The yogic lifestyle I teach and use to heal others embraces not just the movement of yoga and the stillness of mind, but also the principles of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is the physical aspect of yoga and teaches yogis and non-yogis what to eat and what routines to embrace based upon that individual person’s emotional and physical state.
You don’t have to understand a lot about Ayurveda, to understand basic principles applying to all individuals including using food as food, food as medicine, and food as poison. Poison? Well yes. Depending on what you do with your food, even really healthy food, it could be poisoning you. Consider the following as you take a stroll down memory lane and recall the following experiences we have all had:
Irregular eating
This means skipping meals or eating a various times of the day that are inconsistent. Notice when you skip meals, it shuts down the digestive system and you may even lose your appetite for the next meal. Or, you may become so hungry that you become impatient and angry and unconsciously binge. Ayurveda recommends three meals each day around the same tie each day.
Eating before bed
Bedtime is a sacred time for the body to digest food. Have you ever eaten right before bed or eaten a heavy meal late? Chances are you didn’t sleep very well and felt sluggish the next day. The recommendation is to eat not within 2 – 3 hours of bedtime.
Overeating
Have you ever noticed when you overeat your digestion shuts down? The foot sits heavy in your belly and your bowels may even be sluggish the next day. A habit of overeating trains the body to continue to overeat as the pleasure of the senses are diminished and the quantity vs. the quality used to create a sense of fulfillment. More intense flavors of salt and sugar are also craved. The recommendation is to fill the belly 1/2 full of solid food, 1/4 full of liquid, and to leave 1/4 of the belly empty for room to digest.
Under-eating
I know. Shocking. I see it all the time though. Clients will under eat and that puts our the digestive fire opening their body to all types of immune compromised situations including infections, emaciation, weakness, dementia, and a lot of aches and pains. Stabilize digestive fire by eating three times each day around the same time each day. You will have more energy to boot!
If you need to reset your digestive fire, you may consider experiencing The Elemental Cleanse. It’s the perfect 28 day experience to flush your body of accumulated poison or what is known as “ama” in Ayurveda. You also learn many Ayurvedic tricks to keep your fire high for life. Learn More
Enjoy, Pamela
*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.