Examination methods in Ayurveda: 7. the anamnesis
Our tour of Ayurvedic examination methods and diagnostic techniques began with pulse diagnosis and led us on to tongue inspection, analysis of excretions, examination by hearing and feeling and finally to eye and face diagnosis. The Ayurvedic anamnesis, called Prashna Pariksha, now forms the conclusion of our journey. Prashna means question, pariksha means examination. The word „anamnesis“ comes from [...]
Examination methods in Ayurveda: 6. reading the eyes and face
It only takes 100 milliseconds: the first, decisive impression. We look into the eyes and face of the person opposite us and immediately make an intuitive judgement about trustworthiness, likeability, attractiveness and approachability. We also utilise the psychology of first impressions in Ayurvedic diagnostics. The more experienced the diagnostician, the more accurate the first impression. Even after a [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Snacks in Ayurveda
How many meals a day are healthy? Many nutrition experts differ on this question. Ayurveda has a crystal clear position on this. The fact is: In Ayurveda, food is only considered beneficial if it a) has an optimal nutrient composition according to individual needs and b) is easily digestible. The seemingly „healthiest“ foods can harm us, [...]
Sweets in Ayurveda: Are sweet sins allowed during the Christmas season?
Every year, our resistance to sweet temptations is put to the test at Christmas markets, company parties and family gatherings. Gingerbread, biscuits, stollen and cinnamon stars are irresistible to many and are as much a part of winter as the barbecue is to summer - often followed by a guilty conscience about weight gain or the unnecessary health burden. How beneficial [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
Dementia in Ayurveda: prevention and therapy
Their personality changes, they no longer remember an event they have just experienced, feel increasingly overwhelmed and lose interest in previously enjoyable experiences. These and other signs can be harbingers of dementia, which is one of the most common disease syndromes in old age. The list of prominent people affected is long, and the way they deal with the diagnosis varies: [...]