Ayurveda as a System for Nurturing Sensitivity · 2020. 10. 4. · the pingala runs along the right...

Cape-AbilitySelf-Study

Ayurveda as a System for Nurturing Sensitivity

Be tender with yourself. Especially now asyou undergo great change.

~ Anna Holden Ayurveda is a big fancy word that represents a system of medicine datingback at least 5000 years. It’s pronounced eye-your-vay-duh. Its writtenaccount is from the Atharvaveda, one of the four books of knowledge ofancient Sanskrit, called the Vedas. Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit words“Ayus,” meaning “life” and “veda,” meaning “knowledge.” More than a simplescience, Ayurveda is an art, describing the intricate dance of life.

Yoga philosophy also came from the Vedas, and yoga and Ayurveda work inharmony with each other. The primary goal of yoga is to focus the mind somore joy is attainable, while the main goal of Ayurveda is to keep the bodyhealthy and pain-free so that this spiritual goal can be achieved. Ayurvedagives us a path of health as a basis for spiritual development.

© Copyright Anna Holden LLC 2016. All Rights Reserved.

Cape-Ability Self-StudyAyurveda is probably best known for its tridoshic theory. The three doshasare subtle forces or energies that are alive and active in each of us indifferent quantities. They create movement, allow us to digest, and help ussleep. They control the movement of hormones and the production of mucusand maintain the building of new tissues. Indeed, they are responsible for theprocess of all of nature—in our body and in the world around us.

Though we each have all three doshas present in our body and mind andneed all three to survive, they present themselves in different percentages ineach of us. Therefore, Ayurveda is able to take a truly individualizedapproach to each person based on that person’s unique blend of the doshaswithin his or her body.

The three doshas are vata, pitta and kapha (pronounced “kap – ah”). Vata iscomposed of the elements air and ether, pitta from fire and a little water, andkapha from water and earth. The doshas embody the qualities of theelements they're composed of, and so we can see how vata is mobile,expansive, dry, and cold; while pitta is hot, unstable, dry, and oily; and kaphais heavy, moist, grounding, and cold. In the table below, you can see eachdosha and the parts of the body and mind it is responsible for.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyTable of the Doshas in our Bodies


Although all of the doshas are important to consider for the management ofdisease and overall balance, vata dosha governs the nervous system and isthe focal point for our highly sensitive training.

Cape-Ability Self-StudyThe Nervous System

What’s most important for you is how vata relates to the nervous system. Thequalities of vata make it the dosha responsible for movement—not justmovement of the body but also movement of the nervous system, sensorymovement and assimilation of sensory information, and movement of themind and thoughts. The nervous system, referred to as majja dhatu (nervoussystem tissue) in Ayurveda, is ruled by vata. Balanced vata in the nervoussystem brings balance and proper response to stimuli, while unbalanced vatacreates problems and disease.

There is a sensory component and a motor component to our nervoussystem. Both of those components are governed by different subdoshas ofvata. (Think of subdoshas as the different fingers on one hand—they belongto the hand but have different jobs.) The sensory component of our nervoussystem is governed by samana vayu (vayu means “wind”). The job of samanavayu is to create a pathway of movement inward, or from the periphery tothe center, which is the way that sensory stimuli reaches the body—it movesfrom our sensory organs (periphery) to our brain (center).

The motor component of the nervous system, which is the system thatreacts to the stimuli, is governed by vyana vayu, the subdosha responsible forcreating movement outward, or from the center to the periphery. What'simportant to remember is that even though our nervous system is complexand has several components, they are all governed by vata dosha.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyThe ancient Ayurvedic texts refer to the nervous system as the physicalmanifestation of the energy system described today as the aura and chakras(remember that system from just a few topics ago?). This system, shared byyoga, is described by three channels, called nadis, that run up and down thespine and house pranic energy, or life-force energy. The central channel,called the shushumna nadi, runs from the base of the spine to the top of thehead, connecting each of the seven chakras. It is the energetic equivalent ofthe spinal cord. Two other nadis, the ida and the pingala, start from the firstchakra and spiral their way up the shushumna nadi, connecting the first fivechakras and ending at the nostrils.

In some schools of thought, it is taught that the ida runs along the left andthe pingala runs along the right and that they do not spiral, but I have notfound that to be accurate. Either way, the ida nadi runs to the left nostril andis connected to the right side of the brain. The ida is also called the lunar nadiand is associated with the water element. Its energy is cool, and whenactivated, it brings cooling, watery and flowing energy to the body such aslove, deep feeling, and calm. When stimulated, it increases the activities ofthe right side of our brain and the creative, feminine, or yin qualities inherentwithin.

