Rubber
tubing lies passively and lets liquid flow through it. Your arteries, on the
other hand, respond to everything that happens to you, and their responses
have to be both active and intelligent. In biology textbooks, we get the idea
that a cell divides again and again until its time is up, after about fifty
divisions, at which point it dies. But this is a drastically simplified, even a
false view. A cell has experien ces. It remembers what happens to it. It is
capable of losing its skills if links in its innate knowledge  are lost or
damaged. By the same token, a cell could be new all the time, without decay ,
if it preserved its complete store of intelligence. The difference  between life
and death for a cell lies in its smriti , or memory . If you take the longest
perspective, a perfect memory in a cell would lead to immortality , for there
can be no death as long as renewal continues without flaws or mistakes. Science has never proved that DNA is limited in its ability to run a cell in
good working order . Each of your arteries contains the same DNA  that
formed the arteries in Stone Age humans fifty thousand years ago. If DNA
can manage to make perfect arteries for five hundred centuri es, each one
containing milli ons of perfectly operating cells, there is no intrinsic reason
why your DNA  should botch the job after sixty years. But the botching takes place, and in a lot fewer than sixty years. By age
12, a typical artery changes markedly in appearance. It begins to develop
irregularities in the form of yellow fatty streaks. At the microscopic level,one finds that these irregularitie s started as a result of tiny, nearly invisible
cracks on the inside of the arterial wall. A cell biologist can look at one cell
from such an artery and see the indisputable signs of age. Over the next five
decades, the signs become obvious even to a layman. If you were attending
open-chest surgery and touched a piece of old aorta, the major artery leading
from the heart, it would feel like a stiff pipe (often as stiff as bone, if
arteriosclerosis has advanced far enough). Inside, it would be riddled with
fatty pockets called plaque. You would have no trouble seeing that a terrible
mistake has been made somewhere. How does one close the gap between one reality—the immortality of
DNA—and another—the frail life span of a human being? In fact the two
realities are very close. There is no physical distance between  us and our
DNA. There is only a gap that exists in the nonphysical realm of knowledge. As I have made abundantly clear by now, Ayurveda makes a shift away
from the idea of the cell as a physical package of molecules, adopting
instead the idea of the cell as a package of knowledge. As the illustration
below indicates , knowledge is dynamic. It is not packaged inertly , but in
living form, as the constant interplay of three elements. To have living knowledge, there must be a knower , an object that it
knows, and the process of knowing that connects the two. The Vedic terms
for this basic triad are rishi (knower), devata (process of knowing), and
chhandas (object of knowledge)—taken together , they form the totality of
knowing, or Samhita , the undivided state of pure awareness. The humanmind, then, is a three-in-one creation. A human body requires the same
simple ingredients, repeated countless times at different levels of the
physiology . You are a knower , your body is the object you form with your
knowledge, and the millions of cellular functions taking place inside you are
the process of knowing. DNA  too is a knower , but on a different scale,
parceling out its knowledge in the form of biochemicals. On yet another
scale, a red blood corpuscle is a knower , knowing how to attach itself to
oxygen atoms for transport to all other cells in the body . This threefold model of knowle dge enables us to see how one thing—our
inner intelligence—diversifies itself into endless combinations of things. Your 50 trillion cells, bound together as a community by hundreds of
enzymes, proteins, peptides, amino acids, et cetera, represent an incredible
display of one becoming many . Yet it is dangerous to get lost in the display . The “mistake of the intellect” occurs when the mind forgets its real source—
the one intelligence flowing through every cell—and becomes hopelessly
lost in the many . To prove that this is not just a philosophical point, let’s turn
to some groundbreaking experiments that demonstrate a startlingly simple
solution to the aging process. To understand these experiment s, we need a
little background in physiology . Chronological age (how old you are according to your birth certificate) is
one way to measure the aging process, but not the most accurate one, since
people vary widely in how their bodies change over time. Physiologists
therefore refer to a second measure, called biological age, which measures
the actual rate of aging in a person’ s cells, tissues, and organ systems. Chronological age matches biological age only when you are young. Two
healthy 20-year -olds are likely to look almost identical if you compare their
hearts, livers, skin, eyesight, and so on. But after middle age no two people
have aged the same. Two 70-year -olds present drastically different profiles:
one has arthritis, the other heart disease; one is myopic, the other not; and so
on. This means that biologi cal aging, though an accurate measure
theoretically , is difficult to pin down, short of looking at every  organ in the
body . Fortunatel y, there are accepted ways to measure biological age, which
include such things as near-point vision, acuity of hearing, and systolic
blood pressure (the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is pumping).These biologica l markers of aging usually deteriorate steadil y over time;
therefore, they give a reliable approximation of the biological age of the
whole body at a given chronological age. Several years ago a team of researchers made the exciting discovery that
the biological markers of aging can be retarded or even reversed through
meditation. The research was headed by Dr. R. Keith Wallace, a physiologist
who studied eighty-four meditat ors with an average chronological age of 53. He divided his subjects into two groups according to how long they had been
regularly practic ing meditation. One group had meditated for at least five
years, the other for fewer than five years. Wallace found that meditation made his subjects biologically younger than
their years, and by a considerable amount: the short-term meditators were
five years younger than their chronological age, the long-term meditators a
full twelve years younger . In other words, a woman of 60 who had been
practicing medit ation for at least five years would typically have  the body of
a 48-year -old, biologically speaking. (This does not include cosmetic
changes in skin and hair, although many of the subjects did have strikingly
youthful appear ances.) These results did not depend on any other factor;
people were screened for diet, exercise, and other habits. Interestingly , the
controls revealed that not eating red meat was correlated with a slightly
younger biological age, in keeping with various findings on the longer life
span of vegetarians. Wallace’ s findings were unprecedented at the time. Follow-up studies
were soon cond ucted in England that confirmed his research. In one group,
meditators were seven years younger in their biological age. When the same
people were measured a year and a half later, they scored a further drop of
one and a half years, implying that a year of meditation takes off a year of
biological age. More recently , Dr. Jay Glaser , a physician with a strong background in
meditation, decided to pursue one of the naturally occurring chemicals in our
bodies that may be connected with longevity . He measured the level of an
adrenal hormon e called DHEA  (dehydroepiandrosterone) in meditators. Although the precise function of this hormone remains mysterious, it isknown that DHEA  reaches its highest levels at around age 25 and then
declines in almost a straight line, year by year, until by age 70 only 5 percent
of it remains. Initial enthusiasm over DHEA  developed when it was injected
in large doses into laboratory animals and showed striking anti-aging
properties. Older animals showed renewed vigor , improve d immunity ,
increased muscle tone, and better memory . Glaser found that levels of DHEA  were significantly higher in all ages of
meditators compared to a matched group of nonmeditators. This was true for
both men and women, with the biggest difference showing up in the oldest
subjects. For example, Glaser found that the older meditators had the same
DHEA  as nonmeditators five to ten years younger . He interpreted these
finding to sugge st that meditation somehow increases the natural production
of this interesting hormone. Researchers have studied the effects of giving DHEA  to people with
mixed results. Although experiments with DHEA  have shown that it causes
changes in hormonal levels and may improve people’ s mood, it has not yet
been found to have the same convincing benefits on memory or vitality in
humans as it does in animals. Still, it is intriguing that a simple mental
meditation technique can induce changes in a hormone that seems to play a
role in the aging process. This biochemical clue gives support to the
experience of people meditating who often report that they feel mentally and
physically younger . RASA YANAS—HERBS FOR LONGEVITY
Herbs are an immense part of Ayurvedic medicine that we have not yet
touched on. Many thousands of medicinal herbs are prescribed in Ayurveda,
and experienced Ayurvedic doctors often include herbs as part of their
treatment. This is because herbs are not the same as drugs, but are more
general and milder in effect. The simplest way to view herbs is as
concentrated food. One of the ways in which herbs are traditionally
classified is according to taste, using the six rasas—sweet, sour, salty, bitter ,
pungent, and astringent—that apply to food.However , herbs are more potent and specific in their action. A bitter herb
like quinine can bring Pitta down promptly , making it useful for reducing
fever and inflammation. A pungent chili can instantly drain excess mucus as
it reduces Kapha. An astringent  spice like turmeric can dry the phlegm in a
sore throat in a matter of minutes. In the section on diet in part III, I give
some of the common household  herbs that can be used at home to balance
your doshas. Using herbs in combination with food is a safe approach. For treating disease, stronger herbs are employed, which need to be
medically supervised. In our Center we use specific herbs in the context of a
holistic approac h. Ayurvedic herbs are usually taken from the whole plant,
which reduces the possibility of harmful side effects. The principle here is
that the herb’ s active ingredient is packaged in the plant with other chemicals
that buffer it, offsetting its possible undesirable actions. In other words, in
Ayurveda the whole plant is part of nature’ s pharmacy . In Western medicine,
however , only the active ingredient is regarded as useful. HOW  AYUR VEDIC HERBS WORK
As they apply to longevity , the Ayurvedic texts list some special herbs,
alone or in combination, that are classified as rasayana . The word loosely
translates as “nourishing the essence of life.” Rasayanas are not youth
potions, they are correctives for loss of memory in the cells. Each herb is a
packet of vibrations that specifically matches a vibration in the quantum
mechanical body . The liver, for example, is built up from a specific sequence of vibrations at
