My Health Yoga

Level 2 Teacher Training.

Mind Body Soul Nourishment.

Eating for higher consciousness & Chakra Nourishing.

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The Yoga Diet is the key to your Practice

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

Hippocrates (460 – 370 BC)

“Conquer alasya (laziness) by asanas, pranayama, and light sattvic food.”

Swami Sivananada (1887-1963)

“Of all the restrictive practices the most beneficial is mitahara, eating a moderate, sattvic diet.”

Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879 – 1950)

“When one follows the methods of asana and pranayama, there is no doubt that all diseases will be cured. But if an aspirant thinks that this will occur by his merely practicing asanas while continuing to eat rajasic [stimulating] and tamasic [heavy] foods, then he is misguided. Such a course will actually lead to an increase in sickness… of the sattvic foods; only those that are ripe (tanu) should be eaten. Thus, pure and pleasant foods should be consumed...”

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Yoga Mala p. 94

Food with a High Vibration Results in a Higher Consciousness.

As one goes through life, eating out of necessity becomes a routine; breakfast, lunch and dinner. If the habit of eating includes foods that are not good for our bodies, it lowers its energetic vibration making us vulnerable to sickness and disease. This is the danger of unconscious eating.

Everything in the universe has a vibration; this includes rocks, trees, plants, minerals, animals, people and so on. These are all measurable in hertz (Hz). Hertz, is named after the scientist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz; he was the first physicist to produce radio waves artificially. He proved the existence of electromagnetic waves; and determined that one hertz is equal to one cycle per second. Everything in the universe is energy; there are no exceptions, for example; a rock may have a low dense vibration, but an apple has a much higher vibration.

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Eating nutritiously is important, but what seems to be ignored is the value of foods high in vibration. When eating fresh fruits and vegetables off the plant, tree or vine, the vibrational benefit of the food is maximized. Food shipped long distances lose their vibrational value, as they are picked long before they ripen; meaning they did not get the sunlight required to maximize the vibrational quality of it. It’s important to eat organic and local food as much as possible, because the energy in these foods is of a high vibration and thus will help keep the body light rather than dense. Furthermore it will reduce the carbon footprint since local food does not require long distance shipping.

A dense body is undesirably and unconsciously achieved in most modern high stress, and cosmopolitan cities. Here the food choices available are not very high in water or vibration, are filled with sodium content, often bottled, tinned or frozen. The food choices offered on the majority of city corners are almost exclusively of a low-density vibration.

When one eats organic food directly from the plant, the plant is rich in nutrients from the sun. The sun is the key to everything, as it charges these foods to reach their maximum health benefit. These foods are at their optimum when picked ripe right off their tree or plant however most fast food restaurants, large grocery food chains, even middle of the line eateries offer food that is of a very low vibrational quality, thus adding to the density

2 of the body. Chronically lowering the vibration or hertz in the body can result in sickness, obesity, stress, health issues and eventually death.

A healthy human body operates at 62 to 72 hertz. By raising the vibration of the body is possible to eradicate disease, virus, fungi and bacteria. Emotions become pleasant and positive and negative thoughts and emotions do not appear in the thought pattern.

Foods to avoid are the ones with little to no vibrational value; any processed foods, white flour, processed sugar, tinned foods, frozen foods and especially fast foods because they contain most if not all of the above items. Other items to avoid with either no or little vibrational value; cigarettes, hard liquor, pasteurized cow milk, infant formulas, pharmaceutical drugs, radiation of any kind (x-ray for example), and most meats, such as; beef, chicken, lamb and pork, microwaved food, genetically modified food, any artificial sweeteners, margarine and lards, and any foods containing additives.

Foods high in vibration are; fresh organic fruits and vegetables, pure clean water, sea vegetation and raw honey. Other foods that have good vibrational value; maple syrup, cooked vegetables (blanched to retain optimum vibration), raw nuts and seeds, raw oils, such as cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, and hemp oil.

When having a meal, do so consciously and in moderation with foods that keep the body more alkaline, as the more acid in the body, the more problems can occur, as acidic foods tend to be of dense vibration.

Always give thanks and bless your food before eating and even while preparing and cooking it. Therefore it’s a good idea to make your kitchen space a special, almost sacred place because when one practices this, it will lift the vibration of our food.

