Dan's Papers - June 6, 2008 - Inspirations by Emily J. Weitz

This quote captures the essence of the healing practice of Ayurveda. In this 5,000-year-old traditional medical science, you're educated with the tools to live a healthier life. Where western medicine places a heavy emphasis on treatment, Ayurveda emphasizes prevention. Alleviating symptoms is a result of utilizing Ayurvedic methods, but the goal is to find the source and begin work there.

Ayurvedic principles operate on the theory that the human physical body is made up of the same elements that make up the rest of the world: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. At any given time, depending on factors such as the season, the environment, body type, and personal habits, different elements may be more or less present in the body. When one element is dominant, an imbalance occurs. This imbalance will manifest itself on many levels: from skin rashes to jaw clenching, from constipation to moodiness. In Ayurveda, work will be done to correct this imbalance.

People inherently have certain dominant traits in their bodies. Their Ayurvedic makeup will be some combination of the three types, or "koshas": Pitta (fire), Kapha (water), and Vata (air). A tendency towards oily skin suggests the presence of Kapha in the body. Dry skin demonsrates Vata. And if you are susceptible to hot, fiery rashes, you probably have a lot of Pitta. These koshas manifest themselves on the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual planes. The purpose of Ayurveda is to acknowledge the presence of these three koshas, and to bring them into balance. Only when the body is balanced is optimal health possible.

Ayurvedic consultant Jolie Parcher explained that "Ayurveda looks at the big picture." Instead of focusing on the symptoms, it focuses on the cause. For example, a typical western solution to allergies is the use of an antihistamine. But in Ayurveda, the first question would be "Why is my body reacting this way to this certain element?" There is probably something in your lifestyle, diet, or environment that is causing an imbalance. If you can find out what that is, then you can address your allergy head-on instead of always battling the symptoms.

Parcher, who founded Mandala Ayurveda and Healing Arts (MAHA) in Amagansett, explains that in Ayurveda, the definition of health is different than in Western medicine. "It means being without disease, sure, but it also means having a balance of the doshas, being happy, realizing your essential nature, and doing good work. This is one of the components of good health. When someone has all the right foods and is in good shape, this might still be missing. Health is acknowledging that we need to live our gift. Helping, working, thriving."

Parcher's passion for Ayurveda has developed into a wide range of knowledge, and a way to deal with all of life's challenges. And it has extended to her husband and her two young sons. The other day, her 12-year-old came up to her and said, "Mom, I have poison ivy so I put coconut oil on it because it's cooling, right?" Parcher was proud of her son for thinking in terms of balancing the problem at hand. But she took him a step further. "Let's look at the properties of poison ivy. Yes, it's hot, but it's also a little wet. So while coconut oil is good because it's cooling, we also need something that will dry it out. Calamine lotion is cooling and drying." It was so clear, and he understood. But Parcher wanted to go even further. "In the meantime," she explained. "I told him to make sure he didn't eat anything that has a sharp spiciness to it. Eat heavier, cooler foods. And he had a baseball game that day, which I knew would aggravate it. So I gave him some cooling breathwork to do."

This is the essence of Ayurveda: to acknowledge what's going on with your body and address it on every level. Parcher goes through this same process with her clients every day, and she takes them through the process of creating an Ayurvedic plan that fits their lives.