Ayurveda is the science of vitality, a nature based system to support the Whole person as a complete package! Ayurveda is often described as the sister science to yoga, but in truth Ayurveda is more like an umbrella that covers our whole life. Holistic vitality considers the body, mind, senses, emotions, age, astrology, work, relationships and reincarnating soul. Having developed out of the Vedas (the most ancient Hindu scriptures in India) over 5000 years ago, Ayurveda is the world's oldest traditional medicine and the only science/spiritual traditions that have an unbroken development, having been in constant use over that time. This is one of my favorite quotes from my teacher Dr Frawley.
“Ayurveda is a rare gem, with many facets, whose light illuminates our whole life with great meaning” - Dr. David Frawley
You might have heard the basics about Ayurveda but here are 5 things you probably don’t know about this mystical and practical modality that can have such an incredibly healing influence on our lifestyle & wellness.
You are not defined by your dosha.
Doshas are one of the foundations of Ayurveda and are used to express our individual physical, emotional, and mental characteristics, which influence our well-being. The doshas help us determine who we are, helping us to better understand ourselves. They guide us toward the best way to live our lives including our diet, our exercise, our daily schedules, when to sleep and more!
The three doshas are a fantastic gateway into the realm of Ayurveda but often we get hooked on the idea that we are defined by being either Vata, Pitta or Kalpha dosha types. In actuality, we are all made up of all three doshas, just in varying amounts AND our dominant dosha type changes throughout the course of our life. The doshas play out within us and all throughout the natural world and understanding this relationship provides us with a deeper intimacy with ourselves, a deeper knowing of our body, mind, personality, emotions and even our reincarnating soul. The doshas are, are ever evolving and dynamic, not boxes to limit ourselves by.
Not sure which Tosha you are - click below to take my quiz. In Ayurvedic medicine, you will be seen by an Ayurvedic doctor for this, however this quiz is a good starting point!
2. It’s not just about what you eat
It’s more about how you eat. Let’s talk about food timings and how our nervous system relates to the way we eat. The times of day at which you eat will affect how well the food is digested. Our digestive fire is linked to the universal fire, the sun, that sustains and nourishes all of life on the planet. When the sun is at its peak, around midday our digestive capacity is also peaking. Food timing is an important factor in hormone and blood sugar regulation which determines our ability to absorb and assimilate nutrients. This means eating every 4-5 hours (especially for women) which will stabilize emotions and energy levels. Here are 3 things to remember when thinking about your food timings.
Eat a warm, cooked breakfast within two hours of waking and forget intermittent fasting.
Eat your biggest meal between 11am-1pm. When the sun is high and you have the strongest digestive power.
Eat your last meal of the day as close to sunset as possible, at least three hours before going to bed. You want your dinner to be fully digested before you prepare to sleep so your body can dedicate energy to repair and renewal while you rest.
Lastly, the state of your nervous system will also affect how well you digest your meal. Never ever eat while feeling angry and if you are feeling anxious or down make sure you’re eating in a clean, quiet space. Take a seat, and three deep breaths before tucking in. Super charge your meal with a little prayer of gratitude, receive the nourishment from these sacred foods, taking time and care with your meal.
3. An Ayurvedic diet is not a vegetarian diet
Meat is medicine in Ayurveda. Depending on your constitution, nutrient dense animal foods, like bone broth and organ meats are recommended to build Ojas. Ojas is the essence of your immunity, fertility and life force. This is especially true for menstruating women, throughout pregnancy and for postpartum recovery. Incorporating animal fats like ghee, pastured eggs, raw and fermented dairy on a daily basis contributes to a deeply nourished & balance system as well as providing resilient energy. As with all foods the source is very important; eating local, fresh and organic is always a priority. Always research how the animals were raised, which should be outside in sunshine and eating their natural diet (not soy or grains) You are what your animals eat.
4. Ghee goes on everything.
Ghee is liquid gold, the ultimate longevity elixir and can literally go on everything you eat - sweet and savory. Ghee can be easily made at home, it's just grass fed butter melted and the creamy (whey) portion removed.This means it’s easily digested even for lactose intolerant folks. The fat actually helps micro nutrients to be absorbed into your cells (especially from herbs and spices which are the original medicines) . If you are worried about gaining weight, know that ghee actually aids in weight loss when needed and lowers cholesterol. When I say everything, I mean everywhere. Ghee can be used in yoni massage (this is amazing post pardum and in peri-menopause) and if you have trouble sleeping - massage the soles of your feet with warmed ghee before bed.
5. The whole point of having our health is so that we can live our dreams.
It’s said that when you don;t have your health, you have just one dream; to be healthy. When we do have it - the sky's the limit and we can put our life force to good use living our soul purpose, one’s dharma. Your dharma is unique to you and ever evolving, like your dosha. It will change as you move through different phases of life but what remains true is living as close to your soul as you can, responding to what life presents us, with the highest intention and presence. There are three paths of yoga that lead us to living our soul fulfilling dharma, as laid out in the Bhagavad Gita. I like to understand them as living our passion, power and purpose. This means being loving & connected to our wildest desires, loving from a place of compassion. It means standing in our power; expressing our truth and trusting ourselves. And lastly, it means knowing our ‘why’ and being of service to our soul and to others. This is how we liberate ourselves and realize who we truly are.
