sattva Archives - Jivita Ayurveda

EVERYTHING IS ALLOWED IN AYURVEDA – EVEN MUSHROOMS

Martina Helin — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:52:47 +0000

Everything is allowed in Ayurveda - Even Mushrooms

Truth be told, Ayurveda does not say no to any food items that are in the seasonaL, organic and local list. Nevertheless, I find endless reels, memes and writings about how you should not have mushrooms, peanuts, tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes, peas and so on. The warnings on mushrooms are particularly popular. Me instead, I will urge you to eat these super healthy and tasty foods and will justify my position by explaining

Food qualities (gunas) and seasons
Food energetics (trigunas)
Your digestive fire (agni)

GUNAS

In Ayurveda we seek balance and this balance works by the law of opposites based on how foods like for example mushrooms feel like. Ayurvedically observed mushrooms are inherently heavy, warming and grounding, helps us to rest and sleep. By this logic of polarities, they are appropriate in a moment when we feel light, dry and cold. Just like when you feel cold you get better by warm comforts. The law of opposites is set in physics.

Each food item and activity can be qualified. There is no such thing that cannot be qualified. Try thinking about something, anything in the world, and you can immediately give qualifying words to it. Adjectives are imbued into everything.

Qualities can be set in opposite pairs. Hot – cold, heavy – light, dry – moist. Put this principle in practice and you find it’s something you do all the time. When your skin is dry you moisturise, when you feel hot you cool down. If you eat drying foods, such as asparagus (it makes you pee) you’ll reduce excess liquidity, puffiness in other words.

The qualities and the polarity theory mean that everything can be potentially used as medicine, mushrooms and all other “banned” vegetables included. We need their qualities to be in direct opposition to the feelings in us that need balancing,

The defining factor are the qualities present, the ones we feel in the moment.

We have the context to think because…

Everything can be equally toxic. If you feel heavy and sleepy already and need to stay awake, mushrooms not the best remedy food for you.

SEASONS

Now, let’s consider the seasons. Each season feels different. Winter is cold and light, spring is heavy and moist, summer is hot and light. If you have heavy mushrooms in spring, when they are not in season, you might create a health issue.

Autumn and winter increase feelings of lightness, cold and dry. As if by magic, mushrooms grow mostly in late summer and autumn and can be easily preserved for winter by drying them. They are perfect sustenance in the period of scarcity (lightness). They also increase immunity and stamina, well needed in winter.

Nature is very clever. What grows in each season is appropriate to balance seasonal imbalances and disorders. What grows in summer is juicy and sweet to balance the effects of heat. Spring foods are light and detoxifying to balance the heavy wet climate. Winter brings dryness and lightness and hearty winter foods are the best remedy. Creamy mushroom pasta is a perfect ayurvedic lunch in winter.

ENERGETICS

Mushrooms, and all other food items, can be described with qualities. There is, however, another dimension of food, in addition to the qualitative approach, namely the food energetics. By understanding the energetics, we can arrive to the conclusion that mushrooms, and any other food item for that matter, can be enjoyed as healthy food.

Food energetics refer to food items’ ability to stimulate or calm the bodymind. Chilli and coffee are stimulants. Mushrooms are the opposite. They calm and ground. The stimulating energy is called rajasic whilst the calming and grounding one is called tamasic. We need both these energies to carry out our lives. Rajas equals action, tamas equals inaction.

When an organism performs activities and rest in harmony it is said to be in a sattvic state, the third dimension of the energetics. Sattva is a given, inherent quality to all plants and animals, except humans.

The sattvic aspect of plants is a result of them following the cyclic life of nature and doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. They live their dharma 100%. They cannot choose to stop growing or procreating. They cannot decide to go for a walk, a behaviour untypical to them. Humans can stop moving, lie on a couch and watch tv with a bucket of ice cream, all day long. We have the choice and our choices are often not so sattvic.

