I am honored to have a guest blog by my friend, Tracy Zuschlag, who is a licensed Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant. I recently heard Tracy give a talk about Ayurveda and thought it would be something interesting to share with readers. Have you ever heard of Ayurveda? Tracy explains what it means, what it is and how you might be able to apply some of the principles of Ayurveda in your own life.
Ayurveda (pronounced Eye-Your-Veda), is a sanskrit word, that is broken down into two root words: Ayu=life and Veda=science or knowledge, so Ayurveda is the “science of your life.” Ayurveda is also the sister science to yoga and one of the oldest health care systems in the world (over 5,000 years old). Ayurveda gives us the tools and knowledge to understand the five elements or energies – ether, air, fire, water, earth – that are in nature and every living system on earth. Every organism is comprised of ether, air, fire, water, earth and yet every organism is a different combination of these elements – not one of us is the same. The balance we strive for in Ayurveda begins with understanding our biological constitution and how that relates to the seasons of the year, the time of our life, time of the day, nutrition and lifestyle.
Once we understand our biological constitution, we can look at our current imbalances and how we can bring ourselves back to a state of balance and optimal health. Remember it took a lifetime to get where we are, so it may take time to get back to where we want to be. This type of approach isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan. When I work with people, we develop a plan that works for the individual. When it comes to nutrition we look at seasonal foods, herbs, spices and within that framework we talk about recipes, when to eat, what to eat, how to eat. Ayurveda is a whole foods-based eating plan that encourages a variety of foods, depending on one’s tastes and what works for them. In terms of lifestyle we talk about daily routines, exercise, stress reduction and therapies intended to calm the nervous system and improve overall health and well-being. Ayurveda is a whole healing system of health that balances the body-mind-spirit.
Basic principles of Ayurveda that can help everyone:
- Drink warm water to remove toxins
- Eat when digestion is strongest (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
- Stay in tune with nature: eat foods that are in season
- Like increases like: the more you do the same – the more you’ll get the same results
Websites with more information on Ayurveda: