How Deep is Your Love??

How frequently do we push beyond our boundaries of what is comfortable?  How many moments of complete silence do you experience in a day?  I do not have many, being mama to little people that never stop until bedtime.  :)  These quiet moments that come after reading stories, saying prayers, and tucking them in for the night... I am filled with gratitude.  There are dishes to do, laundry to fold, and the never ending work that is a mother's.  But tonight it is quiet.  I hear the plane flying overhead... I slow my breath to a longer rhythm... I have no desire to hear music or melody in this moment.  I am continuing to learn to embrace the beauty of quiet, silent, still solitude. This was not something that I learned by example, but have had to practice and exercise to improve upon.

Growing up my mother never sat still.  Late into the night she was moving... cleaning, cooking, folding, washing, reading.... never still.  If she sat still she would surely lay there for hours on end thinking about everything that must be done.  Any clue what dosha mama is?  :)  A fascinating extreme blend of vata and pitta!  She had the energy of a vata and the discipline of a pitta.  Amazingly productive! 

My kapha father was quite the opposite.  Slow, deliberate, contemplative, analytical, and a talker to beat all talkers.  :)  A lover of learning and of information of any kind...  Every evening after long hours of running his business he would sit at the television.... and flip.. then stay for a while... and flip... until he passed out from sheer exhaustion. Dad would sit still, but would never do so in silence.  There was always noise of some kind, as a distraction.

What is it about stillness that is so uncomfortable for some people?  What happens when you turn off the music and the television and the computer and the phone?  What do you hear?  Your own voice?  The voices of family or friends?  Are they words of love and gratitude?  Or the opposite?  Does it depend on the day?  The week?  Does it depend on how your relationships are going?  Do the things you say to yourself shift depending on the things others say to you??  

Here is the question:  Is your love of yourself dependent on an outside source?  Is the love for yourself conditional?  This is a potent and powerful question.  What if it is?  What does that mean?  What kind of problems could that present?  How does your love for yourself compare to your love for others?  Hmmm?  Curious what you think....

The most important thing I have shared with you.

Today was a very busy day for me, as always, but was definitely different.  It is starting to become glaringly apparent that this knowledge that I have studied for years is incredibly needed by many.  I came to the realization today that I am actively working with SEVEN different people on balancing their doshas.  I don't know what that number sounds like to you, but I can tell you it is perfect.  :)  It happens to be my favorite number too!  Seven different people, with seven different sets of challenges, that are all being benefited by the individuality of this science.  The beauty of this system is its variety of methods of treatment and how customized they are to the individual!  

Something has come up in every single case study I have worked with lately.  It is an emotional challenge that is not limited to just one dosha, but is found in all three.  So here we go.  :)

Imagine for a moment that you have a very dear friend that you have been friends with your whole life.  The two of you have seen each other through childhood traumas, high school heartbreaks, and now adult versions of heartbreaks and traumas.  This friend is the only person you could ever depend on.  Understanding and encouraging, supportive but honest, loving and accepting, compassionate and forgiving, etc.  They were a constant that helped you through the worst of times and rejoiced with you in the best of times.  Imagine now, the kind of love and affection that you would have for this person.  Friends like this are precious, right?  So this friend of yours is in a relationship with someone who is the opposite of everything we just described.  This person frequently makes condescending, demeaning remarks about your friend.  Impatient, judgmental, demanding, or questioning and doubting everything they do, or expressing a lack of faith or confidence in their ability to do anything right.    Are you still with me?  How would that make you feel?  Would you keep quiet?  Or would you speak up?  "Why do you let them treat you like that?"  "You deserve so much more!"  "Why do you let them talk to you that way?"  After all this person has done for you, and all you have been through, of course you would speak up!!  Right?  You may have been in this situation before.  It is hard to see someone you love mistreated and put down.

But for some reason we are much more tolerant of the voices that come from within, aren't we?  Those voices will differ in pitch and tone depending on our dosha.  If we are vata dominant, there will be doubt, anxiety, fear attached to the voice.  "I'll never get anything done."  "I can't finish anything I start."  "I'll never find any peace of mind."  "It doesn't matter if I follow through, people know how I am."  

If we are pitta dominant the voices are much harsher, rougher, and heated.  "What is wrong with you?  Get it together!"  "Suck it up.  There's no time to be tired.  There's too much to do."  "Just get it done, you can rest later."

