My First Soirée with Ayurveda
I remember the first time I was exposed to Ayurveda. At a backyard party one summer day, as I was making an impressive dent in my barbeque and potato salad, I noticed a couple of my Yoga friends foregoing the spread of chips, dip, and ribs and instead of sipping on un-iced herbal teas. Any other day, they would have been enthusiastically noshing away at the party food just as myself, so I was immediately intrigued by this new behavior.
It turns out they had all had recent consultations with an Ayurvedist. They were dropping terms like Doshas, Ghee, and Agni like homeopathic wizards. I decided to make myself an appointment.
My consultation with Patricia consisted of two visits and educated me on my personal Dosha balance as well as some basics of Ayurveda. She shared recipes to help me balance an out-of-whack Vata Dosha, methods and herbs to help curb my chronic migraines, and designed a tea to nourish and strengthen my bones and connective tissues (known as Ashti Dhatu in Ayurveda) since I had recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I was so fascinated by this ancient method of medicine, I began devouring books and articles on Ayurveda history, philosophy, and how to incorporate it into my busy family life.
One of the best lessons I learned from Patricia early on was this:
“Ayurveda is like a buffet table. You do not need to eat the entire buffet in order to be an Ayurvedist or make it work for you. Select a few things from the table that you like; you can always go back for more later.”
It turns out they had all had recent consultations with an Ayurvedist. They were dropping terms like Doshas, Ghee, and Agni like homeopathic wizards. I decided to make myself an appointment.
My consultation with Patricia consisted of two visits and educated me on my personal Dosha balance as well as some basics of Ayurveda. She shared recipes to help me balance an out-of-whack Vata Dosha, methods and herbs to help curb my chronic migraines, and designed a tea to nourish and strengthen my bones and connective tissues (known as Ashti Dhatu in Ayurveda) since I had recently been diagnosed with osteoporosis. I was so fascinated by this ancient method of medicine, I began devouring books and articles on Ayurveda history, philosophy, and how to incorporate it into my busy family life.
One of the best lessons I learned from Patricia early on was this:
“Ayurveda is like a buffet table. You do not need to eat the entire buffet in order to be an Ayurvedist or make it work for you. Select a few things from the table that you like; you can always go back for more later.”
Ayurveda is for everyone, and you don’t have completely dedicate your life to the practice to enjoy the benefits.