Introduction to Ayurvedic Philosophy

By Pamela Quinn
INTRODUCTION TO AYURVEDA
Introduction
Where did the philosophy of
Ayurveda come from?
The Knowledge of Life or
How to Live
Yoga, Ayurveda, and Buddhism
What is Pancha Karma?
What is Health?
What is Strong Immunity?
The Seven Tissues of the Body
3
4
5
8
10
13
14
16
Foundational Philosophies for Living a Life of Balance

2 All rights reserved 2014 | www.elementalom.com | pamela@elementalom.com
Vedic Prayer
Lead me from darkness into light
Lead me from untruth into truth
Lead me from mortality into immortality.

Introduction
When I teach the course I’m most known
for, The Elemental Cleanse, I ask for a show
of hands to see who has heard of Ayurveda.
Shockingly, most participants do not raise
their hands. It is shocking on two levels. The
obvious being that they have signed up for
an Ayurvedic cleanse having no idea what
they are getting into and the not so obvious
being Ayurveda is the most intelligent system
for preventing and curing disease and is the
most widely embraced holistic modality in
the west.
It’s important to understand the roots of
what you are taking the time to learn about
and possibly embracing as a lifestyle and
philosophy. Ayurveda is a holistic medicine
from India. It is a psychosomatic system of
preventing and treating diseases that looks
to the integration of body, mind, and spirit as
the ultimate experience of humanity.
Dr. David Frawley of the American Institute of
Vedic Studies explains it beautifully:
As such, it is a powerful complement to
modern medicine that views functionality of
body as purely mechanistic. Most will tell you
this philosophy is 5,000 years old, but history
traces it back as far as 10,000 years. The
Kundalini tradition believes it goes back up
to 40,000 years. Ayurveda predates Chinese
medicine and is widely believed the overlap
of Ayurveda and Chinese is medicine is due
to the migration of students from China to
India and then back to China.
“Ayurveda is based upon a deep communion with the spirit of life itself, upon a profound
understanding of the movement of the vital force and its manifestations within our entire
psychophysical system.”

Ayurveda includes what is known as Shad
Darshan. This is a system of perceiving truth
meant to express that which is within, without.
Darshan has its roots in the ability to see, not
visually, but through truth seeking. The Shad
Darshan is critical to understanding Ayurveda
and yoga because it is a philosophy that
explains our everyday experience as humans
in this physical existence and what it means.
It is a way of looking at the physical, the
emotional, the inner and the outer.
Shad Darshan includes the following:
(1) Sankhya or the Truth of Life. This includes
the concepts of Purusha, Prakruti, Mahad,
Ahamkara, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. If you
have experienced The Elemental Cleanse,
you recognize Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
We discussed Purusha, Prakruti, Mahad,
Ahamkara when we wrote our stories.
Basically, this is the creation story and the
story of the ego and the lens with which we
view life.
(2) Nyaya and (3) Vaisheshika. This includes
the elements of ether, air, fire, water and
earth, the soul, the mind, time, and direction.
(4) Mimansa: A great philosopher named
Jaimini is credited with Mimansa and proving
the existence of God. God is really taken
into your everyday existence through rituals,
ceremonies and fasting. We will not cover
this because it is very sacred and requires
an appropriate teacher. Just know that
Ayurvedic Philosophy includes a tangible
relationship with “one” creator. The creator
is accessible and part of your everyday
experience. I get a lot of emails asking
for more information about proving the
existence of God, and sadly, I will not get to
study this until I’m in my 80’s I believe.
(5) Yoga: Yoga is a spiritual practice that
includes a physical practice. The purpose of
Yoga is to still the fluctuations of the mind
creating happy people who live happy lives,
have happy families, and have jobs they
Where Did the Philosophy of
Ayurveda Come From?
There are four main texts of Ayurveda known as the
Vedas:
1. Rig-Veda focusing on the five great elements and
the three energies of the body and mind or doshas.
2. Yajurveda focusing on sacrifices, chanting, and
mantra.
3. Athaveda (includes 4 secondary texts)Upaveda (this
is a secondary text...there are 3 other Upavedas
dealing in martial arts, sacred geometry, music
and dance) housing Ayurveda from this our oldest
medical books:
(a) Charaka Samhita, 400 BC (oldest written
Ayurvedic text)...describes Vata and the five
Vata subdoshas. This is the text for physicians.
(b) Sushruta Samhita...describes surgery, blood,
Pitta and the five pitta subdoshas. This is the
text for surgeons.
4. Samveda focusing on rituals and music.
The Vedas were transmissions given to man by
consciousness. It is believed great yogis called Rishis
sat in contemplation of man’s suffering and the science
of life was revealed to them. These transmissions were
not written down prior to the creation of Charaka
Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, but were passed from
guru to disciple through mantra. Mantras are powerful
when spoken and have limited yet some power when
written.
At this point you may naturally wonder if these
teachings still have power the way that we are learning
and teaching them mostly through the written word.
The aspects of the Vedas not dealing with sacrifice,
chanting, mantra, rituals, and music can effectively
be transmitted through books. You do need a guru/
disciple relationship to learn the rest. A guru is a
teacher. A disciple is a student.

