Ayurveda

An official India community for LJ

2008-06-02T10:59:25Z

Greetings from LJ_India, the new official India community we’re piloting to connect all our India users.

We’re writing to invite you to take a first look at the Community (http://community.livejournal.com/lj_india/) as it’s launched and share your feedback. You’re, of course, under absolutely no obligation to join, but we’d be delighted if you did :)

Do join us at http://community.livejournal.com/lj_india/ and let's get this conversation started!

Cheers and thanks,

Team Blogworks for LiveJournal India

ayurveda @ 2008-05-30T00:39:00

2008-05-30T07:39:07Z

Anyone out there interested in purchasing some great skin care products for a very small price? :)
The line/brand is Collective Wellbeing. They're an all natural skin care line, i have a ton of facial moisturisers for all types plus day creme night creme cleansers and more. Just let me know and i'll tell ya what i have. Can also show you pics. I also have a bunch of natural hair colours. I use one of them on my hair and it works great! high lights and low lights together and no chemicals :)
If you're looking for natural alternatives to beauty products let me know.
Am also having a sale on vitamins of all sorts
ALL MUST GO! :)
most products are about $ 5-10 USD.
also have some ayurvedic products as well.
Hope this is allowed, if not let me know and i'll remove.
Blessings :)

Help with a term?

2008-05-28T14:59:01Z

My sister sent me an ayurveda tool to use while I'm in the bathtub. It is plastic I think and you use it to scrap your skin to decongest lymph areas. I thought she said it started with a G like Guash or something?

Does anyone know the name of this tool?

Thanks!

I need brilliant ideas... Please!

2008-05-06T23:42:24Z

What can I do with my project about THE EIGHT BRANCHES of AVURVEDIC MEDICINE that will absolutely blow away the Prof and the class?

Posters - check
Facts on index cards - check

But what else can I do? I need something totally, extremely, ridiculously brilliant, daring and creative! Ideas?? Suggestions??

Thinking about healthy food

2008-04-07T20:02:20Z

According to ayurveda, one cause of disease is misuse of the intellect. The example I was given is, "I know this food isn't good for me, but I'll eat it because it tastes good."

Since I started eating healthier 5 years ago, unhealthy food does have the ability to make me sick. This past winter I struggled with how limited my diet had become; living with my family, I felt out of sync with how they ate.

What it comes down to is I want to eat food that pleases my mind AND my body. I think a lot about what I eat, perhaps too much. Lately I've started thinking less; popping food in my mouth without thinking about it. The real reason for that is that I don't feel I've been enjoying food. Maybe my intellectualizaing got in the way.

Eating healthy food, lately, has felt like drudgery. Until I got sick this morning and couldn't eat anything but bananas and toast. Now, I NEED to think about food... and I think I can still enjoy it. Thinking about eating healthy food doesn't mean that eating isn't pleasurable, like so many people say. The pleasure of food doesn't just have to do with your tastebuds. The fullest enjoyment of food comes from eating food that gives you maximum energy... long after the taste wears away, you feel GOOD on all levels.

Now the ayurvedic principle that eating food which you know, intellectually, is unhealthy, makes sense. We should eat not just to please our senses, but to please our mind, body, and spirit.

ayurveda in life

2008-03-14T01:23:59Z

i haven't ventured into the specialized herbal treatments, or the cleansing techniques (pancha karma) which are used at ayurvedic clinics. Ayurveda has helped me through diet and lifestyle. I read "The Ayurvedic Cookbook" and began to understand how certain foods affected my body and mind. From then on I was hooked.

I've followed a vata-calming diet for 4 years and it has helped my digestion, emotional balance, and overall health. I also understand that staying warm and having a stable supportive environment really keeps me in balance. Not only that, but I can more easily accep people with their stubborn adherence to routine; and pitta people with their fiery tempers. The word dosha means "flaw"--we all have a unique type that determines our body and mind with unique strengths and weaknesses. No one is perfect, and we are always in flux. Ayurveda acknowledges that we are affected by our environment and the foods we eat--it's all part of the whole.

A couple years ago I teaguth a few "intro to ayurveda" and an "ayuryoga" workshop. I considered attending school at Vasant Lad's institute in New Mexico. I chose to go to massage school instead. I still teach yoga and am passionate about ayurvedic cooking. I'm not sure if I feel comfortable teaching "intro to ayurveda classes" without formal training. I'd be interested to know your take on that.

