I have recently been looking into Ayurveda to complement my yoga practice. Ayurveda is the sister subject to yoga and Ayur means life and Veda means knowledge. Ayurveda is particularly known for its natural medicinal system and I have been interested in the nutritional and diet side of Ayurveda. Therefore I decided to go to an Ayurvedic doctor as I wanted to look into improving my diet in order to suit my new lifestyle whilst teaching yoga.
In the consultation the doctor reads your pulse and determines your constitution. There are three constitutions which are Vata (air), Pitta (fire) and Kapha (earth). Everyone is made up of all three elements however one or two of the constitutions can dominate and depending on which constitution you are you can then follow a diet to suit you. For example a Vata person is likely to have a lot of air in their body and therefore should refrain from eating ‘airy’ food such as crisps, popcorn etc. Vata people need food that is more grounding such as porridge or Kichadi (an Indian rice dish).
What I found most interesting in the pulse reading was the doctor’ s ability to read my pulse but also my energy and emotions. Her intuitive knowledge gave me insight into my emotional behaviour which had also built up as toxins in my body from the food I was eating. She then gave me a diet plan and prescribed me with natural herb supplements in order for me to become emotionally stronger as well as improving my overall well being.
Everything vibrates at an energetic level including your food! Therefore whatever you are putting into your body will have a vibrational impact on your emotions, thoughts and of course food has an impact on your body!
I have found that the food I eat is now a lot easier to digest which frees up energy for me to utilise on more important things such as my work. As with all healthy diets I feel good and my skin feels healthier. But what is most notable about an Ayurvedic diet is that it helps me with my meditation. The food nourishes and sustains me and it is of a higher vibrational energy allowing me to raise my own internal vibration. Like I have said in my previous articles if I can vibrate at a level of love, peace and compassion then I am able to project this out into the world. Therefore my food intake can also aid me to do this.
Likewise if you look at your own lifestyle and your goals and the things you would like to achieve see your food as the fuel and energy in order for you to achieve your success.
A healthy eating plan can take some motivation and will power. Following an Ayurvedic diet can be quite restrictive and I’ll admit I do have the odd few days off to indulge! The key is to have the strength in your mind and the love in your heart to take care of yourself. And on the odd occasion if you do break your diet then its ok! Never hold any guilt while eating just don’t make it a continuous indulgent habit.
If you really are seeking to get to know yourself through your yoga and meditation practice I really would encourage you to learn about Ayurveda to complement your practice. A healthy eating plan can have an amazing impact on your state of mind bringing greater clarity and understanding.
A great book to read for further information and some great Ayurvedic receipes is The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar. Alternatively please speak to my Ayurvedic consultant Dr. Sarita Nahar 0203 287 7299. Alternatively visit her website www.adya-ayurveda.com.
Happy eating
