client support and how to use tips from astrology in Ayurveda?

[Guest guest]

" Note: Jupiter, transiting its debilitation sign of Capricorn, will

be closely conjunct Rahu during February 2009. This can disturb law,

religion, morality, banking, teaching, publishing, consulting, and

advisory roles on a worldwide level. Husbands and children will also

be vulnerable, along with the liver, gall bladder and hips. Do not

take risks or chances, especially from Feb. 6 to Feb. 20.

Copyright 2009, David M. Hawthorne, M.S, J.B.

 

David Hawthorne, M.S., J.B.

Tel: 641-472-3799

www.astroview.com "

 

Hmm, just lost our editor for the postpartum cookbook.

 

Sometimes I find tips from the astrological influences dominant for a

time period help me lean my approach with clients, or students. Saroj

and Gaura probably remember that class we did on Ayurvedic herbals -

quite a list of them, right after Mercury went retrograde. The class

was in no way linear; Wish I'd taped it, it was quite fun and

integrative! David (excerpted above from his free weekly transits by

rising sign) is one of the vedic astrologers offering a wonderful

service about the changing planetary transits; Lexie on our group here

also offers local monthly discussions she posts on her website.

 

Re the liver/gall bladder, I'm remembering experiences some years ago

when midwinter I was doing live-in care 5 weeks with a client. Eating

same food - more generous on fats, sweets, dairy, cooked as is

appropriate for postpartum, not getting exercise much, house extra

warm, living in city without good coat or winter shoes in bitter cold

(mine had been in storage!) - after 4 weeks of this, I learned what a

gall bladder attack felt like!

 

Taking care of my elder Mother includes some very similar conditions -

can hardly leave her, and dietarily, she is doing so much better on

more fatty warm foods though not dairy, she is appreciating more oily,

healthy sweet, building foods, and depends on heavy protein as well as

richer fat/protein/sweet snacking, and almost all cooked foods. Hot

teas thru the day usually suit me, yet not so much now! We have to

keep the house quite warm, just as with postnatal moms. Whew! It is

not easy to always prepare separate dishes for self. So, pitta is up

and liver feeling easily congested.

 

Knowing this, plus added emphasis from astrology, it is a good thing

some of the available heavier dairy leaned on over holidays (in lieu

of meats on the family table plus the sweets and all!), are mostly

behind such easy but risky choices!...And it is time for more/lighter

vegetable soups, dahls, less and lighter choice use of dairy and fats,

more fruity (raw and cooked) for sweet taste, and even a little raw

veggies which usually give us gas (yup, me too). I " m adding some

bitters and turmeric to my personal herbal support for liver/gall

bladder, and observing Mom's delicate balance - though needing heat,

which is yet also stimulating signs of some liver overload with a skin

rash last 2 days. SHe has been a cookie monster in spite of good

snacks, when I left the room for few minutes, finding the leftover

Christmas goodies from family gifts beyond what was wise, including

chocolates of course!

 

For postnatal moms, of course still avoid the raw veggies! Yet you

might take extra observation how they are doing around vulnerable

territory David talked about above, since more good fats as we know

are a need after birth, *unless with some special liver condition*.

Once can give fat digestive herbs, as well as choose lighter fats

without going black and white about it, usually giving wiser choice.

Like Sarasvati Buhrman of the Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga and

AYurveda says, Ayurveda is about surfing the everchanging waves of

life successfully!

 

Jupiter rules fat tissue, and may give problems when weak like these

months now until I believe, late August. The advised chitrak in the

panchaloka recipe our vaidyas here have advised, sounds like a

valuable herb to include in the first week or beyond. Not only does it

warm particularly well in winter cold without tasting spicy at all, it

helps agni especially fat metabolism. Pippali also great...has some

special gifts for liver agnis and is suitably postpartum warming.

Hopefully other practitoners will share more comments here...our

western herbalists advise standardly use of more green leafy herbs,

which are helpful for liver/blood cleansing yet alone likely to create

coldness, contraction and aversion to them even in hot teas. Balance

with - At least lean strongly for most clients on the ginger, pepper,

cardamom as you can find them in her kitchen.

 

I'd question a little more attentively on the history also around what

kind of dairy, sweets, alchohol, meats, and bowel movements are

used/experienced, and be open to any other possible factors.

 

Clients may also show higher incidence of damage or discomfort in hips

after giving birth, it sounds like. Would be an interesting research

study, the kind of data gathering/analysis that jyotish astologer in

Colorado, Renay Oshop has done brilliantly around diabetes and some

other issues, showing the value of jyotish in Ayurvedic service.

