Ayurveda - here we go!

As some of you may have read about on my Facebook page, I am embarking on a new journey. Yes, ANOTHER thing to add to my "year of reinvention"! This journey involves working with an ayurvedic practitioner (and since that is just to flippin' much to type, from here on out it's simply "Jamie"). I have talked to some of you about this and there was some interest in me sharing some discoveries along the way.  My hope is that by me sharing my journey, it may just help one of you with some self discovery.

Jamie recently completed her ayurvedic training.  Part of the program is that she needs to complete an "internship" with 10 students before she graduates.  I am one of the chosen ones (ha!).  My initial fee includes 4 sessions with Jamie.  Any herbs that I  want along the way or future appointments are extra. This is meant to be a stepping stone.  Where I decide to go with it after these initial appointments is entirely up to me.

The first appointment was an in depth question/answer session.  Almost 2 hours of all things Cari (oh my!).  I won't get into the nitty gritty details, there is a thing as too much information.  But I will say that she asks about just about everything you can imagine.  The answers to these questions along with an exam, a reading of my ayurvedic pulse, and a visual observation gave her the tools to prepare my assessment  (which is thoroughly detailed in the second appointment I had last Friday).  I'll get to that in a minute.

I mention the word ayurveda in conversation and more often than not I get a confused look.  Many people do not know what it is.  There is oodles of information on the internet as well as a plethora of books on the subject.  I won't delve too deep into that here, but I do need to give you the basic premise.

The basic rule in ayurvedic healing is that whatever you can do yourself to improve your own health is more effective in the long run than what another person can do for you.  It is in balancing the doshas (primary life forces behind all physiological and psychological function) that the roots of the symptom/s are cut off and you can live in health and harmony.  The fundamental treatment for the doshas is not something clinical done by a practitioner but rather it is the self care you give yourself on a daily basis.  It's really all about balancing current imbalances.

The foundation of ayurvedic treatment is to balance the digestive system.  If you are not digesting food property or are taking in foods that are not healthy for your body, you are unable to form healthy tissues and may be left with toxins in your system.

Ayurveda is made of up of many different components and it's really just a matter of working with your practitioner to see what works best for your lifestyle.  Some of these components are:  diet, herbs, color therapy, yoga/meditation, aromatherapy, and detoxification.  One of my favorite parts is that you aren't expected to jump in head first and change everything at once.  In fact that is discouraged.  Your body needs time to acclimate itself to the changes you are making along the way.  You may remember me saying "baby steps" in previous posts.  Well that is EXACTLY what this is all about.  NOT drastic lifestyle changes but rather more of a self awareness to what your body needs to treat whatever "symptoms" you are experiencing.

Back to the assessment.  Ok, everyone has what is called Prakriti (also known as your constitution).  This is your state of health at birth.  It's the essence of who you are.  It represents the ideal balance of doshas for you to be in a state of health.  As a result of that first visit (questions and exam), Jamie analyzed that my constitution is:  primary dosha is Pitta.  Pitta is primarily composed of the element of fire.  Positive qualities of Pitta are that when in balance Pitta gives a sharp mind, clarity in thought, leadership, bravery and courage.  Secondary is Kapha. Kapha is made up of the earth and water elements.  When balanced Kapha gives you a calm and patient disposition (clearly I'm out of balance because we all know patience is NOT part of my vocabulary), contentment in life, a loving and compassionate nature and a stable, loyal presence.

Clearly if this is all about balance - and being healthy when in balance - it makes sense that I would also need to know which of my doshas are imbalanced (this is called your Vikruti).  Well in my case - all three have something going on (go figure! have to be an "over achiever"!). My primary imbalances are Vata and Pitta.  Vata, which is composed of air and ether which are cold, light, dry and mobile.  According to Jamie, my sinus and allergy problems as well as my neck and shoulder pain are all related to the imbalance in my Vata dosha.  When Pitta increases, fire increases in the body leading to different kinds of inflammation and heat issues.  Being critical and jealous are also a result of this imbalance.  Interesting.    Finally, my Kapha imbalance is also at the root of my chronic sinus congestion (as well as a number of other) issues.

