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Articles on Family Health
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Jennifer is an accomplished artist who is beginning to make a
name for herself. She lives in the country on four acres of forested
land and she spends her time painting, preparing for upcoming
shows, marketing her prints, and taking care of her house and
yard. She has a Siamese cat, but it is her cocker spaniel, Reilly,
that is her constant companion. She is 56, single, and has many
close friends. Even though her life is going well, Jennifer is
anxious. She worries about money and the success of her next
show. She frets about what would happen to her pets if anything
were to happen to her. She is restless and sleeps lightly.
Jenniferís time is unscheduled and her days often chaotic.
She gets up whenever she feels like it, shops for groceries sporadically
(often forgetting there is no food in the house), accidentally
bounces checks, sometimes lets bills slide, and spontaneously
takes the afternoon off and goes visiting whenever the mood strikes.
Although she paints every day and tries to plan for her shows,
she is often pushed at deadline time. When she is absorbed in
her work, she will paint into the wee hours of the morning, forgetting
both food and sleep (she would say these have never been important
to her anyway). She doesnít like to cook, so she eats
mostly cold food that requires no preparation. A typical dayís
diet is a bowl of cereal for breakfast with a cup of tea, rice
cakes with peanut butter and an apple for lunch, fat-free strawberry
yogurt for a snack, and grilled fish and a salad for supper.
Jennifer has never been especially athletic. She sometimes takes
walks in the woods with her dog but has little motivation to
do more. She rationalizes that her work is physical enough and
that she goes folk dancing once a week. Her body is slender and
agile, but she is beginning to notice that she feels stiff and
achy after a long drive.
Her energy at the end of the day varies, especially when her
digestive system is acting up, as it has been of late. She has
gas, which causes pain, distention, and discomfort (and makes
her pants too tight). Her stomach rumbles and grumbles and she
feels heavy after eatingóas if her food is just sitting
in her stomach. Occasionally she has cramping and diarrhea, usually
when she is under stressótransporting her paintings to
a show, for example, or scurrying to meet a deadlineóbut
more often she is constipated.
Jennifer has been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Her doctor also performed a series of diagnostic tests (blood
tests, sigmoidoscopy, allergy testing), all of which were negative,
although she did have a mild reaction to wheat and dairy products.
Her doctor recommended a soluble fiber supplement (Metamusil)
for the constipation and prescribed a variety of drugs to help
manage her symptoms: an anti-gas medication, a laxative, an anti-diarrhea
medication, and a drug that encourages gastric motility. Her
doctor has told her that her condition is incurable, an opinion
reinforced by the specialist she consulted for a second opinion.
Irritable bowel syndrome is the most common gastrointestinal
disease in clinical practice. Approximately 35 million people
in the U.S. are affected by IBS, usually young-to-middle-aged
adults, and twice as many women as men. Jenniferís symptoms
are typical: constipation alternating with diarrhea, bloating,
gas, and general indigestion. Some people have predominantly
abdominal pain and constipation, others have diarrhea more frequently.
Although it is not a serious health problem in the sense that
it doesnít progress to a more serious condition like colitis
or cancer, IBS is uncomfortable and unnerving.
The Western medical approach to this disorder is to rule out
a more serious problem with a battery of tests, and then treat
the condition symptomatically, as was done in Jenniferís
case. Cure is not expected because the cause of irritable bowel
syndrome is unknown, although it is clear that stress plays a
role. Like Jennifer, patients are usually advised to learn to
live with it.
The ayurvedic approach is infinitely more hopeful. All illnesses
are considered imbalances of the doshas (the three humors of
the body), and most are curable with balancing therapies. Jenniferís
variable intestinal symptoms are signs of an imbalance of vata
(the dosha associated with air). Vata resides primarily in the
colon, and when out of balance it creates erratic symptoms (especially
gas and constipation). Like the wind, vatic conditions tend to
have the qualities of dryness, coldness, and irregularity. These
can manifest as coldness of the body, dryness of skin, eyes,
and/or mouth, or dryness in the intestinal tract, which causes
constipation (lack of lubrication leads to dry hard stool that
doesnít pass readily). A vata imbalance also manifests
as irregularity of symptoms, for example, variable digestive
complaints, unpredictable menses, or fluctuating blood sugar.
Those who have a predominance of vata dosha are prone to these
imbalances. They tend to have irregular digestion patterns, and
irregular energy levels (it comes in ìgustsî). Mentally
and emotionally, vatic types tend to be creative and intuitive;
they are attuned to the beauty in any situation, but are also
sensitive to the ugliness (loud noises, bright lights, strong
odors, injustice). Their sensitivity often makes them feel that
they need more insulation between themselves and the world. They
love travel, and are stimulated by change, but this aggravates
their already restless minds. They tend to learn quickly and
forget just as quickly. Their nature puts them on a roller coaster
ride that is exhausting and makes them more prone to feeling
unstable and anxious. The goal of ayurvedic therapy is to rebalance
vata and thus minimize irregularity and coldness, and maximize
routine, warmth, and moisture by way of food, drink, herbs, massage,
and exercise.