When eating it’s also important to create an ambience of peacefulness. Light some beeswax candles, put on quiet music, do not argue at the dinner table, eat food slowly and chew well, this will enable proper digestion of the food.

The choice is clear, stay away from fast foods, heavy meats, processed food, large amounts of sodium and sugar in the diet, and head towards a leaner, higher vibrational diet. The results will be a lighter, less dense body, higher consciousness levels, a direct feed of intuition from one’s higher self, and living your life’s purpose.

The results will most likely aid one in turning their life around. Practise the art of patience and intent regarding this new approach to food; and it will result in tremendous spiritual, mental and physical gains to lead a better, more divinely driven existence.

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AHIMSA. Do no harm to others. Do no harm to yourself.

The word ahimsa is often translated as nonviolence in the West, but the principle, which literally means "non-harming," has a broader meaning. Ahimsa involves an active stance to reduce the amount of harm going on in the world with a dynamic compassion for all life and the whole living planet. Ahimsa is acting from an empathetic identification born of a reverence for life that affects every facet of our existence. It involves a personal responsibility to work for the well being of all sentient creatures. Ahimsa is a practice that strives for less and less disorder and pain in the world, as we do our best to live with increasing harmony, compassion, and love.

A peaceful way of life actively creates six aspects of ahimsa:

(1) Compassion and non-cruelty toward animals

(2) Preserving the Earth and its ecology

(3) Feeding the hungry

(4) Preserving life

(5) Preservation of health

(6) Inspiring peace

When we eat, we are biting into the living planet. What we eat is the consciousness of the living Earth. If our eating process is not based on love and compassion, all of our other actions are bound to suffer. In the act of eating we are partaking of the entire universe and demonstrating our oneness with the Universe and Life.

KIRLIAN photography and Vital force.

Based on analysis using a technique known as Kirlian photography, researchers have discovered that the energy fields surrounding raw, organic produce are stronger and more uniform than the energy fields surrounding cooked, conventional produce.

This discovery was made possible by an earlier one stumbled upon by the late Semyon Kirlian, a Russian inventor, back in 1939. Kirlian learned that, when connected to a source of voltage, an object placed in contact with a photovoltaic plate would produce a corresponding image of that object. And the resulting image will also contain a visual display of the object’s electrical “aura,” that both surrounds and emanating from it.

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All living things generate and emit energy fields. Photons of light, electromagnetic frequencies, heat, sound, and scent are all emitted from our bodies in direct relationship to our internal states. This wonderful and subtle system of exchange contains a wealth of information.

The theory behind this energy field is that the stronger and more vibrant it is, the healthier and more “alive” the object. And based on this theory, it has been observed that the energy field of an apple, for instance, is the strongest right after it has first been picked. The longer it remains off the tree, the weaker its energy field becomes.

In the documentary “The Beautiful Truth”, a team of scientists used Kirlian photography to analyse various foods. They found that organic foods emitted a clearly more vibrant and harmonious energy field than conventional foods. Raw foods also fared better in the energy department than cooked and pasteurized foods, the latter of which appeared duller and less uniform than their raw counterparts.

If this energy field is truly indicative of a food’s “vital force,” then it appears as though whole, clean foods eaten as close as possible to the way nature intended are more life-giving than over processed, pesticide ridden foods. It also means that simply counting calories and looking at ingredient content are not enough to determine the true nutritional and life-giving capacity of food.

We humans actually have a vital symbiotic relationship with plants. We provide CO2, they provide O2. We provide nutrients through 5 the recycling of our bodies and they provide nutrients for us to assimilate by absorbing sunlight through photosynthesis. It makes sense then, with such a close relationship, that plants then should play an important role in our diets.

Dr. Emoto’s Water Experiment: The Power of Thoughts.

Through the 1990′s, Dr. Masaru Emoto performed a series of experiments observing the physical effect of words, prayers, music and environment on the crystalline structure of water. Dr. Emoto hired photographers to take pictures of water after being exposed to the different variables and subsequently frozen so that they would form crystalline structures. The results were nothing short of remarkable.

