Again and again, I am drawn back to the wisdom of Ayurveda. This is for many reasons, one being that Ayurveda has helped me to become more aware of, and in tune with, the seasons. The transition from summer to fall marks the changeover from pitta season to vata season. Fall is the time of year in which vata dosha, with its cool, light, dry, mobile nature is dominant. Summer, on the other hand, is dominated by pitta dosha. This change in season is the perfect time to adapt food and lifestyle choices to fit the climate. In this post I will outline some fall ayurvedic diet basics and I will discuss four delicious and fitting foods to enjoy at this time of year. So get cozy and dig in—it’s time to celebrate autumn! Read the full post HERE.
Balance Your Holiday Menu With Ayurvedic Six Tastes
Ayurveda teaches that all things in nature are made up of some combination of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. This means that our bodies, the food we eat, the herbs that we benefit from, and even colors and aromas—are made of some combination of the five elements. This five-element paradigm is essential for understanding the three doshas (vata, pitta, and kapha). Also, Ayurveda has a unique way of looking at food, defining a balanced diet a bit differently than the Western model. In Ayurveda, all food is classified as having one or more of the six tastes: sweet, salty, sour, astringent, bitter, and pungent. We need all six tastes, but depending on one’s constitution, the current balance of the doshas, and the time of year, it is advisable to emphasize certain tastes and downplay others.
Rather than approaching the use of tastes from a clinical angle, in this post I will take a festive and light-hearted approach and explore how to balance your holiday menu with the ayurvedic six tastes. Things can get fairly complex and heady when you start to examine how to classify foods by taste, the elements, and their impact on one’s constitution. So, for our purposes here, let’s keep it simple and light. (You probably don’t need more stress when it comes to planning a holiday menu!)
Read the full post HERE.
The Practitioner as an Artist
My take on social media…
In a world glutted with online yoga offerings it can feel difficult if not hopeless to compete. Especially for newer teachers and businesses, the task of being heard and seen amidst the noise can make you want to throw your hands up and ditch all online marketing efforts entirely. However, I think there is a way to be heard and seen through it all and this can be done with quality and authenticity.
Read the full post on the Iyengar Yoga Association Southeast blog HERE.
Ayurveda and Yoga: Yoga for Your Constitution
A fascinating tenet of Ayurveda is that nothing is right for everyone and everything is right for someone. This phrase may sound radical, but it points to Ayurveda’s highly individualized methodology. By understanding your constitution, patterns, and tendencies, you can make thoughtful decisions that help keep you in balance. In this article, I will offer a perspective on Ayurveda and yoga—how you can bring a deeper awareness to your yoga practice by looking through the lens of Ayurveda. (Even if you aren’t that into yoga, you will probably learn something!)
Read the full article HERE.