A Beginner’s Guide to Ayurvedic Diet

If you’ve ever felt like you need a little more balance in your life, Ayurvedic practices might help. Ayurveda is an ancient and all-inclusive medical system rooted in prevention and achieving more balance mentally, physically, and spiritually. While there’s a lot that goes into Ayurvedic living, gaining a better understanding of the history, Ayurveda body types (aka, Doshas), and the Ayurvedic diet is a great place to start. Up ahead, we tap an Ayurvedic specialist to learn more about a beginner-friendly approach to Ayurveda, including what the different Dosha types are and how to follow an Ayurvedic diet.

Ayurveda is an ancient science and preventative healthcare tradition that originated in India 2,000-5,000 years ago. According to Silcox, the traditions were originally passed on orally, so it’s difficult to trace exactly when it was first practiced. And, like many Indigenous medical systems, Ayurveda is a combination of different cultural healthcare practices. “We have evidence that Ayurveda-practicing Indians were sharing insights with the Chinese, Greeks, Egyptians, and even Europeans,” Silcox explains. “So, in this light, we can think of Ayurveda as a global medicine and philosophy of life that enables us to connect with nature and the holistic system of our entire body, mind, and emotional complex,” she adds. 

Silcox says that Ayurveda as a medical practice is different from conventional medicine practices we are familiar with in Western cultures because, “it sees the entire body, mind, and emotional experience as an intricate web of interdependency.” Additionally, Ayurvedic medicine is rooted in the understanding that, “all diseases have their origin in the digestive system and stress,” says Silcox. This means that sleep, diet, and energy maintenance are the primary forms of maintaining health in Ayurveda. 

Another key facet of Ayurvedic medicine is spirituality, as Silcox says it’s considered a spiritual system. “The meaning of the word ‘health’ in Ayurveda is svastha, which means ‘being situated in your true self’ rather than the various personas and ego complexes that many of us live from,” Silcox explains. 

WHAT ARE THE AYURVEDIC DOSHA TYPES? 

In Ayurvedic medicine, people are divided up into three specific mind-body types that are ruled by certain elements called Doshas. The three Ayurvedic Doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. “We can understand Vata as the principle of air, or movement and degeneration in the body,” says Silcox. “Pitta is fire, or the metabolic processes in the body, and Kapha is earth and water, or the stabilizing and building functions in the body,” she adds. “In this way, every single cell in your body is made up of movement, metabolic activity, structure, and function.” 

We are technically made up of all three Ayurvedic Doshas, however, Silcox says we all tend to express one specific type of Dosha over the other. “The importance of the Doshas cannot be underestimated,” says Silcox. “We not only want to understand our own mind and body type and the qualities that make us unique, but we can also [want to] understand the entire world through the lens of these Doshas,” she adds, noting how geography, seasons, time of day, and all life experiences have Dosha qualities, too. 

To determine which Dosha you express the most, you can visit with an Ayurveda practitioner for an evaluation, or take an online Dosha quiz, which asks you questions about your bone structure, skin, favorite climate type, body temperature, sleep, mind, learning habits, and more.

VATA DOSHA

As Silcox mentioned, the Vata Dosha is connected to the air element. In fact, the word Vata means “wind” in Sanskrit. Some qualities of a Vata Dosha include cold, dry, and light. Those who express more Vata are typically active, creative, and have bubbly personalities with more slender body types. These are the types of people who are great at multi-tasking, quick learners, and kind-hearted. 

KAPHA DOSHA

The Kapha Dosha is connected to earth and water and its characteristics include stability, softness, and cold. Those who express more Kapha typically have a body type that is strong and curvaceous, and they might have trouble with weight management. These are the types of people who are empathetic, wise, patient, caring, and a good support system for anyone and everyone in their lives. 

PITTA DOSHA

The Pitta Dosha is all about the fire element and is connected to the summertime, as it’s a hot and sticky season—just like Pitta. Those who express more Pitta have a muscular body type and tend to be on the athletic side of the spectrum. They’re great at goal-setting, competitive, and determined, and they also tend to be quick learners, success-driven, and tenacious. 

