Category: Health Tips

Let’s face it: our mental health has suffered greatly over the past year 2020. Especially anxiety disorders, but also depressions have increased, because many familiar structures have fallen away and compensating social contacts have been reduced to a minimum.

The Sanskrit word “Shirodhara” simply means “head pouring” or “head stream”. The treatment is given with organic sesame oil warmed to body temperature.

A sunny, windless spring day increases Kapha just as much as inclement, grimy weather with rain, fog and damp cold. Neither a recliner nor the sofa should be your first choice now! On the contrary, physical activity in the fresh air reduces Kapha and boosts your metabolism.

Our eyesight is regarded as the most important of the five senses of perception: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Our eyes are indispensable for comprehending the world in which we live.

They capture light impulses as visual impressions and pass them on to the brain for further processing.

Each season affects the three Doshas in its own way. In ancient Ayurvedic texts, the year is divided into 6 seasons. In Europe, we are used to 4 seasons, with warm/dry and cool/humid periods. If we adapt the Ayurvedic concept to European climatic conditions, we get approximately the following picture:

In an open letter to the German health authorities, Ernst Schrott, M.D., makes a strong case for including Ayurvedic knowledge and modalities to better handle the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic. Here is a summary of the letter as published on the website of the DGA (German Society for Ayurveda) of which Dr. Schrott is a board member:

In Sanskrit, honey is called Madhu, a word that also denotes “sweet, lovely, pleasant.” In German, honey is sometimes called “the golden miracle”, just one illustration how popular and prized it is in Europe as well as in India, the home of Ayurveda.

Rasayana is the Ayurvedic term for all rejuvenation therapies that slow down biological aging processes and keep body and mind healthy.

Ayurveda contains comprehensive knowledge for a long and healthy life.
This knowledge is described in great detail in Charaka Samhita and other classical texts. A considerable part of these traditional treatises describes Rasayana therapies, which may involve specific medicinal herbs, nourishing oils, or also certain foods or behavior patterns.

This time of year, called “sharad ritu” in Sanskrit, is characterized by an initial increase of Pitta Dosha in the body, followed by Vata Dosha taking over. Skin problems such as herpes are now frequent. Other viral and bacterial infections or diseases come to the fore as well, such as stomach ulcers, inflammation of the oral mucosa, hepatitis, and also chronic intestinal diseases. Following a diet and daily routine appropriate for this time of year is thus crucial for your well-being, more so if one of these imbalances is pre-existing.

Everyone has had them at one time or another: headaches. 5 September is Headache Day in Germany – which should be of interest to at least 60% of all people. Because that is the percentage of people who suffer at least temporarily from pressure, throbbing, piercing, or stabbing pain in the head.

Since thousands of years, Ayurveda has recommended that the tongue be cleaned after brushing the teeth and that the entire oral cavity be treated with oil in order to keep the mouth and teeth strong and healthy.

From July to the end of August, we want to enjoy glorious summer warmth. However, this can increase Pitta Dosha, which consists of the elements fire and water. Increased Pitta Dosha can lead to a feeling of weakness during the day, which only subsides in the evening when the temperature cools down. Continue reading →

Everyone is talking about the corona virus (officially: SARS-CoV-2). What we’ve seen so far is that the clinical course in 80% of all people infected is so mild that they don’t even notice it. The mortality rate among the seriously ill is 2.3%, but only 0.2% among younger people (under 40). Statistical surveys of the past 30 years by the Robert Koch Institute show that annually, an average of 10,000 to 20,000 people die from influenza. The numbers with this new virus are expected to be about ten times as high, although so far, serious clinical courses and deaths due to SARS-CoV-2 have only occurred in people who were already strongly affected by other illnesses.

Therefore, this is not the time for uncertainty and fear, but for tried-and-tested precautionary measures. Our Ayurveda-colleague Dr. Schachinger has put together a number of points to improve your immune status and thus prevent an infection or mitigate the clinical course: Continue reading →

Ayurveda knows Ghee – clarified butter – both as a remedy and a food. Ayurveda utilizes the beneficial qualities of Ghee in internal as well as external treatments. Ghee is an indispensable part of this oldest art of healing and, along with milk and honey, is considered a natural Rasayana, i.e. an Ayurvedic preparation for prevention, strengthening and rejuvenation. Continue reading →

Even if it is unusual for us: drinking hot water is an effective medicine for many diseases. Since thousands of years, Ayurveda knows that hot water is a cornerstone for long-lasting good health. We recommend boiling the water for ten minutes. You can boil enough water for the day in the morning and keep it in a thermos (or several) so you always have hot water at hand, including while traveling. Continue reading →

It’s that time again: The good resolutions for the new year have been made. As health awareness is becoming more fashionable, many fellow humans have resolved to lose weight. Often, that’s easier said than done. Continue reading →

Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has honored Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and 11 other outstanding healers of India posthumously with commemorative postage stamps in a grand ceremony on August 30, 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The entire event was broadcast live throughout India by government TV, many private television channels and also through live streaming on the internet.

The rule of thumb for every Ayurvedic remedy is, that all disturbances can be balanced naturally by their counterpart – restlessness through rest, inertia through activity, coldness through heat, etc.

Long flights, delays, congestion on the highway, whining kids, large crowds … These are all causes of stress, especially when travelling and during the holiday season.
In this issue, we share some tips from Ayurveda on how to avoid stress and how to restore the imbalances that arise when you’re travelling.