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Hello dear friend,February is a time to evaluate how harmonious we are within our seasonal environment. Have we adjusted food, sleep, daily schedule, and metabolism to suit the weather conditions? Have we aligned our daily routine to help deepen the inward journey? From the winter solstice to the spring equinox, there will be a continuing balance to strike between body, mind, and consciousness, to take full advantage of outwardly fluctuating cold conditions. Meditation, yoga stretching, warming foods and beverages, along with special considerations such as keeping the feet, hands, ears, head and neck cozy, especially when outdoors, all help to weather the season. Winter sports and activities for all ages can be invigorating and fun, plan for your daily routine to remain stable, especially early to bed by 9 pm, and have the main lunch meal ready at the time of greatest appetite, perhaps about noon-1 pm. Watch for sudden, unseasonal weather changes during this transitional phase, calling for quick adaptation, especially towards the end of February and the beginning of March. For seniors, fall prevention becomes a critical tenet of elder care. Can youth take the initiative to reach out to the older population as needed for routine activities like shopping, clearing walkways and visiting to share a story or a memory? Children and youth are so important in the lives of elders, especially in the cold season and with changeable, sometimes gloomy conditions. To help avoid viral exposure, even if others have not yet learned to practice the all-important self-quarantine, we should do so, the moment symptoms begin. Be alert to early warning signs from your body such as the nostril hairs closing down to help block the virus, muscle aches, sneezing, nasal drip, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Ancient Ayurveda texts spoke about the importance of quarantine in epidemic and pandemic situations, even if in modern times we have become slack on this critical point. At the first symptom in the active, spreading phase of infection, self-isolation is the community-minded way. Fasting is appropriate when first infected. Have on hand those natural antibiotic substances best suited to your body, which will not necessarily be the same as your friend’s. For example, a Vata person may do well with oscillococinum, and a Pitta individual may crave bitters such as golden seal root powder. In contrast, Kapha people may prefer garlic, ginger, honey, and lemon. Early management and treatment are best begun right away, instead of waiting until you’re ‘sure’ you’re infected. By then, the virus may well have become systemic overnight. Address each symptom, so you don’t end up with complications that can become more difficult and take longer to eradicate. Know your typical pattern of disease progression and prepare accordingly. Be guided by the Ayurveda principle that the ‘medicine must be slightly stronger than the disease’. Accurately evaluating, and not under-evaluating the strength of the disease, is an important part of self-healing. A sore throat can be managed with echinacea tincture dropped at the back of the tongue. Inner ear itchiness may call for Osha root, as tea or taken dry on the tongue, chased by sufficient warm water. Muscle aches can be managed by taking a hot bath during the warm part of the day, perhaps using 1/3 cup of baking soda to help draw lactic acid from the muscles to the water. Nasal congestion may subside using steam inhalations with camphor drops to help liquefy the mucous for gentle expectoration. Avoid loud blowing of the nose which can damage the tender nostril membranes. In the last newsletter, we discussed the Shad Rasa, or Science of the Six Tastes, to help keep our emotional balance, especially at a time of year when depression can take undue hold of the mind. Food choices play a significant role in mental health, as does early sleep. Shad Rasa science is also the foundation of Ayurveda dietetic science and the pharmacological science of herbology and medicinal substances. For managing any mental illness, the Shad Rasa science is also a guide to emotional and chemical balance. Most mental illnesses have sleep disorders at their core. First, implement your early bedtime, which may take time. Rising early brings cheerfulness, positivity, creativity, generosity, kindness, gratitude, and contentment. But don’t believe me, experiment in the laboratory of your life! Mental and physical health is achievable when tried and true practices of natural healing are implemented, at any age or stage. The law of cause and effect is described as ‘equal and inexorable’. Find your local Ayurveda physician to help guide any chronic or persistent case.
