To maintain joint health Ayurveda identifies two major areas for attention

The first is balance of Vata to ensure that joints are nourished, bone density, mobility and comfort maintained and cracking sounds avoided.

The second is to keep the body free from ama (toxins), generally caused by inappropriate diet or lifestyle, which can settle in the joints causing inflammation, discomfort and reduced mobility.

Keeping Vata in Balance In Joints

Vyana Vata, is the aspect of Vata that governs the circulation and nerve impulses. Keeping Vyana in balance supports circulation, metabolism, and ability to absorb food and nourishment of the bone tissue. Balanced Vyana helps Shleshaka Kapha, the subdosha of Kapha that governs lubrication of the joints.

Foods and Lifestyle Habits to Balance Vata

Include all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent, and pungent) in your diet but favour the sweet, sour, and salty tastes, as these help pacify Vata dosha.

Eat less of the bitter, astringent and pungent foods. Other healthy foods to include in the Vata pacifying diet are grains such as rice, wheat, quinoa, rye and amaranth, cooked in water to which a little Ghee has been added; freshly cooked organic vegetables; split mung dhal soup; and sweet, organic, juicy fruits.

It's important to eat a diet rich in calcium, including high-quality organic milk and vegetables such as spinach, kale, asparagus, and root vegetables cooked with Vata Aromatic Seasoning mix.

[Our Culinary Guide wall chart gives useful advice on how to vary your diet with the seasons and according to the your body type. Find out what are the Ayurvedic effects of all the common foods on the mind and body. The Culinary Guide can be kept in the kitchen and is laminated for easy cleaning.]

Follow a Vata-pacifying daily routine

• Go to bed before ten o'clock at night, and rise before six a.m.
• Avoid too much stimulating activity at night, such as watching television right before bed.
• Eat your main meal at noon, and eat a light, nourishing dinner early in the evening.
• Engage in some mild exercise such as walking for half an hour a day.
• Practice Transcendental Meditation, a technique for the development of consciousness, regularly to dissolve stress and calm your mind.
• All the products with ‘Vata’ in their name help soothe Vata dosha and maintain joint health.
• A daily Ayurvedic oil massage with sesame or coconut oil is highly recommended to maintain joint and overall health.

Herbs that Balance Vata in Joints

The herbal formula that is specifically designed to help maintain normal lubrication of joints is Frankincense/Bhumi Amalaki complex (MA1673). It provides nourishment to bones and joints and supports the bone tissue (balances Vyana Vata and Shleshaka Kapha).

To help maintain bone health ensure that you have adequate calcium supply. Calciocare (MA925) is not only a source of calcium but helps the body better absorb the calcium in your normal diet. Avoid caffeine and a highly acidic diet because they increase the excretion of calcium and magnesium in the urine, thus depleting the body's calcium.

If you have a severe joint problem it is important to consult a physician. A physicians trained in Maharishi Ayurveda can help correct the problem by eliminating the problem at its source.

Keeping Joints Free From Ama

That ‘an ounce of health maintenance is worth a pound of cure’ is especially true for joint health. It can be difficult to get rid of ama that has circulated throughout the body and settled in the joints. Therefore it is wise to be vigilant about keeping the body free from Ama. Examine your tongue in the morning - it should not be coated. If you are eating right, you should not carry any post-lunch fatigue. If you feel even a little stiffness or heaviness in your joints, you should start following all of these recommendations immediately.

Foods and Lifestyle Habits to Balance Ama

An ama-minimizing diet is made up of warm, light, dryer foods that are easy to digest. Nourishing soups and warm, freshly cooked grains and vegetables prepared with Kapha Spicy Seasoning mix to stimulate digestion are its mainstays.

To keep your digestion working properly, avoid day sleep, and go to bed early so you can rise before 6:00 a.m.

Exercise for half an hour every day, and choose a type of exercise that you enjoy. A brisk walk is ideal for most people, along with yoga asana stretches, although if you have more Kapha dosha you may need more vigorous exercise to stay in balance.