For example:

After observing these results, Dr. Emoto went on to type out different words, both positive and negative in nature, and taped them to containers full of water. The results were as follows:

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As you can tell, the water stamped with positive words is far more symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing than that stamped with dark, negative phrases. As current Yoga students, you probably already knew that positive and negative thinking have a major impact on the surrounding environment. That concept is relatively easy to grasp, but this extremely tangible evidence of it is astounding. If the words and thoughts that come out of us have this effect on water crystals, it’s amazing to think of what kind of effect they have on the people and events that come into our lives.

What Does This All Mean?

With regard to the molecular structure of water, our intent, thoughts, words, ideas and music have a profound healing or destructive effect on the water. Since the human body is 75% water, it means that what we think creates our reality, not just emotionally but physically. Since the planet is also 75% water, these experiments have profound implications for the environment as well.

This is at the heart of what we as Yogis do. We teach people that we can change the subtle energies within and around us with every thought, action and emotion. With negative thoughts and emotions, we put detrimental energies into our own beings and into our living environments. Positive, joy-filled thoughts and emotions put beneficial energies into our beings and into our living environment. Most of us are unconsciously surrounding and filling ourselves with what we don’t want in our lives, what we fear and what makes us angry. Then we unwittingly attract what we don’t want into our lives. Once we understand this, we can take charge of the process.

We can learn to use harmonious intent to put beneficial energies into your body, into substances, such as food and water, into objects, such as crystals, and into your living environment. You can bless things with unique energy vibrations as defined by your intent. 7

You can also change detrimental energies into beneficial energies, all with the power of prayer and blessing. You can literally learn to surround yourself with what you desire to bring into to your life rather than what you fear.

Chakra Nourishment.

The human body's system consists of sensory, breathing, circulation, digestion, reproduction and secretion systems. There are six corresponding chakras for these bodily functions. The brain and the whole “being” also have one chakra, for a total of 7 major chakras. These chakras are situated at the top of the head, forehead, throat, heart, solar plexus, the navel, and at the bottom of the pelvis. Every chakra has a corresponding organ in our physical system.

The chakras change energy from one level to another by distributing ki, or “life energy,” (also called chi or prana, depending on the belief system) to the physical body. Physical problems are often the result of a blockage in the energy flow in the system, made up of meridians and chakras, causing the organs or glands to not function properly.

Balancing the Chakras Through Food

All energy in our body comes from light, the rays from the sun. It sustains us, transforms us, vitalizes us, rejuvenates us, and warms us. The rays of the sun fall onto the earth at different vibrations in the form of colours. Each of our chakras also resonates with a different colour. The energy of light has an intimate connection with our bodies. As the sunrays fall onto the earth, these vibrations are expressed through the colour of the plant, vegetable, or flower. Each colour holds an energy that nourishes the individual chakras. Eating a variety of colours with each meal is important in keeping the chakras balanced through food.

1. Root Chakra (Muladhara).

The root chakra is the home of a stable, slow vibration that enables one to be grounded in the workings of the world on a physical level. A healthy root chakra will promote core feelings of being part of a tribe or community, and it anchors the body in feelings of trust, safety, and protection.

This chakra corresponds to our fundamental survival

8 needs, such as food and shelter and your ability to feel safe, and secure. Located at the tip of the coccyx (tailbone), this chakra is associated with the colour red.

Root vegetables grow deep within the earth, and embody the energy of this chakra. Root vegetables help us to tap into our internal, lower core to create stability. Examples of such foods include beets, parsnips, turnip and edible and medicinal mushrooms. Any red fruits or vegetables, such as apples or pomegranates, also support the first chakra. Protein can also be associated with this chakra because the lengthy process of digestion can be very grounding.

Health Associations: Responsible for body systems that provide physical structure, allowing for meaningful contact with the Earth: joints, bones, muscle, legs, and feet. Oversees the boundaries of the body through an internal and external defence system represented by the immune system and skin.

Physical Body: The root chakra belongs with the large intestine and the rectum. It also has a certain influence on the function of the kidneys. The root chakra is associated with the adrenal gland.

Metaphysical Body: The root chakra is our source of grounding and connection to the Mother Earth.

2. Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana).

The sacral chakra houses the dynamic, creative force that circulates creativity, sexuality, sensuality, and emotions through all layers of the self. It connects us to the world through movement, sensation, desire, and feelings. It’s associated with orange colour.

