May 19, 2009
A Pitta person is generally of medium build, athletic, tend to feel warmer and dislike being in the sun. Pittas are fiery. When balanced they are intelligent, driven, productive, leaders, competent, athletic and have good stamina. Unbalanced, however, can mean being belligerent, overbearing, bossy, competitive, blaming others for their errors or being aggressive. Pranayama breath work can help cool the fires of Pitta without quenching them.
Below is a simple breath exercise to try out:
1. Start by taking a brief walk, even doing a few push-ups or other kind of physical activity to release obvious tension. Doing so will make it easier for active Pitta people to sit still for pranayama.
2. Sit cross-legged on the floor on a folded blanket or pillow or in a chair where your spine is straight and your lungs easily inflate.
3. Inhale through the nose and open the mouth, stick the tongue out, making a “ha” sound. This may be more satisfying than you realize. Repeat 3 to 5 times and then close the mouth, returning to normal breathing.
4. Close the eyes and inhale to 1/3 of your capacity to the lower belly, pause.
5. Inhale another third to the level of the chest, pause. Inhale the last third to the sternum, top of the chest, pause. Exhale smoothly all the breath out. Take several recovery breaths. Repeat 3 to 5 more times. Rest.
6. Establishing a regular pranayama practice every morning is the traditional way to invite prana (life force) and direct it in a way to nourish the nadis (energetic pathways in the body). It is one way to self-regulate one’s short fuse and can be a way to literally blow off steam.
7. Continue your pranayama daily for 30 days, practicing at the same time each day and in the same room if possible. Over time, your central nervous system will anticipate your pranayama and you may find it is too valuable to skip
Categories: Ayurvedic, Pitta, Pranayama.
May 19, 2009
In Ayurveda there are three main mind-body, or doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata represents the elements of air and ether. The Vata body type is generally slender with a small-boned frame. Vatas people find it difficult to gain weight and they tend to thrive on constant activity, be it mental or physical. Dryness is a constant in their live be it dry hair, skin, or a tendency to constipation. Vata people are in general very talkative, sometimes to excessive. Pranayama, or breath work, is one way to help ground the constant worry and anxiety that can overwhelm a Vata who is not balanced.
Below is a common Pranayama exercise to help balance the Vata energy in your body:
1. Begin by sitting in a comfortable chair or in a cross-legged position on the floor. If your knees are higher than your hips then sit on a folded blanket or pillow or chair. Your spine should be upright but not rigid. Breath work for Vata should help ground them to the earth element to balance the movement of air and ether.
2. Close off the right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril softly. Close off the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril. Repeat in this way for 7 to 10 rounds smoothly without hurry or force.
3. Practice this pranayama daily for a month, adding one to two rounds each week. Notice if you feel your chest tighten: you may be inhaling too quickly of too fully. Nadi shodhana is alternate nostril breathing and meant to balance the two main energetic nadis: ida (solar) and pingala (lunar).
4. A very short breath exercise to help you remain calm at work or in a challenging situation. It is a three-part breath exercise. Sitting with eyes closed, inhale to the belly about 1/3 of your capacity, pause. Inhale another third to the chest level, pause. Inhale to the collarbones, pause. Exhale slowly.
5. Take several normal breaths. Repeat once more. Rest by breathing normally. This variation can be done with the eyes opened and is barely noticeable and can help dispel toxins from the lungs and calm down a Vata’s racing mind (and tongue)
Categories: Ayurvedic, Pranayama, Vata.
May 17, 2009
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Inhibitory effects of Terminalia arjuna on platelet activation in vitro in healthy subjects and patients with coronary artery disease.
Department of Experimental Medicine & Biotechnology, Chandigarh-160012, India.
Terminalia arjuna (TA) is a medicinal plant used as a cardiotonic in ayurveda. Besides others, scientific evidence dictates its strong hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties. However, anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet aggregatory properties of TA are not known. The present study demonstrates in vitro effects of its ethanolic bark extract (TAE) on platelet function indices. Twenty patients of angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) were included in Group I and 20 age and sex-matched controls were included in Group II. Platelet activation was monitored by determining P-selectin (CD62P) expression, intracellular free calcium (Ca(2+)) release and platelet aggregation. In vitro effect of TA on platelets function indices was determined by incubating the platelets with TAE in a time and dose-dependent manner in presence/absence of ADP. TAE was able to significantly inhibit platelet aggregation both in patient and control groups. Significant attenuation in Ca(2+) release and expression of CD62P was also observed with TAE. Our data clearly demonstrates that the bark extract of TA decreases platelet activation and may possess antithrombotic properties. The possible mechanism of action could be by desensitizing platelets to the agonist by competing with platelet receptor or by interfering with signal transduction. Thus, TA can be exploited for its therapeutic potential in CAD and related cardiovascular disorders.
PMID: 19437336 [PubMed - in process]
Article reference here
Categories: Cardiovacular Disease.
May 6, 2009
Menopause comes about due to the decrease of the natural hormone (estrogen) in women generally at the age of 45-55 years. From around the age of 40, the ovaries reduce their production of hormones which results in changes to the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle will eventually cease permanently, which known as menopause. Needless to say that this phase also marks the end of fertility in a woman. Irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, itching, and mood swings are typical symptoms of menopause. Osteoporosis (thinning and weakening of bones), heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease (progressive loss of memory and concentration) become more predominant in women after menopause.
Menopause marks a major physical change in a woman’s life. This physical change is often accompanied by emotional changes too.
The use of Ayurvedic principles during menopause helps to minimize symptoms by maintaining balance in the doshas.
Some general Ayurvedic suggestions are:
Continued…
Categories: Ayurvedic, Menopause.
Tags: Menopause
