"Listen to your elders."

Growing up, I hated that phrase.

Was their experience more valid just because they were older?

It never sat well with me.

Two weeks ago I made a trip back to Melbourne for a week, a quick visit for a wedding.

And of course, first stop on the visit is to see my 96-year-old grandma.

When we meet, the conversation usually follows the same format.

• Greeting, big hug and a wet kiss on the cheek
• A commentary on my appearance - did I get fatter, skinnier?
• Approval on whether i'm clean-shaved, if not - a question on if i'm planning to become a priest.

Then we get into the news on recent events.

There was an injury in the family, a little fall, a broken ankle - to which my grandma says:

"well, it wouldn't have broken so badly if she had just covered her ears each time after getting her hair done over the years."

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WHAT

IS

THIS...???

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GRANDMAVEDA???

My own word of "Grandma" + "veda" (knowledge in sanskrit)

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"Yes! It's no good to have cold wind entering your ears after your head has been hot - it makes your bones weak. We always tied a cloth over our heads after we left the salon."

I'm falling over on the floor, laughing...

and at the same time, connecting this with some Ayurvedic wisdom that validates what she's saying.

"Vata" - a functional aspect of the body thats related to any kind of movement, is connected to the wind element.

When out of balance it can be the cause of some 80+ diseases!

Cold, Windy, Dry qualities increase Vata - which can take it out of balance, and begin the dis-ease process (but don't worry, it's highly correctable when you take actions to balance it).

The other side is - ears have direct connection to our kidneys, and kidneys are also related to Vata - governing things like the water balance in our body, as well as our hearing. (People with disturbed Vata can have hearing issues like tinnitus.)

Our Kidneys also help us with metabolism of minerals that go through the digestive process - which supports our body to build a healthy fat layer, from which our bones are supplied nice building materials.

OK, We're getting too detailed here.

In short - There's a relationship between Ears <-> Kidneys <-> Bones, that is affected by cold, dry qualities (like that autumn breeze! or the "southerly", if you're in Melbourne)

A few hot tips:

• look after your bones through calcium-rich foods like sesame seeds, almonds and leafy greens (when digestion is balanced this is super effective!)
• support kidneys with warm water and avoid refined salts (especially adding them to your food after cooking!)
• take care of your ears - apply some warm sesame oil (1-2 drops inside) and be mindful of what you're exposing them to.

We reflected on the event, and even though we couldn't change the outcome, it didn't stop Yiayia (that's "Grandma" in Greek) from dropping another little wisdom bomb on me:

"Το πάθημα γίνεται μάθημα."

Which makes no sense unless you understand Greek... but comes close to:

"(By ignorance we mistake), by mistakes we learn".

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Part of this process is trying to catch that wisdom from our elders so that we don't need to make those mistakes.

Sometimes it's hard to trust grandma - because a lot of the understanding of WHY has been lost... but luckily for us, the science of the human body has been well maintained for us through Ayurveda ;)

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Thanks for reading till now - I know it's been a bit on/off with this newsletter timing - but i'll continue to keep on bringing you some funny stories connected with Ayurvedic wisdom, or Grandmaveda.

Hopefully they bring you a little laugh and leave you with something to consider or practice in your own life.

If you have any Grandmaveda you'd like to share - send it through!

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For now, wishing you warm ears, dense bones and strong kidneys.

Until next time!

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Kosta Gee

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PS. We'll have limited spaces this month, so if you're ready to build a plan to make 2025 your year to get into your best health, drop me a message or let's book a time to get started.

​kostagee.com

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