Dr. Pavani’s eyes twinkle. Her face is unlined and serene. She’ll gently advise me against doing something—like drinking too much coffee or eating too much toast—and the idea of shifting the habit will feel inspired. Her advice is like a considered gift from a loved one: easy to cherish.
She often says, “Actually Ayurveda is simple,” then gives me an explanation that will smooth out months of muddle.
On sleep, for example, Dr. Pavani says, “In the West, people have this idea that they must sleep for eight hours and if they get one hour less, they feel stressed. The fixation on a number. Ultimately, it’s not about the number of hours, but about quality. How deep is the sleep? If one goes to sleep before 10 PM, chances are the sleep will be deeper and more content. Like this, a person may not need eight hours.”
Similarly, waking up late can cause pronounced feelings of tiredness no matter the number of hours slept given the circadian rhythms of the body. The concept of quality over quantity is key in Ayurveda. Optimum, not maximum.
Our ancestors lived in nature, Dr. Pavani often reminds clients. They slept and woke up with the sun… collecting herbs, cooking fresh food. When there was an imbalance, herbs were plucked and made into medicine to be taken immediately.
These days—when we are always inside—we forget to align with Nature. Aligning ourselves with the sun, climate, season, and weather is, in fact, the simplest and best thing the human organism can do. “It’s not complicated for birds,” Dr. Pavani says. They are natural.
Dr. Pavani describes her childhood in Vlodrop, Holland as one free of negativity. She grew up in the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi alongside her father, mother and siblings. Father Raju never forced her or her siblings to be in Ayurveda; instead, he made it fascinating and she chose the Ayurvedic path herself.
Here continues our conversation.
Q: You say Ayurveda is Nature. Can you put the doshas into this context?
A: Vata governs the nervous system and all movement in the body. Pitta governs digestion and metabolism. Kapha governs the structure of our body including our joints and bones. Just as in nature, the sun shines, the wind blows, and the earth steadies. To isolate any one of these phenomena is to miss the big picture.
People get into their heads that they are “vata types” and in this way lose balance. Knowing how to balance means understanding all three types and harmonizing our internal milieu as we interact with the external, ever-changing world.
In the day, there are Vata times, Pitta times, and Kapha times. The way tides come in, rise, and ebb, the body engages in different checklists during different times.
Kapha time is from 6:00 – 10:00 AM + PM.
Pitta time is from 10:00 – 2:00 AM + PM.
Vata time is from 2:00 – 6:00 AM + PM.
This is why if we wake up late—during Kapha time between 6:00 and 10:00 AM—we feel sluggish. This is also why breakfast should be warm and well-spiced because digestion is not at its strongest yet.
We eat our biggest meal at lunch when the sun is strongest during Pitta/digestion time. At night, if we are awake after 10 PM, it will feel more difficult to fall asleep because the body is engaged in important metabolic work until about 2 AM. This is also why obesity occurs in people who have irregular or late sleep patterns; they are missing out on the prime metabolic phase. Ideally, we are asleep before 10 PM during slow Kapha time to be ready for maximizing the evening Pitta phase.
Vata times of day are very good for creativity as there is abundant flow during these hours. To keep the airiness from getting out of hand, one can balance with warm teas, blankets, and a peaceful environment.
Q: What are the seasonal considerations for doshas?
There are certain seasons when a particular dosha is predominant and we take certain foods and practices to pacify that dosha. For example: winter is internally a Pitta season when the digestion is strong to keep the body warm, while externally it is Vata season because of the cold wind and the dry air.
Summer the digestion is weaker because the body does not want to further turn up the heat. Eat lighter foods during the summer months. Externally it is pitta so we keep the body cool.
Q: I’ve heard it said that in a family if a mother has Ayurveda then the whole family has Ayurveda. Can you talk more about this?
A: A mother always wants her loved ones to be well. She will use whatever is at her disposal—her knowledge, her pantry, her garden, her market—to keep those she loves close to balance and far from dis-ease.
I remember when I was 5 years old, my eyes kept watering. An ophthalmologist friend of my father’s came to visit and suggested I needed glasses. Instead, my mother brought me 10 drops of almond oil every day with milk. Till this day, I have no issues with my eyes.
Similarly, my mother would have me meditate near a Tulsi plant (Ocimum tenuiflorum) when growing up and have me swallow 3 tulsi leaves with water everyday for all aspects of good health. She showed me simple ways to balance my nervous system.
When we give the correct nourishment to our bodies over a long period of time, balance occurs. This is what an Ayurvedic mother models in a family because she has intimate knowledge of her loved ones.
Almond oil and Tulsi plant are only examples. They are ways that my mother intuited for balancing my specific physiology. Ayurveda has many paths to the same place, depending on the body and consciousness in question. Always consult with a Vaidya to assess the needs of your physiology.
Q: One of your specialties is female reproductive health. Can you talk about the number one issue you see when you work with women?
A: The moon cycle is a time of purification. It is a woman’s greatest gift. We hear many women complaining about their cycle, because there is this misunderstanding that the cycle is a burden. Actually, it is a superpower. A free monthly Panchakarma [detox] that can make us healthier and more energized.
During the cycle, we must understand the proper flow, color and quantity of blood. Ideally, the blood should be bright in redness and not a dull color. It should be smooth and without clots. Each cycle, a woman should bleed the amount that their two cupped palms together can hold.
If there are any imbalances—too much flow, too little flow, clotting, or brown coloring—then we must address that so gynecological issues like fibroids and endometriosis do not develop.
When women go against their physiology and strain too much during their cycles or build up anxiety during the time leading up to the cycle, blockages occur.
We can address many of these imbalances with Banana Treatment, but first it is also important to understand how to promote a healthy cycle.
Ayurveda recommends, to the extent that your life allows, resting abundantly and eating nourishing but light meals during this important time. Favor rest. Let someone else do the cooking. Avoid physical exertions.
Check back for more on Women’s Health with Dr. Pavini.
Written by Cindy Wu for The Rajus Ayurveda.