Ayurvedic medicine is based upon the principle of interconnection -- between self, nature, and universal consciousness. Learn how Ayurveda, the science of life, can empower you to align with the elements of nature, your own true essence, and the tapestry of consciousness that unites us all.While ayurveda is over 5000 years old, its principles still have importance in modern science and society. Where western medicine largely overlooks preventive methods and the roots of chronic disease, these concepts are at the forefront of ayurvedic medicine. In this episode, we also explore how ayurveda can be understood in terms of the five elements and the human experience in terms of the five koshas, or layers of self. Through studying ayurveda, we can come into a much deeper relationship with ourselves and the natural world around us.
Ayurveda defines “dis-ease” as a state in which one is disconnected from Source. What blocks us from our connection to Spirit? The ayurvedic tradition says these blockages are caused by ama, or stagnant physical, emotional, and mental toxins. We will cover the role ama plays in perpetuating disease in our energetic and material body and discover how to clear these blockages through diet, yoga, and meditation. You will also learn how to boost your ojas, your fundamental source of deep vitality, in order to live a positive, conscious, and connected life.
Most westerners know Ayurveda primarily through the concept of the three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. This episode introduces the doshas, ayurveda’s three fundamental energies, as a gateway to living in your unique, bio-individual body. For each of the doshas, we will breakdown common symptoms of imbalance, its associated body type and personality, and the elements of nature that comprise it. By understanding the doshas, you can learn to adjust your diet, lifestyle, daily routines, exercise, and emotional patterning to better cope with and transform mental, emotional, and physical stress.
In our modern world, we are overwhelmed by food choices and diet trends. In this episode, we will explore why one nutritional strategy may work for one person, and yet the same causes problems for someone else. You will learn the basic principles of an ayurvedic diet, from five elemental theory to the six tastes, and come to understand food as your pharmacy to release toxins and increase vitality. By connecting with the spirit and pranic energy of food, you have the capacity to make meal time a sacred, harmonious, and healing time for yourself and your family.
Even though our bodies may be in optimal health, internal and external stresses can cause us to experience overwhelm, sadness, and emotional stagnation. In this episode, we will understand how your system not only digests food but also emotions. You will learn how your dosha may make you more prone to certain emotional tendencies and discover ways to strengthen your mental and emotional digestion.
Don’t let the morning run away from you. Dedicate the auspicious waking hours to your own self-care with this short routine consisting of personal prayer, simple movement, and an exercise to connect with nature.
Align with the cycle of the day as ruled by the doshas. Learn how sleep is impacted by doshic imbalances and discover techniques to fall asleep and stay asleep.Build a complete ayurvedic routine by checking out the Oral Care, Self-Massage, and Ayurvedic Morning Rituals tutorials also found in this series.
Read the signs of your body to learn your imbalances using tongue examination as well as facial and body type analysis. Using our body as a map, we can understand ourselves and our unique patterns of health.
Release anxiety, detoxify your organs, and exfoliate your skin with two techniques: raw silk glove brushing (gharshana) and oil massage (abhyanga).Performed either separately or together, these practices should be followed by a warm shower.Build a complete dinacharya (or daily routine) by checking out the Oral Care, Ayurvedic Sleep Rituals, and Ayurvedic Morning Rituals tutorials also found in this series.
Purify your nose, ears, and mouth with practices such as nasal flushing, oil pulling, and tongue scraping.To do all of the practices offered in the tutorial, you will need a toothbrush, expeller-pressed or cold-pressed organic sesame oil, toothpaste, a tongue scraper, water with lemon, and a neti pot.Build a complete ayurvedic routine by checking out the Self-Massage, Ayurvedic Morning Rituals, Ayurvedic Sleep Rituals tutorials also found in this series.
