Liberated Yoga
Yoga is for everyone!
Topic: Ayurveda
Foundations of Ayurveda: Prana, Tejas and Ojas
" Ayurveda is the knowledge that indicates which activities and eating habits are appropriate and inappropriate, auspicious and inauspicious, what brings happiness and sorrow, as well as what increases the measure of life itself. " Charaka Samhita 1.41 Ayurveda can be a wonderful addition to your Yoga practice, because some things suit some people, while others can actually be harmful. One size does not fit all! There are many books and web sites on the subject, and I've spent a lot of ...
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Why I am Not Juicing, Fasting, Eating Raw, or Drinking Smoothies
Nor am I a vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, alkaline , or any kind of diet, Raw , Paleo or otherwise. I am a little more wary of trace amounts of soy than I am of a bit of Mercury in my fish, but do not lose sleep over either. Why? Because one size does not fit all, but also due to the fact that actual science with its rigors of proof does not support many of the claims made by the food industry and celebrities trying to make a buck. Because the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and Yo...
Digestive Style: VATA
We are in the height of the Vata season ( see my previous post on the seasons and how they affect our metabolism ). Ayurveda has great advice on how to stay balanced during this challenging time, even if your primary dosha is not Vata, because everyone has some Vata in their constitution, and this time of the year it often gets out of balance. What are the signs that your Vata is aggravated? You may experience dry skin, constipation, gas, crackly and painful joints, stiffness or hyper-mobi...
Transitioning into Fall with Ayurveda
As the weather cools, the Fall season brings with it dryness, winds, bone-chilling mornings, but also anxiety, insomnia, cold hands and feet, dry skin, and inability to concentrate. The study of Ayurveda names it the Vata season . We all have at least a little of Vata in our constitutions, and some of us have way too much of it. Vata is dry, cold, and light. It is the wind element in the body, governs movement, inspiration (and if you get too much of it - lunacy), joint...
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Determine Your Dosha: Vata, Pitta, Kapha
There are many web sites out there that can help get a general idea of your Dosha, and I am not going to do that here. If you need a starting point, here is one that seemed pretty accurate and short: Banyan Dosha Quiz . In this blog I want to take things a little further and help you fine tune your findings and deepen your awareness of the forces that shape us. Question 1: Consider your background and the DNA stock that you come from. What is average for your genetic pool? Say, you come fr...
Balance the Five Elements
The ancient teaching of Ayurveda, the sister-science of Yoga, talks about the five elements of the manifest world: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Ether (Space). They are represented in the human body by the bones, fluids, muscles, breath, and inner spaces/cavities, respectively. Consciousness journeys through these elements towards Matter, and from Matter it evolves back into pure Consciousness. It is all too easy for these elements to become out of balance. The...
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Cooling Down with Ayurveda
Pitta - fire and water, passion, anger, jealousy, leadership, courage, understanding, knowledge, vision, digestion (of food and ideas), acid, status, goal-orientation, accumulates in the small intestine, causing such outward signs of imbalance as acne, rash, diarrhea, temper tantrums, feeling hot (hot-headed, as well), adrenal fatigue, kidney problems. Pitta is increased by red meat, alcohol, high-stress job (wall street, CEO, managing a busy household with small children). Pittas l...
Ground Yourself in the Present Moment
It is Spring now, in some parts of the world more Spring-like than in others, but still undeniably, a new leaf is about to be turned. Let us use this time of year to rejuvenate and re-ground ourselves after the cold, long, dark winter. Welcome Spring Equinox! First one can take stock of the recent concerns and activities in the mind, and make time to sort the necessary thoughts from the unnecessary ones. Letting go of some burdensome things, purging one's house, body, and ...
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Ayurveda and the Seasons - Part 2: Kapha
You may remember seeing this picture in a previous post about Ayurveda and the Seasons on Vata . If you look at the chart again, you will see that Vata season will begin to transition into the Kapha season somewhere at the end of February. You probably remember that all three doshas are present in us - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, however some of us usually have one dominant (sometimes two doshas are about equal in dominance, and very rarely you will see a person with all three represe...
Ayurveda and the Seasons - Part 1: VATA.
It is starting to feel like Fall again, and I am reminded in no uncertain terms what it is to be a Vata dosha. I was much happier during the Spring and Summer, but now that the weather has turned to cold, windy, and dry, I am feeling the effect on my constitution, which is made of the same stuff. Let's take a look at the eternal dance of Nature and Dosha. I have written about Ayurveda before , so this is a follow-up blog on Vata , since the season is upon us. I will talk in greater detail...
