In Ayurveda, the heart (Hridaya) is considered as one of the most important organs responsible for maintaining overall health and well-being. The heart is the seat of consciousness (Atman) and plays a crucial role in the circulation of vital life force (Prana) and blood (Rakta) throughout the body. “In Eastern medicine, the heart, and not the brain, is the centre of consciousness. Therefore, any heart condition points to deep-rooted problems of self-identity, emotions and consciousness. “1 Western culture focuses on individual achievement and constant competition, rather than spiritual connection with others, so our hearts are sidelined and often replaced by ego. The lack of exercise and the consumption of fatty, spicy, fried food and lots of meat, typical of European cuisine, also puts a strain on the heart. In Hungary, cardiovascular disease accounted for 49% of deaths in 2019, or 64,000 deaths.2 Primary causes of heart problems include poor diet, stress, lack of exercise and suppr...
Anxiety is basically what happens when we experience worry, doubt, dread, or fear regarding the future, and it can manifest in various ways. We’ve all probably felt at least a little anxiety before, so we won’t go into too many specifics about what it feels like in this article; but, we will say, that it can cause us to behave in ways we wouldn’t normally behave, think thoughts we wouldn’t otherwise think, and experience numbed or heightened sensations, shortness or heaviness of breath, and a general checked-out/frozen demeanor and/or a more frantic, manic demeanor. Needless to say, it manifests differently within each of us, and differently at different times for different reasons. We can feel anxious about significant things like, relationships, career/finances, politics, health, environmental issues; and we can also feel anxious about things we can’t fully explain, like when we feel anxious for no apparent reason. Ayurveda tells us that regardless of why, whenever we feel anxious, ...