“I’m over 50, vata dosha for as long as I can remember. I live in the Northeast (Massachusetts) and started using SVA Vatta Abhyanga Oil with Magnesium & Vitamin D last winter. My question is that in our cold climate I want to apply it just  before getting out of my steam shower in the morning and then putting on warm layers of clothing. Last winter I followed the recommendation of applying, turning on the fireplace in my room and waiting 20 minutes to shower it off. Is it less effective if I use it at the end of the shower and don’t wash it off?
I also do the Samadhi set each day before meditation.
Any insight is much appreciated,
Namaste,
Wendy P.”

Dear Wendy: yes, it is possible to do it at the end of your steam shower. Just make sure you apply only a thin layer of oil, not a thick one. Although this is a massage oil rich in nutrients that nourishes your physiology, it is also, by its nature and by definition a detoxifying medium. By definition, oils pull out toxins, they bind the fat soluble toxins through the skin and pull them out of the cellular system. This is why I recommend to wait 20 minutes before washing it off, so you allow time for your body to detox and let your cellular system be nourished. Since this oil has additional nutritional content, you may apply and leave it on after shower for optimal absorption since your channels will be open and even more receptive of the transdermal nutrients. But make sure you are applying only a very thin layer, and not soaking yourself in oil, and make sure that you are wearing warm clothes after applying it, because the oil molecules retain temperatures for a long time.

“Namaste SVA Support Person
I have a request for Vaidya Mishra : Please could he discuss Chyavanprash. Is it always good for everybody of all ages or should it be avoided in ama conditions like, low jatharagni, heavy phlegm, flu, sore joints, white coating on tongue etc, because it is a rasayan and therefore heavy to digest? I would like clarification because some vaidyas  say to avoid if there is ama and some say it is good anyway, especially for coughs and colds or boosting immunity. I have been reading Vaidya Mishra’s newsletters for the past 2 years and I take his word as the last definitive word on any topic. He has such depth of knowledge and such clarity in imparting the wisdom of Ayurveda.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Gita K.
Melbourne Australia”

Dear Gita: the Shastras say that all the “avaleha”s (semi-liquid pastes almost always made with sugar and ghee) including chyavanprash should only be taken when/if “jatharagni” (also known as “pachakagni” or the metabolic fire in the stomach) is sharp and optimal; otherwise consuming chayavanprash results in ama or toxins. There is no doubt that chyavanprash is a great rasayana, a rejuvenating blend of herbs and spices, an ancient effective formula; however, in the case of the flu, phlegm, congestion, etc, it is best to first address those with other ayurvedic means before resuming the use of chyavanprash.

But your question incites me to addressan important point in this context: you should be aware of using the chyavanprash available on the market, for many reasons. For one, many of the ingredients in the original classical formula are very hard to procure. It contains more than 45 original ingredients, and many of these ingredients are not easily available. The cost of gathering those ingredients is increasing. Many commercial chyavanprash brands are competing against eachother lowering their price. It makes me wonder how any company can manage to put together a pure and original chyavanprash formula but selling it at extremely low prices. In addition, one of the primary ingredients, the amla berry, is not even used in the form it should be: nobody makes chyavanprash with wild harvested amla, but rather with hybridized, and probably genetically modified, amla because wild amla has less yield and more fiber including larger seeds. Wild harvested amla is not a commercially viable product, specially since chyawanprash is in such high demand as a natural herbal product good for boosting immunity health from 6 to 66 years old! Yet another problem in the commercial manufacturing of chyavanprash nowadays is the use of refined white sugar crystals, as well as ghee derived from milk butter instead of yogurt butter. Last but not least, almost all brands of commercially available chyavanprash are packaged in plastic jars. Amla, its primary ingredient, being acidic in nature, will interact with the container leaching plastic molecules into the “prash” or mixture making it highly toxic. In addition, you should check the label, as sometimes they add preservatives. The original formula, when made right, has what it takes to preserve itself. However, when it is not done right with the right ingredients, a preservative is needed to make sure it can be stored on shelves for extended periods of time.

