Ayurveda and Aging

AYURVEDA
and
AGING

This is an
Introduction to the Topic of Aging
considered from the point of view
of Ayurveda.
The slides presented here are like
Sutras and meant to be
commented on by a teacher.
Even so, they may be of value

Ayurveda is the
‘Veda’
or ‘Science’
of
‘Ayu’ or ‘Life’

Ayurveda
is taught on
earth so
mankind can
enjoy a long
and healthy
lifespan

Ayurveda contains
the Vidya or knowledge
of how to create or maintain
the health of the healthy
and cure or palliate the disease
of a diseased person

From Sankhya and the Yoga Sutras,
Ayurveda draws a fundamental principle
regarding the Law of Karma:
’Heyam Dukham Anagatam’
- Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2:16
‘The suffering that has not yet come
can be avoided’

The suffering
that is here,
is here because of karmic reasons,
it has cause(s)
and must be endured

But the suffering
that is not yet here can be avoided,
by changing our actions
The knowledge of Ayurveda says:
with right understanding
we may orient ourselves towards health
by means of our actions

There is a causative factor for the
manifestation of a being but there is no
cause for the cessation of this manifestation
since death following birth is the natural
flow of life itself
- Charaka Samhita

Suffering born of Time (Aging) is
inherent in life and cannot be
avoided, but only palliated.
This is the consideration of
Ayurveda and Aging

KALA
(Time)

Life depends upon
the power of
Time or Kala
and
Time is basic to our consideration
when we are talking about:
Aging

In Ayurveda
Old Age is a ‘disease’
brought about by Time

It is written in the Ayurvedic
texts:
‘Shiryate Iti Shariram’
‘The body is constantly decaying’

We know everyone
who has taken birth
must grow old and die,
but no one wants to grow old
and no one wants to die
But even from conception the
body is tending towards death

According to Buddha:
Birth, Disease, Old Age and Death
comprise the inevitable suffering
of a human being

“. . . birth is suffering, old age is suffering,
illness is suffering, union with unpleasant
things is suffering, separation from
pleasant things is suffering, not obtaining
what we wish is suffering; all clinging to
existence is suffering”
- Buddha

Buddha was asked,
‘How are you different than other
men?’
He replied:
‘I was disturbed by
Birth, Disease, Old Age and Death,
others did not seem to be so disturbed’

Without realizing ‘suffering’ as
the nature of existence,
why else would one be
truly interested in Liberation?

In Ayurveda,
any state that is not pleasurable
is called - ‘disease’
In Tibetan medicine,
(which arose out of Ayurveda),
life itself is a disease that ends in death
and
everyone has this disease!

In the highest teachings of the
Vedic and Buddhist traditions
Pain and pleasure, birth and death,
youth and old age are inextricably
tied together and we cannot know
or experience one without the
other

Ayurveda considers Aging
as: Yapya,
a‘Natural’
and only
Palliatible disease

‘Palliative’ here means:
Treatment that affirms life and
regards ‘aging,’ and death as a
natural and normal process
Palliative Care provides relief
from unnecessary pain or
distressing symptoms

Even though Buddha said:
‘Suffering is inevitable’
he also said that:
‘All suffering is not necessary’

The disease of Aging is
inevitable, but it may be
manifested in a timely or
untimely, comfortable or
uncomfortable, disease-free or
disease-filled manner

The Ayurvedic approach to Aging:
‘Avoid the suffering
that has not yet come’
by remedying and/or palliating
the underlying imbalances
in the body brought about by Aging

Even though,
Time or Kala creates an
unavoidable imbalance in the
body
Ayurveda teaches how to
palliate that ‘unavoidable’
imbalance

The universe resides in the
body of Time or Kala which
moves in a ‘clockwise’ or
sequential manner.
Time is a fundamental quality
of life and the most
unavoidable quality
of them all!

