Yoga Ayurveda Recovery

Author: Zoe

  • Yoga benefits empathy, communication & spirituality 

    Yoga benefits empathy, communication & spirituality 

    naturalnews.comprintable article

    Originally published March 14 2015

     

    Yoga benefits empathy, nonverbal communication skills, and spiritual purpose

    by Lance Johnson

    There are many physical reasons to begin practicing yoga. Yoga will increase your flexibility, strengthen and condition your muscles, and give you better balance and posture. That’s the good news but the good news gets even better for those just starting this artful discipline: yoga does not begin and end in the physical realm. Yoga can also welcome deeper personal growth, in both the emotional and spiritual realms. As you become aware of your breathing, body movements, and thoughts, you can work on the issues inside you.

    In many ways, yoga takes on the form of meditation, and during these times of silence and introspection, you can reconnect with who you are. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up listening to the negative language of the scripted news media. Sometimes it’s easy to let wounded people bring us down in their pain, pity, and blame. In yoga, all this negative chatter goes out the window as you create your own space. All the external voices dissipate, allowing you to communicate with your inner, most honest self. Yoga allows you to face fears, quell frustrations, and overcome worries – to welcome emotional self healing.

    By releasing tension and pent up lymph, yoga allows you to see health in a new light, making mind body, and spirit connections. The more intuitive you become, the more you can respond to another soul’s nonverbal communication cues. Yoga can literally increase your inner level of empathy and compassion. You not only learn how all your muscles and bones are consciously connected, you also realize that your actions are connected to the world around you and all the souls you interact with. Moments in time become reflections, as you see yourself in others. When something happens to you, you begin to realize your role in pulling it to you by the way you think, act, and set intentions.

    The more intuitive, empathic, and conscious you become, the more telepathic you become, learning to interpret events and interact non-verbally with people. In this way, you ascend beyond just connecting verbally. You learn to connect energetically and realize that we are all one connected consciousness. What we do to others, we do to ourselves. This realization can bring a level of spiritualfulfillment not found in the many man-made religions. By tuning out of the external world, its expectations and fears, you find yourself lifting to new heights of appreciation and love for all. This can bring an empowering sense of spiritual purpose.

    For those who are scared to connect in profound ways, yoga is definitely for you, too. As you let go of physical tension, you can also let go of negative thought patterns and open your heart to healing. Yoga is not only for stretching muscles, it is also an open door for stretching your character and connection to all living things. Yoga is not only for strengthening physical posture, it’s also useful for posturing your spirit to face fear and blame which may be consuming and destroying the quality of your life.

     
     
  • Tongue Tales

    Tongue Tales

    Ayurvedic Tongue Analysis: What does your tongue say about your health?

    Ayurvedic tongue diagnosisThe tongue according to Ayurveda is a strong diagnostic tool for looking at one’s systemic health.  It is a very accurate view into the inner health of an individual.   Tongue analysis can be used complimentary with pulse, nail and facial diagnosis in order to really see what is going on internally and detect issues that may not have manifested otherwise.

    Although this technique is typically used by Ayurvedic practitioners and other Eastern healers, it is simple enough to do a self-diagnosis, even with an Ayurvedic newbie! Although not everything will always show up on the tongue, more often than not it does.

    It is important to regularly check your tongue in order to recognize when your body is accumulating toxins, when foods are causing negative reactions to your system or when other indications of disorder may arise.

    Here are some of the areas you can cover with tongue diagnosis:

    • Organ health
    • Vata, Pitta or Kapha imbalances
    • Presence of toxins and where they are accumulating
    • Tension and emotions held in the spine, shoulders or organs
    • Thyroid disorder
    • Anemia
    • Malabsorption of nutrients
    • Parasitic infection
    • Inflammation in the body

    Basically each area of the tongue is related to a certain organ in the body. As you can see in the picture above, the front of the tongue is related to the lungs and heart; the middle with the liver, spleen and stomach; and the back with the kidneys, small intestine and the colon. The very tip of the tongue correlates with the thyroid; and vertically, smack in the middle of the tongue reveals the spine.

    Here are the most common tongue manifestations to look out for:

    tongue digagnosisTongue coating and location:  If the tongue has any sort of coating on it, this is a very clear indication of toxic build-up in the system and poor overall digestion. The most common area the coating is typically found is on the back of the tongue, revealing that the toxic build-up is in the colon area. If you see a coating on a different area, then that would indicate toxic build-up in which ever corresponding organ is involved in that specific site of the tongue. If the entire tongue is coated, this indicates systemic toxins meaning the toxins are in the blood stream and invading the entire body.

