Ayurveda (Blog Post)

(2020)

2016

When I was in Northern India, I remember laying on the fold down bed of the sleeper train either going from Varanasi to Rishikesh or vice versa. The quiet time gave me the space to start reading Dr Lad’s, Ayurveda for Self Healing book. I absorbed the first few pages since it resonated with my yoga and spiritual journey but I then quickly became aware of the depths of the authentic Ayurveda. As it was too complex for me to digest there and then, I closed the book and did something else.

2019

I was seeking some Ayurvedic support, having been poorly. Already having a very connected Yoga practise, it was obvious to me that Ayurveda would compliment my wellness and spiritual journey. As I pondered my next steps, I remembered a connection I made in 2016 at an Iyengar class in London, she was Ayurvedic Practitioner Geeta Vara. After reaching out to Geeta, I soon had a consultation with her. My mind drifted into the memories of my time in India two years ago where I experienced ayurveda for the first time at Yog-Ganga (Rajpur, Northern India). This was a great start for me. Anyway, Geeta gently guided me towards healing my imbalanced Vata. (Vata alongside Pitta and Kapha and Vata are the doshas and these doshas are the bio-energetic forces that reside with each one of us).

Since working with Geeta until now, I have been able to establish so much more balance in myself and a real breakthrough in my wellness journey. The following have been a few of the implementations to help heal my imbalanced vata:

-Daily rituals and routine including regular meal times

-Sound healing and many points of reflection to validate and support my spiritual growth

-Spending time with nature: trees and water in particular

-Diet specifications, conscious eating and herbs where necessary

I check in with Geeta every few months now and she is a teacher who’s clearly a devotee of Ayurveda in its truest form . I appreciate that I may have only scratched the surface of Ayurveda. I suppose it has led me to learn more subtle aspects within and around vedic practices such as the practical use of a few of the marma points or home cleansing practises. It’s such a joy that Yoga and Ayurveda are parallel life sciences under the same umbrella of vedic wisdom.