This is the third in a series of lectures I offered through Yama Yoga Studios, Doha, on Ayurveda. The focus of this lecture was therapeutic approaches to health--this lecture integrated information from the first two to give students a holistic perspective on their health and individual bodies and subtle body constitutions. This is based on thousands of years of study in India and is a very powerful approach to health.

1. AYURVEDA LECTURE 3
THERAPEUTICS

2. “WITH PROPER DIET AND LIFESTYLE, MEDICINE IS OF NO
NEED. WITH IMPROPER DIET AND LIFESTYLE, MEDICINE IS
OF NO USE.” ~AYURVEDIC PROVERB

3. IT’S ALL ABOUT FIRE:
AGNI & WHAT PUTS IT OUT
•TOO MUCH WATER/LIQUID WHILE EATING
•NO SCHEDULE AROUND EATING
•HABITUALLY EATING THE SAME FOODS
•STAYING UP/EATING LATE
•EATING TASTELESS FOODS
•RESISTING THE URGE TO EAT
•OVEREATING
•FOODS THAT THROW OFF DOSHAS

4. FOOD BECOMES YOUR BODY
THE DHATUS: THE BODY’S SEVEN MAJOR TISSUES

5. DHATUS: BUILDING OF TISSUES
COMMENCES, BEGINNING WITH PLASMA
• Plasma (Rasa)
• Blood (Rakta)
• Muscle (Mamsa)
• Fat (Meda)
• Bone (Ashthi)
• Bone marUow and nerWe (Majji)
• Reproductive fluid (Shukra/Arava)
• Digestion is evident in the tissues—their health and
for`ation

6. OJAS
• “WHITISH-­‐GOLD LIQUID”
• RESULTS FROM PERFECT
DIGESTION
• IMPENETRABLE
IMMUNITY
• CONSISTENT ENERGY
• VITALITY
• CONTENTMENT

7. BUILDING/MAINTAINING OJAS
• laugh and smile a lot
• take time to relax
• meditate regclarly
• spend time in natcre
• exercise your creativite
• offer your giſts to others
• follow your hear’s passion
• engage in physical activite

8. AMA: THE TOXIC
BYPRODUCT OF
POOR DIGESTION
•UNDIGESTED/PARTIALLY DIGESTED FOOD
LINGERS IN THE BODY
•ACCUMULATION: COLON>>THEN
BLOODSTREAM
•TRAVELS AND LODGES IN TISSUES &
ORGANS
•SOURCE OF DISEASE
•THROWS OFF UNDERLYING BALANCE OF
ALL DOSHAS
•AFFECTS KAPHA AND DATA MOST,
HOWEVER
•PITTA TYPES BURN IT

9. ASK YOURSELF:
ObserWe:
1. Stick out your tongce in the mirUor
2. Is there a white film on it?
3. If so, this is ama, direct obserWation
4. Use a tongce scraper
5. What you scrape off, that is ama

10. HOLISTIC
PERCEPTION:
FOOD’S MANY FORMS
•UNDIGESTED THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS AND
SENSORY IMPRESSIONS WILL ALSO LEAD TO
THE FORMATION OF MENTAL AMA
•EG., THOSE TIMES WHEN THE ANSWER
COMES IN THE SHOWER
•ALL A BYPRODUCT OF FAST-­‐PACED SOCIETY
•NEED TO BUILD IN TIME TO PROCESS AND
DIGEST—TO FIND BALANCE
•INTUITIVE POPULAR MIGRATION TOWARD
YOGIC ACTIVITIES

11. MIND: FOUND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
BODY—NOT CONFINED TO THE BRAIN
• StUeam of consciousness flows through evere cell in the body
• Life force—AycrWeda recogrizes this flowing through mind and body
• When we are joyfcl, the body, evere cell, exteriences this
• Fear is the same way
• Physical disease always has a mental/emotional component
• Mental disease, when leſt untUeated, manifests in the body

12. SLEEP—TIPS
• GO TO BED BEFORE 10 PM
• SET REGULAR BEDTIME
• CLEAN/PLEASANT BEDROOM
• BEFORE SLEEP, CONCENTRATE ON BREATH ONLY
• TAKE A WARM BATH BEFORE BED
• READ BEFORE BED OR WITH BOOK LIGHT/KINDLE
• AVOID BLUE SCREEN
• WARM MILK WITH PINCH OF CARDAMOM/
NUTMEG BEFORE BED

13. ACTIVITY BY DOSHA
VATA: AEROBICS (LOW IMPACT);
EASY CYCLING; TAI CHI; WALKING;
YOGA; GYMNASTICS; SWIMMING
PITTA: ARCHERY; BASKETBALL;
CYCLING; FOOTBALL; MARTIAL
ARTS; SURFING; TENNIS; WEIGHT
LIFTING; SKIING; MOUNTAIN
CLIMBING
KAPHA: AEROBICS; JOGGING;
ROCK CLIMBING; RUNNING;
TENNIS; YOGA; ROWING;
FOOTBALL

14. HERBS—COMMON
• Triphala—combo of three herbs/natcral laxative effect/can
be dreing/master herb—exUemely healing
• Guggclu—helps rid the body of unwanted fat and ama/
different for`ulations for different dosas
• Brahmi—i.e., gotc kola/cams nerWes/improves memore/
promotes restfcl sleep and balancing of doshas
• Chavanaprash—immunite enhancing wcit/high in vitamin
C/rejuvenating jam/stUenghens ojas/ NOT recommended
for those with excess ama/obese body condition
• Ashwagandha—calms nerWes/stUenghens muscles/reduces
anxiete in men and women/reverses sexcal debilite in men
• Satavari—female herb: menstUcation/menopause/
inferilite/low libido/hor`onal imbalances

15. HERBS—BY DOSHA
+raises dosha/-­‐balances/*in moderation

16. ABHYANGA
DAILY FOR PITTA-­‐ AND VATA-­‐PREDOMINANT TYPES (LESS
OFTEN/DAILY DRY BRUSHING FOR KAPHA)

17. ABHYANGA
• Head-­‐to-­‐toe oil massage
• Relaxes nerWous system
• Removes impurities wom plasma
• Feeds inner tissues of the body
• Powerfcl preventative measure
• Vata—war`ing (almond/sesame)
• Piza—cooling (coconut/olive)
• High-­‐qualite, organic, cold-­‐pressed
• Add essential oils

18. • “PANCHA"—FIVE ACTIONS TREATMENT
• RID THE BODY OF EXCESS AMA, BALANCE DOSAS AND PURIFY TISSUES
• LIGHT FASTING AND STEAM THERAPY TO OPEN BODY FOR OILS
• FIVE PRIMARY TREATMENTS: VAMAN/BASTI/NASYA/HERBAL PURGATION—OILS AND HERBS
• SHIRODHARA (AWESOMENESS!)
• BASIS: QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER ADVISES BASED ON INITIAL CONSULTATION TO DETERMINE PRAKRITI
• 3-­‐14 DAYS
• RECOMMENDED EVEN FOR HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE
PANCHAKARMA