What is Ayurveda? Is it yoga? Is it meditation? Is it mindfulness? Is it total body detox? Is it being in touch with nature? The answer to those questions is “yes”.
Ayurveda is an ancient system of treating the body in a holistic way. Well what does that mean? Holistic is something “characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole”, but more specifically in holistic medicine context it means “treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the physical symptoms of a disease”.
So, its more than just treating an illness, it is an ancient system that offers knowledge to encourage a better understanding of our bodies/physical processes to help us thrive as well as helping us realize our full potential. If you are interested in finding out more on this topic, Yoga Journal, the Chopra Center, and the Ayurvedic Institute are some site that offer good articles Ayurveda basics.
Listed below are some really good items to check out to find out more
Like quantum mechanics, Ayurveda holds that a human being is not a solid, stable material structure but an ever-changing, dynamic collection of energy and intelligence in the larger field of energy and intelligence that is the universe. – Dr. Vasant Lad
The Celebrated Ayurveda teacher Ananta Ripa Ajmera offers an inspiring introduction to this ancient Indian medical tradition, which complements and extends the health and wellness benefits of yoga. Through 108 short essays you will learn to approach optimal digestion, better sleep, less stress, and a more balanced life. Diet is key, and many essays are accompanied by recipes that incorporate into daily meals spices such as turmeric, cumin, ginger, and mustard seeds. In addition, meditation, yoga and breathing exercises, and self-care practices such as oil pulling and massage, make this time-tested wisdom available to contemporary holistic health enthusiasts — even beginners.
Llewellyn’s complete book of
The everyday Eat delicious seasonal food, balance the body, and heal the gut with simplified, traditional Ayurvedic wisdom and over 100 simple recipes designed to get you cooking in the kitchen. Even the simplest Ayurveda practices complement Western medicine because of their focus on righting imbalance before it creates disease. Keeping digestion on track is the key to health in Ayurveda, and eating natural, homemade foods in accordance with personal constitution and changes in environment is often all that is needed to bring a body back into balance. Season by season, learn how the changing weather and qualities in your environment both mirror and influence your body and appetite. Lifestyle advice on meal planning, self-care regimens, and how to ensure health during the change of seasons is included throughout. And the no-fuss recipes will get you eager to cook.
Ayurveda lifestyle wisdom: a complete prescription to optimize your health, prevent disease, and live with vitality and joy [electronic resource]Ayurveda is founded on the belief that true health is everyone’s birthright-and that each of us is a self-healing entity who can use nature’s abundance to restore and renew ourselves. Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom is a breakthrough book for yoga practitioners, spiritual seekers, and anyone ready to learn a ‘doable’ approach to this time-tested art and science of health and well-being. Internationally renowned for her ability to make Ayurveda accessible and practical for Western audiences, Acharya Shunya presents a narrative-based guidebook that meticulously covers the how-to’s of morning and evening self-care, daily contemplation, self-massage and skin care, cooking (including recipes), beauty rituals, and more. ‘To rid ourselves of the suffering that afflicts the body, mind, and soul, what we need is an affirmative knowledge of life and how to live it in alignment with nature,’ writes Acharya Shunya. Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom opens the gates to this profound knowledge.
The wheel of healing with ayurveda: an easy guide to a healthy lifestyle [electronic resource] / Michelle S. Fondin
Build Optimal Energy and Health in Body, Mind, and Spirit Ever wondered why you’re feeling out of balance, stressed-out, sick, and exhausted but still can’t sleep? Western medicine often ignores the underlying issues that can lead to fatigue, illness, and disease, but there is a way to revitalize your body and mind without drugs or dangerous side effects. Ayurveda, the “science of life,” is a complete wellness system that includes all that we associate with medical care – prevention of disease, observation, diagnosis, and treatment – as well as self-care practices that are generally absent from Western medicine.
This truly holistic approach considers not just diet, exercise, and genetics but also relationships, life purpose, finances, environment, and past experiences. In this thorough and practical book, Michelle Fondin guides you gently through self-assessment questions designed to zero in on your needs and the best practices for addressing them, such as eating plans, addiction treatment, detoxification, and techniques for improving relationships. She outlines easy steps you can take, with minimal cost, to heal common ailments such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, excess weight, anxiety, and depression. These time-tested methods for body, mind, and spirit wellness offer benefits to anyone at any age.
Yoga mama, yoga baby: Ayurveda and yoga for a healthy pregnancy and birth [electronic resource] / Margo Shapiro Bachman
Pregnancy is an extraordinary time of transformation and a profound rite of passage that requires special care and guidance. The complementary tools and practices of Ayurveda and yoga have been used together for thousands of years to support a healthy body, balanced mind, and higher consciousness. With Yoga Mama, Yoga Baby, Margo Shapiro Bachman brings readers the first book to show how these “sister sciences” can support the miraculous journey of pregnancy. This thoroughly detailed guidebook shares practical and easy-to-apply teachings and information to help women experience pregnancy with radiant health and abundant joy, including: The basics of Ayurveda, yoga, diet, and lifestyle-cornerstone principles, basic terms and concepts, essential self-assessments, and more Month-by-month exercises and practices, including meditation, mantra, breathwork, asana, journaling, and massage.
Practical tips to encourage natural labor and delivery. Guidance on staying healthy and happy in the precious first postpartum weeks with baby. For women everywhere, Yoga Mama, Yoga Baby is an indispensable resource for treasuring every moment of pregnancy and blessing the mother and child with health, happiness, consciousness, and love.