Sattva is a positive energetic stamp on rajasic and tamasic foods. It is found in fresh, organic, local and seasonal foods that have grown mature in their natural habitat, are eaten fresh, are organic and seasonal. When these elements are gone food is less healthy and energetically negative. It can irritate or suppress the mind. Processed foods are the worst of them.

Sattva is not a separate state on its own. The balance is in the activity or in the rest. If your life is in balance, you feel like its flowing. If there’s no flow, you struggle or feel like things are not moving to the right direction. You might be in bed but can’t fall asleep or have a terrible nightmare whilst sleeping and wake up exhausted. Flow and restoration are the effects of sattva affecting action and inaction

Mushrooms grow in perfect balance and flow with nature’s cycles. They surface right when we need them. Their nature corresponds exactly to our nutritional needs during their appearance. They are sattvic by abiding to the commands of Mother Nature. Assuming they grows in the forest and not on the side of a motorway, we can say they are pure and sattvic with a healthy tamasic twist.

Tomatoes often suffer the same treatment in the hands of ayurvedic food dietetics. Still, there is a whole Mediterranean area that feed on tomatoes almost daily and still they are considered to be enjoying the healthiest of diets in the world. There should all be dead by now!

Tomato belongs to the nightshade family with aubergines peppers and potatoes. They come in season in summer and can be kept or preserved for the winter. Most interestingly, the nightshades are mainly eaten cooked. Cooking eases digestibility of these vegetables (fruits actually). Cooking and seasoning makes them easier to digest. Raw tomatoes are a struggle to digest and should be avoided by those who have a weak digestive power which makes me enter the third point in my quest to justify the inclusion of the banned fruits and vegetables in our ayurvedic diet.

DIGESTIVE POWER – AGNI

Digestibility defines the nutritional value of your food. Digestibility is hugely improved by cooking food, especially of potato and aubergine. Who would eat them raw anyway? Tomatoes can be eaten raw. However, cooking them releases lycopene, one of the most powerful antioxidants found so far.

There’s no denying, nightshades are more difficult to digest, especially if you eat them raw. By cooking them you get delicious dishes with easy digestibility. Imagine, dishes consisting only of nightshades like Greek moussaka should be banned? Not from my diet, thanks.

To conclude, food choices need to be appropriate for the context, timing and obviously, our own sensitivities. Without absolute no-nos, everything that is freshly prepared and cooked and eaten with respect, that is seasonal, organic and local has a potential of enhancing balance in you by its sattvicity. Understanding the variables at play you can certainly enjoy foods that might pose a challenge otherwise.

The title of this article is a bit provocative but not far from truth. The truth is in the nature. When we eat and do things that are natural to us then within those limits we can find that every food has value when it is eaten with respect and placed and timed right.

Viva la mushroom!

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Social Isolation Time

Martina Helin — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:48:02 +0000

Social Isolation Time

From an Ayurvedic perspective having a strong routine and a framework around which conduct our lives increases our tolerance levels and resilience. A solidly structured life decreases reactivity and reduces the incidence of losing control. But what if the structures around us start disintegrating as we have seen in the last week or so? What if we have much less or no control in maintaining and arranging our lives as we like them to be? What if we are forced out of our comfort zones and still required to maintain calm, be tolerant and resilient for the greater good? People are asked to stay home for weeks now and that alone can be a cause for more worry than the virus itself. How can we survive this confinement without losing our heads?

CONNECTION FROM THE START

The most important factor for mammalian wellbeing is the connection we have with one another. Mammals deliver offspring that are not able to cope on their own and therefore need 24h surveillance for feeding and maintaining a sense of safety. We are born into this world dependent on our parents or carers and this early connection is what defines us for the rest of our lives. We are social animals and the mutual relationship is defined right from the start, even before we are born.

The baby and the mother establish cues between themselves to communicate safety. These behaviours are universal for all mammals, the most important being the vicinity with one another. The mother’s presence is felt by touch but can also be conveyed by the sound and eye contact. Hearing mother’s soothing voice has a calming effect on the baby. Imagine breastfeeding where all these elements come together: touching the skin, hearing mother’s soothing melodious voice and staring lovingly at each other’s eyes. Without these elements a child is less able to thrive.

