Ayurveda: The Art of Being

In this amazing documentary. Ayurveda is explored and explained in great detail.

I should warn you, it’s a full length documentary, but it’s sooooo worth the time to watch it.

Enjoy!

Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

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Originally posted 2008-05-16 08:22:21. Republished by Old Post Promoter

More Ayurvedic Information for Beginners

Once you get past the intro, this video has some good information on what it means to live an Ayurvedic lifestyle.

 

Hope you enjoy it!

Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

Originally posted 2008-05-09 08:18:27. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Dosha Diets (Part 3 – Kapha)

Generally speaking, it is important for all doshas to allow time for each meal. To sit at a table, chew food thoroughly, and relax to allow for good digestion.

While this is obviously not typical of the American lifestyle, the more you can do to achieve this, the better off you’ll be. ________________________

Kapha doshas: here are some guidelines to get you started. Keep in mind, however, that for a true evaluation of what is good for you as an individual, you should see an Ayurvedic practitioner.

• Cook with ghee in very small quantities. Overall, you need to stay far away from most fats. You do need some for general health, but for Kaphas, a little goes a long way         

• Eat broth based foods such as vegetable soups         

• Eat lots of veggies         

• Stay away from all sugars, including indredients ending in “ose” (i.e. sucrose, fructose, etc.). Also avoid corn syrup. The only allowable sweetener for Kaphas is honey. But this should also be used in small quantities         

• Flush toxins from your body by drinking warm water all day long

Food list – This list is a general overview. Some foods listed here may not be appropriate a Kapha dosha simply because of an individual’s current constitution. Please see an Ayurvedic practitioner for an exact list of foods that appropriate just for you. 

Dairy: Margarine, mayo, ghee (in moderations)

Oils: Olive oil (in moderation)

Drinks: coffee, lemonade, mineral water, tea and wine

Meats: Chicken, goose, lamb and pheasant

Again, this is just a loose description of what you should eat. Each person will be different and unique. But it will give you a place to start.

To your health
Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

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Originally posted 2008-05-07 22:59:18. Republished by Old Post Promoter

The Doshas (Part 2 – Vata)

In part one, I covered the Kapha dosha. Now I’d like to take a look at the characteristics of the Vata dosha. (see: what dosha’s are for further explanation) For a great quiz to help you figure out what your dosha is, visit www.whatsyourdosha.com.

Here is a simplified overview of the Vata dosha.

Element: Air and Space

Constitution:Vata people are generally not overweight. They tend to stay slim, and are generally tall or short, with few being of “average” size. They are bony people with lots of energy.  They tend to be creative, and are usually “on the go”. They learn easily, but don’t retain information over the long haul very well.  These people have a lot of nervous energy to burn off, and tend to worry about life’s roller coaster ride quite frequently. They find their refuge in their spiritual studies.

Skin and Hair: Everything about them tends to be thin/small, including their hair and eyes, and they usually have dry skin.

Sleep:Vatas are natures natural insomniacs!

Movement:Always on the go, Vata’s rarely have enough time for themselves.

Personality:The Vata person is a flighty. They change their minds a lot, and are generally unreliable.

It’s important to know that you can be a mixture of different doshas. You can have to much, or not enough of one or more doshas. So it’s worthwhile taking a test to figure out which one you are.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of Ayurvedic practitioners across the US! We’ll have it up on our web site by next week!

Coming soon: Part 3 – Pitta Dosha

Originally posted 2008-03-17 21:33:33. Republished by Old Post Promoter

The Doshas (Part 1 – Kapha)

 

So we covered what dosha’s are, now lets look at each dosha! Knowing your dosha can help start you down the path to balance in body, mind and spirit. For a great dosha quiz to help you figure out what your dosha is, visit www.whatsyourdosha.com.

Being a Kapha dosha myself, I thought I would start there with this series of posts. So what does it mean to be Kapha?

Element: Water and Earth

Constitution:Kapha people tend to gain weight very easily, and are slow to take it off.  They love to be couch potatoes. It can be very difficult for a Kapha person to get going. They are great at sports, and have wonderful stamina. But getting them to play sports or exercise is more than half the battle. These are the people who don’t go to the gym because the drive there just seems to be a bit to much.

Skin and Hair: They often have oily skin, and thick luxurious hair. They have larger “doe”eyes and typically have strong nails. (I wish this was part of my constitution!)

Sleep:Kapha people have to be careful not to sleep to much. Sleep is a very intoxicating concept to us Kaphas. We love our bed and pillow!

Movement:Kapha doshas are generally slow in movement. They tend to take their time getting places and doing things. They don’t like to be pushed, and do not take well to change.

Personality:Most doshas are very loyal, forgiving and trustworthy people. They are very slow to anger and tend to stay calm in most situations. They learn slowly, but once they know something, they never forget it.

It’s important to know that you can be a mixture of different doshas. You can have to much, or not enough of one or more doshas. So it’s worthwhile taking a test to figure out which one you are.

Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of Ayurvedic practitioners across the US! We’ll have it up on our web site by next week!

Coming soon: Part 2 – Vata Dosha

Originally posted 2008-03-13 17:28:10. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Pancakes for your dosha

I love pancakes. So when I thought I could no longer have pancakes following an ayurvedic diet, I was just a tad bit upset. But then I did a little research, and found that with just a few adjustments, I could still have my favorite breakfast food! Yippeee!!!

