Maharishi Ayurveda Newsletter Archive

Happy Valentine's Year

With just a few simple guidelines from Maharishi Ayurveda, you can celebrate Valentine's Day every single day of the year. The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians says that the key to happy relationships lies in an in-depth understanding of one of the sub-doshas of Pitta, called Sadhaka Pitta.

Sadhaka Pitta is described as the sub-dosha (the ayurvedic principle) that "cooks and digests" your thoughts and feelings. If you compare it to a real cooker, it's easy to understand that a medium flame ensures even "cooking" of your thoughts and emotions. A dim flame causes the emotions to "cook" slower and hence affects your ability to process unpleasant incidents or information in a calm manner. If the fire of Sadhaka Pitta is too bright, it can "burn" and explode, causing you to act irrationally. When your behavior is adversely affected by too dim or too bright a Sadhaka Pitta, relationships begin to crumble, too.

A Sadhaka Pitta imbalance sometimes manifests itself in physical symptoms. Dr. Paul Dugliss, Maharishi Ayurveda physician based in Michigan, recalls treating a woman who came to him with chronic sinusitis. Upon thorough investigation, Dr. Dugliss arrived at a surprising diagnosis: an out-of-balance Sadhaka Pitta. Terribly stressed at work, the woman was finding it impossible to control negative emotions from flooding her mind, and her stress had taken its toll on her overall health. With some simple lifestyle changes, she was able to get rid of her sinusitis and ease her stress.

Blissful Relationships
Think about your relationship patterns. Does your partner feel easily offended or hurt? Do you react too sharply to him at times? Is he overly possessive, jealous or protective? And does he find you too laid-back, uncommunicative or passive-aggressive?

The important thing is not only to figure out and balance your own, but also to understand your partner's Sadhaka Pitta levels. Because once you know why your partner behaves in a certain manner, it will become easier for you to adjust to that behavior. And how well you adjust to each other determines how long your relationship lasts-and how strong it is.

The good news is that there are several ways in which you can help balance your partner's, and your own, Sadhaka Pitta.

Here are some guidelines:

• Drink Pitta Tea when you need a calming beverage-it contains Rose Petals and a blend of cooling spices.
  
• Avoid hot temperatures and hot spicy foods. Both the weather and the foods you eat can quickly cause an imbalance in your physiology. When it's hot outside, eat sweet, cooling foods.
  
• Avoid over-exertion of all kinds-both mental and physical. Overwork increases Pitta.
  
• By the same logic, the heart needs rest. So do allow for leisure time.
  
• The emotional heart needs nourishment. Make it a point to describe to your partner every day a specific reason why he is special to you.
  
• Eat lunch at noon, when your digestive fire is at its brightest.
  
• Stroll together in the early morning or in the evening, taking the time to appreciate the beauty of Nature. Tranquil natural beauty calms Sadhaka Pitta.
  
• Massage yourself every day with a cooling, relaxing oil such as the Cool Sensation Aroma Massage oil. Both the oil and the massage can help restore balance to body and mind.
  
• Roses have long been used to alleviate depression, anxiety, insomnia and irritability. Cool down your mind, body and emotions with a soothing blend of milk and Rose Petal Preserve.
  
• Enjoy the soothing strains of Gandharva Veda music appropriate for the time of day or night. Sit together quietly, with eyes closed, and let the music heal.