While the positive aspects of travel include seeing new places, meeting new people, and many other joyful experiences, we have to find ways to cope with the mind/body stress and anxiety associated with changes in our usual daily routines and rhythms.

According to the science of Ayurveda, the psycho-physiological, elemental or chemical balance of an individual is affected by the physical and emotional activities of the mind, body, and senses. The changes in our regular routines associated with traveling influence our biological humors/doshas as well as our elemental make-up on a cellular level and often cause disturbances in our mind and body.

Most imbalances associated with travel are related to the aggravation of vata (air and space elements) and some aspects of pitta (fire and water elements). Extended sitting may cause sluggish elimination, excessive movement may cause anxiety, irregular eating schedules and changes in diet may disturb digestive enzymes and our digestive fire, just to name a few – and all can affect our mental, emotional, and physical balance.

The knowledge of Ayurveda provides us with some travel-friendly tips to address a number of these possible vata and pitta imbalances:

• Dryness and Dehydration
  • Self-Massage with Oil – Before and After Travel

The aggravation of the vata (air and space elements) can lead to dryness of the skin and internal tissues. Gently massage your body (including ears and feet) with warm oil before and after travel to help sooth and calm your vata imbalance. (Wear socks if you’re oiling your feet.) If possible, try self-massage during your travels, especially in the evening, to encourage moisture, healthy circulation, and sound sleep. If oiling during travel is a little inconvenient, a gentle massage can be accomplished without oil.

Don’t forget to apply two-four drops of herbal nasal oil into each nostril before, during (if possible), and after your journey.

• Drink Water Regularly

Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to keep yourself well hydrated.

Avoid fizzy drinks, ice cold drinks, alcohol, and caffeine as these may disrupt digestion and aggravate anxiety. Opt for herbal tea, or warm (or room temperature) water instead.

• Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing

This breathing technique will help alleviate stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness.

• Constipation, Irregularity and Diarrhea
  • Constipation is a comment complaint with travelers. Make sure to pack healthy snacks that are easy to carry such as fennel seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, figs, prunes, or raisins. Don’t forget to chew well! Remember to pack some triphala (in powder or capsule form), which gently aids healthy bowel movements.
  • In the event of diarrhea or excess gas, combine a pinch of dried ginger and a pinch of dried nutmeg powder in a glass of warm water and drink before your meals.

• Indigestion, Nausea and Heartburn
  • For indigestion, combine a teaspoon of chopped or sliced fresh ginger root with a few drops of lime and a pinch of sea salt. Nibble on this before your meals.
  • Heartburn can be addressed with peppermint tea, as well as chewing on an equal amount of coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds.
  • If you have access to it, sip on aloe vera juice to balance digestion and reduce nausea.

• Colds or Flu
  • Take a teaspoon of amalaki (Indian gooseberry) three times a day to aid your immune system and act as a rejuvenative. Amalaki is an excellent natural source of both Vitamin C and iron.
  • Drink warm water throughout the day to aid in removing toxins from your system and hasten recovery from cold and flu.
  • Drink turmeric or holy basil tea.

• Sunburn
  • At some point in our lives, most of us have experienced the discomfort that accompanies a little too much sun exposure. Apply cooling aloe vera gel (pure if you can find it, not the type with alcohol) to your burned areas. If you can find an aloe plant, lightly rub your skin with the gel inside an aloe leaf.
  • Remember to drink plenty of cool (not cold or icy) or room temperature water to maintain hydration. Sip water throughout the day and evening, rather than taking in your entire daily water intake at one time.
  • Applying coconut oil or dairy milk is effective for soothing sunburned skin.

• Jet lag
  • Eat a small chunk of ginger root or two capsules of ginger one to two hours before your flight.
  • As soon as you reach your destination and it’s conveniently possible, massage your scalp and the soles of your feet.
  • Enjoy a pinch each of dried ginger and nutmeg mixed in a glass of water or milk.
  • Practice deep belly breathing, stretch, and walk as much as you can.