If we are kapha dominant, the voices are heavy, negative, and weary.  "Why bother trying?  I'll just fail in the end."  "Just keep your mouth shut, they don't care anyways."  "Good thing you didn't trust them completely , you knew they were going to hurt you."  "Nothing matters, just go back to sleep."

Do any of these phrases sound familiar to you?  The sad truth is that many of us silently speak to ourselves in this way every day.  We are unforgiving, harsh, and sometimes downright abusive to ourselves.  Why?  The reasons are different for each of us.  It all comes down to the same train of thought and belief that in order to feel loved, valued and worth something, it must come from outside of us.  This is not only faulty thinking, but incredibly damaging to all of the other relationships that we have.  It all comes back to unconditional love for oneself.  EVERYTHING.  This truth is undeniable to me in every client and student I have ever worked with.  Next we will talk about why this is so critical in the peace and health of every other relationship we have.  Your homework until then is to start listening.... very closely to the way you speak to yourself.  You might be surprised with what you hear....  <3

Grounded, Consistent, and Loyal- The Kapha Dosha

The Kapha dosha is a combination of the earth and water elements.  The positive aspects of these two elements meshing are many.  They are grounded, stable, reliable, consistent, loving, kind, considerate.  They are guarded initially, but once they love, it is deep and committed.  They generally have a larger bone frame, and are more prone to gaining weight than the other two doshas.  Their skin and hair is oily and hydrated.

Remembering that the two elements that compose this dosha are earth and water, consider what the two of them create.  MUD.  When there is not enough air, or movement, then the water settles into the earth and stagnation follows.  Think about what happens when water sits without movement for an extended period of time.  Bacteria can develop, mold can grow.  It becomes a breeding ground for negativity.  This is the same with the kapha dosha.  When there is not enough physical, emotional, or mental movement, issues arise.

The lymphatic system is a major part of our immune system.  It is a part of our filtration system that weeds out toxic substances and flushes them out of the body.  The lymphatic system is different from the rest of our circulatory system though.  Our blood circulates through our body with the aid of our heart.  The lymphatic system does not have a pump to move the lymph through the body.  The system is dependent on muscular contractions, which push the lymph through the tiny filters all over our bodies.  If we live very sedentary lifestyles, this pumping action is not being stimulated, and stagnation will result.  Because of the dominant earth element in the kapha constitution, they are prone to lack of motivation to move.  They are the ones who need to move the most!

Kapha types are also prone to being emotionally "stuck" as well.  They are prone to holding on to past pains or resentments, refusing to forgive and forget.  Sadly, their lack of desire to change or let go of the past makes them the most prone to depression.  It is usually because of past "hurts" that many kaphas seem so guarded and closed off.  The wall that protects them from getting hurt also prevents them from enjoying life to its fullest.

As was mentioned earlier, one thing that is extremely important for a kapha type to do is be active EVERY DAY.  Because of the challenge they usually have in waking up in the morning, walks outside at sunrise are excellent for them.  Even though it is probably the last thing they would CHOOSE to do, it is what they need the most.  Being out in the sunlight will help to set their internal clock, and help them get to bed at a decent hour.  This activity will also assist in the movement of the lymph and boost their immune system.  In addition to that, it will boost their endorphins and their mood!  The "air" element of exercise helps tremendously at stimulating and pushing the earth and water elements to be productive in the rest of their day!

Passionate, fiery, focused, and in this heat... hot tempered!! Pitta!

In this beautiful state of Arizona, specifically where I live, in the Phoenix area, we understand the true meaning of HOT.  The days in the summer can reach as high as 115 degrees!  Understandably, resident's tempers tend to rise with the environment's heat.  This idea teaches us a core principle that "like increases like".  When elemental characteristics in our environment shift, it impacts the elemental makeup within us!  It is for that reason that recent statistics suggest that the heat of the summer months creates a rise in road rage!  Whatever is in our environment impacts us, influences us, in a positive or negative way.  Many of my students have noticed a considerable shift in their patience, tolerance, and rationality in the summer months.

