Ayurveda Article - How Everyone Can Understand The Transition

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The Ayurvedic Approach to Menopause:

 

Understanding the Transition Ayurvedically

 

According to ayurveda, the total lifespan of an individual can be

defined in terms of the three doshas or ayurvedic principles:

childhood is governed by Kapha dosha, youth and adulthood by Pitta

and mature adulthood, the last trimester, by Vata dosha. Menopause

marks the transition from the Pitta phase of life to the Vata phase

of life for most women.

 

"During the transition, women tend to experience imbalance in both

Pitta and Vata," explains Rama Kant Mishra, ayurvedic expert. "As a

result, they can exhibit the symptoms of an imbalanced Pitta - skin

eruptions, depressed emotions, irritability, hot flashes and excess

stomach acid, for example, as well as the signs of an imbalanced

Vata - vaginal dryness, a clouded mind and thin dry skin, to name a

few. To have a smooth transition, it is important to find out which

of these two doshas is out of balance and correct that imbalance with

a proper diet and routine, and herbal supplements as support."

 

Some tips for balancing Vata:

 

A Vata balancing diet includes more of the sweet, sour and salty

tastes, and should contain more warm, unctuous foods. Eat three

regular meals every day, with the heaviest meal being lunch. Include

a little Ghee in your diet and cook with Vata balancing spices. Drink

lots of water through the day.

 

With the too-much-to-do, too-little-time syndrome ruling the lives of

many women these days, going to bed at a reasonable hour each night

appears a luxury. If you are one of those women who habitually stays

up late to catch up on work, you might want to consider the fact that

one of the simplest ways to help keep Vata dosha in balance is to try

to go to bed early: definitely no later than 10 p.m. Between 6 p.m.

and 10 p.m. is the Kapha dominated time of day, which means the body

is settling down and the brain is calming down naturally. So if you

go to sleep during that time you tend to have deeper, more restful

sleep.

 

Introduce the pleasurable experience of abhyanga, the ayurvedic self-

massage, into your daily routine. The daily warm oil massage is best

done in the morning, before your bath or shower. It pacifies both

Vata and Pitta doshas, helps increase resistance to day-to-day

stress, enhances circulation and lubrication, and recharges you for

the day ahead. For instructions on how to do the abhyanga, please

visit <http://www.gracefultransition.com/learn/l-abhyanga.html>.

 

Some tips for balancing Pitta:

 

In general, a Pitta pacifying diet would be one that is rich in

vegetables--not tomatoes and spinach, which are two very heating

vegetables, but most other vegetables, whole grains, sweet juicy

fruits, especially pears, plums and other non-citrus fruits. Drink

plenty of water through the day.

 

Eat meals on time. Lunch, the main meal of the day, should ideally be

eaten around mid-day, when the digestive fire is at its natural peak.

 

To keep Sadhaka Pitta, which governs the emotions, in balance, take

an herbal formula that contains Arjuna, the ayurvedic herb famous for

its positive influence on the heart. In combination with other herbs,

Arjuna in this formula helps promote better mind/body/heart

coordination and nourishes the heart and mind.

Internal cleansing helps flush toxins out of the body gently, helping

to keep the skin clear and healthy. In conjunction with lots of

water, an internal cleansing program can help prevent many Pitta

related problems during the transition.

 

 

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

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