HOwever, there are many ways to bring ayurveda into life--cooking for friends, informal teaching, yoga classes. What is your experience with ayurveda and what do you want to know more about?

anyone out there?

2008-03-12T15:20:51Z

I'm a yoga teacher and have been fascinated by ayurveda for a few years. I cook/eat ayurvedically and have come to see how the doshas affect all aspects of my life.

If anyone's still active, I'd love to talk.

Namaste,
Andrea

Ladies!

2007-08-25T20:19:27Z

What do you do to keep your skin young and beautiful? Have you got any beauty secrets or may be you know "miracle-cosmetic-products"?

(sorry for my English)

Thanks in advance!

ayurvedic career opportunities

2007-01-19T02:38:13Z

This is somewhat related to the last question. I'm very interested in formally studying ayurveda, but it would be quite an investment, and I have no idea what the job market is like. Aside from setting up your own business as an ayurvedic consultant or therapist, which sounds a little scary to me, what kinds of opportunities are out there? All that comes to mind would be working at a spa, ayurvedic supply distributor or health food shop...can anyone give me some more ideas? Are schools like Dr. Lad's or California College of Ayurveda very helpful in finding work for their graduates?

Ayurveda Training

2007-01-12T21:31:38Z

I plan to pursue a career in Ayurvedic therapies and I've looked at several schools online, but I'm not sure how to go about choosing one. I want something legitimate that is going to be as globally recognized as possible with teachers who really know what they're doing. Any place can have a good-looking website; I want to be sure I'm choosing a school that's the real thing. Any suggestions?

jala neti

2007-01-05T04:27:26Z

I love my neti pot so much. There is nothing like cleaned out sinus cavities and ridding oneself of a sinus infection. I love breathing. I love not having a sinus infection. I love jala neti.

On another note. I love ayurveda. It is replacing many roles the Buddhism previously played in my life, and I think that is a good thing. Of course, I'm still a Buddhist, but there are certain lifestyle decisions that I'm making more easily and undertaking less stressfully with Ayurveda.

I even splurged and bought (a used copy of) the 3 volume set of the Charaka Samhita today.

consultation/eczema/jyotish

2007-01-03T13:50:52Z

I had a consultation with an Ayurvedic practitioner yesterday. (I had one a year earlier with a different practitioner.)

I myself am a newbie Ayurvedic practitioner, but it's far better to let others treat you and get feedback on your thoughts, etc.

Anyway, I was surprised to hear that I was doing everything right to treat my eczema (scalp), which is horrendous. I have cooled my body right down over the course of the past year. My diet is great (lots of grains and dark greens, mostly vegan, but trying to get enough omega-3s). I exercise (lightly) and do yoga. I really need less stress in my life, but I don't have a lot of options in that area currently. I use salves on my skin (it is chapped, scaly, and sometimes weeps and/or bleeds).

Anyway, he was so surprised that my body seems cool, my liver pulse wasn't crazy, my Pitta wasn't particularly inflamed in a general way, but my head "is on fire". He said that in cases like these, there's often something planetary going on. I'm skeptical of astrology and planetary influences, save for planet Earth and its many influences.

Do any of you, readers, have experience with things that just don't seem to fit?

ayurveda @ 2006-10-14T09:01:00

2006-10-14T09:15:45Z

Recently I read a couple books by David Frawley and was awed by the depth of his knowledge. I would really like to study Ayurveda seriously, although I am not sure if I would be able or willing to turn it into a career at some point.

I was thinking of doing David Frawley's correspondence course just as a taster, to see if this is something I could really pursue. Has anyone here done one of his courses?

Ayurveda workshop: Ottawa, Ontario

2006-10-03T15:46:37Z

hi all, I'm hosting an Ayurveda Workshop this month in Ottawa,Ontario. If you know of anyone interested in Ayurveda in the area who might want to attend please let them know about it.

Namaste!

Here's the info:

Ayurveda Workshop

Balancing your way to improved health through diet and lifestyle

A workshop to introduce practical Ayurvedic practices into your life. Ayurveda is known as the science of life and the science of self-healing.