What is Sattvic Food? Now, sattvic food choices are very important, to provide a post-digestive effect of calmness and mental equilibrium, as the food becomes our body and mind through the metabolic and post-digestive processes. Sattvic food choices involve freshly prepared plant-based meals, minimum oils, avoidance of snacks, refined foods, and eating late, after 6 pm or so. Sprouted seeds can be a great way to have daily fresh food during winter until the new spring crops are ready for harvest. Pure, fresh, whole food choices bring a peaceful heart in their post-digestive effect on the mind and emotions, especially when the cook is enjoying the process of providing the six flavours in suitable proportion, for the needs of the family and guests. Food preparation is a science and an art. Other avoidances include alcohol, caffeine, mixing fruits with other foods, frozen or stale items, excess cooking oils and overeating, especially dessert. Sattvic food choices will help with inner peace, compassion, forgiveness of real and imagined wrongs, forbearance, and patience. Let me know if you would sign up for a spring class at my home on Satvic Food Preparation, OK? Creativity This month’s message is one of creativity because deep beneath the snow cover, roots and branches are preparing to liquefy their sap, which corresponds to blood circulation in the human body. New growth is promised, so careful planning and intention-setting (Sankalpa) are needed to take full advantage of nature’s coming cycles and rhythms. Have you considered leaving your electric lights and appliances off after sundown? By trying this experiment a few years ago, I found that the dark nocturnal cycle became a true friend of rest and rejuvenation. Early to bed made me more alert in the early morning ambrosial hour of meditation. Experiment for yourself and let me know your findings! What do you need to create in your life? According to Ayurveda, the morning routine is the best time to create new habits and implement new intentions, little by little, closer to the solution and farther from the problem, need or challenge. Writing and speaking intentions help to create and develop our livelihood, relationships, projects, and fulfillment in all departments of life. We all have the same 24 hours in a day to cultivate our self-improvement. FeaturePARICHARAKA Ayurveda Therapist Training Program in India April 3 – September 7, 2024 *Do you aspire to make your career in classical Ayurveda bodywork therapies? *Have you been searching for an affordable, comprehensive training opportunity? Introducing this unique benchmark program for training to become a professional Ayurveda Therapist, including more than 35 classical treatment protocols! The rural setting in Tamil Nadu in south India enhances this residential program’s importance as an opportunity to learn with traditional knowledge keepers. Vaidyagrama doctors are recognized as being dedicated to authentic methods and substances for bringing traditional Ayurveda to help fulfill today’s healthcare needs. This program is a blend of Guru Kula and Western educational styles, taught in English with a Sanskrit elective. Apply by March 2, 2024, to be part of the inaugural batch with only 8 seats available for international students, who will learn alongside 8 Indian students. You’ll need your Indian visa, valid passport, and payment in full by April 3, 2024. Tuition, room & board, and the many perks of residing at the Vaidyagrama community campus are included in your fees. For more information about the program, the setting, and the possibilities for your career development, please click here www.vaidyagrama.com for your online application. Thanks for passing along this golden opportunity to those seeking a meaningful career in the classical healing arts of ancient Ayurveda. Spring Breakthrough to Self Empowerment Ayurveda Mentorship Online Program This unique online mentorship program is continuing to grow and is especially designed for new practitioners and senior students, who are seeking an excellent support system for Case Management, through the lens of the Ashta Vidha Pariksha, or eight-fold assessment science of traditional Ayurveda. This online community from across North America and sometimes abroad, is strengthening semester to semester. Membership provides a context for in-depth analysis of your difficult case studies, submitted in advance to provide a variety of prototypes for the group. My nearly forty years of Ayurveda clinical experience internationally is shared to support the traditional analysis of each client case and empower your own confidence as you build your new professional practice. Also included are specific topics as needed, a private Facebook group and Lena’s wonderful hosting. Typical discussions include facial analysis, voice quality, concerns and their holistic implications, psychobiology, ahar (diet), vihar (lifestyle), herbs, tongue interpretation, eye diagnosis, and much more! Pre-requisite is a minimum of 600 hrs. in a NAMA-approved school or equivalent. Check out the new NAMA listing for the Spring Breakthrough to Self Empowerment Program here www.ayurvedanama.org Yes, NAMA PACE credits now apply to this program upon successful completion! *Returning participants qualify for 10% off tuition if paid by noon on April 1, 2024* Some recent participant comments: "I enjoyed and learned so much during Dr. Jaisri's explanations and clinical observations while assessing case studies. The multitude of clues/disturbances she points out and information related to them during facial and tongue analysis is truly inspiring and exciting." "Jaisri has so much Ayurvedic knowledge that I couldn't find anywhere else. The case studies analysis were very detailed, thorough, and systematic." "I am already 100% inspired, and gladly recommended it to a colleague – it’s experiential learning, by looking at real cases, and applying the assessment skills, and learning from such an experienced mentor - so rare and precious." "I found the sessions helpful for validating: 1) the complexity of the interfacing between Ayurveda and medicine, and the complexity of primary issues a client may be experiencing, as well as additional complexity due to side effects. 