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We should not see pain as an unsolvable problem, but as a challenge to improve our mental and physical well-being. In this, we can be of great help with the ancient, aimed at treating the cause of pain, Ayurvedic philosophy.
Pain: a signal. Symptom. The desperate voice of the body, which indicates that something is very wrong now. We want to get rid of it, but the method of treatment that Western medicine usually offers - suppressing the sensation of pain with chemical preparations - cannot lead to a cure, at best only to an alleviation of symptoms.
And pain is present in all of our lives. We were born in the midst of pain, and very often we live in pain. In Western "civilized" countries, every second person struggles with headaches, and the various forms of joint ailments are almost as common.
However, most of the time we don't pay attention at the word of our body. We want to get rid of the pain without doing anything to eliminate the cause of the pain. The side effects of painkillers taken in handfuls and over a long period of time are not only ignored by patients, but often by doctors as well, saying that they are unavoidable. However, even the use of simpler drugs contains many dangers. All painkillers have serious side effects, which cause thousands of deaths every year, and whose treatment costs slowly exceed the costs of treating the actual disease.
The Ayurvedic approach therefore places the emphasis not on alleviating the feeling of pain, but on eliminating the cause of the pain. After all, what is the point of silencing the emergency signal, but the emergency situation still does not end? We would look strangely at the motorist who, instead of refueling his vehicle, would rather remove the low-fuel light from the dashboard!
What does the pain indicate? The organization imbalance. Therefore, the most important thing is to create this. According to Áyurveda, all diseases and physical and mental problems can be traced back to the disturbance of the three basic principles governing our physical and mental functioning, the three doshas - Vata, Pitta, Kapha. By correcting this confusion and imbalance, we not only get rid of pain, but also create good and lasting health.
The sensation of pain itself is primarily related to the Vata dosa, since Vata is the leader of the dosas, the controlling principle responsible for the flow of information in the body and the movement of all other dosas. A feeling of pain occurs where something prevents the free flow of information.
It is also a common experience that the feeling of pain is not the same, most of its forms appear during the Vata-dominant times of the day (at night and early morning and early afternoon), and we are also more sensitive to pain at that time. An example is the most unpleasant toothache at night or in the morning. Headaches almost always appear as a result of life situations that stimulate Vata (stress, tension, mental strain).
Of course, the other doshas also play a role in the development of the pain itself and in the creation of the problems that cause the feeling of pain. Based on these, we can treat the various symptoms and eliminate the causes of the symptoms by bringing the appropriate dosha into balance. The diverse palette of Ayurvedic remedies offers many options for these. Based on Ernst Schrott and Wolfgang Schachinger's book, the following types of pain can be associated with different doshas:
Vata pain carries the characteristics of the Vata dosa consisting of the elements wind and space: pulling, spasmodic and tense, like an overburdened Vata; similar to the sudden, changeable nature of the dosa, it can flash like a lightning strike, or - since Vata is the principle responsible for all movement in the body - it is constantly wandering and changing. Vata pain typically intensifies as a result of all the factors that stimulate Vata, such as: cold, draft, dryness; exertion, sudden movements; stress, haste, fear, problems; fasting, dry, raw and flatulent foods.
Vata pain characteristic forms of expression: headaches caused by tension, nerve pain and sciatica, various spasms, stress-sensitive joint and spinal disorders, neck pain caused by drafts and all problems where (whether mental or physical) flexibility or stiffness can be spoken of, since both manifestation of Vata.
Vata pain is soothed by everything that calms Vata: warmth, peace, rest and silence; the oily, wet and warm poultice, the steam bath; following a regular schedule, above all regular meals; sufficient fluid intake and the consumption of warm and nutritious food. (For details on balancing the Vata dosa, see: Elixir No. 137, July 2000, page 48)
Pitta pain is mostly like fiery Pitta: throbbing, burning, stabbing pain, which is often associated with inflammation, irritability, and heat produced by the characteristic Pitta imbalance. Everything that excites Pitta has a bad effect on him: heat and heat waves; anger, aggressiveness; overload; hot, spicy and sour foods; hunger; harmful recreational items, above all alcohol.
Types of pain associated with Pitta for example, migraine-like headache, the so-called Cluster headache, throbbing headache, acute arthritis or stomach ulcer.
THE Pitta pain are dampened cooling treatments that help to dissipate heat, maintaining the right balance of rest and activity, enjoying the beauty of nature, moderation and refraining from harmful pleasure items. (For details on balancing the Pitta dosa, see: Elixir No. 140, October 2000, pages 34-35)
Pain associated with Kapha dull, diffuse, not precisely defined. Cold, dampness; too much sleep, sedentary lifestyle; gloom, monotony; it increases as a result of heavy, cold, fatty and carbohydrate-rich foods.