O my Lord! Oldness has come, old age has descended.
Feebleness has arrived; dotage is here anew. The heart
sleeps wearily every day. The eyes are weak, the ears are
deaf, my strength is disappearing because of weariness
of the heart and my mouth is silent and cannot speak.
The heart is forgetful and cannot recall yesterday. My
bones suffer old age. Good is become evil. All taste is
gone. What old age does to men is evil in every respect.
- Poem from Egypt, 4500 years ago

According to Ayurveda-
The growth, development,
maintenance and decay
of the body
are dependent on
four factors or qualities:

1) Kala (time)
2) Swabhava
(nature, doshic make up)
3) Ahar (Diet)
4) Environmental factors

The first two:
1) Kala (time)
2) Swabhava
(nature, doshic make up)
We Cannot Control but only Palliate

The second two:
3) Ahar (Diet)
4) Environmental factors
We Can Control

The second two qualities:
(Diet-Ahar) and Environment)
can be controlled by adjusting
them according to
what cannot be controlled:
Kala- Time(impersonal)
and
Svabhava- Self-Nature (personal)

Kala or Time is said to hold a
human being
in its grasp
from birth until death

It is Kala or Time that creates:
• The Yugas
• The Seasons of a persons life
• The Seasons of a year
• The Hours of day and night

So fundamental is Kala or
time that an image of Kala
holding the wheel of life is
painted directly next to the
main entry of every Tibetan
Buddhist monastery

It is called:
the Bhavachakra
or the
The Wheel of Becoming
or
The Wheel of Life

Buddha created the Bhavachakra to
illustrate man’s actions, the fruits of
those actions, the different realms or
places where those actions take place
and how one action always leads to
another; it is a picture of the always
and only ‘co-dependently arising
nature of this and all lifetimes’
- Pratityasamutpada

Buddha depicted Time or Kala
as a context,
of inescapable suffering
. . . for it is Time that determines
our inability to gain permanent
happiness in life no matter what
our actions are

Many of the greatest spiritual Teachers
speak about Time and Death as the
the Reality of human life and said only
those individuals who were aware of
the inherent, suffering nature of the
human condition - Dukkha, could
truly orient
towards spiritual practice

Just as we need to understand the
place where we live
the Season of the year
and the time of the day
Ayurveda says it is necessary to
understand
\
the Season or Time
of our life

According to Ayurveda,
Time is an inescapable factor
or ‘disease’ of the body
The effect of Time on the body
is Kshaya or the diminishment
of all the capabilities of the
body-mind with old age

The Stages of Life

The Chandogya Upanishad says
that a healthy man or woman
enjoys 116 years of life
Balavastya: +/- 24 years
Yuvavastha: +/- 44yrs (24-68)
Vrddhavastha: +/- 48 yrs (108-116)

Woman

Man

Balavastya (Youth)
From conception to a girl’s first period
(approximately 14-16 years of age; now
earlier) is the time ruled by Kapha or
the EARTH and WATER elements.
This period exhibits a steady increase
and coordination of the strength and
integrity of the body, mind and senses

Madhyavasta (Middle Age)
Middle age is ruled by the FIRE element
and lasts (approximately) from 14-16 years
to 60-70 years of age. It is dominated by
Pitta Dosha or the fire element. There is
an increase of hormonal activity, digestive
abilities of food and experience; full
engagement of the senses, mind, intellect
and a greater (or lesser) mastery of will

Vriddhavastha (Old Age)
This is the period from 70 years to our
death, when there is ever-increasing
wasting or decay (Kshaya) in the body.
This time of life correlates
with Vata Dosha or the air and ether
elements

In old age there is a natural decrease
of the Dhatus or bodily tissues:
There is wrinkling of the skin, graying
of the hair, baldness, diminished
ability to do physical work, diminished
digestive power (Jatharagni) and
diminished immunity (Ojas)

In old age
(even if one is not sick or in pain)
there is a decrease in the Indriyas
(sensory organs)
There is diminishing strength,
speech, mental and cognitive
functions, memory, intellect and
analytic ability

When these symptoms come
about in accord with Kala (time)
and a balanced or healthy
Swabhava (self-nature),
it is known as
Kalaja Vriddhavastha or
(natural Aging)

When aging results from a result
of a defective diet and lifestyle,
Vriddhavastha (old age) begins
earlier and is then known as
Akalaja Vriddhavastha
or (untimely aging) and is usually
accompanied by disease

Worry, Anxiety, Smoking and Aging
produce Vata in any individual

Aging can be slowed and
untimely aging is preventable.
Even if symptoms of untimely
aging are already manifested,
they can be managed or
palliated by applying the
principles of Ayurveda

The word for ‘Health’ in
Ayurveda is Sama or balance
and the working principle of
Ayurveda regarding the
elements is:
‘Like increases Like
Opposites decrease one another’

According to Ayurveda, the
‘patho’-physiology of aging is
caused primarily by diet and the
process of Aging can be slowed
by correcting and balancing
the diet and lifestyle

A clear and comprehensive
description of aging, its prevention
and treatment have been laid out in
the classical Ayurvedic texts.
Aptopadesha (textual knowledge) is
the first step on the path.
Of course knowledge has to be
put into practice
to be effective.

