By Ajahn, Dr. Anthony B. James, Dean of the American College of Natural Medicine and College of Ayurveda Medicine

UPDATED March 3, 2021

Hi everyone and good day! Yes, almost everyone (those paying attention) is concerned with the Covid-19 pandemic now consuming the air waves of every news channel! And rightly so!  How is this all going to pan out? For most it is a bit uncertain in the short term. For the long, well, it’s going to work out! How do I know this? It always has and always does! This is not the first pandemic of epic proportions and risk to all nor will it be the last.

When we look at the functional, indigenous traditional medicine histories of the past we know that Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Native American Medicine as well as Homeopathy and Nature Cure (i.e. Traditional Naturopathy), especially as found in the Christian Monastic Medicine traditions of the Hospitaller’s (Founder of the Modern “Hospital” concept and “Nursing” weathered in some cases MANY pandemics.

The knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of surviving epidemics has not changed, not been lost just because the “times” have changed. Yes, we do have modern medicine and “medical respirators”, although we have a shortage of individuals who know how to operate these high tech life saving devices.

SomaVeda® Thai Yoga and Ayurveda Solutions for Corona Issues

Please note the following recommendations are in addition to the really good overall advise and NAIC Monastic Medical Recommendation’s guidelines as well as legal edicts as per governmental authorities. All health and medical recommendation’s on an individual level must follow your personal physicians recommendations.

So… best bet for most people is to:

A) Reduce your exposure! From a scientifically validated point of view, the single most valuable methodology to prevent the contact and spread of contagious disease is to simply keep your hands clean! Wash your hands regularly with ordinary soap and warm water for 20 to 30 seconds. Experts and scientist agree that mask of any kind in the general population do not have any benefit is reducing the spread of a pathogenic virus. A typical mask has open pores between 5 and 10 microns at best. Cloth mask or face coverings might have opening over 100 microns. A typical virus particle is as small as 2 microns. Using a mask to prevent exposure to a virus is like trying to stop moskitoes with a chain link fence!

Close social interaction is required for health and well being as well as resistance to illness and disease. All illnesses and diseases. . Our entire lives are built on and based on socialization and social interaction… It is simply not possible for the greater population to sequester and isolate. Income level, access to deliveries… especially a condition for rural and or remote areas! No “Grub Hub” or “Uber Eats” in these areas. Maybe your a “Prepper” maybe not. But all of us need to be somewhat on the “prepper” train right now  and for some unforeseeable future. No matter what your up to reduce your social activities to those activities which support health and self sufficiency as best you can. Many “essential” infrastructure persons from health providers to first responder’s will have the same issues as most of us while being required to get out there in high risk environments… no choice. My advise to these persons is do what you can aside from your job responsibilities to take care of your self and your family! You now have multiple jobs in that you have a public responsibility and still need to take care of your own households.

1. Avoid isolation: Now that we know that social distancing has little or no measurable effect on the spread of the “Cervesa Bug”. We have to consider that our health can suffer if we isolate ourselves completely. Social isolation, Social Distancing disrupts the functioning of the vagus nerve—the brain-gut connection that regulates our immune system and our response to stress. Try to maintain a sense of social connectedness by engaging in small and safe social gatherings, eating meals with your family or a few friends, and avoiding over-reliance on electronic socialization. Above all, stay calm and open hearted while observing these commonsense precautions which might be prudent for any “Flu or Flu type -Bug”:

   • Avoid close contact with elderly people who are sick (High Risk for Pre and or co-morbidities). (i.e. 83yr+, Medically Obese, Severe Diabetes, Severe Heart Disease, Cancer in Hospice or Nursing Home!)

   • Wash your hands frequently.

   • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

   • Stay home when you are sick.

   • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

   • Keep bundled up and warm during cold weather.

B) Be healthy… If you do not? Ask yourself, “Why am I not healthy?” if the answer is anything that has been in your power and means to correct… get on it! Every health expert, including myself, will tell you that your baseline of health and wellness will be a contributing factor in both your personal susceptibility and, if and when exposed (and you will be), you experience virulence, degree of illness, and risk of death. We here at the American College of Natural Medicine and Thai Yoga Center have been teaching all of these concepts for years! Those of you who are graduates from our programs and especially my classes have heard me tirelessly and repetitively tell you to get your personal health in order.