The pingala nadi runs to the right nostril and connects to the left side of ourbrain. The energy of the pingala nadi is warm; it is known as the solar nadiand is associated with the fire element. When stimulated, it activates the leftside of the brain and the masculine or yang characteristics inherent within. Itis said to ignite the fire of intellect, reason, perception, and discrimination.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyThese channels may be one and the same with those I described above in theSubtle Body Anatomy section. They connect the information of our chakraswith one another and their clear passage is important for our physicalgrowth. What's important about the nadis and the other energy channelsexplained earlier is that they are the energetic blueprint for our physicalnervous system. When too much energy has been taken in too fast by oursensitive nervous system, not only must we calm the physical nervous systembut also remove or clear and then ground out the excess energy.

While the management of the energy body is not regularly studied byscientists, the brain is, and there are parts of our brain that scientists arestarting to understand that validate the tools taught in this course andelsewhere for using focused attention to receive a desired outcome. Thisinformation is directly applicable to highly sensitive people and this course.

Within the lower portion of the brain is an area called the reticular activatingsystem. This system controls the overall activity of the central nervous systemand is in charge of wakefulness, sleep, focus, and attention. Our attention canbe focused broadly to take in large amounts of stimuli, but it can also befocused onto a point, taking in less stimuli but more details. You candeliberately program your reticular activating system because it can'tdistinguish between what is real and what is imaginary.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyThis is exciting news for highly sensitive people because this shows us thatwe may be able use the power of our attention and focus to determine, onsome level, how we interact with stimuli and how we process that stimuli. Thepractice of mindfulness is the epitome of reticular activating systemprogramming, and mindfulness is at the basis of many of the tools we will belearning.

Vata Dosha in Detail

As you saw above, vata governs all movement in the body. Each dosha has aseat, or a distinct location where it originates from. Vata's seat is in the largeintestine, but it also lives in the nerves and governs nervous system function.You may have experienced the connection between the nerves and bowels,spending extra time in the bathroom before a big event or forgetting to “go”when danger is present or you're stressed out. We can understand moreabout vata by looking at how it manifests in the body and mind and then athow it directly relates to high sensitivity.

People with a high vata nature embody the qualities of air and ether—cold,dry, light, irregular, mobile, and rough. They can embody those qualities intheir body, presenting with a thin, tall, or short frame with long limbs and along neck. They often have dry, sometimes curly, thin hair. Vatas may yo-yoin weight and tend to feel cold and often have dry conditions, like dry skinand lips, and constipation (dryness in the colon). Because of vata'sirregularity, they often have a variable appetite and digestion.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyBesides infusing us with physical characteristics, the doshas determine howwe run our energy, how thoughts run and process in our minds, and how weapproach or understand life. When in balance, the vata dosha promotescreativity and a flow of ideas. People with a lot of vata dosha are known forbeing “out of the box” thinkers and often have the capacity to more easilyreach higher spiritual realms and to sense things in their environment thatothers may not. A person with balanced vata is genuinely enthusiastic andenergetic, fun and light-hearted.

When vata is out of balance, it tends to make us spacey or inconsistent andbrings on the “cold” emotions of fear, worry, anxiety, overwhelm, andnervousness. Out-of-balance vatas can be the epitome of an “airhead,” beingindecisive, forgetful, and easily confused. When a vata body is out of balance,it is prone to gas, constipation, dryness, cold, pain, fatigue, insomnia,hyperactivity, and nervous system disorders.

Vata is driven out of balance by irregular routines (meals, sleep, etc.), dryness,cold and light foods, cold drinks, stimulants like caffeine, fast foods,inadequate or irregular sleep, multitasking, sensory overstimulation, andwork or social overload. In order to find balance, vatas need warmth,moisture, heaviness, and stability.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyVata and High Sensitivity Because vata governs movement and the nervoussystem, it is the force responsible for bringing in sensory information for theHSP’s highly functioning nervous system and for creating our response to thestimuli we receive.

You can think of vata like the force behind the wind (in this example, the windbeing our nervous system processing) and the air as information. A calm,steady breeze easily carries information toward us at a rate we can process. Itfeels soft on our cheek, takes away the heat, and cools us when we are toohot. But a wind that is very high or “whipping” may carry information tooquickly, blowing it in bursts toward our nervous systems. A wind this hardwould feel harsh on our skin and we would be inclined to cover up and goinside.

Not only are HSPs naturally sensitive (a vata trait), our culture emphasizesmany vata-vitiating activities or activities that encourage excess movement ofthe body and mind. These include driving, flying, multitasking, and technologyoverstimulation. Not only is vata the dosha to manage for high sensitivity, it'salso the dosha responsible for most diseases in our culture.

One of the reasons HSPs are overwhelmed by sensory information oremotional information is that the force of vata is too high within the body andmind. It's carrying too much information too quickly for the system to digest,and instead we go into system overwhelm.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyAs we've seen, a balanced and focused vata dosha is brilliant and beautiful—it's like a steady stream of air that we can direct to provide us withinformation we may not see, hear, touch, smell, or feel. It encourages us to becreative, channeling our sensitivity into beauty. When out of balance, it'ssimply overwhelming. One of the ways which we can manage high sensitivityis through learning to balance vata dosha.

