affirmations, 160
age, disease and (vaya), 35
ajwain, 137–38
alochaka pitta, 72
ama, 21–26; catching early, 24–26; daily routine and, 83; mental and emotional, 23–24; physical, 21–23; stress as, 164–65; yoga to detoxify, 184. See also toxins
apana vata, 71
appetite and digestive capacity (ahara shakti), 35; keenness of, 198–99
apple: cooked, chutney, 134; gift of, 205–6; stewed, 128
asthma, 76
avalambaka kapha, 74
Ayurveda: antiquity of, xvii, 211–12; appetite, keenness of, 198–99; attendant and healing process, 32–33; awakening the doctor within you, 7–9; balance of body, mind, spirit and health, 13–26, 197–98; comprehensive texts of, 212; connection with the universe, human beings, and, 9–11; definition of healer, 29–30; eat fresh, eat red, yellow, green, 196; founding fathers, xviii; gift ideas, 202–7; live life clean, 197; medicine or herbal formulas (dravyaguna), 31–32; origins, xvii; patient and, 32; power of one, 201–2; practice of, requirements for, 3; seeking serenity, 199–200; stay fit, stay lean, 196–97; stress, role of, 5–7; two steps: doing less, being more, 3, 4–5; view life clearly, 200; way, xvi
Bach, Richard, 195
Bailey, Pearl, 93
balance (of body, mind, spirit), 13–26, 197–98; daily routine and, 79–92; samanvaya (perfect), 159; swastha (healthy) and, 16–17; treatment oriented toward restoring, 38–39; yoga and, 181–84 261 262
Ball, Lucille, xi
beauty, 145–61; cellulite, 146; complete (vayastyag), cultivating, 159–60; massage, 152–55; mind (gunam), improving qualities of, 156–59; skin care, 148–51; three layers of (roopam, gunam, vayastyag), 147; walking, 156
beverages: room temperature, 117; summer coolers, 117–18. See also water
Bharadwaj, Sage, xvii
bheda, 26
bhrajaka pitta, 72
Blake, William, 61
bodhaka kapha, 73
body, characteristics (sara), 35
bouquet garni, 137
bowel habits, 79–80; morning evacuation, warm water for, 86; regularizing, 86
bread: chapatis, 131–33; yeast, 103
breakfast: importance of, 88; stewed apple, 128; suggested menu, 88–89; winter warmer, 118
breathing exercise (pranayama), 173–74
Broyard, Anatole, 29–30
Carroll, Lewis, 43
carrots, cardamom, 141
cayenne pepper, 138
chapatis, 131–33
Charaka, Sage, xviii, 30, 34, 177
Charaka Samhita, 160
cheese: cottage cheese and veggies, 141; homemade cottage (paneer), 127
chickpea salad, 128–29
chutneys, 133–35; cilantro, 134; cooked apple, 134; cooking, 118; fruit compote, 135; rasas and, 102
cilantro: chutney, 134; tikiya with tangy chutney, 140
cleanliness: heart, 197; mental, 197; personal, 85–86, 197 post-meal cleaning, 89; tongue cleaning, 86; vata, bathing or shower for, 69
coconut milk, 118
coffee (and caffeinated beverages), 89
constitution, basic (prakriti), 34; appetite, food capacity, and, 106; vikriti (distortions) versus, 63–64
Contemporary Ayurveda (Livingstone), 194
cooking methods, 111–12
copper, 205
cucumber: raita, 136
cumin rice, 136–37
curries, 139; turka (fried garnish) for, 142
daily routine, nature-friendly (dincharya), 78, 79–92; ama from typical American, 83; arise with the sun, 84–85; bedtime, 91; breakfast, 88–90; dinner, 91; dinner walk, 91; dress, harmony in, 89; example, 80–81; exercise, moderate, 87; exercise, morning walk and yoga asanas, 88; ideal Ayurvedic, 82–84; incremental change, 82, 92; irrigate your body, 86; lunch, 90; morning self-massage, 86–87; nature’s clock and, 81–82; perfume, Ayurvedic, 89; post-meal cleaning, 89; sleep position, 91; snacking, 90; tongue cleaning, 86; water, ingestion of, 85, 86; washing up, 85–86
depression, 76
diagnosis, 34–38; darshana (observation), 36; doshas and, 75–76; prashna (questioning), 37; sparsha (touch), 36–37; ten point check list, 34–35
digestion: fire (agni), 104, 113, 114, 117, 121, 141; beverages, room temperature and, 117; breakfast, importance for, 88; fennel for, 141–42; fruit and, 128; hot and spicy (pungent) foods for, 100; improving, ginger slices for, 122; matra (ideal food capacity) and, 106; milk, combinations to avoid, 121; ojas, 128; pitta-related problems, 67; raw foods and difficulty, 104, 114; water, additional, for late nights, 85
dincharya (daily routine), 80–81. See daily routine