• General Travel-Friendly Tips
  • Avoid stimulants such as alcohol, caffeine, fizzy, or sugar-laden drinks.
  • Practice gentle self-massage three times a week prior to the journey. Don’t forget about your ears, temples, forehead, jaw, and the soles of your feet.
  • Palm your face, cheeks, and eyes to prevent puffiness.
  • Practice eye exercises to help relieve tension in the eye muscles.
  • Take regular breaks during long car drives to stretch and take in some deep breaths. Practice chair-style exercises while seated in an airplane and get up as often as possible to stretch and move. Be mindful of how you are sitting during your travels – choose supportive postures and positions.
  • Make supportive food choices and travel with healthy snacks that are easily digestible.

Pack yourself a travel remedy kit with dried ginger, nutmeg, amalaki, coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds, a small bottle of aloe juice and gel, a small box of raisins, prunes, or figs, some herbal tea, as well as a small bottle of massage oil and nasal drops. Don’t forget your water bottle.  Your kit need not be elaborate; make it convenient for yourself.

Remember to practice mindful actions that will help you feel grounded and comfortable. Incorporate some yoga, meditation, and regular breathing exercises daily. Have fun and enjoy your travels.

Ram Tamang

Dr. Ram Tamang is a licensed Ayurvedic Physician & Herbalist (India & Nepal) and a Registered Ayurvedic Specialist in the USA.  He is a partner with The Healing Gardens of Ayurveda and serves as the master physician. In addition to his full time clinical practice, Dr. Ram is a lecturer at several, national and international schools and colleges. Dr Ram is involved in many different organizations, associations and publications that help build and sustain a growing community of people passionate about the value of Ayurvedic Medicine.  He is a charismatic public speaker and has presented on various health issues and Ayurvedic Topics at events and radio shows around the world. He currently serves on the executive board of the Council of Ayurvedic Research USA: Thehealingardens.com.   

www.thehealingardens.com

The post Guidelines for Stress-Free Travel appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Question: I crave hot and spicy foods and seem to need them to stimulate my digestive fire. The problem is that they aggravate my hot flashes. Is there anything I can do for my hot flashes that will not dampen my digestive fire?

Answer: I presume from your question that you are in your perimenopausal stage of your life. According to the science of Ayurveda, during this transitional stage there is an aggravation in the vata (air element) along with the aggravated pitta (fire element) in the deeper tissues. The aggravated vata tends to constrict the bloods vessels and other microcirculatory channels and block and hinder the smooth flow of the pitta in the deeper tissues. The aggravated vata and satmya (habit for hot and spicy) or ama (toxins) tends to make you crave for the hot and spicy foods but whenever you take anything hot and spicy, it opens up the constricted channels and then the heat trapped in the body tends to find its outlet giving you hot flashes.

Home Remedy:

• To stimulate the agni (digestive fire) and burn the ama in the body tissues and you must incorporate spices such as cumin, coriander, fennel, cilantro, peppermint, turmeric and fresh ginger in moderation.
• Drink fresh tender coconut water and drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
• Take either fresh one teaspoon of aloe vera gel or three ounces of concentrated aloe vera juice three times a day.
• You may take one eight ounce glass of fresh pomegranate juice with eight to ten drops of lemon a day.
• Add lots of green leafy vegetables and sprouted mung beans to your diet.

Ayurvedic Recommendations:

• Eat light and eat on time.
• Practice Ayurvedic self-massage every day.
• Panchakarma (Ayurvedic detoxification): under the guidance of knowledgeable and qualified Ayurvedic physician or practitioner who can personalize your internal cleansing process with pre and post care.

Yoga Asana:

• Practice chandranamaskar (moon salutation) to calm and cool the mind and body.
• Focus more on the restorative asanas, lotus, locust, bow, boat et cetera to balance vata and pitta.
• Practice nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing, start from left nostril which is cooling) breathing for five to ten minutes at night.