A healthy sacral chakra will assist in wielding and manifesting raw creativity into an external form, including through relationships with another. It’s located two inches below the navel and rooted in the spine.

One of the most important things you can do to help balance this chakra is drink sufficient water. It is closely associated with the water element in our bodies. Our kidneys, associated with the navel chakra, are filtering 150 -180 litres of blood every 24 hours. If you are getting enough water, they function much more efficiently.

Sacral Chakra Healing Foods: Fats and oils, tropical fruits, seeds, nuts, orange-coloured foods (oranges, tangerines, carrots, etc.) 9

Health Associations: Responsible for the liquid functions of the body: kidneys, bladder, and large intestine. Oversees the "creativity" of the body through the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, as well as cell division and growth.

Physical Body: The navel chakra belongs to the reproductive system, the testicles and ovaries, the urinary bladder and the kidneys.

Metaphysical Body: The navel chakra is our source of creativity and sexuality.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura).

The solar plexus chakra contains fiery, transformative energy that radiates the essence of the self to the outside world, harmonizing the inner and outer environments. A healthy solar plexus chakra will manifest as a brilliant expression of personal power accompanied by balanced energy flow and clear perceptions of life situations.

Located just below the xiphoid process, a small cartilaginous extension of the lower part of the sternum is the solar plexus chakra. The third chakra is responsible for the transformative functions of the body. If your digestion isn’t working properly, even if you eat a good meal, you won’t receive all of the nutrients from it. It is here in this chakra that so many imbalances begin.

This chakra is associated with the colour yellow. To gain a clearer sense of purpose and end procrastination, incorporate more yellow fruits and vegetables into your meals, such as yellow sweet peppers, yellow lentils, corn, yellow sweet peppers etc.

It’s important to avoid processed white sugar for this chakra, as it will hinder its ability to perform. Eat more complex carbohydrates like oats, or spelt, millet or brown rice. One thing to note is that exercise forces digestion to work better; aside from food, daily exercise will also be important here.

Health Associations: Responsible for the transformative functions of the body, including the digestive organs: oesophagus, stomach, pancreas, small intestines, liver, and gallbladder. Oversees the "energy exchange" of the body through the generation of energy, which is supplied by cell structures known as mitochondria (often referred to as "powerhouses of the cell").

Physical Body: The solar plexus chakra relates to the liver, gall bladder, stomach, spleen, small intestine, and pancreas. It is associated with digestion. 10

Metaphysical Body: The solar plexus chakra has to do with identity and self-esteem. The solar plexus chakra controls motivation, ambition, and willpower.

4. Heart Chakra (Anahata).

The heart chakra emits a loving, compassionate rhythm that translates pure feeling into emotional wisdom, discernment, and kindness. A healthy heart chakra will funnel love into everything, including yourself, others, and the planet.

The essence of light is love, and love is what nourishes all of the chakras. In ancient scriptures, they describe a place within the heart where the soul dwells: “Within the heart there is a luminous consciousness which is intelligent, imperishable and radiant.” The heart chakra is the source of a loving, compassionate vibration that transforms feelings into emotional wisdom, kindness, and compassion. A healthy heart chakra has the power to transform love into healing for all.

Because love is the most nourishing energy, the heart chakra has the ability to balance all the other chakras through its expression of love. The colour of this chakra is green.

Health Associations: Responsible for the circulatory functions of the body, including the heart, lungs, lymphatic system, and blood vessels. Oversees the nurturing functions of the body through the breasts, shoulders, arms, and hands.

Heart Chakra Healing Foods: Vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, cabbage, and leafy greens), sprouts, raw foods, foods rich in chlorophyll, plant compounds like phytoestrogens and phytosterols, any green-coloured foods. Also, when we cook with love, it infuses the food with this vibration and nourishes not just the body but also the soul by balancing all of the chakras.

Physical Body: The heart chakra belongs to the heart, the arms, and the thymus. The thymus is a small organ in your upper chest. The thymus helps the body make a type of white blood cell and is primarily active before birth and childhood.

Metaphysical Body: The heart chakra is related to our ability to love and is a source of compassion.

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5.Throat Chakra. (Visudha).

