An evening with Dr Vasudha Sharma
Introduction
On October 18, we had a fascinating session by Dr Vasudha Sharma, co-founder of Vivekanand Health Global and the International Integrative Medicine Centre. Dr. Sharma has been a pioneer in blending traditional holistic healing practices with modern science. In her talk, “CURE to CARE: With Yoga and Ayurveda”, she shared how these ancient practices can help achieve lasting physical, mental and emotional well-being.
About Dr Vasudha Sharma
Dr Vasudha M Sharma is a visionary in the field of holistic health and wellness. Dr. Sharma has dedicated her career to the integration of ancient wisdom and modern science, particularly through Yoga and Ayurveda. Her PhD focused on the management of migraine through these ancient disciplines. Dr Sharma has pioneered innovative approaches to pain management and rehabilitation that are both effective and economical.
Dr Sharma has over two decades of experience in various prestigious roles. She is currently Managing Director at Vyasa Health Care Pvt Ltd, where she leads initiatives that promote the healing potential of integrative medicine. Dr Sharma has also developed comprehensive modules for antenatal and postnatal care, demonstrating her commitment to women’s health and community welfare.
Dr. Sharma is a strong advocate for the transformative power of Ayurveda and Yoga. She believes that by integrating these ancient practices into our daily lives, we can achieve not only physical well-being but also mental clarity and emotional resilience.
Ayurveda: An overview
The core of Ayurveda can be understood from the definition of a healthy individual:
“Samadosha, samagnischa samadhatumala kriyaha
Prasanna atmenindriya manaha swasthya ityabhidheeyate”
Ayurveda is a holistic approach that balances the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects. In Ayurveda, the spirit, mind and body are all considered while coming up with a course of treatment. For example, many times, pain may be due to feelings, thoughts and emotions. Ayurveda looks holistically at various aspects of health: Body humors, Digestive fire, Tissues and Excretory mechanism. Ayurveda balances the needs of Atma – soul, Manas – mind and Indriya- sense organs.
Tridosha
Tridosha refers to the three biological energies namely Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, that govern our physical and mental functioning. These energies, or doshas, are present in every individual in varying proportions. They are responsible for the diversity in human physique, temperament, and susceptibility to diseases.
Vata Dosha: Vata, formed from the elements of air and space, governs all physical and mental movements. These include breathing, heartbeats, muscle and tissue movement, and our thought processes. Vata is associated with qualities like cold, light, dry, irregular, and mobile. When balanced, Vata promotes creativity and flexibility. Imbalances can cause fear, anxiety, physical and mental restlessness leading to irregular bowel movements, bloating, and gas. Practices like warm foods, grounding activities, and regular routines can help.
Pitta Dosha: Pitta, made up of fire and water elements, oversees digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition, metabolism, and body temperature. Pitta is characterised by qualities such as hot, light, intense, penetrating, pungent, sharp, and acidic. When Pitta is balanced, it promotes intelligence and understanding. Imbalances can lead to anger, hatred, and jealousy resulting in heartburn, acidity, and inflammation. Cooling foods, stress management, and avoiding excessive spicy foods are beneficial.
Kapha Dosha: Kapha, a combination of water and earth elements, provides the physical form, structure, and enables the smooth functioning of all body parts. Kapha is characterized by qualities such as cold, wet, heavy, slow, steady, and stable. When balanced, Kapha is expressed as love, calmness, and forgiveness. Imbalances can lead to attachment, greed, and envy, resulting in poor digestion, constipation, and mucus build-up. Light and warm foods, exercise, and avoiding heavy, greasy meals are helpful.
Trigunas
Another important concept in holistic medicine is Triguna or the three gunas. They are sattva, rajas, and tamas, qualities that are present in all human beings.
Sattva: Represents goodness, calmness, and harmony. When sattva is dominant, we are calm, serene, and have noble thoughts.
Rajas: Represents passion, activity, and movement. When rajas is dominant, we are hopeful and ambitious.
Tamas: Represents ignorance, inertia, and laziness. When tamas is dominant, we lack the motivation to act.
Yoga: An overview
The Yoga school of thought, attributed to the sage Patanjali, focuses on spiritual and mental practices to achieve self-realization and union with the divine. Yoga encompasses various practices, including physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), meditation (dhyana), and ethical principles (yamas and niyamas).
The yamas (social ethics) and niyamas (personal observances) are the ethical guidelines laid out by Patanjali. They are meant to guide us on our life's journey.
The yamas primarily focus on our actions when interacting with others. The five yamas are: Ahimsa (nonviolence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (abstinence) and Aparigraha (non-accumulation).
The niyamas focus on our relationship with our physical and psychological selves. The five niyamas are: Soucha (internal and external cleanliness), Santosha (being happy and content), Tapas (penance), Swadhyaya (self-study) and Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to the higher power).
For more information, pl refer to an earlier WiseViews webinar by Mr Vikas Arya:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgG0hq5kK-U
Ayurveda and Yoga are useful in their own ways. Integrating the two traditional systems can enhance the benefits as they are synergistic.
