Ayurveda Beginner's Guide: Essential Ayurvedic Principles and Practices
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Praise for Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide by Susan Weis-Bohlen “Reading Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide feels like a friend taking your hand and warmly guiding you to feeling a lot better. It’s a wonderful and helpful book.” —SHARON SALZBERG, New York Times-bestselling author of Real Happiness and Real Love “Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide will take you on an effortless journey into the world of Ayurveda that promises to change your life, as it has mine!” —DR. JOHN DOUILLARD, DC, CAP, Founder of LifeSpa.com and bestselling author of Eat Wheat and The 3-Season Diet “Susan Weis-Bohlen has provided a practical and user-friendly introduction and guide to Ayurveda for the health-conscious seekers of balanced living.” —HILARY GIRAVALTIS, executive director of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and founder of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda “Susan Weis-Bohlen has translated the ancient healing system of Ayurveda into real-world, practical applications. Each page of this beautiful book lovingly guides us with profound yet easy-to-apply steps that bring our bodies back to a state of wholeness, our minds back into the present moment, and our Souls to a more peaceful vibration. Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide is a powerful, comprehensive blueprint for living a healthy, balanced, and abundant life, and I am grateful to her for sharing this timeless wisdom in such an accessible format.” —DAVIDJI, Author of Secrets of Meditation (Nautilus Book Award winner) “Susan Weis-Bohlen has a deep understanding of what is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine. She also has a unique talent for translating her knowledge of Ayurveda so that both health professionals and lay readers can gain more insight and understanding.” —BRIAN BERMAN, MD, director of the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine, founder and president of the Institute for Integrative Health “Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide introduces readers to concepts and practices that can be added to one’s daily living right away. Susan Weis- Bohlen also shares deeper aspects of this powerful healing path that she has learned and practiced over the years. This book is a guide to how ancient Eastern practices can have a healing impact in the West today.” —DR. RAMKUMAR KUTTY, co-founder of Vaidyagrama Ayurvedic Healing Village (Punarnava.org) and Punarnava Trust, India (Vaidyagrama.com) “Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide by Susan Weis-Bohlen is a gem. For those who are looking to learn more about the ancient, healing powers of Ayurveda, look no further than this wonderful resource.” —REBECCA KATZ, MS, author of The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen “If you’re looking for a new way to pursue health and wisdom, this book is your answer. Beautiful and vibrant, Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide welcomes you to an ancient path for healing. Filled with practical, doable advice for everyday living, it’s accessible, clear, engaging, and so encouraging. Your travel guide for the journey, Susan Weis-Bohlen, lives this path and walks her talk. She, too, was a beginner once and takes you on this journey with lively compassion and practical humor. Go for it!” —AMADEA MORNINGSTAR, author of Easy Healing Drinks from the Wisdom of Ayurveda (AmadeaMorningstar.net) “As a physician who practices Ayurveda, I am always asked by patients for resources that will help them delve into this beautiful and ancient science. I am truly grateful that Susan Weis-Bohlen has taken her many years of wisdom and compiled it into an easy-to-use handbook. Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide includes an overview of dosha types, lifestyle practices, dietary guidelines, recipes, yoga poses, and other balancing Ayurvedic treatments. The writing is clear and concise, and I know this book will help many readers use this ancient medicine to achieve a more optimal way of living.” —TRUPTI GOKANI, MD, award-winning, board-certified neurologist (TruptiGokanimd.com) “In Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide, Susan Weis-Bohlen skillfully translates the empowering teachings of this ancient system of wellness for a modern-day audience. Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of the artistry of Ayurveda shines forth on every page. User-friendly and approachable, this guide is a must- have for anyone interested in Ayurveda.” —FELICIA TOMASKO, RN, editor-in-chief of LA Yoga Ayurveda and Health magazine, former member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association board of directors, and former president of California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine “Clearly and concisely, Susan Weis-Bohlen offers a comprehensive introduction to Ayurveda, deftly mixing her own experience following Ayurvedic principles with explanations of its approach, long history, and range of benefits. The tone is serious, helpful and sometimes funny (as when the digestive tract tries to figure out what to do with ingested Cheez Doodles). This detailed book—full of recipes, information about yoga, meditation, medicine, and more— makes it easy for anyone to learn about Ayurveda.” —JOHN MUTTER, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Shelf Awareness Copyright © 2018 by Susan Weis-Bohlen No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Althea Press, 6005 Shellmound Street, Suite 175, Emeryville, CA 94608. 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ISBN: Print 978-1-939754-17-2 | eBook 978-1-939754-19-6 ISBN: Print 978-1-939754-17-2 | eBook 978-1-939754-19-6 R1 To my partner in Ayurveda, life, and love, my heart—Larry Introduction PART ONE An Ancient System of Healing 1 An Overview of Ayurveda 2 The Path to Healing and Wellness 3 An Overview of Ayurvedic Healing Methods 4 A Gentle 21-Day Introduction to Ayurveda PART TWO A Wide Range of Ayurvedic Healing Methods 5 Healing Ayurvedic Recipes Everyday CCF Tea Ghee Golden Milk Vata Kitchari Pitta Kitchari Kapha Kitchari Bok Choy, Tempeh, and Mushroom Stir-Fry Daikon and Tofu Summer Detox Soup Winter-Warming Whole Mung Bean Soup Urad Dal Porridge Easy Breakfast Bowl Chickpea Pick-Me-Up Crunchy Chickpeas 6 Lifestyle Practices and Yoga Poses Tongue Scraping Oil Pulling (Gandusha) Drink Hot Water with Lemon or Lime Dry Brushing Oil Massage (Abhyanga) Neti Pot Nasya Oil Aromatherapy Yoga 7 Spiritual Rituals and Practices Cooking with Mindfulness Mantra Chanting Chakra Chanting Breath Work (Pranayama) Meditation Earthing Sun Gazing Foot Washing and Oil Massage (Kansa Vatki) Head Oiling Sex 8 Seasonal Adjustments and All-Season Cleanse Late Fall/Early Winter (Vata) Seasonal Adjustments Late Winter/Spring (Kapha) Seasonal Adjustments Summer (Pitta) Seasonal Adjustments All-Season Cleanse 9 Medicinal Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments Top Ayurvedic Medicinal Herbs Common Ailments Appendix A: Common Ayurvedic Cooking Ingredients Appendix B: The Three Universal Qualities and the Five Sheaths Resources References Acknowledgments About the Author INTRODUCTION n 2004, I opened a metaphysical bookstore in my hometown of IBaltimore, Maryland. Although business was sailing along, I felt unsatisfied in a few core areas of my life, including my health and relationships. I began to think about a way forward that would be more fulfilling and sustainable. The answer came to me in 2007 in the form of Ayurveda. Before I embraced Ayurveda, my weight had always been an issue for me; I began dieting when I was only 14 years old.