introduction to ayurvedic philosophy

By Pamela Quinn

INTRODUCTION TO AYURVEDA

Introduction

Where did the philosophy of Ayurveda come from?

The Knowledge of Life or How to Live

Yoga, Ayurveda, and Buddhism

What is Pancha Karma?

What is Health?

What is Strong Immunity?

The Seven Tissues of the Body

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Foundational Philosophies for Living a Life of Balance

2 All rights reserved 2014 | www.elementalom.com | [email protected]

Vedic Prayer

Lead me from darkness into light Lead me from untruth into truth Lead me from mortality into immortality.


Introduction

When I teach the course I’m most known for, The Elemental Cleanse, I ask for a show of hands to see who has heard of Ayurveda. Shockingly, most participants do not raise their hands. It is shocking on two levels. The obvious being that they have signed up for an Ayurvedic cleanse having no idea what they are getting into and the not so obvious being Ayurveda is the most intelligent system for preventing and curing disease and is the most widely embraced holistic modality in the west.

It’s important to understand the roots of what you are taking the time to learn about and possibly embracing as a lifestyle and philosophy. Ayurveda is a holistic medicine from India. It is a psychosomatic system of preventing and treating diseases that looks to the integration of body, mind, and spirit as the ultimate experience of humanity.

Dr. David Frawley of the American Institute of Vedic Studies explains it beautifully:

As such, it is a powerful complement to modern medicine that views functionality of body as purely mechanistic. Most will tell you this philosophy is 5,000 years old, but history traces it back as far as 10,000 years. The Kundalini tradition believes it goes back up to 40,000 years. Ayurveda predates Chinese medicine and is widely believed the overlap of Ayurveda and Chinese is medicine is due to the migration of students from China to India and then back to China.

“ Ayurveda is based upon a deep communion with the spirit of life itself, upon a profound understanding of the movement of the vital force and its manifestations within our entire psychophysical system.”


Ayurveda includes what is known as Shad Darshan. This is a system of perceiving truth meant to express that which is within, without. Darshan has its roots in the ability to see, not visually, but through truth seeking. The Shad Darshan is critical to understanding Ayurveda and yoga because it is a philosophy that explains our everyday experience as humans in this physical existence and what it means. It is a way of looking at the physical, the emotional, the inner and the outer.

Shad Darshan includes the following:

(1) Sankhya or the Truth of Life. This includes the concepts of Purusha, Prakruti, Mahad, Ahamkara, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. If you have experienced The Elemental Cleanse, you recognize Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. We discussed Purusha, Prakruti, Mahad, Ahamkara when we wrote our stories. Basically, this is the creation story and the story of the ego and the lens with which we view life.

(2) Nyaya and (3) Vaisheshika. This includes the elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth, the soul, the mind, time, and direction.

(4) Mimansa: A great philosopher named Jaimini is credited with Mimansa and proving the existence of God. God is really taken into your everyday existence through rituals, ceremonies and fasting. We will not cover this because it is very sacred and requires an appropriate teacher. Just know that Ayurvedic Philosophy includes a tangible relationship with “one” creator. The creator is accessible and part of your everyday experience. I get a lot of emails asking for more information about proving the existence of God, and sadly, I will not get to study this until I’m in my 80’s I believe.

(5) Yoga: Yoga is a spiritual practice that includes a physical practice. The purpose of Yoga is to still the fluctuations of the mind creating happy people who live happy lives, have happy families, and have jobs they

Where Did the Philosophy of Ayurveda Come From?

There are four main texts of Ayurveda known as the Vedas:

1. Rig-Veda focusing on the five great elements and the three energies of the body and mind or doshas.

2. Yajurveda focusing on sacrifices, chanting, and mantra.

3. Athaveda (includes 4 secondary texts)Upaveda (this is a secondary text...there are 3 other Upavedas dealing in martial arts, sacred geometry, music and dance) housing Ayurveda from this our oldest medical books:(a) Charaka Samhita, 400 BC (oldest written

Ayurvedic text)...describes Vata and the five Vata subdoshas. This is the text for physicians.

(b) Sushruta Samhita...describes surgery, blood, Pitta and the five pitta subdoshas. This is the text for surgeons.

4. Samveda focusing on rituals and music.

The Vedas were transmissions given to man by consciousness. It is believed great yogis called Rishis sat in contemplation of man’s suffering and the science of life was revealed to them. These transmissions were not written down prior to the creation of Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, but were passed from guru to disciple through mantra. Mantras are powerful when spoken and have limited yet some power when written.

At this point you may naturally wonder if these teachings still have power the way that we are learning and teaching them mostly through the written word. The aspects of the Vedas not dealing with sacrifice, chanting, mantra, rituals, and music can effectively be transmitted through books. You do need a guru/disciple relationship to learn the rest. A guru is a teacher. A disciple is a student.


Interesting Note: Charaka is credited with writing the Charaka Samhita. Oddly, little is known about that guy and he has myth-like status. It’s believed that Charaka was not one guy and did not write the Charaka Samhita all by himself. It’s thought that the Charaka Samhita was written by many and in collaboration.

The Knowledge of Life or How to Live

love and are of service. When the mind is distracted in chaos, it is not possible to be happy. Pantanjali is credited with codifying yoga through the yoga sutras. Some believe that Pantanjali was also the author of the Charaka Samhita or the medical text of internal medicine.

(6) Vedanta or Upanishad. The Vedanta or Upanishad was incorporated into Ayurvedic Philosophy. It is the foundation for Hinduism. It’s primary teaching, if I may be so bold, is of consciousness. Brahma is the expansion of consciousness.

Ayurveda, as the Mother of Healing, has incorporated many other practices including Buddhism. Buddha was a yogi so you can imagine there is a blend. According to Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi, Buddha was sent by so man would enact their will and move away from the multi-Deity theory. Many yogis get a little confused about yoga and Buddhism and where they diverge. Just know that right now you are learning yoga. I’ll address this more deeply in a bit only because I get so many questions about yoga and Buddhism.