The Pitta constitution is one that is composed of the elements fire and water.  The dominant fire in this dosha is evident in all of its activities.  They are focused, driven, passionate, determined, and very efficient in what they accomplish.  These are all wonderful things!  The only challenge with Pittas is that they don't want to stop... EVER.  They are the classic "type A" personality.  Scheduling every moment to be as productive as possible, the Pitta dosha rarely rests.  This lack of interest in slowing down and grounding makes them more prone to crashing and "burning out", or blowing up at whoever is in their path.  The fire element literally gets too hot, and they are forced to stop.  An excess of the fire element in the body can show up in a number of different ways.  Inflammation in the body is due to excess heat, or fire.  Inflammatory bowel disorders, inflamed acne, inflammation in the joints, eczema, rosacea and any other heat based challenges are all Pitta based.

Remembering the principle that like increases like is important in identifying what choices to make regarding our environment.  All of the elements are found in everything around us!  Look at the food that you are eating... does it heat you up?  Or cool you off?  Look at the type of drinks you choose... are they hot or cold?  Stimulating or soothing?  Look at the people you surround yourself with... do they agitate you?  Or calm you down?  A Pitta constitution should choose all things cooling and keep things that add fire to a minimum.  Spicy food, hot, stimulating drinks, and temperamental personalities should all be avoided to maintain balance.  The key word here is moderation.  I am not suggesting you NEVER AGAIN eat mexican food.  :)  I mean, we live in Arizona, right?  But keeping their intake of heating substances, environments, and personalities will help a Pitta person keep their fire under control.  We'll be learning about specific foods and activities that will help to cool and balance the Pitta dosha.  :)

Creativity, spontaneity, ever ethereal energy... Vata

Each one of us has a unique combination of all three doshas within us.  What makes each of us different from each other is in what amounts these doshas compose our person.  The questionnaire in the last blog was only the first glance at identifying the layers of you.  Today I thought I would cover some information on a classic Vata personality and body type.  Please keep in mind that I will be speaking in generalities, and that this applies to the majority of predominantly Vata types.

A Vata dominant person is composed of the elements air and ether, or space.  This person typically has a smaller body frame.  They are most content "up in the clouds", blissfully content in their own world.  They are very creative and imaginative, and do best in lines of work in which they can utilize these traits.  They love spontaneity, unpredictability, and uninhibited freedom.  They are prone to being disorganized, mentally and in their environment.  So caught up in the next fun moment, they may forget to eat, or drink enough fluids.  Also, their mind is always active.  These are the personalities that have the most challenge with insomnia, surviving on very little sleep.  Their skin and body in general is likely to be on the drier side.  This could manifest in dry, itchy skin, even causing cracking at its worst.  This dryness could also manifest internally, as constipation.   Their physical activity level is usually high, enjoying aerobic and higher impact types of exercise.  The life of the party, the center of the room, they feed off of other people's energy.  

As you can imagine, this high, infectious energy can run out, or get chaotic.  A wind can be gentle and soothing, fresh and invigorating, or uncontrollably even destructive.   When they go too much, too long, without stopping to ground and center, they crash.  The "air" element cannot keep going incessantly.  It needs to ground and refuel in order to continue at that high pace.  The things that a Vata person needs the most are often the things she has no interest in doing. A slow, meditative, warm yoga class.   A calm and quiet walk through a forest, without their ipod, soaking in the sights and sounds of nature.  A dedicated time to rise in the morning and to bed at night.  Set times to eat throughout the day.  Choosing nourishing foods that are hydrating and warming.  These things are very unnatural for a Vata personality, but can help tremendously helpful in creating more balance.  If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to ask or share!!  Next post will be on the Pitta personality.  Look out y'all, they're FIRECRACKERS!!  :)   

The science of life recognizes how wonderfully unique you are. There is no generic prescription for balancing an individual...

I suppose I should start with an introduction.  My name is Melanie Jackson.   I started this blog because I have the privilege of teaching an Ayurvedic class at the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.  I have been teaching this class about four years now, and have been amazed by the kind of changes that people make in the short time they are with me.  This wellness system is so effective because it is so individualized in the way that it treats different challenges.  Every one of us is different and unique.  There is no treatment, diet, or lifestyle plan that will work for everyone.  Ayurveda looks at the whole person as an individual, physically, mentally and emotionally.  It gets to the root of what the problem is, instead of merely temporarily treating the symptoms.  The way that treatments are chosen is by recognizing which elements are imbalanced.  Everything is composed of five fundamental elements: Ether, air, fire, water and earth.  The foods we eat, colors we wear, and everything we surround ourselves with has an impact on us.  We ourselves are also composed of these five elements, in varying amounts.  These elements are divided into three unique constitutions:

Vata - Ether and Air

Pitta - Fire and Water

Kapha - Water and Earth

Identifying what our personal constitution, or dosha is, is the first step to creating more balance within ourselves.  Following is a questionnaire that will help to determine this.  Total up each set of questions and see which is the highest number.

