John Douillard's LifeSpa | Ayurveda + Natural Health
Ancient Wisdom meets Modern ScienceAyurveda + Natural Health News
Are You Breathing Wrong? You enter the world with a gasp of air, and take an estimated 500 million breaths in your lifetime.1 Breathing is the first and most fundamental motor pattern,2 a primary autonomic function, and absolutely vital to life. You don’t even really think about your breathing—it just carries on day and night,
Ayurvedic Anatomy of Psychology According to Ayurveda, we feel emotional impressions in the emotional heart. This is called sadaka pitta—the aspect of pitta that feels everything. These impressions are then transported to the brain through the carrying channels of prana vata—the emotional aspect of vata. Emotional impressions felt by sadaka pitta are carried and written
Yoga + the Brain Yoga, including physical postures (asana), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation, have been studied extensively. Yoga has so many benefits, but for this article, I will focus on its effect on the brain and brainwaves. Studies show that yoga decreases anxiety while boosting cognitive function.1 A meta-analysis of 15 studies found that
Fish Oil + B12: Better Together In a 2015 study, researchers measured effectiveness of combining fish oils and vitamin B12. They observed overall better health, reduced risk for systemic health issues, and increased longevity.1 B12 Deficiency Both nutrients are common deficiencies in the West. Vitamin B12 is a major deficiency for vegetarians, as there are
Iron: World’s Most Common Mineral Deficiency Iron deficiency affects 25% of people worldwide! It is considered one of the most prevalent forms of malnutrition in the world1 and the most common mineral deficiency.4 In America, 20% of women and 50% of pregnant women are iron deficient.5 Sadly, adolescent girls are most vulnerable. In a 2017
Are you one of the 74% of Americans experiencing digestive distress? Luckily, simple techniques that everyone can do may go a long way in reversing this trend. The trend in the West is to eat fast, on the run—gobble and go while inhaling food. This, according to Ayurveda, is a very bad idea and linked
Turmeric + Stem Cells If you follow LifeSpa, you probably know some of the amazing benefits of turmeric, one of Ayurveda’s favorite herbs. But there is some new research indicating that, alongside its other benefits, turmeric can also increase production of stem cells! Turmeric has been well documented to increase production of a brain and
A good night’s sleep is one of our circadian rights. Unfortunately, for many reasons, sound sleep on a regular basis is easier said than done, at least for ~30% of Americans. Science links poor sleep to a host of health concerns, such as weight gain and cardiovascular health. But impact on brain, mood, and cognitive
Adaptogenic herbs have been used for thousands of years to help the body cope with stress. Many have wondered about the exact mechanism by which these plants discern what we need to be more in balance. Research is now identifying a mechanism of how herbs may mitigate stress through quantum particles of light. Two of
Average Reading Time: 5 minutes and 14 seconds One in nine individuals over age 65 are estimated to be living with cognitive-related concerns, (1), adding up to 5.2 million Americans that are currently suffering. One in eight adults 60 years or older self-reported concerns of increased confusion or memory loss over their previous years –
Average Reading Time: 2 minutes and 37 seconds In a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, more than 3200 workers were evaluated over a 10-year period to measure the effects of shift work (working nights) on cognitive function, productivity and safety. (1) The study suggested that shift work and chronic jet
