Not only was yoga and nutrition a part of Ayurveda, but healing systems from other cultures, like the Chinese Macrobiotics, have their roots in India's ancient healing system.Although one may wonder if such an old system of healing is valid for today's health concerns, Ayurveda has proven its efficacy in recovery from drugs, alcohol, overeating and smoking. A person must sincerely want to recover for any healing system to work. Yet the problem is that the withdrawal symptoms seem to feel like one is being punished for trying to recover.

The uniqueness of Ayurveda is that it not only helps one remove the cause of addiction (ie, anxiety can cause smoking), but it helps evaporate the toxins in the body so there is little to no discomfort from withdrawal symptoms. Ayurveda does not say, `stop the addicting activity', it says, `lets replace it with another- more constructive activity'. If a young child is holding our most precious glass vase, and we ask them to give it to us, they usually don't.

But if we trade them for a doll or a piece of candy they will do so. Taking from a person leaves them empty. Trading allows the person to still have something to hold onto. The main therapies that Ayurveda employs are, herbs, nutrition and spiritual counseling. Secondary approaches include aromatherapy,gem therapy, yoga, massage, and color therapy. Herbs produce the most dramatic effect. Simultaneously, spiritual life-counseling is employed to help the recoverer to find their inner self-worth.

Additionally, by revealing to the person their inner Divine nature, Ayurveda offers a method to overcome co-dependency. Co-dependency is having the mistaken idea that we need to rely on another person, drug or food for our support. Rediscovering one's inner Divine nature gives the recovering person a sense of inner quality, grace and fulfillment. As they begin to experience a sense of self-love, a habit of self or inner reliance develops.

We are all addicted on some level...
it is best to become addicted to God

Actually, everyone is addicted on some level, even if it is being dependent on the relative world instead of the eternal, Divine, non-changing world. The trick is to become addicted to the non-changing world or God. This is the only thing which remains constant because it is eternal. So it is better to see addiction and dependency more as a matter of refining or redirecting our addictive tendencies rather than stopping them.

Mental & Physical Roots of Recovery
Ayurveda views the roots of addictions as mental inertia, which is caused by excess mental activity. An addiction grows because we attempt to calm these excesses through artificial, external means (drugs, food, tobacco etc.) rather than through natural or holistic measures. If one is anxious, angry, worried, impatient, lethargic or uncaring, Ayurveda sees this as an excess of one of the three basic elements (air, fire or water).

Too much air in the mind creates anxiety and worry; excess fire element in the mind creates a hot temper, impatience and anger; an overabundance of the mental water element creates lethargy and a lack of caring or concern. The Ayurvedic herbal approach suggests a person take herbs which balance these excesses, i.e.,. taking herbs that are of the elements which are lacking. For example, a hot tempered person may feel the need to smoke cigarettes.

By ingesting cool (air) and moist (water) herbs, the hot temper is balanced and the cause of the smoking desire is reduced and eventually eliminated. A worried person, with too much air in brain, would take warm and moist herbs, which remove the excess air and restore mental elemental balance. A lethargic person would take hot, spicy herbs to stimulate and awaken the mind.

These three elements, air, fire and water, are known in Ayurveda as Vayu, Pitta and Kapha respectively. This healing system is able to offer a more personalized approach to health because it does not lump people into one generic mass. People are individuals, and some individuals are of a more air element nature; some people are of a more fire temperament; and others have a more watery constitution (of course there are people with combinations of these three elements as well).

By determining one's Ayurvedic constitution (called dosha), we can learn which element is causing the excess, and thus know which elements to increase and which to decrease. Physically, Vayu (air) constitutions are thin people; Pitta (fire) doshas are moderate and Kapha (water) people are large boned, with a tendency towards overweight.

Addictions which are caused by Vayu (air) create a nervous dependency and mental instability. These individuals will be the most easily and severely damaged by addictions; they can give up addictions for a while, but either resume them or shift to another addictive habit.

Pitta (fire) people are self-righteous and have a hard time recovering unless they are convinced it is in their best interest. Kapha (water) individuals have the strongest systems and can take more abuse from bad habits. Consequently, they have the hardest time recovering. Herbal therapies include nervines (e.g., gotu kola, camomile, jatamanshi) that help reduce the emotional need for addictive substances.

Other herbs are used to repair damaged tissues, such as lung tonics for smokers; liver tonics for alcohol and brain or nerve tonics for drugs. Spiritual or lifestyle counseling offers guidance regarding our lives. Here, one needs to start at the root, questioning or meditating on one's true Self- our Divine, eternal, unbounded nature, and our purpose or meaning of one's life. Through reading spiritual books and guidance from spiritual counselors, a person begins to understand and experience their true inner Divine nature.

Specific Recovery Therapies
Below are some of the more serious addictive behaviors and how Ayurveda suggests a simple and gentle recovery from them. Each constitution or dosha will experience different symptoms and causes for these habits, so these addictive experiences are broken down and personalized to be more useful to the reader.

Smoking
Condition:
Vayu (air) types smoke as a nervous habit to calm their anxiety and distract themselves from worry. Pitta (fire) people enjoy having more fire inside their bodies and the increased feeling of power. Kapha (water) individuals like the stimulating and clearing effects of tobacco, which reduces lethargy.