SUMMARY: In learning Ayurveda, you are studying the Athaveda stemming from an Indian philosophy known as the Shad Darshan and including an understanding that we are made from Pure Awareness or Consciousness, there is a God, and there is a way to understand the human existence as it relates to nature. There are rituals that will make your relationship with God flower. You can establish your own personal practice through the teachings I give you, but do seek out qualified teachers for other rituals that should be passed by word of mouth or through the sound current known as the Naad. Yoga will make you happy. Buddha was one smart Avatar and his teachings are really good. Yoga is not Buddhism.

Ayurveda translates to “the knowledge of life” or “the science of life” or “life knowledge.” It is easy to simply memorize “the knowledge of life” without giving due credit to what this phrase actually means. Read the following many times and contemplate.

“Ayur” means life.

It doesn’t just mean life as we know it though. It means all of life. It includes the moment that Consciousness had the thought to create you to the moment that you merge back with consciousness and beyond. It honors that you are no more and no less than a thought of God. You are divinity expressing through.

“Veda” means knowledge.

It includes, however, only the knowledge that the human mind can understand. This is important because it accepts that there are things that we will never know and never understand. For example, our scientific community has spent billions of dollars trying to understand why and how the body heals. They don’t know. In Ayurveda, we simply know that the body heals and we don’t have to know the why. Nor do we have to know the “whys” of God.


Ayurveda is affectionately called “The Mother of Healing” because just like a mother would do for a child, Ayurveda does for its children. If a contemporary modality existed that could ease the suffering of a child, would you reject it simply because it didn’t fit in with your current understanding and philosophy? No. You would embrace new modalities and technologies.

“Life (ayu) is the combination (samyoga) of body, senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Ayurveda is the most sacred science of life, beneficial to humans both in this world and the world beyond.” ~ Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, 1.42 – 43

Contemplation ExerciseImagine yourself before you existed. Go back in your mind to your grandparents. Who were they? What were their lives like? Did they imagine you? How did your parents meet? What was their life like at your conception? What did they care about, eat and do?

Ashtanga Ayurveda?

You may have heard of Ashtanga Yoga, but did you know that Ayurveda is really Ashtanga Ayurveda? Ashtangha translates to the “eight limbs” or branches. There are eight limbs of not just yoga, but also Ayurveda.

1. Internal Medicine or Kayachikitsa2. Surgery or Shalyatantra3. Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat or

Shalakya Tantra4. Pediatrics or Kaumarabhritya5. Toxicology or Agadatantra6. Psychology or Bhutavidya7. Rejuvenation or Rasayana8. Aphrodisiacs or Vajikarana

You don’t have to worry about the Sanskrit terminology associated with these branches; I just want you to be aware of the vastness of knowledge included in this ancient science. For the most part, you will be learning the preventative and supportive role in internal medicine. This branch of Ayurveda focuses on building and maintaining appropriate Agni or digestive fire. The science of rejuvenation or rasayana is used to prevent disease and extend life. I view The Elemental Cleanse as the “pre” work to rejuvenation or living in balance as purification is required for the rasayana to be effective. Without cleansing, a person cannot appropriately heal through the use of rasayana.

Interesting factoid: Bhutavidya means “knowledge of ghosts.” When all else fails (diet, yoga & herbs) in Ayurveda, the person is deemed to be possessed and the demon must be cast out. Exorcism, while not an overly active practice, is part of Ayurveda. Magicians are employed to cast out the spirits.


The following is advice from the Ashtangahridaya. This collection of advice from Ayurvedic physicians speaks to daily routines, seasonal routines, traveling, cleanliness and much more.

Nityam hithahara vihara seviiSameekshyakaree vishayeshuasakthaha

Datha samassthya paraha kshamavaNapthopaseveecha, bhavatya rogaha

Translation: Eat good food

Move your bodyBe careful of taking unnecessary risks

Respect yourselfGive to charityLove everyone.

Be truthfulRespond, don’t react

ForgiveSurround yourself with like-minded people

Contemplation ExerciseWhat is your daily routine?

Does it include all of the above? Could you this advice from the

Ashtangahridaya to create a daily checklist for yourself and use as a

journaling tool?


Yoga, Ayurveda, And Buddhism

Ayurveda is known as the “Mother of Healing” because of its inclusivity of all practices that heal including contemporary methods. Ayurveda is flexible, intelligent, and dynamic. Because of this, Ayurveda has folded into its philosophy the teachings of Buddha. Please do not become confused and think that Ayurveda or Yoga are Buddhism. They are not.

According to Yogandanda, Krishna was sent as an Avatar to teach man the lesson of Yoga. Yoga (Ayurveda) is a philosophy that adheres to the one deity rule (the deity being one Consciousness...whatever that looks like), much like Judaism and Christianity do. Hinduism came from the Upanidshads coming from Vedanta, a yogic and Hindu text. Hinduism adheres to a multi-deity philosophy. Buddhawas sent to man as an Avatar to direct man’s attention away from a multi-deity approach. Man was giving over his will to deities and this seemed a problem. Buddha’s fix for all of that was to make man the center and not to worry about any deity at all. Buddhist may or may not believe in one Deity. It’s irrelevant to the practice of Buddhism. Yogis believe in one Deity.

Buddhism is not part of the Shad Darshan.

Buddha was a yogi. Much of what he said about the mind and existence is relevant to Yoga. In particular, Ayurveda embraces the 4-fold path to enlightenment. This includes these facts:

1. Suffering is real.2. We suffer for a reason.3. Suffering will stop.4. There is a way to stop suffering.

I think we can all agree that suffering is real. We sit in our homes warm, dry, and comfortable and yet we suffer. Why do we suffer? Buddha says there are 12 reasons why we suffer.

