In Search of Longevity
Editorial  

For the fastest growing tourist nation, being a partner country at ITB Berlin 2007 is good news, for Kerala even more so because Germans constitute a large segment of tourists coming for rejuvenation also. With there beingnothing as an off-season for ayurveda, tourists can come in all through the year especially monsoon, a climatemany a western tourist would want to avoid, especially in developing and third world countries.

Ayurveda is more than a mere healing system; it is a science and art of appropriate living which helps to achievelongevity. It also guides every individual in the prevention of disease and long-term maintenance of health. Toachieve this balanced state of body, mind and consciousness, the masters of this great science have advisedmeditation and yoga along with preventive and healing therapies. Our cover story discusses the success of ayurveda in bringing health tourists.

How does one judge the genuiness of the centre where one goes for treatment? Our article ‘looking for authenticayurveda’ gives you guidelines on how not to be cheated by touts or quacks.

A healthy mind in a healthy body and vice versa – this is the ideal condition to be in. So to keep your mind healthy, you need to meditate, says Bhanumathi Narasimhan in her article on meditation.

Nanotechnology is a new science but ayurveda has been using it long before the term ‘nano’ was formed. Someof the formulations of ‘bhasma’ have nanoparticles in them. For many researchers it is still a great surprise that the 5000-year-old Indian system of medicine, had some knowledge of nanoscience and technology, which modern science has just started exploring in the 21st century.

Like we’ve been doing for the last couple of years, this year too, Ayurveda and Health Tourism, travels to ITB-Berlin, to participate in the world’s biggest travel show with our English and German editions.
Last, but not the least, keep us posted with your comments and suggestions for that it what keeps us growing. More .......

The Indian Laburnum Destroyer of Diseases
S Rajasekharan and P G Latha

There are very few plants and their flowers that are considered as auspicious as `Kani Konna’ which ancient poet Kalidasa describes as `Karnikarapushpa’ in several of his masterpieces. Medicinal properties of `kani konna’ abundantly justify the special treatment it has traditionally acquired.

Cassia fistula Linn. (Caesalpinaceae) is popularly known as ‘Golden Shower’ because of its beautiful goldencoloured flowers which are considered auspicious and generate positive energy. According to ancient Indianliterature, the coiled stamens of the flower of Cassia fistula (`kani konna’ in Malayalam) represents the ‘kundalini’ or the serpent power - the abode of positive energy stored in all living beings. In Sanskrit, it is referred to as‘kundalini’. Cassia fistula is the official flower of Kerala. In Malayalam ‘kani’ means the ‘first object the eyes fallupon at the start of the day’ and `konna refers to the ‘tall and abundantly fruiting nature of the tree’. More .......

Heal your ailing heart

There are some very effective natural treatments for regulating and strengthening the heart

Till early eighties, it was widely believed that heart disease was virtually irreversible. This meant that once developed, the disease ran a progressive course until the coronary arteries were completely blocked. But recent studies have proven beyond doubt that not only it is possible to stall the process of artery blockage but also the blockage can be really reversed. This implies that through measures other than angioplasty (ballooning) or bypass surgery, it is quite possible to increase the blood flow to the areas of the heart that receive less than adequate blood supply due to clogging of the coronary arteries. More .......

Fundamentals of an ancient science
Prof. Dr. K Muraleedharan Pillai MD (Ay)

If a state of equilibrium in a person is key to his or her health, Ayurveda has nothing else as its main objective.

Ayurveda seeks to maintain a state of balance of physical, mental and spiritual health.

For a man to become healthy, the three doshas - vata, pitta and kapha - the digestive fire agni, sapta dhatus and mala mootras must be in a state of equilibrium. The three doshas, when they are in a balanced state, will have the following features. More .......

True to tradition? Holistic Healing -
In search of authentic ayurveda

Sudha Nambudiri

While writing an article some years ago, I asked some renowned traditional vaidyans whether ayurveda would survive modernization ‘in its pure form’ or would be overhauled as ‘ayullopathy,’ or that was how Ashtavaidyan Thaikkattu Narayanan Mooss of Vaidyaratnam Oushadashala termed it.

Most of them sounded apprehensive. They didn’t think that the day would be far away when we would be talking of an ayurvedic vaccine or an injection. After all, we are talking of tablets, powders and tonics which have replaced the podi, churnam or kashayam.

