|
|
Fatigue |
 |
|
|
Vital
Health Topic: Wiping Away Fatigue |
Are
you feeling brain-dead, emotionally stressed out, or
just plain pooped? If so, you have company. Many Irish
people today suffer from stress and tiredness.
A stress-driven body and mind is the major cause
of fatigue, and unfortunately, for many people this is a
normal state of living in today's hectic world. Most
people have lost touch with the normal experience of
'calm energy,' which is a state of low tension and high
energy that allows for optimism, confidence, and the
stamina necessary to enjoy success, love and happiness.
Happily, Maharishi Ayurveda is well-equipped
to restore balance and combat the underlying causes of
the general, stress-related tiredness that many Irish
people suffer from today. |
WHAT
CAUSES FATIGUE?
|
According
to Maharishi Ayurveda, fatigue is caused by overuse,
misuse or no use of the mind, emotions or body. For
instance, your job may be easy for you, but if you have
to put in a lot of overtime, that can result in fatigue.
Misuse is doing something that is against your
nature. If you are an honest person, and you find
yourself in a situation where you feel pressured to lie
or cheat, that misuse of your mental faculties could
cause you to feel fatigued.
An example of
physical misuse is knowing that a physical task is
beyond your capability, but doing it anyway. Or perhaps
your heart is very tender, and you are surrounded by
people who are habitually angry -- an example of
emotional misuse.
Even lack of use can cause
fatigue. "Use it or lose it" applies not only
to the body, but to the brain and emotions as well. The
first step in correcting fatigue is to determine the
cause. You can ask yourself if your fatigue is caused by
physical, mental or emotional factors. And is it caused
by overuse, misuse or lack of use?
Once you
know which behavior is causing the fatigue, you must, of
course, stop that behavior. Become familiar with your
stress-point and your own level of comfort. The solution
to the problem of fatigue is found in one sentence:
proper use of the mind, body and emotions. |
THE
THREE DOSHAS AND FATIGUE
|
There is a
relationship between the three doshas and the three main
types of fatigue. Mental fatigue is associated with an
imbalance in Vata dosha, emotional fatigue is caused by
an imbalance in Pitta dosha, and physical fatigue is
caused by an imbalance in Kapha dosha.
Ama,
or impurities caused by undigested food, is a major
cause of all three types of fatigue. To avoid all types
of fatigue, avoid leftovers, fast foods, foods grown
with chemical fertilizers or sprayed with pesticides, or
packaged, canned, frozen or processed foods.
Maharishi Ayurveda makes the following recommendations
for each type of fatigue: |
For
Mental Fatigue: |
|
 |
Vata-pacifying
diet and daily routine (go to
http://www.mapi.com
and click on the Vata icon for details) |
|
|
Peace
of Mind Tea and Tablets twice daily |
|
|
Go
to bed early, avoid mental work right before bed |
|
For
Emotional Fatigue: |
|
|
Pitta-pacifying
diet and daily routine (go to
http://www.mapi.com
and click on the Pitta icon for details) |
|
|
Blissful
Joy tablets and aroma |
|
|
Never
skip meals |
|
For
Physical Fatigue: |
|
|
Kapha-pacifying
diet and daily routine (go to
http://www.mapi.com
and click on the Kapha icon for details) |
|
|
Rasayana
for Energy tablets and vitality aroma oil. |
|
|
To
burn away ama, boil two quarts of water and steep
with the following herbs: 3 leaves of holy basil, 3
leaves of mint, 1/4 t. cumin seed, 1 piece of clove,
1/4 t. coriander. Drink it throughout the day. |
|
Depending
on your mind-body type and imbalances, you may be more
susceptible to certain types of fatigue. By consulting a
physician trained in Maharishi Ayurveda, you can learn
specific recommendations for restoring your natural
energy levels based on your body type and imbalances.
The following three case histories explain how mental,
emotional, and physical fatigue can be addressed using
the principles of Maharishi Ayurveda. |
MENTAL
FATIGUE
|
Laura,
32 and single, was a buyer for a large department store
and had advanced rapidly in the past four years.
However, she found herself aging rapidly, and was
alarmed to see dark circles under her eyes, premature
wrinkles, and a dull, pasty complexion rather than the
rosy-red cheeks of her college years. Despite taking
prescribed sleeping medication, she was unable to fall
asleep at night. At least three times a week she felt
utter mental exhaustion by the end of the day. She was
frightened that her mind would not be able to keep up
with her increasing responsibilities, and suffered from
frequent tension headaches. She smoked, took aspirin for
her headaches and diet pills to stay thin.
