Ayurveda: The Medicine for the Future

The worldwide revival of the ancient natural healing system, Ayurveda, is helping to transform the shape of modern medicine. There are three specific ways among the many in which Ayurevda is bringing vital new life to medical theory and practice.

1. Personal responsibility for health: Many people today are waking up to the realization that responsible health care is up to us. By our own choices every day, we choose either health or disease. If we get enough rest, nourish ourselves with fresh pure food, if we exercise according to our body type and live according to seasonal regimens, we are creating health. If not, we are sowing the seeds for ill health and disease.

Science manage to gain control of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, smallpox, malaria, and so forth, while other deadly illnesses such as cancer, heart diseases and AIDS are increasing, especially in the developed nations of the world. This is an indication that these are lifestyle diseases, caused by the way we as individuals and the society conduct our lives. Such factors as stress, smoking, environmental pollution, poor diet and lack of exercise, are making us sick.

Ayurevda offers a variety of guidelines for living a long, healthy life in tune with nature. By incorporating this into our daily lives, we can take control of our own health.

2. Emphasis on prevention: Allopathic medicine has been focused almost exclusively on what we might call "disease care" rather than on health care. Our ability to treat many illnesses is highly developed, but almost no attention is paid to preventing illness. Modern medicine is realizing the importance in disease prevention.

Ayurveda is based on a firm foundation of disease prevention, which requires a healthy lifestyle in harmony with one's one individual constitution and uniqueness. According to Ayurveda, disease arises mainly from a breakdown of the balance of internal energies in a person, not merely from external pathogens, however powerful. The long term main method of treatment in Ayurveda is to strengthen our internal energy (ojas), which effects the immune system and connects with our mind and consciousness. Ayurveda, with its strong emphasis on utilizing diet, exercise and other natural healing strategies to maintain and improve health, is shifting the emphasis on prevention, which will surely be the medicine of the future.

3. Global well-being program: Although crime, violence and war are not usually considered a problem of medicine and health, they are in reality symptoms of a widespread epidemic of stress. Throughout the world, stress levels are on the increase and when stress build up in an individual, it eventually explodes in anger. Thus we can rational by saying that the crime, violence and wars are due primarily to accumulated stress throughout society.

Stress reduction, through meditation, relaxation, yoga and other modalities of Ayurevda, offers a solution that deserves widespread and careful consideration of creating a better world. That will be the fulfillment of an ancient saying from the Vedic tradition that gave rise to Ayruevda: the world is my family.

Relaxation is not a luxury, it is a daily necessity
- by Anne Combrinck

WHAT IS PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION?

Progressive Relaxation is a term coined by an American medical doctor, Edmund Jacobson, who began developing relaxation as a therapy in the early 1900's. It now refers to all programmes of relaxation based on relaxing body muscles and muscle groups in sequence, usually concluding with mental relaxation.

Presently, it is well-established therapy, widely used in the medical and complimentary health fields. Yoga teachers end a class of postures with this relaxation, which prevents muscle stiffness and revitalizes the body and mind. The method is familiar with many 'lay people' who learn it from a teacher, or practice while listening to an audio cassette. The benefits are enormous, high blood pressure and heart problems may reduce, all stress-related diseases benefit greatly and health and well-being improve. If practiced during pregnancy the new mother learns how to cope in labour with the delivery of her baby, as well as afterwards when the demands on her as a mother are high. A few minutes of deep relaxation may be equivalent to a whole nights sleep.

RELAXATION AS A NEUROMUSCULAR SKILL

Relaxation is the absence of unnecessary tension in the body and mind. It should not be confused with what usually passes as "taking it easy for a few minutes". Flopping into a chair in front of the TV does not result in the refreshment and recuperation obtained when relaxation as a neuromuscular skill is mastered. Don't let the technical words put you off - this simply means that the mind and muscles learn to work together so the minds decision to let go of tension is obeyed.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR BODY

True relaxation is a letting go of tension. First you have to be aware of the tension before you can effectively let go of it. First awareness. Then letting go. A neuromuscular skill. Progressive relaxation is just this - awareness and tensing the muscles which are then consciously released in sequence, usually moving up from the feet to the forehead and scalp until there is a feeling of relaxation and muscle softness. When the feeling of letting go is followed right through - this is real relaxation.

MIND-CALMING

Once the whole body has relaxed completely, it is time to calm the mind. The simplest way of achieving this is by imagining yourself to be in a peaceful, restful environment. Create this picture in your minds eye as clearly as you can, with as much detail as possible. Involve all your senses in the visualization, so that you are transported to that place and leave behind your present world. Let the picture fade away. Remain completely relaxed - body and mind- for a few minutes. Then slowly return to everyday life - rejuvenated, revitalized and re-energized, (or drift off into deep, peaceful sleep).

VISUALIZATION - An Aid To Reduce Stress

It is possible to significantly reduce stress with something enormously powerful: your own imagination. This practice of positive thinking in the treatment of physical symptoms was popularized by Emil Coue, a French pharmacist, around the turn of this century. He believed that the power of the imagination far exceeds that of the will. It is hard to will yourself into a relaxed state but you can imagine relaxation spreading through your body, and you can visualize yourself in a safe and beautiful retreat.

Coue stated that your thoughts become your reality - you are what you think you are. For example, if you think sad thoughts you feel unhappy. If you think anxious thoughts you become tense. In order to overcome these negative feelings you can refocus your mind on positive, healing images.

EFFECTIVENESS OF VISUALIZATION

Visualization is useful in treating many stress related and physical illnesses, including headaches, muscles spasms, chronic pain and general or situation-specific anxiety. It is an aid in relaxation techniques to calm and relax the mind, taking the place of those nagging thoughts. Although not consciously aware of it, everyone visualizes. If you were to think where you had put your handbag in your bedroom you could immediately recreate a picture of that room in your minds eye - this is all that visualization is.

We all have the ability to do it but perhaps we just need to be made aware of its uses in daily living. You can harness your visualizations and consciously employ them for bettering yourself and your life. Visualizations or mental sense impressions that you create consciously, can train your body to relax and deal with stressors.

GUIDED VISUALIZATIONS

This is usually when someone talks you through the process. All of the senses are brought into the visualization so that the imagination creates the scene in totality. These may include creating a peaceful, tranquil place in nature into which you can retreat for relaxation, or a self-improvement visualization for physical, mental or emotional betterment. In the latter affirmations are often included which remind the subconscious mind of the change you would like to make. Pathworking is another form of guided visualization that allows your imagination to take you on a journey. During this process the right hemisphere of the brain is accessed, the subconscious mind is freed of analytical thinking and the fantasy world is brought into play. Afterwards the journey is usually very meaningful and can begin a healing process in the person.

Visualization is a powerful, yet gentle technique to improve health and well-being, and once you have learned the technique, you have all the tools right with you all the time.

Anne Combrinck, now a Yoga Therapy Teacher, gave up a career in Marine Research Chemistry, in 1991 to follow a more relaxed and healthy lifestyle. She started teaching yoga part-time in 1987 and after going into Health full-time did a 3 year diploma in Yoga Therapy. She taught Progressive Relaxation and Yoga at the High Rustenberg Health Hydro in Stellenbosch for 10 years and has a flourishing Yoga Centre in Somerset West, South Africa. She teaches yoga, relaxation and meditation, to groups or individually. A professionally made audio cassette and CD, with her leading you through the relaxation, set to beautiful background music, are available.

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