
Mental Health Care After Abortion Loss of life is always tragic. The means of coping with abortion are as diverse as parents themselves. For some, the psychological effects of abortion can be lifelong. Parents may have long...
Ayurveda classifies pain into several types - inflammatory, tension related, and ama related (toxins), although the underlying cause of pain could be virtually any injury, disease or sickness. General aches & pains are often a sign of ama or toxic...
Blackheads indicate clogged pores. Recurring blackheads may indicate dirty or excessively oily skin. Skin becomes oily when the blood is sweet, or when Pitta brings excess blood to the area. In a Pitta constition, blackheads on the face imply excess...
Cystic acne may form in a person with a watery kapha constitution has a clogged pore, their body may form a cysts around the irritant.
A whitehead may also be painful. All painful whiteheads are due to a localized infection. Whiteheads can result from excessively sweet Kapha blood, or blood that is too high in sugar or fat content mixing with fiery Pitta toxins. The fiery toxins...
Anal itching implies irritation or inflammation near the anus. This is often due to candida, pinworms, or hemorrhoids, but may indicate other parasites as well. Candida & Parasites Sweet foods may aggravate candida symptoms...
Spasm in the anus, and muscle spasms in general, are caused by any of toxicity, electrolyte imbalance, tension, irritation, and blockage. Anal spasms may be caused by anxiety or nervousness as well.
Anemic blood is weaker than non-anemic. Blood that lacks umphh may leave you feeling cold, your skin pale, and your digestion weak. In fact, all blood intensive activities may be affected. Some of the types of anemia include iron-deficiency,...
Modern psychology seeks to conquer fear and anxiety in all its forms. However, some amount of fear is natural and healthy. In Ayurveda, unhealthy anxiety must be transformed into healthy anxiety that is natural and appropriate for health. We suggest...
We all need guidance. Growth is impossible until you surrender some part of yourself, and open up. But who can you trust? While the faith may be perfect, individuals are not. All things which seek to participate in God's nature...
Our family is our inheritance and identity. We experience obstacles, deprivation and our personal flaws more poignantly around family members. We may be reminded of old behavior patterns, deeply embedded in our families, that actively prevent our...
When the liver is toxic, the body naturally wants to cleanse, including withdrawing from provocative relationships, creating bitterness...
Bitterness wells up whenever we refuse to accept the world as it is, challenging us to re-examine the phrase, "God made the world and saw that it was good." (Genesis...
A Vata person feels cold due to stress, light clothing or deficiency - anemia, skipping meals, low blood sugar levels, high metabolism, excessively light foods, etc. A Kapha person feels cold due to depressed metabolism, low heart rate, and lethargy,...
The liver, heart, brain, and genitals are most sensitive to heat. Heat also aggravates a rash, or any inflammation in the body.
Kapha people tend to store excess water. They avoid humidity and anything soggy, including soggy foods because it resembles the way they feel: congested, clammy and heavy. Since Kapha people crave heavy foods without sogginess, they are seduced by...
Bleeding less than other people can be a good thing - it means you won't lose as much blood if you cut or injure yourself. If pathological, it could be due to either thick, viscous blood with sluggish circulation
Dark blood is stagnant blood due to poor circulation or thick, sweet Kapha blood.
The eyes may be bloodshot from a lack of sleep (Vata), irritation from contact lenses or debris (Vata), allergies (Pitta), a heat condition and even blood stagnation. Cucumbers on the eyes, cleansing the blood, and soothing the liver may help.
Dry eyes can be a sign of dehydration or irritation. Sours taste generally flushes the eyes and skin (for example: lime).
A blue / purple tongue indicates internal blood stagnation (Kapha) or cold quality (Vata).
Blue nail-beds signify stagnant blood, which may be due to poor circulation or low blood pressure.
Blurry vision may happens when the iris is dilated due to blood toxicity, or when the muscles that regulate the lens are weakened due to strain, starting a computer screen, etc.
People who are easily bored find life and the world generally insufficient for their ambitions. This in some sense is a rejection of the way things are naturally. So a bored person feels the need to make life more exciting than it is. Boredom amounts...
Indicates heart is pumping hard, and vessels are elastic.
Lumpy breasts during menstruation may imply excess estrogen. It could also be a sign of lymphatic stagnation.
Rosy cheeks, red lips, a pink tongue, and redness in the palms of the hand is a sign of rakta saar - or excellence in blood tissue. If the redness is a bright red, it can indicate high Pitta. While yellow color points to liver weakness, bright red...
Bright red blood signifies freshly released blood. Dark, clotted blood is older.
A bright red tongue can indicate heart heat or blood stagnation.
Anal burning implies irritation or inflammation near the anus. This may occur due to diarrhea that contains digestive acids, food acids, or spicy food. A burning anus can occur due to irritated hemorrhoids, or infection.
Kapha individuals appear calm outwardly but often experience a storm of emotions internally. Their ability to remain calm in difficult situations is a source of great stability. Internally, Kapha individuals are also careful to maintain this sense of...
Tight muscles can be a sign of cold, poor circulation, toxicity, or tension.
Clammy skin refers to skin that is wet, damp and sticky. Skin also usually feels cold to the touch. Most commonly, skin becomes clammy due to fluid accumulation in the extremities, often as a result of poor circulation.This can be due to thick plasma...
A clear or absent tongue coating could indicate excess heat or high metabolism, especially if the tongue is also bright red - a pitta condition. A "well-oiled" individual with adequate nourishment will have a slight, very thin coating on the back of...
Thick mucus is a sign of Kapha. Thin mucus is a sign of Vata. Mucus is increased by cold. Thin or clear mucus is often a sign of cold sinuses, or irritation of the sinus membranes due to toxicity. It is typical of a common cold due to deficiency in...
Clear urine can be a sign of adequate hydration, eating a diuretic, chronic cold, or that the kidneys are flushing toxins out of the blood. Chronic cold and toxicity may lead to frequent urination & chronic dehydration that cannot be remedied by...
Mastitis has several roots 1) lymphatic congestion due to sweet, thick blood, 2) Ama (toxins) irritating the milk ducts, and 3) other forms of stagnation due to poor circulation, or lack of nursing. The main treatments in Ayurveda are 1) blood...
On Joyful Belly, we've created an extensive categorization of food so you can easily match food to your imbalanced biocharacteristics. By eating an optimal diet that balances your biocharacteristics, your whole body is strengthened and the conditions that created the disorder are removed. Once the root causes of the disease are removed, the disease lessens in strength or disappears altogether. Additional remedies - such as herbs and lifestyle practices - focused on the specific disorder, can greatly enhance your healing.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’