“How does one overcome bacterial / yeast overgrowth in the gut? What herbs are good for treating yeast/candida issues? Thank You.
Vidhya P.”

Dear Vidhya: This is a really great question. I deal with this problem on a daily basis with almost every patient in my practice. This problem is one that is fairly easy to fix, but many people are having a hard time fixing it because they need to be under the care of someone who is familiar with the problem.

You really can’t take herbs that will fix this problem. Instead, you have to re-culture the friendly bacteria in the gut. This is not so hard to do, but I would refer you to one of the  SVA practitioners, so they can first get your history and then prescribe the correct remedies.

In general, however, if there is too much heat (pitta) in the gut or an acid pH in the system, the friendly bacteria that reside in the gut can die off. These friendly bacteria are responsible for preventing yeast and bacterial overgrowth in the gut. If you take any remedy to kill infection, such as oregano oil, pau darco tea, garlic (these are some of the remedies our patients have tried before coming in to see me) it won’t work. Even the pharmaceuticals, such as diflucan and flagyll don’t work, because what all these things do is kill infection. Once you kill the infection, it will grow right back.
So the real key to the problem is to re-establish the friendly bacteria, which will automatically kill the infection in the gut and prevent any future re-occurrence. Re-growing the friendly bacteria is just like growing seeds in a garden -­ you need something that acts like a fertilizer, a good seed (probiotic culture which is alive -­ all the yogurts in the supermarket have very little active cultures and most of the probiotics on the market are dead cultures). These friendly bacteria are very delicate, so when you process a probiotic or make yogurt and keep it on the supermarket shelf for days, the cultures automatically die off.

And finally, Dr.Mishra made a formula to fix the lining of the gut so the friendly bacteria can grow -­ like bringing new topsoil into the garden.

Then, if you combine this with an alkaline diet, the gut will be free of any pathogens.

I treat patients via telephone conferences around the world. If you want a phone consultation with me, we charge $3.00 a minute, and I can go over your history with you and see what your program will be to fix the problem. My telephone # is 856-786-3330. Most telephone consultations usually last about 20 minutes.

Dr.Marianne Teitelbaum
Cinnaminson, New Jersey

“Good Morning. I am new to Ayurveda. I am enjoying the way I feel and how my daughters feel with the diet change and herb supplements. I do have a concern though. We are born again Christians. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. What are your thoughts on a family following Ayurveda diet & Medicine  withoutthe spiritual connection of chanting, etc. I have been told conflicting things on this subject.
Thank you for your insight.
Sue H.”

Dear Susan: welcome to Ayurveda! And rest assured that Ayurveda is through and through a secular health care science. As far as chanting goes, while it has and may be used by religious aspirants as an aspect of spiritual practice, by definition in Ayurveda, chanting and the recitation of sounds or mantra-s is part of a holistic healing protocol that aims to reset the physiology on a vibrational level, to relax and calm the nervous system and the mind to initiate total optimal healing. This is a purely scientific and observable practice that can be measured with modern scientific instruments. The PNI theory or theory of psycho-neuro-immunology has given many breakthrough conclusions through modern scientificresearch. Thousands of studies have been published in well-known journals showing the benefits of exposing the physiology to specific vibrational sounds (of (ayur)vedic or other origin) for therapeutic purposes. See, for example, the recordings I recently released with carnatic vocalist Aditya Prakash, the balancing mantras for the organs and different aspects of the physiology.

So in and of itself, the recitation of mantras or chants is not a religious activity as originally described and prescribed by Ayurveda. Through listening to chants or chanting oneself, the physiology is meant to be brought to relax, made to take the inward stroke by silencing the external sensory experiences. In this sense, chanting of specific syllables can be used by people of any credence or religion, without foregoing their faith, as a balancing tool that helps calm the nervous system, and silence the mind so there can be even better communication, for example, through prayer, between the individual and his/her God.

