Ayurveda Article - Batter Immunity the secret to good health

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The Ayurvedic Approach to Immunity:

 

Ways to Improve Your Natural Immunity

 

There is a theory of immunity in ayurveda called the beej-bhumi

theory, which means "seed and land." In this case, the body is

analogous to the land, and infection or "bugs" are like seeds. If the

body is filled with ama and lacking in ojas, the infection will find

it to be fertile ground for spreading, just as land that is fertile

will sprout many seeds. If digestion is strong, and ojas rather than

ama predominates in the body, then the seeds of infection will not be

able to take hold, just as seeds will not take root in land that is

infertile.

Everyone is more susceptible to respiratory problems when the seasons

are changing, such as in the fall and early spring. This is because

the body functions differently in each season, and in the transition

between the hot and cold seasons the agni, or digestive fire, can

start to fluctuate dramatically.. If you do not adjust your diet and

routine and follow the ayurvedic guidelines for the seasonal

transitions, you can build up ama. Once the body is fertile for

disease, it is easy for a cold or flu to sprout, as in the seed and

land theory mentioned earlier.

That is why respiratory illnesses and allergies abound in the fall

and early spring. In the early spring, there is an added factor,

because ama accumulated during the winter starts to melt, flooding

the micro-channels and overloading the immune system. The body's

immune system is weakened, and becomes a fertile ground for bacteria

and allergens.

 

Ways to Burn Ama

For this reason, Maharishi Ayurveda recommends that you do the gentle

purification treatments called panchakarma during these transitions

between the seasons, in the fall and the early spring. Maharishi

Panchakarma includes a full program of ayurvedic massage, steam baths

and intestinal cleansing treatments, to rid your body of ama

accumulated during the previous season. Panchakarma also strengthens

your agni, or digestive fire, so more ama won't be accumulated.

Panchakarma treatments should be performed under the supervision of

an ayurvedic physician.

But if you can't go to a Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for

internal cleansing, you can still follow an ayurvedic regimen at home

to cleanse the body of ama during the transition between the seasons.

For instance, you can eat warm, light, nourishing foods such as

soups, or light meals of mildly spiced vegetables with grains such as

quinoa, cous cous and millet. Eating a lighter diet for a few weeks

while the weather is changing will help burn away ama rather than

accumulate it. Also be careful to get proper rest, drink plenty of

warm fluids, and take daily walks or do other exercise that is

suitable for your body type.

If you feel less hungry at mealtimes than usual, or if you feel heavy

and dull in the two hours immediately after a meal, these are

indications that your digestive fire is burning low.

Cooking your food with immune-enhancing spices such as cumin, fennel,

coriander, turmeric, ginger and black pepper is also an important way

to enhance agni and reduce ama.

Finally, it's important to always avoid the factors that cause ama to

accumulate, in any season. Stay away from leftovers, processed foods,

ice-cold foods and drinks, and heavy foods such as fried foods.

Vegetables from the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant,

and sweet peppers) should also be avoided, as these create ama.

Diet for Boosting Natural Immunity

Winter is actually the season to enhance the immune system, and

support and nurture your body. Eat nourishing, warm food, and avoid

any fasting in winter. The important thing is to eat light, warm

foods, cooked with the immune-enhancing spices already mentioned.

Avoid eating or drinking anything cold, because cold foods and drinks

will enhance the impact of cold weather and reduce the digestive

fire, leading to more ama. You'll also want to avoid heavy sweets, as

these are difficult to digest. Start your day with a stewed apple for

breakfast, cooked with spices such as cardamom.

For specific food recommendations, follow a Vata pacifying diet in

fall and early winter (from October 15 to February 15). Eat all six

tastes, but eat more of the sweet, sour, and salty tastes, as these

enhance Vata. Vata-pacifying foods include nourishing grains such as

rice and cous cous; sweet, juicy fruits such as cooked apples or

pears; squashes, zucchini, and asparagus; and light, easily

digestible proteins such as panir (a freshly made cheese), lassi (a

yogurt drink that aids digestion) and vegetable proteins such as mung

dhal. Asparagus is especially good for enhancing the immune system.

 

Lifestyle Tips for Boosting Immunity

A warm bath each day is very necessary to warm the body, open the

pores, and regulate your body's internal thermostat. This is

important in both Vata and Kapha season.

Don't forget to do your daily ayurvedic massage before your bath.

Daily massage is very important for opening the channels, stimulating

the digestion, removing toxins from the body, and pacifying the

doshas. It is especially soothing to Vata dosha, which is seated in

the skin. All of these factors make massage a vital therapy in

strengthening immunity and preventing respiratory problems. (It's

important to note that massage is NOT recommended if you already have

a cough or other respiratory imbalance, because it can push the ama

deeper into the system. Also refrain from a full-body massage during

menstrual flow.)

Adequate sleep is especially important in Vata season, as it

counteracts the lively, moving Vata. It is also essential for anyone

in any season who wants to enhance immunity and resist disease. Take

Blissful Sleep I if you have trouble falling asleep (a Vata

disorder), Blissful Sleep II if you wake frequently, especially

between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. with energy (a Pitta disorder) and take

Blissful Sleep III if you sleep eight hours through the night but

still feel exhausted when you wake up (a Kapha disorder).

Exercise is another important aspect of the ayurvedic routine,

because it helps enhance agni and burns away toxins. It's important

to choose the right exercise for your body type and for the season,

though. Daily walks and yoga postures are good for balancing all the

doshas and especially suit Vata types, while more vigorous daily

exercise is required by Kapha types to stay healthy. Exercise is

especially important during Kapha season, because it helps to boost

agni and your immunity when toxins are flooding the body.

 

 

Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended

to replace standard medical care or advice.

Copyright MAPI, 2002.

 

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