Pregnancy is a life-changing event, and Ayurveda stresses that a woman should be in good health before becoming pregnant to help the chances of the baby being healthy and to make the pregnancy and delivery go more smoothly.  Ayurveda also says that the father should also be in good health, as it is the constitutions of both parents that determine the constitution of the baby.  Both parents need to cultivate love and affection during the pregnancy, so that the child feels it as well.  Here are other ayurvedic recommendations during pregnancy:

-Diet: No drugs, caffeine or alcohol.  No extremes of any kind – no de-toxing or drastic dieting.  Follow a Vata pacifying diet.  Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh juices, whole grains.  Listen to the signals your body gives you.  Drink lots of fresh water.

-Exercise: Gentle exercise like walking, swimming, and yoga is good.  A pre-natal yoga class may be beneficial to understand what modifications are necessary.  Avoid any strain.

-Stress: Cut back on your workload as much as possible.  Use your support system, friends and family, to help you out.  Take care of yourself mentally, physically and emotionally.

-Rest: Takes naps when your body signals you to do so.  Make sure you get enough sleep at night.

-Massage: Abhyanga (ayurvedic self massage) is a wonderful daily practice.  Pay special attention to the belly to avoid stretch marks.  An ayurvedic massage therapist can help to stimulate marma points to relieve some of the discomforts that come with pregnancy, like sciatica, heartburn, or swelling.

-Meditation: Meditation is especially beneficial during pregnancy to help you relax and relieve stress.  Enjoy quiet times by yourself before the baby comes!

The simple translation for maya is “illusion.”  When we go further, we find that maya refers to “material existence.”  But this doesn’t mean to imply that material existence is an illusion.  An excellent explanation of this is found in “The Tao of Physics” by Fritjof Capra.  He says: “Maya does not mean that the world is an illusion, as is often wrongly stated.  The illusion merely lies in our point of view.  Maya is the illusion of mistaking our relative perspective for reality, of confusing the map with the territory.”  The philosophy behind all of this is that the material world exists, yet it is temporary.  When we see it as permanent, then we are mistaken.  Material things are measurable, they take place in space and time.  What is permanent is the spiritual, which takes place beyond space and time.  The spiritual is limitless, boundless, full of infinite potential.  This is the true reality.

Ayurveda sees diabetes as a metabolic Kapha disorder in which the agni (digestive fire) has reduced its functioning.  Low agni can lead to a tendency to have high blood sugar.  To boost agni, and prevent high blood sugar, ayurveda has the following recommendations:

-Follow a Kapha pacifying diet (bitter, pungent and astringent tastes are favored)

-Avoid sugar in any form (this includes rice, potato, banana, cereals, and fruits containing a high percentage of sugar)

-Limit protein.  Meat should be avoided, protein from soy and fish is better.

-Eliminate fats and oils.

-Raw vegetables and herbs play a part in stimulating the pancreas and thus enhancing insulin production, so eat lots of veggies.

-Exercise regularly, and vigorously.  A twice daily walk is recommended, in addition to daily exercise like cycling, swimming, or jogging.  Work up a sweat once a day.

-Turmeric is one of the best herbs to stimulate agni.  It is the main ingredient used in curry.  A simple way to get turmeric into your daily routine is with herbal supplements like those offered from Organic India. The Turmeric Formula is made with organic herbs, and contains powerful antioxidant properties.

Turmeric Formula from Organic India

The numbers 50, 99 and 100 and 1000 recur constantly in Vedic texts.  The symbolic significance of this has to do with the mystic number 7.  Seven is the number of essential principles in Nature, and it the number of forms of divine consciousness in the world.  Seven multiplied by itself is 49.  The number one is significant because it is out of one that everything develops.  When 1 is added to 49 we have 50.  When 49 is doubled, and then 1 is added, we have 99, as in the 99 horses, rivers, and cities that are referred to in the texts.  When there is a double repetition of 49, and 1 added to both ends, the result it 1+49+49+1=100.  100 is a number of completion.

