A Q&A with Kirsten Ahern, Ayurvedic Health Counselor, graduate of the California College of Ayurveda and founder of KA Ayurveda in Washington, DC
What is Ayurveda and how does it apply to COVID-19?
Ayurveda - “the science or knowledge of life” - is an ancient medical system with its roots based in Indus Valley culture thousands of years prior to our current era. Ancient rishis, or sages, undertook a multi-millennia evolution of the understanding of the human body, mind, and spirit to deliver what we experience in modern times as Ayurveda. Their vast insight into these systems led to a comprehensive body of knowledge that allows us to understand and treat individuals’ constitution and imbalances uniquely. Ayurveda teaches us that there is no one treatment that is right for everyone and that each individual can undergo a process of learning, understanding, and living in flow with their constitution and environmental and genetic disturbances without suffering. Ayurveda is a body of knowledge and way of life that allows us not just to live, but to be well.
Ayurveda uses a combination of nutrition, lifestyle habits, herbs, body therapies, spiritual counseling, among other therapies to heal each unique individual on a deeper level. Ayurveda treats root causes of disease, not just symptoms. Ayurveda takes into account the complete ecosystem of a person’s life - tastes, scents, sounds, touch, sights - and uses the qualities in foods, herbs, and lifestyle as medicine.
Ayurveda views diseases such as COVID-19 as an attack on the immune system (ojas) and the respiratory system (pranavaha srotas). A person’s unique constitution and current imbalances will determine how susceptible they will be to suffering from an infection by COVID-19. This is equivalent to Western medicine viewing those with respiratory deficiencies, weakened immune systems, heart disease, or other ailments that compromise their immune systems as being more likely to suffer severe to fatal cases of COVID-19.
What is the biggest difference between Ayurveda and Western medicine?
First, Ayurveda does not reject or stand in opposition to Western medicine. In fact, Ayurveda is a beautiful complement to Western methods. Ayurveda’s main focus is to understand root causes of disease, and to treat those imbalances uniquely for each individual, whereas Western medicine primarily seeks to understand and treat symptoms. As you can see, if you were to marry these two together, you would have an amazing combination of healing power for any individual!
So, how can Ayurveda help me avoid or heal from COVID-19?
First of all, there is no Ayurvedic cure for COVID-19. Ayurveda’s main focus is building ojas, or the strength, vitality and immunity of the body. Regardless of the situation - whether in the midst of a pandemic or just in normal everyday life - Ayurvedic practitioners are working to help clients build ojas. It is said that when ojas are strong, no disease can affect the body. When ojas are weak or weakened, we become susceptible to disease in the mind and body.
Ayurveda teaches that almost all diseases start in the digestive tract before they relocate, manifest, and diversify in other areas of the body. So, one of the most important ways to build ojas is to make sure digestion remains strong and healthy. In all cases - not just COVID-19 - Ayurveda focuses intensely on building individuals’ digestive “fires” (agni) so that they are digesting food normally, absorbing nutrients, and not creating toxins (ama) that could become precursors for disease. When digestion is strong, disease is nearly impossible.
How do I know if my digestion is strong and healthy?
The best sign of a strong digestive system is no, or minimal, digestive or eliminatory disturbances such as gas, burping, indigestion, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, distention, cramping, gurguling, or pain after eating. Everyone should have a normal, healthy bowel movement at least once per day and their elimination should be soft, easy to pass, and light brown in color - think of a very ripe banana; that’s what our bowel movements should look like. Healthy bowels are one sign that we are processing our food, absorbing the nutrients in food, and eliminating unwanted toxins from our digestive tract in a timely manner. All of these factors will help us to build immunity.
What foods can we eat or herbs can we take to help build immunity?
Not all foods make perfect sense for everyone given our unique constitutions. Some foods are more acidic while others are more alkaline and we each need different balances of these qualities to have healthy digestion. That said, there are some general rules that apply universally.
Eat whole, organic foods from a variety of sources - grains, nuts, dairy, meats, fruits and vegetables - and cut out processed and fried foods, which build toxins (ama) in the body.
Reduce or eliminate alcohol, drugs, caffeine, or other intoxicants, all of which lower immunity and create physical and subtle body imbalances that are precursors to disease.
Eliminate refined or processed sugar, which builds ama.
Stay hydrated - pure room temperature or warm water and herbal teas are best.
Make sure your food is well cooked, well oiled, and appropriately spiced for your constitution and your imbalances.