Typical manifestations of Kapha pain diseases resulting from inflammation of the mucous membranes, such as sinusitis; the cases where fluid accumulates in the joints due to inadequate metabolism, as well as the dull headache accompanied by depression.
THE Kapha pain it helps a lot in calming it down dry heat, dry massage; movement, fun, motivation, mental work; light, spicy, metabolism-stimulating foods and fasting.
It often happens that there are heavy, sticky waste materials deposited in the body - which in the Ayurvedic summary to my father also play a role in the development of pain. Since the properties of Kapha and ama are similar in many ways (both are heavy, sticky, cold, difficult to move, among other things), when there is an excess of ama, we can encounter symptoms referring to Kapha. A typical case of this is, for example, chronic polyarthritis. In general, it can be said that for all painful diseases where the main cause is an excess of ama, detoxification remedies such as fasting, juice fasting or the traditional Ayurvedic cleansing cure, Panchakarma, are very effective. (For details on balancing the Kapha dosa, see: Elixir Issue 143, January 2001, Page 35)
Of course, pain cannot be limited to physical pain. The body hurts and the soul hurts too. The tradition of Maharishi Ayurveda holds that a person is an inseparable unity of body and soul, therefore his approaches aim to create mental health in addition to physical complaints. After all, Susruta, the legendary classic of the science of Ayurveda, already formulated it: in order to consider a person healthy, it is not enough that his body's functioning, metabolism, digestion, excretion and tissues are in balance, it is equally important that his senses and mind - his whole soul - are " enjoy lasting inner peace. That is: a person who is not happy cannot be considered healthy from an Ayurvedic point of view.
Peace of mind and emotional balance are mostly associated with one sub-dosa of Vata and Pitta, Prana Vata and Sádhaka Pitta. The seat of Prana Vata is the lungs and head. This organ is responsible for the operation of breathing in the body, and it regulates the functioning of the brain and memory, supervises feelings and emotions, and thinking. Maintaining the balance of Prana and Vata is the most important of all its subordinates. Just as Vata is considered to be the leader of the dosas, so Prana Vata also leads and drags the subordinates of Vata. Typical symptoms of unbalanced Prana and Vata are various nervous system problems, headaches caused by tension, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, overvoltage. The seat of Sádhaka Pitta is the heart, and it is responsible for the operation of emotions and feelings. Losing your balance can lead to depression and other psychiatric problems, as well as memory disorders and pathological inability to make decisions.
Áyurveda recommends a method similar to the treatment of physical pain to eliminate mental pain. We don't try to dull the pain (with various intoxicating chemicals), but let's create inner peace. As Maharishi says: don't try to dispel the darkness, but light the light and the darkness will dispel itself. If, with the help of Transcendental Meditation, the mind is able to firmly "anchor" itself in its deepest, quietest, most basic nature, the Self, the Pure Consciousness, the emotions and the entire psyche enjoy a state of lasting inner peace.
Mental pain is actually a state of absence. Experiencing a kind of tense inner emptiness, experiencing "nothing" or "no longer". This feeling cannot be dulled with any kind of drug, at most only by dulling the mind itself, the ability to experience. For, whether we like it or not, the things of the world are changing and transitory, and by their very nature they come and go. Our mind likes to cling to them, and when it doesn't succeed, when we experience the feeling of "nothing": it hurts.
However, it is wiser to make our mind strong and give it the experience of pure consciousness, the only experience that creates lasting and real satisfaction and peace within us. Because the more we are settled in the self, the more stable our soul is, the more imbued with pure inner happiness - the ananda with his strength. As the Bhagavad Gita teaches: “Stand firm in yoga act, O Dhananjaya, transcending all attachments; gaining balance in both success and failure, because the balance of the mind is called yoga." And the undisturbed tranquility of the experience of pure consciousness naturally creates balance in the Prana Vata, and the happiness of the self calms the Sádhaka Pitta with firm satisfaction.
In addition to meditation, Maharishi Ayurveda also knows many other procedures that can be used to relieve mental pain. These are: a regular lifestyle, a positive outlook on the world, the creation of a natural, healthy, harmonious and serene environment; following a clean, sattvic diet; and listening to Vedic sounds - Gandharva music and the recitation of the Numerical Veda. The poppy perfectly balances both of the above mentioned partners, and the rose in all its forms - rose jam, aroma oil, rose water - is considered the most wonderful doctor of emotions.
And what is most important: Ayurveda is the art of prevention. Let's not just "just" be healthy, but strive to enjoy perfect, unshakeable health; so that at any time, no matter what happens to us, we can face all kinds of physical and mental pain and anguish armed.
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