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,
There is a stark contrast between how little attention is given to lymph in the West and how highly it is revered in Ayurveda. The lymphatic system is considered one of the seven body tissues in Ayurveda, the first to become compromised under stress. The Sanskrit for lymph is rasa, which is also the word
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
What are Circadian Rhythms? Circadian rhythms are light-dark cycles, as old as the first life on Earth.1 All life, so it seems, had to be intimately connected to cycles of the sun to continue to evolve. One of the most important tenets of Ayurveda is living in sync with natural rhythms. Daily eating cycles, sleeping
Gallbladder removal is the most common elective abdominal surgery in America. Gallstones, just one reason the gallbladder fails, affect 10-15% of Americans, or 20-25 million people. More importantly, why has gallbladder disease risen by 20%+ in the last 30 years?1 In the 1960s, America was told a lie that fat would cause heart disease! Since
You’ve probably heard sugar is bad for you. But, how bad is it, really? Let’s start with the addictive nature of sugar . . . it’s more addictive than cocaine! In one study, animals were offered a choice between two feeding levers: one loaded with sugar or saccharin and the other with cocaine. 94% of
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
Most Americans have turned their clocks back every fall and ahead every spring since 1966 with little pushback . . . until recently. Mounting evidence suggests that changing clocks to accommodate daylight savings time is linked to increased accidents and health concerns.
Do you ever notice that life is more painful after a rough night’s sleep? This is true both emotionally and physically. According to a new study published in The Journal of Neuroscience, researchers discovered that poor sleep quality or lack of sleep can change the brain’s circuitry in ways that amplify sensitivity to pain.1 In
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) + Brain Lymphatics (Glymphatics) The brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are crucial to our health and happiness. Read on to learn more about how they work and how to keep them healthy. Did you know that your brain has its own lymphatic system (called glymphatics) and that there are easy ways to
Do you wake up with a dry mouth, bad breath, or a scratchy throat? Do you suffer from snoring or sleep apnea? Curious about an unorthodox technique based on ancient wisdom to stop snoring and protect your teeth and gums, while boosting your parasympathetic nervous system and putting fight-or-flight responses at ease? Read on for
