Ancient Pearl of Equilibrium

Ancient Pearl of Equilibrium - Article by Dr Vijay Murthy - Head of Faculty in Ayurveda at Wellpark College of Natural Therapies www.wellpark.co.nz.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of healing that offers tried and tested wisdom in a modern age where a sea of conflicting health information exists.
At its core is a message to find equilibrium. An ancient pearl of wisdom comes from the sutra samatvam arogyam meaning ‘equilibrium is health’.
Perhaps, bombarded with the options of diets and lifestyles, this ancient sutra could be the missing link for the health conscious.

Some of the themes of equilibrium include:

Rhythm versus routine
Wellbeing in Ayurveda involves identifying the natural rhythms within and around us and in aligning one's lifestyle as closely as possible with the rhythmic patterns of nature.
Daily routines have proven the most popular approaches to achieving balance in Ayurveda. Occasionally however the zeal to maintain a perfect routine can sometimes backfire and lead to stress. Even a perfect routine can lose momentum if all it produces is the feeling of guilt for falling behind.

As balance is a constant readjustment, begin by listening to the body. This is how nature functions.
Nature, unlike train schedules, orchestrates its balance by responding to its occurring needs: the formation of fog, the outpouring of rain, diffusion through the cell membrane.
While perfectly orchestrated, these are never predetermined. Rhythms need a sense of timing. The chances for developing natural rhythms are better with routines.

Tolerance versus acceptance
Acceptance is the healer in life. Why then is acceptance so difficult to experience? Attempting to accept whatever is found to be disturbing can be compared to the body's attempt to digest food that it is allergic to.
For somebody who is not allergic to nuts, the process of digesting and metabolizing cashews can be a normal process. Asking a person who is allergic to nuts to think positively and to develop a trusting relationship with cashews can be a lifelong process.
Tolerance is the first step towards acceptance. On many occasions tolerance is all that is needed. Tolerating whatever imperfections, physical and emotional, at the time, will stop the stressful arguments of the mind.
If following a routine, adhering to a beneficial diet or practicing consistently is a challenge, it is better to be compassionate than to force oneself to overcome or to justify the shortcomings.
Tolerance can create a safe space to process conflicts, to allow fresh perspectives to flow and to prepare one to gain skills to work towards acceptance.

Balance versus control
As balance is the effect and not a method in itself, it is hardly ever possible to define a balanced lifestyle.
A closer observation of one's tendencies to experience or lose balance can guide one's best lifestyle. The experience of balance while in a retreat is not unusual, but experiencing balance on a daily basis – even in stressful situations – is the kind of balance one most needs to discover.
In facing situations which are unforeseen, the body's response of feeling stress is natural and to some extent necessary. When stress is experienced in situations that are familiar, this may come across as having lost control, or the feeling of failure.

Trust is the answer to overcome the feeling of losing control. Food and thoughts, the two most powerful forces in life, often prompt a need for establishing control.

Responding to a craving early enough and moving on to healthy eating is a far better way of finding balance than is suppressing the cravings and letting them rule.

Discipline, control and commitment are often emphasized as important in achieving balance. On the other hand balance itself is soft and without resistance, almost effortless.

Article by Dr Vijay Murthy – Head of Faculty in Ayurveda at Wellpark College of Natural Therapies www.wellpark.co.nz.
He is about to teach an 18-month part time Diploma course in Ayurveda in Auckland