Art of Living
The Art of personalized Yoga & Ayurvedic Healing
A Journey from the Outer Healer to the Inner Healer
by Shazia and Bharat Gogia
"Anyone who believes that anything can be suited to everyone is a great fool, because medicine is practiced not on mankind in general, but on every individual in particular." --Henri de Mondeville (1260-1320) French pioneer surgeon.
The foundation of ayurvedic and yogic healing is based on Prana. Prana is a Sanskrit word that literally means 'before (pra) + breathe (an)'. Prana is both the physical breath and the subtle life-force of the body. In Greek it is called pneuma, in Tibet rlung (wind), in Chinese Qi, in Polynesian mana, and in Hebrew and Arabic ruah which means "breath of life." Prana is sometime called Vayu, which means wind. Susruta, most famous Ayurvedic surgeon says, "It is called Vayu from the fact that it is coursing (Va≠to move) throughout the universe. It determines origin, growth and disintegration of all living beings, and as such, it receives the homage of all beings."
Prana keeps the body alive and maintains its vitality. The harmonious movement of pranas means health, while disorder of pranik currents results in disease. Ayurveda and yoga use this prana or "breath of life" to manage and cure ailments and imbalances by enhancing the self-awareness and balancing the free flow of prana through the whole body. As long as we (body-mind-consciousness) are in state of balance, pranas flow harmoniously and we remain alive and healthy.
This natural state of balance is understood in terms of an important Ayurvedic concept-three energetic forces known as doshas, which literally means "causes." The three doshas are vata (wind), pita (heat/fire), and kapha (earth/water). Each has specific qualities that govern psychological and physiological activities. Vata controls functions such as respiration, nervous impulses, blood circulation and intestinal peristalsis and elimination. Pita governs metabolism and directs all biochemical reactions and the processes of energy exchange. It regulates digestion, the secretions of the exocrine glands and the endocrine hormones and ATP metabolism. Kapha controls the structure and cohesion of the organism. It maintains biological strength, natural tissue resistance and proper body structure.
Every person has specific composition of doshas called prkurt or constitution. The constitution of the person determines approaches to achieve the balance for a harmonious and healthy life. For example, the heaviness often encountered in a Kapha dominant constitution can be treated with lightness (e.g. light foods, aerobic exercises, stimulating herbs, etc.). Similarly, the excess heat of the pita person can be treated with coolness (e.g. cooling foods like cucumbers, most fruits, plenty of dairy, cooling herbs, adequate water intake and swimming).
Yogasanas can be adapted to specific constitution. A gentle, slow and meditative approach to yoga is good for people with vata conditions, like people with stiff knees, sciatic nerve, some types of headaches, etc. Knowing and understanding body constitution helps in modifying the healing approach in yoga poses to address a client's limitation. In fact, how we enter into and maintain a yoga posture is more important than any technical perfection of posture that we may be able to hold while in it. The important thing to remember is that the asana is a vehicle or means (not an end itself) for directing the prana to the specific part of the body for healing. The deeper practice of yoga is developed by keeping the strong focus on breath instead of specific techniques as prana is the source of healing, not the asana.
Shazia and Bharat (Prana) Gogia at Living Prana center in Encinitas respectively practice yoga and ayurveda as holistic healing arts in which they restore a person's wellness by individualized treatments, classes and workshops that focus on harmonizing the movement of pranas (life-force) in the whole body. Shazia is a yoga teacher and focuses on gentle, restorative and therapeutic yoga in smaller groups, private or semi-private sessions. Bharat (Prana) is an Ayurved and Holistic Health Practitioner specializing in integrative bodywork treatments based on ayurveda, craniosacral therapy and Zen shiatsu to restore health and wellness by harmonizing the movement of pranas. Together they have created a small and very lively holistic healing Center in Encinitas called Living Prana. Bharat (Prana) hand-blends each and every bottle of his specially formulated ayurvedic, charka and therapeutic oils, mists, face oils, etc. He also teaches most of the workshops. Living Prana is dedicated in providing the best quality holistic health products, services and information for the well-being of your body, mind, and spirit. It has a healing/therapy room, yoga/workshops studio and a full ayurvedic, holistic health and yoga store. 575 2nd St, Encinitas. 760/944-9439. www.LivingPrana.com