This month we are expanding the way we view and discuss leadership to include health. 2130 Partners believes good health is both fundamental and critical to leadership. As I'm sure you have experienced, even a cold can diminish our ability to function effectively so managing and optimizing health is a key to excelling as a leader. For our first expert article on this topic, we are pleased to present Keesha Morris as this month's guest author. Keesha holds many credentials in both western and eastern medicine including ARNP, FNP, AAP, RYT. Currently she is the Medical Director of the Fern Life Center in Issaquah, Washington, which integrates cuttting-edge modern Western medicine and Naturopathy with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. To learn more about Keesha and her work please visit http://www.fernlifecenter.com/
An Introduction to Ayurveda
--- by Keesha Morris
--- by Keesha Morris
Good health is an important aspect of being a good leader. So much of our time is spent in busy activity and many of us frequently forget to take care of our own needs, only becoming aware of imbalances when our bodies manifest serious signs of illness. We don't notice that our bodies have actually been trying for a long time to get our attention through minor warning signs! Frequently, the key to achieving balance lies in simply backing off and becoming still enough in our minds to notice what is not working in the current moment. This could be our sleep patterns, food choices, or exercise routines. Lao-tzu says this most eloquently, "Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear."
Ayurveda (Science of Life in Sanskrit), is the sister science or medical arm of yoga. Ayurveda explains why the same sleep/wake cycle, diet, and/or
exercise don't work for every person, why everyone reacts differently to medications, and why we have such different ways of perceiving and processing our life experiences. According to Ayurveda, everyone is born with a unique combination of the five elements (space, air, fire, water, and Earth); these are called doshas (or your constitution). Your birth constitution becomes imbalanced throughout your life due to your diet, patterns of exercise, lifestyle, time of day, time of life, environment and climate, relationships and your emotional processing of them, and many other variables. Your constitution can be brought back into harmony through lifestyle modifications and herbs. One of the most effective ways of bringing balance to your life is to alter your diet to match the needs of your unique constitution. The constitutional types are called vata, pitta and kapha in Sanskrit.
Ayurveda (Science of Life in Sanskrit), is the sister science or medical arm of yoga. Ayurveda explains why the same sleep/wake cycle, diet, and/or
exercise don't work for every person, why everyone reacts differently to medications, and why we have such different ways of perceiving and processing our life experiences. According to Ayurveda, everyone is born with a unique combination of the five elements (space, air, fire, water, and Earth); these are called doshas (or your constitution). Your birth constitution becomes imbalanced throughout your life due to your diet, patterns of exercise, lifestyle, time of day, time of life, environment and climate, relationships and your emotional processing of them, and many other variables. Your constitution can be brought back into harmony through lifestyle modifications and herbs. One of the most effective ways of bringing balance to your life is to alter your diet to match the needs of your unique constitution. The constitutional types are called vata, pitta and kapha in Sanskrit.Vata
It is common for a vata imbalanced person to become constipated, to wake up early in the morning and not be able to fall back to sleep, or to have difficulty focusing in the afternoon. With practice and observation, you can begin to notice the effects that your food and lifestyle choices have on your sleep, digestion and sense of well being.
It is common for a vata imbalanced person to become constipated, to wake up early in the morning and not be able to fall back to sleep, or to have difficulty focusing in the afternoon. With practice and observation, you can begin to notice the effects that your food and lifestyle choices have on your sleep, digestion and sense of well being.
Fall and early winter are high vata seasons. At the same time that leaves dry up and fall from the trees vata bodies become dry, windy and cool. It is important to stay warm and seek sunny patches like a cat!
The vata time of life is from 50 years to death. Our bodies become dry, wrinkled, stiff, and constipated and our minds suffer from increased anxiety, confusion, fear, and an inability to focus and remember. This doesn't have to be the case! Ayurveda has daily routines for the vata time of life that, (especially if begun early in mid-life), prevent this kind of aging that is considered the norm in our culture.
Pitta
Pitta predominant people don't like missing meals, (becoming crabby), and usually have strong digestion. If a pitta individual stays awake past 10 pm, they usually get a "second wind" and cannot fall asleep until much later. This is because the pitta time of day is 10pm to 2 am. High noon on a hot day is a particularly irritable time of day for a pitta.
Pitta
Pitta predominant people don't like missing meals, (becoming crabby), and usually have strong digestion. If a pitta individual stays awake past 10 pm, they usually get a "second wind" and cannot fall asleep until much later. This is because the pitta time of day is 10pm to 2 am. High noon on a hot day is a particularly irritable time of day for a pitta.
Pitta prefers cooler weather and should eat cooling foods during hot summer months.
The pitta time of life is from 18 to 50 years of age, (the most transformative years). Ayurveda has many recommendations for the pitta to avoid heat induced colitis, ulcers, gall bladder problems, headaches, and over 40 weight gain, (from a tired liver).
Kapha
Kapha is stable, moist, cool, and heavy people with predominant kapha dosha are loyal, grounded, and serene. Imbalanced kapha leads to weight gain, clinging and congestion. Too much sweet taste imbalances kapha folks, who should be tending toward the heating and pungent spices.
If a kapha stays up too late at night, they will struggle to arise before the sun the next day. A dip in energy at the end of the day is also normal and finds many kapha people in front of a television. The kapha time of day is 6am to 10 pm. This means it is essential for a kapha to get to bed by 10 pm and be up before 6 am to get optimal energy for the day!
Kapha individuals need warm dry climates and regular physical exercise to combat lethargy. The kapha time of life is from birth to maturity when the body is growing. This explains the tendency for young children to have frequent congestion during the cold season!
Kapha
Kapha is stable, moist, cool, and heavy people with predominant kapha dosha are loyal, grounded, and serene. Imbalanced kapha leads to weight gain, clinging and congestion. Too much sweet taste imbalances kapha folks, who should be tending toward the heating and pungent spices.
If a kapha stays up too late at night, they will struggle to arise before the sun the next day. A dip in energy at the end of the day is also normal and finds many kapha people in front of a television. The kapha time of day is 6am to 10 pm. This means it is essential for a kapha to get to bed by 10 pm and be up before 6 am to get optimal energy for the day!
Kapha individuals need warm dry climates and regular physical exercise to combat lethargy. The kapha time of life is from birth to maturity when the body is growing. This explains the tendency for young children to have frequent congestion during the cold season!
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