HOW TO EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET FOR YOUR DOSHA TYPE

Ayurveda looks at all aspects of human life (down to oral care!) to optimize health. That means diet is a major part of Ayurvedic medicine. The Ayurveda diet is all about bringing balance to the body through foods that harness different types of energy to promote overall well-being—and the Doshas play a big part in the methodology. To follow the Ayurvedic diet, look at your specific body type —or your most expressed Dosha—to determine which types of foods will harmonize and balance your health. But, in addition to that, there are some overall general practices to consider, too. 

“The best Ayurvedic diet is one that incorporates local and seasonal foods that are Indigenous to the land that you live on,” says Silcox. “Fresh fruits and vegetables, high-quality fats like ghee, olive and coconut oil, nuts, seeds, meats of high-quality, whole grains, and beans, as well as the appropriate spices and cooking methodologies to make food as digestible and easy on your body as possible are all important elements of eating Ayurvedically,” she adds. 

Once you know what your Dosha type is, you can look at different foods through the Ayurvedic lens to determine what will balance your system. “We want to make sure that if we have a lot of air in our systems [aka, the Vata Dosha], we aren’t eating foods that exacerbate more air like dry toast, popcorn, raw foods, salads, or granola bars,” Silcox explains. In a similar light, if you express more Pitta with fire in your system, you want to “avoid foods that are inflammatory.” And, those with more Kapha or water and earth elements, want to make sure to avoid foods that are “heavy and damp like cheese, wheat, and meat.”

Some of the key benefits of the Ayurvedic diet include the promotion of eating whole foods, eating seasonally, and being mindful about the types of foods that make you feel less grounded or more sluggish, depending on your Dosha type. Additionally, the Ayurvedic diet focuses on digestion and cooking methods that are rooted in optimizing digestion. 

THE TAKEAWAY 

If you’re looking to adopt a healthy lifestyle that feels holistic and all-encompassing, incorporating Ayurvedic practices into your wellness routine may have some benefits. Because the natural system of medicine looks at all aspects of life to optimize health and includes many practices that are considered beneficial—such as eating whole foods and moving the body through meditative exercises like yoga—adopting Ayurvedic methods and principles can help you establish healthy practices in an effective and habitual way. 

The magic of mantras

Have you ever chanted during a yoga or meditation class, or randomly on your own, and experienced a profound sense of calm? Here’s why it works and why you might want to try it…

Your Brain on Mantra

For thousand of years, yogis have known mantra (or japa), whether chanted, whispered, or silently recited, to be a powerful tool for meditation and therapy. Western science is catching up.

Neuroscientists, equipped with advanced brain-imaging tools, are confirming some of the health benefits of this ancient practice, such as its ability to help clear your mind and calm your nervous system. In a recent study, researchers measured activity in the default mode network region of the brain — the area that’s active during self-reflection and when the mind is wandering — to determine how practicing mantra meditation affects the brain. From a mental health perspective, an overactive default mode network can mean that the brain is distracted.

Researchers behind this study asked a group of subjects to recite Sat Nam (roughly translated as “true identity”) while their hands are placed over their hearts. The subjects’ default mode networks were suppressed during the mantra meditation — and suppression grew as mantra training increased.

Research suggests that it doesn’t matter whether you recite an ancient Sanskrit mantra such as Sat Nam, the Lord’s Prayer, or any sound, word, or phrase. As long as you repeat something with focused attention, you’ll get results.

Herbert Benson, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is particularly interested in what brings on a meditative state, which he calls “the relaxation response.” He’s experimented with subjects repeating Sanskrit mantras as well as nonreligious words, such as “one.” He’s found that regardless of what the practitioner repeats, the word or phrase has nearly the same effects: relaxation and the ability to better cope with life’s unexpected stressors.

The Roots of Mantra

The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words — manas (mind) and tra (tool). Mantra literally means “a tool for the mind,” and was designed to help practitioners access their true natures and a higher power. There’s so much more on the magic of vibration and resonance in Sanskrit.

Eventually that vibration sinks deeper and deeper into your consciousness, helping you to feel its presence as shakti — a powerful, subtle force inside each of us that carries us into deeper states of awareness.

One of the most universally recited mantras is the sacred Hindu syllable Om or Aum — considered to be the sound of the creation of the universe. Aum is believed to contain every vibration that has ever existed, and ever will exist.