Interesting Note: Charaka is credited with writing
the Charaka Samhita. Oddly, little is known about
that guy and he has myth-like status. It’s believed
that Charaka was not one guy and did not write
the Charaka Samhita all by himself. It’s thought
that the Charaka Samhita was written by many and
in collaboration.
The Knowledge of
Life or How to Live
love and are of service. When the mind is
distracted in chaos, it is not possible to be
happy. Pantanjali is credited with codifying
yoga through the yoga sutras. Some believe
that Pantanjali was also the author of the
Charaka Samhita or the medical text of
internal medicine.
(6) Vedanta or Upanishad. The Vedanta or
Upanishad was incorporated into Ayurvedic
Philosophy. It is the foundation for Hinduism.
It’s primary teaching, if I may be so bold, is of
consciousness. Brahma is the expansion of
consciousness.
Ayurveda, as the Mother of Healing, has
incorporated many other practices including
Buddhism. Buddha was a yogi so you
can imagine there is a blend. According
to Paramahansa Yogananda, author of
Autobiography of a Yogi, Buddha was sent by
so man would enact their will and move away
from the multi-Deity theory. Many yogis get a
little confused about yoga and Buddhism and
where they diverge. Just know that right now
you are learning yoga. I’ll address this more
deeply in a bit only because I get so many
questions about yoga and Buddhism.
SUMMARY:
In learning Ayurveda, you are studying
the Athaveda stemming from an Indian
philosophy known as the Shad Darshan and
including an understanding that we are made
from Pure Awareness or Consciousness, there
is a God, and there is a way to understand the
human existence as it relates to nature. There
are rituals that will make your relationship
with God flower. You can establish your own
personal practice through the teachings I
give you, but do seek out qualified teachers
for other rituals that should be passed by
word of mouth or through the sound current
known as the Naad. Yoga will make you
happy. Buddha was one smart Avatar and
his teachings are really good. Yoga is not
Buddhism.
Ayurveda translates to “the knowledge of life” or “the
science of life” or “life knowledge.” It is easy to simply
memorize “the knowledge of life” without giving due credit
to what this phrase actually means. Read the following many
times and contemplate.
“Ayur” means life.
It doesn’t just mean life as we know it though. It means all
of life. It includes the moment that Consciousness had the
thought to create you to the moment that you merge back
with consciousness and beyond. It honors that you are no
more and no less than a thought of God. You are divinity
expressing through.
“Veda” means knowledge.
It includes, however, only the knowledge that the human
mind can understand. This is important because it accepts
that there are things that we will never know and never
understand. For example, our scientific community has spent
billions of dollars trying to understand why and how the
body heals. They don’t know. In Ayurveda, we simply know
that the body heals and we don’t have to know the why. Nor
do we have to know the “whys” of God.

Ayurveda is affectionately called “The Mother
of Healing” because just like a mother would
do for a child, Ayurveda does for its children.
If a contemporary modality existed that
could ease the suffering of a child, would you
reject it simply because it didn’t fit in with
your current understanding and philosophy?
No. You would embrace new modalities and
technologies.
“Life (ayu) is the combination (samyoga) of body,
senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Ayurveda is
the most sacred science of life, beneficial to humans
both in this world and the world beyond.”
~ Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, 1.42 – 43
Contemplation Exercise
Imagine yourself before you existed.
Go back in your mind to your
grandparents. Who were they?
What were their lives like? Did they
imagine you? How did your parents
meet? What was their life like at your
conception? What did they care about,
eat and do?
Ashtanga Ayurveda?
You may have heard of Ashtanga Yoga, but did you know that Ayurveda is really Ashtanga Ayurveda?
Ashtangha translates to the “eight limbs” or branches. There are eight limbs of not just yoga, but also
Ayurveda.
1. Internal Medicine or Kayachikitsa
2. Surgery or Shalyatantra
3. Eyes, Ears, Nose and Throat or
Shalakya Tantra
4. Pediatrics or Kaumarabhritya
5. Toxicology or Agadatantra
6. Psychology or Bhutavidya
7. Rejuvenation or Rasayana
8. Aphrodisiacs or Vajikarana
You don’t have to worry about the Sanskrit terminology associated with these branches; I just want you to be
aware of the vastness of knowledge included in this ancient science. For the most part, you will be learning
the preventative and supportive role in internal medicine. This branch of Ayurveda focuses on building and
maintaining appropriate Agni or digestive fire. The science of rejuvenation or rasayana is used to prevent
disease and extend life. I view The Elemental Cleanse as the “pre” work to rejuvenation or living in balance
as purification is required for the rasayana to be effective. Without cleansing, a person cannot appropriately
heal through the use of rasayana.
Interesting factoid: Bhutavidya means “knowledge of ghosts.” When all else fails (diet, yoga & herbs) in Ayurveda, the
person is deemed to be possessed and the demon must be cast out. Exorcism, while not an overly active practice, is part of
Ayurveda. Magicians are employed to cast out the spirits.

The following is advice from the Ashtangahridaya. This collection of advice from Ayurvedic
physicians speaks to daily routines, seasonal routines, traveling, cleanliness and much more.
Nityam hithahara vihara sevii
Sameekshyakaree vishayeshuasakthaha
Datha samassthya paraha kshamava
Napthopaseveecha, bhavatya rogaha
Translation:
Eat good food
Move your body
Be careful of taking unnecessary risks
Respect yourself
Give to charity
Love everyone.
Be truthful
Respond, don’t react
Forgive
Surround yourself with like-minded people
Contemplation Exercise
What is your daily routine?
Does it include all of the above?
Could you this advice from the
Ashtangahridaya to create a daily
checklist for yourself and use as a
journaling tool?

Yoga, Ayurveda, And Buddhism
Ayurveda is known as the “Mother of Healing” because of its inclusivity of all practices that heal
including contemporary methods. Ayurveda is ﬂexible, intelligent, and dynamic. Because of
this, Ayurveda has folded into its philosophy the teachings of Buddha. Please do not become
confused and think that Ayurveda or Yoga are Buddhism. They are not.
According to Yogandanda, Krishna was sent as an Avatar to teach man the lesson of Yoga.
Yoga (Ayurveda) is a philosophy that adheres to the one deity rule (the deity being one
Consciousness...whatever that looks like), much like Judaism and Christianity do. Hinduism
came from the Upanidshads coming from Vedanta, a yogic and Hindu text. Hinduism adheres
to a multi-deity philosophy. Buddhawas sent to man as an Avatar to direct man’s attention
away from a multi-deity approach. Man was giving over his will to deities and this seemed a
problem. Buddha’s ﬁx for all of that was to make man the center and not to worry about any
deity at all. Buddhist may or may not believe in one Deity. It’s irrelevant to the practice of
Buddhism. Yogis believe in one Deity.
Buddhism is not part of the Shad Darshan.
Buddha was a yogi. Much of what he said about the mind and existence is relevant to Yoga. In
particular, Ayurveda embraces the 4-fold path to enlightenment. This includes these facts:
1. Suffering is real.
2. We suffer for a reason.
3. Suffering will stop.
4. There is a way to stop suffering.
I think we can all agree that suffering is real. We sit in our homes warm, dry, and comfortable
and yet we suffer. Why do we suffer? Buddha says there are 12 reasons why we suffer.
1. Ignorance or Avidya: This is the ideal that
we have forgotten who we are. You are
animal, you are human, and you are spirit.
The union or yoga takes you to a state of
“non-duality” where you understand all of
this through experience. You understand
that this is that and that is that and that
is all there is…Tat Tvam Asi. There is no
separation between you and everyone
and everything else. When you realize this,
Avidya goes away and you no longer suffer.
Ignorance is truly the root of ALL suffering.
I love the quote below from my teacher,
Mark Whitwell. It speaks to the suffering
we encounter on a spiritual quest.
“ There is nothing to attain! There is no such
thing as enlightenment, only Life in you as
you. No need to realize God when God has
realized you. It is intimacy you want and it
is freely given. It is the search that is the
problem. Looking for something presumes
its absence. As long as we strive for a
higher reality, the looking implies this life is
a lower reality…Yoga is simply your direct
participation in intimacy with what is already
Given.”
~ Mark Whitwell, The Yoga of Heart