the quan tum level. In the case of liver malfunction, some disru ption of the
proper sequence in these vibrations is at fault. According to Ayurveda, an
herb exists with this exact same  sequence, and when applied, it restores the
liver’s functioning. The principle at work here is called complementarity . Complementarity
holds that “nature thinks everywhere alike,” a Vedic slogan that means that
nature uses the same materials when making plants, minerals,  mantras, or
human bodies. These are not just similar molecules (although it is the samecarbon that goes into coal, diamonds, sugar , and blood). What is more basic
still are the subtle vibrations that hold molecules together; these  are the real
building blocks  of nature, according to the Vedic sages. They are so
universal that seemingly unrelated things, such as a Sanskrit word and a bay
leaf, can be considered kindred, if you know how to look deep enough. Because there is likeness everywhere in nature, an Ayurvedic doctor looks
upon herbs, primordial sounds, gemstones, colors, aromas, and foods as
equally fit to act as medicine. As used in Ayurveda, herbs do not have the
same effect on the body that Western medicines do. Our drugs kill pain,
relax muscles, replace deficien t insulin or thyroid hormone, and so on;
rasayanas introduce a subtle signal into the physiology— they “talk” to the
doshas and directly influence the flow of inner intelligence. Rasayanas are closely associate d with Indian food and therefor e are sold
in the United States as herbal food supplements, not medicine. Some sweet
fruits, such as Indian gooseberry (called amla or amalaki ), are considered
extremely good rasayanas. (In fact, this particular fruit forms the basis of
most of the health tonics that have been taken since ancestral times in India
as ginse ng is taken in China.) To anyone interested in medicinal herbs, the
lore of rasayana  is fascinating, but also extremely complex. Dozens of plants
are said to be capable of rejuvenating the body . Among those that have
common names in Western herbalism:
Gotu kola and garlic are specifics for Vata
Aloe vera and saf fron are specifics for Pitta
Elecampane and honey are specifics for Kapha (although not an herb,
honey is considered the shukra , or purest essence, of the plant world). But this list does not include the most powerful rasayanas, which only
have Indian names, among them amla , guggul , shatavari, and ashwaghanda . What makes rasayanas comple x is not just their reliance on fruits and
herbs. To extract the desired effect from an ingredient, one must know when
to pick it, how long to cook it and by what method, and in what proportion toblend it with other herbs. The recipe for a single rasayana may call for fifty
ingredients, each of which must be carefully blended. HERBAL  REJUVENA TIVES
After several years of investigation and trial, we feel that rasayana is a
valuable field. It has yielded a few authentic formulas that have been re-
created from the ancient recipe s. Although rasayanas have been used for
thousands of years by Ayurvedic physicians to enhance energy and
immunity , we are only beginn ing to scientifically research the purported
health benefits of these herbal compounds. Regulations governing herbs in
this coun try permit the distribution of rasayanas as an adjunct to diet only; as
such we recomm end them for general use. No health claims are made for
them nor are they to be used as medicine. (If you have been diagnosed with a
specific illness, please do not take these or any other herbs without first
consulting a physician trained in Ayurveda.) Among the best known rasayanas is Chavanprash , based upon the fruit
Indian gooseberry . This fruit, which is one of the highest natural sources of
vitamin C, is known as Amla or Dhatri in Sansk rit, whic h means having the
healing qualitie s of a nurse or mother . It has been classically used as a
rejuvenative for the blood, heart, lungs, and reproductive tissues. We have
formulated a modern version of Chavanprash known as Biochavan . Another important classical Ayurvedic rasayana is Brahmi  Rasayana ,
based upon the herb gotu kola. It is traditionally used as a revitalizer for the
brain and nervo us system. It is said to both calm restlessness and enhance
awareness. Intrigued by the vast classical Ayurvedic literature on rasayanas,
researchers have undertaken studies in this country and Europe to determine
what pharmacological actions these preparations have. The ingredients in
these rasayanas seem to have potent antioxidant effects and may also inhibit
the blood clotting cascade that is associated with the release of stress
hormones.Although it is clearly too early to extrapolate these studies on animals to
humans, it is encouraging that these ancient natural herbal compounds are
now receiving serious scientific  attention. Ongoing research should help to
clarify the role that these form ulas can play in maintaining health and
reversing disease. The explanations offered for the potential benefits suggested by
preliminary studies point to the possible role of free radical chemicals in a
wide range of diseases. Free radicals are undesirable peroxides that have
long been implic ated in hastening the aging process; one of the main reasons
for the popula rity of vitamins E, C, and beta-carotene as anti-aging
supplements is their ability to attach to free radicals and scavenge them
before they can do harm to living tissues. Hopefully further understanding
the mechanism and action of rasayanas will help substantiate  the ancient
claims of the benefits of these natural tonics to enhance vitality throughout
one’s life span. At the Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California, we have been
using rasayana preparations to enhance energy and vitality in our patients. We have separate formulations for men and women and are encouraged by
the subjective reports of our patients. Further information on how to access
these formulations is provided in Appendix A.
QUIZ: HOW  WELL  AM I AGING? There is no separate “life extension” program in Ayurveda, for the simple
reason that all of its approaches—diet, exercise, daily and seasonal routines,
meditation, and the various healing techniques—are meant to enhance
longevity . Considering the superior health of our patients today , we have
every hope that a breakthrough in aging has been made. The classic
Ayurvedic texts define one hundred years as a normal life span without
infirmity or disease. We are aiming for at least that. Can you prove to yourself that you are getting younger by following this
program? Simple as it sounds, feeling happy and healthy is one good
yardstick; being young at heart is recognized as a marker of long life. On amore objective basis, researcher s at Duke University have compiled a short
list of health factors correlated with longevity . Statistically speaking, people
who rate well on each of these points have the best chance of living longer
than average. The following quiz is based on the Duke inventory . The most precise way
to use it is in conjunction with a complete physical examination, but an
informal person al rating will still tell you a lot. Being as honest and
objective as you can, answer every question, giving yourself:
10 points for Excellent
5 points for Average
0 points for Below Average
 
Having arrived at a final score, follow Ayurveda for six months, then rate
yourself again. The chances are very good that you will notice a surprisingly
large improvement, and it is likely to occur well before the six months are
up. The following factors are listed in order of relative importance:To rate yourself: A perfec t score (90 points) indicates that you are very
likely to live longer , perhaps much longer , than the national average (roughly
age 78 for women and 72 for men). An above-average score (between 65 and
90) sugg ests that your life expectancy will be at least three years higher than
the natio nal norm, more if you are already past middle age. An average score
(45–65) indicates an average life expectancy . A below-average score (below
40) indicates that you need to pay more attention to your health. It is not a
cause for panic, because following the programs of Ayurveda should lead to
noticeable improvements very quickly . To gain a more  accurate idea of where you stand, you can refine your
score by considering a few other factors:
Age: High scores mean more as you get older . If you are over 50, a score
in the 75–90 range indicates an enhanced likelihood of long life; the same
score would not be as significant if you are only 30.Lifestyle habits: All thing s being equal, regular habits are correlated with
long life; these include eating three meals a day, getting eight hours of sleep
each night, going to bed on time, and so on. Also, being married is indicative
of a longer life expectancy than being single. Alcohol consumption should
be minimal or none; alcoholism is known to reduce life expectancy . Weight: Maintaining an ideal weight is best, although there is no harm in
being ten to fifteen pounds overweight. Life span is shortene d if you are
obese (15 percent or more over your ideal weight) or if your weight has
fluctuated drastically over a period of years. HOW  TO IMPROVE YOUR SCORE
As a result of the extensive research done on meditation, we can validate
that our Ayurvedic program may improve each of the Duke University
longevity factor s. If we place the results in the context of Ayurveda as a
whole, they become even stronger . Research with rasayanas suggests that they may of fset several
deleterious aspects of the aging process, including a beneficial ef fect on
blood clotting, and a reduced susceptibility to carcinogens. Preliminary
studies suggest that rasayanas may be ef fective as free radical
scavengers that would positively impact the aging process. A pilot study on the ef fects of panchakarma suggests that this
purification procedure enhances the rejuvenating ef fect of meditation
(ten meditating subjects became on average six years younger
biologically over the period of a year while taking regular
panchakarma, as opposed to one and a half years with meditation
alone). What all of this implies is that a complete Ayurvedic program should be
even more effective than meditation by itself, and in fact may lead to all the
powerful rejuvenating effects promised in the ancient texts. A basic program
would include meditation, the appropriate Ayurvedic body-type diet,
supplemented with rasayanas, regular exercise, panchakarma treatment atleast once a year, and the major points given in the daily routine, or
dinacharya , to be discussed in chapter 1 1. OceanofPDF .comPART II
LIVING IN TUNE WITH NATURE
OceanofPDF .comCHAPTER 10
THE IMPULSE TO EVOL VE
The phrase “living in tune with nature” means something very precise in
Ayurveda: havin g healthy desires that match what you actually need. As
nature made you, what you need and what you want should not conflict. This is because all desires originate at the quantum level, as faint vibrations
whose dynamic interaction is always balanced. If either the body or the
mind tip out of balance, a correcting impulse is sent from the quantum
body , and you register it as something you desire. At this moment, millions of impulses are flowing through your nervous
system, turning into all the actions you perform every day. To want a drink
of water , for example, satisfies the separate need of 50 trillion cells in your
body , each of which sends a message to be decoded by special receptors in
the hypothalamus. In turn, the hypothalamus makes the mind body
connection by manufacturing the specific neurotransmitters, or messenger
molecules, that make you think, “I’m thirsty .”
