Yoga For Your Dosha

Ayurveda is a 5,000 year-old system of healthy living based on balancing the doshas. Ayurveda focuses on yoga, mediation, massage, and proper nutrition. Recently, I decided travel to southern India in order to immerse myself in the lifestyle. When I arrived in Kerala, where Ayurveda originated, I was struck by how peaceful and green the environment was. This was a place for healing and rejuvenation. I stayed at one of the many Ayurvedic retreat centers and on a daily basis followed a proper diet according to my dosha. Each morning we practiced martial arts, in order to waken and challenge the body. Then we had a nutritious meal and ate according to our constitution. In the afternoons we received abhyanga (Ayurvedic massage ) treatments in order to relax and rejuvenate. After the abhyanga we enjoyed a lecture from one of the Ayurvedic physicians onsite on the history and application of the practice. In late afternoons before sunset we practiced yoga in order to balance our doshas even more. Dinner every night was also based on our dosha. With this daily routine I slept very well. My digestion was the best it has ever been. My body felt strong, flexible, and relaxed. My mind was sharp but peaceful. After weeks of living the Ayurvedic lifestyle I have truly found a new way of being. Upon my return to San Diego I felt relaxed, refreshed, and my mind was unusually clear. With the demands of modern life, we need something to help keep us in balance. Ayurveda does just that.

Jennifer Tipton