Living Ayurveda: Nourishing Body and Mind through Seasonal Recipes, Rituals, and Yoga

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From the Publisher

Part One: The Foundations of Ayurveda

Interpreting the Language of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is the indigenous medical system of India that views health through an all-encompassing lens, looking at the body-mind-spirit in relationship to nature. Become fluent in the language of Ayurveda and engage in self-enquiry to determine how to cultivate harmony between the body, mind, senses, and soul.

Balancing the Body & Mind

Now that you know the language of the elements, the doshas, and the gunas, you can start to identify imbalances as they arise. Changes of environment, whether the natural shifting of the seasons or long-distance travel; changes to our routine; improper diet; stress; and overstimulation of our senses can all affect the balance of the doshas.

Seasonal, Lunar & Daily Cycles

Nature has rhythms and cycles influenced by the earth, sun, moon, and stars. These laws of nature impact our own internal rhythms. In our modern world today, we need extra support in this regard. Stimulated by artificial light, electronic devices, and almost instant access to anything and everything we desire, urban living has nearly disconnected us from our innate wisdom of nature.

The Ayurveda & Yoga Connection

Yoga is considered to be Ayurveda’s sister science, with a similar timeline of development. Many know yoga in the modern West as a physical practice, a workout for staying in shape. However, until recently, yoga was primarily a practice for spiritual liberation, only outlining a handful of postures for meditation. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that yoga became a more embodied practice and started to merge with Ayurveda as a means of supporting the body, mind, and spirit as an interconnected whole.

Part Two: Preparing for Your Year

How to Use This Book

This book is your companion to living a vibrantly rich and well-nourished life. Guiding you through an arc of a year, you’ll learn you how to stay in harmony with the different cycles of the day, the moon, and the seasons. Within each seasonal chapter, you’ll explore different yoga practices, rituals, and recipes that support the dominant dosha of the season.

Recipe for a Daily Practice

Setting the tone for your personal practice starts with creating a sacred space that you will nourish and, in turn, nourish you. One of Ayurveda’s most powerful tools is dinacharya, the outline for a daily self-care routine. This daily routine gives you tools for caring for your body and mind.

Kitchen Wisdom

How do you eat well when you have a busy schedule? The simple answer: be prepared and organized. It makes all the difference to have the right tools and ingredients ready to use in your kitchen. Here, I share my favorite cooking tools, pantry essentials, and prep tips to set you up for a year of joyful home cooking.

All-Season Recipe Staples

Find recipes for pantry essentials like Ghee, Mantra Milk, and Nut & Seed Butters. Instant Chai Powder, CCF Tea, and Digestive Lassi aid in proper year long digestive health while favorite foods like Basic Kitchari, Dosa, and Chapati are appropriate year round.

Part Three: A Living Practice

Spring

To move out of winter’s sleepy hibernation, your spring practice might include more active movement; breathing practices that bring heat and boost circulation; and lighter foods to energize the body and mind:

Energizing Spring Asana
Spring Equinox Cleanse
Women’s Lunar Ritual
Cleansing Burdock Tea
Spiced Amaranth Porridge with Warm Fruit Compote
Lemon Ginger Dal
Spring Barley Risotto

Summer

As you move through summer, try these soothing yoga and pranayama sequences, rituals that get you under the cool moonlight and enjoying the outdoors, and recipes that work with nature’s juicy flavors.

Soothing Summer Asana
Summer Pranayama
Lunar Bathing
Hibiscus Sun Tea
Coconut Chia Breakfast Bowl
Shaved Fennel Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
Creamy Coconut Curry Bowl
Rustic Fig Galette

Fall

Explore these restorative yoga practices, warming, recipes and grounding rituals that celebrate the abundance of fall’s harvests with more soups, stews, and roasted vegetables.

Grounding Fall Asana
Fall Equinox Cleanse
Warm Cinnamon Date Shake
Butternut Buckwheat Porridge
Delicata, Wild Rice & Pomegranate Salad
Pumpkin Empanadas with Cashew Crema
Fall Harvest Muffins with Whipped Cinnamon Butter

Winter

In this section, you’ll find warming, grounding, and richer foods to stay balanced in the coldest months and rituals to offer a time for quiet inward reflection.

Nourishing Winter Asana
Bhramari Winter Pranayama
Solstice Silent Retreat
Black Sesame Latte
Golden Milk Oats
Braised Winter Greens
Savory Beet Tartlets
Mushroom & Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Chocolate Date Scone with Maple Tahini Drizzle

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Roost Books (November 24, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1611807492
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1611807493
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.78 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.9 x 1.34 x 10.4 inches