#37 Ashoka, the Plant of Emotional Balance, Bliss, and Joy

This divine plant holds a place of privilege in the pantheon of ayurvedic pharmacopeia. Its medicinal properties are so numerous that it would be easier to list the benefits it doesn’t contribute to the physical and vibrational bodies. It enhances physical strength and mind-body coordination and supports both the physical and emotional hearts. Named after the warrior of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna will make you a warrior in dealing with the harm of electromagnetic frequencies, stress, pollution, toxicity, and many other hazards of modern life. PART 1: Vaidya Mishra explains the Vedic tradition and tales of Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita as well as the science of prana flow, ojas, and doshas as documented in the Sanskrit texts. PART 2: Dr. Melina Takvorian explains the transdermal delivery of Arjuna and conducts a practicum on how to apply the Samadhi Set Arjuna cream on the pertinent marmas. She also introduces the scientific research on the health benefits of this holy ayurvedic plant.

This is the third and last episode of the trilogy: What is Vat?What is Pitt?What is Kaph? Kaph is the best approximation spelling of the dosha which is transliterated as Kapha in the Western world. It is pronounced "Ca-fa" (with consonantal sounds similar to those in the word “coffee”.It is the dosha of people with a physiology that is soma-predominant and is divided into the five sub-doshas listed below (spelled Western style): 1) Tarpaka Kapha2) Kledaka Kapha3) Avlambaka Kapa4) Shleshaka Kapha5) Bodhaka Kapha Doshas not only govern the physiological processes in our body, but they are also influential in determining personality and character, and kapha people have the tendency to be friendly, sociable, team players, and more tolerant of social friction resulting from interactions with other persons.

This is episode number two of the trilogy:What is Vat?What is Pitt?What is Kaph? Pitt is the best approximation spelling of the dosha which is transliterated as Pitta in the Western world and pronounced as "Pit-ta" emphasizing the double “t” sound. It is the dosha of people with a physiology that is agni-predominant and is divided into the five sub-doshas listed below (spelled Western style):1) Pachaka Pitta2) Ranjaka Pitta3) Sadaka Pitta4) Alochaka Pitta 5) Bhranjaka Pitta

This episode is the first of a trilogy:What is Vat?What is Pitt?What is Kaph? Vat is the more proper spelling of the dosha which is transliterated as Vata in the Western world and pronounced as "Wata". Since Sanskrit has no letters, its "alphabet" is rather a syllabary, much like the Japanese katakana and hiragana, where characters represent full syllables instead of consonantal or vocalic sounds that have to be combined to make syllables. When a Sanskrit syllable has no vowel at the end, a minuscule "A" sound is attached to it, and since Western alphabets don't know of these short or "half vowels" the transliterations frequently add a full "A" sound at the end. Furthermore, familiar words such as Yoga and Ayurveda are actually "Yog" and "Ayurved" in their original Sanskrit form, they just get a full "A" sound appended at the end. Vat or Vata is one of the three ayurvedic doshas and is the dosha of people with a physiology that is marut-predominant. It is divided into the five sub-doshas listed below (spelled Western style) on which Vaidya Mishra elaborates in this episode covering the functions and the parts of the physical body that each of them governs: 1) Prana Vata2) Udana Vata3) Samana Vata4) Apana Vata5) Vyana Vata

Have you ever wondered why your ayurvedic practitioner asks you to sleep and eat in this or that way, to choose or avoid such and such foods and cooking methods; and to follow or avoid certain lifestyle habits, practices, and routines? In this enlightening two-part episode Dr. Teitelbaum explains in depth the principles that set the foundation for health, well-being, and bliss the ayurvedic way. Part 1 covers with erudition the concepts of Prana and Doshas, which set Ayurveda apart and above Western medicine going beyond the physical body into the realm of our vibrational physiology. Part 2 addresses ojas, the subtle vibrational “tissues” that complete the physiology equation when added to the seven physical tissues. And ama, the poorly-digested/semi-processed food substances that clog our channels and create toxins, the two issues at the root of almost every human illness.

Have you ever wondered why your ayurvedic practitioner asks you to sleep and eat in this or that way, to choose or avoid such and such foods and cooking methods; and to follow or avoid certain lifestyle habits, practices, and routines? In this enlightening two-part episode Dr. Teitelbaum explains in depth the principles that set the foundation for health, well-being, and bliss the ayurvedic way. Part 1 covers with erudition the concepts of Prana and Doshas, which set Ayurveda apart and above Western medicine going beyond the physical body into the realm of our vibrational physiology. Part 2 addresses ojas, the subtle vibrational “tissues” that complete the physiology equation when added to the seven physical tissues. And ama, the poorly-digested/semi-processed food substances that clog our channels and create toxins, the two issues at the root of almost every human illness.

Ashwaganda, sometimes called the “Indian Jing Sen” is a plant with amazing medicinal properties and a vaidya’s number one tool in the reduction of cortisol due to stress. In this episode, Vaidya Mishra discusses the problems related to stress and our modern lifestyle and how this holy plant is used in its treatment.  His accomplished student, Daria, Presents her research work on the subject, after which Vaidya answers the audience’s questions. Stay informed to stay healthy; this is a valuable presentation.

Bones are living tissue, as alive as muscles, skin, and blood; and its health needs to be addressed as such. Osteoporosis and other bone illnesses that we believe can be kept away by swallowing dead calcium-supplement pills are not cured or prevented with such pharmaceutical approaches. Not only are these practices ineffective, but unintelligent calcium ingested in excess and let wondering unattended in our bodies can stiffen arteries and joints, and pretty much cause unwanted accumulations in any bodily tissue. Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum brilliantly explains how to truly keep out bones healthy without creating problems in the rest of our physiology.

Some five decades ago, the word cholesterol became a household term and the bad guy to blame for all our illnesses and health misfortunes. Heart attacks, Alzheimer’s disease, high blood pressure, you name it. As research progressed, decades later we began to hear: “But wait, there is good cholesterol too”. At present time, Western medicine is discovering that the serial killer known as cholesterol was innocent of most charges while doctors’ dietary recommendations and prescriptions to keep the assassin low caused ravages in the health of two generations depleting the human brain of indispensable fat substances that led to all kinds of physiological imbalances responsible for life-long medical conditions and death. All you need to know about cholesterol, which could have saved countless lives should the West have known what has been common ayurvedic knowledge for millennia, is presented in this episode.

Ashoka means in Sanskrit that which takes away the grief. This holly ayurvedic plant is known for its beneficial effect on the hridya (the emotional heart); it lifts the spirit and conveys a feeling of blissful joy. Its medicinal properties include cooling effects that help to balance the excess of agni (fire) in the liver, pancreas, colon, and other organs reducing inflammation and the production of ama and amavisha (toxins). It is also an excellent sugar regulator that helps in the production of insulin, the cellular absorption of sugar and nutrients, and the overall management of diabetes.