To use Ayurveda for constipation, you want to consume freshly-cooked food, eat foods rich in certain spices, undertake a yoga exercise regimen, and employ the use of specific medicinal treatments. Treating constipation in this manner ensures an all-natural approach to remedying the condition without the use of pharmaceuticals and other forms of more traditional Western medicine. Ayurvedic therapy works by diagnosing and treating problems according to the elemental energies, or doshas, thrown off balance by the condition. These energies are the vata, or air dosha, pitta, or fire dosha, and kapha, or water and earth dosha.
In Ayurvedic medicine, constipation is primarily caused by an impairment of the vata dosha, though it can result from flare-ups in the pitta and kapha doshas as well. Ayurveda believes that constipation develops most predominantly from poor dietary habits. Considerations that can lead to constipation include an erratic meal schedule, eating food that is hard for the body to properly digest, consuming foods that are too dry, and not drinking enough water.
The first step to using Ayurveda for constipation includes eating foods that are prepared fresh. Leafy vegetables are the best food source for those looking to use Ayurveda for digestive problems, as these foods work well with the vata dosha. Papaya, sugarcane, and tomatoes are also extremely beneficial. Eating highly-processed and prepackaged foods is a major culprit in the development of constipation, and fresh food is a surefire way to combat the condition.
There are specific spices that energize the vata dosha and help rid the body of the discomfort of constipation. Asafetida, coriander, and cumin are ideal spices to be used as natural remedies for constipation. Fennel and turmeric work well, too. Consuming these spices in freshly-prepared foods can go a long way in combating the condition and restoring balance to the vata dosha.
You may also want to employ yoga as a way to use Ayurveda for constipation. From an Ayurvedic perspective, gentle yoga poses are considered the best form of exercise you can do to equalize, heal, and invigorate the doshas. These should not be complicated yoga postures, but slow, thoughtful poses that encourage comfort and a feeling of well-being.
To get the full effect of utilizing Ayurveda for constipation, you will want to take Ayurvedic herbal supplements. Herbs such as triphala and abhayarisha are considered the best natural remedies for constipation. Taken with faintly warmed water, these treatments have shown to combat even more serious cases of the condition.