It is the energetic root of other, longer mantras, including Om namah shivaya (“I bow to Shiva” — Shiva being the inner Self, or true reality), and Om mani padme hum (which means “jewel of the lotus,” and is interpreted as, “By practicing a path that unites method and wisdom, you can transform into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha”).

These popular Hindu mantras are in Sanskrit, but mantra has deep roots in every major spiritual tradition and can be found in many languages, including Hindi, Hebrew, Latin, and English. A common mantra for Christians is simply the name Jesus, while Catholics commonly repeat the Hail Mary prayer or Ave Maria. Many Jews recite Barukh atah Adonai (“Blessed art thou, oh Lord”), and Muslims repeat the name Allah like a mantra.

How to Get Down with Mantra

In some practices, such as Transcendental Meditation, students hire a trained meditation leader to learn and receive mantras. But there are plenty of ways to practice mantra independently and free of charge.

Consistency is key, regardless of the mantra you choose.

“You enliven a mantra through regular practice over a period of time — months or even years” says Sally Kempton, meditation teacher and author. “It’s a bit like rubbing a flint against a stone to strike fire. The friction of the syllables inside your consciousness, the focus of bringing yourself back to the mantra again and again, and especially the attention you give to the felt sense of the mantra’s resonance inside your awareness will eventually open the energy in the mantra, and it will stop being just words and become a living energy that you’ll feel shifting your inner state.”

Most teachers recommend to begin sitting or lying down in a comfortable position and silently repeating the mantra, on the inhalation and the exhalation. When thoughts or feelings enter your mind, notice them, and then return to silently reciting the mantra. Advanced practitioners allegedly have their mantra on repeat, in their mind, at all times no matter what they’re doing.

Set aside a few minutes a day to practice — potentially building up to 20 minutes or even more. Several traditions suggest sticking with one mantra for at least a few months before switching to another, in order to deepen your practice and cultivate a sense of ease, presence, and peace.

Choose Your Mantra

Check out a guided mantra meditation for So Ham and Sat Nam. Or experiment with your own choices and creations!

Your mantra can be ancient, tried-and-true, Sanskrit or otherwise… Or it can be any word or phrase, in any language, which you find comforting, inspiring or grounding. An old friend found the word “cornfield” especially calming, and would repeat it during times of anxiety!

Here are a couple of examples I personally use:

1. Perfect peace and poise are mine today as I concentrate all of my power and ability upon expressing the divine will

This is my daily mantra. For many years, I have been reciting this mantra from Yogananda’s Scientific Healing Affirmations.

2. I’m right here

This mantra is channeled to my heart. A long time ago, whilst in a precarious mountain biking situation, the words, “I’m right here,” popped into my mind and comforted my heart. To this day, I use it when in need of grounding and stability.

3. Om

Inspiration from the ancient yogis…The Divine Energy
Often chanted three times, Om, or Aum, symbolically embodies the divine energy, or Shakti, and its three main characteristics: creation, preservation, and liberation. The mantra, or vibration, derives from Hinduism and is considered to have high spiritual and creative power.

4. Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu

A Chant for Wholeness. I end each practice and teaching with this beautiful mantra which means: May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own life in some way contribute to that happiness and freedom for all.

5. Gayatri mantra

Being Illuminated by Sacred Sound

Om bhur bhuvas svaha
Thath savithur varaynyam
Bhargo dheyvasya dhimahih
Dhyoyonah pratchodhay-yath

Traditionally chanted a capella, this mantra has been set to beautiful music by many kirtan stars, and it means:

We worship the word (shabda) that is present in the earth, the heavens, and that which is beyond. By meditating on this glorious power that gives us life, we ask that our minds and hearts be illuminated.

How to cultivate kindness and compassion

Awakening your natural potential

I’ve recently published a playlist of meditation classes, which teach you how to develop kindness and compassion for yourself and others. I call this age-old meditation technique, ‘Awakening your Buddha Smile’, by which I mean, awakening your natural potential for kindness and compassion. It is one of your deepest potentials – the opportunity to receive with warmth and openness, whatever is here in this moment.

In developing kindness and friendliness, you don’t have to feel ‘good’ or friendly. A vital part of friendliness is that everything is welcome. So feeling ‘good’ when you practise a kindness meditation is not mandatory. If you do happen to be feeling good, fine – but also know that it’s okay to allow space for pain or hurt, or any other feeling that you may usually try to avoid. 