Vayu- Calamus counters the nervous habit, and small amounts can be added to cigarettes or taken ingested in powdered form, with some water or tea. Herbal cigarettes are available which calm the mind and heal the lung tissue. Ashwagandha and camomile are also recommended to calm the mind, remove the lung smoke and heal the lung tissues. To strengthen the lungs, dry cough and constipation, toning foods are taken, such as warm milk with clarified butter (ghee), almonds (soaked overnight and the skin is peeled), pine nuts and tahini (sesame seed butter).

Toning herbs include Ashwagandha, Shatavari, Bala, Ginseng (only for short periods of time) and comfrey root.Pitta- Gotu Kola powder is a cooling nervine which is excellent for the fire individual's recovery program. For infectious lung, liver or blood diseases, detoxification is required. Herbs include Aloe Vera gel, Shatavari, Bayberry and Burdock. Kapha- Gotu Kola and hot spicy herbs are excellent. Herbal cigarettes are recommended.

Expectorants like Calamus, Cloves, Ginger, Pepper, etc. are to be taken with honey (and lemon juice). These help relived congestion that often arises after quitting smoking.

Alcohol
Condition:
Alcohol damages the blood and liver, creating various Pitta imbalances. Alcohol is also a sugar and may in part be a substitute for sugar addiction.

Therapies:
Aloe Vera gel is the best herb for balancing liver function. Gotu Kola is the best herb for detoxifying the brain tissue and reducing disturbed emotions from the liver. Bitter herbs like Barberry, Katuka, Gentian and Manjishtha cleanse the liver (emotions) and blood. Bupleurum is similar and reduces the emotional factors behind addictions as well. Skullcap calms addictions and cleanses the liver. Other cooling nervines include Passion flower, Betony and Hops.

These herbs remove the withdrawal symptoms from alcohol, greatly reducing or eliminating the suffering that appears during recovery. Vayu- Herbal wines substitute for alcohol and help reduce dependency. Some herbs to use include, Licorice, Bala, Turmeric, Barberry and Gotu Kola.Pitta- Cooling nervines and bitter tonic herbs like for Vayu, only substitute Burdock for Licorice.Kapha- Herbal wines, bitter tonics are the same as above, only substitute dry Ginger for Burdock and Licorice.

Drugs
Condition:
Drug dependency, for all constitutions (doshas) severely aggravates Vayu and so is mainly a Vayu imbalance (disorder). Many drugs are diuretics which cause drying, constipation, weaken the kidneys and deplete one's essential life sap (called ojas)- which is the immune system protector. Stimulants tend to damage Pitta, burning out their nervous system and damage the eyes. They also overly increase the Vayu element. All drugs tend to damage the spiritual purity (sattwa) within a person, distorting mental clarity, causing dullness and inertia (tamas).

Hallucinogens increase mental fire (tejas), giving a sense of deeper powers of the consciousness, but they burn up or deplete the life-sap (ojas), and thus make the person susceptible to immune deficient diseases. Sleeping drugs cause long-term insomnia.

Therapies:
It is recommended that one's diet include Vayu and Pitta reducing foods (i.e., diuretics like celery, barley, clarified butter (which nourishes the nerves) Gotu Kola is best to cleanse hallucinogens and the toxins produced by marijuana from the liver and brain. Ashwagandha is the best nervous system re-builder. Shatavari helps restore emotional sensitivity and balance. Calamus (Vacha) restores mental faculties of perception and self-expression, removing dullness, depression and vegetative states.

Valerian is a sedative which counters stimulants (or its cousin, Jatamanshi, which does not sedate, but improves mental alertness and calm). Guggul and Myrrh cleanse and rejuvenate the deeper tissue levels. Zizyphus seeds nourish and tone damaged brain tissues.Vayu people are recommended to eat cooked garlic, Asafoetida (Hing) and nutmeg to ground themselves. Pitta people are suggested to use Coriander, Fennel, Saffron and Gotu Kola to cool themselves. In general, it is likely some of the brain tonics naturally stimulate production of the brain chemicals that promote peace of mind.

In addition to brain tonics, Yoga asanas have a particularly good and immediate affect of creating endorphins in the brain that bring a great sense of calm to the individual. At the end of a yoga class, a young woman, finishing her first session ever with yoga, said she was a recovering heroine addict, and the yoga made her feel better than the heroine ever did.

Overeating
Condition:
Ultimately, it is a lack of love or self-worth; a feeling of emptiness that causes one to overeat. This may be translated into, anxiety, anger or over sentimentality which make a person eat to pacify their emotions. Overweight individuals may also be eating too heavy or colds foods, or over sleeping, which cannot be digested. Physically, it is a weak digestive fire that can not take care of foods and water, thus making weight and water retention a reality. Weight reducing and appetite suppressing drugs can also weaken the digestive fire and increase Vayu.

