When I was 31 I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis

It was very hard for me to accept that, at such an early age in my life. The pain I went through was excruciating, to the point that I would not be able to walk, even after heavy medication. I even fainted a couple of times because of pain.

Looking back now, I was living in the most inviting environment for such a disease to manifest. Long hours of stressful work in a corporation, party every week, late nights, lots of social drinking, dysfunctional relationship and not much attention to what I was eating.

Disease and illness doesn’t just show up over night in the body. Ayurveda talks about 6 stages a disease goes through and how important it is to take action in the first stages before complications appear at cellular level in the later stages. It is believed that chronic diseases start in the digestive track.

1. Initial stage - Accumulation

According to Ayurveda, in this stage one of the 3 energies that govern our body, known as Dosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) increases and so doesn’t circulate properly in the body anymore. This way it gets stuck and accumulates in its main seat ( Vata – Colon, Pitta – Small intestine, Kapha – Stomach). This is the stage when we get mild symptoms and might feel something is wrong.

2. Build up stage - Aggravation

If nothing is done, the Dosha keeps accumulating giving more serious symptoms and discomfort. At this point the Dosha is still in its main seat in the digestive area and by building up will start creating toxins.

While we can still function properly and have appetite and good digestive fire, balancing the Dosha in these two stages is very important. In most of the cases we can eliminate the toxins while they are still in the digestive track, by using simple tools and adjusting our lifestyle and diet for a certain period of time. This is where regular cleansing can be of great value.

3. Spreading stage - Dissemination

If nothing was done and balance was not restored, the Dosha keeps growing and will overflow its seat, which means that it will start moving from the digestive track into other places through the blood and plasma. This is a stage where symptoms increase and some will manifest as chronic.

4. Beginning of disease stage - Localization

While toxins start moving, they will eventually localize in the weak places of the body, which are more acid, don’t have enough oxygen flow, or with low immunity. This is when the actual disease starts and is affecting certain organs or more specific areas of the body.

The transition between the 4th and the 5th stage is a time when the body does still have vitality and treatments can be still easy to apply. Specific treatments and deeper detox programs which act at cell level and are done under the supervision of Ayurvedic practitioners, such as Panchakarma programs, can give great results in this stage.

5. Manifestation stage - Clinical

In this stage the disease starts to affect the tissue where it is localized, change its structure so it becomes more difficult to reverse. It becomes more invasive and symptoms are even more clear. This is the stage when traditional medicine can give a diagnose and applies treatment to the symptoms. Treatment is usually addressed locally where the symptoms show, without considering the main cause of the disease. In a lot of cases the cause would be declared unknown, which was also the case with my condition.

When I was diagnosed I was told that this is a life long condition and I will have to take anti-inflammatory pills for the rest of my life. After 10 years of severe pain and pills I have come to learn that treating my gut, where the diseases started in the first place, was essential for containing the disease and return to a normal life.

6. Complication Stage - Chronic

The last stage is when the tissue is so damaged that it will become dysfunctional and it will start affecting the surroundings. Access of proper blood flow and oxygen to these areas becomes more difficult and blockages may appear also in other areas of the body. This is the stage when having problems with one organ may affect other organs and symptoms will indicate complications. A lot of diseases may be impossible to cure at this stage. I was a lucky case!

Only 2 years ago I have finally managed to contain my disease which was in a clear chronic stage for quite some time already. During the 8 years before that, yoga, Ayurveda and Panchakarma programs, a different lifestyle, ALL helped to keep me function pain free most of the time, yet pain was still coming and going in phases. But when I approached my disease at its root, at the digestive level, everything changed.

I’ve experienced all above 6 stages Ayurveda talks about and getting the bull by its horns in the real healing stage 2 years ago was one of the most difficult things I had to go through. I worked with a nutritionist and I was on a very strict diet for a few good months.

I wish I knew what to do when the disease was in the 1st or 2nd stage so I did not have to go through all the other 4 stages. Yet, maybe then I would had not have the chance to learn all I have learned, study yoga and Ayurveda, get interested in nutrition and maybe even live in Bali. Who knows! )

Prevention really is the key and we do have access to enough tools and knowledge to not let disease move into more advanced stages, in most of the cases. I think this is the area where Ayurveda has a lot to offer. Regular easy to manage cleanse routines and lifestyle changes can prevent us from needing much deeper detox programs. While deeper detox and diet programs have definitely their place and value, they can be challenging for a lot of us and for some even damaging.

I’ve created a gentle Ayurvedic Cleanse program which you can do from the comfort of your home. I’ve run this program live last year and I’ve seen results. This is an improved format, containing writing exercises which will give it a retreat feeling. Time for you!

It is well structured, easy to follow and can be accessed online at your convenience. I do this program myself a few times a year as a way of prevention. Hope you enjoy it!