The throat chakra contains a communicative vibration that resonates truth. This voice acknowledges free will and the senses, and it gives us our ability to make decisions and to surrender to a higher spiritual presence. A healthy throat chakra will serve as the portal to communicate and express the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of the other chakras through sound in a way that is authentic and true. The colour of this chakra is blue.

Health Associations: Responsible for the sensory apparatus of the body, including the lips, tongue, nose, mouth, and ears, as well as the vehicles of voice and breath like the larynx, pharynx, and throat. Also oversees the integration functions of the body through its command of metabolism through the thyroid gland, and through the coordination of the multitude of functions (e.g. chewing, swallowing, breathing, smelling, etc.) occurring in the throat area.

Throat Chakra Healing Foods: Sea vegetables, fruits, juices, soups, sauces, (which bring together different elements like water and earth), and foods from different ethnic groups. The throat chakra encourages variety of foods. Kelp, blueberries and blue raspberries also encourage balance in the throat chakra.

Physical Body: The throat chakra is responsible for the sensory organs of the body, including the lips, tongue, nose, mouth, and ears, as well as the larynx and pharynx. It has a very important effect on metabolism as it corresponds to the thyroid gland.

Metaphysical Body: The throat chakra is what links our heart and mind, and is the seed of expression for our truth.

6. Third Eye Chakra. (Ajna)

The third eye chakra is the seat of mystical, intuitive knowing that spirals forth the awareness that we are spiritual beings connected to universal wisdom and truth. A healthy third eye chakra will encourage the path of internal visions and dreams, with the realization that they are Divinely guided and inspired.

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A healthy third eye chakra will create the path of internal visions and dreams, a heightened intuition with the realization of spiritual guidance and inspiration. The colours of this chakra are violet and indigo.

Health Associations: Responsible for hormone function and secretion, sleep/wake cycles, and dreaming. Oversees the perception functions of the body through the brain, eyes, and neurotransmitters.

Third Eye Chakra Healing Foods: Organic coffee, tea, chocolate, spices, wine, purple-red foods (purple potatoes, red onions, blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes, etc.)

Physical Body: The third eye chakra belongs to the brain, face, nose and eyes. It’s responsible for hormone function and secretion through the pituitary gland and sleep/wake cycles. The third eye chakra controls the perception functions of the body through the brain, eyes, and neurotransmitters.

Metaphysical Body: The third eye chakra is our intuitive or psychic centre.

7. Crown Chakra. (Sahasrara).

The crown chakra is home to the pure essence that connects to the Universe. A healthy crown chakra will manifest as the ability for individuals to be confident in their faith in a Higher Power, higher self, or in a force that is highly intelligent and creative.

The crown chakra infuses the body with life force, allowing the entire individual to function as a divine creature. It oversees all the functions of the body through the central nervous system.

Foods like plum and eggplant can nourish this chakra. This chakra is different than the rest in one way: The crown chakra is in some ways more "spirit" than "matter." Therefore, the crown chakra thrives on the sustenance that comes from water, sunlight, air and love.

Chakra Colours: White, lavender.

Health Associations: Responsible for infusing the body with life force, allowing the entire individual to function as a divine creature, intelligent and connected to Spirit. Oversees the "electrical" functions of the body through the central nervous system.

Physical Body: The crown chakra can be associated with the pineal gland; a small endocrine gland located in the brain, but is related to the whole being. It is the master chakra. 13

Metaphysical Body: The crown chakra is our connection to our higher spirituality, our higher self.

SATVIC FOODS AND ASCENTION.

The Three Gunas in Ayurveda.

According to Ayurveda, medicines and foods are Sattvic, Rajasic or Tamasic or a combination of these Gunas. The Gunas are three fundamental attributes that represent the natural evolutionary process through which the subtle becomes gross. In turn, gross objects, by action and interaction among themselves, may again become subtle. Sattva (the quality of love, light and life), Raja (the quality of activity and passion, lacking stability) and Tamas (the quality of darkness and inertia, dragging us into ignorance and attachment).

