Ayurveda Article - Stress to Bliss For Everyone

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The Ayurvedic Approach to Doshas:

 

>From Stess to Bliss in Four Easy Steps

Brain cells create ideas. Stress kills brain cells. Stress is not a

good idea," says a modern philosopher. Noted ayurvedic physician

Ramakant Mishra agrees. "This is what I tell people all the time—

worry is like a rocking chair; it keeps taking you back and forth,

but doesn"t really get you anywhere," says Vaidya Mishra, his

cheerful eyes twinkling.

A descendant of Raj Vaidyas—physicians to the erstwhile kings of

India, Vaidya Mishra has been educating people in the United States

on the ayurvedic approach to wellness for the last several years.

Over time, he has learnt to simplify for his patients the Sanskrit

terminology that ayurveda is replete with. "A surprisingly large

number of my patients say they're stressed," says Vaidya Mishra, of Product Research and Development at Maharishi

Ayurveda. "I could tell them to balance their doshas and clear their

shrotas—but I know most people have a fear of new words. What I

do

tell them is to follow simple lifestyle changes that can make a big

difference in their lives," says Vaidya Mishra. A sampling of the

Vaidya's time-tested tips on how to beat back modern stress:

 

Don't be a Time Struggler

The human body is simply not suited to time struggle. Research

strongly suggests that people who suffer from hurry sickness—the

anxious feeling that there"s never enough time—may be at

increased

risk of developing health problems such as high blood pressure and

heart disease. Impatient clock-watching is also linked to hostility,

resentment and sudden cardiac death.

Are you a time-struggler? Take this simple test to find out. Just sit

idle for five minutes, eyes closed. At the end of that time, analyze

those five minutes. Were you restless, bored, anxious? Or calm,

comfortable and relaxed? Did you open your eyes to check if five

minutes were over yet? Did your shoulders and neck feel tense? Were

you, in that period, able to filter out the noise of life and tune in

to yourself? Your answers will give you all the clues you need.

Why this time-anxiety happens, says ayurveda, is because we lose

connection with our innermost needs, and chase ephemeral outside

goals. Result: your body, mind and heart develop conflicting

interests—the mind insists on going on while the body feels tired

and

the heart feels heavy. To reset your clock, therefore, you need to

find your inner integration again. This you can do by listening to

what you really, really want. Once your body, mind and heart all want

the same things, your natural balance will be restored and you will

hum instead of being caught up in the humdrum.

On a more physical level, stress generates deadly free radicals,

which wreak havoc on the brain, nervous system, heart and overall

immunity. The answer? Antioxidants, designed by nature to combat free

radical damage. One such power antioxidant is Amrit: proven by modern

scintific research to nourish the body and mind like no other

supplement ever has. The unique combination of rare herbs and fruits

in this formulation beats back free radical damage caused by stress,

improving immunity and restoring balance between mind, body and

spirit.

 

Recreation is Re-creation

Don't be afraid to give yourself quiet time. The logic is simple: all

life evolves, grows and is sustained through cycles of rest and

activity. Rest is the basis of dynamic activity. It"s there for you

to see in the rhythm of the heart, and in the wheel of day and night.

Don't limit your re-creation to just before setting out to work hard.

Each time you come up with a brilliant idea or achieve a pivotal

goal, reward yourself with something that pleases your senses and

winds you down. Find creative ways to achieve your

workload—eliminate

unnecessary steps, avoid procrastination, prioritize, delegate. Each

of these will free up some of your time and energy for more

productive, creative work.

Most importantly, get good sleep. It is for a good reason that

library shelves brim with books on how to cure insomnia and other

sleep disorders. More than half of America is not sleeping well. An

uncomfortable night sets off a series of unhappy events—your

appetite

is low, your digestion is slow, you feel irritated and fatigued, your

strain tells on your performance, relationships and life. In such a

state, you cannot hope to be creative.

Ayurveda offers some wonderful ways to sleep better naturally. Simple

tips like: follow a regular bed-time, wind down an hour before you go

to bed, do a warm oil self-massage everyday, or use a relaxing aroma

oil to help you sleep.

Herbs like Indian Valerian and Muskroot are natural herbal sleep-aids

with a calming influence and have been used in ayurveda for

centuries. Winter Cherry helps resistance to stress, and helps

balance the mind and emotions. These and other rest-friendly herbs

come together in Maharishi Ayurveda"s Blissful Sleep formula,

prepared in the traditional ayurvedic way, using only the best-

quality ingredients.

 

Work your Body to Rest Your Mind

Sounds like a contradiction, but actually, exercising to get

relaxation is a perfectly fine thing to do. Simply walk away from

stress. Even ten minutes everyday will show results. Walking puts you

in touch with yourself, howsoever briefly.

Walk your dog, take out the trash, shovel snow, play frisbee in the

park-exercise in bite-sized chunks all day, and you will balance your

physical as well as mental energies. Research indicates that the

happiest, healthiest people at every age are those who exercise

regularly.

A word of caution from Vaidya Mishra here: do not over-

exercise! "Ayurveda recognizes the concept of balaardh: bala means

strength and ardh means half). That is, at any given time, use up to

half your total individual energy, and conserve the rest. This

concept makes a lot of sense, for I have seen people die of over-

exercise."

If you tend to over exercise or if you simply want to get more out of

your workouts, the Sports & Fitness System herbal supplements can

help. These formulas boost the body"s ability to repair itself and

quickly recover from vigorous exercise, and also help reduce strain,

increase your energy level and metabolize body fat.

 

Eat to Live Stress-Free

Food can truly be your medicine. Fruits and vegetables are ace stress-

fighters. Get five to nine servings of them each day, and they will

offer you more than just complex carbohydrates and fiber. Rich in

anti-oxidants, they beat back free-radical damage, cutting your prone-

ness to stress, fatigue and disease.

Vaidya Mishra suggests eating foods that please your individual

constitution. For example, if you are prone to ulcers and rashes,

don't eat hot Chinese food. Stop eating when your body says "Enough!"

Common-sense self-regulations like these will help you choose your

foods wisely, leading to improved digestion and an overall feeling of

well-being.

Vaidya Mishra also recommends using a variety of herbs and spices in

everyday cooking. "You'll be surprised how a pinch of turmeric or a

dash of fennel can bring down tension levels and help the body

assimilate nutrients better," says Mishra. "The seemingly tiny grains

of spices used in Indian cooking have big roles to play. Cumin and

fennel, for instance, help build tissue and flush out toxins from the

system."

 

 

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

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