While the transformation is not totally frowned upon by the vaidyans, the medicinal value is being disputed. “If it is possible to preserve the effectiveness of the medicines, there shouldn’t be anything wrong in using them,” commented another Ashtavaidyan, Vaidyamadham C N Namboothiri. More .......

Hard to digest?

One of the most common yet troublesome problems which eventually lead to disruption of our daily routine is indigestion.

According to Ayurveda, the main cause of indigestion is a release of toxic material called ama and fasting helps to digest this ama. If the patient is fat and strong he can fast completely for two days. Taking fruits, fruit juices and boiled vegetables for one week is also a very beneficial way of fasting.

Wrong and improper eating habits also cause indigestion. Eating too much fried foods, meats, sweets, wrong combination of foods, irregular eating, eating before the last meal is fully digested, mixing too many foods in a meal and excess eating can be the main cause of indigestion. Taking too much tea, coffee, alcohol, excessive smoking, staying up late in the night or not sleeping at all, emotional disturbances like stress, grief, anxiety, taking too much drugs like antibiotics, pain killers and steroids etc. can cause indigestion. More .......

Healing power of meditation

Bhanumathi Narasimhan

Healing powers of meditation hardly need any further endorsement when peace of mind is seen as integral to achieving physical well-being. Meditation is a form of relaxation and a state of mind without agitation. When the mind is calm, it has a positive effect on the body because the mind, body and environment are interconnected. Anything that affects the body affects the mind and vice versa. If you have a headache, for example, it can create irritation in your mind, restlessness in your thought process, disorientation, lack of dexterity, lack of efficiency in your performance and so on. More .......

Rhythmic healing

By T.V. Sairam

There is a rhythm as we walk, move our limbs and body and even in our thinking process. If all human activities follow a pattern of rhythms, this basic pattern that characterises all forms of music - folk, modern or classical - caters to our intellectual and emotional needs.

Even by unconsciously following any musical pattern, our thinking and emotional processes become regulated paving the way for our all-round health, growth and happiness.

Listen to the way the military bands play. First they have definite beats, emanating from huge drums: DA – DHANG, DA-DHANG, DA-DHANG. These sounds synchronise with the body rhythms of a soldier facilitating a perfect march. As the drum determines the calculative pace of the soldiers, the melody helps in killing the monotony of travail (left-right-left, being endlessly repeated) till an order comes for a grinding halt. The music here influences not only the body movement but also thinking and behaviour. Our culture thus is shaped greatly by the type of music with which we get associated in our life. More .......

Nanoscience: Not so new to ISM

Nanoscience and technology may be new to the world but Indian system of medicines including ayurveda have been using this technology to make bhasmas

Ravi Moosad

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are recently developed areas of research in modern science. Nanotechnology is a catch-all phrase for the technologies involved in materials and devices that operate at the nanoscale.

One of the areas that have caught the attention of the scientists and technologists working in the area of nanotechnology across the world is the use of bhasma in Ayurveda.

It has been found by several researchers that some of these formulations have nanoparticles in them. For many, it is still a great surprise that the 5000-year-old Indian system of medicine, had some knowledge of nanoscience and technology, which modern science has just started exploring in the 21st century. More .......

Wonder packed orange

Oranges are known to prevent frequent attacks of common cold, influenza and bleeding tendencies, respectively by their vitamin C & calcium contents.

C.P. Unnikrishnan

Orange, among common citrus fruits is the one liked by one and all. It is widely grown in warmer climates, and distributed worldwide. It is the most important citrus crop in the world. The best functional aspect of an orange is that it is a predigested food and is thus readily absorbed in the blood. On consumption, it releases heat and energy in the body immediately after use, which does all activity workers need, under varying climatic conditions Citrus sinensis is the most common type that contains full of protective food ingredients like vitamins A, B, C and calcium and a recognizable amount of potassium, sodium, magnesium, copper, sulphur and chlorine. Its vitamin C content helps the body tissues to use the calcium contained in the food. A small orange (about five ounces) contains generous levels of folate (folic acid), thiamin. Oranges, which are mostly orange/yellow in color, also contain a number of phytochemicals that can protect against cancer. Some of these phytochemicals can act as antioxidants and some can actually prevent cancer-causing substances from getting into your body. More .......