What we want to get in touch with is the universal kindness, the universal friendliness of non-judgmental awareness. The friendliness of life itself, that supports and welcomes you, right now, in this moment. Everything included, exactly as it is. It is the smile of the creation for its creation.

Meeting resistance

When there is resistance, don’t chase it away or think that it’s wrong or a hindrance to your meditation. Allow it to be there; it is valuable for you to also watch your resistance – especially your resistance to friendliness or compassion.  

Understand that at some level friendliness can feel uncomfortable or even painful. It might remind you of the lack of friendliness or compassion at a time when you desperately needed it. Or maybe you missed it as a child. Getting in touch with this can be very painful, but also healing. 

Kindness can make you feel uncomfortable, scared or even angry. Suppose you were told as a child that you “should” be kind – the implication being that you were not. This can be hurtful. Or perhaps someone who acted kindly towards you misused your trust?

It can also be threatening to look with kindness at things that we don’t like about ourselves. We often feel the need to be critical or harsh to ourselves when we do things that aren’t ‘good’ – like eating the entire chocolate bar, or binge-watching Netflix, etc. Looking with kindness towards those things might feel like we give in or agree. However, I invite you to try it. Kindness brings forth compassion. And compassion is healing.

Usually, we try to change things by looking at them with unfriendly and critical eyes. But this truly does not work. Be open to trying a different approach. Let yourself be surprised by what it can bring about! Include the things you don’t like in the friendly watching – these are probably the things that are in need of it the most.

Watching from a distance

During these meditations, I ask you to watch yourself with kindness from a distance. If you have never consciously done this before, it might sound strange. But it can be done and is, in fact, part of almost every spiritual training. 

We know how it is to be looked at by others – maybe, you may have often experienced being watched with ‘critical eyes’. Perhaps this even feels more ‘normal’ than to be looked at with kindness? This is why it is so important to learn to watch yourself with kind and friendly eyes; to stop the unconscious, critical ones that are so hurtful to us. To watch from the heart rather than from the mind; thus re-finding our ‘Buddha smile’. To unlock our potential to be at peace with life, with ourselves, even if we feel depressed, sad and inadequate. 

So don’t think there has to be a smile on your face all the time! Although, of course, it’s fine when there is one. The Buddha smile is in the air. The air that permeates everything. We only have to reconnect with it. 

Good vibes: discovering the healing power of sound

There are many ways to expand self-care, one of our favourite practices among the mix is sound healing.

What is sound healing

Sound healing has been used for centuries to elevate physical and emotional wellbeing, by using positive vibrations to help the body return to a stable state - called homeostasis.

The practice is based on the idea that our minds and bodies operate at certain vibrations. And when these vibrations are not in harmony, we can experience an array of physical, emotional and mental symptoms. Sound healing has the ability to manipulate these vibrations.

In essence, sound healing can re-tune your body and mind –restoring balance and grounding you. Seriya likens this to a sonic sound bath where waves of energy and vibrations allow a deeper state of mindfulness and self-awareness. Ultimately training our being to reflect our core nature.

The power of sound

Sound healing can bring a multitude of benefits, including physical, mental and emotional. From reducing stress and anxiety, and regulating blood pressure, to helping overcome physical pain and depression, building confidence and allowing spiritual healing.

Tuning into your vibrations

Depending on what is happening in your life, your body can be acting at a higher or lower frequency. Seriya says the key is to be aware of what’s happening before going down the spiral of the ‘lower vibrational patterns.’

You know that feeling when you walk into a room and it just doesn’t feel like a positive space? You’re picking up on other people’s vibes, or the vibrational frequency of what the other people are putting out there.

Reaping the benefits of sound

Some people can feel the benefits of sound healing practice instantly, while for others it may take a little longer. But the more regularly you experience sound the more balanced your body, mind and spirit will become.

The length and frequency of sessions depend on what you’d like to achieve through sound healing –whether your intentions are emotional, physical or mental. It’s best to consult a sound healing therapist for recommendations.

There are a few simple ways to get started with the practice.

1. Attend one of our sound Healing sessions.

2. Incorporate chanting into your meditation.

3. Listen to Sound Healing Australia’s videos to balance your body, mind and heart.