2. Past Impressions or Samskara: These
are your scars from this and other lives.
Because of these scars, you make choices
based on those past experiences. You are
making choices in your life unaware and it
creates drama and more karma.
3. Initial Consciousness or Vignana: Site,
Sound, Smell, Taste, Touch, Chitta
(monkey-mind), the judging mind, the
mind that remembers. In a nutshell, you
taste a yummy treat; the mind thinks about
it, likes it and remembers that it likes it.
You then want more and more and more.
This is the groove in the brain that brings
you back to bad choice making again and
again.
4. Mind/Body or Nama rupa: This is
identifying with the self and attachment to
the self. You believe you are the body, the
mind, and the resources around you that
the ego identiﬁes with.
5. Six Organs of Cognition or Shadayatana:
This is how you take in the world. It causes
you suffering because you identify with
yourself as the self through your sense
organs. The thinking mind is “I am here
because I can feel me and see that I am
here, so there is no way that I am not
here.”
6. Contact of Senses with Objects or
Sparsha: This is about enjoying physical
sensations. You seek physical stimulation.
7. Sensation, Feelings, Pain/Pleasure or
Vedana: This is about craving feelings
and sensations. Perhaps you enjoy the
intensity and extremes of emotions. Think
of a drama queen or a person who ﬁnds
pleasure in the failings of others.
8. Thirst to Enjoy or Trushna: Craving for
sensory pleasure. Imagine you have an
attachment to food or alcohol. You crave
the sensory pleasure of it on multiple
levels. It is social, it can be viewed as
glamorous and it feeds the physical senses.
9. Mental Attachment or Upadan: This is
attachment to anything including senses,
thoughts, ideas, desires and other people.
Imagine you want to change, but you are
afraid to give up material possessions or
relationships.
10. Becoming or Bhaka: This is about
wanting more and more out of life. You
are never happy because you always want
more. The grass is always greener.
11. Birth or Janma: Fearing change in life.
Imagine that you are stuck in a relationship
or job and afraid to change and to move.
Imagine you are afraid to change yourself.
This can also relate to fearing birth. If you
believe in reincarnation, you may fear what
you will come back as.
12. Old Age, Death or Jara Marana: This
is about fearing the process of aging
and death. Who wants to get old and
decrepit and sick? Who wants to die? Just
a note, this is why we practice Shavasana
or “corpse pose” so that we can practice
dying and lose the fear.

Panchakarma is one of the most widely known
practices of Ayurveda. Panchakarma is a system
of purification performed seasonally, annually
or with disease. It is known as the “five karmas”
because it has five steps. The word karma
is derived from the “kriya” and kriya means
action.
Purvakarma is a Pre-step or Step 0
Purvakarma is the action that must be taken
prior to receiving the cleansing benefits of
panchakarma. It is preparing the body to
receive. In a panchakarma administered by an
Ayurvedic physician, this practice takes only 3 -
7 days. It largely consists of Snehana (Oleation)
and Swedena (Heat therapy).
During the Cleanse, we spend three weeks
preparing the body and mind to receive the
Cleanse. This is done for multiple reasons:
• A 3 – 14 day flush of the digestive system is
superficial because no effort or energy is put
into bringing the mind back to balance with
the body. I have not found one other cleanse
product on the market that does this.
• A person will participate in a short cleanse,
feel great and then immediately go back to
the less favorable habits and lifestyle that
created the need for the cleanse to begin
with. People need time to integrate change
and create new habits.
• The concepts of cleansing, including yoga,
meditation and the elimination of “less-
favorable” habits are new to Cleansers. Most
have never meditated or experienced yoga.
• The Elemental Cleanse is a way to educate
and empower a participant to heal himself or
herself, not for an outside service, procedure
or person to heal them.
What is Panchakarma and How the
Elemental Cleanse Integrates?
So, how do we move beyond suffering?
Suffering ends by practicing the Noble eightfold
path that was rediscovered by Buddha. It’s yoga.
1. Right View self-study: Why do you think
what you think? Correct perception, thinking,
speaking, conduct, living, doing, mindfulness
and meditation.
2. Right Intention Non-violence and alignment with
karma, the choices you make, and dharma, your
life’s purpose.
3. Right Speech or Non-violence and truthfulness
4. Right Action; make the most nourishing choice
5. Right Livelihood; connect with your dharma and
make your life’s work through it
6. Right Effort; tapas or discipline
7. Right Mindfulness: practice mindfulness
8. Right Concentration: practice meditation
From the discussion above, you can see Buddha
was a yogi. Buddha was inspired by yoga when he
practiced his practice others now call Buddhism.
Buddhism is not yoga and yoga is not Buddhism.
Buddhism contains a lot of yogic practices now
thought of as Buddhism, but are also yoga. You may
be called to Buddhism.

