Nutrition & Herbs from Ayurveda & Greek Medicine

Nutrition & Herbs from Ayurveda & Greek Medicine

 

Remedies: Exercise, Stretch & Bodywork

Somatic Relaxation

Prepare for contemplation by clearing tensions and pressure in the body.

How Does This Exercise, Stretch & Bodywork Remedy Improve Wellness?

CONSTITUTIONAL & METABOLIC INSIGHTS

Somatic Relaxation helps you prepare for contemplation. While contemplation is possible at any time, in any circumstances, it is easier when relaxed. Follow this structured approach to relaxing the body and remove physical obstacles to processing emotions.
  1. Address basic needs (bathroom needs, hunger, thirst, temperature, comfort, etc)
    • Q: How does your nervous system feel before and after addressing basic needs?
  2. Unwind tension through stretching.
    • After warming up the muscles and basic stretching, slow down to unwind tension slowly, along with the breath.
      Contract and release areas of tension, seek smooth, slow motion without any skips to contraction or release of muscles. Move from limbs muscles towards the center of the body, and ultimately, muscles surrounding internal organs from the top of the head down, and the feet up, to end at the pelvic floor.
    • Q: What tension did you notice? How does your nervous system feel before and after basic stretching of muscle groups?
  3. Turn inner gaze to any areas of sensation in the body.
    • Pandiculate to resolve these sensations (see handout). Sit with each a few minutes until dissipates
    • Q: What sensations did you notice? How does your nervous system feel before and after unwinding specific tension?
  4. Turn inner gaze to any areas of sensation in the head.
    • Enter into them, gaze into the center of them.
    • Sit with each a few minutes until dissipates
    • Q: What sensations did you notice? How does your nervous system feel before and after unwinding specific tension?

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Metabolic Impact of Somatic Relaxation

Classical Metabolic Theory uses biocharacteristics to classify the metabolic impact of food, herbs, lifestyle choices, your body, and disease.

AYURVEDA BODY TYPES (DOSHAS)

The Three Doshas / Body Types

Ayurveda is a metabolic theory of medicine that explains individual health, tendencies, and disease patterns through the concept of doshas, which can be understood as your metabolic patterns and tendencies.

Each dosha reflects a distinct metabolic nature and describes strengths & weaknesses in bodily function, and how these affect energy levels, digestion, susceptibility to disease, and many other tendencies.

Your metabolic nature not only affects your physical characteristics, but also influences your mental thought patterns, confidence, and enthusiasm.

Ayurveda balances these metabolic strengths & weaknesses to support your body's vitality and prevent recurrent disease cycles. This support is a critical aid, especially in chronic or incurable disease conditions.

The 3 metabolic body types (doshas), are Catabolic (Vata), Metabolic (Pitta), and Anabolic (Kapha).

Through dosha, Ayurveda empowers people to identify metabolic imbalances early, break repetitive patterns of disease, and cultivate habits that support long-term vitality and well-being.

Ultimately, these metabolic patterns also provide a framework for understanding yourself, including body, mind, and spiritual tendencies.

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PACIFIES
Kapha pacifying Pitta pacifying Vata pacifying

GREEK MEDICINE / TEMPERAMENTS

The Four Temperaments / Humors

Ayurveda & Greek Medicine were the dominant form of medicine along the Silk Road from England to China and South Asia. They work by assessing your metabolic type, patterns, and nature. Greek medicine recognizes 4 metabolic temperaments, Melancholic, Choleric, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

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PACIFIES
CHOLERIC

ABOUT CHOLERIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Has a hot and dry metabolic nature. Enthusiastic, vibrant and bright. In excess burns up fluids and ojas, irritable. Corresponds to high bilirubin in the blood that irritates and heats up the body and liver.

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MELANCHOLIC

ABOUT MELANCHOLIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

Cold and dry with a slow, variable or erratic metabolism. Colicky, tense. Withdrawn, pensive, anxious, and hesitant. Analytical, intelligent, detail oriented and creative. Prone to ojas depletion, dehydration, an overactive nervous system, and depression.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MELANCHOLIC

PHLEGMATIC

ABOUT PHLEGMATIC BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A Phlegmatic has a cold and wet metabolic nature. The coldness implies a slow metabolism, the moisture that you are well-nourished. Phlegmatics tend towards sluggishness and thickened fluids, including mucus.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PHLEGMATIC

SANGUINE

ABOUT SANGUINE BIOCHARACTERISTIC

A hot and oily nature with a moderate metabolism and a well nourished body makes Sanguine individuals vigorous, vivacious, outgoing and generous, and prone to impulsivity and self indulgence. Bullish and intense when out of balance.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SANGUINE

Medicinal Benefits, Uses & Herbal Actions of Somatic Relaxation
Experiences are Personal
Experiences vary according to the person and constitution. Individual results may vary. The list of herbal-actions below has not be approved by the FDA and should not be used to treat a medical condition.

