Sunday, June 14, 2009

Yoga and Ayurveda--Same Goal

Yoga has taken America by storm. Yoga teaching has become one of the fastest growing professions in North America. As many as 30 million people practice yoga in the United States alone. NAMASTA, the North American Studio Alliance, the organization for mind-body professionals, nowestimates that there are 70,000 yoga teachers in North America. Most fitness clubs offer yoga classes, and yoga is the fastest growing segment of the exercise industry. Unfortunately, many equate Yoga to an exercise class like Pilates or step aerobics and this is the model much of the Yoga industry promotes.

While many view yoga(hatha yoga is the traditional term for the physical postures and cleansing practices) as an alternative way to exercise, most long-time practitioners realize that hatha yoga is not just physical -- it creates balance in mind, emotions and consciousness as well. As one practices Yoga one starts to realize that it offers so much more than just physical conditioning--one through experience sees that physical health is directly tied to emotional health and spiritual progress.

Yoga shares the same origin and goal as ayurveda, the traditional Vedic system of health care. Same origin and goal. Both yoga and ayurveda have their origin in the Vedic tradition of India, and both are a means to gain better health.

A verse from the Yoga Sutra, yogas chitta vritti nirodhaha, describes yoga as the settled state of the mind. Patanjali compares it to a verse from ayurvedic texts, svasmin dishati iti svasthah, which states that one who always remains united with the true self, the Universal Consciousness is a healthy person. These verses show that both yoga and ayurveda have the same goal which is attaining union with the Universal or Big Self, instead of identification with the little self (this body and senses along with the mind or "manas").

Other verses from the ayurvedic texts also point to this self-referral state of the mind as the basis of health. A verse from the Sushruta Samhita, for instance, says, "He (she) whose doshas are in balance, whose appetite is good, whose dhatus are functioning normally, whose malas are in balance and whose Consciousness(big self), mind and senses remain full of bliss, is called a healthy person. Modern medicine refers to ill health arising from mental causes as Psychosomatic illnesses. It is estimated that as much as 90% of lower back pain may have a mental component. Attaining union of individual consciusness, the self (Atman or Purusha) with the Universal consciusness reduces the suffering that leads to imbalance, both mental and physical and thus illness.

This experience of unity is the aim of Ayurveda. For instance, the word "ayurveda" is derived from the Sanskrit word ayu. While one common meaning of ayu is "life" or "lifespan," and thus ayurveda is "the science of life and longevity," another meaning of ayu is mentioned in Charaka Samhita, sharirendriya sattvatma sanyogo . . . ayu. This verse defines ayu as the state where the physical body, senses, mind, and soul are integrated. So you see that whether you are talking about yoga or ayu, it is a state of unity -- or complete integration of mind, body and consciousness -- that is the goal--Yoga or union.

Yoga balances all three doshas, and different poses have different effects. Forward bending postures cool Pitta dosha. Twists are good for Kapha because they stimulate digestion. Backward bends are heating, and thus balancing to Vata types. Yoga postures tone every area of the body, and cleanse the internal organs of toxins, which is one of the goals of ayurveda.

Both use cleansing methods for the body, all of which encourage the removal of waste products and toxins through their natural routes of elimination. Ayurveda has panchakarma (five cleansing actions) and yoga uses Shat Karma (six purification measures). If someone is attending a yoga class on a regular basis, he or she is starting to dislodge ama (digestive impurities) in the body. But if they are still maintaining a lifestyle and diet that creates ama, all they are really doing is moving their sludge around. The yoga practitioner needs to know how to detoxify through the dietary, lifestyle, and purification practices of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda embraces all six of the main schools of philosophy including the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Vedanta (a non-dual philosophical and spiritual path) and Tantra. They both understand that the attachment to the body-mind complex is the root cause of all suffering and that the ultimate state of health is experienced when we abide in our true nature, which is total peace, regardless of the state of the physical body.

The use of asana, pranayama, and meditation for healing is known as Yoga Chikitsa(This is also the name of the 1st series of Astanga Vinyasa Yoga), or Yoga Therapy and has been used for thousands of years by Ayurvedic and yogic adepts. In Yoga Chikitsa, a group of yogic exercises are chosen that will best support the individual and are practiced daily. This can be done over an extended period of time in conjunction with an Ayurvedic regime and herbal and dietary therapies.

Remember that the goal of yoga practice and ayurveda is the ultimate joy that comes from the union of individual consciusness, the self (Atman or Purusha) with the Universal Consciousness. The fact that one moves the body this way or that, or does some breathing practice does not, unto itself constitute Yoga. Yoga is the journey (Yatra) towards Yoga, which is the union being sought. To be a miner of diamonds, take care of your picks and shovels. To be a miner of your spiritual Self, take care of your body, breath, and mind. But don't confuse the tools and the goals. The destination of yoga and ayurveda is Yoga.

Om tat tvam asi, Steve Galindo.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

June Monthly Theme: Ayurveda

Ayurveda, which literally means the knowledge and wisdom of life, is the traditional healing system of India. Often called the mother of all healing, it originated in India over 5000 years ago.

Ayurveda views health and disease as the end result of how we interact with the world, in terms of our beliefs, perceptions, thoughts, and feelings, which then ultimately determine our actions. Actions in harmony with our inner nature create health, while those dis-harmonious with our inner nature create disease. Ayurveda is the science of developing greater harmony with our environment through all of our senses.

Ayurveda assists the body in journeying back to optimal health by balancing the five elements in the body and mind through the use of herbs, diet, colors, aromas, lifestyle changes, yoga, and meditation along with other five sense therapies. The rejuvenative and cleansing therapies (Pancha Karma) described within help nourish our bodies while calming our minds from the stresses of modern daily life.

Your inner nature is called your constitution or prakruti, and is an individual blend of the three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Your unique balance of these three energies was determined at the moment of conception and is with you the rest of your life. It determines what is in harmony with your nature and what will cause you to become out of balance, sick, and diseased. Knowledge of your constitution is essential to developing optimal health. Your constitution determines how you react to various foods, colors, aromas, and general life habits.

Recently, Ayurveda has had a profound impact upon the world of health care. Popular books by Deepak Chopra, M.D., and others have called attention to the potential of this ancient healing system. Along with the potential to heal chronic diseases, Ayurveda promises to improve health and increase longevity.

Ayurveda is considered the healing side of Yoga. Likewise, Yoga is the spiritual side of Ayurveda. Both Ayurveda and Yoga strive to help a person re-connect to their true nature through direct experience. Together, they encompass a complete approach to the well being of the body, the mind, and the spirit.