    Vata toxins tongueTongue coating and color:  So the first line action is to discover if there are toxins and where they are located. After that, if you wish to dive deeper into diagnosis, you can look at the color of the coating which will reveal the doshic imbalance that is involved. If the coating is grey, black  or brown, you can assume Vata toxins; if the coating is orange, reddish, yellow or green, this indicates Pitta toxins; and finally is there is a thick, whitish coating you can think Kapha toxins. This can be quite helpful as each toxin should be treated different, depending on which dosha is involved.

    Vata tongueVata imbalance:  If a tongue is a so called “Vatatongue”, it is typically small, thin and shaky or trembling in appearance. It may look pale in color, appear to be dried out and have a few or many cracks on the top of it. Once again, if there is a coating it will be grey, blackish or brown in color and will typically coat the colon area of the tongue. This is a storybook picture of a tongue revealing a Vata imbalance.

    pitta tongue 2Pitta imbalance:  If a tongue is of a Pitta nature, it may be medium in size, have a sharp or pointy tip and be excessively red in color. There may also be red dots on the top of the tongue which reveals excessive heat in the blood. If there is a coating on the tongue, it will be green, yellow or orange in color.   The coating will typically be located in the small and large intestine area, the liver area or may also be on the entire tongue revealing toxins in the blood stream.

    white kapha toxinsKapha imbalance:  A tongue revealing a Kaphaimbalance tends to be large, thick and heavy by nature. It may appear swollen, pale in color and have thick saliva build-up. If there is a coating on a Kapha imbalanced tongue, the color of the coating usually will be whitish, thick and mucusy. The coating may be located in the colon, the kidney area, the lung area and/or the stomach area revealing increased Kapha in these organs.

    malabsorption tongueTeeth marks around the perimeter of the tongue:  Unfortunately, it is quite common to see indentation marks along the outside perimeter of the tongue. This is a classic indication that there is malabsorption in the body of essential nutrients. There are many different reasons for improper nutrient absorption including toxic build-up in the body, poor digestion, inflammation in the gut, poor diet or allergenic foods being consumed in the diet.

    spine tongue toxins colonCrack, vertically down the center of the tongue:  This vertical line that may be located down the center of the tongue, is an indication that there is stress and emotions being help in the spine. The top of the spine area correlates to the top of the tongue and the lower spine correlates to the back of the tongue.  So wherever the spine line manifests on the tongue reveals where the tension is being held.  If there is any cracking along the spine, this indicates pain, tension and misalignment at which ever point the crack corresponds to on the tongue/spine.  This picture is an example of an individual with total spine tension with some misalignment in the neck area.

    Vata imbalance tongueMany cracks all over the tongue:  The appearance of multiple small cracks all over the tongue is a clear indicator of a strong, chronic Vata derangement such as high anxiety, fear, insomnia and possibly a nervous system disorder. If the cracks are only located on one area of the tongue, this may reveal chronic high Vata in that correlating organ (i.e. Vata in the colon).

    swollen tongue 2Swollen tongue:  A swollen tongue may be a sign of inflammation in the body indicating the presence of an allergen such as an undesirable food. This can also reveal a Kapha imbalance such as hypothyroidism or fluid retention as well.

     

    back coated, depression in heartDrooping in the heart area of the tongue:  A hollowness or scooping in at the area of the heart is a common indicator that there is unresolved sadness, grief or depression in the heart.  This picture shows a clear depression in the heart as well as systemic toxins, due to the coating, and excessive heat in the blood, due to the red dots and red edges of the tongue.

    parasite tongueRed, raised papillae on the top of the tongue:  If you see these raised red dots on the surface of your tongue, this typically means there is excessive Pitta or heat in the plasma and blood.  Typically, a tongue with these red dots will also be excessively red along the perimeter, confirming this increase of heat.

    pale tonguePale tongue:  A pale tongue is typically a sign of low red blood cells indicating possible anemia and malnutrition.  The nail beds and skin typically will also appear pale as well.

    So there you have the most common attributes to look for in a self-tongue diagnosis along with what these different revelations may indicate for your health.

    Don’t forget to make this part of your daily routine in order to stay consistent with the awareness of your internal health.  It is best to do an analysis each morning before brushing the teeth or scraping the tongue for the most accurate diagnosis.  As always it is best to learn from a knowledgeable practitioner, so if any questions arise, please do not hesitate to contact me with questions!

    Ayurvedic Tongue Analysis: What does your tongue say about your health?

  • Tongue scraping

    Tongue scraping

    Tongue Scraping: The Many Benefits of an Ancient Practice

    BY DANIELLE | 

    healthy tongue“The tongue should be scraped gently and comfortably, this removes dirt of the tongue, bad taste and smell from the mouth and sluggishness.” Bhavaprakasha Ch5 V15

    Although tongue scraping has recently become a new topic here in the west, this simple morning practice dates back thousands of years in the world of Ayurveda. It is stated in the great treaties such as the Charak Samhita and Bhavaprakasha, among others, that tongue scraping is needed to be performed daily as part of the morning routine in order to achieve greater health.