dinner, 91
disease: body’s innate intelligence as compromised (pragya aparadh), 98, 160; caused by disorder of vata dosha, 75; progression in six steps, 26
doshas (faults), xv, xvi; benefits of knowing your type, 52–53; complexity of, 59; determining your dominant type (prakriti, or nature), 49–53, 58, 63, 64, 77–78; distortion of (vikriti), 63; forces influencing, 62–63; imbalances, 54–55, 56, 57; job type and, 64; kapha (earth and water), 48, 50–51, 56–58; limitations of book descriptions, xvi; nature-friendly routine for, 78; observation of others’ types, 58; pitta (fire and water), 48, 50, 55–56; rasas (tastes) and, 98–100; relationship to body, 44; relaxation, choice of, and, 64; subdoshas, 71–74; ten types, 51–52; tridoshic personality, 51, 52; vaidya consultation to determine, 58; vata (ether and air), 47, 49–50, 53–55; twelve month year and, 66; twenty-four-hour day and, 65–66. See also kapha; pitta; vata
Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, 27
elements: air (vayu), 45–46; earth (prithvi), 45; energy pairs, 47; ether (akash), 45, 46; fire (agni), 43–44, 45, 104, 113, 114; kapha (earth and water), 48; pitta (fire and water), 48; relationship to body, 44; vata (ether and air), 47; water (jal), 45, 46
emotions: sadhaka pitta, satisfying, 170–71; subdosha for (sadhaka pitta), 72, 88
exercise: cooling, for pitta, 68; de-stressing with, 167; dinner walk, 91; dosha types and, 156; moderation in, 87; morning walk and yoga asanas, 88; stay fit, stay lean, 196–97; patient’s capacity for (vyayama shakti), 35; toxin elimination and, 25, 156; walking, general, 156
fasting, 123
food and nutrition: “Aaharah Praanah” (food is life), 111; agni (digestive fire) and, 104, 113, 114, 117, 121, 141; amount per meal, 90, 106–7, 197; Anna Bramha (food is a form of God), 97; appetite, keenness of, 198–99; avoidance of milk with acidic foods, 89, 121; basic rules, 110–24; beverages, room temperature, 117; breakfast, suggested menu, 88–89; caffeinated beverages, 89; care and celebration of, 111; changes in food from processing, 105; choosing, Ayurvedic way, questions to ask, 103–7; combining, 104–5; cooked foods over raw, 105; cooking techniques, healthy, 105; cooking vegetables, 112; dinner, 91; doshas and, 98–100; eat fresh, eat red, yellow, green, 196; fasting, 123; food as medicine, 96–98; FOR and YUP, 107; fresh picked, freshly cooked, 111–12, 126; fruit, 120; ghee and, 114, 126, 185, 197; gunas (food qualities), 104; harmonizing flavors, 96; holiday season and, 122; illness, best foods for, 123; leftovers, avoiding, 103, 112–13; location where grown and, 105–6; lunch, 90, 113; matra (ideal food capacity), 106; meat, 95–96, 110–11, 126; menstruation and menopause, 123; milk, 120–21; “no” list, 102–3, 113; nuts, 122; protein, 115–16; recipes, 119–20, 123, 125–44; recommendations, kinds of, 39; reorganize your pantry, 113–14; rice, 116; salads, 114–15; six tastes (rasas), 98–102; snacks, 90–91, 116–17, 167; summer coolers, 117–18; supplements or healing food (rasayana), 31–32, 114; vegetables, 115; vegetarianism, 95–96; water, 118–19;winter warmers, 118. See also rasas; specific recipes; water
fruits, 120; chutneys, 120; compote, 135; cooling, 67; juice, 118; ojas and, 128, 135, 152; spiced, dessert, 143; stewed apple, 128; winter warmer, 118
garam masala, 142–43
ghee, 114, 126–27, 197; khichari, 123; as rasayana (preeminent healing food), 114; recipe, 127; vegetable cooking and, 112; yoga and, 185
Gibran, Kahlil, 145
gift ideas, 202–7
grains, 116
gunas: behavioral or mental (rajas, tamas, sattva), 157–58, 199–200; food qualities, 104
habits (satmya), 35
Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1 Heaven’s Banquet: Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurveda Way (Hopsodar), 143
herbal formulas (dravyaguna), 31–32, 174–75, 185–86
Hospodar, Miriam, 143
illness: age and (vaya), 35; sensing very early stages, 33–34
imbalance: external factors, 17; identifying your, 17–20; internal factors, 17; patient’s physical and psychological (vikriti), 34; toxins and, 17–20. See also doshas
Irish proverb, 109
Kafka, Franz, 168
