Low energy is the 2nd most common complaint I hear in my office daily next to neck and back pain.  Like all problems, there can be various causes of Fatigue.  However, many times energy can be increased by taking just...

Low energy is the 2nd most common complaint I hear in my office daily next to neck and back pain.  Like all problems, there can be various causes of Fatigue.  However, many times energy can be increased by taking just a few simple measures that don’t involve artificially stimulating your system with more caffeine.

To understand why Fatigue occurs in so many people, I want to explain a little Ayurveda 101.  You might be familiar with the Ayurvedic explanation of the 3 Doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha.  Here’s a brief breakdown:

Dosha	Qualities	Function
Vata	Light, Cold, Dry, Moving, Rough	Regulation, Assimilation, Distribution, Delivery, Elimination, Intelligent Management of Pitta and Kapha Doshas.
Pitta	Hot, Sharp, Transforming	Metabolism, Digestion, Transformation of Material (Kapha) from one state to another.
Kapha	Heavy, Cool, Stable. Unctuous, Lustrous, Soft	The physical material of the body, muscles, bones, organs, tissues, proteins, neurotransmitter, hormones. Responsible for strength and immunity. Makes up the physical channels of the body.

 

You may have also read or heard that each person has a proportion of the Doshas which contributes to their physical and psychological tendencies or Psycho-Physiological Types often referred to as Body Types.  Here’s a brief breakdown of the 3 main types.

 

Body Type	Physical Qualities	Mental Qualities
Vata	Physically lighter, easy to see bones and tendons.  Tends to by short or tall. Tendency towards dryness and constipation.  High energy in short bursts. Uncomfortable in cold weather. Enjoys hot weather.  Hunger is variable.	Quick and creative mind. Likes to do things quickly. Can be impulsive and quick to change.  When out of balance can be anxious, worried.
Pitta	Medium size and stature. Strong metabolic fire. Tendency to feel warm in the body.  Enjoys cold weather and dislikes hot and humid weather.  2- 3 bowel movements daily are not uncommon.  Hunger is sharp.	Sharp intellect.  Very good at organization and public speaking.  These people make good leaders and are often warm and charismatic. When out of balance they have a tendency towards obsession, irritability and anger
Kapha	Physically strong and muscular.  Slow and stable in movement.  Good immunity. They enjoy warm weather and are averse to cool damp weather.  1 – 2 bowel movement s a day.  Tendency towards lethargy and gains weight easily.	Very stable, sweet, loving and nurturing personality.  Can be stubborn and slow to change when out of balance. Memory is excellent.

 

If you see yourself in all 3 Doshas that’s because they all exist in each person.  However, most people are predominated by 1 or 2 Doshas.  Therefore, someone might be typed as Vata/Pitta or Pitta/Kapha etc.

This explanation of the Doshas is available everywhere on the internet and in the books.  When I first met my teacher Vaidya Mishra, he explained that the description of the Doshas is correct but incomplete.  He told me that the Doshas have a deeper more fundamental basis in something called Prana.  Prana is the vibrational intelligence of Nature.  It’s the raw material from which the Doshas are made: 

Pranic Name	Qualities	Dosha Expression
Marut	Etheric Intelligence, Balances Agni and Soma	Vata Dosha
Agni	Transformational, Heating, Drying	Pitta Dosha
Soma	Stabilizing, Cooling, Lubricating	Kapha Dosha

 

In Nature we receive Soma as the Lunar energy and Agni as the Solar energy.  Marut is the etheric space that balances the other 2.  The way I explain it to my patients is that if you’re cooking rice on the stove, the heating element or fire is the Agni.  The water and rice in the pot is the Soma.  The rheostat that controls how fast or slow the cooking occurs as well as the stirring of the pot to balance and blend is the Marut.  Here’s a simple illustration:

 

With this understanding we can move on to understanding fatigue and for that matter pain in the body.

 When Agni Is High, Acidity & Inflammation Increase

As shown in the diagram, Soma and Agni are inversely proportional.  This means when there’s not enough cooling lubricating Lunar energy, then the heating and drying qualities of Agni increase.  In the cooking analogy this happens when the water level is too low.  Then the boiling becomes fast and hard.

In our physiology, when Soma is low and Agni high it reflects as Pitta Dosha going too high in some part of the body.  We call it Acidity and Inflammation.  When the channels of the body become inflamed, they swell and become dry. This obstructs that channel’s ability to carry and deliver whatever material for which it’s designed.  Furthermore, as the channels become overheated and dry, they block the flow of Vata Dosha which results in pain.