Question: Every day, I drink hot water with lemon in the morning, scrape my tongue, dry brush and eat a clean diet, but no matter what I do, my tongue is coated. What should be my next step to clear up my tongue and my digestion?

Answer: There are several types of coating that may indicate an individual’s health conditions such as location, thickness, color, odor, et cetera; however, according to Ayurveda, one of the main causes for you to still have the coating on your tongue even after you do your regular oral hygiene and consume a clean diet is the presence of ama (toxins) due to mandaagni (poor digestive fire). Ama can also be formed by bacterial or viral invasions of the gastrointestinal tract leading to the formation of the coating on the tongue.

Home Remedy:

• Include hot spices like black pepper, cloves, fresh ginger and little fresh garlic in your meal
• With a glass of warm water, take one teaspoon of the Ayurvedic herbal blend trikatu (long pepper, black pepper, ginger) just before your heavier meal.
• Take 1½ teaspoon of the Ayurvedic blend of eight herbs, hingwastak churnam with a glass of warm water after your heavy meal.
• You can also try a light fast one day each week as long as there is not much vata aggravation.

Ayurvedic Recommendation:

• Ayurvedic panchakarma (detoxification) can be done under a qualified Ayurvedic physician or practitioner who can assess the underlying cause and customize the treatments in order to help you detoxify the toxins from the systems.

Yoga Asana:

• Practice surya namaskar (sun salutations) regularly.
• Try spinal twist asanas such as bharadwajasanas (legs side sitting pose), marichiasasnas (sage twist), ardhamatsendarasanas(half fish) and revolving stomach pose.
• Pranayama (Breathing exercise):
• Practice kapalbhati (breath of fire).

Question: I tore a portion of my calf muscle and it is healing, slowly, but it is still painful and very swollen. Can you give me an Ayurvedic recommendation on how I can support the healing process?

Answer: The reason for any delayed healing, according to Ayurveda, is due to the lack of circulation or decreased flow of prana (flow of cellular intelligence from one cell to another) around the area of the injury and the cause of your pain is due to aggravated vata and any swelling or inflammation is most likely due to the aggravated pitta.

Home Remedy:

• Rest your calf muscle as much as possible and apply Ayurvedic medicated herbal oils such as dhanwantari oil or muriveena oil and massage without pressure in a circular clockwise motion.
• Wrap the affected area with a paste of equal amount of turmeric, ginger and salt, this will reduce the swelling and inflammation.
• Drink fresh pomegranate or aloe vera juice as they act as anti-inflammatory agents and also speeds up the healing process.

Ayurvedic Recommendations:

• Localized indrabasta basti ( Procedure where warm medicated oil is held by creating a well around the affected area)

Yoga and Pranayama:

• Practice deep diaphragmatic breathing regularly and consciously.
• Practice nadi sodhana (alternative nostril breathing) and avoid stress, eat and sleep well.
• Practice upper body stretches and seated spinal twists even though it might be difficult with the torn calf muscles (research has proven that healing takes place much faster when one works the isolated muscles only).

Question: After having a cold, I’ve been having some lingering clear congestion and post-nasal drip. I’ve been avoiding dairy and still experiencing this issue. What next steps would you suggest?

Answer: According to Ayurveda, lingering congestion and post nasal drip is due to an aggravation of kapha and vata doshas which leads to lack of agni (digestive metabolic fire)

Home Remedy:

• Make a tea with equal parts of fresh ginger, black pepper, cinnamon and cardamom by boiling the herbs in two cups of water for 15 minutes. When cool, add ½ teaspoon of honey. You may take this up to three times a day.
• Take the Ayurvedic herb amalaki with warm water at night. Amalaki contains an easily-absorbed form of Vitamin C.
• You may take eucalyptus essential drops in a hot water and cover your head and eyes and inhale the steam for four to five minutes morning and evening.
• Practice neti pot cleansing (learn this from a knowledge and qualified practitioner)
• Rest up and do very mild exercises.