“Dear Vaidya Mishra, My sister was told by an ayurvedic vaidya in Europe that to help lubricate the eyes, before retiring at night, rub a small amount of ghee on the outside of the eyelids and also rub a little ghee clockwise over the navel to help the eyes. My husband I both tried that. Each morning we both woke feeling there was grit or sand in our eyes. This cleared after 10 minutes or so. Also, my husband experienced partially blurry vision due to the ghee application. It took about 2 hours for his vision to become clear again. My question is what causes the grittiness? Is it toxins being drawn out  by the ghee being absorbed into the eye during the night or is the ghee aggravating the eye and causing the dry, gritty feeling? Would coconut oil be as effective in helping the eyes or must it be ghee? How is ghee supposed to help the eyes? – Christine C.”

Dear Christine: Instead of just applying ghee, you should make Pitta Triphala ghee. Use Mum’s Ghee – as it is ligther because it is made form yoghurt instead of butter. Here’s how to do it: take 10 capsules of SVA High Pitta Triphala for 4oz of ghee. Warm the ghee until it gets to boiling point, add the content of the capsules. Remove from the fire and cover it. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Strain using a coffee filter, and store in an airtight container. Use this High Pitta Triphala ghee to apply around the eyes, on the eyelids, and on the temples – apply in a clockwise motion as if your temple had a clock. After applying let it sit for 5 minutes but then wipe it out before going to bed. You can make a batch and keep in airtight container for 10 days. No need to refrigerate. Grittiness in the eyes is caused by both toxins being released as well as the ghee application. In the SV tradition we do not recommend to apply only ghee. Ghee alone can pull out toxins but it can also clog the channels depending on many individual and environmental factors. Triphala, on the other hand, binds toxins and opens the channels. Triphala is known to be a great “dravya” for the eyes, for nurturing and detoxifying. My formulat for High Pitta Triphala contains rose which is very good for pitta pacification without blocking the channels. And the eyes are governed by alochak pitta, so anything soothing and cooling is additional support.
Ghee is in general good for the eyes because it is pitta vata pacifying, and nurtures the nerves, nurtures and detoxifies mildly, lubricates the channels. Do not use coconut oil as it will freeze and clog the channels particularly in cold weather so it is not recommended to use coconut for the eyes. Try the High Pitta Triphala ghee recipe and let me know how you like it!

“Dear Vaidya, hope you are doing good. Thank you for all the good information, I would like to ask a question about Triphala if I may. I follow a diet of grains, vegetables, and paneer, which I make with lime; I eat yogurt at my lunch meal for which I also follow your directions and add water to it. I also eat a lot of fruit through out my day and my drink of choice is warm water. I have been taking Triphala 2 times a day and at night I add Prakrit. My question is with this kind of diet why do my bowels not work with out the use of these things?
Thank you, Respectfully – Jim K., Bethlehem,
Pa.”

“Dear Jim: The Charak Samhita explains that there are 3 types of innate bowel tendencies in an individual:

1. Krur kosthi tendency which means an individual is by birth prone to constipation regardless of what kind of diet they keep;
2. Madhya kosthi which is a bowel tendency that is neither loose nor constipated;
3. Mridhu kosthi – bowels that tend to be always on the soft loose side. Everybody is born with one of these kosti prakriti-s or innate natural bowel tendencies. It seems that you belong to the first group, that you are “krur kosthi,” that is why you need to support your physiology by taking the supplements. But remember, both the Triphala as well as the Prakrit tablets are derived from fruits, so you are in fact just adding more fruits to your diet. Fruits that do not have any side effects. These fruits have a short and immediate as well as long term benefits.
   In the short term, you are supporting your bowel movement to be regular and optimal; but in the long term, these fruit tablets act as a “rasayana.” Rasayana means: that which can slow down aging, or give optimal graceful aging, as well as support your immune system. The fruits that Triphala – literally formed by the words “tri” for three and “phala” for fruit – is made up of, as well as the fruit that Prakrit is made up of are renowned for their health supporting properties and are helping connect your colon to your mind, so that your bowel movement occurs daily and regularly. Plus they create a very good environment for friendly bacteria to thrive in. And you know that a gut populated by friendly bacteria is the key to optimal health as they facilitate not only elimination but absorption of nutrients as well.
   Having at least one good daily bowel movement through which one evacuates toxins from the physiology on a daily basis can be the ultimate secret for a long and healthy life…