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Ama could also be called toxins,
sludge or bad kapha. It has a sticky quality (pichila) and once it enters cells
or clogs strota it's hard to remove. It circulates in the
body and passes through any strota looking for a weak place to
lodge and can block the strota themselves. Injury or wear and tear can
also create the conditions for ama in the form of inflammation. Although
inflammation may be an immune response to attack it always causes some damage
itself and the more chronic the inflammation, the greater the damage.
Everywhere in the body in the dhatu,
is either nirama or ama, well made dhatu or weak and toxic
dhatu. Ama can collect in different places, causing blockage or inflammation which prevents nutrition
reaching the dhatu or organs to nourish or repair them. (Although ice can be applied in new injuries (where
calor, dolor, rubor, tumor (heat, pain, redness, swellinng) exist) heat should
be given to reduce ´cold´ chronic injuries, increasing blood supply so
that nutrition can arrive. Heat opens the strota and blood washes inflammatory ama
from the tissues.)
According to Ayurveda, ama while in the GI
tract can be treated and discharged with detoxification and cleansing
treatments, ie therapeutic vomiting, purgation or enemas. However in later
stages of imbalance, an overload of ama will overflow from its orginal
site, blocking strota and impeding the pass of nutrients, and lodging in
weakened, damaged or badly made dhatu. Ghee, taken internally, as well as
massage and fomentation is used to aggravate the dosha, dislodge fat
soluble toxins and bring them back to the digestive tract from where they can
be expelled.
Symptoms
of ama
- heaviness, lethargy in body or mind
- lack of energy, apathy
- lack of appetite, slow digestion, cravings
- white coating on tongue
- mucus in the stool, sinking stool, offensive smell
- bad breath
- nausea
- ama has a blocking effect on body
- blocks channels of nutrition, even mental channels, ie thinking clearly
- eating well but still feel tired, because nutrition is not arriving to dhatus
- cravings due to fake appetite (fake agni) usually for carbohydrates
Qualities of ama
Avipakvam incompletely
digested
Asamyuktam non
homogenous
Durgandham foul
smelling
Picchila sticky,
slimy
Strotorodha blocking of
the channels
Gaurava heavy
Sadana fatiguing
Anila mudhata disturbance
of physiological state of Vata
Aggravating factors:
Oil
Early morning, night
Rainy season
Pitta
What
supports agni?
- rest, exercise.
- hot water and fasting once a week
- ginger tea with honey
- steaming
- light foods, soups
- if sedentary, a little exercise
- hot sand detox, salt water, hot springs
- best herb - dry ginger
- ''shuntee'' amapanchana - digests ama
- eat slowly, chewing 32 times
- mostly vegetarian food, esp if working with knowledge
- trikatu power – equal parts dry ginger, black pepper and long pepper
When ama increases, agni decreases: when agni
is balanced, ama decreases.
However, proper advice from an Ayurvedic doctor should
always be taken. Ama combines with Vata, Pitta or Kapha dosha.
Some of the actions which promote agni may aggravate Pitta or
Vata when taken out of context or without proper diagnosis. The approach
should always be gentle and moderate, taking into account rogi pariksha, diagnosis
of the specific person.
The Ayurvedic approach to nutrition is also holistic –
with a focus on spiritual, mental, social, and physical nutrition rather than on
the specific macronutrient content of food.
It is good to follow the simplest routines above, such as adequate rest and
light exercise, before panchakarma and for those people who are too weak
to do panchakarma. Ama has a blocking effect on the body's strotas and
can block even thoughts and feelings.
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