 

For hips, Extra attention with the warm oil abyanga, or even with a

hot water bottle there sounds like a good plan. Instincts here then

call for a more penetrating AND heating type mix, would that be

Mahanarayan oil? With essential oils, include ones such as the Firs

(evergreens),some clove, rosemary, wintergreen, perhaps lavender with

soreness, or with inflammation from injury, adding mints, marjoram,

yarrow, fir, lavender...this info and more is listed in the Essential

Oils Desk Reference from Essentialscience.net. Even a little black

pepper (eoil added, or used also more generously in foods) is likely

to help with agni in general and it's target specificity to muscle

tissue that is congested or tired. Overworked is another story, and if

twitchy (misfiring/can't quit), I'd think chamomile!

 

It will be interesting to see if there are more problems with

birthing. Certainly I'm thinking to keep client care bag stocked with

essential oils for children's health, common problems easily supported

of course starting with immune issues, prophylactically diffusing,

applying or wearing around them.

 

Give extra attention to protecting the families with sattvic

influences of any kind you may be able to. From observing/guiding

with foods, to which essential oils you choose (LIght and Bryan Miller

offer wonderful discussions in their book Ayurveda and Aromatherapy).

Valerian being tamasic, even though it is tremendous for pain and

sleep and as sedative/grounding (a relative to the Ayurvedic herbal

best for sleep, Tagara) would not be my first call when a client seems

troubled by tamasic influences or dietary history already. Even

nutmeg and poppy seed are among the more tamasic kitchen medicines for

supporting sleep. Client might not only feel too dull in the am, they

might in rare cases have unpleasant dreams.

 

A touch of chamomile over third eye or nape of neck, or in tea with

cardamom, or more deeply calming/soothing, is some hot boiled full

cream milk with cardamom, saffron and ashwagandha, sweetened to taste

and for Mom, with a teaspoon of ghee, is likely to create sweet

contentment, ease and good rest that supports those long nights up and

down and up again. A bowl of hot rice pudding around 5 am, with extra

iron rich sugar and panchaloka and ghee in it, served as her first

breakfast is a valuable preparation also!

 

Rahu in jyotish astrology is sometimes spoken of as the top half of

the demon that ate the nectar of immortality before discovered, then

got cut in half. This immortal " demon " is about the insatiable

desires of the top half of the body, and can give intense influences

around the attachments and desires of the heart, creativity and

mistaken judgments. Attempting to interact on problem level creates

more problems. Supporting clients to/taking ourselves good time for

prayer, quiet, simple meditation, rest, and more sattwa in our lives

makes it easier to witness the karmic play all go by from Center.

This is probably good reminder for us all.

 

Those few sentances of astrology for 2009's Jupiter activity sparked

more than a few ideas, and so much more could be said!

 

Blessings...with love from Ysha

[Guest guest]

Brief apologies for such a messy post, with a couple corrections and

notes -

 

> service about the changing planetary transits; Lexie on our group

 

here (monthly Flyer will be posted online shortly... www.lexneon.com)

also offers her knowledge of Ayurveda, jyotish and intuition combined

in her readings based in New Mexico. As does also very experienced

Chicago based Jyotishi and Ayurvedic practitioner group member Madhavi

Rathod. The recent NAMA convention in Chicago featured several

sessions around cases where the unique gifts of Yoga, Ayurveda and

Vedic/jyotish astrology worked together, fascinating and valuable

especially for difficult to manage cases.

 

....

 

> since more good fats as we know are a need after birth, *unless with

some special liver condition*. Once can give fat digestive herbs, as

well as choose lighter fats

 

should read One (not Once) can give etc - chitrak and the other

panchaloka herbs can be valuable longer than 1 week, especially for

cold weather and prone to cold, or overweight mothers, unless mom is

unusually thin then leave out the chitrak.

 

> lean strongly for most clients on the ginger, pepper, cardamom as

you can find them in her kitchen.

 

and garlic and other culinary warming/circulation enhancing herbs and

spices

 

> Give extra attention to protecting the families with sattvic

> influences of any kind you may be able to. From observing/guiding

 

the discussion on effects of tamas guna are true yet the planetary

influences are more - perhaps for most - around the more rajasic

desire nature of Rahu at this time actually. Tempers likely to flare,

or rashes, attachments and messy irritibility of other kinds to be

balanced for. Value of sattva reigns as noted.

 

Lexie's annual forcast encourages emphasis on Saturn's practical

" assess, structure, plan " , and to call on music, especially rhythmic,

to make it all settle in more smoothly.

 

She chose to also favor extra support for Venus (the arts to make life

more beautiful, charming, and rebuilding of reproductive tissues in

our case fit...) and Mercury (discernment, intellect, neutral clarity

and mental focus) this month in terms of the general transit

influences, though there are many influences going on these days! I

hope I represented this right, Lexie?

 

So, in simple beginning terms, we might expect shatavari for Venus and

brahmi/other manas herbs for Mercury among top plant medicines also to

consider we will be asked to call on with presenting client issues.

Sounds like postpartum family care may present as a greater need in

general this year.

 

Namaste

Ysha