Here are pancake recipes for each of the doshas. I should warn you that if you are looking for a “bisquix” recipe, you will be a bit disappointed. But believe it or not, there was life (and pancakes) before bisquix. Frankly, I like these much better. While these recipes won’t produce the “fluffy” pancakes so many people are used to, the flavor of these delicious breakfast goodies far outweighs the fluffy factor in my book.

Vata: Rice or wheat flour, 2 eggs, milk, 2 tbsp. ground almonds or almond extract

Pitta: Oat or rice flour, milk or soy milk, sesame seeds

Kapha: Buckwheat or soy flour, coconut milk, ground coconut

For all doshas: place 2 cups flour in a bowl, and stir in remaining ingredients in order listed, until you have a nice medium thick batter. Fry in a non-stick pan using ghee in dosha appropriate amounts.

Let me know how these turn out for you!

Namaste
Tiffany

 

 

 
Find peace and balance. Unveil your bliss with Ayurvedic bath and body products.
Personal Alchemy offers botanical bath salts, ritual massage oils, healing balms and body creams.

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Originally posted 2008-06-23 07:47:08. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Beauty in Balance

The article even includes a quiz to help you figure out what your dosha is, and what to do once you know. Can’t get the magazine? Take our dosha quiz here!

Originally posted 2008-02-29 20:35:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Ayurveda and Children

Having had a baby myself just 8 months ago, I’ve watched him carefully to see which dosha he may be.

It astounds me how “dosha specific” a child can be from day one, if he is observed closely enough.

Generally speaking, here are some examples of how the doshas will show themselves in children, and how you can best approach a child of a specific dosha.

Vata children tend to be almost ”elf-like” in appearance. Slight, and sometimes, even frail looking, these wispy kids don’t stay with one thing for very long. They tend to change toys or games very quickly, losing interest almost before the game’s begun. There just always seems to be something more interesting somewhere else. These kids aren’t concerned with eating, in the least. They eat barely enough to feed a bird.

The best way to approach these kids is to have plenty for them to do, but also, teach them how to calm down. These children need a point in their day, when they can quiet their minds and relax. Often, this is best done around nap time or bed time. But any time of the day that works for you and your child, will benefit them immensely, and teach them a valuable lesson for the future.

Pitta Children are passionate kids. They often have very emotional temper tantrums. They can be very dramatic and very competitive. That said, they usually don’t go to extremes in anything they do, unless your talking about temper. The pitta child will have an average build, and an average appetite.

The best way to approach these kids is to get them involved in team sports. They need an outlet for their competitive nature. But at home, it will be vital to teach them that life isn’t all competition. Another vital lesson for these kids is “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, as these kids can be judgmental from time to time as well.

Kapha kids really are teddy bears in the truest sense of the phrase. They tend to be of “thicker” stature, and are very easy-going, cuddly kids. They have a very good appetite, and will usually eat whatever they can get their hands on. They tend to enjoy quieter activities, and given the chance, will sit in front of the TV all day long with a bag of chips.

The best way to approach these kids is to get them up and moving. Playing out doors is vital for kapha kids. They need the movement and exercise, although they may not always immediately enjoy the idea of leaving their comfy couch. They actually have great stamina once they get moving. But keep in mind, that competition can be intimidating for these lil’ guys. Sports that don’t include competition are much more likely to be enjoyed. Also, be sure that the foods available to them are healthy and appropriate for the kapha dosha, since gaining weight can be a real issue for these darlings.

What do you do to help your kids learn to stay balanced? Comment here, or email me!

Namaste
Tiffany

 

Find peace and balance. Unveil your bliss with Ayurvedic bath and body products. Personal Alchemy offers botanical bath salts, ritual massage oils, healing balms and body creams.

 ____________________________________________________

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Like this blog?
Personal Alchemy now offers our blog “feed-style”!
Never miss a post by subscribing today. Simply click below.
Subscribe to Personal Alchemy Feed
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Originally posted 2008-06-04 07:12:22. Republished by Old Post Promoter

What is a Dosha?

 Personal Alchemy products are based on Ayurveda (see: What is Ayurveda ). So I get asked what a Dosha is quite frequently.

In Ayurveda, there are three energies (called doshas) which derive from the five elements; earth, air, fire, water, and space, which comprise the universe. As human beings are an integral part of the universe, it is therefore concluded that human beings are also comprised of these three energies/doshas. Kapha (Earth and Water), Pitta (Fire and Water), Vata (Air and Space).

 

 Ayurveda believes that harmony in the human body can only be achieved by the harmony of these three energies within the body. When all three are in total balance, perfect health and vitality are achieved.

 

Take our dosha quiz here!

 

 

Originally posted 2008-03-01 16:22:58. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Ayurvedic Recipes!

We have a wonderful new section (see links at the top) on Ayurvedic Recipes!

These wonderful dishes are created by our guest blogger, Claudia Dávila.

Each recipe can be adjusted to make it appropriate for your dosha. Plus, you can sign up to get regular emails with other recipes she posts on her blog. Visit our “Ayurvedic Recipes” page (up above) to sign up for her mailings.

Thanks Claudia! Just looking at those pictures is making my tummy growl!

Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

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Like this blog?

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Originally posted 2008-05-12 12:31:37. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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