News Maharishi in the World Today

How We Present
the News







  
Preventing and healing heart disease from within: Maharishi Ayurveda
by Robert Schneider, M.D., F.A.C.C.

Enlightenment: The Transcendental Meditation Magazine    Translate This Article
14 September 2012

Having established in his recent article on 'Total heart health' the understanding from Maharishi Ayurveda of three main physiological principles, or doshas, governing the body's functions and processes, Robert H. Schneider,* M.D., F.A.C.C., goes on to explore possible causes of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha types of hypertension, as well as treatment and prevention.

Preventing and healing heart disease from within

Vata

Taxing the mind with too much mental stress or strain can aggravate nervous system activity, or Vata. So not getting enough sleep, having an irregular lifestyle, working late, watching TV late at night, constantly dividing the mind by doing two things at once (such as talking on the phone while cooking or driving), or rushing from one thing to the next could contribute to this type of hypertension. In modern terms, this may be called anxiety or simply 'stress.'

Pitta
Emotional stress and too much spicy, salty, or sour food are some of the factors that may aggravate Pitta. When Pitta is out of balance, people have less capacity to cope with emotional challenges, may tend to anger or hostility, and may have elevated blood pressure. One modern term used for this is Type A behavior.

Kapha
Sluggish digestion, lack of exercise, and a fatty diet with excess sweets and processed foods can lead to being overweight, feeling depressed, and having high blood pressure.

From the point of view of the Maharishi Ayurveda program, high blood pressure or any other cardiovascular condition is not a ''one-size-fits-all'' disorder. It is personalized and related to your mind-body type or particular variation of dosha imbalance.

For example, to treat the Vata type of blood pressure, you might be advised to follow a soothing Vata pacifying diet, regular daily routine, behavioral suggestions to reduce stress, gentle exercise, and to take herbal food supplements that are targeted for calming your brain and nervous system. This would produce a calming, relaxing effect in your mind-body system overall.

If you have the Kapha type of high blood pressure, there would be a more energizing, stimulating Kapha pacifying diet, along with a daily routine with exercise, activities, and herbal supplements to increase your digestion and metabolism.

By contrast, a Pitta program would be cooling for your physiology and emotions.

In other words, the Total Heart Health approach is personalized to you and what is causing your high blood pressure. Ultimately all Maharishi Ayurveda treatment modalities lead to a reconnection with your own inner intelligence and healing power. In this way we can prevent and heal heart disease from within.

Part 2 of this article, in a forthcoming issue of Enlightenment, will discuss additional specific prevention and treatment programs for heart health from the mind, body, and environmental perspectives of the Maharishi Ayurveda program.

Source: Enlightenment—The Transcendental Meditation® Magazine

* Dr. Schneider is a physician-scientist-educator, and one of the world's leading authorities on scientific, natural approaches for prevention and treatment of heart disease, high blood pressure, stress, and other cardiovascular risk factors. Over the past 25 years, he has directed $25 million in research grants from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations for his pioneering research on natural approaches to heart disease. The results of this groundbreaking research have been published in more than 100 peer-reviewed medical journals and proceedings, and featured in more than 1,000 television, radio, magazine, and newspaper reports, including CNN Headline News, ABC's 20/20, Fox News, The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine.

© Copyright 2012 Maharishi Foundation USA



Translation software is not perfect; however if you would like to try it, you can translate this page using:

(Google)
(Altavista babelfish)

health news more

World News | Genetic Engineering | Education | Business | Health News

Search | Global News | Agriculture and Environmental News | Business News
Culture News | Education News | Government News | Health News
Science and Technology News | World Peace | Maharishi Programmes
Press Conferences | Transcendental Meditation | Celebration Calendars | Gifts
News by Country | News in Pictures | What's New | Modem/High Speed | RSS/XML