1. Ignorance or Avidya: This is the ideal that we have forgotten who we are. You are animal, you are human, and you are spirit. The union or yoga takes you to a state of “non-duality” where you understand all of this through experience. You understand that this is that and that is that and that is all there is…Tat Tvam Asi. There is no separation between you and everyone and everything else. When you realize this, Avidya goes away and you no longer suffer. Ignorance is truly the root of ALL suffering. I love the quote below from my teacher, Mark Whitwell. It speaks to the suffering we encounter on a spiritual quest.

“ There is nothing to attain! There is no such thing as enlightenment, only Life in you as you. No need to realize God when God has realized you. It is intimacy you want and it is freely given. It is the search that is the problem. Looking for something presumes its absence. As long as we strive for a higher reality, the looking implies this life is a lower reality…Yoga is simply your direct participation in intimacy with what is already Given.” ~ Mark Whitwell, The Yoga of Heart


2. Past Impressions or Samskara: These are your scars from this and other lives. Because of these scars, you make choices based on those past experiences. You are making choices in your life unaware and it creates drama and more karma.

3. Initial Consciousness or Vignana: Site, Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch, Chitta (monkey-mind), the judging mind, the mind that remembers. In a nutshell, you taste a yummy treat; the mind thinks about it, likes it and remembers that it likes it. You then want more and more and more. This is the groove in the brain that brings you back to bad choice making again and again.

4. Mind/Body or Nama rupa: This is identifying with the self and attachment to the self. You believe you are the body, the mind, and the resources around you that the ego identifies with.

5. Six Organs of Cognition or Shadayatana: This is how you take in the world. It causes you suffering because you identify with yourself as the self through your sense organs. The thinking mind is “I am here

because I can feel me and see that I am here, so there is no way that I am not here.”

6. Contact of Senses with Objects or Sparsha: This is about enjoying physical sensations. You seek physical stimulation.

7. Sensation, Feelings, Pain/Pleasure or Vedana: This is about craving feelings and sensations. Perhaps you enjoy the intensity and extremes of emotions. Think of a drama queen or a person who finds pleasure in the failings of others.

8. Thirst to Enjoy or Trushna: Craving for sensory pleasure. Imagine you have an attachment to food or alcohol. You crave the sensory pleasure of it on multiple levels. It is social, it can be viewed as glamorous and it feeds the physical senses.

9. Mental Attachment or Upadan: This is attachment to anything including senses, thoughts, ideas, desires and other people. Imagine you want to change, but you are afraid to give up material possessions or relationships.

10. Becoming or Bhaka: This is about wanting more and more out of life. You are never happy because you always want more. The grass is always greener.

11. Birth or Janma: Fearing change in life. Imagine that you are stuck in a relationship or job and afraid to change and to move. Imagine you are afraid to change yourself. This can also relate to fearing birth. If you believe in reincarnation, you may fear what you will come back as.

12. Old Age, Death or Jara Marana: This is about fearing the process of aging and death. Who wants to get old and decrepit and sick? Who wants to die? Just a note, this is why we practice Shavasana or “corpse pose” so that we can practice dying and lose the fear.


Panchakarma is one of the most widely known practices of Ayurveda. Panchakarma is a system of purification performed seasonally, annually or with disease. It is known as the “five karmas” because it has five steps. The word karma is derived from the “kriya” and kriya means action.

Purvakarma is a Pre-step or Step 0

Purvakarma is the action that must be taken prior to receiving the cleansing benefits of panchakarma. It is preparing the body to receive. In a panchakarma administered by an Ayurvedic physician, this practice takes only 3 - 7 days. It largely consists of Snehana (Oleation) and Swedena (Heat therapy).

During the Cleanse, we spend three weeks preparing the body and mind to receive the Cleanse. This is done for multiple reasons:

• A 3 – 14 day flush of the digestive system is superficial because no effort or energy is put into bringing the mind back to balance with the body. I have not found one other cleanse product on the market that does this.

• A person will participate in a short cleanse, feel great and then immediately go back to the less favorable habits and lifestyle that created the need for the cleanse to begin with. People need time to integrate change and create new habits.

• The concepts of cleansing, including yoga, meditation and the elimination of “less-favorable” habits are new to Cleansers. Most have never meditated or experienced yoga.

• The Elemental Cleanse is a way to educate and empower a participant to heal himself or herself, not for an outside service, procedure or person to heal them.

What is Panchakarma and How the Elemental Cleanse Integrates?

So, how do we move beyond suffering?

Suffering ends by practicing the Noble eightfold path that was rediscovered by Buddha. It’s yoga.

1. Right View self-study: Why do you think what you think? Correct perception, thinking, speaking, conduct, living, doing, mindfulness and meditation.

2. Right Intention Non-violence and alignment with karma, the choices you make, and dharma, your life’s purpose.

3. Right Speech or Non-violence and truthfulness

4. Right Action; make the most nourishing choice

5. Right Livelihood; connect with your dharma and make your life’s work through it

6. Right Effort; tapas or discipline

7. Right Mindfulness: practice mindfulness

8. Right Concentration: practice meditation

From the discussion above, you can see Buddha was a yogi. Buddha was inspired by yoga when he practiced his practice others now call Buddhism. Buddhism is not yoga and yoga is not Buddhism. Buddhism contains a lot of yogic practices now thought of as Buddhism, but are also yoga. You may be called to Buddhism.


Snehana Therapeutic Oleation and the Cleanse:

Snehana or Oleation during the Elemental Cleanse begins with the process of the Sesame Oil Self Massage or Abyangha, cooking with plant based oil, consuming flax oil, consuming ghee and taking teaspoons of Sesame Oil at night. Just before Week 4, we crank it up a notch with the Sesame Seed Oil enemas and the ingestion of ghee. Oleation encourages the tissues of the body to secrete and loosen up the toxicity or ama that is settled in the cells. It lubricates the body. It grounds the excessive energies of The Wind or Vata which leads the other two doshas, Pitta and Kapha back to balance. It clears the energy channels or shrotas of the body. Snehana is done in conjunction with the ingestion of bitter herbs like neem and the bitter and uplifting tastes of beans, legumes, and vegetables.