Vata Dosha Management

Vata is easily disturbed; it is a sensitive tool. For HSPs, it is our sensitive tooland it can be managed and used for brilliance, beauty, and good. Not onlydoes vata help us reach other realms that inspire creativity, spiritual growth,and guidance, it can easily make that information unavailable to us becauseof excess movement. When this happens, we may become fearful, worried,anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed.

Vata is disturbed by anything that causes depletion and loss—basically,anything that has the qualities of cold, dry, light, and mobile. Eating cold, light,and dry foods and fasting can wreak havoc on vata because it makes what isalready light even lighter. We may become inspired but be unable to processthe inspiration. Juice diets and fasting are ungrounding and disturbing tovatas and generally to HSPs. When we eat light, cold foods, we energeticallybecome less grounded and less able to fully protect our space.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyVata is balanced by things that have the qualities of warm, moist, heavy, andstable. If vata is like wind, we balance it by giving it a safe container, and wecreate a container with stable routines, nourishing foods, the intake ofhealthy fats, and nervous system–calming meditations.

Food to balance vata dosha should be warm, moist, and nourishing. Becausevata often creates an irregular appetite and digestion, it's important toregulate mealtimes to manage vata. Cold, dry foods like energy bars andcrackers should be replaced by warm, cooked meals like oatmeal, cookedsoups, and stews and vegetables roasted with oil. Those managing vatashould eat regular meals and avoid snacking if possible.

Even more important than what we eat is how we eat. Reducing distractionand stimulation is incredibly important for balancing vata. Especially duringmealtimes, I recommend reducing distractions such as reading and watchingtelevision. Any stressful conversations should absolutely be postponed untilafter mealtime, and if emotionally upset, only eat the meal once the nervoussystem is again calm. Mindful eating, and following what Ayurveda calls theGuidelines to Healthy Eating, is a very useful practice for managing vata. Theguidelines can be found at the end of Week 1 in the text.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyThe intake of fats is also paramount to the management of vata. Our brainsare composed mostly of fatty tissue and are nourished with the intake of fat.Ayurveda considers the tissues of the brain to be likened to ghee andconsiders the intake of ghee extremely nourishing to the brain. Otherresearchers have similar claims that a diet high in certain fats is good for thebrain, specifically omega-3 fatty acids.

A study at the USDA's Laboratory of Neuroscience and at the Jean MayerHuman Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University found thatdisorders of the nervous system and brain, such as Parkinson's andAlzheimer's, appear to show membrane loss of fatty acids. They conclude tosuggest a diet high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in order to delayonset or reduce the damage these diseases could otherwise cause to thebrain.

I recommend the intake of either flax or fish oil to increase levels of omega-3acids and the intake of ghee in order to internally oleate the body. In additionto the intake of oils, the practice of abhyanga (self-oil massage) when pairedwith fomentation (heat therapy), is recommended for managing vata dosha.Oil has a heavy quality that balances vata dosha, and the practice of dailyabhyanga helps balance the dosha while also nourishing and protecting ourskin, removing toxins, and lubricating dried-out tissues and muscles.Abhyanga is also a practice of self-love and self-acceptance, which is verybalancing to vata's tendency toward excess mobility resulting in fear and self-degradation.


Cape-Ability Self-StudySnehana is the term for oil therapy, or oleation. In Sanskrit, snehana meansboth fat and “to love.” Adding oil to the body is an act of self-love and a wayto nurture the body. In this practice, an oil specific to your constitution isheated to or slightly above body temperature and massaged into the skin,with simple strokes to add heat and calm tired muscles. This daily act of self-love is very calming to vata and the nervous system.

After oil is applied, it's important to heat the body up to drive out coldnessleft by vata and to aid the body in the digestion of the oil. This can be donethrough a hot shower, a sauna, or a hot bath.

Creating daily routines is also paramount to the management of vata. Theregulation of sleep, meals, and soul-nourishing time is especially balancing.Because of vata's mobile nature, it drives out of balance easily. For highlysensitive people, we may feel the effect of unbalance pretty easily.

I know that for me, one late night out constitutes two days of catch up and anervous system that feels frustrated and irritated. Similarly, my digestivesystem is incredibly sensitive and works best when I maintain regularmealtimes, listen to and treat for any food sensitivities, and eat a vata-pacifying diet. I must plan my meals in order to stay in balance.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyCreating a morning and evening routine will be part of our program. Aroutine that regulates sleep and wake cycles and includes daily oil massage,meditation, and other soul-nourishing activities can be created in a way thatworks for our modern lifestyle. A routine like this is very important to themanagement of vata and ultimately to the health of our nervous systems.When these forces and systems are managed, highly sensitive people can usetheir sensitivity for the gift that it is.


Cape-Ability Self-StudyOverview of Ayurvedic Tools Used in this Course


Cape-Ability Self-Study

Notes:

International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, July 2000.


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