Therapies:
The best herbal combination for all doshas to lose weight and stop sugar addictions is Triphala, Katuka or Gentian, Dry Ginger and Gotu Kola. Shilajit, Guggul and Myrrh are also very good herbs to take for all doshas. Mild laxatives like Triphala herbal mixture are useful, and help remove toxins from the colon. Shilajit alone (1/2 gram), or 1 gram of Guggul taken 2-3 times daily with ginger and honey can correct most forms of obesity over the course of several months.

Another useful mixture is Aloe Vera gel with Ginger or Turmeric. Gotu Kola and other nervines calm the mind's habit of excessive eating. It is best to begin such therapies in the Spring or Summer.

Vayu- Weight varies, from over weight to under weight in these people. A reduction of sugars (which calm the mind) can be replaced with nervines for mental calm. Mild use of whole cane sugars (like Sucanat) and raw honey are acceptable. Foods should include complex carbohydrates; whole grains of wheat, basmati rice, oats; mung beans, and starchy vegetables are useful.

Fennel, Cardamom and Coriander help digest the food and are by nature sweet. Gotu Kola, Guggul, Jatamanshi and Myrrh are useful herbs to take to calm the mind.

Pitta- To reduce weight, avoid meat, fish, greasy or oily foods; sugars and pastries. Raw salads, green herbs (Aloe, Katuka, Barberry, Manjishtha, Dandelion and Turmeric) and chlorophyll are best, along with barley or white basmati rice and mung beans.

Kapha- Removing excess water and weight retention involves the avoidance of sugars, salt, dairy, sweet fruits, breads (with yeast), pastries, meats, fish and oily foods is suggested.

Do not eat before 10 am and after 6 pm. Hot spices help digest foods. Whole grains of barley and rye help reduce weight. Steamed vegetables are better than raw or cooked. Mung beans are the best bean. The best herbs are Turmeric, Barberry, Guggul, dry Ginger, Pepper, Katuka help reduce fat tissue. Triphala is recommended as a laxative.Gokshura, Shilajit and Gurmar help the kidneys and pancreas functioning. Gokshura and Lemon Grass are useful mild diuretics. Gotu Kola, Basil and dry Ginger help keep the mind alert and thinking clearly about what is good to eat.

Miscellaneous
Co-dependency
This situation can apply the above suggestions. Nervines to calm the mind and develop one's inner Divine vision (i.e., Gotu Kola, Sandalwood, Basil). Children of addicted or recovering parents can also use nervines to calm and nourish their mind and nerves.

Finding A Life's Purpose
From the spiritual Ayurvedic point of view, everyone is addicted to some aspect of life as long as they do not see its true, eternal nature. According to the Vedic scriptures, the goal of life is to realize one's inner Divine nature, which is eternal bliss; it has no beginning or end.All aspects of life are transitory, and therefore not eternal; not true.

They can be said to give an illusion of happiness or sadness. When a person can experience that life, inside themselves, and outside (in all other people, animals, objects, etc.) is all essentially the same, one, Divine truth, then they are said to have gained Self-Realization (Moksha).Anything short of this vision means there is some fascination with some aspect of the relative, changing world. Thus from the spiritual standpoint, most people are addicted to some level of life.

Some seem more serious than others, but adoration of anything short of Divinity is to devalue one's life.The Ayurvedic goal of life is this Self-Realization. Further, each person is an individual, and as such, has a unique gift to share with the world. Each of us were born with some innate or God-given talent. Those who know and use this talent are happy and purposeful; those who love what they do have meaning in their life. Those who do not do what they love, find life contains emptier and devoid of meaning and purpose.

Many people do not question what it is that they love to do. For some, parents or society have told them that it is not right to enjoy your work; to follow in the family business; or take a profession that makes logical sense (but not intuitive sense). These people are battling their minds with their intuitions, and are less than happy. Still other people merely do not have the self-confidence to rise to the challenge of doing what they love to do. The Ayurvedic fact is, that if you do not follow your intuition and use your innate abilities, you will always seek some addictive habit to try to fill that inner space (which is ironically already full and only needs to be expressed to grow ever more full).

Living with purpose, using one's own God-given talents, a person realizes their inner Divine nature. Their sense of self-love grows and the need for dependency on outer activities diminish. This is a crucial part of recovery. For some this dependency is acted out in abusive habits of drugs or alcohol. For others, it manifests in terms of physical illness, such as cancer. So even though drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. are considered addictive or dependent behaviors, most people have some degree or another of this habit.

It is only through spiritual Self-inquiry, a healthy life regime, working in a field that you were born to be in, and living an ethical and virtuous life that all addictions, obvious or subtle, can be removed, as one transforms more and more, into their Divine Self.

Conclusion
So we see how what we ingest effects how we feel. If we take drugs, alcohol, etc., we like ourselves less; we feel less Divine. Through the use of Ayurvedic herbs, foods, life style counseling, etc. we can

•  Determine the root cause of our addiction
•  Use the appropriate Ayurvedic therapies to replace the habit with constructive habits
•  Remove the withdrawal symptoms of recovering through herbs, etc.
•   Follow rebuilding therapies to become whole.

Ayurveda offers comprehensive, personal, effective and gentle assistance to those who sincerely want to recover and lead productive, meaningful lives.

This article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. It in no way is intended to substitute for care from duly licensed health professionals.