Snehana
Therapeutic Oleation and the Cleanse:
Snehana or Oleation during the Elemental
Cleanse begins with the process of the
Sesame Oil Self Massage or Abyangha,
cooking with plant based oil, consuming flax
oil, consuming ghee and taking teaspoons
of Sesame Oil at night. Just before Week
4, we crank it up a notch with the Sesame
Seed Oil enemas and the ingestion of ghee.
Oleation encourages the tissues of the body
to secrete and loosen up the toxicity or ama
that is settled in the cells. It lubricates the
body. It grounds the excessive energies of
The Wind or Vata which leads the other two
doshas, Pitta and Kapha back to balance. It
clears the energy channels or shrotas of the
body. Snehana is done in conjunction with the
ingestion of bitter herbs like neem and the
bitter and uplifting tastes of beans, legumes,
and vegetables.
Oleation is taken until the Cleanser feels
nauseated and loses their appetite. This
indicates that the tissues of the body are
completely saturated. The Cleanser may also
have an oily sheen to the skin, elimination is
oily, shiny and slightly yellow with a smell of
ghee, and hair and skin may feel softer. This
process increases strength and vitality. Often,
especially if the Cleanser has an Ayurvedic
massage, they will get a huge burst of energy.
Many, however, are not actually doing all the
work of the Cleanse and they will still suffer,
especially those who do not get their habits
under control.
Swedana
Therapeutic Heat and the Cleanse:
In a panchakarma administered by a
physician, there is much more play with
heat than in the Cleanse. This is because
Cleansers do not have easy access to
these modalities and because they can be
dangerous if not appropriately supervised. I
simply encourage Cleansers to seek out hot
baths, hot saunas, steam rooms and the sun.
In a true panchakarma, the participant would
receive steam heat applied directly to the skin
followed by a steam in a box. This would be
done over the course of the 3 - 7 days. It is a
necessary procedure because panchakarma is
very quick acting...7 days...and the toxicity or
ama must be quickly expelled.
Step 1 – Vaman moves Kapha
Vaman is vomiting. It is recommended for
kapha related disorders like bronchitis, colds,
breathlessness, chronic asthma, diabetes,
and indigestion. It must be done with the
help of a physician. Generally, a person will
drink warm salt water until the body releases.
We do not embrace this practice during the
Elemental Cleanse. Again, that is why we
must spend three weeks in the pre stage.
There are no quick fixes with the Elemental
Cleanse. Kapha moves, but it moves slowly
over the course of 28 days. Kapha does get
moving pretty good during Week 3 and that’s
why Cleansers are encouraged to pause in
Week 3. It actually benefits the movement of
Kapha.
Vamana is not a step for everyone. It is
recommended by participant and must be
supervised by an appropriately qualified
Ayurvedic Physician.

Step 2 – Naysa moves Kapha
Nasya oil is sold in the studio and online at
www.elementalom.com. I do recommend
it to those suffering bronchitis, colds,
breathlessness, chronic asthma, sinusitis,
diabetes, and indigestion. Used best
preventatively. If you do not wish to purchase
Nasya oil, sniff a few drops of Sesame Oil
morning and night for a similar effect.
Quick tip: carry nasya oil in your carry on when
traveling. The oil will kill bacteria and viruses and
prevent drying common to air travel.
Step 3 – Virechana...moving Pitta
Virechana is inducing elimination through the
bowels. It is good for hyper acidity, colitis,
hemorrhoids, chronic headaches, allergies,
acne, psoriasis, eczema and migraine.
Again, this must be done with a physician
as the herbs used are powerful and dosha
dependent. A person can become weak,
dizzy and dehydrated from this procedure.
During the Elemental Cleanse, once a person
has completed the Oleation, they actually
induce this themselves with the Sesame Seed
Oil enema. The enema acts on three fronts,
(1) to oleate (2) to eliminate and (3) basti
discussed below.
Step 4 – Basti
Basti is a process where medicated liquid is
introduced through rectum, vagina, penus,
urethra and wounds. Again, a physician must
administer basti as the herbs are powerful
and dosha specific. Basti is not really enema.
Enema only acts upon the lower portion of
the colon. Basti acts on the entire system.
Colonics are becoming more popular in the
West. I strongly discourage this practice. It is
not Basti and it is not Ayurvedic. Flushing the
colon with water is actually very drying and
weakens the mucous membranes.
Step 5 – Raktamokshana moves Pitta
Raktamokshana is bloodletting. We do not
do this practice in the United States. If a
person were to have excessively high pitta,
you could recommend they go to a blood
bank and give blood. The premise is toxins
have loosened up and are traveling the blood
stream. Bloodletting is an effective way to
quickly reduce the body of toxicity.
Summary
So, from this discussion, you can begin to
understand The Elemental Cleanse is inspired
not just from yoga, meditation, the yoga
sutras and Ayurveda, but also from this 5-step
procedure. The Elemental Cleanse must be
administered slowly to have potent effect. A
quick Cleanse of any sort is superficial and
does not benefit the emotional or physical
state of an individual.

Health in Ayurveda is called “swastha.” The
Ayurvedic philosophy of health really doesn’t
differ that much from the Western philosophy
of health. In a nutshell, everyone wants to look
good, feel good, and have energy. Ayurveda,
however, is a little more expansive. It looks at
physical, emotional and spiritual health.
A person living in a state of balance is healthy.
This means that the doshas are balanced,
the digestion is strong, and the metabolism
is appropriate. The tissues of the body are
healthy. That means that the plasma and
blood are light and quick and able to feed the
muscle, fat, bone, marrow and reproductive
fluid. The mind is calm, clear and has the
ability to discern. It doesn’t mean you are thin.
It doesn’t mean you are big and strong. It
doesn’t mean you have supernatural abilities.
It means you radiate. You are vibrant.
Happiness is part of the Ayurvedic definition
of health. If you are not happy, you are not
healthy. You should be able to:
• Enjoy the company of others.
• Enjoy the places that you find yourself.
• Organically and naturally without a lot
of effort make the best most nourishing
choice.
• Reserve judgment for self and not others.
I don’t mean walk around criticizing
yourself, simply look within before you
look without.
• Maintain balance regardless of the
seasons. That means that you know and
you choose to adjust your diet and lifestyle
seasonally.
If you are healthy, you can expect to live
to be about 100 years old. You will be
respected, have friends, be loved by family,
feel successful and enjoy wealth and be
connected with Spirit. This is the path
of yoga.
• Dharma or life’s purpose: This is why you
incarnated or why you were born.
• Artha or wealth: You need material
possessions to fulfill your Dharma.
• Kama or desire: God’s desire created
the entire universe. Desire is not a bad
thing. Your desire is part of the creative
force. If you manifest your desires in using
right action and heart-centered choice
making, you are using this creative force
appropriately. If you expect rewards, fame
or wealth, you are not using your desire
appropriately.
• Moksha or freedom: This is the highest
goal. You are working to be free of
your delusions, your maya and your
misunderstanding that you are separate
from spirit. You realize that there is more
to life than dharma, artha and kama. You
can’t get here without those, however. It’s
a process.
What is Health?

