Ayurveda: A quest for balance–and a way of life
Established in 2010 by entrepreneur Manelle Jose, Arogya Manila, an Ayurvedic medicine center, has benefited over 5,000 patients. The center provided a medically supervised intensive detoxification program highlighting massages with healing oils and personalized dietary plans.
Despite its closing due to the pandemic, a significant demand for natural healing continued from former and potential patients. This month marks a new chapter for the center, as it has relocated to a mid-century house within the Jalandoni compound in Pasay City. Under the new ownership of balikbayan physician and Ayurvedic practitioner Maria Vergeire, it has been rebranded as the House of Arogya.
Dr. Vergeire brings a diverse background to her new venture. Her medical trajectory began with premed studies at the University of Sto. Tomas and De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, followed by residency at Makati Medical Center. Licensed to practice in both the Philippines and the United States, she spent years as a research physician in the US, overseeing international clinical trials.
In 2017, seeking a more sustainable approach to well-being after experiencing burnout and adrenal fatigue, she explored Transcendental Meditation and later pursued a Master’s degree in Science in Ayurvedic Medicine from Maharishi International University in 2023.
Ayurveda is not merely an ancient medical system; it’s a way of life aimed at balancing the body’s functions and the mind. It posits that life is a state of equilibrium involving the soul, senses, body, and the fundamental elements within us.
These elements form three energies, or doshas: vata, which manages circulation, elimination, and mental activity; pitta, which governs digestion, metabolism, and vitality; and kapha, which provides physical structure and supports organ function. Vata is composed of air and space, pitta of fire and water, and kapha of earth and water. Each person has a primary dosha, and illness can result when their lifestyle clashes with their inherent energetic nature, creating imbalance.
She clarifies that Ayurveda may not benefit everyone, particularly those with chronic conditions such as cancer, depending on the stage. Dr. Vergeire acknowledges that despite its ancient origins and encompassing nature of various medical systems, it lacks the scientific backing of modern medicine due to its historical suppression during British colonization. Many texts were burned, leaving the “Charaka Samhita” as the primary surviving text on the human body, causes and symptoms, therapeutics and diet, hygiene, and prevention.
Natural law
Dr. Vergeire finds that modern physiology clarifies Ayurveda’s concept of natural law, where the five elements in nature are also within the body. She notes that bodies should follow their natural rhythms of sleep and activity.
A key Ayurvedic principle is agni, or digestive fire, strongest at noon, suggesting lighter morning meals and heavier lunches. For breakfast, Dr. Vergeire, trained in Ayurvedic cooking, recommends sautéed apples with ghee and cinnamon as easily digestible. She considers intermittent fasting beneficial for toxin elimination but advises against daily practice, suggesting a 12-hour fast over 18 for those with weaker digestion, and emphasizes listening to one’s body.
Regarding Filipino foods, she says Ayurveda suggests eating familiar foods such as adobo in moderation, ideally for lunch when agni is strongest, and suggests dinner around 6 p.m. for digestive rest. For breakfast oatmeal, she recommends steel-cut over instant and soaking it for better digestion, advising against overly fibrous foods in the morning.
Bloating and irregular digestion are attributed to vata imbalance from hard-to-digest foods, disrupting the body’s air and movement principle and potentially causing acid reflux and gas. Kapha (earth and water) dominates early life for structure. Pitta (fire and water) prevails from ages 30 to 60, after which digestive issues may arise as one ages.
Pitta also represents transformation, such as metabolism and hormonal changes, and is the dominant dosha during the reproductive years (30 to 60), a period characterized by high energy. Vata, linked to air, becomes more prominent after 60, a life stage where bodily functions naturally decline.
Dr. Vergeire points out that vata is the first dosha to become imbalanced at any age due to its mobile nature, and prolonged imbalance can lead to chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis, which she attributes to the drying up of synovial fluid with age. Aligning one’s diet with nature’s provisions is crucial for graceful aging and maintaining a good quality of life.
Sweet cravings are linked to kapha dosha. Hence, Ayurveda emphasizes consuming all six tastes—sweet, sour, astringent, bitter, pungent, and salty—to signal fullness to the brain. Ayurvedic cooking often involves tridoshic foods that balance the doshas and satisfy all six tastes.
Ayurvedic stethoscope
An initial Ayurvedic assessment involves understanding a person’s lifestyle and diet, considering the mind, body, and spirit. Crucial to the assessment is the nadi vigyan, or pulse reading, as Ayurveda’s ancient stethoscope, capable of identifying imbalances in the doshas, whether chronic or acute, and pinpointing affected organ systems, thus serving as a preventative tool.
Another important aspect of diagnosis involves identifying the presence of toxins, known as ama in Sanskrit. If ama is found, the treatment process includes ama pachana to dissolve these toxins, followed by the five modalities of panchakarma, a cleansing and revitalizing treatment, to facilitate their release from the body. She explains that these toxins can accumulate from undigested food.
The initial step in ama pachana often involves dietary adjustments with dosha-specific food recommendations, such as a vata-pacifying diet for vata imbalance, which simultaneously provides nutrition and helps to melt the toxins. Abhyanga, along with steam and sweat therapies, is likewise used to remove toxins from the body. Abhyanga is a specific technique involving the application of organic herb-infused oils by trained technicians using particular massage movements to help the oil penetrate the skin and move the toxins into the lymphatic system.
Shirodhara is a beneficial treatment for individuals experiencing chronic insomnia, anxiety, and depression. This therapy helps to induce relaxation and rejuvenation, aligning with Ayurveda’s mind-body approach to healing. The herbal oils used in shirodhara are believed to work through the skin and brain to promote relaxation and aid in the removal of toxins.
Ultimately, Dr. Vergeire champions meditation for its ability to quiet the mind, fostering clarity crucial for making positive lifestyle and health choices.
Contact the Center of Arogya at tel. no. (0906)-249 2463 or (0953) 884-1457. It is located at 29 Jalandoni Compound, 60 Don B. Hernandez Street, Pasay City.