Do the medicine you have been taught. Use the resources you have been given to get healthy, i.e., “Physician, Heal Thy Self,” as both a pre-condition and as a formal condition towards healing others. Those of you who have followed the teachings are now in excellent shape to deal with the current crises… those of you who followed lackadaisically or didn’t think it was important enough to double down and master the ancient and modern medicine teaching given are now in the same boat as everyone else, those who did not have education, those who don’t have a clue!

C) Practice Yoga with others! For thousands of years, yoga practice has been the foundation of individual and personal health. That has not changed! Certainly there are many Yoga Teachers and Yoga schools right now that would be happy to see you supporting your health by showing up to live classes. There is no substitute for live classes with a live teacher. Everyone needs those “hands-on” corrections, and no way to get them on ZOOM! Also, consider MA or Martial Arts. All MA have healing benefits. Of course, I am prejudiced and prefer Thai (Krabi-Krabong, Muay Thai, Muay Boran), Filipino (Kali, Arnis, Pekiti Tersia) as well as Chinese styles such as Wing Chun Gung Fu, Tai Chi and or Jeet Kune Do (Lee Jun Fan- Bruce Lee Fighting Method)… however, any MA with a vigorous practice that gets the heart going, is engaging and or strengthening or toning is perfect.  Find a brave teacher near you and bravely go check them out.

You may not like this! I want to say that those graduates and or former students who have chosen to re-define our SomaVeda Indigenous Traditional Medicine® Thai Yoga as exclusively “Bodywork” and or “Massage” are just now wishing you had paid more attention to the parts of the program dealing with the immune system, nutrition, supplementation, detoxification, and counseling… You know who you are! However, all is forgiven. Break out your notebooks, text, and course materials and dig deep into your notes for solutions you can do right now and use as a basis for counseling! Now is the time to build and redirect into the counseling services you are qualified and authorized to do, which do not require physical contact or even being in the same room! You can counsel by phone appointment, “Skype”, FB Live, “Insta” Live, Twitter or whatever format works best for your communications with your clients.

For example, it is proven clinically and scientifically that improving your emotional/ mental health has an immediate and direct impact on your immune system function and overall health and well-being. We have an amazing technology called B.E.T./ EFT and or “Energy Psychology,” which EVERY SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Certified Practitioner at EVERY practice level is required to learn and know! Now is the time to put that training and secondary certification/ scope of practice to use. Who does not need professional counseling on their negative and old unresolved emotional issues, fears, phobia, and anxiety issues right now? Therapists who are paying attention are scheduling paid professional consultations by phone and online. If your not… ask your self “Why not?”

Have confidence! SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapeutic Day Protocol works! It directly and immediately builds and improves all immune system quanta and measurable factors, including those for fighting infections and in resisting all contagious issues. Not only is this a scientific fact, supported by an ever-increasing body of science and scientific investigation research trials, but we have a multi-decade of anecdotal history and evidence supporting the many benefits of the work we have been given.

SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Therapy Benefits: Have a look at the article I published a couple years ago on this very topic… Why Learn SomaVeda® Thai Yoga?

SomaVeda® Ayurveda, Health Coaching and Counseling Has the Solutions and Adjuncts you need for the current Crises!

We offer both Live Residential Retreat/ Hands on classes and programs right here at the Thai Yoga Center. You can’t practice a healing protocol you don’t know!

1) LIVE CLASS:  It’s a safe, happy rural environment to learn and practice functional medicine. 164 hr. SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Practitioner Certificate Program (Less than in two weeks, only 13 days and your a certified practitioner!)

2) Home Study!: Can’t get to a live class for any reason? Get the training and Certification at home! 164 hr. SomaVeda® Thai Yoga Practitioner Professional Certificate On-Line/ Home Study Program. Same incredible, practical and proven training and education but in the comfort and convenience of your own home!

Only “Isolate” if you are sick or suspect you’re sick!