Your are considered young between the ages of
birth to 30 years. Within that, anyone who is 16 or
under is considered immature and anyone over
that age until 30 is considered to be mature. If you
experience these ages in balance you will have a
nice physical form, be attractive, have good muscle
tone, and be peaceful or sattvic.
Middle age is 31 – 60.This is when we do the work of
life. Hopefully you will connect to your Dharma and
have rewarding work helping and serving others. You
will accumulate wealth and your desires will be met.
Around the age of 40, your attention will naturally go
to the spiritual or if it doesn’t, you will naturally start
to suffer and feel separated.
Old age is 60 – 100 or death. This is a beautiful time
of life that can be active and rich. Most will still suffer
the effects of aging, but these will be minimized if
you are in balance.
How do we maintain health?
1. Follow a dosha balancing diet and lifestyle
routine.
2. Cleanse annually whether you think you need it
or not.
3. Cleanse for 1 – 3 days on a monthly basis.
4. Surround yourself with like-minded and
supportive people.
5. Enjoy work that is connected to your dharma.
What is Strong Immunity?
Immunity is your body’s ability to prevent and destroy disease. A healthy person has strong immunity.
If you have high immunity you are at your “ideal” body weight, your digestion is good, and you are
emotionally free. In other words you are vibrant, happy, and having good relationships with others.
If you have poor immunity, on the other hand, you may be overweight, obese, very thin, have poorly
developed muscle or bone, be sensitive to stimulus, and have weakness and exhaustion. Your
relationships suffer due to your lack of vibrancy.
The common reason I see people experience poor immunity is call “prajnaparadha” or a crime
against intelligence. This is when you knowingly do something that is bad for you. You choose to
participate in a thought, word, or deed that causes you harm. This is violence to self. This is making
the less-nourishing choice with intention. This crime presents as follows:
• Misusing the senses organs...eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. Examples include watching
violent movies, listening to loud music, taking in cloying smells or smells of chemicals, favoring
the sweet and salty tastes of the standard American diet (SAD), and too much or too little contact
through the skin.
• Misusing speech. This includes gossiping, talking too much, and being untruthful.
• Misusing time. This includes spending your time doing unnecessary things or things you don’t
really want to do. The constant running and choosing to go to places and participate in events
that don’t agree with you are examples. Wasting time doing meaningless tasks like social media.

I love this concept of “crime against the
intelligence.” If you pause at the crossroads
of choice making, you can always ask yourself,
“Is this choice moving towards my soul’s
growth or away from my soul’s growth?” If
you ask this quietly to your heart, you will be
surprised by the commitment and strength
there. For me, it makes choice making much
easier as I realize I want to stay on my path to
moksha or liberation.
Here is a balanced Ayurvedic routine for all
doshas that will create balance in your day
and help you to use the organs, your mouth
and time in a better way.
• Arise daily 1 – 2 hours before the sun
comes up. Use this time for yourself.
• Drink a glass of room temperature water.
You can add 1 tsp. triphala powder to the
water the night before. In the morning it
will be settled to the bottom. Don’t stir it
up, just drink the water on top. You can
reuse the powder up to three times.
• When you arise, evacuate your bowels. The
Elemental Cleanse trains your body to do
just that. If not, continue the practice and
know your digestion will learn. This is very
effective for IBS.
• Brush your teeth with neem toothpaste.
• Swish your mouth with sesame oil and
water (oil pulling).
• Scrape your tongue with a metal tongue
scraper.
• Wash your face with neem soap and then
massage Brahmi oil on your face. This will
facilitate meditation and is good for skin.
• You may begin a practice of placing ghee
on the eyelids. This is anti-aging and good
for eyes.
• Place a few drops of nasya, sesame, or
Brahmi oil in each nostril.
• Meditate for 20 – 40 minutes using mantra.
I love Kundalini Meditations incorporating
mudra, mantra, and music especially for
beginners.
• Practice yoga for a minimum of seven
minutes. This is a concept from Mark
Whitwell’s ipromise. You can download an
app from his website called ipromise for a
seven minute practice good for all.
• Go for a walk every single day regardless
of weather. Treat it as a walk with a friend
named nature.
• Experience a full body oil massage daily
before or after bathing.
• Meditate again at night before bed.
• Spend some time in self-study and
reflection through journaling.
• Sleep well.
The current trend in yoga is hot or power yoga. This practice
is okay to do once a week if you are Vata or Kapha and
properly acclimated. It is fitness. Think of it as any other
fitness activity. The next time you are in a facility experiencing
this class, notice if the instructor teaches you to breathe and
reminds you to maintain control of your heart. Notice if there
is a spiritual message and a caution to bring your mind back
to center. Notice how you feel after your practice. Are you
rajistic meaning more aggressive and impatient? Are you
exhausted for a few days? Hot yoga puts a strain on your
adrenal glands. Long term your skin erupts, sleeping patterns
are interrupted, and you become grumpy. To properly
practice, you must acclimate slowly over a course of 6 – 8
weeks in a warm room. I don’t know any studios doing that for
their students.
Treat yoga as the spiritual practice that it is. If you want to
burn calories, go for a run, hike, bike, or dance. Love yoga as
an outlet for stress and spiritual connection.
A special note on exercise: In Ayurveda exercises is meant to
nourish the body and mind. Exercise SHOULD NOT:
• Make you breath quickly. Your breath should always be smooth,
even, and controlled.
• Make your mouth dry.
• Make your forehead perspire. That’s right! Don ‘t overdo it.

