Article Summary:
What are the characteristics of a healthy heart? How do you detect heart problems early and what are Ayurveda’s general recommendations about daily routine and chronic heart disease?
Full Article:
Signs of a healthy heart include: regular heart rate, normal blood pressure, a feeling of well being, good exercise capacity, good skin colour, good digestion and a normal range of cholesterol and triglycerides. If you feel happy you are likely to be healthy.
Signs of an unhealthy heart are low energy and emotions, reduction of exercise tolerance and capacity, more tiredness, mauve/purple colour to the fingernails and lips, raised blood pressure, abnormal pulse rate and pain in the chest.
Many disease processes described in Ayurveda involve a blocking of channels with toxins (called ama) and an accumulation of doshas associated with this sticky ama causing a harmful effect. The Ayurvedic approach is to pacify these doshas to stop the destructive process continuing and to cleanse the ama from the channels to allow more of the body’s healing intelligence to be active in that area.
For heart health, a Maharishi Ayurveda practitioner would recommend as a first priority having a good routine: regular bed on time to balance Vata dosha , up early to balance Kapha dosha, main meal in the middle of the day, cooked fresh food in appropriate amounts so your digestion is able to process it properly, a comfortable amount of exercise regularly, ideally in the morning for most people, a job that doesn’t put you under stress and avoidance of stimulants, such as coffee, and emotional strain. Regular early morning elimination is also considered important.
Also recommended to support heart health would be spices to maintain good digestion and herbals appropriate to the individual. Ayurveda has specific ways of strengthening the heart, including herbs that balance cholesterol. Terminalia arjuna, for example, is a heart herb renowned for supporting heart function.
For those with longer term heart problems, following Ayurvedic guidelines is particularly valuable when used alongside Western medicine. Patients may, over time, with the agreement of their practitioner, be able to gradually reduce some of the drugs they have been prescribed.
Even before first symptoms are noticed - reduction in exercise tolerance, sluggisness, palpitations etc - a Maharishi Ayurveda health consultation will prove useful. The purpose of Ayurveda is to educate the individual to be aware of how what they are doing is affecting them, what may be causing discomfort and what to do about it.
The earlier you get into healthy habits, the better it is for you.
Further information: http://www.maharishi.co.uk/selfcare/index.htm
Bryan Irving writes a monthly health newsletter for Maharishi Ayurveda Products in the UK.
For more Ayurveda health advice you can subscribe to a monthly Ayurveda Health newsletter or request an Ayurveda products catalogue at http://www.maharishi.co.uk