In The Secret by Rhonda Byrnes, the word ‘disease’ is broken down into ‘dis’ and ‘ease’, meaning that an ill person is someone whose body is not at ease. For those who follow Ayurveda, this makes sense because an ill person is thought to be someone who has no energy and is not at ease with his environment.
C. D. Siby, an Ayurveda physician who is attached to the Arya Vaidya Pharmacy in Coimbatore, India, explains that the word ‘Ayurveda’ is made up of two words: ‘Ayu’ (which means ‘Life’) and ‘Veda’ (which means ‘Knowledge’). Put together, ‘Ayurveda’ means ‘Knowledge of Life’.
He adds that Ayurveda is intertwined with the environment in the following way: “We believe that the environment is made up of 5 elements: fire, space, water, earth and air. These elements exist in all entities in different proportions and should be in equilibrium.” There are three main ways of combining these elements to achieve such equilibrium. In the first, ‘Vata’, the main elements are air and earth. They regulate movement and the flow of substances in the body. The second, ‘Pitha’ is made up of fire and water. It is the basis of the body’s temperature. The last, ‘Kapha’, is made up of earth and water. It governs how things in the body integrate and attain stability. When ‘Vata’, ‘Pitha’ and ‘Kapha’ are in balance, the body is full of energy and free of disease.
To maintain such a balance, Siby recommends we follow the natural cycle of the day. He says, “First, you must accept that the energy from the sun transforms everything in our environment. In Ayurveda, this power is represented in the digestive system. When the sun rises, your digestive ‘fire’ will also rise. When it sets, this ‘fire’ will become poor. So, in my practice, lunch will be the heaviest meal of the day since that’s when the sun is at its highest.”
Siby illustrates this with a story of a patient diagnosed with pre-diabetes. “To me, it was clear he was pre-diabetic because he was obese. The blood test he took at a laboratory only confirmed this. The first step was to help him understand how he became obese. His wife left him and he, literally, ate his sadness. In Ayurveda, we will say that he by overeating, he took too much energy from Mother Nature. So, I recommended he undergo a detox program that lasted 21 days.” Then, the patient went on a diet program that followed the natural cycle of the day, attended yoga classes and maintained a positive outlook on life. Siby is very happy to report that the patient, having made this lifestyle change, is no longer pre-diabetic and maintains a healthy weight.
Ultimately, to paraphrase Siby, it all boils down to this: when you respect Mother Nature, you respect your individuality by protecting your body. Living in accord with Mother Nature’s laws, you have enough energy to maintain a balanced life and your body will be at ease.
References
- Byrne, Rhonda. The Secret. Atria Books/Beyond Words. First Edition (November 28, 2006).
- Lim Wey Wen. Healing with Ayurveda. The Star. (Accessed 11 January 2014). (thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2008/10/5/health/1978216&sec=health)
- C. D. Siby’s handwritten notes on ancient Sanskrit texts like Charaka Samhita, Susrutha Samhita and Ashtangasangraha (ayurcentre.com).
(15 January 2014)
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This story has been reprinted on the Your Pets Magazine website.
Here’s a story I wrote about Ladoo called ‘Bitter Sweet’ when she was still alive.
I’ve also written an eBook that contains a set of short stories that feature Ladoo. Here’s the link to that eBook, which is available on Smashwords.com
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