Lemon Water Ayurveda
What is Ayurvedic Yoga and how can it apply to you?
In simple terms, Ayurvedic Yoga refers to customising postures and breathing practices to balance your dosha, or your imbalances. Just as in Ayurveda we choose foods and activities to support our individual requirements, Yoga can also be used as a therapeutic tool to benefit your particular needs. Blending the two disciplines will not just deepen your understanding and experience of each modality, but can offer a more deeply integrated approach to enhancing your health and well-being.
Doing an Ayurvedic consultation will allow the Ayurvedic Health Councilor (AHC) to skilfully identify Yoga and breathing exercises tailored to meet your current personal needs. Ayurvedic Yoga will look similar to other Yoga classes, but every posture is chosen to promote your mental, physical and emotional alignment. Exploring an Ayurvedic Yoga practice can also be a great way to start or develop your home practice.
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I can offer beginners and experienced Yogis alike the chance to work one-to-one to explore the synergy of Ayurvedic Yoga. I also offer seasonal Ayurvedic Yoga classes that promote balance as distinct elements come to the foreground. Creating awareness of how the natural cycles impact you and learning how to respond to them with Ayurveda and Yoga will give you a deeper connection to your environment, and will give you the wisdom to thrive and feel your best, year round.
Ayurvedic Yoga - A case study
Today there are so many different styles of Yoga, it is important to do a style of Yoga that will encourage equilibrium, rather than exacerbate an imbalance. Read this case study as an example of how Ayurveda and Yoga are strong allies for promoting health.
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David has a predominantly Pitta prakriti (DNA) and a Pitta vikriti (current imbalance). It's mid summer in the USA. He loves spicy food, and ate Mexican takeout last night which gave him some heartburn when he lay down for bed at around midnight. He's recently started to drink a whole bottle of kombucha every day because he read in a magazine that it was healthy. He has a lot of stress at work and has been working more hours in the day to be ready for a deadline. He eats lunch working at his desk, if he has time to eat at all. David really likes doing vigorous Yoga, and likes to do a 'hot Yoga' class several times a week to unwind.
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From an Ayurveda view point, we see an excess of the hot guna in David's diet and life style, so making a few adjustments to reduce the hot and / or increase the cold qualities would help him move towards feeling more in balance. Ideally, David would take a 30 minute lunch break at the same time each day and walk to the closest park, sit in the shade under a big tree and for a few minutes observe the natural world around him. Doing alternate nostril breathing or some cooling breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes would calm and soothe his mind. Drinking a refreshing coconut water, eating some sweet tasting seasonal fresh fruits would all help to cool his body. Choosing a 'relax and renew', 'slow flow' or 'yin' Yoga class after work would be a more supportive and suitable option to relax from his day.
