This is the first installment of my trip to India for the month of January 2006, to study Ayurveda with Dr. Liladhar Gupta. This was compiled from emails and photos I took while I was on my trip. Dr. Gupta is a fourth generation Ayurvedic doctor and directs an Ayurvedic clinic in Vrindhavan in the state of Mathura. He is on the board of advisors of the California College of Ayurveda where I studied in the United States.

Vrindhavan is 90 miles south of Delhi and 30 miles north of Agra (site of the Taj Mahal), just off the Delhi-Agra Road. Vrindhavan has a small-town type atmosphere with narrow streets and not much motor traffic and about 50,000 people. There are said to be over 5,000 temples in Vrindhavan. It is the land of forests where Krishna played as a child. It is surrounded by the sacred Yamuna river on three sides and has ruins of great palaces from the rajas (kings) of the 16th century. As a result of this it is a holy pilgrimage spot for Indians and Westerners alike.

“I can't talk now -- I have a terrible headache.” “Leave me alone -- I've had a miserable day and I need my space.” “What happened to us? Don't you love me any more?”

In some form or another, we have all experienced these statements and what they can do to a relationship. Those who are lucky have encountered them only in books and movies. Others, perhaps the majority, have faced them in their own lives at some point or the other.

Observe these statements again. The first one tells of physical stress, the second, mental fatigue, and the third, emotional breakdown. All three of these -- either individually or collectively -- are potential relationship-wreckers.

Ayurveda has always recognized and respected the intimate connection between the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. More than 5,000 years ago, ancient texts like the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashthanga Hridayam recorded some amazing insights into the body-mind- soul connection.

If you’re bored, feeling sluggish, or – worse – sleepy on long drives, a whiff of peppermint or cinnamon essential oils could help keep you alert. Ayurveda has long recognized stimulating scents, such as these, decrease Kapha and reduce heaviness in the body and mind. A recent study at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia confirms that that the scent of essential oils, such as peppermint or cinnamon, stimulates the nervous system thereby increasing alertness, reducing fatigue and boosting motivation.

Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, associate professor of psychology and director of undergraduate research, recruited 25 undergraduates to sniff peppermint, cinnamon or an odorless control for 30 seconds every 15 minutes during simulated driving. The undergraduate research team reported that “drivers” who sniffed peppermint noted significantly less fatigue, anxiety and frustration, and their alertness levels rose. Sniffing cinnamon had much the same results.

The study results were reported at the 2006 Third Annual Undergraduate Research Day, February 1, 2006 in the Capitol Rotunda in Charleston, W.Va.

Sources: http://news.sawf.org/Health/6631.aspx http://www.nlm.nih.gov/