kapha (earth and water), xv, 48; ama, danger to, 164–65; astringent foods to counteract, 100; balanced, characteristics, 56–57; causes of imbalance, 57; controllers, 57–58; depression and mental imbalance, 76–77; digestion and, 106; dominant dosha characteristics, 51–52; exercise for, 156; foods, hot and pungent to balance, 104; foods, sweet taste and, 99, 100; imbalance symptoms, 57; life phase ruled by, 70; job choice and, 64; nuts and, 122; relaxation preference, 64; rice and, 116; scents, 203; season, 67; skin type, 148–49; structure and frame governed by, 75; subdoshas, 73–74; time of day, 66; typical complaints, 57; water and, 166. See also specific subdoshas
khichari, 123
K.I.S.S. Guide to Yoga (DK), 194
kledaka kapha, 74
Lawrence, D. H., 79
lentils, spiced, 140
lunch, 90
marma (mind-body connecting points), 154
massage: cellulite and, 146, 156; dos and don’ts, 161; dry, 204–5; head (champi), 213; in India, 213; oil, 86, 153–54; panchakarma treatment and, 175–78; self- (abhyanga), 86–87, 152–55, 185
matra (ideal food capacity), 106
meat: eating less, 110–11; negative qualities of (tamasic), 95–96, 110
microwave cooking, 103
milk, 121; avoidance with acidic foods, 89, 121
mind: cleanliness, 197; dhi/dhriti/smriti imbalance, 168; disturbance of prana vata and, 168; doshas and, 76–77; mental makeup and healing (sattva), 35, 199–200; nourishing, 25–26
mint: raita, 136; tikiya with tangy chutney, 140
Mishra, Vaidya Ramakant, 29, 119, 150
mung dal (yellow lentil), 116, 123; khichari, 123; soup, 130–31
mushrooms, 103
nutrition. See food and nutrition
nuts, 122; almonds, 122; storage, 122 vata and, 122; walnuts, 122
oil: Ayurvedic, for massage, 86, 153–54; cold-pressed sesame, as gift, 204
Ovid, 163
pachaka pitta, 73
panchakarma treatment, 175–79
paneer (homemade cottage cheese), 127
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, 181–82, 194
perfume, Ayurvedic, 89
physical characteristics: build, physique (samhanana), 35; height, weight (pramana), 35
pitta (fire and water), xv, 48; balanced, characteristics, 55; causes of imbalance, 56; depression and, 76; digestion, 106; dominant dosha characteristics, 50; exercise for, 156; foods, sweet and mild to balance, 104; imbalance symptoms, 55; job choice and, 64; life phase and, 70; metabolism governed by, 75; nuts and, 122; pleasers, 56; relaxation preference, 64; salty, sour, pungent foods and, 99; scents, 203; season, 67; skin and digestion problems, 67; skin type, 148; soothing in summer, 67–68; subdoshas, 72–73; time of day, 66; typical complaints, 55–56; water, pitta-balancing, 119, 166. See also specific subdoshas
pizza, Indian-style, 138
potatoes: tikiya with tangy chutney, 140
prakopa, 26
prana (life force), 10; in food, 113
prana vata, 71; balancing, 169
prasara, 26
protein, legumes as source, 115–16
pulse: author’s experience, xiii–xiv; dosha assessment, 77; how to take, 4; information from taking, xiv, xv, 36–37
ranjaka pitta, 73
rasas (tastes), 98–102; amla (sour), 98, 101; basic foods per category, 101–2; condiments (chutneys) and, 102; doshas and, 98–100, 102; facts about, 101; kashaya (astringent), 99, 102; katu (bitter), 98, 101; lavana (salty), 98, 101; madhura (sweet), 98, 101; tikta (pungent), 98, 101–2
rasayana (healing food), 31–32, 114
rice, 116; basmati, 116, 129–30; cumin, 136–37; kapha dosha and, 116; khichari, 123; pre-cooked or instant, 116; saffron, pudding (kheer), 138–39
rose: -petal conserve, 118; water, 118
Rose, Bob, 183
sadhaka pitta, 72; missing breakfast and disruption of, 88; satisfying, 170–71
saffron rice pudding (kheer), 138–39
salad, 114–15; chickpea, 128–29
samana vata, 71
Sanchaya, 26
Sanskrit: poem, 209; proverbs, 210–11
sat chit ananda (purity of soul, total bliss), 159
sattva, 157, 158; increasing, 158–59; tiger, jackal, and elephant illustration, 199–200
scents, 203–4
Schiapirelli, Elsa, 125
seasons: dosha chart, 67; healing things to do in spring, 69–70; how to soothe pitta in summer, 67–68; kapha, 67; life, 70; pitta, 67; vata, 67; wise ways to balance vata in winter, 68–69
serenity, 199–200
Sharma, Vaidya Divakar, xii, xiii, xvi, 11; prescription from, xiv–xv, 2
shrotas (channels), 17–19; blockage and illness, 19, 22
