We have learned that the established US health care model is not sustainable. There is more spending on health care in the US than ever before, yet there are more adults and children who are sick. We are noticing an increase in physical illness, as evidenced by an increase in the incidence of chronic disease, as well as an increase in mental health issues including depression and anxiety. What are we doing wrong?
The traditional healing system of Ayurveda would inform us this: we have stopped treating the human experience as a system of mind, body and spirit; we have stopped looking for the root cause of disease and instead are treating symptoms; we have not encouraged people to be their own healers by activating the innate healing systems that we already have; we have relied too heavily on pharmaceuticals instead of using food as medicine; we have overused expensive procedures instead of focusing on lifestyle; and we have ignored the importance of connection to community, nature and something even bigger than all of that.
What we currently need in health care are practitioners who are able to translate and carry traditional wisdom into the modern world.
There are too few of these champions that hold the ancient wisdom that served humanity for millennia and can also communicate this wisdom to us in an accessible way. Drs. Suhas, Manisha, and Manas Kshirsagar are some of them. I feel honored as a physician to have them as colleagues and mentors. I have known this family of healers for many years, working directly with them all, and know that they not only hold a tremendous amount of knowledge, but also have been helping people heal for decades as practicing clinicians.
In my own practice with patients, I have seen time and again the futility of treating disease when the system itself is not receptive to the treatments. This happens when the body's natural detox mechanisms are hindered by the toxic burden, and when their level of stress is not allowing treatments to be effective. When our natural detoxification systems are not functioning optimally and our lifestyles are not healthy, we cannot heal.
One of the many aspects of Ayurveda that I appreciate is the fact that the practices do not force the body to do anything, they simply support the body in doing what it knows how to do naturally. As part of a complete panchakarma program, the oils heal us by providing anti-inflammatory support and binding of toxins, the massage helps to support the tissues and calm the nervous system, the herbs provide potent phytochemicals, such as antioxidants, which are necessary to repair free radical damage; the foods and spices support the microbiome and digestion which are necessary for detoxification and health.
Above all else, by providing recommendations for the mind and spirit, in addition to the body, Ayurvedic panchakarma is the most effective form of detoxification that exists. I hear often from patients after they have done various forms of Ayurvedic cleansing and detox that they notice a reduction in inflammation, improved energy and digestion, weight balance, and clarity of mind. In supervising a modified form of Ayurvedic cleansing at the Chopra Center for almost a decade, I have witnessed firsthand the benefits of this holistic style of detox. As you will appreciate from this book, panchakarma and other traditional Ayurvedic medical practices were not simply isolated esoteric procedures, but part of a comprehensive healing philosophy that includes body, mind and spirit.
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