Menopause in Ayurveda is understood not as a disease or condition but as a part of life and is associated with the three stages of life in relation to the three doshas:
The Kapha (Water & Earth elements) time of life is birth to puberty, a time of growth, building, and learning.
The Pitta (Fire & Water elements) period is the most productive year for those involved in higher education, careers, relationships, and developing families.
The Vata (Air & Ether elements) time is the later in life with more reflection, meditation, and spiritual awareness. This time of life has increased air quality with more dryness, bone loss, coldness, and mental instability because of increased mobility.
During menopause, estrogen and progesterone decrease, which is vital for creating balance that directly relates to Ojas (immunity). When Ojas is healthy and high, it thrives and allows us to tolerate the external environment and changes to our internal ecosystem, creating groundedness, stability, and nourishment.
Conversely, Tejas (a refined version of Pitta) embodies the subtle essence of all the digestive fires (Agni) in the body. These two combine with the erratic nature of Vata (cool, dry, light, and mobile). They can shift the body into an imbalanced state during menopause, and below are some of the side effects that might occur:
Vata Dosha: Dryness, digestive imbalance, dry elimination, sleep, bone loss, and mental instability.
Pitta Dosha: Hot flashes and excess heat in the body, irritability, anger, criticism, and competitiveness.
Kapha Dosha: Weight gain, sadness, lack of motivation, dullness, lethargy, and depression.
Ayurvedic medicine approaches menopause with programs that encourage nourishment, contentment, and balance. These programs have three main goals: first, they promote “juiciness” and increase Kapha's moistness, heaviness, and stability. Second, they balance Vata and Pitta in the sympathetic nervous system. Third, they strengthen Agni (digestive fires), ensuring proper metabolism, absorption, and transformation.
To use Ayurveda, it is advisable to first have an evaluation to determine your constitution (the combination of doshas), which shapes your Ayurvedic footprint and foundation. Next, we look at the current imbalances affecting life and then develop an individual treatment program for each person. This program incorporates food, herbs, lifestyle recommendations, potential detoxification, and rejuvenation through the five sense therapies to foster harmony physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Please set up a free initial phone conversation to learn about the ayurveda process.
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