Jenniferís journey to self-understanding began when she
was introduced to hatha yoga by a friend who didnít want
to go to class alone. They took an eight-week class. Jennifer
enjoyed the emphasis on relaxation. She noticed that her bowel
symptoms often improved after class and that she slept better
those nights. She mentioned this to her instructor, who encouraged
her to enroll in a weeklong ayurvedic rejuvenation program at
a yoga retreat center to work on healing her intestinal disturbance.
Routine
Because wind is changeable and chaotic, routine and consistency
are essential in balancing vata. So during her rejuvenation program
Jennifer follows a strict schedule of waking and sleep, exercise
and rest, meals, snacks, and relaxation sessions. She wakes at
6:00 a.m. and cleanses her body by taking a shower, doing the
nasal wash, and drinking a cup of hot water with lemon and honey
to facilitate a bowel movement. At 6:45 she goes to a gentle
yoga class ending with a guided relaxation. Breakfast is served
at 8:00 a.m. Afterward she has a biofeedback session, a yoga
therapy session, and a massage. She has a juice break between
morning sessions and takes a brisk walk before lunch at 12:30.
In the afternoon she attends a cooking class, reads, and practices
sandbag breathing. Supper is served at 6:00 p.m., and in the
evening Jennifer attends lectures on nutrition, ayurvedic philosophy,
and stress reduction. Before bed she practices a systematic relaxation
and turns in by 10:00 p.m.
Stress Reduction
Vatic people tend to get scattered, disorganized, confused, and
anxious easily, and this generates considerable stress. They
benefit from slowing down and collecting themselves. In Jenniferís
ayurvedic rejuvenation program diaphragmatic breathing is the
foundation of stress reduction because it activates the parasympathetic
nervous system, calming the body and nervous system and making
it easier to focus the mind. Relaxation exercises based on diaphragmatic
breathing transform a whirlwind into a calm breeze.
Jennifer is first taught to relax lying on her back in the corpse
pose. Once she is breathing effortlessly in that position, she
is introduced to sandbag breathingóa specially designed
8-pound to 10-pound sandbag is placed over her abdomen below
the rib cage to strengthen the diaphragm muscle, and this in
turn helps her breathe deeply, slowly, and evenly.
She also learns a systematic relaxation that guides her through
her whole body from head to toes, consciously relaxing each part.
Jennifer finds this restorative. She is given a tape to use when
she returns home and is reminded to practice diaphragmatic breathing
anytime she feels anxious or scattered. She is also advised to
breathe diaphragmatically for a few minutes just prior to meals
to ensure that she is relaxed and receptive to nourishment.
Massage
Oil massages are essential to keep vatic types in balance, especially
during the cold, dry months of winter. Warm oil is nourishing
to vatic skin, countering dryness while increasing circulation.
It is also deeply relaxing. Jennifer finds the daily massages
calming and always walks away smiling.
Exercise
Because of their weak digestion, vatic people benefit from building
strength in their solar plexus, and in hatha, the best exercise
for this is agni sara. In this practice the base of the body
is ìlockedî by contracting the pelvic floor muscles;
and after exhaling upward from the pubic bone to the chest, the
chin is also ìlockedî by bringing it to the sternum.
These locks are a way of holding in prana, or energy; agni sara
helps create, preserve, and compress energy. Even a brief daily
practice strengthens digestive power and builds heat. A more
intense practice engenders energy and clarity of mind.
Vatic types are prone to weak, unstable joints, and so need to
focus on strengthening poses. Standing poses (lunge, warrior
series, triangle, angle, etc.) and balancing poses (tree, king
dancer) that help vatas ground down through the feet are especially
helpful. Vatic types also need aerobic exercise because it is
warming and builds digestive strength. Low-impact forms of exercise,
such as swimming, walking, bicycling, dancing, skating, and rollerblading
are best.
Jennifer is encouraged to continue folk dancing and to walk more
often. During her daily yoga therapy sessions, the therapist
works with her on the standing and balancing poses, as well as
on poses for preserving flexibility. The therapist emphasizes
the importance of moving with awareness of the breath. Jennifer
finds this difficult at first, but by midweek she is able to
stay focused on her breathing, and has the pleasant sense of
really being in her body, rather than just in her head.
What You Can Do To Get Better
If you are one of the millions with IBS, chronic gas, or constipation,
don't despair if a doctor tells you that this condition is incurable.
It can usually be resolved by being attentive to your lifestyle
and making changes where necessary. In the ayurvedic view it
is a matter of adding grounding elements to stabilize vata as
well as strengthening digestive fire through agni sara and other
exercises.
