Chapter One

Why we chant. Wisdom stored in sound.

Transcript Backbone

Dr. Krista opens by saying: "Oh, Vaidya-ji, I so appreciate the chanting we've been doing together on Thursday mornings in the group you've created for us on WhatsApp. Can you tell me what we're going to chant today?"

Vaidya Jay explains that the chanting is from the seventh-century Ayurvedic textbook, Ashtanga Hridaya, which he describes as the Heart of the Eight Branches of Ayurveda.

He says that these chapters contain the core doctrine of Ayurveda. They are learned in the form of chanting because chanting keeps the teaching in consciousness and awareness.

When a practitioner sees a client, patient, or rogi, the words that have been stored through chanting can naturally flow out. The wisdom is already there.

Jay explains that this may be why Ayurveda was written in poetic form: so there is a song for every imbalance, and a remembered pathway for bringing the body back into balance.

Key Takeaways

• 🌿 Ayurveda uses chanting as a way to preserve knowledge.
• 🌿 Chanting helps practitioners remember the core teachings.
• 🌿 The Ashtanga Hridaya is one of Ayurveda's foundational texts.
• 🌿 The chant is not only devotional; it is also practical.
• 🌿 The sound carries clinical memory.

Chapter Two

Where Vata lives. The six locations.

The chant names six locations

• Pakvashaya — colon or large intestine
• Kati — lower back and pelvis
• Sakthi — thighs, loins, and knees
• Shrotra — ears and hearing
• Asthi — bones
• Sparshanendriya — sense of touch and skin

This list is simple, but it is powerful. It tells us where to look when Vata is disturbed. It also explains why certain age-related and menopause-related symptoms often appear in these exact areas.

Transcript Backbone

Jay begins teaching the chant word by word.

He says: Pakvashaya. Dr. Krista repeats.

Then: Kati. Jay explains the pronunciation by connecting it to the English word "cut" — "like as if you're going to cut. Kati."

Then: Sakthi.

Then: Shrotra. Jay explains that Shrotra refers to hearing.

Then: Asthi — bones.

Then: Sparshanendriya — the sense of touch.

After the chant, Jay explains the meaning. Pakvashaya is the colon, the large intestine. Kati is the lower back and pelvic region. Sakthi refers to the region of the loins, thighs, and knees. Shrotra is hearing. Asthi is the bones. Sparshanendriya is the sense of touch.

Jay explains that these are the areas where Vata likes to reside because of its functional importance. Vata is connected to elimination — including bowel movements, urination, and even the menstrual cycle. He compares this function to the body's sewage system, connected to the genito-urinary system.

But Vata is not only in the colon or pelvis. Jay explains that Vata is also seen in the bones, ears, and skin.

Key Takeaways

• 🌿 Vata has specific locations in the body.
• 🌿 These locations help explain where symptoms may appear.
• 🌿 The colon is one of the most important seats of Vata.
• 🌿 Vata is connected to elimination, movement, and the genito-urinary system.
• 🌿 Vata also expresses through the bones, ears, skin, and sense of touch.

Chapter Three

Vata and menopause. The rising tide.

This is where the conversation becomes especially important for women's health.

Dr. Krista Ramonas, founder of LabX MD in San Francisco and a board-certified MD specializing in female longevity, immediately connects the teaching to menopause. She says she is glad they are discussing Vata because menopause is a Vata stage of life.

In Ayurveda, life moves through different doshic seasons. Childhood is often associated with Kapha, the middle years with Pitta, and later life with Vata. Menopause is part of this transition into a more Vata-predominant phase.

This does not mean something is wrong. It means the body is changing.

Vata has qualities of dryness, lightness, mobility, subtlety, and instability. When these qualities rise too strongly, the body may begin to show signs such as dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, vaginal dryness, constipation, sleep disturbance, anxiety, joint discomfort, and changes in bone health.

What makes the chant so valuable is that it points directly to the places where these changes may appear.

The chant says Vata resides in the colon, pelvis, thighs and knees, ears, bones, and skin. In the conversation, Jay and Krista connect this to common menopause concerns: dryness, hearing changes, osteoporosis, and the visible acceleration of aging in the skin.

This is the power of the ancient list. It is not theoretical. It maps directly onto the lived experience of aging.

Transcript Backbone

Dr. Krista says: "I'm glad we're going to discuss Vata, because that's the menopausal stage of life. And it's important for women to understand as they enter beyond 50, that this is the predominant area that we need to quiet."