2) the importance and necessity of foundational practices of diet, applying opposite qualities, in the sense of simplification. A good reminder that though I might decide to pursue education to bring my AP requirements up to meet NAMA standards for example, the application of the AHC level is important and impactful and may be our best or only option at the time, or the beginning point. I like your use of understanding the client’s cosmology, which feels compassionate. 3) To see the process of understanding and revelation, as well as ‘chikitsa’ as a process – as opposed to ideas of “rightness” and “one way” that can sneak in." "Sharing her knowledge, insight and many years of experience, Jaisri encourages discussion and questions in her warm and engaging manner. This course offered me the extra level of confidence I was hoping for, I recommend it to all my fellow Ayurvedists looking to expand their experience with knitting these ancient principles together into a viable offering." "I’m hoping you host another “Breakthrough to Self Empowerment Mentorship” program soon as I love the weekly guidance, in-depth discussions, group empowerment, and a safe place where I feel comfortable to ask anything I’m uncertain about and not be judged for asking a silly question." "I am honoured and so grateful you brought us all together and look forward to our next session. I've learned so much from you and the others!!! Thank you so much for the Breakthrough to Self Empowerment Ayurveda Mentorship Program. I have learned so much and cannot wait for the next one to start." "Over 8 weeks, Jaisri has skillfully revealed to our group (of novice Ayurveda practitioners) the art of carefully considering clients' imbalances using classical Ayurveda principles and weaving together simple, practical, and comprehensive treatment plans. This program was so lovely, and I appreciate having such a safe space to learn and evolve in." For more information and to register in the Spring Breakthrough to Self-Empowerment Ayurveda Mentorship Program please click here! Summer Pulse Assessment Seminar Midsummer is the time when this in-depth program takes place at my home in Surrey BC, Guru Kula style. This program is for intermediate and advanced Ayurveda students for a review of basics such as Prakruti, Vikruti, Manas Prakruti, and Manas Vikruti, and delving into the hidden secrets of the Dhatus, Sub-doshas, Ojas/Tejas/Prana, and much more. Students become familiar with all these levels during the five-day intensive together. An important part of this program is the daily lunch, prepared and shared together, inspiring new recipes and cooking techniques for simple, healthy, sattvic, plant-based living from Ayurveda, for balancing the tri-dosha. It’s a beautiful time of year in the garden, with mostly sunny days for outdoor learning. This timeless technique was taught to me at the right hand of my teacher, Vaidya Vasant D. Lad, over many years. In this seminar, you will learn precision techniques for understanding how to interpret the ancient Ayurveda clinical wisdom at your fingertips! This ancient Ayurveda method has been taught to me by my beloved mentor of Ayurveda, Vaidya Vasant D. Lad. for many years. He has given his blessing and encouragement, for me to share the secrets learned at his right hand. The technique reveals meaningful insights about the client’s life path, beyond simple rate and rhythm readings. As an Ayurveda Doctor (NAMA), I look forward to sharing the subtle clinical findings hidden behind each one’s heart impulse. This is a practical seminar of learning together in a small group setting. *Pre-requisite: 600 hrs. of NAMA-recognized Ayurveda education or equivalent. *Tuition Investment: Starts at $889 Cdn. + G.S.T. until noon June 1, 2024. *Returning graduates qualify for a 10% discount if paid by noon on June 1, 2024. *Please contact me for details and register here. Recent comments: "I can't imagine a better teacher to continue Dr. Lad’s legacy and the subtle art of Nadi Pariksha. -T.M. "May each participant learn this sacred knowledge with the expertise of your brilliant guidance. I loved the course when I took it in 2017 and continue to use several of the layers regularly for client assessments." -J.C. "I feel extremely fortunate to get the Nadi Pariksha Training from Jaisri. I love her teaching style and the way she makes everybody comfortable around her. The program is thorough and good for beginners and advanced practitioners. Jaisri pours all her love and knowledge into this program." -P.S. Winter Ayurveda Treatment Program in India 2024 may be the last time I host a group for Ayurveda Treatment in Tamil Nadu, India, as international travel has become uncertain, and fees are increasing everywhere. If you have expressed the intention to join, now will be your best opportunity to travel together for this unique and invaluable rejuvenation program. Applicants must apply before May 30, 2024, be on their Ayurveda program, and be qualified to benefit greatly from the classical methods still alive today, due to the unique dedication of physicians and staff as traditional knowledge keepers of Ayurveda. You’ll experience a classical, comprehensive learning and treatment experience of a lifetime! *21 days (for those with limited time) Nov. 18 - Dec. 15, 