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Sattvic Food

Gives rise to clarity, calmness of mind and spiritual growth. It is fresh, light and naturally tasty, and includes most fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, whole grains, honey, pure water and milk (if produced organically). Given the amount of pesticides and chemical fertilisers used on commercial crops, only organic products qualify as Sattvic and not tinned or frozen foods. Sattvic foods will provide the body with energy without taxing it (unlike coffee, for example, which will provide an energy boost but is actually overworking the adrenals, and is recognized by the body as a toxin which must be released). A Sattvic diet, also referred to as a yoga diet or sentient diet, is a diet based on foods that according to Ayurveda, are strong in the sattva guna, and lead to clarity and equanimity of mind while also being beneficial to the body.

This is the chosen diet for the serious Yogis, who are interested in spiritual growth, transcendence of their lower nature and mastery of the mind.

Rajasic Food

Feeds the body, yet creates over-activity and therefore induces a restless mind. These foods disturb the equilibrium of the mind and are generally to be avoided by yoga practitioners. Rajasic foods include overly spicy foods, excess consumption of coffee and tea (excluding herbal teas), and chocolate, as well as most processed foods. Eating too fast, on the run, whilst doing another activity like driving or watching TV, or with an anxious or over-active mind is also considered Rajasic. Rajasic food should be avoided by those whose aim is peace of mind, but will benefit people with an active lifestyle, or who need to keep up with the pace of the modern world (as contrast to saints who can survive on Sattvic food alone). A little Rajasic food can be Sattvic, for example, hot spices can help digestion, and therefore help create peace of mind!

Stimulant foods, also called mutative foods, mutable foods or Rajasic foods, are foods that often provoke mental restlessness. They are not completely beneficial, nor are they harmful, to body or mind. Foods that cannot be categorized as either sentient or static are classified in this food group.

These foods are thought by some to cause aggressive and dominating thoughts, especially towards others. Stimulant foods energize and develop the manipura (navel) chakra and body but do not promote advancement in the higher chakras.

Such foods include: caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea (both black and green), cola drinks, energy drinks, brown or black chocolate, gingko biloba, spicy food, and salt. 15

Tamasic Food

Promotes heaviness of the body and dullness of the mind, and ultimately benefits neither. It includes alcohol, drugs and tobacco as well as junk and processed foods and also foods that are stale, rotten or overripe. Overeating is also considered tamasic. The yogic way is to fill the stomach half with food, one quarter with water, leaving the last quarter empty. With the last quarter of the stomach empty, it is said that spirit can fill this space. Consuming tamasic foods is to be avoided or the body will have difficulty resisting and fighting disease. Ingesting tamasic foods also leads to an angry mind, dark emotions and a tendency to act in a destructive way.

Tamasic foods, also called sedative or static foods according to Ayurveda. They are harmful to either mind or body. Harm to mind includes anything that will lead to a duller, less refined state of consciousness. Bodily harm includes any foods that will cause detrimental stress to any physical organ directly or indirectly (via any physical imbalance).

They are, however, sometimes necessary during times of great physical stress and pain. They help dull the pain and lower consciousness, allowing the body to repair itself. Such static foods may be deemed necessary in times of war or great distress.

Static foods stimulate and strengthen the lower two chakras, but will not assist in beneficial development of the higher chakras. In fact they are usually detrimental to the advancement of the higher chakras.

Such foods include: meat, fish, fertilized eggs, alcoholic beverages, processed foods, opium, refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, drugs, and stale foods.

Yoga and the 3 Doshas

Ayurveda recognizes that health is a state of balance between the body, mind, and consciousness. In ancient times, food was considered medicine. The principles of healthy eating were well known and the healing properties of foods and herbs were used to correct imbalances.

One of the most important aspects of the system of Ayurveda is the tridoshas, or forces that generate and maintain physical and mental health:

Vata (air-space): sustains the body and originates every kind of physical movement in the body. It controls the mind and senses and causes elimination of wastes.

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Pitta (fire-water): responsible for digestion, heat, the digestive fire, and the formation of blood.

Kapha (earth-water): nourishes and lubricates the body, maintains sexual potency, and lends mental balance to the individual.

Equal proportions of two ('bidoshic) or all doshas ('tridoshic') is also possible.

Dine for your doshic imbalance

Regardless of body type, imbalances of any dosha can occur in response to lifestyle factors. For example: naturally athletic pittas can lose weight due to vata excess, or gain weight as a result of kapha excess. Ayurveda repairs imbalances predominantly with herbal remedies, warm oil massages, yoga, and lifestyle changes, particularly diet.

