Ayurveda for women - Balanced through every phase of life

Gender equality may be politically and socially desirable, but it is far from being a reality. On the contrary. According to the new role cliché, the modern Western woman can and should pursue a career. At the same time, however, they are also expected to fulfil their role as mothers and run the household largely on their own. An almost unmanageable ordeal that - even with outstanding multitasking skills - de facto leads to an either/or situation. Many women in western industrialised nations are therefore looking for holistic help to stay healthy and happy despite increasing stress - and are increasingly relying on Ayurveda as a comprehensive guide.

At the breaking point: a case study from my practice

A good six months ago, 52-year-old Mrs Ludwig (name changed) came to my Ayurvedic consultation with the request to lose weight.

„I haven't been able to control myself for a good 2 years and I simply eat too much.“

This is how she describes her situation combined with the desire to lose weight as quickly with Ayurvedic „miracle pills“ as her neighbour, a long-time patient of mine, managed to do.

At first glance, this is a less spectacular „routine case“ for Ayurveda physicians. However, this picture was to change fundamentally in the course of the initial anamnesis. I asked Mrs Ludwig about her life circumstances at the time of the weight gain - she closed her eyes for a moment and then began to cry bitterly. In recent years, several strokes of fate have followed one another:

1. Three years ago, her two sons left home.
2. Shortly afterwards, her menopause (last menstrual period) took place.
3. Six months later, she discovered that her husband had been having an affair with an employee of his company for months.
4. They separated and divorced a few weeks ago.

Mrs Ludwig fell into a hole from which she is now painstakingly working her way out again, step by step. She complains:

„I was there for my sons for 20 years and sacrificed my own profession as an architect for them and my husband's career - and this is the thanks I get. Even my sons are on their father's side and don't understand why I'm doing so badly.“

She has neglected herself physically over the last ten years. At a height of 162 cm, she has never weighed more than 55 kg and had difficulty putting on weight until two years ago. Today her weight is 82 kg and her body mass index of 31.2 shows that she is clearly obese. Her actually Vata-emphasised body constitution was masked by a disorder of Kapha and fatty tissue (Meda).

We talk at length about the years after her studies, when she met her husband, and the role she took on after her marriage and the birth of her first son. During the conversation, Mrs Ludwig realises how much she suppressed her own needs and inhibited her personal development. Her husband, a self-employed entrepreneur, always wanted a good-humoured, attractive wife.

„It was like being on a hamster wheel: children, household, parents, friends and my husband's company. I wasn't supposed to work, it wouldn't be worth it financially anyway.“

As an architect, Mrs Ludwig has a keen sense of beauty and aesthetics. She always attached great importance to body care, was in top athletic form and always well styled. She hasn't wanted to look in the mirror for two years now:

„That's not me, but I was never the decorated doll I was back then!“

Women's health - from an Ayurvedic perspective

Many women feel like Mrs Ludwig in midlife and beyond, even though life circumstances are always highly individual. Women experience the change of life phases much more intensively than men, which is expressed on the body level through hormonal fluctuations. It is not without reason that Ayurveda is of particular interest to women. After all, Ayurveda already described female physiology and psychology 2000 years ago and showed unique ways to lead a healthy, successful, joyful and meaningful life in harmony with the laws of nature.

Women in Ayurveda: the female organism

According to the Ayurvedic classics, our body is the „seat of consciousness consisting of a combination of modifications of the five elements“. The five elements are:

1. Earth
2. Water
3. Fire
4. Air
5. Room

Each element carries numerous properties whose individual combination defines our body. The 5 elements give rise to physical structures and functions. The structures include 7 main and secondary tissues, general and specific waste products and circulation pathways. The functions include the three aspects Vata, Pitta and Kapha, each with 5 subtypes, as well as the body fire Agni.

Women's complaints as an imbalance in the fire-water axis

The water element is naturally stronger in female organisms, whereas the fire element is stronger in male organisms. The water element is the basis of our life and reproduction. The fire element produces heat and energy and is responsible for transformation processes. Water extinguishes fire, fire dries water. Water and fire continuously decrease in the ageing process. Many physical and psychological complaints in women can be attributed to an imbalance in the fire-water axis.
In contrast to men, women have two of their own secondary tissues, breast milk and menstrual blood, each with their own associated pathways. Otherwise, the physical structures and functions of men and women differ only qualitatively.