Health officials recommend relying on good judgment and “social distancing” to keep ourselves safe. Yet, even as we are forced, sometimes without our consent, limit our social interactions, it’s important to remember that we are all in this together. Socially together is required for all societies to function! This realization is essential to our well-being. Throughout the long history of humankind (and of the animal kingdom, too) those who learned to collaborate and intelligently adapt have prevailed.

Ayurveda provides us with a host of ways to ramp up our immune system. Here are a few tips that may not be the first you would think of! Take a look, and please reach out to me if you have any questions.

1. Support your Agni: Digestive Fire! Our digestive system is the root of good health. Help keep it in good working order with plenty of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat three nourishing meals a day. Breakfast should be warm and easy to digest, lunch should be your largest meal of the day, and dinner should consist of a light, warm, and easily assimilated dish, such as a soup, or lightly steamed veggies and rice. Stay away from processed foods, sugars, and heavy, oily foods. Dairy foods can also be problematic due to their mucus-forming properties.

2. Consume a small amount of Trikatu daily before lunch: Trikatu is a Sanskrit word meaning “three spices” or “three peppers.” Trikatu is an Ayurvedic blend of equal parts of the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum), long pepper (Piper longum), and the rhizomes of ginger (Zingiber officinale). Its many benefits include the following:

• Helps to clear excess kapha or mucus from the body
• Supports healthy digestive, circulatory, and respiratory functioning
• Helps rekindle agni (digestive fire)
• Boosts metabolism
• Scrapes away excess fat tissue (helpful for weight management)
• Helps remove impurities and toxins (ama) from the body
• Buy herbs here.

1. Take Amalaki: Amalaki (a.k.a. amala) contains a number of health-enhancing nutrients, including vitamin C and other antioxidants. Ayurveda Herbal is now available at www.BeardedMedia.Com Buy Amalaki herbs here.

2. Enjoy Tulsi Tea throughout your day: Tulsi, or holy basil, is a delicious form of basil that not only is a respiratory tonic, but also has antiviral qualities. It is also acts as a powerful nervine tonic that can help soothe anxiety, relieve stress, and rejuvenate the nervous system. Buy herbs here.

3. Get Good Sleep: Sleep is of equal importance to two other key aspects of health: proper nutrition and regular exercise. This vital trio—nutrition, exercise, and sleep—form the three pillars of health. Sleep deprivation suppresses production of the infection-fighting cytokines, antibodies, and cells that are your body’s first line of defense against the virus.

No Vaccine, and with a scarcity of Masks & Hand sanitizers, Our Own Body’s Immunity is our best defense. Ayurveda has for centuries addressed the issue of how to develop and maintain immunity. Here is a few Immunity To-Dos for your family.

IMMUNITY TO-DOs: Including “Official” AYUSH Recommends for all pre and or co-morbidities and for post-infection recovery protocols.

Good digestion — a prime requirement

• It is advised to consume Samskrithamadhu (Ayurvedic Rasayanas-Honey)
• Use lime in warm water daily in the morning to keep the whole digestive tract healthy. Actually, all Wild, Unprocessed Honey is Ayurvedic! Look for the wildest, unprocessed, local honey that you can find. Use liberally in a variety of forms, from topically to orally, as a natural medication. Of course, you can also forget that it is a traditional medicine and just use it in your tea, coffee, or as a snack!
• As per Sushruta Sutrasthana 45/132 and Ashtanga Hrudaya Sutrasthana 5/51-52: Medicated Ayurvedic Honey:
  
