Do you have dry bones?
Author: Maharishi Ayurveda Date Posted:8 May 2017
Dry bones?
As I thought about what topic to cover today, a question from a reader came to mind. They asked me what foods and herbs could they take to support recovery from ‘dry bones’, which in a modern perspective would be called a tendency for bones to click and at a deeper level, for calcium deficiency in the bones, or osteo-arthritis.
As I was thinking about this topic the old song “Them bones, them bones, them dry bones…” came to mind and I thought about how Ayurveda sees these bone imbalances being due to an imbalance of dryness in the tissue levels of Asthi and Majja. These two dhatus are responsible for the formation of bone and bone marrow tissue. Lets take a closer look at Asthi dhatu this week.
Asthi - bones, cartilage, teeth and nails
This tissue level is responsible for the healthy formation of bone tissue, cartilage, plus the strength of your teeth and nails.
It is aggravated by factors that upset Vata dosha in you, such as:
- Late nights. Are you a night owl, or do you find your bedtime is irregular?
- Mental stress
- Irregular meal times
- Smoking
- A build up of mercury and lead in the body
Tips to support Asthi
If you experience low bone density, hair that is dry or lacking lustre with a tendency to break with split ends, soft nails that break easily, pains in the joints such as osteoarthirits, or deep joint pain then your Asthi dhatu is needing support. To support your bone tissue
- Ensure you have adequate dietry intake of calcium and Vitamin D
- Take our helpful herbal Calcium Support daily
- Or if you have a borken bone or are elderly take Calcium Absorb daily
What is the difference between Calcium Support and Calcium Absorb? Calcium Support provides a higher level of Calcium supplementation, whereas Calcium Absorb supports a medium level of Calcium supplementation, but with better assimilation and utilization. This is often required for the elderly, or to support mending of bones and for those who pass Calcium quickly from the system. - Do a daily warm oil massage (abhyanga). It helps enhance digestion and flush away impurities, and is traditionally known to stimulate bone growth. It also lubricates helping reduce stiffness and those bone-cracking sounds. Favour Vata Massage Oil Organic
- Go to bed by 10 pm so your body is at rest during its natural purification cycle from 10 pm to 2 am
- Reduce mental stress. Consider learning Transcendental Meditation a simple mental technique that research shows can help to reduce stress cortisol levels by 30%
- Are you a smoker? Reduce or even better, get help to quit. Smoking increases bone loss and decreases your ability to absorb calcium in the intestines
- Eat at regular intervals throughout the day and take your biggest meal at midday, when the digestive fire is strongest
- Avoid or reduce caffeine and refined carbohydrates such as sugar
- Avoid cold or iced drinks, which decrease tyour ability to adequately digest and assimilate nutirents from your food
- Eat plenty of foods that are high in calcium, such as sesame seeds, green leafy vegetables, walnuts, coconut and coconut milk
- Warm whole milk is also an excellent calcium-booster, but choose unhomogenized milk for greater absorption. To enhance digestion, drink your milk separate from meals
- Avoid vegetables from the nightshade family, including eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and yellow, red and green sweet peppers
- Drink Vata Tea. Take sips every 30 minutes through the day, cook with Vata seasonal spice mix and keep yourself warm when the weather is cool or cold.
Next week we will look more deeply into what happens when Asthi tissue is poorly formed and fails to nourish Majja, the tissue that is formed next. Majja is responsbile for the nourishment of your bone marrow, immune system, as well as the health of your brain and nerves.
Wishing you the bliss of balance…
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Linda Sinden has been a practising Maharishi Ayurveda Consultant since 1990 and is a regular contributor to our weekly Insights. She has a practice in Auckland, New Zealand and also provides phone or Skype sessions for those who need assistance, but don’t have a consultant in their vicinity. Email: lindasinden@orbislife.co.nz Skype: Linda.Sinden |
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