Oleation is taken until the Cleanser feels nauseated and loses their appetite. This indicates that the tissues of the body are completely saturated. The Cleanser may also

have an oily sheen to the skin, elimination is oily, shiny and slightly yellow with a smell of ghee, and hair and skin may feel softer. This process increases strength and vitality. Often, especially if the Cleanser has an Ayurvedic massage, they will get a huge burst of energy. Many, however, are not actually doing all the work of the Cleanse and they will still suffer, especially those who do not get their habits under control.

Swedana Therapeutic Heat and the Cleanse:

In a panchakarma administered by a physician, there is much more play with heat than in the Cleanse. This is because Cleansers do not have easy access to these modalities and because they can be dangerous if not appropriately supervised. I simply encourage Cleansers to seek out hot baths, hot saunas, steam rooms and the sun.

In a true panchakarma, the participant would receive steam heat applied directly to the skin followed by a steam in a box. This would be done over the course of the 3 - 7 days. It is a necessary procedure because panchakarma is

very quick acting...7 days...and the toxicity or ama must be quickly expelled.

Step 1 – Vaman moves Kapha

Vaman is vomiting. It is recommended for kapha related disorders like bronchitis, colds, breathlessness, chronic asthma, diabetes, and indigestion. It must be done with the help of a physician. Generally, a person will drink warm salt water until the body releases. We do not embrace this practice during the Elemental Cleanse. Again, that is why we must spend three weeks in the pre stage. There are no quick fixes with the Elemental Cleanse. Kapha moves, but it moves slowly over the course of 28 days. Kapha does get moving pretty good during Week 3 and that’s why Cleansers are encouraged to pause in Week 3. It actually benefits the movement of Kapha.

Vamana is not a step for everyone. It is recommended by participant and must be supervised by an appropriately qualified Ayurvedic Physician.


Step 2 – Naysa moves Kapha

Nasya oil is sold in the studio and online at www.elementalom.com. I do recommend it to those suffering bronchitis, colds, breathlessness, chronic asthma, sinusitis, diabetes, and indigestion. Used best preventatively. If you do not wish to purchase Nasya oil, sniff a few drops of Sesame Oil morning and night for a similar effect.

Quick tip: carry nasya oil in your carry on when traveling. The oil will kill bacteria and viruses and prevent drying common to air travel.

Step 3 – Virechana...moving Pitta

Virechana is inducing elimination through the bowels. It is good for hyper acidity, colitis, hemorrhoids, chronic headaches, allergies, acne, psoriasis, eczema and migraine. Again, this must be done with a physician as the herbs used are powerful and dosha dependent. A person can become weak, dizzy and dehydrated from this procedure.

During the Elemental Cleanse, once a person has completed the Oleation, they actually

induce this themselves with the Sesame Seed Oil enema. The enema acts on three fronts, (1) to oleate (2) to eliminate and (3) basti discussed below.

Step 4 – Basti

Basti is a process where medicated liquid is introduced through rectum, vagina, penus, urethra and wounds. Again, a physician must administer basti as the herbs are powerful and dosha specific. Basti is not really enema. Enema only acts upon the lower portion of the colon. Basti acts on the entire system. Colonics are becoming more popular in the West. I strongly discourage this practice. It is not Basti and it is not Ayurvedic. Flushing the colon with water is actually very drying and weakens the mucous membranes.

Step 5 – Raktamokshana moves Pitta

Raktamokshana is bloodletting. We do not do this practice in the United States. If a person were to have excessively high pitta, you could recommend they go to a blood bank and give blood. The premise is toxins have loosened up and are traveling the blood

stream. Bloodletting is an effective way to quickly reduce the body of toxicity.

Summary

So, from this discussion, you can begin to understand The Elemental Cleanse is inspired not just from yoga, meditation, the yoga sutras and Ayurveda, but also from this 5-step procedure. The Elemental Cleanse must be administered slowly to have potent effect. A quick Cleanse of any sort is superficial and does not benefit the emotional or physical state of an individual.


Health in Ayurveda is called “swastha.” The Ayurvedic philosophy of health really doesn’t differ that much from the Western philosophy of health. In a nutshell, everyone wants to look good, feel good, and have energy. Ayurveda, however, is a little more expansive. It looks at physical, emotional and spiritual health.

A person living in a state of balance is healthy. This means that the doshas are balanced, the digestion is strong, and the metabolism is appropriate. The tissues of the body are healthy. That means that the plasma and blood are light and quick and able to feed the muscle, fat, bone, marrow and reproductive fluid. The mind is calm, clear and has the ability to discern. It doesn’t mean you are thin. It doesn’t mean you are big and strong. It doesn’t mean you have supernatural abilities. It means you radiate. You are vibrant.

Happiness is part of the Ayurvedic definition of health. If you are not happy, you are not healthy. You should be able to:

• Enjoy the company of others.

• Enjoy the places that you find yourself.

• Organically and naturally without a lot of effort make the best most nourishing choice.

• Reserve judgment for self and not others. I don’t mean walk around criticizing yourself, simply look within before you look without.

• Maintain balance regardless of the seasons. That means that you know and you choose to adjust your diet and lifestyle seasonally.

If you are healthy, you can expect to live to be about 100 years old. You will be respected, have friends, be loved by family, feel successful and enjoy wealth and be connected with Spirit. This is the path of yoga.

• Dharma or life’s purpose: This is why you incarnated or why you were born.

• Artha or wealth: You need material possessions to fulfill your Dharma.