You have seven tissues or “dhatus” that are
considered total and complete independent
systems of the body. They are independent
because they have barriers and borders
to protect them from the doshas. Dosha
is a Sanskrit word that means, “to go out
of balance.” The dosha is the energies
between the five great elements. A healthy
barrier keeps the doshas out of the tissues.
When a dosha enters a system because the
system is weak, you go out of balance and
get sick. You can learn all about the doshas
and elements in my book, “The Elemental
Cleanse”, or my ebook, “Who Am I?” For
now, let’s stick with building a foundation for
why Ayurveda is relevant to you.
The dhatus are a complete system
dependent upon each other to feed each
other. The process begins with healthy
plasma feeding the blood, blood feeding
muscle, muscle feeding fat, fat feeding bone,
bone feeding bone morrow that ultimately
feeds the reproductive system. If one or any
The Tissues of the Body
The word “Dhatu” translates to firmness. The
Dhatus are the tissues of the body. The purpose of
the tissues of your body is to provide a covering
fro “ahamkara” or your ego.
dhatus are invaded by the doshas, you will
experience imbalance.
During The Elemental Cleanse, we flush
the dhatus. It only takes twelve hours to
experience a quick flush and then another
five days to totally transform plasma. The
purified plasma then feeds and blood. It
takes another five days to transform the
blood. At this point you have invested a
little over ten days assuming that you didn’t
have “less-favorable” habits like alcohol,
sugar, caffeine, and excessive meat and dairy
to begin with and assuming you are already
in a state of emotional balance with your life
stressors. After five more days of cleansing,
the pure blood goes to the muscles. Another
five days to get to the fat and then five to the
bone and five to the morrow and finally five to
the reproductive system.
The entire process start to finish takes 35
days. Again, all this assuming you are already
under control with habits and mental stress.
You can see, the Cleanse is really effective
at getting to the fat tissue and that is why
the weight rolls off in Week 4). Post cleanse
the participant is empowered to eat for their
predominant dosha or body type and heal
the habitual mind or our poor choice maker.
It takes 90 days to grow a new liver, 120
days to grow all new red blood cells and 14
months to grow a new skeleton. You can heal
your entire being in a relatively short period
of time. Living in balance is critical to the
long-term health and happiness.

Plasma or Rasa
If the plasma is healthy a person will have
smooth soft skin, shiny hair, be attractive, and
of appropriate body weight.
Blood or Rakta
If the blood is healthy, a person will exhibit
glossy and pinkish coloring in the ears,
mouth, tongue, lips, nose, palms and soles
of the feet. When I teach yoga, I am always
checking out the bottoms of everyone’s feet.
Muscle or Mamsa
If the muscle is healthy, a person will appear
strong, solid, and attractive and have
appropriate muscle and flesh. Excess flesh
on the back of the neck, under and around
the eyes, under the chin, on the stomach and
breast, and on the joints of the hands and
feet is an indicator of poor health and disease
to come.
Overview of the Seven Tissues
Bone or Asti
If the bone is healthy, a person will appear
balanced. I look to the nails as an indicator
of choice making for the past six months in
a client. When I teach yoga, I notice which
students are having a consistently hard
time balancing not related to emotional
disturbance.
Reproductive Fluid or Shukra
If the Shukra is healthy, a person will be
attractive, have a joyful personality, be
bright and have an appropriate drive in the
bedroom. They will be vibrant and enjoy life.
In your personal life you can check for clarity
of secretions from the vagina and the quality
and clarity of semen.
Fat or Asti
If the fat is healthy, a person will have a
pleasing voice (no whining), bright eyes, and
soft and glossy hair and nails. I look for where
fat is depositing on the body as an indicator
of health and if the person I’m working with
has struggled for an extended period of time
to lose weight or suddenly put on weight
especially in the belly and thigh area.
Bone Marrow or Majn
If the bone marrow is healthy, the body will
be strong yet soft. The voice will be rich and
deep. The joints will be rounded.
Below is a detailed discussion of each tissue,
how you present when healthy, the disease
related to the tissue, and Ayurvedic remedies.
When disease presents itself, I recommend a
full experience of The Elemental Cleanse to
efficiently and in a supported and balanced
environment to flush toxicity and come back
to balance.

Healthy Rasa
• Soft smooth skin
• Beautiful complexion
• Soft hair
• Good strength and stamina
• Full of love and compassion
• Faith, love, and trust or what we call
Ishavar Pradidana, surrendering to
the divine.
If the plasma is unhealthy or depleted:
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Grief and sadness
• Anxiety
• No menstruation
• Fever
• Anger
• Congested lymphatic system
• Long lasting and repeated colds
• Bloating and edema known as water
retention or swelling
• An unhealthy or pale appearance
known as pallor
• Anemia or deficiency of red blood
• Dehydration
• Dizziness
• Emaciation
• Excessive thirst
• Hypersensitivity to noise
• Heart palpitations
• Inability to taste or extreme taste
• Nausea
• Aches and pains
• PMS and premenopausal syndrome
• Low libido
• Lack of faith
• Lack of self-confidence
• Lack of taste and no desire for the
pleasures of life
Rasa Dhatu is:
• Blood serum
• Lymphatic fluid
Purpose of Rasa Dhatu:
• To feed or supply nutrition
By products of Rasa Dhatu
• Top layer of skin
• Lactation
• Menstruation
Plasma or Rasa Dhatu
Plasma is called “rasa.” It is interesting to note that rasa also means taste. Rasa is the
foundation for health. It is the guardian and feeds all the cells of the entire body. You
can change the quality of the Rasa within 12 hours and completely in 5 days, so it is
also powerfully quick to positively or negatively effect your health with the food, drink
and environment you are taking in.
Rasa contains the five great elements and all six tastes although it is heavily sweet
and salty. All three gunas are present in Rasa.

