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Ayurveda approach
Under supervision from a doctor, Ayurveda treatment
can be used together with the regimen given by the physician.
Your doctor will monitor your progress and eventually, you may
gradually stop dependence on the strong medication if your body
can benefit from diet, exercise and other Ayurveda treatment to
eliminate or control the depression.
According to Ayurveda, due to specific etiological
factors, vata from the colon, pitta from the intestine, or kapha
from the stomach enters the general circulation. It lodges in
the nervous system and interferes with the normal functioning
of the nervous system and mind, hence causing depression.
Each of the following depression characterized by
vata, pitta and kapha, is treated differently but it is very important
that each one is initiated with a diet to help treat depression:
vata -, pitta -, and kapha – pacifying diets, respectively.
Vata Depression treatment
This type is often to do with anxiety and fear, nervousness, insomnia
and psychologically it is due to loneliness. To lift the feelings
of depression, spend more time relating to people. The following
remedy will help a mild vata depression:
Drinks:
· Holy basil (tulsi) and sage tea
Here’s an excellent homemade remedy for depression. Make
¼ teaspoon of tulsi with ½ teaspoon of sage in a
cup of hot water. Drink tea twice a day.
· Dashamoola tea
Steep 1 teaspoon of dashamoola herb in a cup of hot water and
drink this tea twice a day.
· Ashwagandha and brahmi tea
Use equal proportions of the 2 herbs, about 1/3 to 1/3 teaspoon
each, and steep in a cup of hot water for about 10 minutes. Drink
twice or 3 times a day.
Rubs:
· Sesame oil massage
Here’s a soothing healing massage for vata depression. Rub
top of the head and the soles of the feet with sesame oil.
Nasal vapors:
· Sesame oil nose drops
Use 3 to 5 drops of warm sesame oil nose drops to effectively
relief from depression. Known as nasya, continue to do this nasya
procedure on an empty stomach in the morning and evening.
Pitta Depression
This is the most serious of the three types and you should consult
a doctor. Anger, fear of failure, making mistakes or losing control,
and recurring thoughts of suicide are symptoms of a pitta type
depression.
A mild pitta depression is caused by failure or
disappointments to obtain status, a desired result or even a promotion
at work. A pitta person is ambitious and persistent on succeeding.
When faced with adversaries to succeed, the person can be easily
upset and depressed although this type may not last long or be
too severe. Pitta types are most vulnerable to a mild form of
depression called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) that usually
happens in the winter.
To treat the different types of pitta depression,
here are some remedies:
Drinks:
· Three Herbs Tea
Blend equal amounts of the following herbs:
Brahmi
Jatamamsi
Shatavari
Use ½ to 1 teaspoon of this mixture with
warm warm water. Drink this tea twice or 2 times a day.
· Gotu kota or brahmi tea, or ginkgo tea
Use ½ teaspoon of any of the above herbs with a cup of
hot water and drink 2 or 3 times a day.
Massages:
· Coconut oil or sunflower oil rub
Use either oil and apply onto your scalp and the soles of your
feet at bedtime. Massage and feel relaxed.
Nasal vapors:
· Brahmi ghee nose drops
Use 3 to 5 drops of this nose drop in each nostril twice a day
on an empty stomach.
Meditation
· Quiet meditation
Meditate for a few minutes can be helpful in healing pitta depression.
Kapha depression
People with kapha depression have mental heaviness linked with
weight gain, feelings of lousiness, excess sleep and drowsiness.
The following are remedies helpful in treating kapha depression:
Drinks:
· Herbal tea
Mix the following herbs:
2 parts sarasvati
3 parts punarnava
3 parts chitrak
Put ½ teaspoon of this on your tongue and
wash it down with warm water. Take this mixture thrice a day.
· Ginger tea
Make ½ to 1 teaspoon of ginger powder with steeped with
hot water. Drink this 2 times a day.
· Apple juice
Go 3 to 4 days without food except apple juice. This helps enlighten
the heaviness of a kapha depression.
Nasal vapors:
· Punarnava ghee
Use 5 drops of this in each nostril twice a day,
Exercises:
· Get Active
Do some exercise or increase the amount of exercise you do every
day to balance your weight.
· Yoga asanas
The following yoga asanas are great for healing kapha depression:
The Sun Salutation (12 repetitions daily), Plow, Shoulder Stand,
Maha Mudra, the Bows pose and the Vajrasana (Sitting on the Heels).
Breathing exercise
· Ujjayi pranayama
This breathing exercise is helpful for healing kapha depression.
Should your depression show little improvement soon
after using these Ayurveda remedies, consult your doctor.
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