Chronobiology: a woman's rhythms

Chronobiology, the study of biological rhythms, is an outstanding area of specialisation in Ayurveda. Understanding this is the basis for a healthy life in harmony with nature. All rhythms are categorised Ayurvedically according to Vata, Pitta and Kapha dominance. If you know your own constitution and current state, you can adapt to the corresponding phases.

The synchronicity of the individual with the rhythms of nature creates balance. If we align ourselves against the rhythm of nature, this takes a lot of energy and creates the basis for illness.

The four most important rhythms are

• Daily rhythms
• Monthly rhythms = menstrual cycle
• Seasonal rhythms
• Life phases

Daily and seasonal rhythms differ only slightly between the sexes, which is why we are focussing on the two special rhythms of women, the menstrual cycle and the phases of life.

The menstrual cycle

The menstrual cycle begins on the first day of menstruation and ends the day before the new period begins.

1. Phase 1 = Rajahkala (3-5 or 7 days)The bleeding itself is Ayurvedically under the primary influence of Vata (movement) and Pitta (menstrual blood).
2. Phase 2 = Rtukala (12-16 days)The subsequent growth (proliferation) of the uterine lining, follicle maturation and ovulation are dominated by Kapha.
3. Phase 3 = Rtuvyatitakala (9-13 days)In the subsequent luteal (corpus luteum) and secretory phase, Pitta is in the foreground.

Sexual desire is strongest in phase 2, as is Kapha-dependent fertility. Safe times for sexual intercourse without pregnancy are the days after the menstruation and the week before the next menstruation. From an Ayurvedic point of view, the fertile days increase when Kapha is strong, so that pregnancy can also occur on the supposedly „safe“ days without contraception.

Many women experience the days before their next period as very stressful. In fact, the second half of the cycle is much more complex than the first. Pitta and Vata rise and create increasing tension in the system. Although the stabilising Kapha decreases, there is still increased water retention in the tissue during this phase. If the conditions are right, a woman's system can become disorganised during this time.

Premenstrual syndrome: what you can do

Around one in three women of fertile age suffers from the famous premenstrual syndrome (PMS), a combination of physical and psychological complaints. A pronounced PMS shows symptoms of all three dosha, with Vata dominating by far.

Here are 10 examples:

Many of these complaints can be reduced by changing your lifestyle. The first thing to realise is that a woman of childbearing age does not function the same from full moon to full moon for 28 days.

Women should pay particular attention to their energy levels in the sensitive days before their period. The three pearls for this are nutrition, sleep and sexual behaviour.

• NutritionThe diet should be regular, sufficiently moist and oily, warm and easily digestible so as not to disturb the downward Vata shortly before the onset of bleeding. 3 meals 5 hours apart are optimal in most cases.
• SleepSleep should be sufficient and ideally start before midnight. For example, 22:00 to 6:00 would be a very Vata-friendly schedule. Existing sleep disorders can be treated very well ayurvedically.
• Sexual behaviourSexual behaviour in the premenstrual phase should be characterised by tenderness and sensitivity. If necessary, acrobatic or athletic behaviour should be shifted to phase 2.

The phases of life

According to Ayurvedic tradition, the phases of a woman's life are divided into three main phases and seven sub-phases.

Childhood is under the dominant influence of Kapha, adulthood is controlled by Pitta and old age is physically characterised by high Vata.

The progression of the second and third-placed dosha can be easily recognised in the sub-phases. Pitta increases continuously in the three phases of childhood and Vata in those of adulthood. Kapha, on the other hand, decreases progressively from childhood onwards.

This insight is uniquely valuable as it allows women to understand how their system changes over the course of their lives and how they can have a balancing effect on it.

40-60 - The most fragile years for women's health

The strongest target group for Ayurvedic providers are women between the ages of 40 and 60 - and not without reason. Kapha is at its peak, Pitta is decreasing and Vata is increasing - a difficult constellation that often leads to problems without conscious countermeasures.

Internally and externally, women experience profound changes during this time. Children, who have been the centre of attention for years, leave home. Professionally, they may want to take off again or reorient themselves. The partnership is getting on in years and is increasingly being scrutinised. At the same time, women are now particularly aware that they are ageing. Many of them no longer feel as attractive as they would like, and their former energy and stamina are no longer there to the same extent. Intensive search processes for a new direction begin.