Index for Ayurvedic Body Typing

Yes=2                    Maybe/Undecided=1                    No=0

Vata Attributes

___ 1.  I am always thinking; my mind never slows down.

___ 2. My body is not proportionate (too long or short).

___3. I am always cold.

___ 4. I am a thin person and do not gain weight easily.

___ 5. I do tasks quickly but I need frequent breaks.

___ 6. I have one of these conditions: hemorrhoids, gas irritable bowel syndrome.

___ 7. I am a light sleeper and do not have solid, continuous sleep.

___ 8. I get constipated.

___ 9. During the last 10 years, my weight has fluctuated within 10 pounds.

___ 10. It is hard for me to make a decision.

___ 11. I want to do and learn so many things right now.

___ 12. I start many projects but seldom finish them.

___ 13. I have trouble staying in a long term relationship.

___ 14. I can not stay in the same job too long.

___ 15. I get bored doing repetitive tasks.

___ 16. I am creative but my creativity comes in spurts.

___ 17. I am the life of the party.

___ 18. I learn things quickly but I have difficulty remembering them later.

___ 19. I prefer working with my hands instead of reading a book.

___ 20. I worry often; even over the most insignificant things.

Vata Total ___

Pitta Attributes

___ 1. I can focus on jobs and tasks and complete them on time.

___ 2. I am well organized and plan things well.

___ 3. I have a strong will and seldom give up.

___ 4. I am an efficient person.

___ 5. I seldom get constipated.

___ 6. I usually feel hot.

___ 7. I have a healthy appetite and prefer large meals.

___ 8. I have skin disorders such as acne, rash, eczema, psoriasis.

___ 9. I am sometimes stubborn.

___ 10. I can lose my temper easily.

___ 11. I think I am always right.

___ 12. I need factual information before making decisions.

___ 13. I am not happy unless everything is done to perfection.

___ 14. I have a sensitive intestine.

___ 15. I can tolerate temperature changes.

___ 16. My body is average; I am not overweight or underweight.

___ 17. My weight moderately fluctuates.

___ 18. I lack patience.

___ 19. I am too hard on myself and others.

___ 20. I can work for long periods of time without breaks.

Pitta Total ___

Kapha Attributes

___ 1. I have a large body frame.

___ 2. I gain weight easily.

___ 3. I enjoy eating.

___ 4. I can do repetitive tasks.

___ 5. I don’t like change.

___ 6. I am caring, affectionate, and deep.

___ 7. Nothing bothers me; I take things in stride.

___ 8. Trust is very important to me.

___ 9. I love to sleep.

___ 10. My body is always warm.

___ 11. I take my time to complete tasks.

___ 12. I do not like to rush.

___ 13. I like the way I am; I don’t want to change.

___ 14. I have frequent sinus infections and congestion.

___ 15. It is hard for me to lose weight.

___ 16. It is hard for me to let things go.

___ 17. I am slow and steady but I keep going until I finish the job.

___ 18. I like systematic routine.

___ 19. I do not like damp weather.

___  20. I have a good memory; I am slow to learn but I retain information for a long time.

Kapha Total ___

Vata = ___                          Pitta = ___                          Kapha = ___

Whichever total is highest is the one that is your most dominant.  If there are two that are very close, you would be what is called dual-dosha.  If all three are evenly numbered, then you are what is called tridoshic.

Any of these is perfect.  One is not better than the other.  Our goal is not to be tridoshic, or singly dosha dominant.  Our goal is to be as balanced as possible, as whatever dosha we happen to be!  So what is a Vata person like?  Or a Pitta person?  Or a Kapha person?  In our next blog, we will take one dosha at a time, and give a generalized overview of some common characteristics of each.  We will also be identifying what types of imbalances are common with each dosha.  This is the next step on our journey of the balance of being...