skin: care products, 149–50; cleansing masks, 150–51; diet and, 152; dosha and type of, 148–49; dry, morning vata, and self-massage, 86–87; food for disorders, 97; pitta-related problems, 67; routine, 69; stress, effect of, 165
sleep, 79; arise with the sun, 84–85; bedtime, 91; position for, 91; rest-friendly aids, 172–73; stress and, 171
snacks, 90–91, 116–17; de-stressing, 167
spices: ajwain, 137–38; asafetida, 94, 116; cardamom, 104, 118, 141; cinnamon, 104; cooling properties, 68, 104, 118; coriander, 118; cumin seeds, 116, 136; fennel, 118, 141–42; garam masala, 142–43; ginger, fresh, 116; heating effect, 68–69, 104; legumes and, 116; pepper, black, 116; pepper, cayenne, 138; recipes with, 136–43; sachet, 206; saffron, 138–39; soups and, 143; spiced fruit dessert, 143; turmeric, 139; water (recipes), 119–20
sthanasamsarya, 26
stress, role of, 5–7, 163–79; ama (toxin) assault and, 24–25, 164–65; breathing and, 173–74; coping with overwhelming tasks, 6; de-stressing in three steps, 166–67; emotions and, 169–71; herbal help, 174–75; listing causes of, 166; mental, 167–69; panchakarma treatment, 175–79; prana vata, balancing, 169; sadhaka pitta, satisfying, 170–71; signs of, 39; sleep and, 171–73; sleshaka kapha, effect on, 165; tarpaka kapha, effect on, 165; vyana vata, effect on, 165
Susruta, Sage, xviii
swastha (healthy), 16–17
Tagore, Rabindranath, 13
teeth cleaning, 89
tikiya with tangy chutney, 140
time: dosha imbalance and, 66; kapha, 66; pitta, 66; vata, 65–66
tongue: checking condition of, 22–23; cleaning, 86, 89; stress, effect of, 165
toxins (ama), 17–20; bitter foods and detoxification, 99; catching ama early, 24–26; checking for ama buildup, 21–22; coated, furry tongue and, 22–23; daily collection of, 19–20; digestion and, 21; detoxifying kapha-balancing water, 120; detoxifying massage, 153; exercise and eliminating, 25, 156; how toxins become disease (six steps), 26; mental-ama assessment test, 23–24; mental and emotional ama, 23–24; physical ama, 21–23, 25; spring detoxification, 69–70; water to flush, 25, 118–19
turka (fried garnish), 142
turmeric, 139
Twain, Mark, 39
udana vata, 71
vaidyas, xii, 27; diagnosis, 34–38; dosha assessment, 77; fields of study (list), 28; holistic approach of, 14, 28, 38–40; inherited knowledge, 29; patient’s duty and, 32; relationship with patient, 30; reverence for, 30; sleep disturbance, help, 173; stress relief from, 164; training of, 28–29; treatment, 38–40; when to see, 33–34
Vastu (home-architecture therapy), 38
vata (ether and air), xv, 47; appetite and, 106; balanced characteristics, 53; balancing in winter, 68; bathing or shower for, 69; calmers, 54–55; causes of imbalance, 54; depression and, 76; disease and, 75; dominant dosha characteristics, 49–50; exercise for, 156; foods, pleasing to, 68; foods, pungent, bitter, astringent and, 99–100; foods, warm, salty, sweet, sour to soothe, 100; imbalance symptoms, 53–54; job choice and, 64; movement governed by, 75; nuts and, 122; relaxation preference, 64; scents, 203; season of the year, 67, 118; skin, 148; spices for, 68; stress and, 168; subdoshas, 71–72; time of day, 65–66; typical complaints, 54; water, hydrating vata-balancing, 119; water ingestion, 69, 166. See also specific subdoshas
vegetables, 115; baked, 140–41; bitter, 104; cooking, preferred method, 112; cooling, 67; cottage cheese and, 141; sweet, 104
vikriti (distortions of dosha), 63–64; appetite, food capacity, and, 106
vyakti, 26
vyana vata, 72
water: amount daily, 118–19; cooling herbs steeped in, 118; cooling pitta-balancing, 119; de-stressing with, 166; detoxification and, 119; detoxifying kapha-balancing, 120; drinking adequate, 25; late-nights, extra and, 85; hydrating vata-balancing, 119; morning, for bowels and kidneys, 86; spiced (recipes), 119–20; temperature, 117, 119; rose, 118, 119
Yahyr-Veda, xvii
yoga, 181–93; balance and, 181–83; child’s pose, 190–91; corpse pose, 191–93; detoxification and, 184; five ways Ayurveda supports, 184–86; general tips, 193; kinds of, 194; resources for 194; sun salute, 186–90; when, how yoga originated, 193–94
Yoga Journal, 194