Ayurveda can help in this phase

• cushion physically unpleasant dosha movements and
• mentally find a new compass.

According to Ayurveda, we should think, speak and act according to the available qualities in every phase of life.

Mental balance - the key in old age

After the menopause, a new phase of life begins which is characterised by Vata dominance. The following decades are increasingly accompanied by physical complaints and physiological degradation processes. Therefore, from an Ayurvedic point of view, it is not advisable to optimise your well-being solely through physical measures.

Contrary to physical decline, our mind is highly potent in this phase of life and can draw on a wealth of valuable life experiences and associated insights. Training our mind through mindfulness, reflection, communication and meditation is therefore of paramount importance.

Ayurvedic women's health in practice - back to Mrs Ludwig

Our case study Mrs Ludwig could have given more expression to Pitta's fiery, energetic drive in her adulthood. For her, it was not enough just to be the family's „home manager“. She would have loved to work as an architect, albeit on a smaller, family-friendly scale. It wasn't about money, it was about her realisation.

During the consultation, I explained the female phases of life to her using her own example. The physical and psychological events two years ago led to a spontaneous, excessive stimulation of Vata, which she could not cope with. It pulled the rug out from under her feet - to compensate, she began to overeat and withdraw. After the menopause, every woman's fat tissue physiologically increases and muscle tissue decreases. If you eat more and exercise less during this time, you gain weight very quickly. The tricky thing is that losing weight is much more difficult than in younger years, as the metabolic principle Agni also decreases at the same time as the Pitta reduction.

Today, Mrs Ludwig is reaping the rewards of Ayurvedic therapy

Mrs Ludwig has learnt a lot in the past 6 months of our Ayurvedic therapy and has already lost 12 kg in body weight and weight. She loves exercise again and is enthusiastic about Zumba, a dance-based fitness programme. She has taken part in Ayurvedic cookery workshops, is a keen cook and is now planning to train in Vastu Shastra, the Vedic teaching of healthy building and living. In 1 to 2 years' time, she would like to start a consultancy practice as an architect to turn dream homes into reality. Now she is looking ahead with great motivation and says with a twinkle in her eye:

„My anger towards my ex-husband still boils over sometimes, but now I can categorise and express it better. And thanks to Ayurveda, I shouldn't have reached midlife yet...“

Ayurveda for women: Medicinal plants for female health

Many plants can be used to promote women's health, depending on the phase of the cycle and the phase of life. The following 8 substances are among the most important:

• AMALAKI - Emblica officinalisAmla fruit keeps women healthy, rejuvenated and regenerated during the ageing process. Its cooling effect is used during the menopause, as well as for painful heavy periods and discharge.
• ASHOKA - Saraca indicaThe bark of the tree under which Buddha was born is considered a powerful uterine tonic and is used to treat excessive and painful bleeding. The most famous women's elixir „Ashokarishta“ was named after it.
• ASHWAGANDHA - Withania somniferaThe root has a strengthening, sleep-promoting and stress-relieving effect and promotes fertility. Excellent support for psychosomatic complaints during the menopause.
• BRAHMI - Bacopa monnieraBrahmi is considered the most famous mentally effective plant in Ayurvedic medicine. Especially during the menopause, when many women struggle with depressive moods, this plant, which is sacred in India, helps enormously.
• KUMARI - Aloe veraAloe promotes menstruation and helps with absent or too light and painful bleeding. It cools heat processes during the menopause.
• LODHRA - Symplocos racemosusLodhra bark is valued for its astringent properties in cases of excessive, prolonged and acyclic bleeding.
• SARIVA - Hemidesmus indicusHemidesmus root promotes menstruation, relieves PMS and is used during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• SHATAVARI - Asparagus racemosusIndian asparagus root is considered THE women's medicinal plant and is used to regulate menstruation, strengthen fertility, support pregnancy, promote milk production during breastfeeding and the menopause.

There are also numerous classic formulations for treating gynaecological complaints. Contact an experienced Ayurvedic therapist you trust to obtain a personalised combination of suitable plants.

I strongly advise against self-prescribing, as even herbal remedies can have side effects if used incorrectly.

Ayurveda offers holistic support - in every phase of life

Ayurveda can support women holistically in every phase of life. Its 2000-year-old teachings are highly topical and have proven their worth while taking socio-cultural differences into account - even and especially in modern Europe, where women are particularly at risk of slipping into an imbalance due to social pressure to perform.