Ayurvedic Recommendation:

• Abhyanga (Ayurvedic oil massages) with kapha-pacifying (sesame, sunflower with warming herbs herbs cooked in the warm oil.
• Nasya ( nasal treatment)

Yoga Asana:

• Practice Surya namaskar, Forward Bends, Shoulder and Head Stands as these postures to reduce the aggravated kapha and vata dosha. If new to Yoga, please learn these techniques from a qualified Yoga Practitioner

Pranayama:

• Breath of fire and deep alternate nostril breathing will help in eliminating the accumulated toxins via body’s natural orifices.

The information provided here is for educational purposes only and should not be a substitute for medical care. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Before using any Ayurvedic remedies, consult with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or healthcare provider. It is important to rule out serious conditions when appropriate. This article represents the opinion and recommendation of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health magazine.

Ram Tamang

Dr. Ram Tamang is a licensed Ayurvedic Physician & Herbalist (India & Nepal) and a Registered Ayurvedic Specialist in the USA.  He is a partner with The Healing Gardens of Ayurveda and serves as the master physician. In addition to his full time clinical practice, Dr. Ram is a lecturer at several, national and international schools and colleges. Dr Ram is involved in many different organizations, associations and publications that help build and sustain a growing community of people passionate about the value of Ayurvedic Medicine.  He is a charismatic public speaker and has presented on various health issues and Ayurvedic Topics at events and radio shows around the world. He currently serves on the executive board of the Council of Ayurvedic Research USA: Thehealingardens.com.   

www.thehealingardens.com

The post Ayurveda Q & A appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Dr. Ram Tamang

Q: I am a 32-year-old woman with a predominately pitta (fire element) constitution. My health is good, but I have a continuous problem with acne all over my body. I limit pitta-provoking foods and take aloe vera juice every day. What else can I do to clear up my skin?

A: According to Ayurveda acne is known as yauvana pidaka or mukahadushika. Although acne is caused by the vitiation of all the doshas (elements), pitta (fire element) aggravation is the predominant cause. The aggravated dosha circulating in the bloodstream pollutes it and creates acne pustules under the skin.

Likely Causes

Many factors contribute to these flare-ups, including: hard to digest foods such as red meat, eggs and dairy; emotional issues; a polluted environment; exposure to chemicals; bacterial infections; too much sunlight; excessive use of stimulants; unsatisfactory bowel elimination and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in women. These factors can interfere with digestion, leading to mandagni (poor digestive metabolic fire) and aggravation of pitta dosha.

Home Remedies

• Mix equal amounts of cumin, coriander and fennel seeds. Brew tea with one cup of water and one-half teaspoon of the seed mixture. Drink this tea three times a day after meals for two weeks.
• Rub some fresh melon on the skin at bedtime, and leave it on overnight.
• Make tea with one-half teaspoon of amalaki powder (Indian gooseberry) and drink it two to three times a day.
• Make a paste of methi (fenugreek) powder and rosewater and apply to skin.
• Make a paste with a 2:1 ratio of aromatic turmeric and sandalwood and apply on the face and affected area. When dry, rinse.

Ayurvedic Recommendation

Panchakarma: Highly personalized Ayurvedic detoxification process under the guidance of qualified Ayurvedic physician or practitioner, who can assess the type of acne and your body constitution.

Yoga

• Simhasana (lion pose).
• Chandranamaskar (moon salutation) to cool the mind-body.
• Left nostril breathing (cooling) for 5 to 10 minutes.

Q: I am a 34-year-old man and recently started practicing yoga. Will steady, dedicated practice of yoga (I’m going to class three times a week) help me with some health concerns, specifically depression and anxiety?