• Kama or desire: God’s desire created the entire universe. Desire is not a bad thing. Your desire is part of the creative force. If you manifest your desires in using right action and heart-centered choice making, you are using this creative force appropriately. If you expect rewards, fame or wealth, you are not using your desire appropriately.

• Moksha or freedom: This is the highest goal. You are working to be free of your delusions, your maya and your misunderstanding that you are separate from spirit. You realize that there is more to life than dharma, artha and kama. You can’t get here without those, however. It’s a process.

What is Health?


Your are considered young between the ages of birth to 30 years. Within that, anyone who is 16 or under is considered immature and anyone over that age until 30 is considered to be mature. If you experience these ages in balance you will have a nice physical form, be attractive, have good muscle tone, and be peaceful or sattvic.

Middle age is 31 – 60.This is when we do the work of life. Hopefully you will connect to your Dharma and have rewarding work helping and serving others. You will accumulate wealth and your desires will be met. Around the age of 40, your attention will naturally go to the spiritual or if it doesn’t, you will naturally start to suffer and feel separated.

Old age is 60 – 100 or death. This is a beautiful time of life that can be active and rich. Most will still suffer the effects of aging, but these will be minimized if you are in balance.

How do we maintain health?

1. Follow a dosha balancing diet and lifestyle routine.

2. Cleanse annually whether you think you need it or not.

3. Cleanse for 1 – 3 days on a monthly basis.4. Surround yourself with like-minded and

supportive people.5. Enjoy work that is connected to your dharma.

What is Strong Immunity? Immunity is your body’s ability to prevent and destroy disease. A healthy person has strong immunity. If you have high immunity you are at your “ideal” body weight, your digestion is good, and you are emotionally free. In other words you are vibrant, happy, and having good relationships with others.

If you have poor immunity, on the other hand, you may be overweight, obese, very thin, have poorly developed muscle or bone, be sensitive to stimulus, and have weakness and exhaustion. Your relationships suffer due to your lack of vibrancy.

The common reason I see people experience poor immunity is call “prajnaparadha” or a crime against intelligence. This is when you knowingly do something that is bad for you. You choose to participate in a thought, word, or deed that causes you harm. This is violence to self. This is making the less-nourishing choice with intention. This crime presents as follows:

• Misusing the senses organs...eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. Examples include watching violent movies, listening to loud music, taking in cloying smells or smells of chemicals, favoring the sweet and salty tastes of the standard American diet (SAD), and too much or too little contact through the skin.

• Misusing speech. This includes gossiping, talking too much, and being untruthful.

• Misusing time. This includes spending your time doing unnecessary things or things you don’t really want to do. The constant running and choosing to go to places and participate in events that don’t agree with you are examples. Wasting time doing meaningless tasks like social media.


I love this concept of “crime against the intelligence.” If you pause at the crossroads of choice making, you can always ask yourself, “Is this choice moving towards my soul’s growth or away from my soul’s growth?” If you ask this quietly to your heart, you will be surprised by the commitment and strength there. For me, it makes choice making much easier as I realize I want to stay on my path to moksha or liberation.

Here is a balanced Ayurvedic routine for all doshas that will create balance in your day and help you to use the organs, your mouth and time in a better way.

• Arise daily 1 – 2 hours before the sun comes up. Use this time for yourself.

• Drink a glass of room temperature water. You can add 1 tsp. triphala powder to the water the night before. In the morning it will be settled to the bottom. Don’t stir it up, just drink the water on top. You can reuse the powder up to three times.

• When you arise, evacuate your bowels. The Elemental Cleanse trains your body to do just that. If not, continue the practice and know your digestion will learn. This is very effective for IBS.

• Brush your teeth with neem toothpaste.

• Swish your mouth with sesame oil and water (oil pulling).

• Scrape your tongue with a metal tongue scraper.

• Wash your face with neem soap and then massage Brahmi oil on your face. This will facilitate meditation and is good for skin.

• You may begin a practice of placing ghee on the eyelids. This is anti-aging and good for eyes.

• Place a few drops of nasya, sesame, or Brahmi oil in each nostril.

• Meditate for 20 – 40 minutes using mantra. I love Kundalini Meditations incorporating mudra, mantra, and music especially for beginners.

• Practice yoga for a minimum of seven minutes. This is a concept from Mark Whitwell’s ipromise. You can download an app from his website called ipromise for a seven minute practice good for all.

• Go for a walk every single day regardless of weather. Treat it as a walk with a friend named nature.

• Experience a full body oil massage daily before or after bathing.

• Meditate again at night before bed.• Spend some time in self-study and

reflection through journaling.• Sleep well.

The current trend in yoga is hot or power yoga. This practice is okay to do once a week if you are Vata or Kapha and properly acclimated. It is fitness. Think of it as any other fitness activity. The next time you are in a facility experiencing this class, notice if the instructor teaches you to breathe and reminds you to maintain control of your heart. Notice if there is a spiritual message and a caution to bring your mind back to center. Notice how you feel after your practice. Are you rajistic meaning more aggressive and impatient? Are you exhausted for a few days? Hot yoga puts a strain on your adrenal glands. Long term your skin erupts, sleeping patterns are interrupted, and you become grumpy. To properly practice, you must acclimate slowly over a course of 6 – 8 weeks in a warm room. I don’t know any studios doing that for their students.

Treat yoga as the spiritual practice that it is. If you want to burn calories, go for a run, hike, bike, or dance. Love yoga as an outlet for stress and spiritual connection.

A special note on exercise: In Ayurveda exercises is meant to nourish the body and mind. Exercise SHOULD NOT:• Make you breath quickly. Your breath should always be smooth,

even, and controlled.• Make your mouth dry. • Make your forehead perspire. That’s right! Don ‘t overdo it.


