Self Help With Ayurveda Education
INTRODUCTION
Ayurveda Education
Learn to help yourself through ayurveda education:
Vata-Reducing Impressions
• Calming music
• Gentle ayurvedic massage with sesame or almond oil
• Bright colors such as gold, orange, blue, green, white
• More use of organic herbs and spices like asafetida, basil, caraway, clove, sage, garlic, onion, ginger and nutmeg
• Sweet fragrances of jasmine, rose, sandalwood
• Gentle exercise, tai chi, swimming, hot tubs
• Support of friends and family, cultivating patience
• Mantras: Ram, Hreem, Shreem
• Meditation on happy, peaceful deities
Pitta-Reducing Impressions
• Soft music, preferably flute
• Soft ayurvedic massage of coconut or sunflower oil
•Cool colors such as white, blue and green
• More use of organic herbs and spices like cardamom, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lemongrass, mint, rose and turmeric
• Cool and sweet fragrances: champak, gardenia
• Walking, swimming
•Releasing anger, resentment
• Mantras: Shreem, Sham, Ma
• Practicing non-judgment, listening to others
• Meditation on peaceful forms
Kapha-Reducing Impressions
• Stimulating music, strong and energizing sounds
• Deep body ayurvedic massage with dry powders or stimulating oils such as mustard
• Bright and stimulating colors such as yellow, orange, gold and red
• Light food with use of most organic herbs and occasional fasting
• Light, warm, stimulating and penetrating fragrances such as musk, cedar, myrrh, camphor
• Active strong exercises, jogging, sunbathing, saunas, reducing sleep
• Mantras: Aum, Kreem, Hum
• Breaking with the past
• Meditation on active forms
SOME AYURVEDIC PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT
Practice Non-Violence
Ayurveda considers killing or doing bodily harm for pleasure or out of habit, is a crime, which is believed to cause suffering in the killer`s Karmic life. It may, also, create harmful traits in an individual. Only in case of saving somebody`s life that ayurveda recommends meat or animal body-parts as medicine. Hence, this extremely negative act should always be avoided.
Avoid Stealing
Stealing induces fear and anxiety in the person conducting the act. When it becomes a habit, the person may have to live in constant fear, which may not be good for the person`s mental and physical health. Also, it harms other people, which ayurveda strongly advises against.
Avoid Sexual Misconduct
Ayurveda forbids any sexual activities which may cause anxiety, fear and disquiet in the mind, and thus may lead to illness. Because it believes that overindulgence and any other wasteful sexual activities render a person incapable of producing healthy progeny.
Abstain from Telling Lies
Telling lies induces fear, which create negative vibrations in a person`s mind and consequently, physical health the person is affected. Though auyrveda does not strictly advise against telling a lie as it may be done for a good cause, the circumstances under which a person may have to tell a lie should always be avoided.
Avoid Consuming Addictive Substances
Addictive like alcohol etc. is considered as Tamasic (inactive or lethargic) both for body and mind. Ayurveda forbids the consumption of any intoxicating material, which has an adverse effect on the normal functioning of the body and the mind.