The Psycho-Physiology of Stress

In the west, stress has become a major contributing factor in the cause of disease with some authorities attributing up to eighty percent of disease to stress. According to Ayurveda, the cause of disease is attributed to “the mistake of the intellect1”, or Pragya Paradh. This is when the mind begins to see itself as separate from the field of intelligence or consciousness from which it came. This, I like to call the “primordial stress” the one stressor, perhaps the original “original sin” that all imbalance can be traced back to. The origins of Ayurveda date back to an auspicious assembly of “holy great sages2 where disease was deemed to be the impediment to spiritual progress and one’s non-perishable longevity3. Ayurveda with its mission to eradicate diseases of the past, present and future4 , had its sights on a nobler goal – the purification of the body and mind, and the achievement of full human potential, moksha5 , or liberation. To accomplish this, stress would have to be eliminated from one’s day to day lifestyle and energetically removed from the subtle body system and the cells of the physical body. According to the Taittiriya Upanishad, the human body is a container for the Supreme Self which is made up of koshas or sheaths which offer the Supreme Self a vehicle for its earthly journey. At the center of this container is the seat of pure consiousness6 waiting to expand through the outer and progressively more dense sheaths. It is here that we find the true – non-changing Self. Around the non-changing Self is the first sheath called the Anandamaya Kosha, or bliss sheath, where we first experience the self as bliss. Surrounding the bliss sheath is the Vijnanamaya Kosha (intellectual sheath) with the Manomaya Kosha (mental sheath) around it. It is the intellectual sheath that connects the mind and all of it’s distractions with the heart or the Supreme Self. The Manomaya Kosha is surrounded by the Pranamaya Kosha, or energy sheath. The energy sheath is between the mind on the inside and Annamaya Kosha, the body sheath, on the outside, making it the link between the mind and body. rnThe intellectual sheath performs like the petals of a flower acting as a discernment sheath filtering out negative thoughts and harmful energy while still allowing full access to the source – Supreme Self. The mental sheath which is sometimes called the great barrier sheath is an iron clad wall of protection enabling the Supreme Self to maintain a witnessing role. It is the mental sheath’s function to experience the full range of the senses and the emotions, and in this role has the freedom to choose. It has free will. This is the site of the original sin, or primordial stress. rnWhen we are born the mental sheath matures first. The mind, employed by the Self creates this separation in the name of protection. This usually happens at a very young age, two or three years old. At this very delicate age, the intellect, discernment, and protective aspects of the mind have not been developed yet. The mind at this young age is forced to develop a first draft of a personality. A projection on a screen, an illusion designed to make one feel accepted, protected, loved and secure. This often happens in pre-school when some mean kid make fun of a back pack or lunch box. Quickly the mind is employed to enforce safety and to insure that this hurt will never happen again. While this process is essential in pre-school, protective layers of the personality continue to build until by age ten, twenty and thirty the projection on the screen, becomes a personality that is vastly different and separate from the true Self. rnThe mind uses mathematical equations to maintain control and keep everything in balance. Each and every situation must add up and be fair. “If I get straight A’s, they will love me.” “If I act sweet they will give me ice cream.” “If I give a present, I better get one back of equal value or I will be hurt.” When hurt, the mind will react and become mad, angry, hurtful and distant. The mind will employ the senses to feel balanced and begin to eat, drink, shop or any number of things to distract the mind and emotions from the pain. Soon the mind attaches itself to the senses and both happiness and misery are attributed to this attachment7. The heart, or bliss sheath on the other hand uses physics and doesn’t balance equations. Its nature is to expand rather than contract like the mind does. It acts more like the flower in the garden that doesn’t only offer its fragrance when someone walks into the garden. It is not counting how many bees come or how many humans smell it. Its nature is to give; this is the nature of the true Self, but the mind is programmed to protect. It is way too risky to love fully without being