Examination methods in Ayurveda: 4. listening to health and illness
In ancient India, there were no diagnostic imaging techniques such as ultrasound, X-rays or magnetic resonance imaging. Traditional Ayurvedic doctors were therefore dependent on examining health and illness using their five senses. Dr Arora from Rishikesh, my first Ayurveda teacher, gave me a piece of advice in 1994: learn to listen to your patient, to feel, to [...]
Turmeric in Ayurveda: the yellow gold
Curcuma has been used as a spice and medicinal plant in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for over 5000 years. Over 3,000 scientific studies prove that curcuma is one of the three most important medicinal plants on our planet with a dizzying array of possible uses. However, there are a few rules to follow in order to maximise the health benefits: Curcuma is not just curcumin, the spice powder [...]
Ayurvedic treatment of thyroid diseases
Small organ - great importance: The thyroid gland influences the metabolism and functional state of almost all organs and its health is therefore of paramount relevance from an Ayurvedic perspective. Hardly any other organ reacts so sensitively to stress and, conversely, affects the psyche as quickly as the thyroid gland in the event of illness. This places a considerable burden on those affected and [...]
Determining constitution in Ayurveda: more than just „typing“
Vata, Pitta or Kapha - who am I? For many people interested in Ayurveda, this question is the starting point for booking an appointment in an Ayurveda practice. What importance does Ayurveda actually attach to this topic? Is it even possible to determine your personal constitution in a consultation? The fact is that the individual constitution of a person plays a [...]
Ayurveda against acne: therapy tips
17-year-old Sophia has withdrawn over the last few months and no longer really enjoys life. She avoids contact with boys and doesn't go out of the house dressed bare-shouldered, even in the height of summer. After the dermatologist was unable to provide lasting help and Sophia was unable to tolerate heavy medication, her mother turned to my [...]
Examination methods in Ayurveda: 3. urine and stool diagnostics
When I ask my patients in detail about their daily defecation and urination during an initial consultation, it makes some of them blush. „I've never been asked about this in such detail before,“ they often say. Or „You're asking me something, I don't know - what's gone is gone...“. In Western cultures, people don't like to talk [...]
Dal and mungdal: lentil dishes in Ayurveda
Dal refers to dishes made from peeled and split pulses such as lentils or chickpeas. Dal is a delicious staple food in India and an indispensable part of Ayurvedic cuisine. As Ayurvedic cuisine is predominantly vegetarian, dal dishes are the most important source of protein. A typical Ayurvedic main meal consists of the triad of grains, vegetables and dal. Raw vegetable side dishes or [...]
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, [...]