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#3daysofsimpleayurveda challenge!

We begin with the term prana.

Meaning

Prana is the subtle, life-affirming essence of vata dosha.

From a larger perspective, prana is the vitality of your mind.

It provides flexibility, creativity and the ability to communicate. It’s all of the spiritual, life-affirming aspects of the air element from adaptability to spiritual growth.

Prana is the basis for all thought and consciousness.

Today’s exploration

What practices support prana in your everyday life?

Community & Connection

What does Simple Ayurveda look like?

To me, the word Simple, symbolises, ease, freedom & lightness which is why I had to use this word. Simple is what I aspire to be! Simplicity is one of my core values!

Today I just wanted to share with you what my core values are in my view and how they can influence everyday life. Values dovetail into Ayurveda because everything we do matters and has an effect on everything we do. Core values are just articulating the things that are most important to us.

For Example,  what are your priorities in life, where do you put your time, attention, love and care. For me the list of core values today are:- Simplicity, Health, Individuality, Knowledge, Joy & Harmony. You can figure out your core values by looking at the attached sheet of words and circling the ones that call to you and symbolise who you are and what you aspire to put your time and intention into. 5 or 6 are sufficient.

I have found that going through this exercise of figuring out what my core values are and writing them down, having a reference to look back on them is just a reminder of what my higher self wants and where I direct my attention.

So what does a core value look like in action? For Example ` Light ‘-  a feeling of lightness and one of the ways to keep lightness at the forefront of your mind is by keeping your schedule pretty free and open, so not committing to too many things.  A simple example of  this is too many things on a to-do list, having too many appointments – hairdressers, vets, courier collections/deliveries, shopping etc, plus too many activity and wellness classes can be stressful too,  when actually all we would rather have is time open to wonder through the woods, parks, rivers, nature & beach walks, paint, read, learn, socialise and have fun… than having to be somewhere at a said time, especially in 40 degree heat at the moment.  

So having a schedule as open as possible creates this feeling of freedom and lightness. Another example of how I try to live my core values and I don’t do this perfectly at all, is to get my mind churning about what my core values are and how I want them to show up in my day-to-day life.  So one of my values is Harmony. 

Now part of me always wants to be right and that’s natural as part of our ego, right..but I’ve really been paying attention to how I interact with my family and friends every single day. So this story just happened the other day… My husband kept getting a flat on his bicycle tyre every morning when he went out to start his ride, every day he would pump it up or change the inner tube and go out on his ride only to find that the next time he wanted to ride it, it was flat again!…. I dont know much about riding or bike mechanics but I suggested that there may be something inside the wheel that was pinching the inner tube and perhaps a thorough inspection would highlight the issue and save all the frustration. It fell on deaf ears, so that when during a ride a few days later the tyre exploded, luckily near to home and nowhere near a car. Further investigation discovered it to be a spoke that had displaced itself and was causing all the trouble inside the wheel. I said nothing of course at first as I certainly didn’t want to say `I told you so!’ …and letting him learn his own lessons is part of love & harmony right? Instead some hours later, I said `What would be the best way to avoid this in the future, with the cost of inner tubes as they are and a potential accident waiting to happen, how could you remedy this…..next time …to see if?’ He then listed off a 5 minute due diligence prep for setting off. 

You see by not saying Ì told you so!’ I released him of hearing the `I’m right and you’re wrong lecture’, which fits in with Harmony being more important than, `I’m right’!

So back to Simplicity, for me a couple of weeks ago, I chose a local animal charity as a goal and every day for 30 days, I bagged up stuff that I don’t use, I don’t see and stuff that just sits in boxes, most still with labels on. I realised that actually I was falling in love with the idea of minimalism and that we all accumulate unnecessary stuff…those trappings were bogging me down. So you could try this..just get rid of stuff, a bag of paper from the office counts, food from the cupboards, clothes & shoes that just sit packed in boxes, drawers of old make-up, lotions & potions, just a bag a day.  I realised that once I put my focus on clearing stuff I didn’t need anymore in 30 days straight, it was such a mind shift!  I got rid of all sorts of stuff including larger pieces of furniture, kitchen appliances & garden accessories. This has propelled me to join the minimalist movement happening all over the world through communities and to look at my life differently. Minimalism isn’t some wacky 21st century fad, it is just putting the focus on what’s more important to you and that’s where the core values can be helpful because, how do you know what is important to you?

