Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Oregano is considered a staple herb in many cuisines around the world. It is a flowering plant that is related to the mint family.  The amazing properties of oregano are endless, but below is a list of the most amazing uses of oregano  1 ANTI-BACTERIAL  Has been proven to be effective against gram negative and gram positive bacteria  Several studies have shown the powerful antibacterial properties of oregano oil against antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. It has been shown to be effective in wound treatment and healing, even killing off methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). (webMD) 2. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY  oregano oil also has anti-inflammatory effects.  In animal studies, oregano extract has reduced inflammation which could lead to autoimmune arthritis, allergic asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis ( Medical news today)  3. DIGESTIVE HEALTH  Due to it's anti-microbial properties, Oregano has been used to treat...

1. Turmeric.  - Turmeric is a spice that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. It contains a compound called curcumin, which has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.  Curcumin has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of conditions, including arthritis, pain, inflammation, and cancer. 2. Ginger.  - Ginger is another spice that has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and can help to relieve nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness. Ginger can also be used to treat headaches, muscle pain, and menstrual cramps. 3. Honey.  - Honey is a natural sweetener that has also been used for centuries for its medicinal properties. It has antibacterial and antiviral properties and can help to treat a variety of conditions, including sore throats, coughs, and wounds. Honey can also be used to moisturize the skin and hair. 4. Oregano oil.  - Oregano oil is a powe...

As the name suggests, apple cider vinegar is a vinegar that’s made from fermented apple juice.  Apple Cider Vinegar with “Mother”, is the purest form of Apple Cider Vinegar you can get. It is unrefined, unfiltered and 100% natural.  The existing bacteria (the Mother) gives it a cloudy appearance.  Apple Cider Vinegar has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, due to its acetic acid content and the presence of gut friendly bacteria.  BENEFITS: 1. WEIGHT-LOSS: - According to Harvard health publishing, Studies in obese rats and mice suggest that acetic acid can prevent fat deposition and improve their metabolism. The most widely quoted study of humans is a 2009 trial of 175 people who consumed a drink containing 0, 1, or 2 tablespoons of vinegar each day. After three months, those who consumed vinegar had modest weight loss (2 to 4 pounds)  2. PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome)  -There are several studies that have shown that appl...

Uterine fibroids are abnormal tumors that grow anywhere within your uterus. They normally affect women of childbearing age and can vary in size, from small growths to more than 20 cm in size.  CAUSES: - The main cause of fibroids is currently unknown, but studies suggest that genetic factors and hormonal changes could play a role in development of fibroids.  SYMPTOMS:  - backache or back-pain that could spread down your legs.  - pelvic pain - pelvic pressure( feeling like you're carrying weight)  - Heavy menstrual bleeding  - frequent urination  - periods that last more than 7 days - Constipation - excessive discharge  - distended abdomen  -pain during intimacy  RISK FACTORS: *women of child bearing age * obesity  * family history of fibroids  * black women are more likely to develop fibroids than any other race  * high consumption of red meat  * high alcohol consumption  Treatment  Traditional t...

As per Taittirya Upanishad; Brahmananda valli (2.5.1), Knowledge (vijnana) is the fundamental ingredient of sacrifice (yajna) and the performance of one's duties (karmani). It is in knowledge that the Devas meditate on Brahman; by knowing it without misunderstandings all the negative reactions are destroyed and one fully enjoys all good things. This means that one should be situated well above the delusional ignorance of gross material bodily identification. According to the Bodhayana Grihasutra (1.1.18.21), the performance of sacrifices gives better results when it is done mentally, as long as it is done with the proper concentration and knowledge. The bahir yajna (external sacrifice) of svadhyaya, japa and karma (each with benefits 10 times greater than the previous one) has a lesser effect compared to the manasa or bhitar yajna (inner sacrifice), for which it simply functions as a practical support. Other important factors are bhavana (good motivation), tyaga (detach...