A natural desire of any kind takes a similar path. A need arises
somewhere in the quantum mechanical body , the mind body connection is
made in the brain, and then you experience an impulse to act. As long as
needs and desires match, you are living in tune with nature; the path of
desire is not blocked. Ideally , every bite of food you eat should taste
delicious to you and at the same time satisfy a precise demand for nutrients. Your skin may be asking for extra vitamin C to repair damage from a
sunburn, a stressed hipbone may be asking for extra calcium, a flexed arm
muscle for more potassium. Unfortunately , it is very easy to interfere with this pathway , and when we
do so, we slip out of tune with nature. Instead of trusting the balanced body
to tell us what nutrients it needs, all too often we indiscrim inately takevitamins, compulsively overeat, crave far too many sweets and junk foods
of all kinds. The current vogue of “life extension” is based on distrust of the
body , trying to second-guess  its weaknesses by cramming it with
megadoses of vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, or whatever new
nutriceutical has joined the list. It has not been proved that taking supplementary vitamins and minerals
alone prolongs life. On the contrary, separate studies conducted in Southern
California showed that older people who obsessively take vitamins and eat
only “health food” do not live any longer than average, while people who
have balanced lifestyle habits (going to bed on time, eating three meals a
day, drinking alcohol only very moderately , and so on) live up to eleven
years longer than the norm. You do not have to go to an extreme to get the most from your body . The
body is intellige nt. At the quan tum level, it knows exactly what it needs,
down to the last atom and molecule of food, the faintest breath you breathe,
the smallest action you take. In the following chapters, I outline  the kind of
foods, exercise, and daily and seasonal routines that Ayurveda considers in
tune with nature. Although very specific, these guidelines are not rules but
pointers to put you in touch with your quantum mechanical body . Once you
are back in touch , action goes much more smoothly , correct choices become
more automatic, and mistakes become less frequent. Before getting into specifics, though, I’d like to say more about the
evolutionary path itself. MAKING RIGHT  CHOICES
To conti nue evolving and progressing in life, you must make the right
choices for yourself, day after day, minute after minute. The choices are
endless because the challenges of life are endless, so to avoid all the wrong
choices seems impossible. But Ayurveda says that in fact it is easy—once
you begin to listen to your own deepest nature.For every decision you make, major or mundane, your quantum
mechanical body sees only one correct choice, although your mind might
recognize many . This confusion gives rise to internal conflict. Why does a
smoker compulsively reach for another cigarette, knowing the harm it can
do? Why does a compulsive eater take second helpings in the absence of
hunger? Wrestling with these conflicts is futile— our actions are based on
too many individual processes, all of them changing all the time. Defeating
lethal viruses or bacteria is child’s play compared with trying to defeat
people’ s self-destructive habits. For example, we all know chronically
overweight people who have turned everywhere for a cure, to drugs,
psychiatry , beha vior modificat ion, and even surgery, with little or no
success. In Ayurveda we propose a simpler solution. Instead of wrestling with all
the wrong choices people are likely to make in the grip of unhealthy
desires, we put our patients in touch with the source of their desires. At the
source, everyone has healthy desires. In Sanskrit, this is called sattva , a
word often translated as “purity .” A better translation of sattva is “the
impulse to evolve,” and I will demonstrate why . In Ayurveda there are three natural impulses at work in any given
situation. One is sattva, the impulse to evolve, to go forward, to progress. The second impulse is tamas , the exact opposite, the impulse to stay the
same or to regress. Fixed between these two opposites is rajas , a more
neutral impulse that dictates action for its own sake. A diagram of the three
looks like this:
As you can see, rajas poses the question, “How should I act in this
situation?” Sattv a favors the choice that is evolutionary , tamas the one that
is stable. All three impulses are necessary to life. If you are sittin g up late at
night, tempted to watch the second late movie on TV, one impulse tells you
to go to bed, while its opposite tells you to continue sitting there. This is
sattva and tamas in conflict, with rajas acting as the spur, urging you to
choose. Nature has made us so that our minds instinctively operate according to
these three guna s, or tendencies (they are also sometimes called “the mental
doshas”). People  can be classified according to which of these three gunas
is generally dominant. Rajasic people like to act. Their minds work constantly and tend towar d
impatience, impulsiveness, and kinetic outlets of all kinds. Sattvic people like to progress. Their minds do not dwell on action for its
own sake, but only on action that is cr eative, life-supporting, and healthy . Tamasic people like to stay the same . Their minds do not like to act; they
enjoy set r outines and tend towar d the status quo. These types are not cut and dried, since everyone contains elements of
each. But all of us know pure rajasic types— extroverted, endlessly full of
energy, people who rush in where angels fear to tread. And we know pure
tamasic types—slow to move, resistant to new ideas, hard-core
traditionalists for whom the best things in life are always in the past. (Ayurvedic doctors who come to America from India often shake their
heads and say that we are a hopelessly rajasic people, whose creativity and
ambition need more of the gentl e, purifying element of sattva.) However we
were shaped by nature, becomin g more sattvic is a worthwhile goal, for it is
sattva that makes a person more creative, healthier , and happier . The secret of sattvic people is that they have naturally healthy desires. Unhealthy desir es can arise in anyone because of mental ama. You will
remember that “mental ama” is the term used for impurities, or negativetendencies in the mind. Sattva is the force of purity that combats them. The
Ayurvedic sages say that mental ama is produced by:
Negative emotions—anger , fear , self-criticism, greed, resentment
Psychological stress—family problems, tensions at work, loss of
money or job, divorce, death in the family
Lethar gy, mental inertia
Unwholesome surroundings
Contact with other people’ s negativity
Violent, crude, or shocking books or other forms of entertainment
The debate over whether it is morally right to show violence on
television misse s the essential point, according to Ayurveda. The issue is
one of health. The sight of violence gets translated into unhealth y chemicals
in the body , leading to the buildup of ama in our thoughts as well as in our
cells. Everyone has a right to expose himself to any kind of influence he
wants, but the physician’ s role is to warn against those influences that
damage our well-being. Avoiding mental ama is therefore considered a
preventive measure against the imbalances that lead ultimately to disease. You cannot force your body to make evolutionary choices. If you are
eating the wrong foods, chain-smoking, drinking excessively , or making
any other kind of unhealthy choice in your daily life, some block exists
somewhere in your pathway of desire. Some impurity is keepin g you away
from your quantum self. I have already given many techniques for
removing such blockages. All of these, from panchakarma to meditation to
the bliss technique, remove tremendous amounts of impurity every time you
use them. After a while, as you continue using the Ayurvedic techniques, you will
see your sattvic side emer ge, no matter how blocked your system was to
begin with. When that happen s, you are approaching the place calledperfect health. Sattva lies closest to nature’ s heart, because everything in
nature expands, evolves, and grows. Sattva exists in us as our instinct for
balance, our life-enhancing attitudes, our innate dignity and respect for
others, and our love. As you increase in sattva, you effortlessly live in purity
and move in the direction of higher evolution. Then and only then does the
phrase “living in tune with nature” reveal its real meaning. HOW  TO INCREASE SA TTV A
Ayurveda says that many different kinds of influences can increase
sattva, while at the same time keeping ama at a minimum. Some
recommendations are familiar to us: consuming pure food and water ,
avoiding obvious toxins such as pesticides, and getting a full night’ s sleep. Adequate rest is needed to bring out the clear , happy side of the mind. Spend time outside in nature, walking in the woods and mountains or
beside the ocean, lakes, and streams; listen to the sound of the wind, the
rustling of the trees, and the songs of birds—all of these purify  the senses
and bring them back to their source in nature. In Ayurveda we consider
anything that is life-supporting to be sattvic, so nurturing positive emotions
and secure relationships is vital—the absence of love and care from your
life will damage sattva far more than any wrong diet. In addition, the following pointe rs, established thousands of years ago in
the Vedic texts and echoed in the purest traditions of every culture, serve as
time-tested guides for increasing sattva in daily life:
Be pleasant and tolerant toward everyone. Act on due reflection, not on impulse. Refrain from anger or criticism, even when you feel it is justified
(sattvic people do not point out others’  weaknesses “for their own
good”). Take time every day for play , humor , relaxation, and good company .Wake with the sun in the morning, watch the sun set in the evening,
and occasionally stroll in the moonlight, especially if there is a full
moon. Eat light, natural foods, favoring milk, saf fron, rice, and ghee (clarified
butter)—a complete list of sattvic foods is given on page 307, along
with the deeper rationale for adhering to a pure diet. Be generous with others in every way—giving presents and
compliments to people around you, pointing out the best in everyone,
letting others make you great instead of trying to be great yourself. To
a sattvic person, all relationships exist primarily as an opportunity to
give. The complement to this basic attitude is that nature will always
provide enough to fulfill one’ s needs. When this kind of generosity and
trust truly blossoms, a sattvic person has nothing to fear from life and
everything to receive from it; he can let life happen without forcing it. OceanofPDF .comCHAPTER 11
DAIL Y ROUTINE—RIDING NA TURE’S WAVES
Every day the sun rises, the sun sets, and hundreds of different things
happen in between. Nature is so beautifully arranged that no matter how
different these things are, they fit into one rhythm. Actually , there are many
rhythms nestled inside one another , wheels within wheels. Modern
medicine has disclosed many of the more obvious cycles in our bodies—
the heart beating every three-q uarters of a second, the lungs swelling to
inhale air ten to fourteen times a minute. But many of the body’ s changes
remain mysterious. Why does a person typically weigh the most at seven in
the evening, as science has discovered? Why are our hands hottest at around
two in the morning? Ayurveda’ s answ er is that there are “master cycles” in us governed by the
quantum mechan ical body . Every day two waves of change pass through us,
each bringing a Kapha cycle, then a Pitta, and finally a Vata cycle. These
three phases take place from sunrise to sunset, then again from sunset to
sunrise. The approximate times are as follows:
One of the most basic aspects of living in tune with nature is to respect
these master cycles that suppor t our physical existence. We are meant to
ride nature’ s waves, not to fight against them. In fact, our bodies are already
riding them, or doing the best they can in the face of our contrary habits.At dawn , the day begins in a Kapha period. It is easy to see why early
morning is considered Kapha—waking up, the body feels slow, heavy ,
relaxed, and calm, all of which are Kapha qualities. The most physically
active time and also the peak of appetite occur at noon, in the middle of the
first Pitta period. Pitta is respon sible for metabolizing food, for distributing
energy, and for more efficient physical functioning in general. This helps
explain why factory work reach es a peak of efficiency at noon. This first
cycle ends with a Vata period beginning at 2 P.M. Vata controls the nervous
system, and in fact researchers have discovered that people do best in
mental tests during the afternoon. The times when you can add numbers the
fastest (3 P.M.) and exhibit the most manual dexterity (4 P.M.) fall into this
Vata period. The day’s second cycle repeats the same sequence of Kapha, Pitta, and
Vata, but they take on a different complexion. The evening is relaxed and
slow, just like the early morning , but sunset brings the body back to a stable
resting place. Now Kapha inclines toward inertia. Similarly , Pitta appetite is
not as strong at night as at noon. Pitta digests dinner after you go to bed, but
since the body is asleep, the heat is expended to keep you warm  and to fuel
the rebuilding of tissues, which  occurs mostly at night. The Vata period in
the early -morning hours expresses itself through the nervous system, but
instead of thinking quickly as you do in the afternoon, you go into active
dream sleep (called REM, or “rapid eye movement” sleep), when brain
impulses are at their liveliest for the whole night. And thus the circle of the
day is complete. ONE DA Y IN PERFECT  RHYTHM
If you learn to ride these large waves of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, your
body will instinctively tune its subcycles, its many wheels withi n wheels, to
follow suit. What would it be like to live a day in perfect rhythm? Ayurveda
provides an ideal schedule called the dinacharya , or daily routi ne, that
shows us how to find out.DINACHAR YA: THE DAIL Y ROUTINE
Four pivotal times set the rhythm of the entire daily cycle:
The hours given are for starting an activity—the morning begins  between
6 and 8 A.M., lunch begins anyw here from noon to 1 P.M., and so on. These
times are approximate and chan ge with the seasons. Ayurveda would prefer
that you follow the sun and rise an hour before dawn every day of the year. By gettin g up during a Vata period, you take advantage of Vata’s qualities of
lightness, exhilaration, and fresh ness. These are infused into your body just
before sunrise and last throughout the day . Waiting too long into the Kapha period that follows (6 to 10 A.M.) causes
you to wake up feeling duller , heavier , and less fresh. These qualities will
also follow you all day; indeed, if you are a late riser year after year, you
will train these Kapha qualities into your doshas and you will feel
chronically “sleepy .”