You'll feel lighter and more energetic just by making these simple changes in your routine.

Ama pachana water

A very effective way to purify the joint is to drink lots of ama pachana water (water infused with ama-reducing spices). To make the water

• Boil two quarts of water and put it in a thermos flask.
• Then add two to three thin slices of fresh ginger, 1/4 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. fennel, 2 black peppercorns, and 2 leaves of mint. Let it steep.
• Drink this water throughout the day for a very purifying effect.
• It also helps to eat an apple cooked with prunes and figs each morning for breakfast.
• You can also cook your foods with the Digestive Seasoning Mix. (To prepare this, mix 2 parts turmeric, 6 parts cumin, one part ajowan, 2 parts fenugreek, 1 part black pepper, and 6 parts fennel.)

  Herbs Help Keep Joints Free From Ama

Joint Soothe Oil (MA929) is designed to lubricate the joints, help keep joints free from impurities, and deliver vital nutrients to the joints. It is a highly complex formula that takes many days to prepare and contains two traditional joint formulas. One of these oil formulas, Mahanarayana Oil, a blend of sesame oil, milk, and 56 herbs, is praised in the ayurvedic texts for its effectiveness in increasing circulation around the joints. The other formula is  Mahavishgarbha Oil, a sharp, heating oil that penetrates to the joints and helps keep them clear of sticky impurities.

Joint Soothe tablets (MA3572) tablets help keep joints free from impurities and to remove impurities that have been mobilised.

Detox (MA1010) herbal supplement is very helpful for keeping the whole body free from Ama. It can be useful to take Detox for three weeks before using the Joint Soothe Oil and Joint Soothe tablets. (Substitute Detox Pitta  (MA1663) for Detox if you have more Pitta as well as Ama).

Maintaining muscle health

Amla Berry (MA1) is especially beneficial to building healthy muscle and providing nourishment to the deepest levels of the mind and body.

When you have been very active rub Sports Massage Oil (MA1201) on your muscles to help them stay loose and relaxed, and to improve circulation.

For a more nourishing effect, use the Ayurvedic Balm (MA728).

Muscle Rest Aroma oil is also helpful.

All these products are available from our online shopping catalogue

Dietary and Lifestyle Recommendations

• Avoid iced and carbonated drinks, which weaken digestion. And reduce stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol.
• Reduce heavy foods such as meat, dairy products and leftovers.
• Drink warm water throughout the day. This helps flush impurities and keep vital nutrients and energy flowing smoothly.
• Eat plenty of pure, organic foods such as sweet, juicy fruits like pears and plums.
• Cooked, bitter green vegetables such as kale and chard also are nourishing.

For a Vata balance

• Go to bed by 10 p.m. to aid the elimination of impurities, which occurs primarily between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
• Be careful not to overexert. Decrease the intensity and duration of exercise to stay within your comfort zone. A little bit of care will go a long way in helping the body rejuvenate the joints or muscles.
• Reduce raw foods such as salads, and cook with ginger, garlic and cumin to stimulate joint metabolism.
• To help reduce muscle strains, give yourself an ayurvedic oil massage before vigorous exercise.

VATA - If you are discovering Maharishi Ayurveda for the first time, this section will help you identify your needs for balance. Understanding what you need to do to achieve total health is as simple as understanding VATA, PITTA and KAPHA - the three fundamental principles of nature called doshas, which govern all the activities of your mind and body.

For further information about and to order the products mentioned above see How to Order or call 01695 51015 and for information about the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre see www.MaharishiAyurveda.co.uk or call 01695 51008.

DISCLAIMER: These results may not be typical. Results with products may vary from individual to individual. Information presented here is for the sole purpose of imparting education on Ayurveda and neither the information nor the product is intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure or prevent any disease. If you have a medical condition, or are pregnant or lactating, please consult a health professional. Before making changes to your diet or routine, it is recommended that you speak with your physician.