Eczema and psoriasis are notoriously difficult to heal. Companies churn out eczema medications and treatments which promise to cure the condition. What are we doing wrong? The secret may lie in a holistic, multi-pronged approach to the condition.

According to Ayurveda, eczema and psoriasis are a result of too much fire, or Pitta, in the mind-body. The excess Pitta inside the body manifests toxins on the skin which result in the itchy flare-ups associated with eczema and psoriasis.

In order to get a handle on your condition, it is necessary to take a holistic approach – approaching your condition from the perspective of diet, plant-based skincare, and your mental state. This is the whole premise of Ayurveda as holistic, mind-body medicine. Take a moment to examine what in your life might be causing these flare-ups. Do you spend a lot of time in the hot sun? Are you exposed to industrial chemicals on a regular basis – whether it is due to environmental factors or taking in too many chemicals through the skin through chemical-based skincare? Or do you carry a lot of anger around with you?

Diet

In order to balance your high Pitta, eat cooling and anti-inflammatory foods like plenty of fresh greens and fruits, and healthy fats like avocados, and fish oil. Inflammatory foods aggravate Pitta the most. Be sure to avoid Pitta-aggravating pungent foods like raw onion, and acidic foods like coffee, alcohol and red meat.

Food allergies also come into play – when you consume foods that you are allergic to, it triggers the flare- ups. Consider a blood test to determine your food allergies, or simply try the elimination test to figure out which foods aggravate your condition.

Toxins accumulate in the blood, especially when Pitta is high. Be sure to consume blood cleansers in the form of herbs or foods. One of the best blood cleansers in Ayurveda is turmeric. Considered the spice of life in India, turmeric is not only a culinary spice – it is a powerful medicine. Juice with fresh turmeric root, sprinkle it daily into your cooking, or take it in through the skin.

Skincare

The irony is that eczema and psoriasis sufferers cannot use chemicals on the skin – but most conventional treatments are practically all chemicals. Avoid putting chemicals on the flare-ups at all costs. Use only nature-derived cooling, soothing ingredients on your skin. Our Eczema-Psoriasis Body Oil contains all-star Pitta-pacifying ingredients like turmeric, sandalwood, neem, coconut oil, lavender, and extra-virgin olive oil. These ingredients all work synergistically together to calm irritations on the skin, while treating the Pitta imbalance from the cellular level.

Mental State

Stress and anger are the two major ways that stress is expressed in high Pitta individuals. These two emotions also negatively impact eczema and psoriasis flare-ups. A regular meditation practice can balance the emotions, nervous system and hormones – and positively impact your skin.

A simple daily meditation that I was introduced to by Dr. Lad is the So Hum meditation:

So Hum

The So Hum Meditation is an ancient Vedic mantra/meditation. It is there in the subtle sound of your breath. It refers to eternity, infinity, and universality. This meditation will help take your awareness from a state of constriction to a state of expansion.

To perform this meditation, turn your awareness to your third eye/pineal gland. Bring your tongue to touch the palate behind the front teeth. Bring awareness to the third eye and to the breath.

Inhale 'So' - STOP - exhale 'Hum" - STOP.

Repeat as many times as you would like.

While performing this meditation, you may eventually see a dazzling light coming from your pineal gland, called "jyothi linga". Jyothi = light and Linga = body. This is your pure, true existence of light. It is not a light that you can see with your two external eyes (only your internal, 'third' eye).

The idea that there is no cure to eczema is a myth. Any condition that manifests itself in the body or on the skin is indicative of an imbalance going on – whether it be in the mind, body, and spirit. With eczema and psoriasis, it is specifically indicative of Pitta being too high. It IS possible to heal yourself.