There’s a lot of confusion and ignorance surrounding bowel movements. So, We often feel embarrassed to talk about it or dismiss its significance. Yet, Ayurvedic practitioners, or Vaidyas, place great emphasis on them. Why is that?
Centuries ago, Ayurveda was the only medical system in India and diagnostics like microscopes and blood tests didn’t exist. Thus, The only way to understand internal health was to assess the quality of the body excretions, which are Stool, Urine, and Sweat. In this blog, we’ll focus on stools!
What are the normal bowel movements?
Few realize that a normal bowel movement is not just an indicator of physical health but also mental well-being, hence, lets understand what is a normal bowel movement with respect to
1) Time and Aids: The optimal time for evacuation is immediately upon waking without the help of any water or any stimulant. Moreover, The timing and help of aid reveals how sluggish your digestion is. If warm water suffices, digestion is almost normal. Coffee suggests slower digestion, and needing breakfast indicates even slower digestion. In Ayurveda, slow digestion is called mandagni i.e low digestive strength. Since, The longer the time between waking up and the evacuation, the slower the digestion.
2) Frequency: Evacuation should ideally occur once or twice daily, though it can be three times for some, depending on their gut type (mridu-soft, krura-hard, or madhaya-normal). Bowel movements once every 2-3 days or multiple times a day is an indicator of potential health problems. As a result, many mistakenly believe that once a week or every other day is normal, but this is constipation, which can cause significant health problems over time.
3) Shape: The shape of bowel movements can be assessed using the Bristol Stool Chart, where #4 is considered normal in Ayurveda as well. Other numbers on the chart indicate constipation or diarrhea. According to Ayurveda, numbers 3 and 5 indicate the start of imbalance. Number 1 and 2 have more imbalance of vata, numbers 6 and 7 have more pitta imbalance. Beside #4, the others indicate low agni (digestive strength) and varying levels of inflammation due to the presence of ama (undigested food accumulation in the gut). Will talk about agni and ama in a future blog.
4) Float/Sink: Hardly anyone pays attention to this unique or peculiar characteristic. However, in Ayurveda, when stools sink to the bottom, it indicates the presence of ama, which can have significant consequences, as we will explore in a future blog.
If you notice any type of issue in your stools then visit our wellness center in New York, Sidhayur. Since Sidhayur is known for helping people recover, it is renowned as the best one for Ayurvedic therapies and treatments. Consult the most experienced ayurvedic doctor in N?YC and start your treatment today.
