Everyday Ayurveda

From Art of Sequencing – Volume Two – Seasonal Vinyasa

“Ayurveda is a Nature-based medical system centered on the conviction that physicians don’t heal the patient, Nature heals the patient. Ayurvedic physicians learn to tap into the ancient texts, recall wisdom passed down from their teachers’ teachers, cultivate a strong connection to their intuition, and experiment with plants, herbs, and foods before using them as medicine or suggesting them to others. Nothing in the natural world is labeled as good or bad in the world of Ayurveda, everything has the potential to be medicinal in the right dosage, and one person’s medicine is another person’s poison.

The philosophy of Ayurveda acknowledges each person as a soul, a one-of-a-kind expression of the divine. It is also believed that from the moment you are conceived, your unchanging Prakriti (yogic version of fixed DNA) is established. Despite the fact that we are all unique beings, we are each composed of the same maha bhutas (five elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth). The elements will be arranged differently for each person, depending upon unique conditions like the physical health and well-being of your mother when you were conceived, and the karmas you’ve carried over from past lives into this life.

The more familiar you are with your Prakriti, the more you can prepare yourself for the physical and mental health issues that typically affect people with your constitution. For example, if your constitution is composed predominantly of ether and air, you would typically see health issues related to anxiety, nerve disorders, joint issues, or constipation. Knowing these strengths and weaknesses based on the elements, you might consider drinking less caffeine, consuming less sugar, eating more fiber, and booking regular massages to ward off the typical imbalances related to ether and air.

Prakritis with strong affiliation to fire and water will often experience heat-related imbalances such as skin rashes, diarrhea, digestive disorders, or high blood pressure. To help manage the fire and water elements, you might consider decreasing hot and spicy foods, meditating, and avoiding being outside in the hottest part of the day.

Earth- and water-based constitutions often discover swelling, depression, excess mucus, or challenges managing their weight and metabolism with a base Prakriti rooted in the heavy, wet elements. Often proper diet, nutrition, and exercise will keep the earth- and water-based constitutions healthy. Knowing your Prakriti and your physical and mental patterns—something you can learn by a consultation with an Ayurvedic practitioner—might inspire you to cultivate a more holistic lifestyle, one connected to Nature and her five elements.”

To read the more, order your copy today: www.melinameza.com

2010 Spring Vinyasa Class with Melina Meza from 8 Limbs Yoga Centers: www.youtube.com

Asato Ma Sat Gamaya Lead me from the unreal to the real,

Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya From darkness to light,

Mrityor Ma Amritham Gamaya From death to immortality.

It's Spring!

The yogis and nutritionist both agree that it is never too late, or too early, to consider sequencing your life today for a healthier tomorrow. I think of sequencing as both an art form and a science that anyone can master. All you need is sincere focus and attention from the beginning to the end of your vision, and trust in your body’s innate wisdom to guide you through the beautiful moment-to-moment discovery of presence—of the now—which leads to the spontaneous, blissful experience we call yoga.

I believe the more you practice adapting to new routines and seasonally breaking the momentum of habits before they become addictions, the stronger, healthier, and more open you become as a person. Instead of your world feeling boxed in by your routine, the seasonal changes help you widen your gaze so you experience more in life, seeing new potentials and possibilities in your work, family, diet, adventures, and exercise routines that connect to the revolving world around you.

In the end, the practice of yoga—on the mat and off the mat—is really all about practice. Practice will lead you to your truth, to the essence of who you are.

Here are just a few of the spring practices from my new book, Art of Sequencing – Volume Two, to weave into your day, week, or monthly routines:

Drink hot lemon water with a little salt in the morning to stimulate elimination.

· Meditate for 5 to 30 minutes (on melting glaciers, the image of vibrant green plant life, or new intentions).

· Exercise outdoors or do a vigorous yoga practice to break a sweat every day, with no exception. In addition to physical workouts, a steam sauna or hot tub can help release toxins.

· Try an elimination diet for two weeks (see appendix).

· In general, spring is the time to decrease heavy, oily, cold, fat-rich foods such as meat, seafood, poultry, dairy products, and foods cooked in oil. Increase your intake of foods that are bitter (like arugula), spicy (like radish), and astringent (like grapefruit) to promote cleansing of the liver, digestive organs, and blood.

· With “spring fever” in the air, it’s a great time to start new projects, take classes, plant seeds, and travel, while the energy is there for the taking.

· Practice inversions to turn your world and organs upside down. Think of your body like a jug of orange juice. If it sits in one position—upright—for too long, the pulp ends up settling to the bottom of the container. The yogis believe the same thing happens in our bodies, particularly in the organs. The pulp in this case is undigested, inorganic matter that we ingest through the air we breathe or food we eat. By flipping your body upside down, you create a gentle cleanse, where toxins or waste products get pulled by gravity from deep inside your tissues towards the center of the body. With sufficient hydration and exercise, these toxins can move out through the skin (via perspiration), exhaled breaths, urination, and bowel movements.

Read more about seasonal practices in the Art of Sequencing - Volume Two