In the past, I have sometimes felt off kilter, now I understand it was because I had shifted from living in alignment with my core values. Therefore connecting with this idea of minimalism recently and saying`No’ to things, whilst clearing out some white space in my daily schedule has been most liberating. 

 A month ago, it didn seem right looking around my kitchen, seeing appliances I don’t use and not being able to find the stuff that I do want to use, it occurred to me again that I’m not living those core values and I’m stressed out and I don’t even want to be in my kitchen because it’s not a fun experience. Whereas, clearing loads of stuff to give to a deserving charity and clearing worksurfaces and shelves, cleaning, bringing useful items into view and access and painting the whole kitchen and cupboards white (even the clock and light didn’t escape) was giving me a new blank canvas and a point by which to start afresh. `Simplifying’, it would seem really does create the freedom to be creative and to express yourself, have joy and to do the things you want to do…!

So what does`Simple’, look like in Ayurveda,? For me, it is to make this ancient wisdom or knowledge easy to relate to and possible to practice in everyday life. So I want to take those values of Lightness, Joy and Ease and put it into making it accessible for everyone. For me it’s about getting to the basics of what the ancient wisdom says and figuring out how to make this super easy to practice. I will look to write more on modern Ayurveda and its place in todays society.  

I’m not perfect (shock horror) I don’t follow Ayurveda protocol perfectly and you don’t need to either, thats the whole point. You can try the different practices and figure out which ones that work best in your routine and let go of the rest or maybe this season you need a certain practice and next season you won’t. You can pick and choose what works for you according to the level of healing, what your lifestyle looks like and how balanced you are. You can also start with something small and as you feel the effects, start to layer on. For example, I bought some nasaya oil and was putting the drops up my nose every morning, then I forgot and bottle got pushed to the back of the cupboard and I haven’t picked it back up yet and that’s OK. What I do prioritise is my daily routine, utilising my energy with the circadian rhythm and the ayurvedic food recommendations for proper food combining, so as not to overload my Agni. For each person, it can be different based on what is important and what you are going to prioritise in your life. 

So in conclusion, I encourage you to take a moment and figure out what your core values are and have that sheet to hand somewhere. Once core values have been figured out you can look at Ayurveda in a simple way, what’s going to work for you today and let go of any shame or guilt for what is not currently working out.

… I’ll leave you with a quote from Einstein `Everything should be made as simple as possible but not simpler!’…

Last year I entered into the realm of pet health by default really. I had already been giving turmeric and black pepper to the campo dogs & cats to keep them worm-free with great results…

The presenting issue with our own pet was a legacy of worrying misdiagnosis’ followed by prescription after prescription of heavy meds from the local Spanish Vet; chosen because of their ability to converse in English. One mind-blowing misdiagnosis was that our Border Terrier had an enlarged heart and was given strong medicine for a couple of months before the Vet realised that the breed has a naturally large heart for hunting and there was nothing wrong with his heart! The erythema was sheer panic being at the vets! Another situation had me giving my dog 8 antibiotic tablets a day for a GI infection that he had picked up from the acequia. Since registering with a holistic Vet in a nearby town and introducing a few Ayurvedic daily practices, our pets have been in really great shape. 

Furthermore, our big fluffy British Shorthair cat has also benefitted from a daily dose of turmeric and black pepper in his wet food for his arthritis. When he came to us he had a really bad limp on his front leg, which has since disappeared.

Using our Pets as case studies, and identifying the predominant dosha through things like character traits, their temperament , body build and fur condition, energy levels, eating and sleeping habits, memory indicators, preferences for weather conditions for walks etc. and any past health weaknesses; I ventured into a case back in the UK. The patient was a 10 year old black labrador called Harley owned by a friend of my husband. Harley had been on strong pain medication for some 8 years after being hit by a car. His rear leg had bad arthritis as a result of the trauma, he was very anxious when out walking by traffic and he had recently started to have crusty growths (dog nose Hyperkeratosis) on his nose.

My diagnosis sounded a bit out there at first but the more I looked into it, the more I realised that this science of Ayurveda really does apply to everything living & breathing!

While fewer holistic veterinarians may specialise in Ayurvedic medicine than in modalities such as acupuncture, homoeopathy or Western herbs, for example, it’s an approach that becoming more widely known and used. It can offer effective and gentle healing for many common conditions in dogs and cats.

Here was my case study, diagnosis and feedback on this wonderful animal-Harley.

