Dear Readers,
Recently, a friend shared a show she thought I might like called “The Good Karma Hospital.” My first reaction was “Uh…no way do I want to watch a show about a hospital.” But I gave it a go, watched the first episode, and got hooked. I do love stories.
The show takes place in India and centers around a small public hospital and the people who work there. This little hospital is open-air, with beautiful muted shades of goldenrod yellow and dusty pink painted on the walls. Everything looks clean, inviting, and pleasing to the eye—no fluorescent or LED lights in this hospital.
I can barely walk into an American hospital and have never encountered one that seemed to pay attention to how the visuals of the place might affect the patients who end up there. Or, the people who work there. Yes, these things matter to me.
And yes, I know, this is a made-up series, not real life, and I’ve never been to a hospital in India. It’s possible the show had a good set designer. :)
What I really wanted to point out is the fact that not once in four seasons did anyone utter the word “Ayurveda.”
I kept waiting and waiting, but nope. This series was the best propaganda for allopathic/western medicine ever.
Ayurveda is believed to be at least 5,000 years old and is the oldest system of health and healing in the world. It was born in what is now India.
The term Ayurveda is derived from two Sanskrit words: "Ayur," meaning life, and "Veda," meaning knowledge or science; hence, the science or the knowledge of life.
It doesn’t isolate a body part or an illness, as Western medicine tends to do. Instead, it is a holistic approach to healing - mind, body, and spirit.
There was one episode involving an herbalist, but whoa! The head doctor at The Good Karma Hospital let her (and all of us) know just what a scam herbalism is.
I’m being facetious, of course.
There are still Ayurvedic hospitals in India, but Western medicine has been practiced there for a long time.
One of the many things I love about Ayurveda is the simple daily practices and routines that can help us stay well. It’s all about balance.
And, it is especially important to strive to keep the body balanced during seasonal transitions.
This is a post that I believe bears re-sharing every year as summer begins to wane and another seasonal change will soon be upon us.
It’s been a particularly hot, humid, and dry summer here in the Northeastern US, and I know that that has been the case for many other locations, as well.
One of the most important lessons I learned in Ayurveda is detailed below. If you (or family members) often get sick in the fall, try doing this instead of blaming it on a germ floating around:
I hope you find this helpful. I, for one, cannot wait for the cooler, bug-free weather that lies ahead. Fall in New England is everything they say it is.
Much Love,
Barbara
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It's been SUPER hot here, for Western WA, but it little spits and spats. I guess that's so we'll think it's normal, or "climate change." *yawn, woof!*
I am looking forward to cooler weather, and I've always loved fall.
Your comments about Ayurveda inspires me to get my old Ayurveda books out tomorrow, and re-read them! I've always thought it's far more interesting that pharmaceuticals!!!
Thanks, Barbara, and as always, I love your photography. xo xo xo
Sweater weather is always welcome. :) I particularly like the fire pits and the smell of burning leaves. And sitting around staring at the flames. Coming into this stack is like taking a seat up to a bonfire while the smell of fall lingers in the air. And with the damn mosquitos gone!