The Three Aspects of Taste in Ayurveda
In our new Ayurveda and Digestive Health Intensive in The Herbarium, Ayurvedic practitioner and Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher Greta Kent-Stoll, delves into the foundational concepts of ayurvedic eating, such as the six tastes, and the role that each of the three doshas plays in digestive health. You will learn how to recognize vata-, pitta-, or kapha-type digestive…
Avipattikar Churna: Herbal Support For Digestive Imbalance
With summer around the corner, some of us are thrilled by warmer temperatures and the prospect of stone fruits, berries, smoothies, and salads. However, those who run warm, e.g. pitta types, may need to take caution to tame the internal fires as external temperatures climb. This means keeping the body temperature, emotional thermometer, and digestive…
Your Guide to an Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse
Spring is often linked to a sense of renewal. As the daylight hours stretch out longer, temperatures become warmer, and blossoms emerge, you may find yourself with a desire to engage in a spring cleanse or another ritual of renewal. Ayurveda offers gentle and time-tested methods for cleansing and resetting. An ayurvedic spring cleanse can…
Ayurvedic Holiday Gift Guide
The holidays can be a wonderful opportunity to show your love and thoughtfulness. Homemade gifts, party favors, and stocking stuffers are a festive way to get crafty, have a little fun in the kitchen, and apply your passion for herbalism and wellness. Making (or purchasing) ayurvedic-inspired gifts is a great way to offer something that…
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…
Ayurveda and Yoga: Yoga for Your Constitution
“Ayurveda is a paradigm, not a prescription” is a phrase that I commonly emphasize in my introduction to Ayurveda public lectures. Ayurveda is integrated into the medical system in India and if you work with any ayurvedic practitioner anywhere in the world, they will likely suggest herbs, dietary modifications, and other practical measures. However, Ayurveda…
Mood and Mental Support for Pitta Dosha
Pitta dosha, the most fiery of the three ayurvedic types, relates to solar energy and rules the summer season. Pitta types run warm, tend to have warm-colored complexions, and aren’t afraid of competition and intensity. In fact, they welcome it (sometimes to their own detriment!). These bold, fiery types are naturally intense, driven, and competitive,…
Cooling Recipes for Managing Pitta Dosha
“The brilliance of a raging fire dragon in the city of sparkling gems—such is the nature of pitta” (Tiwari, 1995, p. 48). Ayurveda teaches that summer is ruled by pitta dosha, and pitta is composed of fire and water. Temperatures are on the rise, as is the need and desire to stay cool. If you…
How to Schedule Your Day Based on Energy Levels
Ayurveda teaches that one of the root causes of health imbalances is living out of harmony with nature. However, living in harmony with nature is no small feat, especially in the modern day. Furthermore, what exactly does it mean to “live in harmony?” Fortunately, Ayurveda offers a rich perspective on this. Your constitution, the seasons,…
Nourishing Herbs for Optimal Wellness
As mentioned in my previous article, How to Boost Immunity from the Inside Out, one of the best ways to take care of your vitality, longevity, and immunity is with nourishing herbs. These herbs for deep nourishment are not a quick fix, but rather are most effective if taken over long periods of time. The…
Ayurvedic Tips to Boost Immunity from the Inside Out
Maintaining a healthy immune system has become a high priority for a lot of folks in recent times. If you are inclined toward herbalism and natural approaches for immune boosting, you may turn to immunostimulants such as elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and garlic (Allium sativum), immunomodulants like astragalus (Astragalus mongholicus) and reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and antimicrobials…
How to Use Herbs to Rebuild from Burnout
Long-term stress takes a huge toll on one’s body and mind. Sometimes that stress can chip away at vital reserves and one’s sense of wellbeing, ultimately leading to a state of burnout. In digging into the exact meaning and causes for burnout, it is clear that its defining borders can be quite nebulous. Unlike depression,…
Herbal Allergy Support Using Ayurvedic Herbs
Allergies manifest in many ways. There are food allergies, seasonal allergies, skin allergies, and allergic reactions to fragrances. As is the case with any health imbalance, it’s easy to get distracted by symptoms and acute discomfort. However, Ayurveda has a holistic approach to wellness—and allergy management follows that approach. In this article, you will learn…