sure it will be reciprocal. Most people spend a whole lifetime waiting to loved, cared for and appreciated by others. It is natural to want to be loved, but this is a mindset, an illusion of security and thus the experience will be ever changing, always seeking more and never satisfying. The only non-changing experience of life, the only experience of life that will offer fulfillment is when one functions from the purity of the Supreme Self - Anandamaya Kosha. Contentment is the nature of pure consciousness, or the Supreme Self and it does not seek the love and approval of others. The flower doesn’t need someone to smell it for it to be satisfied. From the true Self, the words “I love you, but it is no concern of yours” is the experience of life. This means that loving fully without the need of being loved back is more fulfilling than the experience of being loved. When permission is granted to take a leap of faith to love someone fully not knowing or caring if they will return that love, is the experience of true love. To do this one has to become fearless and be willing to experience the vulnerability of true love. The mind’s most powerful emotion is fear and the “fear of not being loved” is the most fundamental or primordial stress. This stress is what separates one from the Self. It is the first mistake of the intellect, the original blemish, or sin that separates the eternal and non-eternal. It is the first covering of the Sattvic Self with Rajasic and Tamasic influences8. rnThe Manomaya Kosha houses the emotions and the senses. Emotions like fear, desire, anger, greed and jealousy imprison the mind, attaching it more intimately to the personality, taking it further away from the Self. These emotions are the cause of repetitive patterns of behavior, and Caraka tells us that the desire is the greatest cause of misery in the human body9. When we experience a stress, the mind instantly creates an energetic molecule of emotion. The body is chemically steered to store fat in times of stress and the emotional charge is stored in the fat cells. These emotions lie dormant deep in the body’s fat cells and when triggered by an old familiar stress, the same emotional tape is played. To break this pattern, the mind and body require an experience of peace and calm and the stored fat must be given a reason to be burned and detoxed. rnThe mind uses the senses and sense organs throughout life to distract one from the reality of the Self. While Cararka says that the major cause of unhappiness and misery is the attraction and allurement to the senses, it also states that the cause of happiness and health is from only the balanced use of the senses, which is very rare10. Gaining control of the senses is a constant theme in Ayurveda for both the healing of the physical body and the attainment of higher states of consciousness. Behavioral, or Acharya rasayanas11 as well as the Yamas and Niyamas dictates how to live with sensory control as a prerequisite to good health, long life and spiritual success. rnThe Pranamaya Kosha is the home of the breath, the life force that connects the mind with the body. If the mind has stressed the body, the prana will be re-directed to handle that stress. Commonly, when the body is under stress the downward moving vata called, apana vata is re-directed in an upwards direction. This is called udavarta or upward moving vata12. When the prana is not able to move along its normal path and direction, the function of the Pranamaya Kosha is affected. The balanced movement of the prana activates 72,000 subtle energy channels called nadis. These nadis concentrate in the chakra system and promote spiritual growth. If the prana is blocked because of a mental or emotional stress or attachment, the nadis cannot activate, and the chakras do not spin. Therefore, the subtle energy system which is in charge of spiritual growth is stalled. rnThe Annamaya Kosha, or the physical body is also dependant on the free flowing movement of the prana in the Pranamaya Kosha. In the process of udavarta, the intestines congest and enlarge the lymphatic ducts (mesenteric glands) around the intestines13. The belly will swell and the doshas begin to accumulate and aggravate because the body’s two major waste removal channels are compromised. Draining the intestinal track are lymphatic glands where the rasa dhatu is separated from the food and absorbed into the lymphatic system along with fat soluble nutrients and fat soluble toxic wastes. The toxic waste products are processed through 500 lymph nodes where they are attacked by neutralizing white blood cells and shipped to the heart to be processed as waste. The rasa is taken back to the spleen where it is converted into rakta (blood), then to muscle, fat, bone, nerve and reproductive