Weight Loss (Mind, Body, Spirit)

The Eastern World is known for the its rich pot of culture from India, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan and other countries in Asia. It has been known for its Oriental themes and traditions including Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and the authentic Oriental medicine. As a counterpart of Western method, the East also has its own ways of achieving weight loss: the traditional way. This is totally different from weight watchers or jenny craig.

The Ayurveda is one such method from Eastern India that was developed over 2000 years ago. The term “ayurveda” means “the science of life” and it refers to a traditional, natural process of becoming healthy inside and out by focusing on the body, mind and spirit. This system of medicine identifies one’s personal health profile and designs a plan to restore the natural harmony of the individual based on the profile. The plan may include change in diet, exercise, meditation, herbal medicine or yoga.

The basic essence of ayurveda is the knowledge and awareness of gurvadi gunah or qualities of nature. This knowledge and awareness leads one to understand how the environment affects his or her individual self. The system of ayurveda then, is wholistic in the sense that is a philosophy and medicine for healthy living and longevity. Ayurveda offers a system not just of weight loss but a complete transformation of the mind, body and spirit into a healthier being; it is about taking responsibility for one’s own health and managing the body to be in harmony once again.

It has the following principles to abide by in order to achieve healthy lifestyle:

1. Meals should be portioned rather than decreased altogether. This helps improve metabolism and waste management by having enough break in between meals.

2. Lunch should be the heartiest meal of the day.

3. Detoxify your system for internal cleansing.

4. Exercise is recommended by ayurveda and this should not be ignored.

5. Get enough sleep to avoid stress and anxiety that can cause problems manifested in overeating.

As a wholistic system, the ayurveda recommends the use of natural herbs to relax and aid in weight loss. The common herbs are: triphala to cleanse the system, Guggul for metabolism, Guar gum as dietary fiber, Vrikshama to lower production of cholesterol, Mustak to improve digestion, and Garcina Cambogia to reduce appetite. The use of these herbs is best when practicing yoga.

Since ayurveda gives equal focus on the body, mind and spirit, yoga is the recommended form of exercise for the body, mind and spirit. Yoga induces proper breathing, focus and extensive workout of the body. Yoga tones the body through poses that are applicable to all ages. You can work within your own pace and capacity. The rhythmic movement and holding of poses taps into the recessive energy in the body to align the vertebrae, increase flexibility and strengthen the muscles.

The meditation and breathing exercises in yoga detoxifies the body and relaxes the mind to achieve stability of emotions and give a renewed feeling of well being. Meditation conditions the mind to experience a sense of dissolution and focus onto one’s self. It gives an altered state of consciousness which increases awareness and understanding. This state relaxes the mind and may lead to spiritual enlightenment, intellectual exercise or a transformation of attitude.

Meditation and yoga are incorporated into the ayurveda, a system that achieves a healthy mind, a healthy body and a healthy spirit. This old tradition of the East is an alternative to the mainstream Western methods of weight loss. More than just a weight loss method, however, it is a way of life that leads to one’s peak of health.