You have seven tissues or “dhatus” that are considered total and complete independent systems of the body. They are independent because they have barriers and borders to protect them from the doshas. Dosha is a Sanskrit word that means, “to go out of balance.” The dosha is the energies between the five great elements. A healthy barrier keeps the doshas out of the tissues. When a dosha enters a system because the system is weak, you go out of balance and get sick. You can learn all about the doshas and elements in my book, “The Elemental Cleanse”, or my ebook, “Who Am I?” For now, let’s stick with building a foundation for why Ayurveda is relevant to you.

The dhatus are a complete system dependent upon each other to feed each other. The process begins with healthy plasma feeding the blood, blood feeding muscle, muscle feeding fat, fat feeding bone, bone feeding bone morrow that ultimately feeds the reproductive system. If one or any

The Tissues of the Body

The word “Dhatu” translates to firmness. The Dhatus are the tissues of the body. The purpose of the tissues of your body is to provide a covering fro “ahamkara” or your ego.

dhatus are invaded by the doshas, you will experience imbalance.

During The Elemental Cleanse, we flush the dhatus. It only takes twelve hours to experience a quick flush and then another five days to totally transform plasma. The purified plasma then feeds and blood. It takes another five days to transform the blood. At this point you have invested a little over ten days assuming that you didn’t have “less-favorable” habits like alcohol, sugar, caffeine, and excessive meat and dairy to begin with and assuming you are already in a state of emotional balance with your life stressors. After five more days of cleansing, the pure blood goes to the muscles. Another five days to get to the fat and then five to the bone and five to the morrow and finally five to the reproductive system.

The entire process start to finish takes 35 days. Again, all this assuming you are already under control with habits and mental stress.

You can see, the Cleanse is really effective at getting to the fat tissue and that is why the weight rolls off in Week 4). Post cleanse the participant is empowered to eat for their predominant dosha or body type and heal the habitual mind or our poor choice maker.

It takes 90 days to grow a new liver, 120 days to grow all new red blood cells and 14 months to grow a new skeleton. You can heal your entire being in a relatively short period of time. Living in balance is critical to the long-term health and happiness.


Plasma or RasaIf the plasma is healthy a person will have smooth soft skin, shiny hair, be attractive, and of appropriate body weight.

Blood or RaktaIf the blood is healthy, a person will exhibit glossy and pinkish coloring in the ears, mouth, tongue, lips, nose, palms and soles of the feet. When I teach yoga, I am always checking out the bottoms of everyone’s feet.

Muscle or MamsaIf the muscle is healthy, a person will appear strong, solid, and attractive and have appropriate muscle and flesh. Excess flesh on the back of the neck, under and around the eyes, under the chin, on the stomach and breast, and on the joints of the hands and feet is an indicator of poor health and disease to come.

Overview of the Seven Tissues

Bone or AstiIf the bone is healthy, a person will appear balanced. I look to the nails as an indicator of choice making for the past six months in a client. When I teach yoga, I notice which students are having a consistently hard time balancing not related to emotional disturbance.

Reproductive Fluid or ShukraIf the Shukra is healthy, a person will be attractive, have a joyful personality, be bright and have an appropriate drive in the bedroom. They will be vibrant and enjoy life. In your personal life you can check for clarity of secretions from the vagina and the quality and clarity of semen.

Fat or AstiIf the fat is healthy, a person will have a pleasing voice (no whining), bright eyes, and soft and glossy hair and nails. I look for where fat is depositing on the body as an indicator of health and if the person I’m working with

has struggled for an extended period of time to lose weight or suddenly put on weight especially in the belly and thigh area.

Bone Marrow or MajnIf the bone marrow is healthy, the body will be strong yet soft. The voice will be rich and deep. The joints will be rounded.

Below is a detailed discussion of each tissue, how you present when healthy, the disease related to the tissue, and Ayurvedic remedies. When disease presents itself, I recommend a full experience of The Elemental Cleanse to efficiently and in a supported and balanced environment to flush toxicity and come back to balance.


Healthy Rasa• Soft smooth skin• Beautiful complexion• Soft hair• Good strength and stamina• Full of love and compassion• Faith, love, and trust or what we call

Ishavar Pradidana, surrendering to the divine.

If the plasma is unhealthy or depleted:• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome• Grief and sadness• Anxiety• No menstruation• Fever• Anger• Congested lymphatic system• Long lasting and repeated colds• Bloating and edema known as water

retention or swelling• An unhealthy or pale appearance

known as pallor• Anemia or deficiency of red blood • Dehydration• Dizziness• Emaciation• Excessive thirst• Hypersensitivity to noise• Heart palpitations• Inability to taste or extreme taste• Nausea• Aches and pains• PMS and premenopausal syndrome• Low libido• Lack of faith• Lack of self-confidence• Lack of taste and no desire for the

pleasures of life

Rasa Dhatu is:• Blood serum• Lymphatic fluid

Purpose of Rasa Dhatu:• To feed or supply nutrition

By products of Rasa Dhatu• Top layer of skin• Lactation• Menstruation

Plasma or Rasa Dhatu

Plasma is called “rasa.” It is interesting to note that rasa also means taste. Rasa is the foundation for health. It is the guardian and feeds all the cells of the entire body. You can change the quality of the Rasa within 12 hours and completely in 5 days, so it is also powerfully quick to positively or negatively effect your health with the food, drink and environment you are taking in.

Rasa contains the five great elements and all six tastes although it is heavily sweet and salty. All three gunas are present in Rasa.


Quick Fixes for Rasa

1. Take plenty of fluids. Drink for your body type: Kapha 4 – 5 cups of water, Pitta 5 – 7 and Vata 6 – 8.

2. Drink a date shake in the morning. Fresh dates blended into high quality milk, or non-milk substitute. Quick recipe: 1 cup almond milk, 6 dates, 6 almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, 1 tsp. honey, and a frozen banana if you choose. Blend it all up.

