AFRIVEDIC™
Principles of Afrivedic™ Healing
Holistic Integration: Recognize that health is a balance of mind, body, and spirit, influenced by environmental, spiritual, and emotional factors.
Energetic Harmony: Understand that life force energy (Qi in Chinese medicine, Prana in Ayurveda, and Ashe in Yoruba tradition) is essential for health, and imbalances in this energy lead to disease.
Five Elements Synergy: Incorporate the five elements from each tradition (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether) into understanding how they influence bodily functions and mental health.
Preventive and Personalized Medicine: Emphasize preventive measures and tailor treatments to the individual's unique constitution, considering their orisha (spiritual entity in Yoruba), dosha (biological energy in Ayurveda), and the balance of Yin and Yang (fundamental principles in Chinese medicine).
Integration of Mind, Body, and Spirit Practices: Utilize a combination of herbal medicine, acupuncture/acupressure, yoga, meditation, and rituals/prayers to maintain and restore health.
Recognizing Imbalances in Afrivedic™
Imbalances in Afrivedic™ healing can be recognized through a combination of symptoms affecting the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of an individual. For example, an excess or deficiency in a particular element, an imbalance in Yin and Yang, or disturbances in the flow of Qi or Prana may manifest as physical ailments, emotional disturbances, or spiritual disquiet. Observing changes in body functions, emotional states, and energy levels, alongside divination practices in the Yoruba tradition, can help identify imbalances.
Detailed Integration of Elements, Chakras, Orishas, and Doshas
Root/Shango - Earth - Kapha
Element: Earth symbolizes stability and physical health.
Orisha: Shango represents power, leadership, and energy, akin to the stabilizing force of Kapha in Ayurveda.
Dosha: Kapha governs structure, fluid balance, and nourishment in the body.
Healing Focus: Grounding practices, stabilizing diets, and rituals to enhance physical strength and stability.
Sacral/Yemoja - Water - Kapha
Element: Water signifies fluidity, creativity, and emotional balance.
Orisha: Yemoja, associated with motherhood and the ocean, nurtures like the nurturing aspects of Kapha.
Dosha: Kapha, also connected to water, emphasizes cohesion and lubrication within the body.
Healing Focus: Emotional healing, fertility treatments, and nurturing practices, along with hydration and fluid balance.
Solar Plexus/Oshun - Fire - Pitta
Element: Fire is the source of transformation, metabolism, and energy.
Orisha: Oshun, symbolizing love, beauty, and fertility, embodies the transformative power of fire and the energetic principle of Pitta.
Dosha: Pitta governs digestion, metabolism, and energy production.
Healing Focus: Balancing metabolic processes, enhancing personal power and confidence, and fostering love and compassion.
Heart/Ogun - Air - Vata
Element: Air represents movement, flexibility, and vitality.
Orisha: Ogun, orisha of iron, work, and warfare, brings the discipline and movement necessary for heart health, akin to Vata's role in circulation and movement.
Dosha: Vata controls movement, including breathing, circulation, and nerve impulses.
Healing Focus: Practices to enhance cardiovascular health, emotional openness, and flexibility in life.
Throat/Orunmila - Vata, Third Eye, Crown - Ether
Element: Ether (Space) is the field of consciousness, communication, and spirituality.
Orisha: Orunmila, associated with wisdom and foresight, oversees communication and spiritual insight, harmonizing with Vata's connection to space and the ethers.
Dosha: Vata, linked to ether, influences speech, hearing, and the mind.
Healing Focus: Enhancing communication, intuition, and spiritual connection. Practices include meditation, chanting, and the use of sacred herbs and oils for clarity and vision.
Afrivedic™ healing proposes a unique synthesis of Yoruba, Chinese, and Ayurvedic wisdom, aiming for a holistic approach to health that respects the complexity of human beings. By understanding the interconnectedness of elements, chakras, orishas, and doshas, this system seeks to provide a comprehensive framework for healing and well-being, emphasizing the importance of balance, harmony, and personal growth.