If you wanted to map out the ideal day, it would arrange itself naturally
around the four pivotal points:
Rising: 6–8 A.M.
Wake up without an alarm clock
Drink a glass of warm water (to encourage regular morning bowel
movements)Urinate; move your bowels (without forcing)
Brush your teeth
Clean your tongue if coated
Massage your body with sesame oil (abhyanga)
Bathe (in warm water , not too hot or cold)
Exercise: Sun Salute (page 326)
Yoga positions (page 339)
Balanced breathing (Pranayama, page 360)
Meditate
Eat breakfast
Take a mid-morning walk (for one-half hour)
Lunch: Noon–1 P .M. Eat lunch early (it should be lar gest meal of the day)
Sit quietly for five minutes after eating
Walk to aid your digestion (5 to 15 minutes)
Meditate in the late afternoon
Dinner: 6–7 P .M. Eat a moderate dinnerSit quietly for five minutes after eating
Walk to aid your digestion (5 to 15 minutes)
Bedtime: 9:30–10:30 P .M. Engage in light activity in the evening
Get to bed early , but at least three hours after dinner
Do not read, eat, or watch TV in bed
Naturally this is a very full schedule, but I hasten to say that hundreds of
our patie nts (and their families) observe the dinacharya and have abundant
time left over to pursue active lives. If you hesitate to modify your
schedule, rest assured that you can be as busy as a doctor if you know how
to ride nature’ s waves. The whole point of making the day orderly is that all
your activity becomes healthier , more enjoyable, and more efficient. You
gain more time than you lose, and it is quality time. You will note that the main exercises are walking, plus gentle yoga poses
coupled with meditation. Most of the other points are self-explanatory . I
would just like to make a few additional points about each period of the
day. RISING: 6–8 a.m. Morning is a special time in Ayurveda, when nature sends out its most
delicate message s and you are most sensitive to them. Your nervous system
has been built so that the sight of dawn, the still air on your skin, the faint
sounds of birds and animals awakening, all set the stage for renewal. Alert
to the slightest influence, the whole body is silent and poised in a delicate
balance.When you wake up, you shou ld feel alert and clearheaded with no
worries lingering from the day before, indicating that your nervous system
is ready  to be renewed. It is harmful to disturb or ignore this one
opportunity to be naturally re-created. Writer Joan Mills has beautifully
expressed the specialness of early rising: “From dawn’ s simplicities arise
moments that are profound past explaining and powerful beyond sentiment. There are mornings when some small, isolated joy carries more conviction
than a month of woe.”
Medically speaking, the body precisely calibrates the correct biochemical
balance for a full day’s activities. It also empties the system of wastes from
the previous day, which is why morning elimination is valuable before
starting the new day’s cycle. Having a bowel movement at this time is
something you can gently encourage by drinking a glass of warm water and
then allowing five minutes or so in the bathroom to see if your body wants
to have a bowel movement. If not, don’t worry about it. In time, if they
keep this practice up regularly , most people find that an instinct for morning
elimination will emer ge. When you brush your teeth, Ayurveda says that you should clean the
white coating from the tongue if one has appeared overnight. This is the
residue of ama, either from last night’ s meal or from a deeper  imbalance. Not everyone wakes up with a coated tongue, so this step is optional. As
your diet impro ves and you get into better balance, the coati ng tends to
disappear . The dinacharya asks you to do many different things in the early
morning. It takes discipline to do all of them. You will be extending your
routine by about an hour, which  is a big change. But the rewa rds are big,
too. When our patients stick to their morning routine in full, they report
exhilarating health, unmatched by those who are careless or haphazard
about it. Try adding a few new elements to your present schedule and see how
comfortable you feel with them . In order , the most important things to add
are:Early rising (at dawn)
Meditation
Ayurvedic exercises: Sun Salutes, Yoga positions
Oil massage
Meditation has already been discussed, and Ayurvedic exercise s will be
covered later, in a separate section. That leaves the oil massage (abhyanga),
which is one of the most enjoy able parts of the dinacharya as well as a
prime way to balance Vata dosha. Lightly massaging the entire body with a thin film of oil before you bathe
makes your skin feel warm and supple, a perfect balance for the cold
dryness of Vata. Our Vata-type patients report that they are less prone to feel
anxious or scattered during the day if they do their morning massage
regularly . In fact, everyone would benefit enormously from balancing their
Vata right at the start of the day. The skin contains thousands of cutaneous
nerves that are connected to every part of the body . Science also recognizes
that the skin is a major producer of endocrine hormones. In scientific terms, your morning massage works by soothing the two
master systems of the body , the nervous system and the endoc rine system. No wonder that in ancient times Charaka lavished praise on the practice of
abhyanga, holding that it rejuvenates the skin, tones the muscles, eliminates
impurities, and promotes youth fulness. Massaging yourself is also a good
way simply to start off the day relaxed, which Ayurved a considers
extremely important. People who approach the day as a race against time do
not have the best chance at perfect balance. Here is how abhyanga is done. HOW  TO DO AN OIL  MASSAGE
(ABHY ANGA)
 Since this is a very light massage, it requires no more than a scant quarter
cup of warm oil. Use a refined  nut or seed oil sold in health-food stores. You can also order herbalized oils (page 378). Vata types do best with
sesame or almon d oil; Pittas respond to olive or coconut and Kaphas benefit
from light or warm oils such as sunflower or sesame. To heat the oil: Put three to four tablespoons of oil in a clear plastic cup
or a squeeze bottle and set it in a bowl of very hot water . Wait a minute or
two until the oil reaches skin temperature. Or, you can put the oil in a glass
cup and heat it for ten to fifteen seconds in the microwave, being very
careful not to over heat it . Technically , it is best to use cured oil that has been subjected to high heat
for only a brief period. You can carefully heat your oil to 212 degrees F,
making sure that you watch it the whole time to prevent a possible fire. The best place to perform your massage is in the bathroom. As good as it
is for your body , there is no doubt that abhyanga is messy . No matter how
careful you are, some oil will get splashed around. To minimize this, use a
sheet of plastic (from a disposa ble trash bag) to cover the floor while you
do your massage. Or put a small plastic stool in your tub and do your
massage there. The mini-massag e given at the end of this section  is also less
messy . FULL  BODY  MASSAGE (5–10 MINUTES)
Start with your head: Pour a tablespoon of warm oil on your scalp. Using
the flat of your hand and fingers, massage the oil in vigorously . Cover your
entire scalp with small circular strokes, as if you were shampooing. Move
to your face and ears, massag ing more gently . Gentle massage of the
temples and backs of the ears is especially good for settling Vata dosha. Apply a little oil to your hands and massage your neck, front and back,
then your shoulders. Use the flat of your palm and fingers. Vigorously mass age your arms, using a circular motion at the shoulders
and elbows and long, back-and-forth motions on the long parts.It is important not to be too vigorous when you get to your trunk. Using
large, gentle circular motions,  massage the chest, stomach, and lower
abdomen. (Ayurveda traditionally advises moving in a clockwise direction.) A straight up-and-down motion is used over the breastbone. Apply a bit of oil to your hand s and reach around without straining to
massage your back and spine—use up-and-down motions, or whatever you
can do. Vigorously massage your legs as you did your arms— circular at the
ankles and knees, straight back-and-forth on the long parts. Begin abhyanga with vigor ous scalp massage.With the remaining bit of oil, vigorously massage your feet and toes. Washing off the oil: Keeping a thin, almost undetecta ble film of oil on the
body is consider ed very beneficial for toning the skin, balancin g Vata, and
keeping the muscles warm during the day. Therefore, you should wash
yourself with warm, not hot, water and mild soap. If you look good with
glossy hair, leave a bit of oil on your scalp, too, but most people will need
to use shampoo. MINI-MASSAGE (1–2 MINUTES)
Doing a full-body abhyanga sometimes takes too long for everyone’ s
morning schedu le, but it is so beneficial that we would rather have you do a
short massage than none at all. The most important parts of the body to
cover are the head and feet. They can be worked while you sit on the edge
of the tub for a minute in the morning. This mini-massage takes  only about
two tablespoons of oil. Take one tablespoon of warm oil and rub it into your scalp, using the
same small, circular motions described above. Use the flat of your hand,
and your fingertips. Massage the forehead from side to side with your palm. Gently massage your temples, using circular motions, then gently rub the
outside of the ears. Massage the back and front of your neck. Taking the second tablespoon of oil, massage both feet using the flat of
your hand. Work oil around your toes with your fingertips. Vigorously
massage the soles of the feet with brisk back-and-forth motions of your
palms. Sit quietly for a few seconds to relax and soak in the oil, then bathe
normally . LUNCH: NOON–1 P .M.To catch  the Pitta time of day at its height, it is best to eat lunch early , at
noon or just before. Pitta stokes agni, the digestive fire, to its bright est at
this hour; therefore, Ayurveda recommends that lunch be the biggest meal
of the day. Since most people do not perform heavy physical labor , lunch
does not have to be huge and hearty . Simply eat what you norm ally would
for dinner . To avoid becoming drowsy in the afternoon, do not drink alcohol at
noon; warm water is the beverag e that best promotes good diges tion. In any
event, minimize  iced tea, ice water , or very cold soft drinks. All of these put
out agni and make it harder to digest the meal. Two other steps  will remind the body of its daily rhythm. The first is to
sit quietly for five minutes at the table after you finish eating, preferably in
silence. The second is to take a short walk outside or to lie down for five
minutes after the meal. Both stabilize the system and help start the process
of digestion. DINNER: 6–7 P .M. Just after you come home from work is the time for afternoon meditation. You can prepare for it with a set of yoga positions and five minutes of
balanced breathing, just as in the morning. Lying down for a few minutes
beforehand also removes the jagged edge of a long workday and makes the
meditation much deeper . As with lunch, dinner comes early in order to catch a good time in the
daily cycle. In this case, six o’clock is the beginning of a Kapha period,
when the body wants to settle down. It is not a good idea to put too much
fuel into your system at this time, since Pitta will not be along to digest
your dinner until ten at night, when you are in bed. Your greatest digestive
power is in the afternoon, which also allows ample time for complete
digestion. Ayurveda is very strong on making sure that digestion is
complete, since half-digested food is what creates ama.Dinner should be a smaller meal than lunch. For many people, a bowl of
hot soup  with toast, herb tea, and fresh fruit are adequate. You are probably
not used to eatin g lighter at dinner than lunch, but try it for a change. You’ll
be pleasantly surprised at how settled and comfortable your body feels
when it doesn’ t have to diges t full rations at night. Ayurveda cautions
against fermented foods such as cheese, sour cream, and yogurt at night; red
meat is best avoided since it is harder to digest. Warm water or herb tea is the beverage of choice at dinner . Ayurveda
makes no bones about considering alcohol a toxin that has no place in a
healthy life, but I recognize that many people drink liquor after work. The
basic rule is not to drink alcohol by itself, and don’t have it ice cold. It is
best to eliminate the cocktail hour altogether and eat an earlier dinner . Alcohol consum ption with your meal should be light—a glass of wine, for
example, or one beer . A short walk after dinner helps promote digestion and prepares the
system for a quiet evening spent reading, listening to music, or talking with
friends and family . Avoid action-packed movies and TV late at night, since
you don’ t want too much stimulation before bedtime. BEDTIME: 9:30–10:30 P .M. In order to get up at dawn, your bedtime has to be early . Attuned to the
Kapha cycle that ends the eveni ng, Kapha types already favor going to bed
around ten; this is the Ayurved ic ideal for everyone. It allows  the body’ s
rhythms to slow down naturally , gives a deeper , more relaxing sleep, and
provides time for the body to generate new tissue, which happens mostly at
night. (I have already mentioned that getting a full night’ s sleep has been
correlated with longevity .) If you wait much  past ten o’cloc k, the ensuing Pitta period will make you
want to be active again—that  is why people feel drowsy early in the
evening, only to get a surge of energy around midnight, the absolute height
of the Pitta period. Going to bed early is basically an all-or -nothingproposition, as far as your body rhythms are concerned. Therefore, I
encourage you to try to get to bed at the Ayurvedic time. A week of self-
discipline can be a revelation in terms of how good you feel the next day. To experience a day in perfect rhythm, you need a night of perfect sleep. OceanofPDF .comCHAPTER 12
DIET—EA TING FOR PERFECT  BALANCE
In Ayurveda, a balanced diet does not revolve around fats, carbohydrates,
and proteins. Nor are calories, vitamins, and minerals given direct attention. We know these nutrients intellectually , not through direct experience. You
cannot detect the vitamin C in your orange juice, much less the difference
between it and vitamin A. For the most part, Western nutrition comes out of
laboratory analysis. Ayurvedic nutrition comes directly from nature. When
your taste buds greet a bite of food, an enormous amount of useful
information is delivered to the doshas. Working solely with this information,
Ayurveda allow s us to eat a balanced diet naturally , guided by our own
instincts, without turning nutrition into an intellectual headache. When food talks  to your doshas,  it says many things, because the different
gunas—heavy and light, dry and oily, hot and cold—are present in it. But the
primary information is containe d in its taste. Ayurveda recognizes six tastes,
or rasas: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter are the four we already know , plus two
others, pungent and astringent. All spicy food is pungent. Astringent is the
taste that puckers your mouth. The tannin in tea is astringent, as is the dry,
mealy taste of beans. In Ayurveda a balanced diet must contain all six rasas at every meal. The
following dinner menu would be balanced:
Bibb lettuce salad (Bitter , Astringent)
Barbecued chicken with steamed rice (Salty , Sour , Pungent, Sweet)
Vanilla ice cr eam (Sweet)
Even if you eliminate the ice cream for dessert, this meal will remain in
balance, since it still has all six tastes. If the barbecued chicken was replacedby bake d chick en, the rasas of pungent and sour would be missing; they
could be made up by adding a few slices of tomato (sweet and sour) and
radish (pungent) to the salad. It is not necessary to overload a meal with each taste. Just a hint of herbs
and spices will add pungent and bitter to a meal. Nor is it good to let the
same tastes dominate day after day. The basic rule is simply to give the body
all six rasas at each meal so that it can respond to food completely . SATISFYING THE DOSHAS
Taste can also be used to balance an aggravated dosha, since each dosha is
on the lookout for the tastes that bring it into balance. Vata is balanced by salt, sour , and sweet. Pitta is balanced by bitter , sweet, and astringent. Kapha is balanced by pungent , bitter , and astringent. (The italicized taste has the strongest ef fect in decreasing a dosha.) This basic information opens the door for a wealth of knowledge about
what your body  type should eat. In the following sections, we will expand
upon this immense field. Our discussion covers the following subjects:BODY -TYPE DIETS
The most basic guide to what you should eat is your body type. If you are
a Vata, this dosh a wants to be balanced with tastes different from those of
either a Pitta or a Kapha. Let’s say that two people are eating lunch at an
outdoor cafe and both order a chef salad, iced tea, and lemon sherbet. If one
person is a Pitta, this is an excellent lunch, for the sweet tastes and coolness
of the food help balance Pitta dosha. But if the other person is a Vata, this
meal is not good at all. Raw greens, particularly if bitter , cool drinks, and the
lack of solid nourishment all throw Vata out of balance. When lunch is over,
the two people will walk away feeling different, even though  they ate the
same meal. The Pitta will feel buoyant and refreshed, the Vata will feel
unsatisfied and unener getic. That is why it is important to match your prakruti, your natural makeup,
with the correct diet. Following  is a table of food qualities as they affect the
doshas.As you can see, each section contains three tastes and three gunas, or
qualities. The six tastes you already know: sweet, sour, salty, bitter , pungent,
and astringent. The six gunas, which come in pairs, are:
Heavy or light—wheat is heavy , barley is light, beef is heavy , chicken
is light, cheese is heavy , skim milk is light
Oily or dry—milk is oily , honey is dry , soybeans are oily , lentils are dry ,
coconut is oily , cabbage is dry
Hot or cold (heats or cools the body)—pepper is hot, mint is cold,
honey is hot, sugar is cold, eggs are hot, milk is cold
These qualities speak directly to the tongue and stomach. The operative
principle is “like speaks to like.” If you want to balance Pitta, avoid food that
shares its qualities. A chili pepper , being pungent, hot, and oily, will
naturally cause Pitta to become aggravated.It is not necessa ry to memorize these qualities. Although Ayurvedic texts
offer long lists of foods matched  to their tastes and gunas, this knowledge is
already built into your body . If you are in balance, you will want hot food
when you feel cold, light food when you feel heavy . The same is true of
taste. If you are a Kapha type, having a taste for green salads would tell you
that you are in balance, becaus e greens are generally bitter and astringent
(these are two tastes that are good for you). In a nutshell, that is what living in tune with nature means—what you like
to eat is what your body needs for balance. On the other hand, if you are the
same Kapha person and exclus ively crave potato chips (salty), ice cream
(sweet), and cheese (sour), your instincts are not in balance, and neither will
be your Kapha dosha. The simple remedy is to start eating all six tastes
again, moving away from your cravings. This will start to bring you back
into balance, and as that happens, you will naturally regain your lost
instincts. You won’ t abandon ice cream and potato chips, but a green salad
will satisfy you just as much, because it satisfies your dominant dosha. HOW  TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT  BODY -TYPE DIET
Now that you know the general principles behind a balanced Ayurvedic diet,
we can look at the specifics of each body type. Choosing which diet to
follow is quite easy . Choose the diet that balances your dominant dosha. If you are a pure
Vata, for example, you will generally follow a Vata-pacifying diet. The
same is true if you are a Vata-Pitta, although you can lean in the
direction of the Pitta diet when you need to (during hot weather or if
you display signs of Pitta aggravation, for instance). If you are undec ided about which of two doshas you should pacify, reflect
on what foods you naturally favor that make you feel healthy and balanced. These will generally point you in the direction of the right diet. If you are
one of the rare three-dosha types, you can usually eat any kind of Ayurvedicdiet and remain in balance, but once again, let your instincts, the season of
the year , and the state of your health be your guide. If an Ayurvedically trained doctor has told you to balance a specific
dosha, follow that diet. Lean your diet in the direction indicated by the season of the year . Changes of season require certain modifications in your basic diet (you
wouldn’ t drink iced tea in winter , for example, even if you are a strong
Pitta type). These seasonal changes are covered in chapter 14,
“Seasonal Routine.”