Later, Jay brings the chant into the experience of aging and menopause.

He explains that as we age in menopause, one of the things we see is the skin becoming extremely dry. Aging may show up quickly. Audibility can begin to come down. Bone concerns, such as osteoporosis, may become more important.

Dr. Krista responds by recognizing that the chant is telling us what to expect when there is too much Vata.

The locations are not random. The chant names the bones. It names hearing. It names the skin and sense of touch. It names the lower body and pelvis. These are the same areas that may call for deeper care as women move through menopause and beyond.

Key Takeaways

• 🌿 Menopause is understood in Ayurveda as a Vata stage of life.
• 🌿 Vata tends to increase with age.
• 🌿 Vata-related changes may include dryness, tissue loss, and instability.
• 🌿 The chant helps identify where symptoms may appear.
• 🌿 Menopause care in Ayurveda often focuses on calming, nourishing, and lubricating Vata.

Chapter Four

Oil is the friend. Practices for Vata.

• Nasya — oil for the nasal passages
• Abhyanga — full-body oil massage
• Oil pulling — swishing oil in the mouth
• Karna Purana — oiling the ears
• Ghee — nourishing fat used internally when appropriate

Jay also discusses healthy fats more broadly, including omegas and MCT oil, and says that if nothing else is available, coconut oil can be a good external oil to begin with, especially in summer.

Dr. Krista adds the modern medical perspective. She notes that healthy fats are important for absorbing many essential nutrients, especially vitamin D.

Jay agrees and explains that ghee is considered a best friend in Ayurveda. But he also adds an important caution: Ayurveda always uses quantity and context. Body type, season, activity level, metabolism, and health conditions all matter.

This is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. It is a personalized system.

Transcript Backbone

Dr. Krista asks: "So how do we treat this?"

Jay answers that the best friend is oil. He explains that Ayurveda recommends oiling before we begin noticing the signs of Vata aggravation. It is not only a reaction to symptoms. It is a daily support system.

He says Ayurveda has oils for specific uses and purposes: nasal oil, oral swish, and sometimes even oil enema.

He explains that when Vata increases, it causes dryness, tissue loss, and instability. It may also cause roughness, dry eyes, dry mouth, and vaginal dryness.

Dr. Krista names the practices: Nasya oil. Abhyanga oil. Oil pulling in the mouth. And then she asks what it is called when we oil the ears.

Jay answers: Karna Purana.

Dr. Krista then brings in the Western perspective, explaining that healthy oils are needed to absorb many essential vitamins and nutrients. In particular, vitamin D cannot be absorbed without healthy fat.

Jay adds that ghee is considered a best friend in Ayurveda and that ghee helps facilitate vitamin D absorption.

Dr. Krista asks whether people should worry about ghee if they have high cholesterol. Jay says yes, we do consider that. Ayurveda has quantification for everything. Things must be used wisely. Body type, season, physical activity, and metabolism all play a role in choosing the right daily dose.

Key Takeaways

• 🌿 Oil is one of Ayurveda's primary supports for Vata.
• 🌿 Oiling is recommended before dryness becomes severe.
• 🌿 Vata care includes external and internal nourishment.
• 🌿 Traditional practices include Nasya, Abhyanga, oil pulling, and Karna Purana.
• 🌿 Healthy fats support absorption of fat-soluble nutrients.
• 🌿 Ghee may be beneficial, but quantity and individual context matter.

The Return

The Chant As A Map For Aging

The beauty of this chant is that it does not separate ancient wisdom from modern experience.

It names the colon, pelvis, thighs and knees, ears, bones, and skin.

Then, in the conversation, those same areas become the practical map for menopause and aging:

Dry skin. Dry eyes. Dry mouth. Vaginal dryness. Hearing changes. Bone concerns. Lower body changes.

The chant becomes a diagnostic reminder. It tells the practitioner where Vata may hide, where it may speak, and where care may be needed.

This is why chanting matters. It carries the teaching in a form that can be remembered. And when the teaching is remembered, it can be lived.

Five Practices

Daily Vata support practices mentioned in this conversation.

Explore More

From Athreya & LabX MD

For traditional Ayurvedic herbs, oils, and daily routine products:

www.athreyaherbs.com

For Ayurvedic education, clinical care, and consultations with Vaidya Jay:

www.athreyaayurveda.com

For board-certified medical care, female longevity, and integrative Ayurvedic medicine with Dr. Krista Ramonas:

www.labxmd.com

Vaidya Jay's Notes

Frequently Asked Questions