Here are some tips for grounding the air element:
Learn to breathe diaphragmatically. Find a yoga class or a stress-reduction
seminar that teaches this, and then practice diligently. Diaphragmatic
breathing is the key to stress reduction, and stress reduction
is the key to resolving the conditions that lead to IBS.
Follow a routine. Go to bed, get up, eat, exercise, and relax
on schedule. These activities keep us balanced and healthyóand
if we donít plan them, we donít do them.
Eat smart. Take warm, moist, nourishing food. Avoid raw food,
most legumes, light/puffed snacks, and carbonated drinksóthey
add more air to the system.
Strengthen your digestive fire. Learn how to do abdominal exercises
like agni sara and nauli kriya. And remember to include low-impact
aerobics like walking, bicycling, and swimming in your routine.
Give yourself an oil massage every day. If you canít find
time to oil your entire body, at least rub oil into your feet.
Use a high-quality cold-pressed oil (sesame, olive, almond),
and donít let it get rancid.
Take a soluble fiber supplement. Psyllium-seed husk is excellent;
bran is an irritant, so avoid it. And if you are adventurous,
try toning and cleansing your elimination system with triphala.
Vata is balanced by food that is cooked, warm, moist, moderately
spiced, nourishing, and a bit oily. Sweet and salty tastes are
especially important. Sweet foods (grains and dairy products,
fruits, and natural sweeteners) are nourishing. Salt holds water,
countering the tendency to dryness; it also stokes the digestive
fire. Because vatic people tend toward weak digestion, herbs
that increase digestive fire are useful: ginger, garlic, cumin,
turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf, and fenugreek.
Once digestion is sufficiently strengthened, dairy products can
be introduced. Gassy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,
and most beans are best avoided for obvious reasons. Cold, light,
and dry food further imbalance vata: salad and other raw food,
puffed grains, carbonated drinks, light crunchy snacks, and even
yeast bread (itís full of air) are best eaten in small
quantities.
These principles are explained to Jennifer. During her stay her
meals consist of whole grains (rice, oats, spelt, whole wheat),
watery and root vegetables (squash, pumpkin, yam, carrot), sweet
fruits (oranges, pears, cooked apples), nuts, tofu, and dairy
products. Salads, vegetables from the cabbage family, and most
beans are not included. At midmorning she drinks a mixture of
carrot and apple juice (sweet, nourishing, and cleansing) and
every afternoon she is given hot spiced milk with a sweet snack.
Despite her mild allergy to dairy products, she finds that cheese,
made fresh at the retreat center, and the spiced milk cause no
gastric problems.
Jennifer is also coached to be aware of what and how she eats
and to taste, chew, and swallow it with awareness. She attends
cooking classes to learn to make these dishes herself. She appreciates
the subtle flavors of foods she is being introduced to and is
excited about expanding her menu at home.
Herbs
Generally vatic types need to take herbs that are building, strengthening,
and nourishing. A few of the most powerful ayurvedic herbal tonics
are ashwagandha, shitavari, and punarnava. All of these herbs
have a sweet taste and build immune strength, virility, and energy.
For the intestinal tract, soluble fiber (psyllium-seed husk)
is essential, at least until the bowels are in good working order
again. Soluble fiber can act either as a laxative or as an anti-diarrheal
agent: it absorbs water which helps counter diarrhea, while its
mucinous quality and bulk have a laxative effect. Triphala is
also a good tonic for strengthening bowel function. Insoluble
fiber, such as bran, is dry and acts as a laxative by irritating
the bowel wall, and so it should be avoided by anyone tending
toward a vata imbalance.
Jennifer takes psyllium-seed husk mixed in a large glass of water
or juice every morning, and a cup of triphala tea before bed.
She takes a mixture of the strengthening herbs mentioned above
in pill form twice a day, along with skullcap, licorice, and
schizandra.
Postscript
When she goes home Jennifer will continue this regimen for at
least two months. As her bowel normalizes she will stop taking
the psyllium seed, and over a period of three to six months she
will gradually stop drinking the triphala tea and taking the
other herbs, using them only if symptoms recur.
Jennifer has been coached on how to create a schedule to give
her days some structure when she gets home. She is advised to
wake, eat, sleep, exercise/stretch, and relax at regular times.
Although she knows it will be challenging to curb her free-wheeling
ways, she is so encouraged by the marked improvement in her symptoms
that she is determined to change her habits.
She leaves the retreat center with some trepidation: will she
really be able to implement what she learned? The staff assures
her that any changes she makes consistently, no matter how small,
will have a positive effect, and that this in turn will motivate
her to make other changes. They will be available by phone if
she has questions or concerns, and she is encouraged to follow
up in six to eight weeks for both assessment and encouragement.
Carrie
Angus, M.D., uses yoga, Ayurveda, and other holistic techniques
in her medical practice.
This article provided by Himalayan Institute's YI Article Archive
www.himalayaninstitute.org/hiinstitute/archive.html |
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