By Annie Reed RN, MSHNFM, MBA, 500 RYT
Welcome Spring: It’s time to Experience an Ayurvedic Cleanse and this is Why!
According to Ayurveda, it is important to strengthen your Agni, the digestive fire, in fact it is critical in your overall health. When Agni is impaired through diet and lifestyle, an imbalance/dis-ease causing substances begins to accumulate in the digestive tract which is called ama. If this accumulation is caught early, it is easy to treat, however, if the this accumulation goes deeper into tissues of body, treatment becomes more complex.
In Sanskrit, ama is translated to undigested or unripen. It is the formation of un-metabolized waste that cannot be used in your body. Small amount of ama is normal part of the bodies digestive process, if it is removed from the body and not allowed to accumulate, your body returns to homeostasis, however, in the traditional lifestyle and diets of many, this accumulation of ama builds causing imbalances/dis-ease. It is said that ama is the root cause of dis-ease.
Ama is cold, dull, heavy, foul smelling, stable, stagnant, sticky, slimy, gross, and oily.
Agni is hot, sharp, fragrant, spreading, clear, subtle, dry, and light.
As stated above, ama is relatively easy to clear from the digestive tract, but once it spread into deeper tissues, it becomes more difficult to remove or eliminate from the body. Because ama is heavy, sticky, and stagnant it coats and clogs the bodies channels, inhibiting cellular communication, weakening the immune system, and the cellular intelligence is lost.
The signs and symptoms of ama are f imbalances, fatigue, heaviness, sinus congestion, indigestion, constipation, mental confusion, feeling foggy, abnormal taste, poor appetite, heartburn, bloating, loose stools, loss of strength, dull eyes, dull skin, excess weight, poor circulation, swelling, stiffness, aches in the body, feeling blue, or overly concerned, lack of trusting self, feeling small and insignificant, feeling overwhelmed. And most ignore our bodies signs there is an imbalance that needs addressed.
All these signs are depending on which tissues ama has accumulated in.
There can be many reasons ama builds up in our bodies cause dis-ease/imbalances, but Agni always plays a part in this process.
Habits that create a build up of ama in our system are things like, overeating, eating processes foods, eating right before going to bed, poor food combinations, irregular mealtimes, little to no exercise, and unresolved emotional issues, to name a few.
Ayurveda teaches us that a deep cleansing regiment is often required to draw out ama from the deep tissues that should only be completed under the guidance of a trained practitioner. An Ayurvedic cleanse can help restore a sense of well being in your mind and the nervous system, retore balance in your sleep cycle, improved elimination, improve energy, clarity of thought, support health body weight, prepare the body for deep nourishment, and rejuvenation.
Going through a cleanse with a trained practitioner you will receive personalized understanding of your constitution and how to bring that constitution back to balance. Kapha constitution is earth and water, structure, cohesion, and moisture. The Pitta constitution is fire and water, digestion, metabolism and transformation. The Vata constitution is either and air, transportation, movement, and communication.
References
(Update 2022) https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/cleansing/an-introduction-to-ayurvedic-cleansing/ An Introduction to Ayurvedic Cleansing, The Power and Potential of a Cleanse.
Mischke, M., AP, (updated 2021) https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/health-guides/understanding-agni/ama-the-antithesis-of-agni/ Ama: The Antithesis of Agni.
“The Profound Woman deeply cares for herself. She dances to the song in her head. She speaks her truth through the rhythm of her heart. And loves from the depths of her soul.”
Annie Reed RN, MSHNFM, MBA, 500 RYT, Ayurveda Wellness Counselor
Annie has a private online practice serving woman as a Holistic Women’s Wellness Practitioner and Transformational Coach. She holds sacred space for healing, as it should be. She is passionate about creating a safe and supportive space for women to honor their needs, own their power, and speak their truth. She views her clients as creative, resilient, resourceful, and innately well. Recognizing that her clients are experts of their own wellbeing and empower them to take personal responsibility for their health and wellbeing through their wisdom and healing already within them.
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