to another addictive habit. Pitta (fire) people are >self-righteous and have a hard time recovering unless they are convinced it >is in their best interest. Kapha (water) individuals have the strongest >systems and can take more abuse from bad habits. Consequently, they have >the >hardest time recovering. > >Herbal therapies include nervines (eg. gotu kola, camomile, jatamansi) >which >help reduce the emotional need for addictive substances. Other herbs are >used to repa€ damaged tissues, such as lung tonics for smokers; liver >tonics >for alcohol and brain or nerve tonics for drugs. Spiritual or life-style >counselling offers guidance regarding our lives. Here, one needs to start >at >the root, questioning or meditating on one's true Self- our Divine, >eternal, >unbounded nature, and our purpose or meaning of one's life. Through reading >spiritual books and guidance from spiritual counsellors, a person begins to >understand and experience their true inner Divine nature. > >Specific Recovery Therapies >Below are some of the more serious addictive behaviors and how Ayurveda >suggests a simple and gentle recovery from them. Each constitution or dosha >will experience different symptoms and causes for these habits, so these >addictive experiences are broken down and personalized to be more useful to >the reader. > >Smoking >Condition: Vayu (a€ ) types smoke as a nervous habit to calm their anxiety >and distract themselves from worry. Pitta (fire) people enjoy having more >fire inside their bodies and the increased feeling of power. Kapha (water) >individuals like the stimulating and clearing effects of tobacco, which >reduces lethargy. > >Therapies : > >Vayu- Calamus counters the nervous habit, and small amounts can be added to >cigarettes or taken ingested in powdered form, with some water or tea. >Herbal cigarettes are available which calm the mind and heal the lung >tissue. Ashwagandha and camomile are also recommended to calm the mind, >remove the lung smoke and heal the lung tissues. To strengthen the lungs, >dry cough and constipation, toning foods are taken, such as warm milk with >clarified butter (ghee), almonds (soaked overnight and the skin is peeled), >pine nuts and tahini (sesame seed butter). Toning herbs include >Ashwagandha, >Shatavari, Bala, Ginseng (only for short periods of time) and comfrey root. >Pitta- Gotu Kola powder is a cooling nervine which is excellent for the >fire >individual's recovery program. For infectious lung, liver or blood >diseases, >detoxification is required. Herbs include Aloe Vera gel, Shatavari, >Bayberry >and Burdock. >Kapha- Gotu Kola and hot spicy herbs are excellent. Herbal cigarettes are >recommended. Expectorants like Calamus, Cloves, Ginger, Pepper, etc. are to >be taken with honey (and lemon juice). These help relived congestion that >often arises after quitting smoking. >Alcohol >Condition: Alcohol damages the blood and liver, creating various Pitta >imbalances. Alcohol is also a sugar and may in part be a substitute for >sugar addiction. > >Therapies : Aloe Vera gel is the best herb for balancing liver function. >Gotu Kola is the best herb for detoxifying the brain tissue and reducing >disturbed emotions from the liver. Bitter herbs like Barberry, Katuka, >Gentian and Manjistha cleanse the liver (emotions) and blood. Bupleurum is >similar and reduces the emotional factors behind addictions as well. >Skullcap calms addictions and cleanses the liver. Other cooling nervines >include Passion flower, Betony and Hops. These herbs remove the withdrawal >symptoms from alcohol, greatly reducing or eliminating the suffering that >appears during recovery. > >Vayu- Herbal wines substitute for alcohol and help reduce dependency. Some >herbs to use include, Licorice, Bala, Turmeric, Barberry and Gotu Kola. >Pitta- Cooling nervines and bitter tonic herbs like for Vayu, only >substitute Burdock for Licorice. >Kapha- Herbal wines, bitter tonics are the same as above, only substitute >dry Ginger for Burdock and Licorice. >Drugs >Condition : Drug dependency, for all constitutions (doshas) severely >aggravates Vayu and so is mainly a Vayu imbalance (disorder). Many drugs >are >diuretics which cause drying, constipation, weaken the kidneys and deplete >one's essential life sap (called ojas)- which is the immune system >protector. Stimulants tend to damage Pitta, burning out their nervous >system >and damage