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Ayurvedic Migraine |
| By Karyn Chabot, D.Ay, MS, LMT |
According to the science of Ayurveda all of creation is made up of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Each individual is born with a unique combination of these elements that form the Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas determined at the moment of conception. This unique constitution or genetically determined blueprint (prakruti or �first creation� in Sanskrit) reveals innate tendencies, gifts, challenges, lessons, functional habits and hidden potential and determines how one experiences life. This also includes specific foods, supplements, tastes, seasons and activities that will be more healing or more harmful overall.
Specific foods are not good or bad for everyone overall; an individual�s blueprint or constitution must be considered to make healthy food choices. It doesn�t matter what we eat. It matters what we can digest because everyone digests at different rates and degrees with unique sensitivities. This can be determined by self-exploration and observation, including trial and error. Begin by eliminating certain foods to see what changes happen in the body or adding certain foods to notice the effects. This practice will develop your intuition as well, which should be your primary barometer anyway. You might also want to seek out the professional services of an Ayurvedic counselor who is trained to read the pulse, observe the tongue, eyes, body, mannerism, speech, hair, nails, astrology chart (Jyotish) and so on.
Heat toxins from over-accumulated summer season residing in the liver can disturb the eyes because, according the Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the liver meridian ends in the eye. When the eyes are moving, it activates prana and the wind element that lives in the eye. Part of prana�s action is to blow and exacerbate whatever is present. That means if pain and light sensitivity are present, it will become worse if the eyes are not still. This is why it feels so good to turn the lights off and close your eyes at the onset of a headache. Excessive summer accumulations are also responsible for disorders of the cranial blood vessels, which will cause inflammation of the arteries and visible pulsations at the temporal artery, which will lead to migraine. In order to heal a migraine, one should be aware of the time of the headache and its relationship to food, emotions, and environmental or emotional stress. Ayurveda breaks up the 24 hours in a day into three �seasons�. For example, the summer season starts at 10am, so if someone has a pattern of developing a migraine around that time of day, that may point to �summer heat� as the culprit. Since Ayurveda says �like increases like�, that means cooling therapies are indicated for the person who gets migraines during the �summer time� of the day. On the other hand, if that person has a habit of eating a sandwich at the time, then Ayurveda would question a possible wheat or gluten intolerance as the culprit instead. Or, for example, if 10am is the time of day that person starts driving to work; we might look at the possibility of emotional stress associated with work as the culprit. Sometimes it�s all of the above! Topically treating the marma points (ethereal windows in the body) at the temples, using gentle pressure with the tips of your fingers with rose, lavender, sandalwood or jatamamsi essential oil can help soften the pain of any headache. Some Triggers of Migraine Headaches: Sour foods, such as pickles Citrus fruits, including tomatoes Soft drinks Coffee Chocolate Insomnia Disturbed emotions Food allergies Genetic predisposition Karma Remedial Tips for Acute Migraines:
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