AN AYURVEDIC CONSULTATION — WHAT TO EXPECT
The aims of Ayurvedic treatment:
If you know a little about Ayurveda, then you may be familiar with the concept of the doshas (vata, pitta, kapha) and the importance of balancing these three biological energies for health.
While the doshas play a key role in Ayurvedic diagnosis and treatment, there are many other factors involved. It also aims to balance the dhatus and malas, clear any obstruction in the srotas, reduce ama and establish healthy agni, prana, tejas and ojas.
Dhatus refer to the seven bodily tissues, which are the building blocks of the body and include rasa (plasma), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscle), medas (fat), asthi (bone), majja (bone marrow), and sukra (reproductive fluids).
Malas are the three types of waste substances produced in the body through metabolic and digestive processes. They consist of mutra (urine), purisa (faeces), and sveda (sweat).
Srotas are the physical or energetic pathways (channels) that transport substances or energy from one part of the body to another.
Ama is the raw, undigested, toxic, disease-causing substance that can accumulate in the body when foods, herbs, emotions, or experiences are not fully processed, digested, or assimilated.
Agni, meaning fire, is the principle of transformation. It is responsible for the digestion, absorption, and assimilation of food, transforming it into tissues, energy, and consciousness.
Prana, tejas, and ojas are the subtle energies of our beings and represent the refined expressions of the doshas.
A practitioner will identify the exact nature of the disease, taking into account each of these aspects involved in its manifestation.
Nidana (causative factors):
The practitioner will also determine the causative factors of the disease (nidana). Identifying and eliminating the cause of the disease is considered crucial to treatment in Ayurveda. By failing to identify and prevent the cause, the practitioner cannot treat the patient, and there can be no alleviation of the disease.
A simple analogy for this is the stream feeding a pond. We can remove the pond (the disease), but unless we first address the stream (the cause), the pond will keep reappearing.
Ayurvedic medicine diagnostic methods:
In Ayurveda, there are three categories of clinical examinations used to assess the patient. However, the eight-fold method (Ashta vida Pariksha) is the most comprehensive. It covers:
Questioning is an essential part of the consultation. The practitioner will ask questions about diet, digestion, elimination, sleep, daily routines, lifestyle habits, relationships, work, medical history, and family medical history. Although sharing this information may feel awkward or strange, it is an essential step in identifying the likely cause of the disorder and making an accurate diagnosis.
Chikitsa (treatment):
As we can see, Ayurveda views each person as being unique. It takes into consideration their prakriti (constitution), vikruti (current imbalance),bala (strength of the disorder) and all other factors as mentioned above.
Based on this thorough assessment, a practitioner will devise a personalised treatment plan, which will include dietary and lifestyle advice and, if necessary, supportive herbal medicines and therapies.
To ensure good results, the consultant and patient must work cooperatively. Each side must commit at least half of their effort and time.
COMMON QUESTIONS
What disorders can Ayurveda treat?
Ayurveda treats the patient rather than the disease. In other words, whatever the ailment, Ayurveda can help. Commonly supported conditions include:
- Skin disorders (Eczema, Acne, Psoriasis, Dermatitis)
- Gynecological and obstetric disorders (Infertility, PCOS, Endometriosis, Fibroids, Peri-menopause, Menopause)
- Digestive tract disorders (Indigestion, Food Intolerances, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's disease, Coeliac disease, Haemorrhoids)
- Respiratory disorders (Asthma, Persistent Cough)
- Musculoskeletal disorders (Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Fibromyalgia, Gout)
- Nervous system disorders (Migraines, Anxiety, Depression, Alcoholism)
- Metabolic disorders (Diabetes, Weightloss)
What information do you need from me before the consultation?
You will be asked to complete an intake form with details of your presenting complaints, medical history, family medical history, and current and past medications.
How long does a consultation take?
Expect the initial consultation to take approximately 60-90 minutes to allow adequate time to gather the necessary information.
Follow-up consultations are between 45-60 minutes.
How many follow-up consultations will I need and how far apart are they?
The number of follow-up consultations depends on the severity of the condition and rate of progress but typically a minimum of three is required.
A follow-up consultation usually follows 2-4 weeks after the initial consultation. Your progress will be reviewed and relevant guidance provided.
If further consultations are required, subsequent visits are generally at 4-6 week intervals but will vary depending on the individual case.
How quickly will I see results?
Sometimes, the benefits are evident immediately, and (more often than not) it can take longer. Again, it depends on each case. However, it is safe to say Ayurveda is not a quick fix, especially when treating chronic conditions. If you hope to swallow some herbs or apply a skin cream and symptoms magically disappear, then Ayurveda is probably not for you right now. A certain level of patience, commitment, and dedication will be required, as well as an understanding that Ayurveda is a holistic science that treats the whole person, not just the immediate symptoms.
It can take time for the body to move back to balance, especially if the imbalance has been present for months or even years. However, the results will be much more effective and long-lasting. It is a different approach to Western medicine, which does a great job at band-aiding or suppressing symptoms quickly, but with this, there can be a price to pay in the longer term as symptoms are pushed deeper into the body and root causes remain unresolved.
When will I be able to go back to eating my favourite foods and exercises?
