Ayurveda nap
Is taking a nap after lunch a good thing or not? Opinions are divided on this. Cardiologists and psychologists recommend a midday nap - according to an American-Greek study from 2007, it reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 37%. Among Ayurveda followers, daytime sleep and in particular sleep after lunch is considered [...]
Examination methods in Ayurveda: 2. tongue diagnosis
In addition to the pulse examination, the inspection of the tongue Jihva Pariksha is one of eight classic examination procedures in Ayurveda. The traditional compendium Ashtanga Samgraha Samhita already described signs of a tongue „spoilt“ by Vata, Pitta, Kapha and blood. Our tongue lies on the floor of the oral cavity and is a muscular organ belonging to the upper digestive tract. It [...]
Trikatu: The three hot ones - ginger, black and long pepper
No Ayurvedic kitchen or pharmacy should be without it - it consists of dry ginger (shunthi), long pepper (pippali) and black pepper (marica) and is one of the most famous three-spice recipes in Ayurveda: Trikatu means „the three hot ones“. Trikatu is more than the sum of its three individual spices, the combination potentises its effect. The pungent flavour has a [...]
Examination methods in Ayurveda: 1. pulse diagnosis
Ayurvedic diagnostics is multimodal. It consists of verbal questioning in an anamnesis interview and a physical examination. All the results are then analysed in order to gain a holistic understanding of the origin and development of the complaints and all the factors involved. In my series of articles „Examination methods in Ayurveda“, I introduce you to the 8 most important Ayurvedic procedures: Pulse, [...]
Running in Ayurveda: what you need to bear in mind
Around 20 million Germans jog occasionally or regularly, and one in ten managers runs marathons. There are many good reasons for running as a popular sport: it reduces obesity, prevents cardiovascular disease and diabetes, strengthens the immune system, promotes cognitive abilities, regulates tension and simply makes you feel energised. Surprisingly, there is even a connection between training diligence and salary, as the [...]
Therapeutic fasting in Ayurveda - Things to know about Ayurvedic fasting cures
„Fasting is as old as the peoples of the world“, wrote Otto Buchinger in 1935 in his book „Therapeutic Fasting“, taking into account the three dimensions of the human being (medical, psychosocial and spiritual). Buchinger fasting using special fasting drinks (water, tea, vegetable broth, fruit or vegetable juices and honey) is one of the most frequently used fasting methods today. In the guidelines for [...]
The Ayurveda medicine cabinet: help for self-help
Wait and see and drink tea. Most people prefer to stay at home when they are acutely ill. Many only visit a doctor's surgery when severe symptoms persist for several days or the course of the illness worsens. Until then, they help themselves - unfortunately not always successfully. Ayurveda offers a variety of [...]
Hot water in Ayurveda
„I only drink hot water!“ Many people have incorporated this „Ayurveda tip“ into their lives and developed it to perfection: they don't leave the house without a thermos flask. Hot water is not just „hot water“. What kind of water at what temperature are we actually talking about? The fact is: water is our most important foodstuff! Depending on their age, humans [...]
Ayurvedic drinks: focus on fruit juice
When I squeezed my own orange juice from halved fruit at the breakfast buffet in a trade fair hotel a few days ago, I was surprised once again: to fill a 200ml glass with juice, I needed 6 halved oranges! I would never have eaten this amount as fruit, but I could certainly have drunk more glasses of the juice. Many people [...]
Salads and raw food from an Ayurvedic perspective
„In Ayurveda, food is always cooked softly and raw food is avoided“ is a widespread misconception. It is true that in Ayurveda an overload of the digestive system is seen as the cause of many diseases. In classical Ayurveda, leafy salads were hardly ever used. The food group „Haritavarga“ traditionally referred to fresh „greens“ and included fresh ginger, lime, radish, coriander leaves, carrots, onions [...].