Not all oils are right for everyone but almost everyone can digest ghee well in varying quantities, so if you aren’t sure about your constitution, cook with ghee. Those following a vegan diet may wish to use sesame, coconut, or safflower oil depending upon their constitution. As far as spices are concerned, each has a different energetic effect. A few spices that are pretty neutral for most constitutions are cumin, coriander, and fennel. Turmeric is also a spice that, while warming, has a special action that can help to combat inflammation, which makes it good for all constitutions when used in modest amounts. Salt is not indicated for all constitutions in the same quantity so if you are unsure of your constitution, use it modestly - it helps to nourish the nervous tissue and is a stool softener so it’s a wonderful supplement if taken in the right amounts - and make sure you’re using a good mineral salt and not processed table salt.
You may also wish to increase your intake of foods rich in Vitamin C - such as citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, among many others. Also, foods high in Zinc include hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cashews, almonds, chickpeas, lentils, potatoes, avocado, and spinach. Vitamin A is another important immune-booster and can be found in carrots, leafy bitter greens such as spinach and chard, squashes, pumpkins, mangos and papayas. Take vitamin supplements as necessary.
Most importantly - slow down when you eat! Make sure you chew your food completely. Undigested food often makes its way to the large intestine (without undergoing the essential nutrient absorption process in the small intestine) where bacteria go into “hyper-drive” to process it, causing a significant amount of gas, discomfort, and the development of ama. Don’t let your digestive disturbance be a result of eating too fast and not eating peacefully. Food is a gift that should be experienced and enjoyed, not mindlessly inhaled.
What herbal remedies are available for COVID-19?
There is no specific Ayurvedic remedy for COVID-19. Ayurveda employs nutritive tonics to help build the defenses of the body against infection. To help build ojas, Amalaki is probably one of the best and it is rich in Vitamin C and other nutrients. Chyavanprash - an Ayurvedic herbal jelly - has an important concentration of Amalaki among other immune-defensive herbs. Elderberry also is packed the vitamins and nutrients and is often used to fight cold and flu symptoms.
Ayurveda would also employ a variety of herbs as a lung tonic to help keep the respiratory system strong; a nervine tonic to help treat symptoms of anxiety, fear or worry around the disease; and antimicrobials or antivirals in the case of infection. ***Please note that nobody should just start taking herbs without a proper understanding of their energetics, qualities, and effects on their unique constitution. Herbs should always be administered under the care of a trained and certified Ayurvedic professional or herbalist.
How about a cleanse? Would that help me to build immunity and avoid COVID-19?
While Spring is generally the best time to undergo a cleanse given the flow of moisture out of the body and the potential to eliminate ama along with it, given our current pandemic, now is NOT the time to undergo a cleanse. When we undergo a cleanse, we are temporarily lower our digestive “fire” and, in essence, depleting ojas so that we can undergo a process of eliminating toxins in the body. This process will help us to build ojas in the long run, but leaves us susceptible to disease in the interim.
You can instead create a more gentle elimination of toxins at this time by simply committing to an organic, whole foods diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients and choosing foods that do not disturb your digestion.
What else can I do to stay healthy right now?
Follow the CDC guidelines - physical distancing, washing hands, not touching your face, wearing a mask, etc. These are very important as the next life you save could be your own.
Establish healthy routines. Get up at the same time everyday and try to get to bed by 10pm. Make a schedule for yourself if operating out of your home is new to you. It doesn’t have to be rigid but if you’re feeling out of balance or overwhelmed by the shifts in your home life or in society, establishing and sticking to good healthy routines will go a long way toward helping you feel more grounded.
Be sure to get plenty of rest and sleep. Sleep is considered one of three pillars of life in Ayurveda and essential to repairing tissue damage and building ojas. If you have trouble with sleep, proper diet and lifestyle will go a long way to helping you make sure you get restorative rest. Yoga Nidra is a wonderful relaxation technique that can help people build good restorative sleep routines.
Neti - or nasal cleansing - is extremely effective for upper respiratory health in general. Be sure to use pharmaceutical grade salts in your Neti Pot and not table salts. Contraindications include nasal polyps, a deviated septum that would prevent the cleansing flow of water through the nasal cavity, or extreme congestion. Nasya - or nasal oiling - is also extremely effective at protecting and nourishing the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity and calming the mind. You can start by simply adding a few drops of sesame seed oil or coconut oil to the tip of your finger and coating the inner lining of your nasal passages. Full inhalation and ingestion of nasya oil should only be practiced with the guidance of a practitioner as it too has contraindications.
Finally - and very importantly - find time to meditate, practice pranayama, do yoga, exercise, spend time in nature, and choose carefully how often you watch or read the news. It’s important to remain informed but it’s more important to remain sattvic in our consciousness - meaning we do not let the disturbances of the outside world allow our psyches to become altered or unstable. What we suffer in the mind, we suffer in the body and vice versa. Remember to breathe, stay centered, and build your ojas!
***This information is not intended to replace diagnosis and treatment by a trained medical professional. If you are having symptoms of COVID-19, seek immediate medical guidance and attention.