3. Shatavari 4. Clean up your diet choosing sattvic or pure foods.5. Clean up your thoughts and reduce stress.

You can see from this discussion that the food, drink, atmosphere, and emotions you are taking in every single hour have an immediate and profound effect on the quality of the plasma. This immediately and directly impacts your health. Every choice counts. Imagine you are suffering from intense PMS. Simply by changing your diet, you can relieve some of the symptoms in 12 hours.

If you are suffering an emotional disturbance such as grief or sadness, you can facilitate faster recovery through proper nutrition. Think about the last time you had a hangover. You probably craved less favorable foods that were sweet and salty. Imagine how much better you would have felt if you had made good food choices instead. Also, notice that it probably took about twelve hours for you to feel better from your binge as well.

The word "Rasa" in Sanskrit can mean any of the following including "taste." If you think about it, when your food tastes good, you will have good blood.

• Taste• Water• Semen• Plant sap• Mercury is considered the holy of

holy cures in Ayurveda and never to be taken without an appropriate Ayurvedic physician practiced in alchemy.

• Emotion• Musical melody

The food you feed your body is also feeding your ego or what we call ahamkara in yogi speak. If you do not nourish your ego, it will feel unloved and cause all kinds of emotional problems. The simple act of making good food and drink choices makes the ego feel safe, valuable and loved. This diminishes the drama in your life and allows you a happier existence.


Healthy Rakta• Healthy and glowing complexion• Rosy cheeks and lips• Lustrous eyes• Pink nails, hands, and feet• Longevity• Understanding and comprehension or

discernment• Happiness• Joy and wisdom• Intellect and brilliance

If the red blood is unhealthy or depleted:• Bleeding from orifices not related to

dryness• All inflammatory conditions• Repeated infections• Conjunctivitis• Hemorrhoids• Canker sores• Hypertension• Rash, acne, dermatitis, eczema• Profuse menstrual flow• Bruising easily• Herpes• Mononucleosis• Hepatitis• Appendicitis• Visible blood vessels• Blood clots• Varicose veins• AIDS• Red, warm hands and feet• Red eyes• Anemia• Pale skin, lips, tongue and nails• Dry, rough, cracked skin• Breathlessness on exertion• Crunching ice as a habit• Craving meat• Lack of enthusiasm

Purpose of Rakta Dhatu:• Carries nutrients to the tissues• Gives oxygen• Carries waste or carbon dioxide• Prana flows through the red blood cells

By products of Rakta Dhatu• Blood vessels• Small tendons and sinews• Bile

Blood or Rakta Dhatu

Plasma feeds blood. It takes 12 hours to begin the shift of plasma, another five days to purify it and another five days to completely change the blood or Rakta Dhatu. If you do not properly nourish the blood or Rakta Dhatu, you will experience the effects of deranged Fire or Pitta. The job of blood is to heat the body. When blood cannot do its job, Pitta dosha steps up to the plate. Pitta, however, does not have the ability to invigorate you and simply heats you causing imbalance.

During Week 2 of the Cleanse, Pitta dosha begins to come back to balance as we have cleaned up the diet and eliminated many of our rajistic habits including fried, processed, animal, alcohol, and sugar products. Emotionally, we have cleared our lives of activity and began the process of cooling the mind through Silence ad meditation.

Sun Salutations clean the Rakta Dhatu. Rakta Dhatu is red blood cells and sun salutations dynamically shift the blood.


Quick Fixes for Rakta

• Amalaki

• Avoid hot, spicy food

• Avoid alcohol, smoking, sour, salty and oily food

• Avoid the sun

• Appropriately process anger, hate and envy

• Avoid meat

• Bloodletting. Consider donating blood at a blood bank

Rakta health is a primary indicator of the health of the liver and the spleen as it is formed in the liver. A liver that is not toxic from poor choice making creates vibrant prana rich Rakta. Prana is our vital life force. It feeds from oxygen. Rakta transports oxygen and is itself oxygen rich. If you were to place your blood in a centrifuge it would separate. The red on the bottom is Rakta. The clear yellowish on top is Rasa. If you eat very poorly, the clear yellowish becomes thick, white and sticky.


Healthy MamsaThere is no Ayurvedic indication of muscle mass as an indicator of health. Muscle changes too quickly. Overdevelopment of the muscle is not recommended.• Well-developed cheeks, neck,

shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps, calf muscles

• and glutes.• Energy• Power• Strength• Stamina• Courage• Confidence• Determination• Love, compassion, and forgiveness• Ability to support self, make money

and achieve success• Strong desire• Ambition

If the muscle is unhealthy or depleted:• Enlarged, bulky muscles• Stiff muscles• Large expanded nose• Potbelly• Enlarged hips and buttocks• Disproportionate appearance• Myoma (muscle tumors)• Tonsillitis• Muscle hypertrophy (enlarged)• Myasthenia (muscle weakness)• Hiatel hernia• Lack of tone• Slipped or displaced discs• Atrophy of the muscle• Sunken cheeks and eyes• Thin neck with exposed bones• Visible vertebra and bones• Emaciated appearance• TMJ• Inability to meditate

Quick Fixes for RasaThere are no quick fixes. Moderation and healthy exercise is key to keeping Mamsa healthy.

AshwagandhaNux Vomica (good for alcohol habit and addictions)

Purpose of Mamsa dhatu:• Gives form and support• Creates action from intention• Gives personality and features

By products of Mamsa dhatu• Skin• Subcutaneous fat• Nasal crust• Earwax• Sebaceous secretions• Tartar

Muscle or Mamsa

Total transformation of the Muscle takes 15 days from the initial cleansing of the plasma or Rasa. Muscles give strength, support and protection to the body. Muscles make up about half of a person’s body weight. Muscles are responsible for the movement of fluids in the body. The more the muscles move, the faster the fluids must move to meet the requirements of the muscles.

Sun Salutations lengthen and strengthen Mamsa.