The Ayurvedic diet identifies six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Each taste has different energetic effects on the mind and body; either aggravating or pacifying particular doshas. For example, considering Ayurveda's theory of 'like increase like', someone with pitta excess may add fuel to the fire by consuming hot, spicy food

Balancing vata

When vata is aggravated, your system becomes irregular and depleted, which affects weak organs and tissues.

Signs of vata imbalance:

• Constipation • Respiratory afflictions • Dehydration • Anxious • Craving warmth • Frequent viral infection • Weight loss • Disturbed sleep

Excessive consumption of bitter, astringent and spicy tastes contribute to vata imbalance. It’s recommended to pacifying with sweet, sour and salty tastes and warm, moist, easily digestible foods like:

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• Boiled or steamed starchy vegetables (moderate broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and leafy vegetables) • Warm milk (moderate dairy) • Soupy grains: rice, wheat • Mild spices: cumin, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel, coriander, salt, cloves, mustard, black pepper • Tea: camomile, fennel, ginger, liquorice, lemon • Nourishing soups, casseroles and dahls are great for balancing vata, particular during winter.

Name postures/yoga styles/flows that would alleviate excess Vata.

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Balancing pitta

When pitta is unbalanced, you can become aggressive and irritable. Internalising that fire can increase your self-critic, resulting in perfectionism.

Signs of imbalance:

• Diarrhoea • Over-heating, profuse sweating • Colourful, violent dreams • Excessive hunger • Frequent bacterial infections • Heartburn

Pitta imbalance may result from excessive alcohol or hot, spicy, oily, fried, salty, fermented foods. Rebalancing can be achieved with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and cool, heavy foods including:

• Boiled, steamed, raw vegetables • Sweet fruits • Moderate amounts of dairy • Soupy grains: rice, wheat, barley, oats • Mild, cooling spices: coriander, cardamom, cloves, turmeric, cumin, curry leaves, mint • Tea: fennel, camomile, peppermint, spearmint, liquorice, red clover 18

Name postures/yoga styles/flows that would alleviate excess Pitta.

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Balancing kapha

When kapha is unbalanced, there is a tendency for mental and physical stagnation. Stimulation of all kinds helps to avoid that heavy, lethargic feeling.

Signs of imbalance:

• Sluggish bowels • Procrastination • Craving warmth, spicy foods • Frequent candida • Water retention • Weight gain • Excessive sleep

Excessive food consumption can contribute to kapha imbalance; it’s recommended a light, warm, low-fat diet of pungent, bitter and astringent tastes like:

• Boiled, steamed, raw vegetables • Ripe fruits • Fat-free buttermilk (other dairy reduced) • Grains: corn, millet, rye, oats, barley, wheatbran • Strong spices: pepper, paprika, salt, garlic, basil, cloves, allspice, fennel, mustard, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper • Honey instead of sugar • Tea: cinnamon, fenugreek, peppermint, raspberry

Name postures/yoga styles/flows that would alleviate excess Kapha.

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Sattvic Way of Eating

What is the best time to eat?

Ayurveda says that in our manipura region (navel region) we have what is known as digestive fire (agni). This agni is closely related to the sun. When the sun is out, it means your digestion is functioning at its optimum. Always aim to eat your meals between sunrise and sunset (not before or after).

Our agni is at is strongest when the sun is at its highest in the sky, therefore breakfast and lunch should be strong and nourishing. The evening meal should be light and best eaten before the sun goes down for the day.

Conscious Eating Guidelines

Devote at least half and hour to eat and digest each meal (1.5 hours per day for eating is reasonable). Remember that one fourth of your food is taken through the eye (sense of seeing) so serve your dish on a beautiful plate - you are worth your best cutlery. It is also a nice practice to set the table you are eating at decoratively.

Gratitude

Say a small prayer before eating. It doesn’t have to be too elaborate, simply just say a small thank you for the food that you have and that is about to become part of your body.

Guidelines for Preparing Food

Prepare the food you (and others) eat with love and care. An important ingredient of the yogic diet is the vibration that is put into the food. When you chant and have a positive projection as you are preparing food, you enhance the nourishment and healing power of the food. Serve food gracefully. The act of serving others instils a consciousness and sacredness to the eating experience.