    The good news for our western, modern society is that unlike many of the Ayurvedic practices mentioned in the ancient texts, tongue scraping is quick, easy, affordable and totally obtainable to perform each morning. Before I go on to tell you how to perform tongue scraping, let me first go over the benefits of this healing morning ritual.

    Five Reasons to Make Tongue Scraping a Part of Your Morning Routine:

    1. Removes the bad bacteria in the mouth. The body is hard at work during the night digesting the day’s food and detoxing the system. Due to this detoxification, some of the toxins will end up on the tongue as a means to void them from the body. By scraping the tongue first thing each morning, you will avoid the possibility of reabsorbing this unwanted bacteria.
    1. Removes bad breath. As stated above, the tongue is a vessel of removing some of the unwanted bacteria from the body, which may end up as a layer coating the tongue each morning. If this dead bacteria is not removed from the tongue, bad breath is sure to result. Brushing the teeth and even the tongue with a toothbrush has been proven to not be nearly as effective as using a tongue scraping utensil!
    1. Awakens the vital organs of the body. If you have read my previous article on Ayurvedic Tongue Analysis, you have learned that each section of the tongue correlates to a different organ in the body. By performing the tongue scraping first thing each morning, you are indirectly stimulating and awakening these organs, increasing the digestion and aiding in elimination.
    1. Opens and enhances the taste buds. According to Ayurveda, the first stage of digestion begins with the taste faculty in the mouth. If you have a chronic layer of bacteria coating your tongue, the taste buds become dull and therefore will not perform properly. This in turn will decrease the body ability to digest food properly.
    1. By looking at the tongue each morning, you will be able to keep track of your internal health. This may sound confusing to some of you, so please let me explain. Just as I have stated in my previous article,“What Does Your Tongue Say about Your Health”, the tongue is indeed a reflection of what is occurring internally. For example, if there is an increase of toxins in the system, you may notice a thick coating on the tongue upon awakening. Therefore, if you regularly are checking your tongue each morning, you have a daily window into your ever so changing health. This can awaken you to foods that may not be compatible for you or be a red light that something is off balance in your system. Of course, if your tongue is shiny and clean, this can be an indication that you are in good shape and living well. Please read my article on Ayurvedic Tongue Analysis in order to learn what signs of imbalance to look for on the tongue and what they may mean.

    Tongue Scraping in 5 Easy Steps:

    1. Upon awakening, look in the bathroom mirror and stick out your tongue. Before you start scraping, observe any noticeable changes in appearance or indications of imbalance. **See my Ayurvedic Tongue Analysis article for more information.
    2. After taking in any changes, grab your tongue scraper and clean with warm water and soap if needed.
    3. Begin to gently slide the edge of the scraper down the tongue. Perform this action one stroke at a time, beginning with the back of the tongue and moving it towards the tip of the tongue.
    4. After one full stroke, clean off any residue collected on the scraper with warm water.
    5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, 7 to 10 times.

    After the tongue has been fully scraped, wash the scraper with warm water and put in a clean, sterile space for the next morning. Here are a few extra tips to remember:

    • Do not use force with this procedure. Tongue scraping should be performed in a gentle, comfortable manner and there should never be any pain or bleeding involved.
    • Be cautious for any raised papillae that sometimes appear at the back of the tongue. These are naturally occurring and should be cautiously stroked or completely avoided during tongue scraping.
    • Since this is a stimulating process, tongue scraping should only be performed at the beginning of the day and should be avoided at nighttime.

    If you are in need of purchasing a tongue scraper, you can obtain one online atBanyan Botanicals. Otherwise if you would rather take the “poor man’s route”, which I prefer myself, you can cheat by using the back of a butter knife (the non-serrated side). I have been tongue scraping daily for over 5 years and this is the only tongue scraping utensil I have ever used. It is easy to obtain, free and works just as well as a store bought tongue scraper. Just make sure to use the back of the butter knife and NOT the sharp side!

    If you do decide to purchase a tongue scraper, here is the recommended material according to each dosha:

    • Vata: If you are of a Vata nature, it is said to use a Gold tongue scraper.
    • Pitta: If you are of a Pitta nature, it is said to use a Silver tongue scraper.
    • Kapha: If you are of a Kapha nature, it is said to use a Copper tongue scraper.
    • Tri-doshic (good for every-body): If you are unsure of your dosha or cannot obtain any of the above materials, then it is said to use a stainless steel tongue scraper as it is suitable for all body types!

    Tongue Scraping: The Many Benefits of an Ancient Practice

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