I spoke at the Health Technology Forum's Fourth Innovation Conference in Burlingame with fellow Vedika Shishya and Ayurveda Health Practitioner, Ananta Ripa Ajmera. Our session abstract was:
Ayurveda's All-Natural Stress Rebooting Tools
What if there was a way to do a quick reboot in the middle of the day just like your computer does? Ayurveda, a 5,000 year old science from India that is currently reemerging as a sustainable health solution, actually addressed many modern lifestyle disorders, including overwork of the mind. You will walk away from this session with practical, time-tested Ayurvedic tools to recharge your mind and body and more effectively keep stress at bay.
We shared the history of Ayurveda, causes of stress and some tools to combat it. In Ayurvedic typology, there are three types (called doshas) that are the building blocks of constitution: vata (air+space), pitta (fire+water) and kapha (water+earth). Vitiation of each of these doshas leads to a different kind of stress. When Vata dosha is in balance, it is a powerful force that allows us to brainstorm and engage in lateral thinking. We are able to tap into a deeper flow and come up with creative ideas. When Vata dosha is out of balance, we end up with Vata-stress, where we are spaced out and not able to make sense of our thoughts.
When Pitta dosha is in balance, we are able to focus and concentrate in a constructive manner. When this dosha goes out of balance, we get into the zone of pitta-stress with anger and obssession. When kapha dosha is in balance, we are able to ground our ideas in reality and make our visions practical. When this dosha is out of balance, we get into kapha-stress, where we are so grounded that we cannot move anymore, leading to depression and lethargy.
Each of these sources of stress is different, and requires a different approach to manage it.