A: A steady and regular practice of yoga that is appropriate for your mind/body constitution can be beneficial for many health issues including depression and anxiety. A pilot study investigating brain scans showed a healthy boost in levels of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) immediately after a one-hour yoga session. [See citation at end of article]. Low brain levels of GABA are associated with anxiety and depression.

According to yoga and Ayurveda, symptoms of depression and anxiety can be triggered by physical and mental stress. Yoga is shown to help reduce stress, create a peaceful state of mind and promote a positive outlook on life, which are great weapons for fighting depression and anxiety. Yoga asana (postures), controlled breathing, meditation and Ayurvedic lifestyle recommendations work together to help ease the mind that is plagued by anxiety and depression. Controlled breathing helps to focus the mind and to achieve relaxation, while meditation helps to calm the mind.

• Asana: maintains a healthy nervous system,
• Pranayama: to increase self-awareness and acquire a more peaceful state of mind.
• Meditation: for a stronger concentration and focus of the mind that can help in overcoming anxiety.

Yoga and Ayurveda developed together. Ayurveda is the science of healing the body and mind. Yoga is the science of self-realization and depends upon a well-functioning body and mind.

Note: Learn an appropriate and personalized practice from a qualified yoga and Ayurvedic practitioner. Together they will be much more effective in overcoming depression and anxiety than either one alone.

Q: I am a 50-year-old woman in good health. I had my first colonoscopy recently, and they did not find anything unusual. But ever since I have had a fever blister on my lip and my digestion hasn’t felt right. Is there anything Ayurvedic I can do?

A: With limited information, it is hard for me to assess your condition. However, according to Ayurveda, you have jeerna jwaram (pyrexia of unknown origin), a sign of ama (toxins) in the circulatory system, due to poor digestive or metabolic fire. Any invasive procedure can bring about a change in the digestive metabolic fire leading to indigestion and formation of ama (toxins). This leads to toxicity of the rasa dhatu (the body’s basic vital tissue or plasma), aggravating inflammation and leading to fever.

Home Remedies

• Put a handful of cilantro leaves in a blender and add ½ cup water and blend thoroughly. Strain the pulp. Take two teaspoons of the remaining liquid three times a day.
• Mix equal amounts of tulsi (holy basil), lemongrass and fennel. Take one teaspoon of the mixture and brew into a tea using one cup of water. Drink two to three times a day for seven to ten days.
• Soak one teaspoon of fenugreek seeds in a glass of water for a couple of hours, and drink that water two to three times a day.
• Apply aloe vera gel on the blisters.
• Clean and wash the blisters with triphala water.

Ayurvedic Therapies

Some people are very sensitive to anesthesia so the best is to cleanse the body of its aftereffects. Panchakarma (Ayurvedic detoxification) under the guidance of an Ayurvedic physician or practitioner is recommended to cleanse and strengthen the body’s immunity.

Yoga

• Vajrasana (diamond pose)
• Paschimottasana (seated forward bend)
• Trikonasana (triangle pose)

Before using any of the above Ayurvedic remedies, consult with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or healthcare provider. The information given here represents the opinions and recommendations of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of LA YOGA Ayurveda and Health magazine.

Ram Tamang

Dr. Ram Tamang is a licensed Ayurvedic Physician & Herbalist (India & Nepal) and a Registered Ayurvedic Specialist in the USA.  He is a partner with The Healing Gardens of Ayurveda and serves as the master physician. In addition to his full time clinical practice, Dr. Ram is a lecturer at several, national and international schools and colleges. Dr Ram is involved in many different organizations, associations and publications that help build and sustain a growing community of people passionate about the value of Ayurvedic Medicine.  He is a charismatic public speaker and has presented on various health issues and Ayurvedic Topics at events and radio shows around the world. He currently serves on the executive board of the Council of Ayurvedic Research USA: Thehealingardens.com.   

www.thehealingardens.com

The post Ayurveda Q & A appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.