So how does one become imbalanced?  Well just as every human has these life forces, so does everything around us according to ayurvedic teachings.  A great example is our diets.  You can become imbalanced by eating foods that are not complimentary to your constitution.  Your daily lifestyle effects your imbalance ----where you live, what you do for a living etc.  Everything around us has an impact on our life forces.

I know this is a lot to take in.  But it's really very fascinating.  For example - one of the "baby steps" that I have been given is to eat only warm foods for breakfast and to increase the amount of protein.  My typical breakfast is either a bowl of cereal or a bagel with cream cheese.  Cold foods add dryness to the system.  So just by looking at my diet - I've already discovered one way that I'm adding to my Vata imbalance.  I am adding dryness every morning through my diet.

There are a few more things I will be incorporating into my daily routine - again, all very subtle changes.  I just picked up my herbs today.  There are two different capsules I will take every day.  One is comprised of herbs specifically designed for digestion and one is for my mind/nervous system.  Unlike pharmaceuticals, these are comprised of all natural ingredients designed to aid me as I find balance.

What I find most fascinating (as someone who is perpetually starting a new diet) is that it's not just about eating foods that fit into your daily calorie  allotment...it's about eating foods that are promoting balance within your system.  That goes hand in hand that what works for one person may not work for another.

This may sound like a whole lot of mumbo jumbo ----but I'd be lying if I said I'm not excited about it.  It all just makes perfect sense.  I have some very specific health issues that I am working on, we'll see what happens.  And yes, I'll keep you posted along the way!!!!!

livin' in the moment

Ya know what? Oprah is right.  God does whisper to us. Whether or not we choose to listen to the whisper, well that is another story.  Over the last year and a half I have received this message loud and clear:  "live in the moment".

I tell you what, when Beccee got sick that wasn't so much a whisper that I heard but more of a shout.  It was a pivotal point in my life.  When she was diagnosed with lung cancer she didn't curl up in a ball and give up. Oh no. Not at all.  Quite the opposite.  She vowed that she would remain in her happy bubble and come out swingin' against lung cancer.  And she did.  She put up one hell of a fight.  Through her example, she was (and still is) an inspiration to so many people.  This whisper was heard loud and clear....to live each and every moment to the fullest.

Casey was laid off from a job he had been at for over a decade.  We had some serious low points when that happened.  Financially and emotionally.  Through all of it I kept hearing the whisper telling me that we would get through it, that there were others who had conquered much larger obstacles. To take it one day at a time and we would prevail. We did.

One of my friends at work found out earlier this year that her mother has lung cancer.  Her prognosis is that she very likely won't make it to the end of the year.  Talking to my friend and hearing about what her mom is going through is a constant whisper to embrace the time we have with our family.  There is no way of knowing how long we have together.

Another co-worker lost her father suddenly over Memorial Day weekend.  He was on his way up north to go fishing.  He pulled over at a gas station.  He wasn't feeling well and stopped to rest for a few minutes.  He had a massive heart attack and died in his car.  It's hard enough to lose someone after a long illness, incomprehensible when it comes out of the blue like that.  She wasn't able to tell him she loved him or tell him goodbye.  A whisper reminding me that that we shouldn't leave any words unspoken.

The whisper I hear from my own home front is everything can change pretty much overnight.  This is demonstrated to me on a daily basis as a result of my Dad's sickness. The short story is that my Dad has Parkinson's disease.  He was diagnosed about 7 years ago and has been rapidly deteriorating since Christmas.  He now has the onset of dementia.  Having a conversation with him breaks my heart.  There are moments of lucidity, but most moments are just a maze of disconnected words. He now has to have someone that comes in as a companion while his fiancee is at work.  He needs someone to check on him, make sure he's eating, taking his medications, etc.  Soon that may increase to 24/7 supervision being required.  This message is not lost on me.  My days of having a "normal" father/daughter relationship are over.  I have to accept that this is our reality now. I appreciate the days when we are able to connect and he seems to understand me.

The whisper I have heard over and over again over the last year and a half is to live in the moment.  Take one day, one thing at a time.  That is not to say that we shouldn't look forward to the future or learn from our past....it means don't miss what is right in front of your face.  It's all happening, and it's happening now.