Vata-Pacifying Diet
Favor:
Warm food, moderately heavy textur es
Added butter and fat
Salt, sour , and sweet tastes
Soothing and satisfying foods
 
Vata is a cold, dry dosha, and the warm, nourishing foods we associate
with winter—he arty stews and soups, slow-cooked casseroles,  fresh-baked
bread and fruit pies—give a good diet that soothes this dosha. At the
opposite end of the spectrum, the foods we gravitate to in summer—cold
salads, iced drinks, raw vegetables and greens—are not very congenial to it. Vata types tend to have erratic  digestion, so soft, thoroughly cooked food
that is easily digested helps them. Vata dosha is also very sensitive to the
atmosphere surrounding a meal. The best food in the world will not be good
for you if tension at the table is curdling your stomach. Anythin g that makes
dining a calmer , more restful experience will help to pacify Vata dosha. The Vata-pacifying diet given here is the first choice for all Vata types,
unless diagnosis by a Ayurvedically trained physician has indicated
something else. Within a few days of beginning this diet, you shoulddefinitely notice that your energy level is steady and that you feel more
balanced, calmer , and happier . If you suffer from mild symptoms of Vata
imbalance, such as insomnia, nervousness, or worry , this diet is also a
natural choice. Try it for two weeks and see if your symptoms are alleviated. We find that the following points are helpful when you start a Vata-
pacifying diet. All soothing foods are generally good for settling disturbed Vata: milk
(preferably warm), cream, butter , warm soups and long-cooked stews,
hot cereals, and fresh-baked bread. All contain sweet, the most soothing
taste to the body; most are also warm and heavy . A nourishing breakfast, the more substantial the better , will improve
Vata throughout the day . Cream of rice or wheat is the best hot cereal
for Vata, but anything warm, milky , and sweet is beneficial. Many Vata types experience a drastic ener gy slump in the late
afternoon. Having hot tea with cookies or some other sweet is a good
idea. Think of the four o’clock English teatime. Herb tea is more
soothing than regular tea, whose high caf feine content can disturb Vata
types. You can try brewing gotu kola tea. This Indian herb, which is
said to be excellent for calming the nerves, is available in health-food
stores. You can also order Ayurvedic tea in bags (page 377). If you take
five minutes for your tea break in a quiet spot before heading home
from work, you will find the end of the day much less tiring. Pungent is not among the favored Vata tastes, but spicy food generally
turns out to be satisfying to Vata types, because most spicy Mexican or
Indian food is warm and has abundant oil in it. Ginger is the best
pungent spice for Vata and is often used to improve Vata digestion (see
page 301). Also, the use of sweet spices, such as cinnamon, fennel, and
cardamom, helps restore a dull appetite, from which Vatas tend to
suffer. Warm, moist food is very settling for Vata. Cooked grains and cereals
are the best choices here. When you feel nervous, worried, or otherwiseunder pressure, a bowl of hot oatmeal or a cup of creamed vegetable
soup will make you feel much better than a candy bar or a drink. Although sweet is good for Vata, sugar eaten by itself gives a quick
energy boost that can make Vatas feel too restless. Warm milk is a
sweet food in itself; it is very good for Vata, particularly with a little
sugar or honey . Sugary sweets should be eaten in combination with
nourishing ones like milk. Dry, salty snacks are not as good for Vata as salted nuts, which are
heavier and oily , two qualities that pacify Vata. Almonds are the best
choice. Ayurveda always recommends that almonds be skinned before
they are eaten; standard advice is to soak a dozen whole almonds in
water overnight, then peel and eat them in the morning to balance Vata. Since nuts and seeds are dif ficult to digest, Vatas need to eat them in
small quantities, preferably ground into butters. Tahini (sesame paste) is
an excellent source of sesame oil, one of the best foods for warming up
and balancing Vata. All sweet fruits are good for Vata, and green grapes and mangoes are
the best. Astringent fruits such as apples and pears need to be cooked
before eating. Unripe fruit, being very astringent, is to be avoided,
especially unripe bananas. Any cold, light, low-calorie food increases Vata and makes you feel
dissatisfied. If you are partial to salads, let them come to room
temperature and add oily dressing to make them more balancing. The
same holds for raw vegetables. Eat them sparingly and not ice cold. In
general, you should cook all your vegetables with a little oil rather than
steaming them. This will make many “wrong” vegetables more
acceptable to Vata dosha. When you go out for dinner , ask for warm water to sip in place of ice
water , take the hot soup instead of salad, and feel free to eat bread and
butter , as well as dessert (preferably a warm dessert like apple pie,
rather than ice cream, whose coldness hampers Vata digestion).A hot breakfast cereal for dinner , although not the usual thing, tastes
extremely good to anyone suf fering from a Vata attack. Rice served
with buttered lentils is also very good, as is a hearty minestrone-style
soup. Pasta in all forms is very soothing.
Perfect_Health_-_The_Complete_Mind_Body_Guide_by_Deepak_Chopra.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Rubber
tubing lies passively and lets liquid flow through it. Your arteries, on the
other hand, respond to everything that happens to you, and their responses
have to be both active and intelligent. In biology textbooks, we get the idea
that a cell divides again and again until its time is up, after about fifty
divisions, at which point it dies. But this is a drastically simplified, even a
false view. A cell has experien ces. It remembers what happens to it. It is
capable of losing its skills if links in its innate knowledge  are lost or
damaged. By the same token, a cell could be new all the time, without decay,
if it preserved its complete store of intelligence. The difference  between life
and death for a cell lies in its smriti, or memory. If you take the longest
perspective, a perfect memory in a cell would lead to immortality, for there
can be no death as long as renewal continues without flaws or mistakes. Science has never proved that DNA is limited in its ability to run a cell in
good working order. Each of your arteries contains the same DNA  that
formed the arteries in Stone Age humans fifty thousand years ago. If DNA
can manage to make perfect arteries for five hundred centuri es, each one
containing milli ons of perfectly operating cells, there is no intrinsic reason
why your DNA  should botch the job after sixty years. But the botching takes place, and in a lot fewer than sixty years. By age
12, a typical artery changes markedly in appearance. It begins to develop
irregularities in the form of yellow fatty streaks. At the microscopic level,one finds that these irregularitie s started as a result of tiny, nearly invisible
cracks on the inside of the arterial wall. A cell biologist can look at one cell
from such an artery and see the indisputable signs of age. Over the next five
decades, the signs become obvious even to a layman. If you were attending
open-chest surgery and touched a piece of old aorta, the major artery leading
from the heart, it would feel like a stiff pipe (often as stiff as bone, if
arteriosclerosis has advanced far enough). Inside, it would be riddled with
fatty pockets called plaque. You would have no trouble seeing that a terrible
mistake has been made somewhere. How does one close the gap between one reality—the immortality of
DNA—and another—the frail life span of a human being. In fact the two
realities are very close. There is no physical distance between  us and our
DNA. There is only a gap that exists in the nonphysical realm of knowledge. As I have made abundantly clear by now, Ayurveda makes a shift away
from the idea of the cell as a physical package of molecules, adopting
instead the idea of the cell as a package of knowledge. As the illustration
below indicates, knowledge is dynamic. It is not packaged inertly, but in
living form, as the constant interplay of three elements. To have living knowledge, there must be a knower, an object that it
knows, and the process of knowing that connects the two. The Vedic terms
for this basic triad are rishi (knower), devata (process of knowing), and
chhandas (object of knowledge)—taken together, they form the totality of
knowing, or Samhita, the undivided state of pure awareness. The humanmind, then, is a three-in-one creation. A human body requires the same
simple ingredients, repeated countless times at different levels of the
physiology. You are a knower, your body is the object you form with your
knowledge, and the millions of cellular functions taking place inside you are
the process of knowing. DNA  too is a knower, but on a different scale,
parceling out its knowledge in the form of biochemicals. On yet another
scale, a red blood corpuscle is a knower, knowing how to attach itself to
oxygen atoms for transport to all other cells in the body. This threefold model of knowle dge enables us to see how one thing—our
inner intelligence—diversifies itself into endless combinations of things. Your 50 trillion cells, bound together as a community by hundreds of
enzymes, proteins, peptides, amino acids, et cetera, represent an incredible
display of one becoming many. Yet it is dangerous to get lost in the display. The “mistake of the intellect” occurs when the mind forgets its real source—
the one intelligence flowing through every cell—and becomes hopelessly
lost in the many. To prove that this is not just a philosophical point, let’s turn
to some groundbreaking experiments that demonstrate a startlingly simple
solution to the aging process. To understand these experiment s, we need a
little background in physiology. Chronological age (how old you are according to your birth certificate) is
one way to measure the aging process, but not the most accurate one, since
people vary widely in how their bodies change over time. Physiologists
therefore refer to a second measure, called biological age, which measures
the actual rate of aging in a person’ s cells, tissues, and organ systems. Chronological age matches biological age only when you are young. Two
healthy 20-year -olds are likely to look almost identical if you compare their
hearts, livers, skin, eyesight, and so on. But after middle age no two people
have aged the same. Two 70-year -olds present drastically different profiles:
one has arthritis, the other heart disease; one is myopic, the other not; and so
on. This means that biologi cal aging, though an accurate measure
theoretically, is difficult to pin down, short of looking at every  organ in the
body. Fortunatel y, there are accepted ways to measure biological age, which
include such things as near-point vision, acuity of hearing, and systolic
blood pressure (the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is pumping). These biologica l markers of aging usually deteriorate steadil y over time;
therefore, they give a reliable approximation of the biological age of the
whole body at a given chronological age. Several years ago a team of researchers made the exciting discovery that
the biological markers of aging can be retarded or even reversed through
meditation. The research was headed by Dr. R. Keith Wallace, a physiologist
who studied eighty-four meditat ors with an average chronological age of 53. He divided his subjects into two groups according to how long they had been
regularly practic ing meditation. One group had meditated for at least five
years, the other for fewer than five years. Wallace found that meditation made his subjects biologically younger than
their years, and by a considerable amount: the short-term meditators were
five years younger than their chronological age, the long-term meditators a
full twelve years younger. In other words, a woman of 60 who had been
practicing medit ation for at least five years would typically have  the body of
a 48-year -old, biologically speaking. (This does not include cosmetic
changes in skin and hair, although many of the subjects did have strikingly
youthful appear ances. ) These results did not depend on any other factor;
people were screened for diet, exercise, and other habits. Interestingly, the
controls revealed that not eating red meat was correlated with a slightly
younger biological age, in keeping with various findings on the longer life
span of vegetarians. Wallace’ s findings were unprecedented at the time. Follow-up studies
were soon cond ucted in England that confirmed his research. In one group,
meditators were seven years younger in their biological age. When the same
people were measured a year and a half later, they scored a further drop of
one and a half years, implying that a year of meditation takes off a year of
biological age. More recently, Dr. Jay Glaser, a physician with a strong background in
meditation, decided to pursue one of the naturally occurring chemicals in our
bodies that may be connected with longevity. He measured the level of an
adrenal hormon e called DHEA  (dehydroepiandrosterone) in meditators. Although the precise function of this hormone remains mysterious, it isknown that DHEA  reaches its highest levels at around age 25 and then
declines in almost a straight line, year by year, until by age 70 only 5 percent
of it remains. Initial enthusiasm over DHEA  developed when it was injected
in large doses into laboratory animals and showed striking anti-aging
