These are the slides used in a talk on Ayurveda at Stanford University's Health Improvement Program (HIP) on May 20, 2015.

1. Introduction to
Ayurvedic Medicine
A 5000-year old medical system from India
swakitch.com
Shaaranya Geetanjali Chakraborty Ananta Ripa Ajmera
wholeyoga-ayurveda.com
Disclaimer: This is not a substitute for medical advice
© 2015 All rights reserved

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4.0 International
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3. Ayush: Life
Veda: Science

4. Ayurveda: The Science of Life

5. Yoga = Ayurveda’s
Sister Science

6. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”
- Hippocrates
(460 – 370 BC)
“When diet is Wrong, Medicine is of no Use.
When diet is right , Medicine is of no need”
- Ayurvedic Proverb

7. Sushruta: Founding father of Surgery
Period:1200-600 BCE
Treatise: Sushruta Samhita
Famous painting by Robert Thom

8. Dating: 900 BCE-600 BCE
Foundational Ayurvedic
treatise
Covers epistemology,
diagnosis, therapy
development and
implementation
Captures dialog of
Punarvasu Atreya, or
Rishi Atreya

9. Ayurveda takes a “Whole Systems” approach to health
Macrocosm
Microcosm

10. Ayurveda provides the building blocks for
understanding the interaction between
microcosm and macrocosm
You can apply these elements to the foods you know!

11. In your chat
window, type in
the predominant
element from the
five choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

12. In your chat
window, type in
the predominant
element from the
five choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

13. In your chat
window, type in
the predominant
element from the
five choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

14. In your chat
window, type in
the predominant
element from the
five choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

15. One
Size
Does
Not
Fit
All

16. Poll: Do you know people who feel colder/warmer when others
don’t?

17. Poll: Do you know people who feel sick eating the same food
that others feel fine eating?

18. The five elements present a typology
for identifying your constitution
Let’s try it!

19. In your chat
window, type in
the
predominant
element (s)
from the five
choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

20. In your chat
window, type in
the
predominant
element (s)
from the five
choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

21. In your chat
window, type in
the
predominant
element (s)
from the five
choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

22. In your chat
window, type in
the
predominant
element (s)
from the five
choices:
Space, Air, Fire,
Water, Earth

23. Like increases like
Your constitution interacts with the food you eat, and we can
use the five elements to analyze it
Let’s try it!

24. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Fiery constitution Fire-dominated food
The fire element gets vitiated with
too much heat. May manifest as
heartburn, anger, controlling behavior,
etc.

25. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Fiery constitution Water-dominated food
The fire element gets balanced with
cooling foods.

26. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Air & space constitution Air & space-dominated food
The air and space elements
get vitiated. May manifest
as spacing out, anxiety,
pain in the body, etc.

27. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Earth-dominated food
The air element gets balanced with
earthy foods.
Air & space constitution

28. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Earthy constitution Earth-dominated food
The earth element gets vitiated.
May manifest as sluggishness, heaviness,
dullness, stubbornness, etc.

29. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Earthy constitution Air & space-dominated food
The earth element gets
balanced with lighter foods.

30. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Watery constitution Water-dominated food
The water element gets vitiated. May
manifest as coldness, water retention,
being overly emotional, etc.

31. Chat: What do you think will happen?
Watery constitution Fire-dominated food
The water element gets balanced with
warming foods.

32. The focus of Ayurveda is on balance.

33. Ayurveda is a Mature
Science
The answer to a question like “Is this diet good” is NOT
yes/no, but “It depends!”

34. Poll
Do you think an Ayurvedic diet is:
A. Synonymous with Indian cuisine
B. Vegetarian
C. Healthy, but not tasty

35. –Translated verse from a Classical Ayurveda text
“The goal of this science is to help maintain the
health of an individual and help the diseased
person to become healthy again”

36. Ayurveda has been effective
in several areas
Internal Medicine
OBGYN
Psychiatry
ENT
Dentistry
Surgery
Toxicology
Anti-aging and
rejuvenation
Pharmacology
Pediatrics
Aphrodisiac Medicine Ophthalmology

37. There are lots of herbal medicines in Ayurveda,
but the first line of defense is food and lifestyle.

38. You can enroll the humble kitchen in
building your own frontline health
defense

39. Cardamom
Home Remedies:
• Mouth freshener: chew 1-2
pods and spit out the peel
• Nausea: chew 1-2 pods
directly
(Latin: Ellataria cardomomum)

40. Turmeric
(Latin: Curcuma longa)
Home Remedy:
Wound Healing Antiseptic:
Apply turmeric powder to
cuts and wounds before
you put on a Band-aid

41. A pinch of turmeric
kills germs in your
food. Research has
shown that it improves
cognitive function in
patients with
Alzheimer’s disease.
Turmeric in Cooking
*Contraindication: Do not overdose on the amount of turmeric you add to your food.

42. Turmeric as a Beauty Enhancer
Home Remedy: Mix either fresh ground turmeric root or
turmeric powder with water or milk to cleanse skin for 5 mins,
then rinse off

43. Cumin Seeds
Home Remedy:
Boost Digestion: Add roasted cumin seed powder to your
meals; this spice can be used as a table spice
(Latin: Cuminum cyminum)

44. Bishop’s Weed
Home Remedies:
• Relieve menstrual cramps: Ajwain
decoction (water boiled with 1/4th
tsp Ajwain) can be sipped like tea
as needed
• Improve appetite & relieve gas: 1/4th
tsp. of roasted Ajwain, powdered
and mixed with warm water
relieves bloating
(Latin: Trachyspermum ammi)
*Contraindication: Do not consume this spice if having too much fire/heat in your body.

45. Nutmeg
Nutmeg is known to be a
natural mild tranquilizer
and recommended for
de-stressing and helping
with sleep
(Latin: Myristica fragans)

46. Home Remedy:
Sleep like a baby: A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg can be
added to warm milk at night
Nutmeg
*Contraindication: Do not use nutmeg in your milk when having constipation.

47. Awaken Early

48. Resources
• A book we recommend on Ayurveda: Prakriti by Robert Svoboda
• For additional home remedies using kitchen spices:
- 4 Healing Ayurvedic Spices to Add to Your Pantry
- All-Natural DIY Anti-Acne & Anti-Aging Facial Recipe
• To learn more about self-care practices:
- 3 Ancient Ayurvedic Rituals to Rock Your Mornings
- Live in Harmony with Nature: 3 Practical Tips from Ayurveda
- Ayurvedic Geriatrics
• For more on mindful eating:
- How Ayurveda Inspires Mindful Eating

49. Promoting Health & Wellness
with Ayurveda
Taking health into your own hands
Coming Soon
Watch for a class announcement

50. swakitch.com
For Short-Term Ayurveda Consultations in
Milpitas, CA: clinicicc@vedikaglobal.org
General Queries: info@swakitch.com
Shaaranya Geetanjali Chakraborty
Ananta Ripa Ajmera
wholeyoga-ayurveda.com
For Long-Term Ayurveda Consultations &
Yoga Classes in Emeryville, CA & via Skype:
ananta@wholeyoga-ayurveda.com
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