• Madhura – sweet
• Kashaya Anurasa -astringent sub taste
• Rooksha -dry
• Sheeta – coolant
• Improves appetite and digestive fire (Agnideepanam)
• Improves skin complexion (Varnyam)
• Improves voice quality -Svarya
• Laghu – light to digest
• Sukumara -improves softness of skin
• Scrapes the inner side of the channels (lekhanam)
• Good for heart (hrudya)
• Vajikarana -aphrodisiac
• Sandhana -heals wounds and fractures quickly
• Cleanses and heals (shodhanam ropanam)
• Good for eyes (chakshushyam)
• Prasadhana – improves skin qualities
• Penetrates deep into body channels (sookshma marganusari)
• Natural detox agent (vishaprashamanam)
• Chakshushya -good for the eyes (vision),
• Pitta shleshmahara -Balances Pitta and Kapha
• Medohara – useful in obesity
• Chedi -breaks up hard masses,
• Trut -relieves thirst,
• Shelshmahara -balances Kapha
• Useful in Visha -toxicity
• Hidhma -hiccup
• Asrapitta -bleeding conditions
• Meha -diabetes, urinary tract diseases
• Kushta -skin diseases
• Krumi -worm infestation
• Chardi – vomiting
• Shwasa  -dyspnoea, chronic respiratory diseases
• Kasa – cough, cold
• Atisara – diarrhoea
• Vrana shodhana -cleanses wounds
• Vrana sandhana, ropana – heals wound quickly
• Vatala -increases Vata
• Ruksha – dry
• Kashaya, Madhura – astringent and sweet
• As per Charaka, it is one of those ingredients, that can be taken on a daily basis. (Pathya). (Reference: Charaka Samhita Sutrasthana 5/12 )
• Drink warm freshly boiled water with Cinnamon, Clove, Cardamom, Ginger, Black Pepper, and or Star Anise. These spices improve digestion and are antimicrobial.
• Add fresh Turmeric to your soups or prepare a fresh Turmeric Pickle with each meal. Turmeric apart from its anti-inflammation properties is also very good at improving our digestion.
• Chyavanaprasam (is a good source of C vitamin) – useful for deficient immune disorders and respiratory ailments (also useful in debilitating diseases where the immunity goes down drastically). Those who cannot take ghee/sugar of Chyavanaprasam may take Tiktakam Kwatham morning and evening. It is an ancient Ayurvedic herbal supplement tablet that is robustly anti-viral.
• Agastya Rasayana (Leham) – useful for general debility, respiratory ailments including bronchial asthma, hiccups, cough
• Dasamula Arishtam (Dasamoolaristam) after lunch and dinner- is a very powerful and potent health tonic that boosts immunity as well as strengthens the lungs and the respiratory system.
• Pippalya Asavam is a very potent health tonic to kindle the digestive fire
• Guduci Rasayana: Known as Amurtha or nectar, it is a rejuvenating tonic for young and old that promotes learning, vigor, and vitality. Helps maintain normal liver function and supports a healthy immune system. Promotes healthy digestion.
• Glycyrrhiza glabra – (Ayurvedic Herb for Lungs, Skin, and Stomach), Known as LICORICE ROOT, is a natural expectorant and demulcent that promotes clear, comfortable breathing. Licorice root powder supports a healthy male reproductive system and has benefits for the adrenals and kidneys. ALSO KNOWN AS MULETHI ROOT, licorice is naturally moisturizing. It lubricates the gut, soothes the mucous membranes, balances excess acidity in the stomach lining, and supports comfortable digestion.*
• However, the best way to develop immunity is to cook fresh vegetables sourced from a local organic farm. Many local CSA’s are instituting either delivery or “Drive Through.” call them, and maybe they can sort out your weekly CSA Fresh Produce Box!  *** With the Coronavirus – Why risk going to the Grocery Store – when you can have fresh vegetables delivered from Farm

This is not all! Please visit the other Articles I have posted on related issues and solutions!

SomaVeda® Therapeutic Day Program

Thai Yoga Center Corona Virus Update

Health Alert! Chinese Coronavirus and Colloidal Silver

Flu Season is Here! Natural Solutions for Infections for Thai Yoga and Ayurveda Practitioners

Thai Yoga Concepts: Sustainable Eating and Sustainable Health: Part 1-4 of 4

Of course, there are also many other helpful courses available online at LearnThaiYoga!

We have many helpful courses and content published on our LearnThaiYoga.Teachable.com online learning program. Both review courses are suitable for trained and/or certified practitioners, and entirely new content is available for all, including targeted and specific courses for infections in general and Corona specifically. To gain access to the full collection of courses, lessons, and videos, you will need to sign up and subscribe to the monthly program! It’s only $12.00 per month and well worth it! Please note: although some of the LearnThaiYoga.Teachable.com courses offer completion certifications, none of them offer professional “practitioner” certificates at this time. If you are looking for an Online program offering professional certification, send us an email and request to be put on the list for the new course coming!