properties. Older animals showed renewed vigor, improve d immunity,
increased muscle tone, and better memory. Glaser found that levels of DHEA  were significantly higher in all ages of
meditators compared to a matched group of nonmeditators. This was true for
both men and women, with the biggest difference showing up in the oldest
subjects. For example, Glaser found that the older meditators had the same
DHEA  as nonmeditators five to ten years younger. He interpreted these
finding to sugge st that meditation somehow increases the natural production
of this interesting hormone. Researchers have studied the effects of giving DHEA  to people with
mixed results. Although experiments with DHEA  have shown that it causes
changes in hormonal levels and may improve people’ s mood, it has not yet
been found to have the same convincing benefits on memory or vitality in
humans as it does in animals. Still, it is intriguing that a simple mental
meditation technique can induce changes in a hormone that seems to play a
role in the aging process. This biochemical clue gives support to the
experience of people meditating who often report that they feel mentally and
physically younger. RASA YANAS—HERBS FOR LONGEVITY
Herbs are an immense part of Ayurvedic medicine that we have not yet
touched on. Many thousands of medicinal herbs are prescribed in Ayurveda,
and experienced Ayurvedic doctors often include herbs as part of their
treatment. This is because herbs are not the same as drugs, but are more
general and milder in effect. The simplest way to view herbs is as
concentrated food. One of the ways in which herbs are traditionally
classified is according to taste, using the six rasas—sweet, sour, salty, bitter,
pungent, and astringent—that apply to food. However, herbs are more potent and specific in their action. A bitter herb
like quinine can bring Pitta down promptly, making it useful for reducing
fever and inflammation. A pungent chili can instantly drain excess mucus as
it reduces Kapha. An astringent  spice like turmeric can dry the phlegm in a
sore throat in a matter of minutes. In the section on diet in part III, I give
some of the common household  herbs that can be used at home to balance
your doshas. Using herbs in combination with food is a safe approach. For treating disease, stronger herbs are employed, which need to be
medically supervised. In our Center we use specific herbs in the context of a
holistic approac h. Ayurvedic herbs are usually taken from the whole plant,
which reduces the possibility of harmful side effects. The principle here is
that the herb’ s active ingredient is packaged in the plant with other chemicals
that buffer it, offsetting its possible undesirable actions. In other words, in
Ayurveda the whole plant is part of nature’ s pharmacy. In Western medicine,
however, only the active ingredient is regarded as useful. HOW  AYUR VEDIC HERBS WORK
As they apply to longevity, the Ayurvedic texts list some special herbs,
alone or in combination, that are classified as rasayana. The word loosely
translates as “nourishing the essence of life. ” Rasayanas are not youth
potions, they are correctives for loss of memory in the cells. Each herb is a
packet of vibrations that specifically matches a vibration in the quantum
mechanical body. The liver, for example, is built up from a specific sequence of vibrations at
the quan tum level. In the case of liver malfunction, some disru ption of the
proper sequence in these vibrations is at fault. According to Ayurveda, an
herb exists with this exact same  sequence, and when applied, it restores the
liver’s functioning. The principle at work here is called complementarity. Complementarity
holds that “nature thinks everywhere alike,” a Vedic slogan that means that
nature uses the same materials when making plants, minerals,  mantras, or
human bodies. These are not just similar molecules (although it is the samecarbon that goes into coal, diamonds, sugar, and blood). What is more basic
still are the subtle vibrations that hold molecules together; these  are the real
building blocks  of nature, according to the Vedic sages. They are so
universal that seemingly unrelated things, such as a Sanskrit word and a bay
leaf, can be considered kindred, if you know how to look deep enough. Because there is likeness everywhere in nature, an Ayurvedic doctor looks
upon herbs, primordial sounds, gemstones, colors, aromas, and foods as
equally fit to act as medicine. As used in Ayurveda, herbs do not have the
same effect on the body that Western medicines do. Our drugs kill pain,
relax muscles, replace deficien t insulin or thyroid hormone, and so on;
rasayanas introduce a subtle signal into the physiology— they “talk” to the
doshas and directly influence the flow of inner intelligence. Rasayanas are closely associate d with Indian food and therefor e are sold
in the United States as herbal food supplements, not medicine. Some sweet
fruits, such as Indian gooseberry (called amla or amalaki ), are considered
extremely good rasayanas. (In fact, this particular fruit forms the basis of
most of the health tonics that have been taken since ancestral times in India
as ginse ng is taken in China. ) To anyone interested in medicinal herbs, the
lore of rasayana  is fascinating, but also extremely complex. Dozens of plants
are said to be capable of rejuvenating the body. Among those that have
common names in Western herbalism:
Gotu kola and garlic are specifics for Vata
Aloe vera and saf fron are specifics for Pitta
Elecampane and honey are specifics for Kapha (although not an herb,
honey is considered the shukra, or purest essence, of the plant world). But this list does not include the most powerful rasayanas, which only
have Indian names, among them amla, guggul, shatavari, and ashwaghanda. What makes rasayanas comple x is not just their reliance on fruits and
herbs. To extract the desired effect from an ingredient, one must know when
to pick it, how long to cook it and by what method, and in what proportion toblend it with other herbs. The recipe for a single rasayana may call for fifty
ingredients, each of which must be carefully blended. HERBAL  REJUVENA TIVES
After several years of investigation and trial, we feel that rasayana is a
valuable field. It has yielded a few authentic formulas that have been re-
created from the ancient recipe s. Although rasayanas have been used for
thousands of years by Ayurvedic physicians to enhance energy and
immunity, we are only beginn ing to scientifically research the purported
health benefits of these herbal compounds. Regulations governing herbs in
this coun try permit the distribution of rasayanas as an adjunct to diet only; as
such we recomm end them for general use. No health claims are made for
them nor are they to be used as medicine. (If you have been diagnosed with a
specific illness, please do not take these or any other herbs without first
consulting a physician trained in Ayurveda. ) Among the best known rasayanas is Chavanprash, based upon the fruit
Indian gooseberry. This fruit, which is one of the highest natural sources of
vitamin C, is known as Amla or Dhatri in Sansk rit, whic h means having the
healing qualitie s of a nurse or mother. It has been classically used as a
rejuvenative for the blood, heart, lungs, and reproductive tissues. We have
formulated a modern version of Chavanprash known as Biochavan. Another important classical Ayurvedic rasayana is Brahmi  Rasayana,
based upon the herb gotu kola. It is traditionally used as a revitalizer for the
brain and nervo us system. It is said to both calm restlessness and enhance
awareness. Intrigued by the vast classical Ayurvedic literature on rasayanas,
researchers have undertaken studies in this country and Europe to determine
what pharmacological actions these preparations have. The ingredients in
these rasayanas seem to have potent antioxidant effects and may also inhibit
the blood clotting cascade that is associated with the release of stress
hormones. Although it is clearly too early to extrapolate these studies on animals to
humans, it is encouraging that these ancient natural herbal compounds are
now receiving serious scientific  attention. Ongoing research should help to
clarify the role that these form ulas can play in maintaining health and
reversing disease. The explanations offered for the potential benefits suggested by
preliminary studies point to the possible role of free radical chemicals in a
wide range of diseases. Free radicals are undesirable peroxides that have
long been implic ated in hastening the aging process; one of the main reasons
for the popula rity of vitamins E, C, and beta-carotene as anti-aging
supplements is their ability to attach to free radicals and scavenge them
before they can do harm to living tissues. Hopefully further understanding
the mechanism and action of rasayanas will help substantiate  the ancient
claims of the benefits of these natural tonics to enhance vitality throughout
one’s life span. At the Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California, we have been
using rasayana preparations to enhance energy and vitality in our patients. We have separate formulations for men and women and are encouraged by
the subjective reports of our patients. Further information on how to access
these formulations is provided in Appendix A. QUIZ: HOW  WELL  AM I AGING. There is no separate “life extension” program in Ayurveda, for the simple
reason that all of its approaches—diet, exercise, daily and seasonal routines,
meditation, and the various healing techniques—are meant to enhance
longevity. Considering the superior health of our patients today, we have
every hope that a breakthrough in aging has been made. The classic
Ayurvedic texts define one hundred years as a normal life span without
infirmity or disease. We are aiming for at least that. Can you prove to yourself that you are getting younger by following this
program. Simple as it sounds, feeling happy and healthy is one good
yardstick; being young at heart is recognized as a marker of long life. On amore objective basis, researcher s at Duke University have compiled a short
list of health factors correlated with longevity. Statistically speaking, people
who rate well on each of these points have the best chance of living longer
than average. The following quiz is based on the Duke inventory. The most precise way
to use it is in conjunction with a complete physical examination, but an
informal person al rating will still tell you a lot. Being as honest and
objective as you can, answer every question, giving yourself:
10 points for Excellent
5 points for Average
0 points for Below Average
 
Having arrived at a final score, follow Ayurveda for six months, then rate
yourself again. The chances are very good that you will notice a surprisingly
large improvement, and it is likely to occur well before the six months are
up. The following factors are listed in order of relative importance:To rate yourself: A perfec t score (90 points) indicates that you are very
likely to live longer, perhaps much longer, than the national average (roughly
age 78 for women and 72 for men). An above-average score (between 65 and
90) sugg ests that your life expectancy will be at least three years higher than
the natio nal norm, more if you are already past middle age. An average score
(45–65) indicates an average life expectancy. A below-average score (below
40) indicates that you need to pay more attention to your health. It is not a
cause for panic, because following the programs of Ayurveda should lead to
noticeable improvements very quickly. To gain a more  accurate idea of where you stand, you can refine your
score by considering a few other factors:
Age: High scores mean more as you get older. If you are over 50, a score
in the 75–90 range indicates an enhanced likelihood of long life; the same
score would not be as significant if you are only 30. Lifestyle habits: All thing s being equal, regular habits are correlated with
long life; these include eating three meals a day, getting eight hours of sleep
each night, going to bed on time, and so on. Also, being married is indicative
of a longer life expectancy than being single. Alcohol consumption should
be minimal or none; alcoholism is known to reduce life expectancy. Weight: Maintaining an ideal weight is best, although there is no harm in
being ten to fifteen pounds overweight. Life span is shortene d if you are
obese (15 percent or more over your ideal weight) or if your weight has
fluctuated drastically over a period of years. HOW  TO IMPROVE YOUR SCORE
As a result of the extensive research done on meditation, we can validate
that our Ayurvedic program may improve each of the Duke University
longevity factor s. If we place the results in the context of Ayurveda as a
whole, they become even stronger. Research with rasayanas suggests that they may of fset several
deleterious aspects of the aging process, including a beneficial ef fect on
blood clotting, and a reduced susceptibility to carcinogens. Preliminary
studies suggest that rasayanas may be ef fective as free radical
scavengers that would positively impact the aging process. A pilot study on the ef fects of panchakarma suggests that this
purification procedure enhances the rejuvenating ef fect of meditation
(ten meditating subjects became on average six years younger
biologically over the period of a year while taking regular
panchakarma, as opposed to one and a half years with meditation
alone). What all of this implies is that a complete Ayurvedic program should be
even more effective than meditation by itself, and in fact may lead to all the
powerful rejuvenating effects promised in the ancient texts. A basic program
