healingways
Healing the Root Cause of Addiction with Ayurveda
by Linda Sechrist
Ayurveda means the “Science of Life,” a holistic view of keeping our bodies in balance by combining applied principles of yoga, meditation and diet.
I
t’s no secret that individuals who adopt unconscious ways to es- cape from stress and conflict can often become victims of their own self-destructive habits and behavioral patterns. “Conflict creates stress and addictions, like [to] alcohol, food, work, sex and drugs,” says Yogi Amrit Desai, founder of Kripalu Yoga. “Ad- dictions are antidotes that provide a temporary escape from the stress- producing, conflict-creating reactions you have about what you are doing, where you are going and who you
are with. Addiction, which is only an effect, occurs when you continue to use inappropriate external resources to reduce stress and restore a sense of balance, while failing to resolve the cause of the stress hidden in the unconscious.” Desai further explains how the
body’s own homeostasis works to naturally regulate the internal polari- ties of tension and relaxation. How- ever, when the amount of tension exceeds what can be balanced by relaxation, people call the unresolved
tension stress.
“It is important to recognize that most people don’t know the difference between tension and stress,” cautions Desai. He observes that stressors— thoughts and reactions to our lifestyle, relationships, work environment and family life—are introduced through the ego mind. Emotionally charged thoughts and feelings of blame, shame or guilt then get metabolized into our biological body system. Stored in the form of toxins and neuro-glandular imbalances, these feelings create en- ergy blocks that prevent the free flow of energy, or prana, the body’s self- healing wisdom. Energy blocks may take the form of muscular tensions and weakness in liver, kidney and digestive functions. Gradual decline results in a progressive deterioration of biological processes and consequently can manifest in external symptoms of fatigue, fear, anxiety and insecurity. “But, when our thoughts are free from stressful emotional feelings, they naturally pass like clouds without leaving footprints in our biology,” counsels Desai, whose approach to Ayurveda is designed to solve addic- tions by resolving internal causes of stress.
“Shift your focus inward to your
inner source, instead of reaching for external distractions; go within to resolve any excess tension and all surface symptoms will begin to erode,” advises Desai, who points out that addictions prevent us from connecting to the innermost core of our being. With the release of uncon-
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Phoenix
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