Ayurveda Practitioners
I am in love with a 5,000 year old ancient healing system called Ayurveda. ThIs love affair began during my 200 hour yoga teacher training program and grew stronger during my 500 hour yoga teacher training. So, needless to say, while I was perusing the Kripalu website one day and saw that they offered a program to become certified as a Kripalu Ayurveda Consultant, I was there.
Everything just made sense to me with this healing system. It was not about a fad, joining a club or eliminating food groups. It was about working with the five elements that are in the universe and in each and every one of us – air, ether, fire, water, earth. These elements are unique in each of us and knowing with what we came into the world, as well as time of life and time of season, guides us in making the right choices for us. I believe what Ayurveda has taught me personally is that food is medicine and if my “gut” is healthy, then I will be healthy. So, what is my dosha? What did I come into the world with? I am a Vata (combination of air & ether). Some of the qualities of air and ether are light, dry, cold, sharp, rough and mobile. In Ayurveda we are taught that like increases like. Using this principle, I came to understand why as a child I always had bellyaches. I loved ice cream. I would babysit my sister’s children and all they needed to keep in the fridge was ice cream. Obviously ice cream is cold so it increased my inability to digest, as I was always putting out my digestive fires. I was also pretty thin and my favorite street games to play always had to do with running. In fact, I kept this running up into adulthood by running 5K’s, 10K’s, half marathons and marathons. A pretty mobile sport to say the least. In winter I loved being out in the snow, sleigh riding or ice skating at Van Cortland Park. Thanks to Ayurveda I now know what works for me and what doesn’t. I know that in the winter, i.e Vata season, it can be very cold and drying – I need to take some special precautions. During these times I need more warming foods, more grounding asanas in yoga, and to pay special attention to my dinacharya (daily regimen).
It is a beautiful science that is as relevant today (perhaps even more so) as it was 5,000 years ago. It has brought me a peace that can only come from true self understanding and I want to pay it forward!