would include meditation, the appropriate Ayurvedic body-type diet,
supplemented with rasayanas, regular exercise, panchakarma treatment atleast once a year, and the major points given in the daily routine, or
dinacharya, to be discussed in chapter 1 1. OceanofPDF. comPART II
LIVING IN TUNE WITH NATURE
OceanofPDF. comCHAPTER 10
THE IMPULSE TO EVOL VE
The phrase “living in tune with nature” means something very precise in
Ayurveda: havin g healthy desires that match what you actually need. As
nature made you, what you need and what you want should not conflict. This is because all desires originate at the quantum level, as faint vibrations
whose dynamic interaction is always balanced. If either the body or the
mind tip out of balance, a correcting impulse is sent from the quantum
body, and you register it as something you desire. At this moment, millions of impulses are flowing through your nervous
system, turning into all the actions you perform every day. To want a drink
of water, for example, satisfies the separate need of 50 trillion cells in your
body, each of which sends a message to be decoded by special receptors in
the hypothalamus. In turn, the hypothalamus makes the mind body
connection by manufacturing the specific neurotransmitters, or messenger
molecules, that make you think, “I’m thirsty. ”
A natural desire of any kind takes a similar path. A need arises
somewhere in the quantum mechanical body, the mind body connection is
made in the brain, and then you experience an impulse to act. As long as
needs and desires match, you are living in tune with nature; the path of
desire is not blocked. Ideally, every bite of food you eat should taste
delicious to you and at the same time satisfy a precise demand for nutrients. Your skin may be asking for extra vitamin C to repair damage from a
sunburn, a stressed hipbone may be asking for extra calcium, a flexed arm
muscle for more potassium. Unfortunately, it is very easy to interfere with this pathway, and when we
do so, we slip out of tune with nature. Instead of trusting the balanced body
to tell us what nutrients it needs, all too often we indiscrim inately takevitamins, compulsively overeat, crave far too many sweets and junk foods
of all kinds. The current vogue of “life extension” is based on distrust of the
body, trying to second-guess  its weaknesses by cramming it with
megadoses of vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, or whatever new
nutriceutical has joined the list. It has not been proved that taking supplementary vitamins and minerals
alone prolongs life. On the contrary, separate studies conducted in Southern
California showed that older people who obsessively take vitamins and eat
only “health food” do not live any longer than average, while people who
have balanced lifestyle habits (going to bed on time, eating three meals a
day, drinking alcohol only very moderately, and so on) live up to eleven
years longer than the norm. You do not have to go to an extreme to get the most from your body. The
body is intellige nt. At the quan tum level, it knows exactly what it needs,
down to the last atom and molecule of food, the faintest breath you breathe,
the smallest action you take. In the following chapters, I outline  the kind of
foods, exercise, and daily and seasonal routines that Ayurveda considers in
tune with nature. Although very specific, these guidelines are not rules but
pointers to put you in touch with your quantum mechanical body. Once you
are back in touch, action goes much more smoothly, correct choices become
more automatic, and mistakes become less frequent. Before getting into specifics, though, I’d like to say more about the
evolutionary path itself. MAKING RIGHT  CHOICES
To conti nue evolving and progressing in life, you must make the right
choices for yourself, day after day, minute after minute. The choices are
endless because the challenges of life are endless, so to avoid all the wrong
choices seems impossible. But Ayurveda says that in fact it is easy—once
you begin to listen to your own deepest nature. For every decision you make, major or mundane, your quantum
mechanical body sees only one correct choice, although your mind might
recognize many. This confusion gives rise to internal conflict. Why does a
smoker compulsively reach for another cigarette, knowing the harm it can
do. Why does a compulsive eater take second helpings in the absence of
hunger. Wrestling with these conflicts is futile— our actions are based on
too many individual processes, all of them changing all the time. Defeating
lethal viruses or bacteria is child’s play compared with trying to defeat
people’ s self-destructive habits. For example, we all know chronically
overweight people who have turned everywhere for a cure, to drugs,
psychiatry, beha vior modificat ion, and even surgery, with little or no
success. In Ayurveda we propose a simpler solution. Instead of wrestling with all
the wrong choices people are likely to make in the grip of unhealthy
desires, we put our patients in touch with the source of their desires. At the
source, everyone has healthy desires. In Sanskrit, this is called sattva, a
word often translated as “purity. ” A better translation of sattva is “the
impulse to evolve,” and I will demonstrate why. In Ayurveda there are three natural impulses at work in any given
situation. One is sattva, the impulse to evolve, to go forward, to progress. The second impulse is tamas, the exact opposite, the impulse to stay the
same or to regress. Fixed between these two opposites is rajas, a more
neutral impulse that dictates action for its own sake. A diagram of the three
looks like this:
As you can see, rajas poses the question, “How should I act in this
situation. ” Sattv a favors the choice that is evolutionary, tamas the one that
is stable. All three impulses are necessary to life. If you are sittin g up late at
night, tempted to watch the second late movie on TV, one impulse tells you
to go to bed, while its opposite tells you to continue sitting there. This is
sattva and tamas in conflict, with rajas acting as the spur, urging you to
choose. Nature has made us so that our minds instinctively operate according to
these three guna s, or tendencies (they are also sometimes called “the mental
doshas”). People  can be classified according to which of these three gunas
is generally dominant. Rajasic people like to act. Their minds work constantly and tend towar d
impatience, impulsiveness, and kinetic outlets of all kinds. Sattvic people like to progress. Their minds do not dwell on action for its
own sake, but only on action that is cr eative, life-supporting, and healthy. Tamasic people like to stay the same. Their minds do not like to act; they
enjoy set r outines and tend towar d the status quo. These types are not cut and dried, since everyone contains elements of
each. But all of us know pure rajasic types— extroverted, endlessly full of
energy, people who rush in where angels fear to tread. And we know pure
tamasic types—slow to move, resistant to new ideas, hard-core
traditionalists for whom the best things in life are always in the past. (Ayurvedic doctors who come to America from India often shake their
heads and say that we are a hopelessly rajasic people, whose creativity and
ambition need more of the gentl e, purifying element of sattva. ) However we
were shaped by nature, becomin g more sattvic is a worthwhile goal, for it is
sattva that makes a person more creative, healthier, and happier. The secret of sattvic people is that they have naturally healthy desires. Unhealthy desir es can arise in anyone because of mental ama. You will
remember that “mental ama” is the term used for impurities, or negativetendencies in the mind. Sattva is the force of purity that combats them. The
Ayurvedic sages say that mental ama is produced by:
Negative emotions—anger, fear, self-criticism, greed, resentment
Psychological stress—family problems, tensions at work, loss of
money or job, divorce, death in the family
Lethar gy, mental inertia
Unwholesome surroundings
Contact with other people’ s negativity
Violent, crude, or shocking books or other forms of entertainment
The debate over whether it is morally right to show violence on
television misse s the essential point, according to Ayurveda. The issue is
one of health. The sight of violence gets translated into unhealth y chemicals
in the body, leading to the buildup of ama in our thoughts as well as in our
cells. Everyone has a right to expose himself to any kind of influence he
wants, but the physician’ s role is to warn against those influences that
damage our well-being. Avoiding mental ama is therefore considered a
preventive measure against the imbalances that lead ultimately to disease. You cannot force your body to make evolutionary choices. If you are
eating the wrong foods, chain-smoking, drinking excessively, or making
any other kind of unhealthy choice in your daily life, some block exists
somewhere in your pathway of desire. Some impurity is keepin g you away
from your quantum self. I have already given many techniques for
removing such blockages. All of these, from panchakarma to meditation to
the bliss technique, remove tremendous amounts of impurity every time you
use them. After a while, as you continue using the Ayurvedic techniques, you will
see your sattvic side emer ge, no matter how blocked your system was to
begin with. When that happen s, you are approaching the place calledperfect health. Sattva lies closest to nature’ s heart, because everything in
nature expands, evolves, and grows. Sattva exists in us as our instinct for
balance, our life-enhancing attitudes, our innate dignity and respect for
others, and our love. As you increase in sattva, you effortlessly live in purity
and move in the direction of higher evolution. Then and only then does the
phrase “living in tune with nature” reveal its real meaning. HOW  TO INCREASE SA TTV A
Ayurveda says that many different kinds of influences can increase
sattva, while at the same time keeping ama at a minimum. Some
recommendations are familiar to us: consuming pure food and water,
avoiding obvious toxins such as pesticides, and getting a full night’ s sleep. Adequate rest is needed to bring out the clear, happy side of the mind. Spend time outside in nature, walking in the woods and mountains or
beside the ocean, lakes, and streams; listen to the sound of the wind, the
rustling of the trees, and the songs of birds—all of these purify  the senses
and bring them back to their source in nature. In Ayurveda we consider
anything that is life-supporting to be sattvic, so nurturing positive emotions
and secure relationships is vital—the absence of love and care from your
life will damage sattva far more than any wrong diet. In addition, the following pointe rs, established thousands of years ago in
the Vedic texts and echoed in the purest traditions of every culture, serve as
time-tested guides for increasing sattva in daily life:
Be pleasant and tolerant toward everyone. Act on due reflection, not on impulse. Refrain from anger or criticism, even when you feel it is justified
(sattvic people do not point out others’  weaknesses “for their own
good”). Take time every day for play, humor, relaxation, and good company. Wake with the sun in the morning, watch the sun set in the evening,
and occasionally stroll in the moonlight, especially if there is a full
moon. Eat light, natural foods, favoring milk, saf fron, rice, and ghee (clarified
butter)—a complete list of sattvic foods is given on page 307, along
with the deeper rationale for adhering to a pure diet. Be generous with others in every way—giving presents and
compliments to people around you, pointing out the best in everyone,
letting others make you great instead of trying to be great yourself. To
a sattvic person, all relationships exist primarily as an opportunity to
give. The complement to this basic attitude is that nature will always
provide enough to fulfill one’ s needs. When this kind of generosity and
trust truly blossoms, a sattvic person has nothing to fear from life and
everything to receive from it; he can let life happen without forcing it.
The text does not discuss the difference between a cell and DNA. However, it does mention that cells remember experiences and can lose their skills if their innate knowledge is lost or damaged, and that DNA is used to form arteries, which are capable of perfect functioning even after 50,000 years.
According to the text, what is the difference between a cell and a DNA?
The text does not explicitly state the purpose of Ayurvedic herbs, but it does mention that they are used to "nourish the essence of life" and can be used to correct imbalances in the body.
What is the purpose of Ayurvedic herbs?
The text does not explicitly state the primary goal of Ayurvedic medicine, but it does emphasize the importance of living in harmony with nature and making choices that align with one's natural doshas.
What is the primary goal of Ayurvedic medicine, as described in the text?
The text suggests that the body and mind are interconnected, and that the mind can influence the body's functioning. It also mentions that the body's natural rhythms should be respected and not forced, and that the body knows what it needs and can respond to the correct food and environment.
What is the relationship between the body and the mind, according to Ayurvedic principles?
The text recommends a diet that is warm, nourishing, and oily to balance Vata dosha. It suggests avoiding cold, light, and low-calorie foods, and instead recommends eating warm, nourishing foods such as oatmeal, soup, and cooked grains.
What is the recommended diet for someone with a Vata imbalance?