Spiritualize your cooking

Create a satvic cooking environment; view your kitchen as a sacred place. Keep it as clean and orderly as you would a temple. Pray and meditate before you cook, so you’ll cook with a centred, positive attitude and loving heart. Use cooking as a self-offering and service to yourself and others.

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Spiritualize your eating environment

When the food is ready, relax for a few moments before eating. It’s best to eat in silence, so you can concentrate on the food without distractions. If you listen to music, use soft, calming music. Treat your food with love and respect, chewing the food well to better assimilate its physical nutrients.

Guidelines for Good Digestion and Elimination

Rushed and mindless eating is an underlying problem in modern society. The solution is to eat like angels, small bites, chewed thoroughly, mixed with the saliva in the mouth, tasting the sweetness and only then swallowed.

Yogis have known for thousands of years that one of the easiest keys to health is slow conscious eating. It takes practice and we often have to retrain ourselves. Changing this habit will take some reprogramming.

• If you can’t digest it, don’t eat it. • Eat only what you can eliminate within 18-24 hours. • Stop eating before you feel full. • Rest after meals, walk after dinner. • Don’t eat after sunset. • Chew more than you think you need to. The stomach has no teeth. • Have regular eating times, and eat only when you are hungry. • Practice Yoga Asanas that enhance Digestion

Yoga asanas to aid digestion:

• Trikonasana (Triangle pose)-Improves digestion stimulates appetite and alleviates constipation. • Paschimottanasana (Forward bending pose)- Relieves digestive problems like constipation. • Pavanamuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose) - Improves gastrointestinal problems • Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half lord of the Fishes Pose) - Massages the abdominal organs, alleviating digestive ailments. • Ushtrasana (Camel pose)- It stretches the stomach and intestines, alleviating constipation.

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Ways in which Yoga affects the digestive system.

• It promotes a light and resilient body • A body that remains alert & active • Strong bones and muscles • Fat reduction • Increased physical strength • Improves appetite • Increases the capability of coping with fatigue

A great way to get relief from over-eating is sitting on the heels. Sit in Diamond Pose (Vajarasana) for a few minutes after dinner. It is said that one can digest rocks in this posture. Every time we do yoga, we are gifting ourselves an opportunity to enhance our health.

DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES – THE LANGUAGE OF PLANTS & GOD’S HANDWRITING.

The Doctrine of Signatures is a theory developed by 16th century Renaissance physician Paracelsus. The Doctrine of Signatures is profound ancient wisdom that states that every fruit and vegetable has a certain pattern that resembles a body organ, and that this pattern acts as a signal or sign as to that fruit or vegetable’s benefit to us. Modern science confirms that the ancient “Doctrine of Signatures” is astoundingly accurate.

Examples:

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function, and they look exactly like human kidneys.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop brain function.

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The cross section of a Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye. And science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flow to the eyes and aid in the general function of the eyes.

Celery looks just like bones. Celery specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don’t have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak. Foods like celery replenish the skeletal needs of the body.

Avocadoes target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female and they look like these organs. Avocadoes help women balance hormones, shed unwanted birth weight, and deter cervical cancers. It takes exactly nine months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit.

Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.

Slice a Mushroom in half and it resembles a human ear. Mushrooms have been found to improve hearing, as mushrooms are one of the few foods that contain vitamin 23

D. This particular vitamin is important for healthy bones, even the tiny ones in the ear that transmit sound to the brain.

Our lungs are made up of branches of ever-smaller airways that finish up with tiny bunches of tissue called alveoli. These structures, which resemble bunches of Grapes, allow oxygen to pass from the lungs to the blood stream. A diet high in fresh fruit, such as grapes, has been shown to reduce the risk of lung cancer and emphysema. Grape seeds also contain a chemical called proanthocyanidin, which appears to reduce the severity of asthma triggered by allergy.

Ginger, commonly sold in supermarkets, often looks just like the stomach. So its interesting that one of its biggest benefits is aiding digestion. The Chinese have been using it for over 2,000 years to calm the stomach and cure nausea, while it is also a popular remedy for motion sickness.

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycaemic index of diabetics.

NAMASTE

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