The results we don't see – subtle can be strong
We live in dramatic times
This can shape our expectations of our health too. We often see healing as something that comes with a rapid shift. An abrupt end to problematic symptoms, a sudden ability to bounce out of bed with the energy of a 5-year-old, being pain-free. Well, these are the stories we are shown and have grown up with whether in documentaries, movies or religious mythologies.
Add to that living in an on-demand world, where we've become used to quick results, quick orders, quick deliveries, quick everything, it’s no surprise that our notion of time and timing has changed. The more overstimulated our times become, the more dramatic things need to be to grab our attention and approval.
Healing doesn’t have to be dramatic to be significant
Ayurveda takes the slow and steady approach. The gentle approach that blends into our daily lives and leads to small but significant shifts. These are the results that we can’t always see but that say so much. They’re so subtle that we might not even realise we're making progress at first.
This is what I have found happens with clients. At our first follow-up appointment or sometimes even before that (just days into the plan), these are some of the messages I hear:
“I’m feeling lighter”
“I definitely feel more energised”
Feeling of clarity of mind
“There is a sharpness about me which I’m liking”
“I feel less tight”
“I’m much cooler in the head”
“I feel settled in my mind”
“My appetite has come back to my normal meal times”
“I fall asleep better”
Reduced cravings
Intangible symptoms
The thing is, our main concern may have been a visible skin issue, stomach pain, hot flushes or congestion, but in many ways, we become used to living in a state of general poor health. We have become used to living with a level of background low-level imbalance that can show up as exhaustion, constipation, a feeling of stuckness, brain fog etc. These are invisible symptoms and usually not the main symptoms we go to the doctor to address. When these background symptoms clear up, we can sometimes not even notice the change.
The beauty of having continuity of care with a practitioner who has seen us before is that they can ask the questions that prompt us to really reflect. That’s when I hear people say “Oh yeah! That’s not there anymore.” And these initial changes are just the beginning of a cascade of transformations that will come as we follow our health plan.
Ayurvedic medicine is accessible because many of the treatments can be done at home with what we already have. It also works gently. But don’t confuse gentle with ineffective. Subtle can be strong.