SVABHAVA
or
Self nature

The second of the four factors
(Kala, Svabhava, Diet, Environment)
that create the growth, development,
maintenance
and decay of the body is‘Svabhava’
or the unique, individual nature and
quality of our body

For most people in the west today
who have gained a little knowledge of
Ayurveda,
Svabhava is another name
for Dosha

To balance Svabhava it is
necessary to understand the
‘5 elements,’ as our ‘unique’
body is composed of
differing combinations of
what are called the
5 elements or the
Panchamahabhutas

These five elements are:
Ether (Akash)
Air (Vayu)
Fire (Agni or Tejas)
Water ( Jala)
Earth (Bhumi)

The Five Elements
Panchamahabhutas

Everything in creation is made of
differing combinations of
the 5 elements
(always and only
all-together appearing)
or what are called the
Panchamahabhutas

When the
Panchamahabhutas are
considered in terms of location
they are called: the Environment:
desert, ocean, forest, mountain,
cold, hot, windy, dry

When the
Panchamahabhutas are
considered in terms of Food
they are called- The Six tastes:
sweet, sour, salty, bitter,
pungent, astringent

When the
Panchamahabhutas are
considered in terms of the
Seasons of the year, they are
called:
spring, summer, fall, winter

When the
Panchamahabhutas are
considered in terms of the
Time of the day, they are called:
dawn, morning, afternoon,
evening and nighttime

When the
Panchamahabhutas are
considered in terms of the
Seasons of a persons life, they are
called: childhood, adolescence,
middle age and old age

When the
Panchamahabhutas are considered in terms of
the 5 Shiva Temples (Panchabootasthalams) of
South India they are called:
Earth: Ekambareshwara Temple, Kanchipuram
Water: Jambukeshwara, Trichy
Fire: Annamalaiyar Temple, Tiruvannamalai
Air: Srikalahasteeswara Temple, Srikalahasti
Ether: Tillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram

When the
Panchamahabhutas are
considered in terms of the
Ages of the Universe they are
called the Yugas:
Kali, Dwarpa, Treta and Sat

When the Panchamahabhutas
are considered in terms of the
human body they are called:
Doshas

Doshas
Panchamahabhutas
and
Dosha

“Neither in theory nor in fact is
there a physical manifestation
that cannot be accounted for
by the concept of Tridosha”
– Caraka Samhita

The ‘’Nature’ or quality
of a thing
(or one’s body)
is called:
DOSHA
or
SVABHAVA

When we consider
the individual being
and his or her unique combination
of the elements
the particular element (or elements)
that predominates amongst them
is called their Dosha

DOSHA
(Also) Means that which vitiates,
aggravates, darkens, spoils
or
causes things to decay

Varying combinations of the
Panchamahabhutas or 5
Elements comprise the
Doshas

Vata, Pita and Kapha
are the 3 Doshas

Let’s look at Dosha and how
differing combinations of the
elements determine the
different types of the human
body-mind:

KAPHA

PITTA

VATA

Kapha and Vata

‘Yatha Loka Tatha Pindam’
The physical and psychological human being
follows the pattern of a full day of the world
Kapha in the morning hours (6-10am)
Pitta in the midday hours (10-2pm)
Vata in the late afternoon hours (2-6pm)

Kapha rules the morning hours (6-10am)
Diseases of a Kapha type mainly happen
to a person in their Kapha season of life
and their symptoms express most
powerfully during the Kapha hours

Pitta rules the midday hours (10-2pm)
Adolescence-Midlife (14-60yrs)
Middle age people are primarily affected
by Pitta disorders and these symptoms often
heighten during the Pitta hours of the day and
years of life

Vata rules the afternoon hours of the day (2-6pm)
and the later years of life (70- death)
Elderly people are primarily affected
by Vata disorders and these symptoms
often heighten during the Vata hours of
the day and years of life

The 5 Elements or
Panchamahabhutas express
themselves
in every aspect of life

Under the controlling effect
of Time
each Stage of life expresses
different Panchamahabhutas
or Doshas