We will:

• explore the philosophy of Ayurveda
• determine one’s constitution (dosha)
• learn how to recognize imbalances
• explore balancing through diet and lifestyle
• develop a life plan

Join us for two afternoons of information and application of Ayurveda.

This workshop is geared to teachers of yoga who are interested in deepening their knowledge of Ayurveda; to students of yoga; and to those interested in managing their own wellness.

Date: October 21st and 22nd
Time: 1:00 – 5:30
Location: Upward Dog Yoga Centre
413 MacKay Street
Fees: $175 +gst (10% discount for yoga teachers)
Bring: Yoga mat, pen, paper, water

For more information: loren.crawford@sympatico.ca
Register at Upward Dog Yoga Centre, call 613-748-9642

detox

2006-08-26T02:55:53Z

lately i have been feeling fatigued, even after long bouts of sleep (10+ hours!) i've been craving sweets and cheeses and nearly every "bad" food and in large quantities. i feel bloated, my nose is constantly stuffy and i've been sneezing a lot. i wanted to do a detox before classes start and was curious if there are any suggestions? i see a lot of kits and cleanses at health food stores... any recommendations??? i'm hoping for something more than just a diet change or juice fast, but maybe not a water fast.

New

2006-07-26T18:49:10Z

Hello, I have just joined and am new to ayurveda. I have a question: I have tooken several tests now and they all say I am Vata, and so I researched about what vata'a should eat to be balanced and it said that we should not have raw vegi's. That puzzled me a bit because I also do yoga and follow a yogi diet which says to eat mainly sattvic foods and to have lots of raw vegi's and barley any cooked ones. What should I follow? or am I just not understanding it right?

Gymnema sylvestre - an Ayurvedic viewpoint sought

2006-07-23T17:43:16Z

I'm looking for a good Ayurvedic site describing the use of the herb gymnema sylvestre. I'm not really familar with Ayurveda to any great degree and any sites I've found have been brief. I've read a lot of Western sites about it and have found them very useful, but I'm keen to learn about it from an Ayurvedic point of view, espeically regarding the safety of it and how much might be too much. Any help would be wonderful and greatly appreciated.

I've been using gymnema sylvestre to stop the high blood sugar levels I get after meals. They make me pretty ill and I'm at risk of diabetes due to complications arising from coeliac/celiac disease. The herb has worked wonderfully, and the reading I've done has said it not only reduces blood sugar it also increases the pancreas's ability to create insulin if it has lost some of that ability. It has other effects also, relating to sugar. A link to a USA government site from the National Library of Medicine about the herb follows.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-gymnema.html

If you're not familar with the name 'gymnema sylvestre' you may be familar with one of the other names listed at that site - Asclepiadaceae , Asclepias geminata roxb., Gemnema melicida , gur-mar, gurmar, gurmarbooti, Gymnema inodum , kogilam, mangala gymnema, merasingi, meshashringi, meshavalli, periploca of the woods, periploca sylvestris, podapatri, ram's horn, small Indian ipecac, sarkaraikolli, sirukurinja.

Many thanks for your time.

Yoga is listed as one of the Presidential Fitness Activities!

2006-07-03T18:17:52Z

Looking for a new fitness program? How about trying the Presidential Fitness Challenge. This challenge comes in three varieties:

1. The Active Lifestyle Program - For those of you who aren't active on a daily basis yet, this is a great way to begin. The rules are basically to get a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise at least 5 days a week, for a total of 6 weeks.

2. The Presidential Champions Program - If you're already active and want a new challenge, this program is for you. Your goal is to see how many points you can earn by staying active. Points are based on the amount of energy each activity burns. So the more active you are, the more points you'll get. When you reach 20,000 points, you'll earn a Bronze award. Then you can continue on in the Presidential Champions program for a Silver or Gold award.

3. The Advanced Performance Presidential Champions Program - This is basically the same system as the Presidential Champions Program, except that the award goals are higher. For instance, you need to get 40,000 points to earn a Bronze award.