the eyes. They also overly increase the Vayu element. > >All drugs tend to damage the spiritual purity (sattwa) within a person, >distorting mental clarity, causing dullness and inertia (tamas). >Hallucinogens increase mental fire (tejas), giving a sense of deeper powers >of the consciousness, but they burn up or deplete the life-sap (ojas), and >thus make the person susceptible to immune deficient diseases. Sleeping >drugs cause long-term insomnia. > >Therapies : It is recommended that one's diet include Vayu and Pitta >reducing foods (ie diuretics like celery, barley, clarified butter (which >nourishes the nerves) Gotu Kola is best to cleanse hallucinogens and the >toxins produced by marijuana from the liver and brain. > >Ashwagandha is the best nervous system rebuilder. Shatavari helps restore >emotional sensitivity and balance. Calamus (Vacha) restores mental >faculties >of perception and self-expression, removing dullness, depression and >vegetative states. Valerian is a sedative which counters stimulants (or its >cousin, Jatamansi, which does not sedate, but improves mental alertness and >calm). > >Guggul and Myrrh cleanse and rejuvenate the deeper tissue levels. Zizyphus >seeds nourish and tone damaged brain tissues. Vayu people are recommended >to >eat cooked garlic, Asafoetida (Hing) and nutmeg to ground themselves. Pitta >people are suggested to use Coriander, Fennel, Saffron and Gotu Kola to >cool >themselves. > >Overeating >Condition : Ultimately, it is a lack of love or self-worth; a feeling of >emptiness that causes one to overeat. This may be translated into, anxiety, >anger or over sentimentality which make a person eat to pacify their >emotions. Overweight individuals may also be eating too heavy or colds >foods, or over sleeping, which cannot be digested. Physically, it is a weak >digestive fire that can not take care of foods and water, thus making >weight >and water retention a reality. Weight reducing and appetite suppressing >drugs can also weaken the digestive fire and increase Vayu. > >Therapies : The best herbal combination for all doshas to lose weight and >stop sugar addictions is Triphala, Katuka or Gentian, Dry Ginger and Gotu >Kola. Shilajit, Guggul and Myrrh are also very good herbs to take for all >doshas. Mild laxatives like Triphala herbal mixture are useful, and help >remove toxins from the colon. Shilajit alone (1/2 gram), or 1 gram of >Guggul >taken 2-3 times daily with ginger and honey can correct most forms of >obesity over the course of several months. Another useful mixture is Aloe >Vera gel with Ginger or Turmeric. Gotu Kola and other nervines calm the >mind's habit of excessive eating. It is best to begin such therapies in the >Spring or Summer. > >Vayu- Weight varies, from over weight to under weight in these people. A >reduction of sugars (which calm the mind) can be replaced with nervines for >mental calm. Mild use of whole cane sugars (like Sucanat) and raw honey are >acceptable. Foods should include complex carbohydrates; whole grains of >wheat, basmati rice, oats; mung beans, and starchy vegetables are useful. >Fennel, Cardamom and Coriander help digest the food and are by nature >sweet. >Gotu Kola, Guggul, Jatamansi and Myrrh are useful herbs to take to calm the >mind. >Pitta- To reduce weight, avoid meat, fish, greasy or oily foods; sugars and >pastries. Raw salads, green herbs (Aloe, Katuka, Barberry, Manjishta, >Dandelion and Turmeric) and chlorophyll are best, along with barley or >white >basmati rice and mung beans. >Kapha- Removing excess water and weight retention involves the avoidance of >sugars, salt, dairy, sweet fruits, breads (with yeast), pastries, meats, >fish and oily foods is suggested. Do not eat before 10 am and after 6 pm. >Hot spices help digest foods. Whole grains of barley and rye help reduce >weight. Steamed vegetables are better than raw or cooked. Mung beans are >the >best bean. The best herbs are Turmeric, Barberry, Guggul, dry Ginger, >Pepper, Katuka help reduce fat tissue. Triphala is recommended as a >laxative. Gokshura, Shilajit and Gurmar help the kidneys and pancreas >functioning. Gokshura and Lemon Grass are useful mild diuretics. Gotu Kola, >Basil and dry Ginger help keep the mind alert and thinking clearly about >what is good to eat. >Miscellaneous >Co-dependency- follows the above suggestions. Nervines to calm the mind and >develop one's inner Divine