Quick Fixes for Rasa
1. Take plenty of ﬂuids. Drink for your body type: Kapha 4 – 5 cups of water,
Pitta 5 – 7 and Vata 6 – 8.
2. Drink a date shake in the morning. Fresh dates blended into high quality milk,
or non-milk substitute. Quick recipe: 1 cup almond milk, 6 dates, 6 almonds,
cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, 1 tsp. honey, and a frozen banana if you choose.
Blend it all up.
3. Shatavari
4. Clean up your diet choosing sattvic or pure foods.
5. Clean up your thoughts and reduce stress.
You can see from this discussion that the food, drink, atmosphere, and emotions you
are taking in every single hour have an immediate and profound effect on the quality
of the plasma. This immediately and directly impacts your health. Every choice
counts. Imagine you are suffering from intense PMS. Simply by changing your diet,
you can relieve some of the symptoms in 12 hours.
If you are suffering an emotional disturbance such as grief or sadness, you can
facilitate faster recovery through proper nutrition. Think about the last time you had
a hangover. You probably craved less favorable foods that were sweet and salty.
Imagine how much better you would have felt if you had made good food choices
instead. Also, notice that it probably took about twelve hours for you to feel better
from your binge as well.
The word "Rasa" in Sanskrit can mean
any of the following including "taste." If
you think about it, when your food tastes
good, you will have good blood.
• Taste
• Water
• Semen
• Plant sap
• Mercury is considered the holy of
holy cures in Ayurveda and never
to be taken without an appropriate
Ayurvedic physician practiced in
alchemy.
• Emotion
• Musical melody
The food you feed your body is also
feeding your ego or what we call
ahamkara in yogi speak. If you do not
nourish your ego, it will feel unloved and
cause all kinds of emotional problems.
The simple act of making good food
and drink choices makes the ego feel
safe, valuable and loved. This diminishes
the drama in your life and allows you a
happier existence.

Healthy Rakta
• Healthy and glowing complexion
• Rosy cheeks and lips
• Lustrous eyes
• Pink nails, hands, and feet
• Longevity
• Understanding and comprehension or
discernment
• Happiness
• Joy and wisdom
• Intellect and brilliance
If the red blood is unhealthy or depleted:
• Bleeding from orifices not related to
dryness
• All inflammatory conditions
• Repeated infections
• Conjunctivitis
• Hemorrhoids
• Canker sores
• Hypertension
• Rash, acne, dermatitis, eczema
• Profuse menstrual flow
• Bruising easily
• Herpes
• Mononucleosis
• Hepatitis
• Appendicitis
• Visible blood vessels
• Blood clots
• Varicose veins
• AIDS
• Red, warm hands and feet
• Red eyes
• Anemia
• Pale skin, lips, tongue and nails
• Dry, rough, cracked skin
• Breathlessness on exertion
• Crunching ice as a habit
• Craving meat
• Lack of enthusiasm
Purpose of Rakta Dhatu:
• Carries nutrients to the tissues
• Gives oxygen
• Carries waste or carbon dioxide
• Prana flows through the red blood cells
By products of Rakta Dhatu
• Blood vessels
• Small tendons and sinews
• Bile
Blood or Rakta Dhatu
Plasma feeds blood. It takes 12 hours to begin the shift of plasma, another five days
to purify it and another five days to completely change the blood or Rakta Dhatu. If
you do not properly nourish the blood or Rakta Dhatu, you will experience the effects
of deranged Fire or Pitta. The job of blood is to heat the body. When blood cannot
do its job, Pitta dosha steps up to the plate. Pitta, however, does not have the ability
to invigorate you and simply heats you causing imbalance.
During Week 2 of the Cleanse, Pitta dosha begins to come back to balance as we
have cleaned up the diet and eliminated many of our rajistic habits including fried,
processed, animal, alcohol, and sugar products. Emotionally, we have cleared our
lives of activity and began the process of cooling the mind through Silence ad
meditation.
Sun Salutations clean the Rakta Dhatu. Rakta Dhatu is red blood cells and sun
salutations dynamically shift the blood.

Quick Fixes for Rakta
• Amalaki
• Avoid hot, spicy food
• Avoid alcohol, smoking, sour, salty and oily food
• Avoid the sun
• Appropriately process anger, hate and envy
• Avoid meat
• Bloodletting. Consider donating blood at a blood bank
Rakta health is a primary indicator of the health of the liver and the spleen as it is
formed in the liver. A liver that is not toxic from poor choice making creates vibrant
prana rich Rakta. Prana is our vital life force. It feeds from oxygen. Rakta transports
oxygen and is itself oxygen rich. If you were to place your blood in a centrifuge it
would separate. The red on the bottom is Rakta. The clear yellowish on top is Rasa. If
you eat very poorly, the clear yellowish becomes thick, white and sticky.

Healthy Mamsa
There is no Ayurvedic indication
of muscle mass as an indicator of
health. Muscle changes too quickly.
Overdevelopment of the muscle is not
recommended.
• Well-developed cheeks, neck,
shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps,
calf muscles
• and glutes.
• Energy
• Power
• Strength
• Stamina
• Courage
• Confidence
• Determination
• Love, compassion, and forgiveness
• Ability to support self, make money
and achieve success
• Strong desire
• Ambition
If the muscle is unhealthy or depleted:
• Enlarged, bulky muscles
• Stiff muscles
• Large expanded nose
• Potbelly
• Enlarged hips and buttocks
• Disproportionate appearance
• Myoma (muscle tumors)
• Tonsillitis
• Muscle hypertrophy (enlarged)
• Myasthenia (muscle weakness)
• Hiatel hernia
• Lack of tone
• Slipped or displaced discs
• Atrophy of the muscle
• Sunken cheeks and eyes
• Thin neck with exposed bones
• Visible vertebra and bones
• Emaciated appearance
• TMJ
• Inability to meditate
Quick Fixes for Rasa
There are no quick fixes. Moderation and
healthy exercise is key to keeping Mamsa
healthy.
Ashwagandha
Nux Vomica (good for alcohol habit and
addictions)
Purpose of Mamsa dhatu:
• Gives form and support
• Creates action from intention
• Gives personality and features
By products of Mamsa dhatu
• Skin
• Subcutaneous fat
• Nasal crust
• Earwax
• Sebaceous secretions
• Tartar
Muscle or Mamsa
Total transformation of the Muscle takes 15 days from the initial cleansing of the
plasma or Rasa. Muscles give strength, support and protection to the body. Muscles
make up about half of a person’s body weight. Muscles are responsible for the
movement of fluids in the body. The more the muscles move, the faster the fluids
must move to meet the requirements of the muscles.
Sun Salutations lengthen and strengthen Mamsa.

