Understanding this ancient approach is key to improving your health
I attended a mega Ayurveda Conference in Orlando, Florida in the last week of October. There were vaidyas from India, as well as practitioners and Ayurveda doctors from the US. It was a great opportunity to learn, network, and surround myself with like-minded professionals. I also had the opportunity to meet with specialists in the field like Dr. David Frawley, Dr. John Douillard, and Divya Alter, who is the co-owner of Divya’s Kitchen (an Ayurvedic restaurant in NYC).
When I started to talk to other practitioners, many of us were on the same page about Ayurvedic healing across the United States. You can’t help rogis (your clients) if they don’t know what Ayurveda is or what it does. The reason many clients might not return to their respective practitioners or Ayurvedic doctors is because we are expecting too much out of them.
Understanding Ayurveda And Wellness
I recently interviewed 25 people and asked them about holistic health and wellness. While 100% of them wanted to feel good, less than 50% of them cared about how you helped them. Westerners are relatively new to the concept of Ayurveda. For someone who grew up eating frozen foods, heating microwaveable dinners, doing weekly meal prep, or cooking just once a week, cooking three fresh meals a day won’t work.
Before explaining ama (toxins), you need to understand their concept of “healthy”. For instance, in the U.S., having a bowel movement a few times a week is considered normal. According to Ayurveda, healthy elimination occurs once or twice a day, every day. For people who assume adding spices means making food spicy, first need to be introduced to the healing power of spices.
I have clients who grew up in the Midwest and mostly ate meat and potatoes at home. Some of them eventually developed gut issues as adults and found me. But the point is, they didn’t know how Ayurveda could help. It’s okay for people to be hesitant—in adapting Ayurveda despite its enormous healing benefits—if they are unfamiliar with it.
I am a big believer in starting small and making consistent changes without adding stress to anyone’s life. We all do the best we can for our families. Instead of shaming people for not providing their loved ones with a holistic lifestyle, we must honor their story and background. Meeting people where they are instead of shoving ancient concepts down their throat is a holistic way of introducing them to the art and science of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda In India
The leading cause of death in India is cardiovascular diseases.[1] While a large majority of Indians might have heard of Ayurveda (Big credit to the initiatives by Ministry of Ayush and Prime Minister Narendra Modi), it doesn’t mean they understand it fully or follow it correctly.
But many have the I-know-it-all attitude. For example, fish curry with yogurt or spinach raita or mango milkshake are some of the foods that disregard the rules of Ayurvedic cooking and eventually might create diseases (since they are incompatible foods). I have shared this with people. But many still continue to cook that way because they enjoy the flavors and argue that their mothers or grandmothers did. I am all about revering the elders in your life, but just because our ancestors or elders were instinctive in the kitchen doesn’t mean they were Ayurvedic doctors. According to Ayurveda, people who consume Viruddha Ahara or incompatible foods are prone to several disorders.[2]
Fighting Ayurveda Misinformation
I have also met many Indians who claim to have never heard of Ayurveda. They know acupuncture and Reiki, but Ayurveda is foreign to them. Some have heard Bollywood celebrities talk about Ayurveda skincare products so that’s their “exposure” to this 5,000-year-old healing science from India. Just because a celebrity endorses an herb or throws out names of doshas in an interview doesn’t make them an expert or the information accurate.
Remember when actor Varun Dhawan tried to enlighten a caller on the chat show “Koffee with Karan”? He recommended the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha several times on the episode without considering the repercussions. Ashwagandha is known as herbal Viagra, but that doesn’t mean it’s great for everyone. Dhawan had no background on this caller, his challenges in the bedroom, his doshic imbalances, his diet, lifestyle, environment, or where exactly he needed help.
This is why raising awareness and educating the lay person about the healing powers of Ayurveda matters most. You can’t share research about Ayurveda’s impact on cancer or heart diseases when a person doesn’t understand the principles of this ancient wisdom and how it transforms your health and wellness. Their understanding of Ayurveda may be limited to haldi doodh (turmeric milk), or they believe Ayurveda means veganism, which it doesn’t.
National Ayurveda Day 2023
The theme for the 8th National Ayurveda Day 2023 celebration is “Ayurveda for One Health.” Held on Dhanvantari Jayanti (November 10), the only way we can get more people to adopt an Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle is if experienced Ayurvedic practitioners start raising awareness of the basics.
“Ayurveda is the science of life that teaches us how to live in harmony with nature and the world around us.” ~ Dr Robert Svoboda.
Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional. If you are nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition, please consult with your health care practitioner prior to the use of any of these herbs. If you are looking for advice from a trained yogi and ayurvedic practitioner, contact the author here.
[1] https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/care/2021Summerresearchfellowproject/India-Data-Brief.pdf