vision (ie Gotu Kola, Sandalwood, Basil). > >Children of Addicted or Recoverees- can also use nervines to calm and >nourish their mind and nerves. > >Finding A Life's Purpose >From the spiritual Ayurvedic point of view, everyone is addicted to some >aspect of life as long as they do not see its true, eternal nature. >According to the Vedic scriptures, the goal of life is to realize one's >inner Divine nature, which is eternal bliss; it has no beginning or end. >All >aspects of life are transitory, and therefore not eternal; not true. They >can be said to give an illusion of happiness or sadness. When a person can >experience that life, inside themselves, and outside (in all other people, >animals, objects, etc.) is all essentially the same, one, Divine truth, >then >they are said to have gained Self-Realization (moksha). Anything short of >this vision means there is some fascination with some aspect of the >relative, changing world. Thus from the spiritual standpoint, most people >are addicted to some level of life. Some seem more serious than others, but >adoration of anything short of Divinity is to devalue one's life. > >The Ayurvedic goal of life is this Self-realization. Further, each person >is >an individual, and as such, has a unique gift to share with the world. Each >of us were born with some innate or God-given talent. Those who know and >use >this talent are happy and purposeful; those who love what they do have >meaning in their life. Those who do not do what they love, find life >contains emptier and devoid of meaning and purpose. > >Many people do not question what it is that they love to do. For some, >parents or society have told them that it is not right to enjoy your work; >to follow in the family business; or take a profession that makes logical >sense (but not intuitive sense). These people are battling their minds with >their intuitions, and are less than happy. Still other people merely do not >have the self-confidence to rise to the challenge of doing what they love >to >do. The Ayurvedic fact is, that if you do not follow your intuition and use >your innate abilities, you will always seek some addictive habit to try to >fill that inner space (which is ironically already full and only needs to >be >expressed to grow ever more full). > >Living with purpose, using one's own God-given talents, a person realizes >their inner Divine nature. their sense of self-love grows and the need for >dependency on outer activities diminish. This is a crucial part of >recovery. >For some this dependency is acted out in abusive habits of drugs or >alcohol. >For others, it manifests in terms of physical illness, such as cancer. So >even though drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. are considered addictive or >dependent behaviors, most people have some degree or another of this habit. >It is only through spiritual Self-inquiry, a healthy life regime, working >in >a field that you were born to be in, and living an ethical and virtuous >life >that all addictions, obvious or subtle, can be removed, as one transforms >more and more, into their Divine Self. > >Conclusion >So we see how what we ingest effects how we feel. If we take drugs, >alcohol, >etc., we like ourselves less; we feel less Divine. Through the use of >Ayurvedic herbs, foods, life style counselling, etc. we can 1.) determine >the root cause of our addiction; 2.) use the appropriate Ayurvedic >therapies >to replace the habit with constructive habits; 3.) remove the withdrawal >symptoms of recovering through herbs, etc., and 4.) follow rebuilding >therapies to become whole. Ayurveda offers comprehensive, personal, >effective and gentle assistance to those who sincerely want to recover and >lead productive, meaningful lives. > >© copyright 1999: Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha. Article reprinted with >permission. > >Swamiji is the author of the Ayurveda Encyclopedia and the founder of the >Ayurveda Holistic Center (USA). For more information go to >http://ayurvedahc.com > > >-\ - > >Comments or Suggestions >Full acknowledgement is made to all authors where possible. These essay >pages are maintained by our resident webmaster Kevin O'Grady. If you have >any questions, comments, additions or essays to add, please contact: Kevin >by Email. > >_______________ >Don’t just search. Find. 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