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AFRIVEDIC™ WELLNESS
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The Elements in the Body
Ether comes first because it is the most subtle of the elements. Often referred to as “space,” it is the essence of emptiness. It is the space the other elements fill. Because of their intimate relationship, the ear is considered the associated sense organ of the element ether, and voice (mouth) is its organ of action. Hearing loss and loss of the voice are difficulties that are often due to vitiation of the ether element in the body. In the body, ether is expressed within the empty spaces. The hollow of the empty intestines, blood vessels, bladder, and the lungs are filled with ether. Vitiation of ether in the body results in an increase of space and a decrease in structure. The result is the destruction of tissue. Parkinson’s disease is an example of a condition where space is created in the body where once there was cellular structure. The loss of dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra of the brain stem creates an increase in emptiness. A similar state is seen in the pancreas due to the destruction of islet cells. Click HERE to learn more.
Air comes second because it evolves from ether. As the potential inherent within space becomes active, the result is air. The element of air represents the capacity for motion or kinetic energy. Because of their intimate relationship, the skin (through which we receive touch) is considered the associated sense organ of the element air. The hands (through which we reach out and touch the world) are its associated organ of action. Hence, disorders of tactile perception and those of grasping are the result of disturbances in the functions of the air element. In the body, air is expressed in the form of motion and life. It is the force allowing blood to circulate, breath to move, nerve impulses to glide, thoughts to flow, and joints to propel our movement through the world. Air is the force behind all motion. Disturbances in the functions of air result in aberrant motion. Air may move too fast, too slow, or become obstructed and blocked. Click HERE to learn more.
Fire comes third because it evolves from ether and air, containing the essence of these elements within it. Ether provides fire the space to exist within, while air provides fire the capacity to burn. It is because of air that fire will never be still. The fire element represents the capacity for heat and light. Fire is the generator of energy in the body just as the sun is the generator of energy for the earth. Fire represents light, heat, luster, energy, understanding, metabolism, and the power of transformation. In the human body, fire is expressed in five distinct ways. The fire that provides our body with the capacity to digest food is called pachaka agni. The fire that ignites the intellect, digests ideas, and allows for understanding is sadhaka agni. The fire of perception that that digests visual impression into recognizable images is called alocaka agni. The fire that energizes and invigorates the body, adding color to the body is called ranjaka agni. The fire that digests touch and sunlight and gives off the radiance associated with healthy skin is the light provided by bhrajaka agni. Because fire has a destructive quality, in the body it is always mixed with a small amount of water to keep it from destroying the tissues. The container of fire and water is pitta. Hence, the five agnis are also called the five types of pitta. Click HERE to learn more.
Water comes fourth because it evolves from ether, air, and fire; water contains aspects of the other three elements within it. Ether provides water the space to exist within. Air provides water with the ability to move and flow. The relationship between fire and water is more esoteric. Air creates the friction that generates the heat of fire. Fire moves in a fluidic or flowing manner. In each evolution from one element to the next, nature becomes denser. As fire becomes denser it cools and takes greater form. This is the form of water. In the human body, water is expressed in five distinct ways, known as the five types of kapha. The water that protects the mouth against the actions of chewing and against the enzyme that begins the breakdown of carbohydrate (salivary amylase) is called bodhaka kapha. Bodhaka kapha is the salivary fluid, and also the mucous membrane secretions of the lips, checks, and pharynx. The water that protects the mucous membranes of our stomach against the acids that aid digestion is called kledaka kapha. The water that stabilizes the flow of neurological impulses and protects the nerves of the brain is called tarpaka kapha. The water that protects the joints from the friction of motion is called sleshaka kapha. Sleshaka kapha is found in the synovial fluid that moistens joint surfaces, and in the bursae that allow tendons to glide smoothly over each other. The water that protects the respiratory system from the movement of breath (a drying process) is called avalambaka kapha. Avalambaka kapha keeps the mucous membranes of the bronchi and lungs healthy and also provides the fluids that support the pleura and pericardium. Click HERE to learn more.
Earth comes fifth because it evolves out of each of the other four elements (ether, air, fire and water), containing the essence of these elements within it. Earth enters the body through the foods we consume. While the earth element provides the structure of all food, is found in the largest amounts in grains, nuts, legumes and meats. It is found in moderate amounts in dairy products and in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, and spices. Click HERE to learn more.
