As we grow older it is common to find that we are not as limber as we once were. Hands, elbows, knees and backs can become sore and stiff. According to Ayurveda, this reflects the natural increase in Vata dosha in the later stage of life. As Vata increases, joints can become drier and less flexible….

Traditionally, mid-February is a time when Ayurveda recommends taking actions to avoid spring allergies, colds and flus. This year, the advice couldn’t be more timely. With the current outbreak of the Coronavirus, everyone is looking for tips for boosting immunity and staying healthy. According to Ayurveda our bodies are more susceptible to health problems when…

It is not uncommon for parents of toddlers to stress over getting their children into top pre-schools so that they will have the best possible start in life. But according to Ayurveda, getting the best start for your child should begin months before the child is even conceived. While it is becoming common for mothers-to-be…

While a great deal of thought is often put into choosing healthy foods, less thought is given to our ability to actually digest the food we eat. Ayurveda considers good digestion to be central to good health. The only way to take advantage of the the health-promoting benefits of the food we eat is make…

The change from Vata season to Kapha season is not as clear as the change from Kapha to Pitta, or Pitta to Vata. Both Vata and Kapha are characterized by cold. When the dry cold of fall and early winter transforms into a wetter cold, this heralds the switch of seasons. Often this change occurs…

Barley is a wonderful grain to begin working into your diet during the late winter months. As we transition from the cold, dry Vata days of early winter to the cold, wet Kapha days of late winter and early spring, our attention should be on shifting our diet to Kapha-reducing foods. Favoring astringent, spicy and…

By the end of January and beginning of February, those of us who live in northern climates have peaked in terms of the accumulation of Vata in our physiology. Months of cold, dry, windy weather results in an increase of those same qualities in our bodies: dryness, coolness, movement and quickness. When Vata becomes imbalanced we…

The holiday season is over and so is the parade of celebrations and get-togethers with their enticing treats. How many New Year’s Resolutions lists have “Weight loss” (or “Improve diet” or “Cut out sugar and carbs”) near the top? Luckily for the diet-inclined, the ancient science of Ayurveda offers some simple tips that can help…

Ayurveda considers the removal of toxins and impurities from the body — and the prevention of their build-up in the bodily tissues — to be a key element in staying healthy. Ayurveda refers to impurities as “ama”. Ama is considered to be a contributing factor in many diseases because it disrupts the delicate biochemistry in…

What is “Ama”? “Ama” is the Ayurvedic term for toxins and impurities that build up in the physiology, creating blockages to the flow of nutrients, circulation and biological signals. These impurities can be attributed to environmental pollutants, poor digestion and/or stressful experiences. Ama tends to build up in the tissues and channels of circulation over…