Ayurasa

10/05/2023

Such a great reminder. I’d got myself into this, the velvet rut. Not wanting to over challenge myself. Having a bit of comfort. But new challenges make us feel so alive, learning stops us from only seeing things from a point of contraction and able to look from different perspectives. Making the self effort to cook new and different meals. Ensuring to look for the similarities in others & not just the differences. For me to be honest is making the effort to place posts on social media! Maybe that needs to be my challenge to myself & for hopefully your benefit. I’ve believed for many years living isn’t just about breathing in and out. So how do you challenge yourself today.

“It’s very easy to get comfortable. To build up your life exactly how you want it to be. Minimize inconveniences and hand off the stuff you don’t like to do. To find what you enjoy, where you enjoy it, and never leave.

A velvet rut is what it’s called. It’s nice, but the comfort tricks you into thinking that you’re not stuck.

The Stoics knew that this was a kind of death. That as soon as we stop growing, we start dying. Or at least, we become more vulnerable to the swings of Fate and Fortune. Seneca talked over and over again about the importance of adversity, of not only embracing the struggle life throws at us but actively seeking out that difficulty, so you can be stronger and better and more prepared. A person who has never been challenged, he said, who always gets their way, is a tragic figure. They have no idea what they are capable of. They are not even close to fulfilling their potential.

So that leaves you with something to think about today: Are you challenging yourself? Do the choices you make push you or do they help you atrophy? Are you in a velvet rut?

Be honest. And then challenge yourself to do better.”

30/04/2023

This surprised me as I’d never heard of any past possible links prior to cancer from having your Gall Bladder removed. I had Gall Bladder disease for 18 years prior to having Panchakarma (5 therapies) in India back in 2001. Since 2001 I have had possibly 5 attacks as opposed to 2 every month. The attacks took a lot out of me but I wanted to sort it out naturally if possible and I did thanks to Ayurveda. Prior to going to India I had nearly given up hope. Actually for me my worst trigger of an attack was pasta & pesto. I’ll explain that in another post. Have a read if this is a condition you or someone you know suffers from Gall bladder disease.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=616678097178790&id=100065098144958

US researchers have strengthened a likely connection between gall stones (and possibly gall bladder removal, cholecystectomy) and kidney cancer. They found the risk of developing kidney cancer was strongly increased by 279% in the first 6 months after gallbladder surgery, which is quite an impressive finding. They also found that patients who had a cholecystectomy before the age of 40 had a 55% increased risk of developing kidney cancer. The team used the statistical genetic method of Mendelian randomisation, drawing on data from large prospective epidemiological (observational) studies. This method uses the measured variation in genes of known function to strengthen the causal effect of a modifiable exposure on a disease occurrence in observational studies.

The cause of this relationship is uncertain. One possibility is that cholecystectomy for the treatment of symptomatic gallstones could lead to increased excretion of bile acids, and the associated increased urinary excretion of bile acids could in turn lead to oxidative stress and damage to the kidneys, eventually leading to kidney cancer. Another possible explanation is that excess bile acids lead to increased synthesis of secondary bile acids, which may in turn can have cancer-promoting effects.

For more information see https://www.medpagetoday.com/reading-room/aga/lower-gi/104156 and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37054756/

26/04/2023

Autumn Seasonal Practices - being we are at the end of April you may think this is a little late, but the seasons are changing and this year autumn colours have come much later. Though Autumn is considered Vata, you may also experience signs of excess Pitta if that was not pacified as the season changed. If this has occurred it’s best to see a practitioner to discuss best practice.

Autumn is a meeting of Pitta and Vata. Pitta dosha accumulates during the summer period, then we start to experience the cooling of the earth and drying cooler winds. This can enliven the positive aspects of Vata, or greatly aggravate Vata. Therefore a Vata balancing protocol is best observed.
The seven days at the end and commencement of season should see a gradual change in dietary and lifestyle habits to prevent dis-ease. At this time a simple, easy to digest diet is best observed.
Signs of Vata imbalance may include:-
Dry skin
Creaking/popping joints
Muscle spasms
Flatulence
Constipation
Increased nervousness/fear/panic/anxiety
Feeling spacey
Unable to relax
Sudden loss of energy/strength/weakness

Practices to observe are:-
Warm, moist, well lubricated food
Avoid excess dry, astringent & bitter foods
Include sweet, sour and salty tastes
Cooked grains, vegetables (inc. root vegetables)
Proteins (legumes)
Avoid cold drinks.
Cardamom and ginger tea (water, 1tsp grated ginger, 10 cardamom pods, ½ fresh lemon, juiced. Boil together for 5min and serve)
Warm sesame oil massage(warms the body and soothes nerve endings)
Keep well wrapped up to prevent becoming cold.
Yoga practices to pacify vata
1tsp ghee in hot water first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

Vicki Boucher 0401 929 157