This life of yours which you are living is not merely a piece of this entire existence, but in a certain sense the whole; only this whole is not so constituted that it can be surveyed in one single glance. This, as we know, is what the Brahmins (wise men or priests in the Vedic tradition) express in that sacred, mystic formula which is yet really so simple and so clear; tat tvam asi, this is you. Or, again, in such words as “I am in the east and the west, I am above and below, I am this entire world. ब्रह्मैवेदममृतं पुरस्तात् ब्रह्म पश्चात् ब्रह्म उत्तरतो दक्षिणतश्चोत्तरेण । अधश्चोर्ध्वं च प्रसृतं ब्रह्मैवेदं विश्वमिदं वरिष्ठम् ॥ (2.2.11) This is a reference to the Mundaka Upanishad mantra (above) in which the Vedic understanding of the connectivity of living entities is put forward to help the Bhakta (practitioner of yoga) to understand the difference between the body and the living entity. How the real nature of the living entity is realized only in union with the source,...

Life has everything in it. But you only see what your perception allows you to see. वयमिह परितुष्टा वल्कलैस्त्वं दुकूलै:।  सम इह परितोषो निर्विशेषो विशेष:। स तु भवति दरिद्रो यस्य तॄष्णा विशाला।  मनसि च परितुष्टे कोऽर्थवान को दरिद्र:॥ The general “happiness content” of both are equal. Though the object that brought us happiness are different (bark for me and silk for you), fulfilling the need that leads to the happiness (here covering of the body) is same in both cases. Thus, the object becomes happiness neutral (निर्विशेषो विशेष:). One whose passion or need or craving (तॄष्णा) is great, is truly poor. For one, who is content with whatever he has (मनसि च परितुष्टे), how can the object of enjoyment make a difference (does not make any difference)?  It is universal that all do things to fulfill their need. If the outcome is harmonious to our memory, we become happy. In the opposite case, we become unhappy. Since the needs vary, the object that leads to happiness ...

Hindu scriptures explaining; Panchmukhi Ganesha is regarded as an embodiment of all potencies. Each head of Panchmukhi Ganesh symbolizes the Pancha Koshas or five sheaths in the subtle anatomy of human beings. The concept of pancha kosha originated from Taittiriya Upanishad, Yajurveda. Each of the faces of Panchmukhi Ganesha faces a different direction and hence the name. The classical Upanishads were concerned with addressing the nature of the self and one's relationship to the universe, and pancha kosha is thought to be one of the earliest conceptualizations of the human being. The description of pancha kosha in Taittiriya Upanishad is highly symbolic; the fuller exposition as taught in the yoga tradition comes from later Vedantic texts such as Adi Sankara’s Vivekacudamani or Vedantasara of Sadananda. Central to Vedantic philosophy, the concepts of Brahma and atman had a key influence on the development of the kosha model. A gradual process of moving inward through th...

Hindus believe that every aspect of life is sacred. That is why each significant stage, from conception to cremation, is celebrated as a reminder that life is a gift from God which should be duly respected and lived according to His wishes.  Sanskar (Subconscious impression) is a process of increasing the potential in ourselves. The word "Saṁskāra" as "sacrament" means the religious purificatory rites and ceremonies for sanctifying the body, mind and intellect of an individual; the process by which positive qualities in man are developed and enhanced is known as a sanskar. Sanskar = sam (samyak) + kar. ‘Sam’ means good and ‘kar’ means work or action.  Every action of an individual should be enriched with good sanskars; for example, eating a banana and throwing away the skin is an action, throwing the skin in a dustbin is sanskar, throwing it on the road is a perversion. Sanskar means culture. We are not cultured by birth. We learn culture by education an...

Lord Shiva is considered as the supreme God in the Hinduism. For setting up an ideal work on the earth in front of his creatures, he had taken variety of the avatars and incarnations. At the point of Maha-Pralaya, creation ends when manifestation is withdrawn back into the Great Void.  Hindu sacred writings like Vishnu Purana, Matsya Purana, and Bhagavad Gita utilize the word Rudra to coin the eleven types of Shiva (Ekadasha-Rudras) born to end the savagery and oppression of rakshasas on the planet and paradise. Various sacred texts have different histories of these Rudra Avatars of Lord Shiva.  In the Svetasvatara Upanishad is a phrase "Eko hi rudro na dvitiya tasthur" meaning Rudra is truly one and there is no place for a second. Mahadev - Shiv, both infinitely kind and terrifyingly destructive , created 11 immortal beings: Kapali, Pingala, Bhima, Virupaksa, Vilohita, Ajesha, Shasana, Shasta, Shambhu, Chanda, and Dhruva, which came to be known as the mighty 11 R...