‘If I apply the principles of Ayurveda to Harley, looking at his photo and digesting his character information & body type etc forwarded by his owner, I would put him as a Kapha dominant energy type. (Kapha lends structure, solidity, and cohesiveness to all things, and is therefore associated primarily with the earth and water elements. Kapha also embodies the watery energies of love and compassion. This dosha is responsible for lubricating all cells and systems, the joints, moisturises the skin, maintaining immunity, and protecting the tissues- When imbalanced, Kaphas become stubborn, resist change and can be generally lethargic in mind & body, joints, cells, skin and internal systems become dry and ache. 

Physical signs-

• Kaphas are physically strong, with a sturdy heavy build.
• They have an aversion to cold, damp weather and may have asthma or allergies.
• These animals have the most energy of all constitutions, but this energy is steady and enduring, not explosive.
• Kaphas are slow-moving and graceful
• They have soft fur, a tendency for large “soft” eyes, and a soft temperament.
• They’re often overweight though they may eat little; they may also suffer from sluggish digestion.
• Stools are soft and pale in color, and slow evacuation is typical.
• Kaphas sleep soundly and long.
• They have excellent health, good stamina, and resistance to disease.
• These animals are easy-going, relaxed, slow-paced and happy.
• They may be slower to learn, but they never forget so can be possessive; they have good long-term memory.
• Kapha animals are affectionate and loving, forgiving, compassionate, non-judgmental, stable, reliable, faithful, and are peacemakers.

Therefore, my recommendation for Harley’s current  presenting issues are the following herbs (available in tablet form, powders, tinctures and oils, so pick the easiest to insert into meals and treats)

Ayurvedic herbs   

1. Ashwagandha (Wilhania somnifera)              

Ashwagandha, or Indian ginseng, is one of the most highly regarded and widely used Ayurvedic herbs, believed to increase energy and overall health as well as longevity. Ashwagandha literally means “to impart the strength of a horse”.

The key constituents of Ashwagandha are called withanolides and play an important role in the herb’s ability to promote physical and mental health. Ashwagandha can be used on a long-term daily basis without the risk of side effects.

2. Boswellia Serrata (Salai, shallaki)

This is one of Ayurvedic medicine’s most potent anti-inflammatory herbs. Boswellia is a promising alternative to conventional NSAIDS, with the added advantage of sparing the GI lining. It is therefore useful for inflammatory disorders of the intestines, respiratory tract and skin. Boswellia significantly reduces the production of prostaglandins E2, cyclooxygenase-2 and prevents collagen degradation.

The most common use is for osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease and any inflammatory condition of bones, joints and spine. It is also neuroprotective, analgesic and antifungal.

3. Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric is a perennial herb-rhizome commonly used as a cooking spice. Curcumin is the yellow pigment extracted from turmeric. In Ayurvedic tradition, turmeric is a general tonic and blood pacifier. A potent anti-inflammatory agent with analgesic properties, curcumin’s essential oil has shown antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in vitro studies.

Curcumin also possesses anti-asthmatic, antioxidant, hepatoprotective and anti-cancer activity. It is known to have strong anti-ulcer activity due to its immune-modulating and stimulating properties, thus making it very effective in IBD cases. Curcumin maintains healthy cyclooxygenase-2 (Ld4) activity while supporting prostaglandins, leukocytes and thromboxane metabolism. Like Boswellia, it has neuroprotective properties, so it can be used by neurologists for spinal injury and inflammation.

4. Neem (Azadirachta indica)

Neem has attracted worldwide attention in the medical community due to its wide range of medicinal, insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Practically all parts of the neem tree are used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Fresh new leaves are used in concoctions for a variety of skin and other inflammatory disorders. Oil extracts from the leaves and seeds are potent antiseptics and insect repellants. Neem has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties. It is also considered anti-hyperglycemic. Since it is considered a valuable insecticidal, it can be used for external parasites. All parts of the neem plant — leaves, bark and oil-based products — are used for this purpose.

N:B: Just be sure to consult with an integrative or holistic veterinarian before giving Harley any new herbs whilst medications are in the system….and if you do choose to try these, I would love to know any results.’

Feedback from Harleys owner after 8 weeks was that he was showing signs of being calmer when out and about, less agitated with his leg and the crusts on his nose had disappeared!

I recommended continuing with the turmeric and black pepper mix plus ashwagandha and to measure any progress. To date, all signs are very positive and pharmaceuticals are being reduced.