Old Age
The Season
of
Vata

Vata is the ‘environment,’ time or season
of Old age
Vata rules Old age
Therefore,
We must recognize, understand and
balance the increase of Vata
in our diet and lifestyle
to maintain or create balance
in our elderly years

Interestingly, our modern day environment
is more Vata than ever before in history.
We move faster,
do more at any single moment,
process our foods and drinks
use modern medicine to suppress our
disease symptoms
spend more time in front
of computers and TV
Movies ‘move’ faster
girls get their periods at a younger age

What are the qualities of Vata
according to Ayurveda?:

Vata is:
Cold
Dry
Light
Irregular
Rough
Moving
Quick
Changeable
Sharp

The Principle of how to achieve
Balance or Sama in Ayurveda is:
‘Similars increase one another’
'Opposites decrease one another’

So, to balance Vata
we need:
Cold-
Light -
Dry -
Irregular -
Rough -
Quick-
Mobile-
Subtle-
Warm/hot
Heavy
Oily/ moist
Regularity
Smooth
Slow
Steady
Touch

When Vata Dosha is out of
balance there is an excess of the
qualities that define that Dosha
For instance:

Light: The person loses weight
Cold: The person feels chilled
Dry: The skin, lips, mucosal glands become dry
Mobile: the voice becomes too quick or rambles
Subtle: The person is easily affected by the
feelings of others
Hard: the stools become hard and difficult to
eliminate
Irregular: Easy to change
Rough: The skin becomes rough

Ayurveda offers the knowledge of how
to bring
Vata Dosha into balance.
The principle of how to achieve Balance
is by increasing
the opposite qualities:

Change needs to be made in
Daily Routine, Sleep, Sex, Diet,
Herbal supplements, colors,
aromas, massage, oils and
overall lifestyle

Through adopting an
appropriate diet and lifestyle
can we bring
Vata Dosha into balance

I tell people who have high Vata
that like every other Dosha, they
have been given both a blessing
and a curse.
‘The blessing is that it is easy for
them to change; the curse is that
it is easy for them to change.’

Whatever is done must be
done steadily or regularly!
Vata tends to be irregular and
irregularity only increases
Vata Dosha

Here is more of what
Ayurveda
says about
Vata:

Physical Characteristics:
Those with a predominance of Vata dosha
usually have a thin, light frame and excellent
agility. Their energy comes in bursts and they
are likely to experience sudden bouts of
fatigue. Vatas typically have dry skin and hair
and cold hands and feet. They sleep lightly
and their digestion can be sensitive. When
Vata dosha becomes imbalanced, it manifests
in the body as weight loss, constipation,
hypertension, arthritis, weakness,
restlessness, and digestive challenges.

Emotional Characteristics:
Vatas love excitement and new experiences.
They are quick to anger but also quick to
forgive. When Vatas are in balance, they are
energetic, creative, and flexible. They also take
initiative and are lively conversationalists.
When unbalanced, they are prone to worry
and anxiety and often suffer from insomnia.
When they feel overwhelmed or stressed,
their response is, “What did I do wrong?”

If excessive stress in your life leads to your
Vata force becoming imbalanced, your activity
will start to feel out of control. Your mind may
race, contributing to anxiety and insomnia. You
may start skipping meals, resulting in
unintended weight loss, and your digestion
may become irregular. If you notice these early
symptoms of a Vata imbalance, slow down,
take time to meditate, don’t skip meals, and get
to bed earlier. A regular lifestyle routine helps
ground Vata so you’re not
carried away into the ether

Vata Pacifying Diet
Vata is balanced by a diet of freshly cooked,
whole foods that are soft or mushy in texture,
rich in protein and fat, seasoned with a variety
of warming spices, and served warm or hot.
These foods calm vata by lubricating and
nourishing the tissues, preserving moisture,
and maintaining warmth while supporting
proper digestion and elimination.

Qualities to Favor and Avoid
Vata is cool, dry, rough and light, so eating
foods that neutralize these qualities – foods
that are warm, moist, oily, smooth, and
nourishing – can help to balance excess Vata.
An improved understanding of these qualities
can guide you in making specific dietary
choices that will better support Vata.

Tastes to emphasize:
Sweet
Sour
Salty

Tastes to Decrease:
Bitter
Pungent
Astringent

All six tastes should be eaten
in every meal or cravings will
develop!
Of course there is a different
proportion of tastes/elements
for different dosas

Root vegetables and winter squash will
help nourish and balance the body. Try
carrots, beets, sweet potatoes,
pumpkin, acorn, butternut, delicata,
and buttercup squashes. These have
the qualities of sweet, heavy, smooth,
dense, and moist and are most
balancing for Vata.