(see all)
Nerve Relaxant Grounding

NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING

Encourages feelings of stability and heaviness. Makes you feel settled, mentally relaxed. Mildly sedates the nervous system to ease stress. Can bring a spacey or anxious person back to earth. Reduces agitation, irritation, stress and racing thoughts.

SEE ALL 'NERVE-RELAXANT-GROUNDING' FOODS / HERBS

,
Relaxes Eyes

RELAXES-EYES

Eases tension in eye muscles, so the eyes feel less strained, often by supporting the liver.

SEE ALL 'RELAXES-EYES' FOODS / HERBS

,
Anxiolytic

ANXIOLYTIC

Herbs that help people suffering from anxiety or panic. They promote a state of calm and often improve sleep. Most anxiolytic herbs are also nervines.

SEE ALL 'ANXIOLYTIC' FOODS / HERBS

Calms Heart

CALMS-HEART

An herb that literally calms the heart. These herbs are helpful in the treatment of anxiety, sadness, depression, or other emotional imbalances in the heart. Related to the Chinese Herbal Category 'calms spirit.'

SEE ALL 'CALMS-HEART' FOODS / HERBS

Muscle Relaxant

MUSCLE-RELAXANT

Herbs that relax muscles. Helpful for chronic pain or tension as well as healing from physical trauma.

SEE ALL 'MUSCLE-RELAXANT' FOODS / HERBS

,
Relieves Tension

RELIEVES-TENSION

An herb that releases tightness, constriction, and rigidity in a muscle.

SEE ALL 'RELIEVES-TENSION' FOODS / HERBS

Foods with a Similar Metabolic Impact to Somatic Relaxation

  • Poppy Seed

    Poppy Seed has these Actions in Common

    Muscle-relaxant, Relieves-tension, Anxiolytic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Calms-heart, Relaxes-eyes

    LEARN MORE

  • Pumpkin

    Pumpkin has these Actions in Common

    Relaxes-eyes, Muscle-relaxant, Relieves-tension, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Hemp Seed

    Hemp Seed has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Relaxes-eyes, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Popped Amaranth

    Popped Amaranth has these Actions in Common

    Relaxes-eyes, Muscle-relaxant, Relieves-tension, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

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  • Amaranth

    Amaranth has these Actions in Common

    Muscle-relaxant, Relieves-tension, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relaxes-eyes

    LEARN MORE

  • Beets

    Beets has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Relaxes-eyes, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Apple (cooked)

    Apple (cooked) has these Actions in Common

    Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relaxes-eyes, Relieves-tension

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  • Sorghum Flour

    Sorghum Flour has these Actions in Common

    Relaxes-eyes, Anxiolytic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

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  • Nutmeg

    Nutmeg has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Shiitake Mushroom

    Shiitake Mushroom has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Portobello Mushroom

    Portobello Mushroom has these Actions in Common

    Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Anxiolytic

    LEARN MORE

Herbs & Supplements with a Similar Metabolic Impact to Somatic Relaxation

  • Self Massage

    Self Massage has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Calms-heart, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relaxes-eyes, Relieves-tension

    LEARN MORE

  • California Poppy

    California Poppy has these Actions in Common

    Calms-heart, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relaxes-eyes, Relieves-tension, Anxiolytic

    LEARN MORE

  • Adhipati - Head Marma Point (Baihui GV20)

    Adhipati - Head Marma Point (Baihui GV20) has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Calms-heart, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Massage with Oils

    Massage with Oils has these Actions in Common

    Calms-heart, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension, Anxiolytic

    LEARN MORE

  • Shirodhara Treatment

    Shirodhara Treatment has these Actions in Common

    Relieves-tension, Anxiolytic, Calms-heart, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Passionflower

    Passionflower has these Actions in Common

    Relieves-tension, Anxiolytic, Calms-heart, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding

    LEARN MORE

  • Motherwort

    Motherwort has these Actions in Common

    Calms-heart, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension, Anxiolytic

    LEARN MORE

  • Short inhale, long exhale

    Short inhale, long exhale has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Calms-heart, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension

    LEARN MORE

  • Frequent stretch / movement breaks

    Frequent stretch / movement breaks has these Actions in Common

    Anxiolytic, Muscle-relaxant, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relieves-tension

    LEARN MORE

  • Pitta Shirodhara Oil

    Pitta Shirodhara Oil has these Actions in Common

    Calms-heart, Nerve-relaxant-grounding, Relaxes-eyes, Relieves-tension

    LEARN MORE


Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

TRADITIONALLY INDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Somatic Relaxation may temper these symptoms. The suitability of any herb supplement for a condition is highly dependent on the individual and constitution. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.

CONTRAINDICATED FOR
THESE SYMPTOMS

Somatic Relaxation may be harmful or contraindicated for these symptoms. Note this is not a complete list of all possible contraindications. Please see your doctor before using this herb supplement to treat a medical condition.

Herb Drug Interaction Risk

Here are some potential herb drug interactions with Somatic Relaxation. Please see your health care provider for more information.
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Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’

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