That means less efficient delivery of blood, oxygen, nutrition, hormones and neurotransmitters to their targeted tissues.  It also reduces the elimination of toxins from the system.  Increased toxins can further reduce the efficiency of the digestive fires by reducing the flame or Agni.  In Science we would say that digestive enzymes or acids are impaired in the stomach and colon or that the Mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cells) are weakened.

Fatigue can occur when the whole delivery and elimination system is impaired and when the digestive fires are weakened.

Another effect of increased acidity in the blood is reduced oxygenation.  Oxygen is carried by Hemoglobin, a protein that gives our blood its red color.  When the blood pH is normal it carries 4 molecules of Oxygen.  However, acidity decreases the amount of Oxygen carried by Hemoglobin.  Therefore, acidity not only swells the vascular channels that carry the blood, but also reduces the amount of oxygen the blood can deliver!  Therefore, when Agni is high, we see increased Acidity and Inflammation in the physiology resulting in increased Fatigue and Pain. 

One further point is that almost all diseases today are the result of inflammation.

 What I love about Ayurveda is how it can take the complex and make it so simple that even a dummy like me can understand it.  By grasping the simple concepts of Soma, Agni and Marut and their powerful influences on the Doshas we can know how to correct and even avoid many diseases.

How do we Boost Energy? 

Reduce acidity and inflammation in the physiology by decreasing Agni. Reduce Agni by increasing Soma which in turn will improve delivery of nutrition, biochemicals and oxygen to their targeted tissues while also improving the elimination of inflammatory (Agni increasing) waste products. This results in better flow of intelligence in the body (Marut) which keeps Vata Dosha balanced reducing Fatigue and Pain.

 The 9 Tips to Boost Energy

Bed By 9:30

Out of all the recommendations I make to my patients, this is the one that makes ‘em roll their eyes and look at me like I have 3 heads!  Yet, this is the one that in my opinion gives the biggest bang for the buck (especially since it costs nothing).  Staying up after 10 burns off Soma and increases Agni.  I won’t explain more here but you can understand why by watching my video Nature’s Clock.

Proper Diet

Now that you understand how the Intelligence of Nature manifests as Prana.  You can understand that all food absorbs the Pranic energy.  Chilis absorb a lot of Agni and Zucchinis absorb Soma and so forth.  Therefore, to decrease inflammation and promote Alkalinity in our body we need more Soma and Marut predominate food.  For more information watch my video SV Ayurvedic Diet.

Don’t Skip or Delay Meals

Skipping or delaying meals means denying your body fuel when it’s asking you for something to digest.  When this happens, the acid produced in the stomach digests you!  Enough said. See my blog article about skipping breakfast.

Breathe

So much of our day’s spent talking and moving energy up to our head.  When this happens, we tend to take shallow breaths with our Accessory Respiratory Muscles.  That results in poor oxygenation of the blood.  For full oxygenation to occur, we need to breathe with our Diaphragm.  So, anytime you remember take 3 or 4 easy deep breaths through the nose which requires using the Diaphragm.  This is a great way to increase energy.

Reduce Computer Time

Let’s face it, we live on computers of one type or another.  Right now, I’m on one.  As I stated in my blog article about EMF, the effects of too much EMF exposure clogs the channels that carry Marut Prana meaning less of Nature’s Intelligence available.  Also, it indirectly increases Agni by over stimulating the Liver to dilate and release Ama Visha (acidic toxins) into the blood stream = FATIGUE & PAIN!

Regular Exercise

This one is obvious but worth mentioning.  Exercising improves oxygenation and opens the delivery channels.  Even if it’s just walking for 20 to 30 minutes will improve energy and decrease Fatigue. 

Circulation Support Transdermal Cream

This transdermal cream is specifically designed to improve circulation and increase oxygenation.  Just apply to the hands and feet morning and evening.  For even greater effect, apply to the whole spine before bed.  Watch my video about the benefits of Circulation Support.

Wild Amla Tablet

Amla is a very famous fruit in Ayurveda.  It improves oxygenation to the muscles and improves protein synthesis. I prescribe it to all my patients who want to increase energy. Watch my video about the benefits of Wild Amla.

Moringa Tea

Moringa is also known as Drumstick.  It is very famous in Ayurveda.  The word Moringa means “to cut through the channels like a knife” meaning it has the sharpness to penetrate even very clogged channels and pores in the physiology.  In fact, Moringa can clean 6 of the 7 Dhatus of the body making a very effective detox tool.  Since it cleans the bone marrow, it is very supportive to the immune system.  It is also one of the best foods for the eyes because it is a substantial source of Vitamin A.  It has so many benefits that today it is being hailed as a “super food”.  Just Boil ½ tsp in 8oz of water, strain and sip slowly after breakfast.

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Just click the picture to find out more.

 

 

 

To Your Health,

Dr. Douglas Beech

 

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