Laura's problems were caused by an imbalance in Vata
dosha, which is typical in cases of mental fatigue, and
were compounded by her smoking and medications. Calming
activities such as gardening and leisurely walks, along
with regular practice of Transcendental Meditation®,
helped her stay relaxed, yet alert and composed.
Aromatherapy, using Calming Vata Aroma Oil, also helped.
Now, months later, Laura is a changed
person. She does not use medication for sleep any
longer, and feels recharged in both mind and body. |
EMOTIONAL
FATIGUE
|
A 37-year-old mother of two children
aged 7 and 10, Mary held down a full-time job as head of
marketing for a major corporation. Her principal
complaint was overwhelming fatigue. Her energy level
dropped so low that she often felt annoyed to the point
of anger by her children's natural needs for her time
and attention. She felt guilty for being an unloving
mother and neglectful wife. She often woke up in the
middle of the night worrying, and caught every flu or
cold her children came home with. Drinking 8 cups of
coffee to get through each day only added to her
irritability and fatigue. In her own words, she was
continually upset with her husband, her children, her
friends--even the dishwasher repairman--about nothing,
absolutely nothing at all.
Mary had placed
herself under tremendous emotional stress. She needed to
build some deep rest into her day to help eliminate that
stress. So she started the Transcendental Meditation
program to provide deep rest and eliminate stress. She
turned off her portable phone, which she habitually
answered even during meals and in bed.
She
started on a Pitta-pacifying diet and daily routine,
along with Pitta Churna and Pitta Tea instead of coffee
to help balance her emotions and nurture her body-type.
She also stopped eating excessive amounts of white sugar
for a false energy rush, stopped skipping meals, and ate
a pear or a whole-grain bagel between meals when she
felt hungry.
Mary also started on the
powerful antioxidant Amrit to retard intracellular decay
and energy loss due to excessive free radicals, and to
give a boost to her immune system, and on Elim-Tox-O to
help remove the toxins that had accumulated in her liver
from eating ama-producing fast foods on the run.
Blissful Sleep II addressed her Pitta-based sleep
problems, and Fatigue Free helped restore her physical
energy levels.
In just three months Mary
reported that she only had occasional fatigue when she
would 'overdo,' but not the bone-wearing fatigue that
had once been her constant companion. Her emotional and
physical symptoms gradually washed away and she felt
that her life, though still complex, was back in
balance.
|
PHYSICAL
FATIGUE
|
A
35-year-old lawyer, Paul was married and the father of
one. He had recently become a partner in a large firm,
and reported difficulty in maintaining the competitive
pace. Exercise had fallen by the wayside, and he had put
on 25 pounds in the last year alone. He took a variety
of laxatives and antacids for his sluggish digestion and
frequent constipation.
Even though he slept
eight hours a night, Paul felt exhausted when he woke
up. While he used to have great physical stamina, he now
found himself with frequent chest congestion and wheezed
while climbing flights of stairs. His knees ached and he
felt and looked ten years older than his age. Worse, he
wasn't sure he could keep up with his job, because his
thinking had become slower and duller. He frequently
felt congested in body, mind and spirit.
Paul's complaints were due to a Kapha imbalance and lack
of exercise. To restore balance, he started a program of
gradual weight loss, because that was contributing to a
vicious cycle of physical fatigue. He took the Be-Trim
tea and tablets to help stimulate his digestion and
metabolize fat. His life had become too sedentary and
sluggish, so he started on an exercise program,and took
Joint Soothe to support his knees and other joints.
Other recommendations for Paul included
Blissful Sleep III, which is the herbal formula designed
especially for people who sleep soundly during the night
but wake up feeling exhausted. A daily abhyanga
(ayurvedic massage) using Rejuvenation Massage Oil for
Men also stimulated his digestion and moved out toxins.
Paul also learned the Transcendental Meditation program,
and started a Kapha pacifying diet and daily routine,
using ghee in his diet instead of butter. He started
drinking five bottles of room temperature water each day
to clear away ama, and took Amrit(without sugar) to
restore balance to mind and body.
After ten
weeks Paul had lost 15 pounds, his mind had become more
agile and quick, and he was able to maintain his energy
level at a steady pace without any symptoms of
exhaustion.
Two final points of advice for
dealing with fatigue: Start cutting back on coffee, coca
cola, and caffeinated teas, and sleeping pills to allow
your body to re-establish a natural rest and activity
cycle.
Second, schedule enough rest each
day. The human nervous system and body is not designed
for a constant diet of tension, pressure, speed and
excitement. It must have adequate rest to permit natural
regeneration and recuperation, and to experience natural
energy and joy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tel: 01-4789744 