Ayurveda and Children's Health: Learning factors

Ayurveda and Children's Health Learning factors

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Learning factors, imbalances, dietary advice, sleep

Ayurvedic factors associated with learning:

Ayurveda identifies three primary factors (called subdoshas) that need to be kept in balance to support easy learning. These are:

Prana Vata, - governs the brain, sensory perception, and the mind;

Sadhaka Pitta, - governs the emotions and their effect on the functions of the heart;

Tarpaka Kapha, - governs the spinal fluids, sinus cavities, and sensory organs.

Three corresponding types of imbalance:

Diminished learning ability combined with a hyperactive mind is associated with imbalance in Prana Vata.

Disturbance in Sadhaka Pitta is associated with a learning imbalance that carries over from childhood into adolescence and young adulthood - the Pitta time of life. (Impulsiveness)

Imbalances in Tarpaka Kapha correlate with problems with learning that occur without hyperactivity involved. (inattentiveness)

Dietary advice to balance Vata Pitta and Kapha

To support balance in all three subdoshas Maharishi Ayurveda recommends fresh, organic foods that are prepared using cooking methods so that do not destroy nature's intelligence, and which create a feeling of bliss after eating. It offers 4 recommendations:

Take the main meal of the day and heaviest foods at midday when digestion is strongest.

Cook the foods freshly and do not store cooked leftovers.

Use spices such as ginger, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, coriander, fennel – they are full of ‘intelligence’.

Cook the food enough to make it easily digestible but not more.

The quality of awareness of the cook affects the food – maintain balance, cook with love.

Adopt an appropriate diet and lifestyle to pacify and balance Prana Vata, Sadhaka pitta and Tarpaka Kapha.

For more details see: Dietary Guidelines

Timeliness of sleep and evening activity is also important

An important cause of learning difficulties in children is not getting enough sleep. Not getting to bed on time, watching violent TV shows, reading frightening comics or playing over-exciting computer games before bed can all disrupt sleep and cause physical imbalances, which can then be expressed as poor memory and recall when at school.

The timeliness, or otherwise of sleep also affects the evening digestive process. This is why Ayurveda recommends eating lightly in the evening, preferably at least three hours before bedtime.

But diet is still most important, because diet also affects the quality of sleep. Diet is the primary focus for enhancing mental ability. If the child is eating unintelligent, low quality food, even the Ayurvedic herbal compounds designed to support learning ability won’t work as well.

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Ayurveda and Children's Health

SUMMARY AND

10 TIPS TO IMPROVE LEARNING (2-3)

Dosha imbalances diminish learning ability. Prana vata governs mind; imbalance causes hyperactivity. Sadhaka Pitta governs emotions; imbalance causes impulsiveness. Tarpake Kapha governs sensory organs; imbalance causes inattentiveness.

2. Dietary advice - what and how to cook, when and how to eat, and the importance of the 6 tastes - CULINARY WALL CHART, AYURVEDIC COOKBOOK, VATA/PITTA/KAPHA SPICE MIXTURES.

3. Sleep - right time, right type, eat lightly early in the evening, relaxing activity during evening, no violent TV, films or computer games, regular early bed time. GANDHARVA VEDA 6-10 pm MUSIC. PEACE AT NIGHT TEA.

NEXT PAGE … AROMA, MASSAGE AND HERBAL COMPOUNDS TIPS (4-7)