Testing Ayurveda’s Applications: Findings
My journey started the night before the official “start” of the experiment when I went to the store to find some things to tide me over, so to speak. I worked to plan my breakfast and lunch menus since those are the occasions where I do most of the dairy and wheat consumption. Little did I know as I looked at ingredients labels how much wheat and dairy had infiltrated the World?
Early impressions of the dietary changes are that I have quickly developed an unsteady feeling in my body affecting my equilibrium including a few tremors in my legs. As to the media avoidance, I could not be happier after hearing about the death of OBL the night before I started my media fast, that I had a built in excuse not to be privy to the endless babble that would ensue for at least two weeks.
Four days in and I’m thinking that I might be dealing with some Hypoglycemia regarding the unsteady feeling I talked about previously. I have been keeping a regular eating schedule but I am still getting the light-headed feeling, dizziness, tremors in the legs, chronic fatigue, irritability that are listed in the Home Remedies section of the Ayurveda book. I’ve been eating some raisins or an apple, or drinking some fruit juice having a minimal effect. It is nothing incapacitating, but I don’t like the feeling. I was learning some new database concepts at work and found it harder to concentrate. One other measurable effect is the loss of 6 pounds. As for the media silence, I’m noticing a subtle shift in my increased awareness of things, whether it is tactile response or hearing and smelling. I’m noticing the pungent scent of the lilac bushes, the rough feeling of the dishrag, the rhythm of the clock ticking or the furnace running. There has also been a staggering amount of boredom. However, I have not yet noticed a difference physically regarding the muscle tightness, backache, and sciatica doing the Vata themed asana practice. My understanding is that the tempo of the asana is directed more at calming the mind than as a physical therapy.
I’m finding it to be annoying to family as I work to adjust to the apparent withdrawal from the dietary restrictions. I am verbalizing my inner thoughts and while that is usually something my wife wants to hear, that is not the case when I’m whining to have some chocolate cake when we were at a restaurant celebrating her birthday. I’m still distracted looking toward the end of the experiment and what I’m going to eat than what I’m experiencing in the moment.
Eight days in and I’m observing a feeling of isolation and loneliness with the dietary part of the experiment. I was sitting with my meditation group and one of the folks brought in some homemade cookies for the talk afterward. I was the only person not to have any because of the dairy and wheat in them. I’m feeling a lot more empathy for folks who through some medical condition have to change their diet and the resistance they encounter in society. The saturation of these products in food has been a real eye opener.
