Ayurveda Training Part 3

My class just keeps getting better and better. The only problem is that the more I learn about this fascinating science, the more convinced I am that I'm a mess, in serious need of help. It's amazing how something that started off so incredibly confusing and difficult to understand has turned into something that seems so simple and so completely logical. It really is a whole different way to view medicine and health. It sometimes amazes me how Western medicine has changed the game and gone away from the goal of keeping us healthy to focusing solely on fixing us once we are sick. Imagine if all the effort and insurance money was spent on preventing illness rather than treating disease. What a concept that would be!

And speaking of disease, this week we learned about how disease is caused in the body. You might be surprised to learn that 80% of all diseases start in the digestive system. Or maybe that doesn't surprise you, since you are probably a yogi. Digestion is everything and, of course, it gets right back to the saying, "You are what you eat." Maintaining a healthy digestive tract is truly the key to sustained health.

Another interesting statistic that I learned was that 80% of illness happens in the constitution that I happen to be - Vatta. That certainly doesn't make me feel good, but the instructor said that Vattas are the most likely to get out of balance, but they are also the easiest to fix. Maybe there's hope for me yet!

I wish I could share with you all the amazing things I learned, but I would be typing for hours. If I could just share one thing with you it would be to pay very close attention to your digestion because it is the clue to your health. Seek out information on how to improve your digestion. In Ayurveda it can be as simple as eating the correct foods for your constitution. You can find lists of these foods in any Ayurveda book. Or better yet, schedule an appointment with a practitioner. And that leads me to the interesting question of whether or not most health insurances would cover any such visit. I will have to investigate that and report back. My gut says it won't, which will irritate me beyond words and is the exemplification of what is wrong with our health care system . . . but this isn't meant to be a political blog. Maybe I will be surprised to learn that these services are indeed covered. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

More to come soon.