Try Ayurveda for Optimal Health by Jenny Dayton

Try Ayurveda for Optimal Health

Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga. This ancient healing system dates back to India over 5,000 years ago. Ayurveda looks at the whole body, the subtle body energy and the individual’s ability to connect with the divine and laws of nature. In Ayurveda, health lives in the digestive tract. One must nurture the agni, or digestion, to maximize overall health. The first step in practicing Ayurveda is to determine our dosha, or ayurvedic constitution by taking an Ayurvedic assessment or quiz found online or through local ayurvedic practitioner. Most of us have a predominant dosha (there can be more than one) and are predisposed to certain illnesses or conditions. The doshas are pitta, kapha and vata. Ayurveda teaches us how to balance the doshas) and correct imbalances in the body and mind by addressing diet first.

There are six tastes that we must incorporate into our diet daily: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Depending on the dosha, it is important to choose foods that soothe our digestive system and help to balance the gut. Ayurveda is strongly connected to nature and the elemental energies. Pitta is associated with fire. To pacify pitta, we need to cool the fire in our body by eating more cooling, anti-inflammatory foods and engage in low-intensity exercise, particularly in summer months.

Kapha is associated with water and earth. Kaphas tend to need more energy and may choose foods and exercise that are more warming and stimulating. Vata is associated with air and space. Vatas tend to have sluggish digestion, so like kapha, choose foods that are warming. Vatas are particularly sensitive to cold seasons and dry air. For optimal health, the rule of thumb is to eat seasonally, connect with the earth elements in daily life and in a yoga practice.

Ayurvedic specialist Jenny Dayton, E-RYT, YACEP, the owner of Jenny Dayton Yoga, offers indoor and outdoor therapeutic yoga lessons, Ayurveda and aromatherapy sessions. Virtual options are available. For more information, call 724-550-3661 or visit JennyDaytonYoga.com. See ad, in Resource Guide.