These features that establish connection with one another persist for the rest of our lives. Social connection is an elementary need without which we do not thrive. We need safe and loving engagement with one another and we need to vocalise our needs and hear comforting words. When we feel isolated, lonely and unable to establish a safe connection with others our bodies will respond by turning on defences and a survival mode. In this state healing is difficult.

What do we do when these connecting elements disappear from our lives because of self-isolation or even being forced to isolate? How are we able to thrive and have strong resilience against any disease not to mention an invisible threat like the coronavirus? Especially, how are the old and lonely people coping when even the limited interactions are cut off?

SATTVIC LIVING

In Ayurveda and in Yoga philosophy positive social engagement is defined by word sattva. It is a state of mind which helps to connect with one another from a perspective of loving kindness. It is an attitude established in empathy and compassion towards ourselves, towards other fellow beings and the environment around us. It is an approach that encompasses the whole range of living experiences in order to create a place of safety and comfort.

We need to cultivate sattva now more than ever. Our lives have been turned upside down and we are called in by Mother Nature to express the best in us by showing determination in maintaining a sattvic mind during this period of global emergency. Sattva can be cultivated on our own and with others. The practice of sattva starts from simple things like creating a routine. Routine creates anticipation which is generally a comforting thought for the mind. Knowing what happens next reduces anxiety about the future. Sleeping, eating, exercise, hobbies, screen time and personal hygiene routines can be timed in our schedules around which we can do ad hoc activities. After routine has been created, self-development and emotional maturity exercises, mindfulness and other inspiring activities help the mind be focused and stay present. Lastly, thinking about routines as rituals that help fortify the mind and keep connected to the force field of your belief. If you have a spiritual life integrate practices every day and be methodical. Discipline and repetition are the key words for success in mind control and doorways to access emotional maturity and spiritual emancipation.

I want to share a few tips with which improve our ability to maintain sattva in all moments of our lives.

Maintain the rhythm of the body clocks. Create a routine – Write down what you need to do daily at home. Create variety within the basic routine
Limit times around the screens especially in the evening
Read a book or listen to an audiobook before you go to sleep
Try to live with more in sync with the dark-light cycle – go to bed earlier and wake up earlier
Eat two good meals per day – have late breakfast and late lunch, especially if you are doing less exercise than usual. Fast in the evenings, or have only a piece of seasonal fruit
Do your aerobic exercise in the morning and low impact in the evening
Practice meditation – download an app e.g. Headspace which is has an excellent journey for starters
I also recommend binary beat meditation (for example Holosync), an audio meditation that regulates brain waves
Drink hot water in sips throughout the day
Have a bathing/shower routine: Do body brushing before shower/bath. Then self-massage with an organic oil

Act from a place of loving kindness. Make a conscious effort for extra acts of kindness. Say or do or just think something nice, make a comment that would solicit a smile. Create good karma. Think about your actions and act with intention of creating good
Dedicate time for self-development. Read inspiring books, listen to calming music, do art. Listen to experts and spiritual leaders you feel affinity towards
Make eye contact with loved ones but don’t force it
Talk in melodious voice, low monotonous voices are subconsciously considered threatening
Smile to the ones you can reach
Smile at your own, even if it is not genuine. It promotes the body to start self-regulation and healing
Talk about issues, worries, anxieties and problems but don’t force a conversation. Many of us are in a defensive state, either aggressive or dissociated and are not able take information in. Be patient and wait for a right moment to talk or give advice.

On that last note I realise there are innumerate situation of life and my advice do not apply to everyone. I am just sharing a few pointers that might be useful and lessen the burden of confinement. Being in a closed environment with the same people for a long time puts pressure on anyone and we need now to step up with our game to show patience and tolerance like never before. This advice might not work for you and this is perfectly fine.

If you’d like to talk more use our email anu@jivitaayurveda.com if you have any questions that I might be able to help you with. Happy to be of service.

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