By products of Meda dhatu

If the meda is healthy:• Beautiful nails and hair• Soft skin and shiny• Flexible joints• Good endurance, energy, vitality

and longevity• Retain memories• Happy and blissful emotions

If the meda is unhealthy or depleted:• Obesity• Lethargy• Painful joints• Breathlessness if exerted• Slow metabolism• Underactive thyroid• Profuse sweating• Fatty tumors• High blood pressure• Gallstones• Low libido• Excess thirst• Craving for sweet• Diabetes• Emaciation• Degenerative arthritis• Overactive thyroid• Osteoporosis• Enlarged spleen• Oily skin• Excessive tartar• Hurt, grief, fear, sadness

Meda dhatu is:• Adipose tissue or fat,

phospholipids, and steroids

Purpose of Meda dhatu:• Creates cell structure• Nourishes the cells and lubricates• Gives a feeling of being grounded• Keeps vital organs warm• Guel

Fat or Meda

Total transformation of the Meda takes 20 days from the initial cleansing of the plasma or Rasa. Fat is fuel and has a function. It nourishes and lubricates the cells. Fat feeds on kapha foods. If you eat a lot of kapha rich foods, you will gain fat. If you are a person who feels loved by self and others, your need for food diminishes. Food and love are totally connected. If you are not getting love, you will eat more. The same is true for addictive substances including drugs and alcohol.

If you lack fat, you will busy your body and mind in an attempt to stay heated because the job of fat is to insulate and heat the body. You will also use distraction as a means by which to feel love. In Ayurveda, it is thought that those who stay emaciated or anorexic are fleeing from the commitments and bonds of love and relationship. As discussed above, those who overindulge are clothing in what they believe to be the comfort of love.

Quick Fixes for MedaThere are no quick fixes. Avoid excess sugar, salt, sweets and dairy products. Move the body. Deal with your emotional state. Avoid cold drinks, milk, oily or fired food, saturated fats, excessive consumption of water, alcohol and other drugs. Eat good fats in the form of vegetable fats. Guggul, Shilajit, Haritaki (found in triphala), Garlic.


Signs of excessive or diminished Asthi Dhatu:• Poor hearing• Brittle, dry or thin nails.• Bone spurs• Calcification• Hunchback• Bone fusion• Excessive hair growth• Scoliosis• Hair loss• Osteoporosis• Degenerative arthritis• Rheumatoid arthritis• Joint pain• Shortened height• Grinding teeth

Supplements:Shilajit

Shatavari (prevents osteoporosis during menopause)

Neem toothpaste (bitter and astringent)

Bone or Asthi Dhatu: The purpose is to provide support. By products of Asthi Dhatu are teeth, nails, and hair.

Interesting note: The unwanted molecules of toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic, mercury and lead are retained in asthi dhatu and the body tries to eliminate through the hair and nails. (Dr. Lad) That means when a person comes to the Cleanse with “heavy metals”, they really need to do their work and follow the diet without exception.

Bone, Marrow & Shukra

The Elemental Cleanse is a 28-day program. The Cleanse is designed to flush the system through the layers of fat thereby stimulating weight loss. If a person does not commit to the permanent elimination of less-favorable habits and embracing a lifestyle for their dosha, they cannot expect to go any further than the layer of fat. Living in balance will change the person’s mind and body long term.

Below is the discussion of our final three tissues. You are going to see some things on the lists of situations that Ayurveda can cure and improve that will challenge your Western mind. All disease is reversible in Ayurveda.


VATA in Majja• Nervousness, baseless fears, and

insomnia• Tingling and numbness, muscle

twitching, nervous eye twitching• Cold hands and feet• Dizziness and poor coordination

PITTA in Majja• Burning hands and feet• Pain in nerves or Neuralgia• Shingles• Herpes, mono, chronic fatigue,

Epstein Barr, AIDS (all worsen with Pitta)

• Hypertension, cerebral hemorrhage, sickle cell anemia

KAPHA in Majja• Loss of sensation

Shukra or Reproductive TissuesMale and female reproductive tissues

This is your ability to reproduce and creates Ojas in the system. Ojas is the sparkle that animates you. This forms 35 days after your first bite of good food.

Signs of imbalance• Preoccupation with lovemaking• Increased desire for lovemaking• Premature ejaculation• Sterility• Cystic Ovaries• Low libido• Fear of lovemaking• Impotence

Causes• Poor food• Engaging in love making at midday, midnight,

dawn or dusk• Overindulgence in lovemaking• Love making during menstruation, while

intoxicated, with violence and• abruptness• Surgery or trauma in lower pelvic floor• Gonorrhea, syphilis or herpes• Emotional stress and worry.

Majja Dhatu or Bone MarrowThe job of bone marrow is to communicate. It is the seat of the conscious and subconscious mind.• Signs of imbalance in Majja Dhatu• Pineal and pituitary tumors• Neurofibromatosis (tumors)• Heaviness of eyes• Sluggishness• Excessive sleep• Osteoporosis• Anemia• Arthritis• Debility in intimacy• Insomnia• Neurological problems• MS• Parkinson’s• Stroke paralysis• Epilepsy• ADD• Lack of understanding/poor

communication

Bone, Marrow & Shukra Cont’d…


Participation in The Elemental Cleanse and living in balance for an additional 13 months grows an entire new skeleton and permanently changes your experience of health.

I hope this helps you to better understand the philosophy of Ayurveda and the foundational principles of the traditional practices that are part of an everyday Ayurvedic life. Ayurveda, as the mother of healing, is not hard. Much of it is com-mon sense. The hard part is dealing with the thinking mind. Battling the mind alone is quite difficult. Battling the mind consistently with the support of a teacher, a coach, and a group is the most effective way to conquer the poor choice maker that lives inside of you and is not allowing you to lead the life you desire.

You can work with me in a workshop setting, through my ecourses, and one on one in a coaching setting. Let me help you transform your life on all critical levels.

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