Importance of timings for taking medicines

Dr. Brindha S.

Right drug administered at right time to have desired healing result at the earliest is central to the Ayurvedic system of medicine which explains various timings for administration of medicines.

In Ayurveda, the timings for administration of drugs determined after considering the doshas, condition of the disease, different parts of the body affected by the disease and the strength of the patient.

The study of the metabolism and action of drugs with particular emphasis on the time required for absorption, duration of action, distribution in the body and excretion is Pharmacokinetics. More .......

Restful sleep

Peaceful sleep has become a much evasive commodity that people would go into any extent to get a little bit of it every 24 hours.

The National Sleep Foundation of USA estimates that at least 40 million Americans suffer from some form of sleep disorder. Sleep deprivation or poor quality of sleep impacts both short-term and long-term health, with depression, obesity, loss of mental clarity and fatigue some of the frightening consequences.

Ayurveda does not dictate eight hours of sleep every night for everyone, but quality of sleep and quantity of sleep required by an individual to completely recharge in mind and body are considered crucial for health, bliss and longevity. More .......

Looking for authentic Ayurveda

There is nothing secretive about any Ayurveda treatment. If an Ayurveda centre or physician refuses to give information on “grounds of secrecy”, that is a place that you should consider avoiding.

Aparna Sarma

At a time when Ayurveda is beckoning the world and there is a growing fascination to all things traditional, cultural and ancient, there are questions galore about ways to differentiate between an original and fake Ayurveda centre. These questions need to be answered to prove the legitimacy of the Ayurveda centres.

Green and Olive

The Kerala Tourism Ministry’s introduction of a process of certification for the Ayurveda centers primarily run in resorts and hotels is a positive step that will stand the traditional Ayurveda system in good stead. There are certain prescribed standards which, if adhered to, can make the centre eligible for “Green Leaf Certification” and “Olive Leaf Certification”. More .......

Rauvolfia for the disturbed mind

The root has been used for centuries for treating various central nervous system disorders, both psychic and motor.

Jacob Varghese

The snakeroot plant is known to the rural folks as a potent antidote for snake venom and is claimed to be what makes mongoose unaffected by a bite from cobra during their combat. The fable of the mongoose emerging unharmed in its fight with the cobra because of its feeding on the serpentine-root plant before the fight may or may not be true. But the roots of Sarpagandha, mentioned in Charaka Samhita, the earliest Ayurvedic medical treatise, are effectively used for snakebites and scorpion sting and ills caused by worms and ulcers.

In India, the plant has long been used as a sedative and hypotonic in the treatment of insanity, called ‘moon disease’. The snakeroot plant has been a part of Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. A single dose of powdered roots could put a child into a deep sleep that may last all night. More .......

Cool Your Skin with Water

It's almost summer and most of us breathe a sigh of relief as the aging winter weather passes. Yet summer has its own set of beauty risks. Increased heat can bring an imbalance of pitha dosha, the mind-body operator that governs hormones, digestion and other metabolic processes in the body. It's important to stay cool and hydrated to help prevent summer breakouts and rashes.

Here are a few tips for keeping your skin looking great in summer.

1. Drink cooling spice water. You've probably heard that drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day is important for flushing out toxins, and in summer it's even more important to keep replacing fluids that may be lost to perspiration. You can get extra cooling and purifying impact from your water by adding a few herbs and spices. More .......

What yoga means

K R Manoj

The word yoga originates from the Sanskrit root “yuj’ which means combines or join. Yoga is usually defined as union, oneness between the limited self (jiva) and cosmic self (atma). It is in fact a realisation of the union already existing in the paramarthik (ultimate) level. The sage yajnavalkya defines yoga as ‘samyogo yoga mityuktho jeevatma paramatmano’. The union of jeevatma (self) and paramatma (atma, brahma, God) is called yoga.

In this definition we can understand that yoga is the other name for moksha, God realisation, self realisation. But the path leading to self-realisation is also called yoga. So the aim and its means, both are termed as ‘yoga.’

Patanjali, the author of yogasutras defines yoga as “complete control over the different patterns or modifications of consciousness. More .......

1st Issue