tissue. Eighty percent of the body’s immunity is located in the Gut Associated Lymphatic Tissue (GALT) where fat soluble toxins such as heavy metals, parasites, environmental pollutants and cancer causing chemicals are absorbed and neutralized. If the lymph around the intestines becomes congested as in the case of stress related udavarta, then these aggressive toxins accumulate in the intestines and become absorbed into the liver. From the liver these toxic chemicals are stored in the body’s fat cells along with the toxic emotions previously stored there. As long as the body is stressed, the fat cells will stay in storage, the toxic chemicals as well as the toxic emotions slowly accumulate and aggravate initiating a disease process. rnStress triggers a series of chemical changes that also compromise the body’s downward moving vata and lymphatic drains. The body responds to stress by manufacturing stress fighting hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) which are both degenerative and extremely acidic. The waste products of these hormones are called free radicals and are the leading cause of aging, disease, cancer and death, and are also extremely acidic. The lymphatic system can only drain in an alkaline environment. When overly acidic, the lymphatic system will congest the rasa dhatu will vitiate, and compromise the sequential production of the remaining six dhatus. The list of potential diseases from this imbalance is long but the early and easily treatable stages of lymphatic congestion usually starts with swelling of the hands and feet, traveling joint pain, itching skin or rashes, fatigue, swelling of breasts during menstruation, sore throats, headaches, sore feet in the morning, and abdominal fat, bloating and/or cellulite. rnNature clearly has a prescription for reducing stress and insuring adequate fat metabolism. Ayurveda suggests seasonal (ritucharya) and daily (dinacharya) routines to maintain the tenants of good health, long life and spiritual growth. Each season offers the human body an opportunity for rejuvenation, detoxification and spiritual growth. The Spring, which is the beginning of nature’s annual cycle is a wet and rainy season with accumulating qualities of kapha. During this season nature harvests the antidote to these kapha qualities with leafy greens, sprouts, berries and grapefruits all of which are fat emulsifying. This is the season where the body is naturally letting go of its toxic fat stores. If the diet stays seasonal and alkaline and the stressors are minimal, the body will enter into a naturally occurring fat burning detoxification process. During the Summer months the days are long and the nights are short. Nature provides high energy fruits and vegetables to help the body maintain the level of activity needed to perform during these longer days. Summer foods are naturally cooling and thus prevent the body from accumulating pitta which can begin to dry out and inflame the tissues towards the end of the Summer when heat is accumulating. During the transition into Winter, bitter roots and cooling fruits that have a natural purgating effect are harvested and are an attempt to detox any accumulated pitta, toxic blood or waste out of the body. The Winter’s cold and dry qualities are mitigated again by nature’s harvest of heavy, warm, oily and sweet foods. These are the rebuilding and rejuvenating foods harvested to insulate the body during the cold Winter months and nourishes the mind and body mentally, emotional and spiritually as the shorter days provide a time of deep rest and rejuvenation14. rnThe daily routine or dinacharya as suggested by Ayurveda is a comprehensive approach to de-stressing the body and maintaining balance of the doshas, koshas and dhatus. Critically important is the timing of meals as the daily kalas or times of day with respect to Vata, Pitta and Kapha will dictate the physiological stress incurred and fat metabolism ensued. The most critical time of day with regards to fat metabolism and detoxifying chemical waste and the fat soluble molecules of emotion is the time period between 2-6 PM. This is the vata time of day when the nervous system is demanding a significant amount of blood sugar to satisfy the needs of the mind. If the lunch meal was not adequate or not taken during the pitta (digestive) time of day (between 10-2 PM) there will not be enough energy to make it through the afternoon. The blood sugar will drop and the body will crave sweets and respond to that as a physiological stress and begin to store all the available fat possible. Snacking will de-stabilize the blood sugar creating a need to be fed frequently and thus provide no reason for the body to metabolize its stored and toxic fat. Remember, fat is the body’s non-emergency, slow burning fuel