Nothing is off the menu in Ayurveda. There is a right time and place for everything. However, if you are seeking help with a health condition, then it may be that certain foods or lifestyle habits are not suitable for you at this time. It may be a case of eliminating the foods for a short while and slowly re-introducing them after restoring balance, or it may be the case that certain foods are better avoided for an extended period or only eaten occasionally. Again, it all boils down to the individual case.
The purpose of treatment is not only to cure or reduce a symptom so you can return to your old ways. It is to support you in developing self-awareness to cultivate a way of life that not only restores health but sustains health.
Ayurveda's underlying premise is that every individual has the power to heal themselves. To accomplish this, we must understand our body's needs and respond to them as they change with our ever-changing external environment and inner emotions. For this, moment-to-moment awareness is necessary. The body has an inherent intelligence that will tell you what you need. By utilising your own insight, perception and observations, you will innately know what foods and exercises are appropriate at any given time. Ultimately, you can become your own physician and healer.
All that said, once the body moves back into balance, you will most likely find that you will no longer crave the foods and habits that were making you sick in the first place!
Where do the herbs come from? Should I be concerned about their safety?
Quite often, the prescription involves simple kitchen cupboard remedies. Ingredients for these can be purchased by the patient and prepared at home.
Other herbal preparations are time-tested traditional Ayurvedic formulas sourced from Sri Lanka via the Ayurveda Institute UK and processed by HACCP and GMP certification.
Herbal medicine and Ayurveda have a long history of safe and effective use, both from the point of view of folklore medicine, self-medication and in a clinical setting. A qualified practitioner will prescribe herbs with an awareness of the patient's appropriate diagnosis, constitution, digestive strength, age, medication, medical history and comprehensive knowledge of the herbs used to ensure safety and efficacy.
Are herbs always prescribed, and is the cost included in the consultation price?
Ayurvedic herbs are commonly included in a treatment plan to subdue the illness or disease process and 'nudge' the body back to health. However, they are not necessarily always prescribed. It very much depends on the presenting symptoms. Sometimes, a few dietary or lifestyle modifications are sufficient to promote positive results. Again, it all depends on the individual patient, the disorder and the signs and symptoms.
The consultation fee does not include the cost of the herbs. However, any proposed herbal remedies will be discussed with the patient and only prescribed with their consent.
How much do the herbs cost?
Depending on the imbalance/disorder, you may expect a prescription of around 2-5 herbal remedies. Each prescription typically covers 3-6 weeks.
- Choornas (powdered preparations) 50g £11.00
- Tablets/Guggulu (pressed herbal preparations) 60 tablets £16.00
- Arishtas (herbal tonics) 180ml £13.50
- Confitures (medicated jams) 100g £9.00
- Mediicated oils 100 ml £14.50 | 180ml £23.50
- Herbal Balms 100ml £42.50
My life is busy. I'm unsure how feasible it will be to change my eating and daily habits.
When devising a treatment plan, a good practitioner will always consider the individual's environment and social and lifestyle demands to ensure that it is practical and feasible. Creating a plan that would be stressful and hard work to follow would be counterproductive and a waste of time for all concerned.
That's not to say it will be a walk in the park. Challenges may crop up along the way. You may be encouraged to learn new principles and practices that might feel alien to you initially, and naturally, it may take a little time to adjust. After all, changes to our habitual way of living can not and should not happen overnight.
Patients often have the misconception that they should go into it at full throttle with all guns blazing. Taking this approach misses the true beauty and simplicity of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is not a restrictive fad diet or exercise regime that requires copious amounts of energy and discipline to obtain results. It gently nudges and supports the body back to health naturally and sustainably. A subtle shift in habits here and there is often all it takes to experience a significant and immediate effect on the mind, body and consciousness.
Trust the process and you will find that life no longer feels so overwhelming and busy!
I'm not good at sticking to diet plans and always fail at the first hurdle.
Ayurveda is an accomodating science. Unlike some of the extreme or restrictive diet and exercise programmes popular today, Ayurveda never imposes force or punitive measures against the body.
While it recommends some guidelines to bring the body back to balance, it is flexible and more focused on finding the right balance of foods and lifestyle choices to gently steer the body back towards health rather than rigidly following a predefined set of rules. It does not evaluate anything as good or bad, just what is necessary at the time.
Will instructions be provided after the consultation?
Following the consultation, you will receive:
- A comprehensive food sheet (where appropriate) advising all types of food you should favour, avoid or eat in moderation based on doshic imbalances and nutritional requirements.
- A summary of the diet and lifestyle recommendations provided during the consultation.
- A herbal remedy prescription (where necessary).
- Recipe suggestions (as needed) to accommodate the individuals work and life commitments.
- Continued support between sessions via email.
- Long term support provided when dealing with chronic disease.
TESTIMONIALS
“Ayurveda is a system of individualised healing that treats the whole person. Modern medicine analyses statistical observations and considers that which is common amongst a hundred people as the normal value or state. Based upon that normal value, modern medicine tries to judge every individual. However, Ayurvedic medicine says that normality varies from person to person, because every individual is a unique phenomenon”.
- Dr Vasant Lad (2007) Textbook of Ayurveda Fundamental principles