Maharishi Ayurveda Blog

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Recent research has demonstrated what we intuitively know - that laughter is good medicine. Humour and laughter make a positive contribution to your physical and mental health. Learning to adopt a lighter attitude and seeing the funny side of everyday situations gives you the resilience you need to cope on the tough days.

If you manage to bring your sense of humour to your conflicts at work and at home, you will go a long way toward improving the quality of your life, as well as boosting your physical health and well-being.

Laughter dissolves tension, stress, anxiety, irritation, anger, and …

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The pursuit of pleasure is not to be sneezed at.

The universe has provided us with the environment in which nature throws up opportunities for enjoyment in abundance. We humans, through our innate creativity have put the icing on the cake with art, architecture, music, dance, literature, theatre, games and countless indoor and outdoor activities. Not to mention the enjoyment we get from just plain social interaction with family, friends and workmates.

So much to enjoy! It is a sin not to participate in some of it.

One thing about clichés - they usually hit the nail on the head. Take this …

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Do angry words escape your lips before you have a chance to sanitize them? “How dare you… I’ll tell you a thing or two!” For most of us the answer is yes. Why is it that anger arises in the first place and what can we do about it, especially if anger boils over regularly?

Why does anger arise?

Feeling angry is part of the early warning system when a personal boundary has been crossed or is in danger of being crossed causing discomfort or danger. Anger highlights a need to take action to protect yourself or your loved ones. Looked at from this perspective anger can be a helpful …

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Depression affects people from all walks of life and affects women more often than men. Women are more vulnerable to depression, especially during or after times of hormonal changes such as pregnancy and after giving birth, the time just before or while menstruating, and during menopause. During these and other times in anyone’s life, balancing emotions can be difficult.

This article is intended for educational purposes and is not intended to treat or diagnose any illness. If you or someone you love has depression, it is recommended that you seek care from a licensed practitioner for a …

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While there are some people who enjoy emotional balance, there are many others who struggle with fear, anger, mood swings, anxiety, or depression. Even when individuals understand it is their emotional health that is out of balance, very few look to their lifestyle or diet as not only causes, but also the potential cure. Rather, they turn to prescription medications and hoping for a quick fix to their problem, only to find out they are not as effective as they were hoping or experienced side effects, some of which can be severe.

Since poor lifestyle choices, environmental toxins, stress, and …

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Emotional balance, stress relief and a purer state of mind are things we all strive to achieve. According to Ayurvedic tradition, all of creation contains three gunas, or influencers, called sattva, rajas and tamas. These three gunas influence our state of mind and being. Sattva is clear, harmonious and creative; rajas is all activity and movement; and tamas is lethargic, slow, dull and inert.

Every individual contains all three gunas to varying degrees and each guna is perpetually interplaying with another. Excessive tamas and rajas can disturb the mind, cause a buildup of stress and …

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According to Maharishi Ayurveda, bathing is an important part of your daily routine and a therapeutic activity that can deliver numerous benefits to the body and mind. A relaxing therapeutic bath in the morning is thought to soothe aching muscles, relax the mind, open pores, and deliver moisture to the body's tissues. What better way to start your day?

The benefits of a therapeutic bath have been enjoyed for thousands of years. Bathing has always been considered an extremely sacred activity in India. In Mohenjo Daro, archaeologists exploring the Indus Valley Civilisation discovered a large …

Maharishi Ayurveda places great importance on aromatherapy; using extracts from flowers and herbs, aromas can treat many psycho-physiological issues. Synthetic or chemically-produced fragrances simply do not have the same health benefits and may even cause more harm than good. The most common way of using aromatherapy in Ayurvedic medicine is through a blend of many different aromas. The aromas enter the body through the senses and go straight to the bloodstream. By carefully combining several ingredients, potential side effects of any one single substance can be avoided. Single essential …

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Dealing with stress can be a stressful experience in itself. Whether it is related to work, personal life, health or a specific life experience, knowing how to relieve stress is not always a straightforward process. As the fast-paced, competitive modern world puts increasingly tough demands on everybody, a growing number of people find themselves suffering from stress-related health problems, including insomnia, anxiety and depression. More and more people are trying to juggle work with family life, and feeling the pressure to excel in every aspect of their lives, which can lead to a huge …