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There is a theory of immunity in Ayurveda called the beej-bhumi theory, which means "seed and land." In this case, the body is analogous to the land, and infection or "bugs" are like seeds.

If the body is filled with ama (toxins produced as a result of weak digestion) and lacking in ojas (the best product of healthy digestion that supports perfect health), the infection will find it to be fertile ground for spreading, just as land that is fertile will sprout many seeds. If digestion is strong, and ojas rather than ama predominates in the body, then the seeds of infection will not be able to take hold, just as seeds will not take root in land that is infertile.

Everyone is more susceptible to respiratory problems when the seasons are changing, such as in the autumn and early spring. This is because the body functions differently in each season, and in the transition between the hot and cold seasons the agni, or digestive fire, can start to fluctuate dramatically. If you do not adjust your diet and routine and follow the Ayurvedic guidelines for the seasonal transitions, ama may build up.

That is why respiratory illnesses and allergies abound in the autumn and early spring. In the early spring, there is an added factor, because as the weather starts to warm up the ama accumulated during the winter starts to become mobile, flooding the micro-channels and loading the immune system. Unless the body's immune system is strong the body can become a fertile ground for bacteria and allergens.

Panchakarma

Panchakarma treatments should be performed under the supervision of an Ayurvedic physician. But if you can't go to a Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre for internal cleansing, you can still follow an Ayurvedic regimen at home to cleanse the body of ama during the transition between the seasons. For instance, you can eat warm, light, nourishing foods such as soups, or light meals of mildly spiced vegetables with grains such as quinoa, couscous and millet. Eating a lighter diet for a few weeks while the weather is changing will help burn away ama rather than accumulate it. Also be careful to get proper rest, drink plenty of warm fluids, and take daily walks or do other exercise that is suitable for your body type.

Ways of burning Ama

If you feel less hungry at mealtimes than usual, or if you feel heavy and dull in the two hours immediately after a meal, these are indications that your digestive fire is burning low.

Cooking your food with immune-enhancing spices such as cumin, fennel, coriander, turmeric, ginger and black pepper is also an important way to enhance agni and reduce ama. You can also take one tablet of the Maharishi Ayurveda herbal supplement with each meal to enhance digestion, or take two to three tablets of Herbal Cleanse at night to support regular elimination.

Another very effective way to purify the body of ama at the change of seasons is to take Detox or Detox Pitta (MA1663), one tablet morning and evening, for 45 days in the spring and the fall.

Finally, it's important to always avoid the factors that cause ama to accumulate, in any season. Stay away from leftovers, processed foods, ice-cold foods and drinks, and heavy foods such as fried foods. Vegetables from the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and sweet peppers) should also be avoided, as these create ama.

Diet for Boosting Natural Immunity

Winter is actually the season to enhance the immune system, and support and nurture your body. Eat nourishing, warm food, and avoid any fasting in winter. This is the most effective time to take Maharishi Amrit Kalash to nourish and rejuvenate your mind and body. The important thing is to eat light, warm foods, cooked with the immune-enhancing spices already mentioned. Avoid eating or drinking anything cold, because cold foods and drinks will enhance the impact of cold weather and reduce the digestive fire, leading to more ama. You'll also want to avoid heavy sweets, as these are difficult to digest. Start your day with a stewed apple for breakfast, cooked with spices such as cardamom.

For specific food recommendations, follow a Vata pacifying diet in autumn and winter (from October 15 to February 15). Eat all six tastes, but eat more of the sweet, sour, and salty tastes, as these enhance Vata. Vata-pacifying foods include nourishing grains such as rice and couscous; sweet, juicy fruits such as cooked apples or pears; squashes, zucchini, and asparagus; and light, easily digestible proteins such as panir (a freshly made cheese), lassi (a yoghurt drink that aids digestion) and vegetable proteins such as mung dal. Asparagus is especially good for enhancing the immune system.

Lifestyle Tips for Boosting Immunity

A warm bath each day is very necessary to warm the body, open the pores, and regulate your body's internal thermostat. This is important in both Vata and Kapha season.

Don't forget to do your daily Ayurvedic massage before your bath. Daily massage is very important for opening the channels, stimulating the digestion, removing toxins from the body, and pacifying the doshas. It is especially soothing to Vata dosha, which is seated in the skin. All of these factors make massage a vital therapy in strengthening immunity and preventing respiratory problems. (It's important to note that massage is NOT recommended if you already have a cough or other respiratory imbalance, because it can push the ama deeper into the system. Also refrain from a full-body massage during menstrual flow.)

The Vata, Pitta and Kapha Massage Oils are prepared with herbs so that the oil soluble ingredients are absorbed into the skin with the oil and help balance the named dosha.

Adequate sleep is especially important in Vata season, as it counteracts the lively, moving Vata. It is also essential for anyone in any season who wants to enhance immunity and resist disease. Take Blissful Sleep Basic so support refreshing sleep. If you have trouble falling asleep (a Vata disorder) also take Blissful Sleep Vata; if you wake frequently, especially between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. with energy (a Pitta disorder) also take Blissful Sleep Pitta; if you sleep eight hours through the night but still feel exhausted when you wake up (a Kapha disorder) also take Blissful Sleep Kapha.

Exercise is another important aspect of the Ayurvedic routine, because it helps enhance agni and burns away toxins. It's important to choose the right exercise for your body type and for the season, though. Daily walks and yoga postures are good for balancing all the doshas and especially suit Vata types, while more vigorous daily exercise is required by Kapha types to stay healthy. Exercise is especially important during Kapha season, because it helps to boost agni and your immunity when toxins are flooding the body.

Herbs for Health now Available from Maharishi Ayurveda  

Drink a warm, immune-enhancing tea such as Sniffle Free Tea, twice a day with your meal or after it. The herbs in this thermogenic tea will help balance Kapha immediately.

If your head is feeling heavy or congested, you can also use Breathe Easy oil to help create balance and clear the sinuses.

Breathe Easy tablets and Cold Season Defence tablets are immune-enhancing herbal supplements that you can take during the winter season to forestall respiratory problems.

Cold Season Defence offers nutritional support to the body's natural immunity. It helps to maintain balance of fluid and mucus in the lungs and sinuses; removes toxins and shleshma from the lungs, and cleanses the micro-circulatory channels that have been blocked by ama. It supports immunity and removes toxins that weaken resistance.

Breathe Easy is aimed more at the upper respiratory system, and supports the body's natural resistance to the cold. Breathe Easy helps clear the channels, and when that happens, shleshma can be drained from the body. It strengthens the digestive fire, balances the production of moisture and mucus, supports resistance to cold temperatures, and enhances the bioavailability and circulation of vital nutrients.

Restoring balance

You can see that all of these formulas are aimed at restoring balance, and they help repair the underlying imbalance, and strengthen the immune system, rather than treat the superficial level of the symptoms. The problem with the symptomatic approach is that it doesn't solve the problem, which will likely come back again and again.