The Presidential Champions Fitness Program Website (where you can log your progress and also order your awards when you've reached your goal)

Also, if you want, come join the LJ pres_challenge community to chat with others who are challenging themselves with this program.

ayurveda @ 2006-07-02T14:21:00

2006-07-02T20:21:49Z

I removed the post made by lesik_baby. I can't read Russian, but it looked like an alcohol advertisement, and it had nothing to do with Britney Spears from what I could tell. I can't imagine what anything Britney is doing would have to do with Ayurveda anyway, and lesik_baby's profile is suspicious to say the least. There are a lot of dieting communities in there, including several that appear to be pro-ana, and no friends at all. It's definitely a spam account, and I have removed her(?) membership here since I really don't like seeing ayurveda on the same page as a dozen or so communities devoted to the promotion of eating disorders.

To reiterate: THIS IS NOT A DIET COMMUNITY. If you want to lose weight, this is probably not the place to do it. If you want to embrace a healthy lifestyle through Ayurveda, and that just happens to include losing weight as part of the process of balancing your dosha, then we might have a discussion. Got it? Excellent.

-The Management-

ayurveda @ 2006-06-02T19:07:00

2006-06-02T23:13:19Z

Hello Group,

I've just joined, and I seek advice pertaining to bring balance to my kapha dosha. I've read a few books and have adopted a diet plan that will help me bring balance to this dosha, but I have two questions that maybe you'd be able to help me with.

1) What diuretic herbs/plants do you suggest? I've pulled corn silk from a few organic ears of corn in the kitchen where I work (Whole Foods) and swallowed the stringy mass with some water.

2) What detox/intestinal cleansing method/program(s) do you suggest?

Thank you in advance for the advice,
Tyler

Newbie !!

2006-05-11T15:44:47Z

Hi all ! I just joined and wanted to say hi ! (And pick your brains a bit)

A little about me: I've always been a pretty healthy person. I eat mostly chicken or turkey (preferably organic), lots of vegetables and I prefer fruit over sweets. (I have a weakness for coffee, chai, kettle cooked potato chips, sour foods, and salsa.)

The reason I'm here is I have alot of digestive problems. I had my gall bladder removed when I was 23, IBS (or some sort of digestive ailment that has similar symptoms) runs in my family, my aunt found out she has a wheat allergy but it's not celiac (although that has alot of symptoms *I* seem to have). When I eat, I feel lethargic afterwards. I don't have health insurance and I don't care for pharmecuticals anyway... so I'm trying to handle things naturally and holistically. I've taken about 3 quizzes online and I score as Pitta or Vata or both depending on the questionnaire. It's confusing to me though because they seem to conflict each other. Not to mention I crave sour foods which the Pitta diet says I should avoid. (Doesn't your body *usually* crave foods it needs ?)

My questions to are:

How has ayurvedic diet helped you ?

What books/online resources do you find most helpful and informative ?

Was it difficult to make the change ?

How do you cook for people in your household that may have other doshas or are picky eaters ?

I apologize for the barrage of questions... I just want to get as much knowledge as possible and who better to ask than those who live it.

I thank you all soooo much for your info and help !!

Greetings...

2006-04-12T10:15:05Z

Im new here and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice-
Since i was 4 years old ive had Asthma,wich gets alot worse in the winter time (its winter where i am right now dang it!)
Im always given stong doses of steroids and other asthma meds.
Ive tried alternative therapies wich havnt really made too much difference and i always try to excersize as much as i can (asthma permitting)
Im a vegetarian and stay away from dairy products.....Phew! sorry for the life story!(:
Anyway does anyone out there know of any good ayurvedic ways tyo help/heal Asthma?

Many Thanks in Advance (:
Amber

Vegetarian Babies

2006-04-06T19:25:44Z

Hi everyone,

My hubby and I are vegetarian (ovo-lacto) and I'm planning on raising our kids vegetarian as well. (Our daughter is due next month). I also plan on making the baby food when it comes time to do so because I want to know what goes into my kids' food as much as possible. (And the cost of those little jars of food - especially the "organic, we-don't-add-a-bunch-of-garbage" brands - seems to be a bit excessive).

Anyways, I'm looking for recommendations on nutrition guides/cookbooks. After diddling around on Amazon this afternoon, I have "Simply Natural Baby Food" by Cathe Olson and "Raising Vegetarian Children: A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony" by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina on my list for books to pick up sometime in the next couple of months. Both are highly recommended by other Amazon customers.

Anyone have any experience with these books or do you have a book that you used/currently use that you swear by?

Thanks in advance!