and is most efficiently burned between meals. This blood sugar related stress will also trigger a degenerative and acidic hormone response that will chemically compromise the lymphatic drainage and digestive assimilation of the nutrient rich rasa. rnThe first goal of an Ayurvedic approach to stress relief is to convince the body that life does not have to trigger a survival and emergency response with each passing day. Slowly, over years of accumulation, emotions and toxins have been stored deeply in the body’s fatty tissues. While lifestyle is a powerful tool, Ayurveda employs powerful detoxification techniques called Panchakarma which when performed correctly can free the body of disease and transform the mind and emotions. Panchakarma passes the reigns of control back to the Supreme Self. Research on seven days of Panchakarma has reported that fourteen of the major fat soluble cancer causing environmental chemicals that have been stored in the fat cells were detoxified during the Panchakarma process. The most amazing result was that this detox process continued for long after the treatments were over. For 2.9 months after Panchakarma these fat soluble chemicals continued to detox.15 While Panchakarma is a proven technique for the release of fat soluble chemical toxicity, it is because each of the koshas are specifically affected as well and this yields the most transformational results. rnIn the body’s Annamaya Kosha, the tissues are detoxified through the mechanical effects of panchakarma therapies such as abhyanga, shirodara, udvartina, garshama, nasya, vishesh, pizichil, basti and more. The Pranamaya Kosha is best treated through a specific series of yoga and pranayamana (breathing) exercises and the stroke dynamics of the Ayurvedic massage. These techniques are tailored to the individual’s needs and help to move the subtle energy through mental and emotional blocks in the body. rnThe Manomaya Kosha is treated with a specific meditation practice and certain Panchakarma therapies such as Nasya and Shirordara along with a combination of daily yoga, breathing and meditation practice. The Vijnanamaya Kosha is the discernment sheath where a process of self inquiry is employed. Caraka points out that a process of critical analysis or self inquiry, detachment from worldly pleasures and realization of fears will restore the memory of reality - the Supreme Self.16 In the transformational process of Panchakarma, one disassociates from the illusion. Sensory stimulation and the emotions and attachments of the mind are dissolved. The authentic Self residing in the Anandamaya Kosha becomes the “observer”17 (the Rishi value, or the knower of the Self). During the process self inquiry from the intellectual or discernment sheath, the observer engages in self inquiry or critical analysis in the process of observing the false self (Devata value, or the process of knowing). The focus of this observation is called the “observed” (Chandas value, or the known). What is now known by the observer is the process in which the mind separated itself from consciousness. The fat soluble molecules of emotion that remotely trigger unwholesome and repetitive patterns of behavior are released from the fat cells during the process of Panchakarma. During this process of transformation, the observer engages in the process of seeing itself as the illusion that it is. This three in one structure of observation (the Knower engaging in the process of knowing itself) makes the realization of these mindsets and emotional patterns a holographic or three dimensional illusion. It becomes real. This process of self realization takes what has been hidden in the mind and body and reveals it to the Self 18. Once the knower becomes aware of its Self at every level, in every kosha, the healing and restoration process of truth begins. The mistake of the intellect is realized, the original sin is forgotten and the power of a pure mind, union with the Self (moksha) and the supernatural powers of the yogi are revealed.19rn References

• 1,4,5,7,8,9,10,16,17,18,19. Caraka, Caraka Samhita, Chaukhambha Orientalia, Varanasi, India. 1981, Sarirasthanam Ch I, vs.102-108, 140-142, 129, 130-139, 99-101, 94-97,143-146, 83, 80-81. 136-141.
• 2,3, 14 Caraka, Caraka Samhita, Chaukhambha Orientalia, Varanasi, India. 1981, Sutrasthana Ch-I, vs. 6-7. 29. Ch VI. All.
• 6, Caraka, Caraka Samhita, Chaukhambha Orientalia, Varanasi, India. 1981, Sarirasthanam, Ch VII, vs. 7-8rn
• 11,12,13 Caraka, Caraka Samhita, Chaukhambha Orientalia, Varanasi, India. 1981, Chikitisasthanam, Ch 1. vs.30-35. Ch XXVI, vs. 5-6, 7-10.
• 15 Herron, Robert, Fagan, John. (2002). Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, Sept/Oct. Maharish Ayurveda Panchakarma Detoxifies Lipophilic and Carcinogenic Chemicals.