No person just wakes up one morning and has a disease. No, diseases creep in slowly. Ayurveda says that a disease first passes through various stages before it manifests in the body.
That is why it is so important that we do not only do something for our health when a illness has already manifested in the body, but that we observe ourselves carefully and do something for our body as a preventive measure.
I have to admit that unfortunately I ignored some of my symptoms for years. My symptoms included: Stress, insomnia, digestive problems, dry skin and even times when I didn't get my period, which are all typical and very common Vata imbalances.
For a long time I was so caught up in a stressful way of life that I saw no way out. Unfortunately, at that time I didn't know the possibilities that I use today. I used to be a real party girl, it was my way of relaxing and of course escaping the world that just stressed and overwhelmed me. But inside I always knew it was a ticking time bomb and that I couldn't sustain that lifestyle much longer.
I lived in a Vata imbalance for s many years that I thought was normal at the time and I thought this imbalance was just part of life. Today I laugh at this belief system, but it is still so common!
And I want to change that, so I'm sharing this with you.
For me, unfortunately, it meant that I lived in this imbalanced state for so long that I developed hypothyroidism, which is a Kapha imbalance.
Imbalances usually start with Vata and are also quite easy to balance here, but when we have manifested a Kapha imbalance, the healing process takes a bit more effort.
Luckily, I discovered Ayurveda during my first yoga teacher training and was immediately hooked. I knew it was what I had been looking for for so long, because this concept offered room for individualit
This is exactly the approach that was missing for me, because I always felt squeezed into a system that I didn't fit into and I know many feel the same way!
I love the holistic approach and what an important role the different types of mind and energy play.
Ayurveda helped me understand my unique body, mind and energy type and I began to adjust my lifestyle more and more to what I really needed. My thyroid is healthy again today and I feel younger today than I did 10 years ago.
Ayurveda says that a disease goes through various stages before it manifests in the body. The more of these stages we ignore the more serious a disease can become.
Often, unfortunately, we are not aware that our body has been sending us signs for so long, because we think it is normal to feel this way. I made a podcast about this topic, listen to it if you want:
Read here how the different stages show up:
1. sanchaya - accumulation:
Initial imbalance happens through accumulation of the doshas in their own places in the body (Each dosha is assigned to certain parts of the body).
Subtle imbalances become noticeable such as irritability or fatigue, we don't really feel bad but notice that something is out of balance. With small changes we can easily bring ourselves back into balance.
2. prakopa - provocation:
The imbalance is now worsening and putting us out of balance. We now realize that we can no longer withstand the stress and we long for longer breaks or a vacation to be able to breathe again and then continue again. The first minor symptoms appear, such as burning skin. If we act now, we can bring the body back into balance relatively quickly.
3. prasara - spreading
Spreading of the doshas throughout the body and tissues (dhatus). If we have ignored all the previous signs, the disease now spreads and seeks places in the body to take hold.
The body has now been overworked and pushed to the limits for a long time, due to stress, improper diet, wrong lifestyle, etc..
Unfortunately, it was missed to give the body the chance to recover and heal itself and the disease continues to spread.
4. sthana samsraya - localization.
Deposition in an area of the body. Now the symptoms are clearly perceived. Here chronic suffering may occur due to improper diet or lifestyle. We still have the chance to rebalance with a change, but it may take a little longer. However, if we ignore the message of the symptoms even now and prefer to simply swallow pills to fight the symptoms without changing anything in our daily life, the imbalance will worsen.
5. vyakti - manifestation
This is the stage where we often receive a diagnosis, the disease has now manifested. The symptoms have now become chronic. Unfortunately, the disease has now already deposited itself in the organs and various body systems and can now take a serious course. It can be that here lifelong medications are prescribed as for example with diabetes.
6. bheda - differentiation
Now complications occur and it becomes almost impossible to heal completely. The reason could also be a negative side effect of western medicine (years of taking medication without changing lifestyle), unhealthy and stressful lifestyle or bad eating habits.
In order to avoid the development of diseases as much as possible, Ayurveda recommends taking care of our well-being on a daily basis and being mindful of how we are actually feeling. In my opinion, a mindfulness practice is simply part of it, because we are so distracted that we often just don't feel ourselves properly.
Ayurveda says that diseases originate in the digestion.
This has different reasons; on the one hand it can be due to the wrong diet, or how we eat (eating while standing, while watching TV, not chewing properly...) but of course it can also have psychological causes. Everything is interconnected.
It is nothing new that our emotions are directly related to our digestion. The brain is directly connected with digestion.
It is important to pay attention not only to physical symptoms, but also to mental ones, because our body is a system of different systems. Complete healing can only take place if we look at everything holistically.
By the way, for us women, our menstrual cycle is one of the most important indicators that show us how our health is doing. Menstrual pain, a very short or very long cycle or ovulation failure should always be closely examined.
The human being is complex and it needs various pillars for a healthy life, here I have summarized for you the most important in my opinion:
Incorporate quality relaxation into your daily routine.
Sleep (best to go to bed before 22:00 and get up before 06:00)
The right diet for the appropriate body mind and energy type
Seasonal diet
Spending time in nature
Spiritual practice and gratitude practice
Healthy relationships
Body awareness
Yoga Asanas (The advantage is that we do not only monotonous movements like in jogging but also twists, forward bends, inversions etc.). This also stimulates blood circulation, organs and the lymphatic system and works with the nervous system.)
Using sexual energy mindfully
For women - living in harmony with the menstrual cycle, Yoni Awareness.
Want to learn more about how you can easily incorporate Ayurveda into your everyday life?