By products of Meda dhatu
If the meda is healthy:
• Beautiful nails and hair
• Soft skin and shiny
• Flexible joints
• Good endurance, energy, vitality
and longevity
• Retain memories
• Happy and blissful emotions
If the meda is unhealthy or depleted:
• Obesity
• Lethargy
• Painful joints
• Breathlessness if exerted
• Slow metabolism
• Underactive thyroid
• Profuse sweating
• Fatty tumors
• High blood pressure
• Gallstones
• Low libido
• Excess thirst
• Craving for sweet
• Diabetes
• Emaciation
• Degenerative arthritis
• Overactive thyroid
• Osteoporosis
• Enlarged spleen
• Oily skin
• Excessive tartar
• Hurt, grief, fear, sadness
Meda dhatu is:
• Adipose tissue or fat,
phospholipids, and steroids
Purpose of Meda dhatu:
• Creates cell structure
• Nourishes the cells and lubricates
• Gives a feeling of being grounded
• Keeps vital organs warm
• Guel
Fat or Meda
Total transformation of the Meda takes 20 days from the initial cleansing of the
plasma or Rasa. Fat is fuel and has a function. It nourishes and lubricates the cells.
Fat feeds on kapha foods. If you eat a lot of kapha rich foods, you will gain fat. If you
are a person who feels loved by self and others, your need for food diminishes. Food
and love are totally connected. If you are not getting love, you will eat more. The
same is true for addictive substances including drugs and alcohol.
If you lack fat, you will busy your body and mind in an attempt to stay heated
because the job of fat is to insulate and heat the body. You will also use distraction
as a means by which to feel love. In Ayurveda, it is thought that those who stay
emaciated or anorexic are fleeing from the commitments and bonds of love and
relationship. As discussed above, those who overindulge are clothing in what they
believe to be the comfort of love.
Quick Fixes for Meda
There are no quick fixes. Avoid excess sugar, salt, sweets and dairy products. Move the body. Deal with your emotional state.
Avoid cold drinks, milk, oily or fired food, saturated fats, excessive consumption of water, alcohol and other drugs. Eat good
fats in the form of vegetable fats. Guggul, Shilajit, Haritaki (found in triphala), Garlic.

Signs of excessive or diminished
Asthi Dhatu:
• Poor hearing
• Brittle, dry or thin nails.
• Bone spurs
• Calcification
• Hunchback
• Bone fusion
• Excessive hair growth
• Scoliosis
• Hair loss
• Osteoporosis
• Degenerative arthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Joint pain
• Shortened height
• Grinding teeth
Supplements:
Shilajit
Shatavari (prevents osteoporosis
during menopause)
Neem toothpaste (bitter and
astringent)
Bone or Asthi Dhatu:
The purpose is to provide support.
By products of Asthi Dhatu are teeth,
nails, and hair.
Interesting note: The unwanted molecules
of toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic,
mercury and lead are retained in asthi
dhatu and the body tries to eliminate
through the hair and nails. (Dr. Lad) That
means when a person comes to the
Cleanse with “heavy metals”, they really
need to do their work and follow the diet
without exception.
Bone, Marrow & Shukra
The Elemental Cleanse is a 28-day program. The Cleanse is designed to flush the system through the layers of fat
thereby stimulating weight loss. If a person does not commit to the permanent elimination of less-favorable habits
and embracing a lifestyle for their dosha, they cannot expect to go any further than the layer of fat. Living in balance
will change the person’s mind and body long term.
Below is the discussion of our final three tissues. You are going to see some things on the lists of situations that
Ayurveda can cure and improve that will challenge your Western mind. All disease is reversible in Ayurveda.

VATA in Majja
• Nervousness, baseless fears, and
insomnia
• Tingling and numbness, muscle
twitching, nervous eye twitching
• Cold hands and feet
• Dizziness and poor coordination
PITTA in Majja
• Burning hands and feet
• Pain in nerves or Neuralgia
• Shingles
• Herpes, mono, chronic fatigue,
Epstein Barr, AIDS (all worsen with
Pitta)
• Hypertension, cerebral
hemorrhage, sickle cell anemia
KAPHA in Majja
• Loss of sensation
Shukra or Reproductive Tissues
Male and female reproductive tissues
This is your ability to reproduce and creates Ojas
in the system. Ojas is the sparkle that animates
you. This forms 35 days after your first bite of
good food.
Signs of imbalance
• Preoccupation with lovemaking
• Increased desire for lovemaking
• Premature ejaculation
• Sterility
• Cystic Ovaries
• Low libido
• Fear of lovemaking
• Impotence
Causes
• Poor food
• Engaging in love making at midday, midnight,
dawn or dusk
• Overindulgence in lovemaking
• Love making during menstruation, while
intoxicated, with violence and
• abruptness
• Surgery or trauma in lower pelvic floor
• Gonorrhea, syphilis or herpes
• Emotional stress and worry.
Majja Dhatu or Bone Marrow
The job of bone marrow is to
communicate. It is the seat of the
conscious and subconscious mind.
• Signs of imbalance in Majja Dhatu
• Pineal and pituitary tumors
• Neurofibromatosis (tumors)
• Heaviness of eyes
• Sluggishness
• Excessive sleep
• Osteoporosis
• Anemia
• Arthritis
• Debility in intimacy
• Insomnia
• Neurological problems
• MS
• Parkinson’s
• Stroke paralysis
• Epilepsy
• ADD
• Lack of understanding/poor
communication
Bone, Marrow & Shukra Cont’d…

Participation in The Elemental Cleanse and living in balance for an additional 13
months grows an entire new skeleton and permanently changes your experience of
health.
I hope this helps you to better understand the philosophy of Ayurveda and the
foundational principles of the traditional practices that are part of an everyday
Ayurvedic life. Ayurveda, as the mother of healing, is not hard. Much of it is com-
mon sense. The hard part is dealing with the thinking mind. Battling the mind
alone is quite difﬁcult. Battling the mind consistently with the support of a teacher,
a coach, and a group is the most effective way to conquer the poor choice maker
that lives inside of you and is not allowing you to lead the life you desire.
You can work with me in a workshop setting, through my ecourses, and one on one
in a coaching setting. Let me help you transform your life on all critical levels.

Introduction to Ayurvedic Philosophy

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