Transform mealtime into a healing feast with fresh vegetable, spice, and fruit chutneys tailored to your body type.We recommend you enjoy these chutneys 20 minutes before your main meal or as a condiment while you eat.Download the PDF from the link below for the complete recipe.https://www.gaia.com/files/Ayurvedic_Chutneys.pdf
Learn to create ayurvedic spice mixtures, also known as churnas, that will strengthen digestion, reduce inflammation, and balance your system. Four different churnas are offered: one each for pitta, vata, and kapha imbalance, and a tri-doshic blend that suits every body type.We recommend sprinkling these spice mixtures on salads, putting them in soups or daals, or sauteing them in oil.Download the PDF from the link below for the complete recipes.https://www.gaia.com/files/Ayurvedic_Spice_Mixtures.pdf
Clean out your digestive track and remove toxicity from your body with this nourishing and delicious dish made of rice, lentils, and spices.Kitchari can be eaten as part of a cleanse or incorporated into your regular dinner menu at home. This dish also pairs well with the ayurvedic chutneys and spices demonstrated in the two other cooking videos in this series.The complete recipe can be found here: https://www.gaia.com/files/Kitchari_Recipe.pdf
Kindle your inner strength while grounding your energy down into the earth in this powerful flow that will work your lower body and open your upper body. Learn the ancient practice Thoppukaranam, performed in Hindu temples, to invoke Lord Ganesha and stabilize your root chakra. We close with a grounding, floor-based cool down and then savasana to let the invigorating and empowering effects of practice sink in at a cellular level.
Strengthen your core and boost your metabolism in this multi-part practice featuring vigorous asana, pranayama, and kriya. We open class with an asana and pranayama sequence to warm-up the core, back, and low belly. Then, learn the ancient purification practices of Uddiyana Bandha, Agni Sara, and Nauli Kriya, which promote healthy digestion and massage the intestinal tract. To top it off, we close with a six minute ab routine and heat-generating pranayama. By building fire in your belly, this practice is a great energizer to kick off your day.Props: A bolster or blanket (optional)
When you find your nervous system or stress response flaring up, this practice will help you find your way back home to your heart space. Using mudra (hand gesture), marma (vital points), pranayama (breathwork), and slow-moving asana, we soothe the mind and invite relaxation into our bodies. After deeply opening the side body, lower back, and hips in precisely aligned asanas, we close our class with a ten-minute reclined body scan. Perfect for any time of day, this practice will leave you feeling soothed and present in your body.Props: A blanket and two blocks (optional)
Bring your energy body into equilibrium with this meditation that moves through each of the seven principle chakras as detailed in the yogic text Sat Chakra Nirupana. This meditation uses mantra (sound), visualization, and sacred geometry to call our awareness to each of the chakra and create space for transformation in each of these energy centers. As we balance the elements of the chakras, we simultaneously restore harmony to your doshas - the three main energies of Ayurveda.
This meditation practice uses mudras (sacred hand gestures) as instruments to summon the healing potential already within you. Featuring mudras to build your prana (life force energy), reduce anxiety, build motivation, and balance the three principal doshas as well as the five elements, this meditation is a well-rounded prescription for vitality and holistic well-being.
This meditation ventures us into the five layers of your body and mind, known as the koshas, before landing us in the space of the heart. As we rest in our heart center, we will employ a simple internal sound current as a vehicle to bring us into a deep state of listening, bliss, and awareness. As thoughts and emotions are released in this purifying meditation, we invite in the possibility to transform stagnant patterns of your being.
When living a fast-paced, jam-packed lifestyle, it is easy for the mind to get overwhelmed and the nervous system triggered. In this practice, learn Chandra Bhedana pranayama, which is a cooling, calming breath, corresponding to lunar energy. Then, you’ll follow breath and mantra into a deep stillness that will help you to disidentify from the whims of your mind and the busyness of your surroundings.
Invoke the healing vibration of Lord Dhanvantri, an aspect of Vishnu and the god of medicine, with the powerful and soothing Dhanvantri Gayatri Mantra, followed by a radiant body meditation.
Finding balance between the polarities of your body is essential for feeling vital, grounded, and present. In this practice, learn Nadi Shodhana pranayama, an ancient breathwork technique that harmonizes the two principal channel that navigate around the spine, Ida and Pingala Nadi. Then, we will enter into a meditation to unite the upward and downward flow of energy, Prana and Apana Vayu, respectively. With our energies equilibrated, we will be able to live in tune with our true nature.