Herbs to Boost Creative Power
If you are looking to boost creative power and cultivate more clarity in 2020, the classical Ayurvedic formula, Saraswati churna, may become your new herbal ally! Aptly named after the Hindu goddess of art, music, and wisdom, Saraswati churna combines tonifying and clarifying nervines, as well as warming digestives. The goddess Saraswati is especially revered…
Liver Care 101: Herbs, Foods, And Wellness Practices For The Liver
The importance of holistic liver care cannot be underestimated. Your liver is one of the most multi-functional organs in your body, silently performing a myriad of tasks on a daily basis. Some of your liver’s functions include: Detoxification: Converts drugs and other toxic substances into substances that can be more easily excreted through your urine…
How To Find The Best Holistic Skin Care Routine For You
Beauty is certainly more than skin deep. However, the health and beauty of your skin should not be overlooked or dismissed as a matter of mere aesthetics. Your skin serves as far more than a lovely facade. Skin tissue is not only vital for physical protection; it is also a clear reflection of the body’s…
What Dosha Pain Type Are You?
Ayurveda is the ancient healing tradition of India, and in the ayurvedic philosophy, all things in nature are comprised of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether. These elements combine together in various ways to form the three doshas, known as vata, pitta, and kapha. Air and ether combine to make vata dosha….
Tips To Finding Balance In Each Stage of Life
According to Ayurveda, each stage of human life is linked to one of the three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha (Lad, 2009). In addition, the rhythm of our lives is characterized by cycles such as sleep cycles, the turning of the seasons, and the daily transition from night to day. Each of these cycles plays…
5 Lifestyle Hacks for Sound Sleep
Beauty rest is more than a turn of phrase. Anyone who has suffered from chronic insomnia or disturbed sleep is well aware of the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep not only compromises your outward appearance. It wreaks havoc on your metabolism, mental alertness, emotional balance, and even memory (Albrecht & Ripperger, 2018)….
3 Tips on Managing Vata Dosha During Autumn
Ayurveda teaches that we each have an inherent prakruti, which is our natural, unchanging nature. Our prakruti is our unique balance of vata, pitta, and kapha doshas and is unaffected by phase of life, seasons, or any other external factors. If you’re interested in finding out what your dosha is, read our article, Introduction To…
Ayurvedic Guide to Building Digestive Power
If you consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner, don’t be surprised if she asks you a hundred and one questions about the state of your digestive system—no matter what brought you into her office! Regardless of where your imbalances manifest, Ayurveda places incredible emphasis on the state of digestion, also known as agni. According to the…
Nourishing the Blood: TCM and Ayurvedic Perspectives
Blood isn’t just platelets and plasma; it is our vitality. Blood carries the story of our ancestry. It is essential, and it is everywhere! Both Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda share a recognition that blood operates within the larger and deeper context of our being. Both these ancient systems know that blood is vital and…
Introduction to Ayurveda: What’s My Dosha?
Ayurveda and the terms vata, pitta, and kapha are slowly making their way into alternative health lexicons. However, many readers may still be mystified by these concepts, or perhaps this is the very first time you are learning about these terms. This post is intended to provide you with a basic introduction to Ayurveda. However,…
Find It and Grind It: The Power of Common Kitchen Spices
‘Tis the season for heavier eating in New England. Roasts, root veggies, soups, and stews take center stage in keeping us warm for the cold months ahead. But it’s during the holiday months in particular our natural instinct to “pack it on” can go array and leave us feeling bloated, constipated, and foggy in head….
7 Tips from Nature for Keeping Healthy this Fall
Ayurveda: the science of life. Not everyone is familiar with the term, but that doesn’t discredit the physical and mental benefits that can accompany Ayurvedic practices. Ayurveda is an ancient holistic science — dating back at least 5,000 years — that focuses on finding harmony with one’s environment. It’s not hard to find the goodness…