When you go to see an Ayurvedic practitioner, one of the first things that he or she will do is to take your pulse.  When western doctors take your pulse, they are counting the beats.  An Ayurvedic practitioner uses the pulse in a much different way.  Three fingers are used, and each finger “reads” how much a dosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) is present in the physiology.  The doshas run through the blood in a predictable way, so a trained practitioner can sense the movement of the doshas and figure out which is dominant.  The most subtle dosha is vata.  It is felt with the index finger.  Pitta is felt with the third finger, it is liquid and substantial in nature.  Kapha is felt with the ring finger – it is heavy and slow in nature.  The practitioner feels for these qualities, and also the underlying subtle qualities that lie beneath each dosha.  An experienced practitioner can get a lot of information just from your pulse!

We’re looking at the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga.  We’ve already gone through the first five, which are external practices.  These are the last three, which are internal practices. 

-Dharana is concentration.  The idea is to fix our attention on one focal point.  This helps us to gain equanimity, poise, and grace.

-Dhyana is meditation.  The purpose of meditation is to quiet the mind and open the heart.  In this way we become aware of our connection with the Divine.

-Samadhi is super-consciousness.  It is also called bliss, union, or enlightenment.  It is when we experience the presence of the Divine with our entire self, body mind and soul.

Shatavri is also known as Wild Asparagus Root, or Asparagus Racemosus.  In their book “The Yoga of Herbs” Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. David Frawley say that as a Sanskrit word, it Shatavri could be translated to mean “she who possesses a hundred husbands.”  This herb got the name because it is said that it makes a woman’s reproductive system so strong.  What makes Shatavri so potent is that it is rich in natural phyto-estrogens, which are great at helping women through hormonal changes.  It can be used at any age, and is particularly effective for easing the symptoms of PMS and menopause.

Organic India has Shatavri in their “Goddess Set” which also includes Tulsi (Holy Basil) for stress relief and a healthy immune function, and Bowelcare,  which helps nutrient absorption and healthy elimination.  When taken together, these supplements naturally assist a woman’s body to restore and maintain optimal health.

Goddess Set from Organic India

The third limb of Ashtanga Yoga is Asana, or yoga postures.  This is the physical form of yoga that we are used to seeing.  It helps us to attain stillness in both mind and body.  The poses create strength and flexibility.

The fourth limb is Pranayama, or breath control.  With these breathing exercises we can achieve a balanced state of mind.  These are many different exercises that work to invigorate the system and calm the mind.

The fifth limb is Pratyahara, or controlling the senses.  This is practicing detachment from the distractions of life. 

Niyama is the second limb in Ashtanga Yoga.  It means observances, and self-restraint.  There are five inner practices we can follow to maintain moral principles:

-Samtosa is contentment.  Be happy in the present moment.  Know that everything you have, and everything you are is enough.  Be satisfied and content.

-Tapas is a zest for life.  Learn and grow every day, build strength and wisdom.  Develop spiritual practices and be disciplined.

-Saucha is a purity of body and mind.  Take care of yourself, body, mind and spirit, and also take care of your environment.

-Svadhyaya is self-referral.  Practice contemplation and introspection.  Get to know yourself so that you may then know others.

-Ishvara Pranidhana is devotion.  Let go of the ego and embrace a higher source.  Approach life with a sense of gratitude.

Ashtanga Yoga is known as the “Eight-limbed Path” for the eight stages of yoga practice that a yogi passes through to attain awakening.  These stages were first written about in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  The first five limbs are external practices, and the last three are internal practices.  Over the next few weeks we will look at some of these limbs.  The first one is “Yama” which is Sanskrit for restraints, or moral discipline.  The yamas are broken down into five elements of spiritual practice that we can utilize:

-Aparigraha is not acquiring.  Basically this means to avoid being greedy, to simplify, to not accumulate or use more than you need.

-Asteya is not stealing.  Respect other people and their boundaries and property.  Do not take something that is not yours, whether it is in a material, physical, spiritual, intellectual or emotional sense.

-Ahimsa is nonviolence.  Practice peace in thought, word and deed, towards yourself and others.

-Brahmacharya is moderation.  It also means we must be virtuous, to be loving and have compassion for others.

-Satya is truthfulness.  Be honest, have integrity, understand the power of the spoken word.