Holistic treatment
The microbiome is the community of microorganisms (such as fungi, bacteria and viruses) that exists in a particular environment. In humans, the term is often used to describe the microorganisms that live in a particular part of the body, such as the skin or gastrointestinal tract. These groups of microorganisms are dynamic and change in response to a host of environmental factors, such as exercise, diet, medication and other exposures. The figure below explains how the different systems of the body interact with each other.
Lifestyle for optimal health
We should have a healthy daily routine. That includes enough sleep. It is not just the number of hours of sleep that matters. It is also important to sleep and wake up at the right time. Waking up early in the morning during Brahma muhurtha gives us a tremendous advantage as our cognitive and creative abilities peak at that time. Our daily routine should also vary from season to season. Lastly, a good code of moral and spiritual conduct is important for good health.
Migraine treatment
Dr Sharma, an expert on the subject, explained how migraine can be treated through a combination of Ayurveda and Yoga. As per Ayurveda, the problem lies in Pitta. Medication is given to reduce the oxidative stress. The medicines reduce inflammatory cytokines and the pain. On the other hand, Yoga focuses on the mental aspects. Yoga traces the problem to the dominance of the sympathetic nervous system. Through personalized yoga, it is changed to parasympathetic dominance. This results in increased GABA, reduced inflammatory cytokines, increased serotonin and decreased cortisol. (GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid acts as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. GABA reduces neuronal excitability by inhibiting nerve transmission.)
Women health
A combination of ayurvedic medication and yoga exercises can be very beneficial for the health of women. Shirodhara (Oil streaming on forehead), Pizhichil (Oil pouring on the body), Annalepam/ Navarakizhi (Application of medicated rice with milk and herbs) on the body improve both the physical and mental health of women. Yoga’s mindful, gentle and controlled movements bring better hormonal balance. This reduces stress and in turn improves endocrine functioning.
Q&A
Right from her student days, Dr Sharma was passionate about understanding the science of life. She found the subject intriguing. As she learnt Ayurveda, she also took interest in yoga. Her PhD work focused on migraines. She wanted to document the results and show the impact of integrative medicine. She began to look at holistic treatments that combined ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy.
Ayurveda has still not taken off globally. Some countries like Germany and Austria are very receptive. But in general, ayurvedic medicines are not legally approved in many countries and hence cannot be exported. Ayurvedic doctors are also not recognized globally. Pharma regulations of India are not accepted globally.
Some practices like massage have been accepted internationally, but then massage is only a small part of ayurveda. It is important that we present ayurveda the way it is, i.e. holistically and not in bits and pieces. Otherwise, the science will be diluted based on a country’s likes and dislikes. Dr Sharma recalled the positive response to Ayurveda while on a recent tour of South Korea.
Through Ayush, the government has provided considerable support especially in the last decade. Yet, Ayurveda is still not popular enough. In ancient India, Ayurveda was a part of our daily life. But today, Ayurveda is used more as a supplement. We need more word of mouth, through people who use Ayurveda to act as brand ambassadors.
There is a difference between the western and our approaches to exercise. Both are about burning calories, but they work differently.
Consider treadmills. They are about increasing the pace of the heart. They stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.
Yoga involves aerobic exercise, but it relaxes the body. Yoga does not take away our energy. Rather, it renews our energy. The heart rate comes down and the respiration is under control. Yoga is more than asanas. It is as much about mending the mind as bending the body.
Senior executives and entrepreneurs must take out 20 minutes every morning and do stretching exercises and pranayama. This will reduce stress. Ideally, similar time should be taken out in the evening as well. One must find the time to do these exercises and not give the excuse that there is too much work. People working from home should switch on and off. This will also prevent sleep problems.
Sciatica refers to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. It is caused by injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve. Both back pain and sciatica originate in the lumbar area and are due to vatha disorder, which results in inflammation. A combination of Ayurveda and acupuncture is given. It is usually a one week or two-week course. Then individualized yoga therapy is provided. Tissues are strengthened to prevent further recurrence.
Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls movement. These nerve cells die or become impaired, losing the ability to produce dopamine. Ayurveda enables the production of natural dopamine. This enhances brain function and prevents the progression of the disease. Sleeping well and reducing stress is part of the treatment protocol.
There are not too many experts in this field. However, there are courses in naturopathy. Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences (BNYS) is a 4-5 year degree course that includes a 6-month internship. The course curriculum teaches students about natural healing system. We should exercise care and go to such qualified people as there are many quacks operating. Such experts are available in the centres operated by Vyasa Health.
NIMHAMS has launched an integrated medicine program. But a change in mindset is needed (among doctors and patients) before there is widespread acceptance of Ayurveda and its inclusion in the MBBS medical curriculum.
Marma points are specific anatomical locations in our body through which the energy of these elements is believed to flow. Marma therapy is the practice of stimulating these spots through gentle massage therapy. Marma therapy does not exist separately. It needs skills. So, we must choose the doctor carefully.
More outreach programs are needed to educate the masses. The message must be customized for different segments. Word of mouth through social media can also help. Regulation is needed to check self-declared (and not well trained) wellness coaches who may be misleading the public.