Casseroles
Soups (Mung Dal)
Stews

Grains
Sweet grains such as basmati rice,
wheat berries, brown rice, and sushi
rice. Also, whole wheat pasta and or
buckwheat udon noodles can be
especially grounding for vata. Always
include ghee and other healthful oils
such as almond, sesame, or sunflower
for internal oleation, kindling agni,
and increasing absorption.

Spices
When preparing food, use warming
spices such as black pepper, dry
ginger, cinnamon and asafoetida to
help to stoke the digestive fire.

Lunch
is the largest meal of the day
Do not skip meals!

Drink Ginger Tea!
Fennel
Licorice

Stay Warm!
Don’t get chilled
Avoid Drafts and Wind

Avoid Raw Foods
No cold drinks
No caffeinated drinks
No snack bars
No Granola
No Dried Fruits

OILS
All good Fats
Ghee
Sesame oil
Sunflower

Herbs
Vata Digest Tablets from
Banyan Botanicals
Vata Churna from MAPI
Haritaki- best for balancing Vata

Abhyanga or Oil Massage
Coconut oil in hot climates
Sesame oil in cooler climates

Vata
(air and ether)
is easily shaped by
and even
becomes their
environment

Meditation
Transcendental
Meditation

Yoga Asana
Knee to Chest Pose
Do any and all asanas
smoothly and lightly

Pranayama
Nadi Shuddhi

Sleep
Hot Milk with ginger, cinnamon
and cardamom and saffron
before bed
Go to bed by 10am!

Rasayana
The way of Rejuvenation

Rasayanas are herbal and mineral compounds
which according to Vedic texts help to:
- Maintain the original orderliness
of the physiology
- Preserve youthfulness and slow down
or reverse the aging process
- Strengthen the immune system
- Make the body-mind more resistant
to damaging influences

Rasayanas
An 11th century Persian chemist and physician
named Abu Rayhan Biruni reported about India:
“They have a science similar to alchemy which is
quite peculiar to them. They call it Rasayana. It
means an art that is comprised of certain
actions, herbs and compounds, most of which
are taken from plants. It restores the health of
those who were ill beyond hope and gives back
youth to those fading in old age.”

It was said by my Teacher
that of all the Rasayanas,
the very best
is to have a purpose in life
that you are devoted to

Chyvana Rishi
and
Chyvanaprash

Chyvanaprash

Amalaki
“Of all Rasayanas, Amalaki is revered as one
of the most potent and nourishing.
“Amalaki is the best amongst rejuvenating
herbs.”
- Charak Sahita

‘Rasayana’ refers not merely to a
herbal regimen (drug) or a
therapy although both may be
included.
It is a ‘lifestyle’ that can be
undertaken by anyone

Rasayana is for maintaining the
health of healthy individuals as
well as restoring the health of
diseased individuals

Rasayana prolongs longevity,
develops good health,
improves mental faculties and
provides immunity against
disease

There is a particular Rasayana called
Kuti Rasayana
When practiced it brings about
Kaya Kalpa
or the rejuvenation of the human
body, skin, new teeth,
regrowth of hair

The most famous practitioner of this
was Tapasviji Maharaj who lived for
185 years.
There is a book written about him
called: Maharaj

Sadvritta
Sattvic Lifestyle
Righteous living
Good conduct
Service
Love

“Death is utterly acceptable to consciousness and life.
There has been endless time of numberless deaths, but
neither consciousness nor life has ceased to arise. The felt
quality and cycle to death has not modified the fragility of
flowers, even the flowers within the human body.
Therefore, one's understanding of consciousness and life
must be turned to that utter, inclusive quality, that clarity
and wisdom, that power and untouchable gracefulness
this evidence suggests. We must cease to live in our
superficial and divided way, seeking and demanding only
consciousness and life in the present form we grasp,
avoiding and resisting what appears to be the end of
consciousness and life in death.”
- Adi Da Samraj

Benaras
“A World in Which All things are Burning”

I present this topic-
Ayurveda and Aging
an
Introduction to Ayurveda and
many other courses
Contact me at:
email: petermalakoff@gmail.com
Website: www.petermalakoff.com