2024. *35 days (recommended, especially for chronic conditions) Nov. 18 – Dec. 29, 2024. *Three rest days are scheduled before and after treatment. *Payment deadline: June 1, 2024. *Ensure your visa arrangements in advance. *Purchase airline tickets and travel insurance early (not included). *Included: All treatments, meals, beverages, accommodations, taxi fares to and from CJB airport, and all suitable campus programs. Hosting with me makes the program understandable, convenient, and supported. Yes, one can register independently at a lower investment, but those who have done both prefer the supported program. Recent testimonial: Healing in Paradise A quick word about the staff, from the doctors to the clinicians, to the cooks and housekeeping staff. Everybody is amazingly gracious and happy. When you pass someone on the walkway, they smile at you and put their right hand over their heart. It’s vegetarian, with several different rice and wheat dishes, several soups and mung bean or
mung dal dishes, and some simple but delicious vegetable dishes. New to me is moringa, which is an okra–like tree fruit whose inner portion is delicious and very high in iron. There are some delicious coconut soups. After the banquet, many people got up and sang, some devotional songs, some Beatles songs. It was quite the talent show, an international day of socializing. The purpose is to open the microchannels in your arms, legs and torso that have become clogged over time. The warmth also opens the pores in your skin. So, toxins are released either through perspiration or recycled through your liver into your gut to be recycled from there. After a few days, at the end of the warm water treatment, you’re given ‘Basti’, or gentle herbal enema. That’s to encourage cleansing of the lower colon. Not something I’ve done much of at all; but after having it done now three times, it’s not really unpleasant at all. Ayurveda focuses on healing through the digestive system. That however includes mental, spiritual as well as physical aspects. It basically focuses on the energetic and physical strength of each person, and how to restore any imbalance of either, and then let the body take over. Our treatments will change within the next few days,
as they utilize more ways to cleanse and help us heal. For more information and to join this year’s group, please email me at jaisri@ayurveda-seminars.com C.A.R.E. Foundation UpdateThe sub-committee for the Ayurveda Classification of Local Medicinal Plants has been meeting via Zoom throughout the winter, despite many obstacles in accomplishing our funding proposal goal by spring. Many readers of this newsletter understand the depth of insight offered by the Ayurveda science of Dravya Gunya, or the Properties of Substances. For those who may be new to the subtle, profound, and critical insights of Rasa (taste on the tongue), Virya (thermal effect), Vipak (post-digestive taste) and Prabau (unique characteristics or exceptions to a rule of logic), here is a brief explanation of the terminology. Rasa or taste on the tongue can be any combination or permutation of the six tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. Taste generally indicates whether a substance is heating (sour, salty, pungent) or cooling (sweet, bitter, astringent). When a substance has multiple tastes, the Virya may be uniquely heating or cooling. Ayurvedists often use the term ‘potency’ to translate Virya, though the term Thermal Effect may be more descriptive in translation to English, as the term potency may render only a sense of strength, power, concentration, or effectiveness. These meanings may not include the all-important heating and cooling effects of a substance, as suggested by the term Virya from Sanskrit. Vipak refers to the post-digestive taste of a substance at the cellular and sub-atomic levels. Modern science has not yet come to this important classification of the biochemical effects of post-digestion on the mind, emotions, and psychobiology. There are three Vipaks: sweet (anabolic), astringent (catabolic) and pungent (metabolic). The C.A.R.E. Foundation’s proposed compilation of the Ayurveda Classifications of Local Medicinal Plants aspires to provide a reference for local healthcare professionals as well as a research prototype for others to study and produce their own compilations for documenting the properties and benefits of their own local plant medicines. Upcoming Developments and Request for Volunteers! We’re also now ready to embark on the Ayurveda Elder Home-Care Aide Training program, an important step for my hometown of Surrey, B.C. We want to connect with grant writers and those experienced in Elder Home Care education, so if you or someone you know is excited by this opportunity, kindly contact me at jaisri@carefoundation.net All our CARE Foundation efforts are volunteer at present. The CARE Foundation also wants to connect with legal advice regarding our federal non-profit Charity Number application and strategic plan. Our newsletter network has brought us all our resources so far, so I’m conveying that now is the time to come forward to help support our initiatives in service of Ayurveda in Canada. Thank you for faithfully reading this long newsletter, and for being such an important part of our community membership. Our shared values, network and sense of responsibility bring strength of purpose. Ayurveda has been called the most trustworthy healthcare system on Earth. May you be blessed and uplifted by joining us for sharing and caring together with Ayurveda! Yours, Jaisri M. Lambert, Ayurveda Doctor (NAMA) jaisri@ayurveda-seminars.com Founder, Ayurveda Seminars & Consulting www.ayurveda-seminars.com Co-Founder, Canada Ayurveda Research & Education Foundation www.carefoundation.net |