Common Set-backs in Learning Ayurveda

Before we dive into the Essential Lessons from Ayurveda, let’s look at what I’ve learned along the way. I was taught Ayurveda at the California College of Ayurveda. I worked in the herb room and the pancha karma clinic. I lived with my teachers. Studied at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco – their 2 year teacher training program. I was a work study, and learned closely from the school and my teachers. From this schooling I learned the old Ayurveda. My teachers, and I mean all of my teachers across the board from both schools, combined Indian Culture with the amazing principles and energetic wisdom of Ayurveda. And as a result, I wasted precious time getting the goods from Ayurvedic wisdom integrated into my hyper-modern, yet down-to-earth life. You’ll see what I mean by this below.

The Old Ayurveda (West meets East)

During one detox, my husband Winston, rebelled against kitchari on day 3. He refused to eat any more, though he was hungry. That’s when I knew I had to find other ways to help my family, my friends, and my yoga students, have more fun with Ayurveda and to deeply connect to the core of this brilliant wisdom tradition. I had to ditch the “old Ayurveda.”

Identifying Factors of the Old Ayurveda

• Steeped in Indian culture
• Focuses on constitution over more fundamental tools
• Prioritizes an Indian-food diet, with plenty of ghee, turmeric, basmati rice and mung dal
• Advocates kitchari for detoxing

I’ve decided to go in a more approachable direction with how I teach Ayurveda to Westerners. I started the Living Ayurveda course not to modernize Ayurveda, but to mold the principles to meet the demands of a Modern Western lifestyle. Through the approach of this course I  can:

• Show you how to make the biggest positive impact in the shortest period of time
• Give you the BEST TOOLS that make all the difference in your life, your students lives, and the lives of their families
• Help you decide whether you want to generate income from what you know and help other people vs. simply learn for yourself and your own family

The New Ayurveda (West meets the future)

What I’m naming the New Ayurveda closes the gap between being exactly who you are and mining the genius from the Yogis of Yore.

• You want to have the basic tools from Ayurveda – in a way that makes your life better today, your health better tomorrow, and your family more intelligent in your lifestyle design.
• You want to learn in a way that is fun, meaningful, and connected. You want the tools without the dogma.
• You don’t want to leave home to learn, and you’re smart enough to know that turning the barge of your habits and easing into deeper learning takes time. After all – you didn’t get to where you are with Yoga in a day!

Case Study: A colleague of mine from the south had a high vata constitution and was prone to vata imbalances. Her son had some pitta/kapha imbalances, and her boyfriend some intense rajas energy. This yoga teacher became a member of the Living Ayurveda Course last fall. I was psyched, because I knew her learning would impact not just herself, but her family and her community. And sure enough – she’s got her family in sync – the imbalances have faded over the months of the course and everyone is healthier and more synchronized. And – her students are learning and changing their lives through her. She’s becoming an even greater wellness provider. It’s totally rad.

Top 3 Essential Lessons in the New Ayurveda

1. Focus on Dina Charya.
   Focus on eating earlier at night. Unplugging at night. Going to bed earlier.  Waking earlier in the morning. Hydrating. Pooping. Scraping your tongue – and checking for ama. Moving after you poop – and feeding your blood prana for the day. Getting serious about meditation before dawn. Write down 1 improvement or subtle improvement you can make – that you’re excited about putting some energy behind.
2. Don’t worry about constitution.
   Focus on dina charya (1) and living seasonally (2). Living seasonally is harder than we think. We’re electrified. We’re hyperstimulated. What does living seasonally look like to you right now? How does it change your diet right now? How does it change your daily habits right now? Write down 1 personal upgrade to your dina charya that you can commit to today.
3. Make Ayurveda your own.
   Understand the principles – but discard the cultural stuff that doesn’t help you. Separate out Indian culture. Give gratitude to the culture that gave rise to the teachings. Honor the teachings -but MAKE THEM YOUR OWN.

Let’s ground this in a simple example. Say you want to get a meditation practice off the ground. You heard that a good first step is to create a place to meditate, maybe even build a little altar. Your yoga teacher might sit in front of Ganesha or Hanuman, because the symbol holds encoded meaning for her. But it means nothing to you. For you, an acorn holds meaning because perhaps your grandma and you used to gather them in the fall with the squirrels. The acorn reminds you of the industrial and stern nature of your grandma, and you sense being reminded of her consternation would help you commit to your practice. You put a dish of acorns on your altar. You’ve made Ayurveda your own.

Kick Your Wellness Up A Notch

For those who want to go deeper (and get that change happens over time and with guided support) I’m offering a chance to sign up for the Living Ayurveda Course. I’ve created a Living Ayurveda Prep School, so that those of you who are ready to get started can get access right away.

Why You Want To Take The Living Ayurveda Course & Sign Up :

1. Take better care of yourself
2. Take better care of your family – Upgrade your family diet without spending more money
3. Simplify your life for happy longevity
4. Change the way you age
5. Enjoy your day-to-day more. Plus you’ll get sick less. You can’t do this wrong, but you can do this better