About Ayurveda
by Michael Hatchett

“Without sound diet, medicine is useless.
With sound diet medicine is unnecessary”

       Ayurveda is based on the principle of achieving and maintaining a balance between the interrelated metabolic relationships at work within the body and mind. Our metabolism is what transforms what we ingest from the outside world into the energy and nutrients to sustain our life. It is also responsible for passing out the waste materials from that process. This physical and mental metabolic balance between nutrients and wastes is influenced by every aspect of our lives; diet, lifestyle, work, sleep, exercise, and hobbies. Therefore Ayurveda takes into account all the subtle fluctuations that occur in the human body and mind as a result of its inter-relationship with the world around it.

To this end, we must work to correct the root causes of disease and stress by identifying which of the three ‘intelligences’ (doshas) behind our individual metabolism has gone out of balance. We must identify the toxins, their qualities, how far they have reached within the bodily tissues, and then determine the techniques and substances that will rejuvenate the organs and systems that have become weak due to the accumulation of these toxins.

To bring the three natural forces (vata, pitta and kapha) back into balance, it is essential to follow the guidelines of daily routines, seasonal routines and diet selected according to your constitution and present imbalances. Thus, the aim of Ayurveda is to enhance our relationship to nature, as the cause for all disease is living in ways that go against the rhythms and laws of nature and by misusing our senses and ignoring our own innate intelligence and common sense. In short, for many of us we need to re-learn how to use the body and mind.

According to Ayurvedic medicine, regardless of the quality of your food and medicine, or amount of exercise, if it is not compatible with your constitution, your present situation or the season, then it will all result in the further formation of toxins that will clog the channels of the body and mind and hamper cellular intelligence in regard to digestion, absorption, and assimilation. If your digestive fire (agni) has lost its intelligence and strength, nothing (not even your thoughts) will be properly metabolised and toxins will be deposited in different parts of your body and unprocessed feelings in different parts of your mind.

For these reasons you must follow certain specific daily routines and seasonal regimes designed to keep your body in an optimum state and to minimise the effect of an aggravated metabolism. The dietary regime is designed according to your body's dominant qualities, metabolism, and mental state, as well as the qualities dominant in a particular season; hot, wet, dry, cold etc. As an Ayurvedic practitioner, my role is to minimise the qualities already aggravated in your body and mind, while at the same time adding those qualities that are missing, and then bringing balance to those qualities that are naturally part of your basic constitution.

The balancing of your present qualities is achieved through the skilful use of the qualities found in nature. Primarily we work with the qualities within natural food and herbs, and the effects of lifestyle. Much more than simply stating the chemical content of foods that one can see under a microscope (vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, proteins, carbohydrates, & fats), or through the simplistic equations we hear about exercise, through real knowledge of natures qualities and how they apply to our deepest life-force, we can determine what sort of diet and lifestyle will be most suitable for your body and mind in its current state.

The Mind and Senses

Good ‘metabolism’ and ‘digestion’ in Ayurveda not only refers to the physical processes involved in the assimilation, and absorption of what you eat, but also to what your senses and mind take in. The same principles of balance and intelligent choice apply. Poor digestion of sensory input and thoughts will end up in the creation of unprocessed mental formations that deeply influence our lives and the decisions we make. Physically the anxiety of these influences will begin the process, or at least play a part in, of poor physical digestion and toxin circulation to the tissues and organs.

There is always a mental component to bodily disease. Often it is the sole cause. Unless we are able to create harmony between the mind and the body, we won't be able to achieve a sustainable balance of health and peace of mind. Therefore this is why there is Ayurvedic counselling and psychology.

We need to create a streamlined (sattvic) environment between mind and body. Constantly reacting mentally and physically and seeking antidotes to poor choices of food and behaviour is an exhausting way to live and certainly not helpful if we are interested in peace of mind and senses.

Diet and lifestyle must support our efforts towards this peace of mind and clarity of purpose. Mind and body need to work with, not against, each other. Thus in traditional Ayurveda it is said that there needs to be coordination between the senses, the mind, and the soul.

In Conclusion

Overall I will assist you in developing and relating to Ayurvedic knowledge, but most importantly I will assist you to ‘re-program’ your habits and cellular intelligence, and remove the factors that are blocking you from naturally and happily bringing the knowledge into action.

Thus the aim of Ayurvedic counseling is to help clients to help themselves. It is a way to assist the client to understand for themselves the benefits of understanding their body and mind and to live in increasing relationship with nature. Therefore Ayurvedic counselling is very practical and is educational in nature- teaching how the body/mind works so we can use them.

The measure of an Ayurvedic counsellor is how effective they have been in awakening responsibility in the client for their own emotions and choices in life. Therefore awakening the intelligence of the client is primary. With time you yourself will be able to identify the early signs and symptoms of imbalance in your qualities and elements. You will notice things such as subtle changes in bowel movements, more disturbed dreams, bloating after eating certain foods, shortened temper etc., and be able to use food, spices, herbs, exercise, meditation, and lifestyle to correct them before they manifest into disease.

The Blue Buddha Mindfulness Centre
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Senses - Diet - Lifestyle - Mind