Balance your Digestion with Ayurveda

With our understanding of the microbiome, and it's impact on mental health and immunity, the ancients' focus on digestive health as key to a long and happy life, is beginning to make sense in the scientific community and in mainstream culture.

Ayurveda has always taught that untreated digestive imbalance eventually moves into the deeper tissues of the body and becomes a root cause of disease. Exactly which kind of disease or which tissue is targeted depends on your personal "weak links" (genetics, past history, etc.).

That's why taking pharmaceutical drugs to deal with symptoms of indigestion is not advised, at least not long term. A favorite adage of Ayurveda is, "everything is poison and everything is medicine." It all depends on who is taking the substance and the context. Short term use of pharmaceuticals for digestive distress is surely medicine, but without a deeper understanding of what's causing the distress, and how to remove it, that same medicine will eventually become poison, by compounding the original problem with unwanted side-effects.

Sometimes we've been dealing with indigestion for so long, we don't notice it anymore, or at least we don't register it as a problem. The heartburn after a meal, the gas and bloating during the digestive process, the heaviness in the gut after meals begin to feel normal. What does balanced digestion look like?

Balanced digestion shows up in these ways~

• regular hunger that is easily satisfied

• ease during the digestive process

• regular elimination (formed, complete, unoffensive odor)

• a feeling of relaxation and energy after meals

• mental clarity

• self-confidence

• strong immunity

• balanced body temperature

• good quality tissue formation

• radiance

• lustrous skin and eyes
  

The end result of balanced physical digestion is good quality tissue development and strong immunity.

Remember, besides food, we are also digesting our life experience. Regular practice of unburdening your heart and mind are essential to healing digestive disorders. Find friends, loved ones and practitioners to support you. If you are the type that doesn't reach out easily, this is especially important for you. The end result of good mental digestion is peace of mind and wisdom.

Learning to eat differently, and attend to "life digestion," is a process, and you get to start where you are. You don't have to get this all right all at once. Instead, I recommend picking one or two practices, and attending to them over the course of a week to feel the difference. for a while. Find a friend to do this with, and support each other.

This is an excellent way to be led through a gentle, time tested process of balancing your digestion while getting grounded in some new healthy habits, with the support of a guide and others on the path with you.

Here's to healthy, feel good, digestion for all!

In service and love,

Shannon