You are what you eat. To most people this means simply that the vitamins, carbs, and proteins in food build the cells, blood and bones of your body. But in Maharishi Ayurveda, "you are what you eat" means something far more subtle and powerful. Food is known to directly influence your consciousness and feelings. It can create bliss or anger, contentment or restlessness, thoughts of the sacred or the profane. [...]
by Varsha Khatri, MA, SYT, MCMA, MFNTP Through the knowledge of the doshas, it is known that there are many causes of imbalance but there are equally numerous ways to create greater balance when it comes to health and wellbeing. Oftentimes, it is easier said than done to ensure a regular routine to pacify Vata, avoiding direct sunlight to pacify Pitta, or engaging in daily vigorous exercise to pacify Kapha. [...]
Springtime is for cleansing and reinvigoration The vernal equinox marks the beginning of Spring when daylight strengthens. Equinox comes from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), and vernal means springtime or youthful and fresh. For your own youthfulness and freshness, you may like to consider a Spring cleansing programme. Internal cleansing is particularly recommended by Ayurveda because Spring is the season when your body’s natural cleansing and rejuvenating mechanisms [...]
My Story “When it comes to health, we each have our own unique story to tell. My personal health journey started at a young age when my parents taught me to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and whole wheat bread, a truly revolutionary idea in the 1960s, when Wonder Bread was king. I was rarely sick and only remember going to a doctor twice—once for a bad bout of poison ivy and another time when I stepped on barbed wire and needed a tetanus shot.
Ayurveda is clear on this: all health - let’s repeat this - ALL good health starts with digestion; with the proper metabolism of food. Accordingly, one of the most important things we can do for our health every day of the year is to eat wisely.
As you read this, take a moment to stop and reflect … what would you say are your most important resolutions for enhancing your wellbeing in 2020? Are your wellbeing resolutions pretty obvious to you? Or are you stuck not knowing what would give you the best result? To help you arrive at some key wellbeing resolutions to help make 2020 the best year yet, let’s ponder the following questions.
New Year's Resolutions are best known for the speed with which they are forgotten. Yet, total health is a lifelong journey - you need to work on your health every day. Here are ten tips from Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, Director of Research and Product Development at Maharishi AyurVeda, on enriching the new year with ayurvedic wisdom. Simple things you can do every day to stay healthy and happy.
You would think that since Pitta dosha is associated with the fire element, a person with high Pitta would not experience any problem burning up the carbohydrates and sugars in their diet. Yet if a Pitta predominant individual fails to take care of their digestion, this can result in specific related digestive problems.
Attention is often given to the quality of our food. Ayurveda explains that the strength of our digestive fire ‘agni’ is also very important as it determines how much nourishment we will gain from what we eat and greatly impacts our health.
The holiday season brings feasts, parties, merry-making and heavy foods. Big meals complete with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy leave us sleepy and ready for an afternoon nap on the sofa in front of the fireplace. If you're concerned about increasing your immunity during the flu season, you'll want to avoid overeating this Festive Season.
Do you usually have your main meal in the evening? I was brought up having my main meal in the evening and did not question it until I came across the health wisdom of Ayurveda.
As we transition into the Autumn season, the season of Vata, we can empower ourselves by bringing as much energy and happiness as possible into our everyday life with these simple ayurvedic tips. With a few easy changes in our routine, it may surprise you how easily we can transition from one season into the next!
fall approaches, it's a good time to think about strengthening your immunity. According to Maharishi Ayurveda, cold weather doesn't have to bring on the cold and flu. The key is to start now with immunity-enhancing meals.
With more heat waves predicted over the next weeks, it may be helpful to consider how to optimise your food choices to help cool and soothe your mind and body. In addition, let’s consider the Ayurvedic approach to nutrition.
These days the emphasis in nutrition has been placed on protein and whether we are getting enough. The truth is that individuals are more likely to suffer from excess of it than the converse... ...So now I will get to the real issue, which seems to have languished somewhat since the food industry has focused on protein. This is the amount of fibre in our western diet, which is sadly lacking.
According to Maharishi AyurVeda, there are three equally important aspects to mental performance: dhi — learning and comprehension, governed by Vata dosha; dhriti — processing and retention of knowledge, the realm of Pitta dosha; and smriti— memory or recall, controlled by Kapha dosha. For the best mental performance and realization of the fullest mental potential, each of these three factors individually needs to be at its peak, and, more important, the coordination among the three factors also needs to be optimal.
