Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop producing large amounts of estrogen and progesterone, two hormones intimately involved with the menstrual cycle. Modern medicine tends to view this process as an unhealthy state of deficiency. This is because certain diseases have been shown to be related to the lack of hormones in a woman’s body. For…

One of the traditional recommendations of Ayurveda is to drink water from a copper cup. According to the ancient science, water stored in a copper vessel has the ability to balance all the three doshas (Vata, Kapha and Pitta). Ideally water should stay in the copper container for at least eight hours. Ayurveda recommends starting…

For the US and other mid-latitude countries north of the equator, the sun’s rays in the summer months hit the Earth at a steeper angle than in the winter. Because the sun’s rays at this time are not as spread out, they hit the earth more directly. Therefore the environment absorbs more of the sun’s…

With the fullness of summer comes bustling farmers’ markets and overflowing shelves in the fruit and vegetable sections of our grocery stores. It is the time of the year when the availability of local produce is at its peak. Indulge! Studies have shown that eating seven or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day…

While the usual focus of Triphala usage is to relieve constipation, it is timely to note that triphala is also said to help boost the immune system, offering both anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. Let’s look more at this valuable herbal combo. Triphala has long been known as one of Ayurveda’s best herbal remedies for keeping…

According to Ayurveda, the eyes are the seat of Alochaka Pitta, one of the five sub-doshas of Pitta. Pitta governs heat, metabolism and transformation. Whenever our eyes are open, they are involved in the complex process of transforming light into ideas: distilling foreground from background, recognizing objects presented in a wide range of orientations, and accurately…

Looking for more energy? Perhaps you should consider the fuel you are using to keep your body running. Or, from an Ayurvedic perspective, ask yourself, are you giving yourself enough prana? Understanding Prana Prana is the principle of energy responsible for giving life to and maintaining the body. Prana is the vital energy present in fresh vegetables…

During the heat of the summer, most people can benefit from a skin care approach that pacifies Pitta dosha. The exception is for those who find themselves with excessively oily skin all year: they may benefit from a Kapha pacifying approach, even in the summer months. KNOWING YOUR SKIN TYPE Vata Vata skin is generally…

During the summer months, both Pitta dosha and Vata dosha can become aggravated. The increasing power of the sun’s rays takes away the earth’s cooling qualities and allows dryness and heat to predominate. It also causes an increase in wind, which further decreases the quality of Kapha and increases Vata. Exercise during the summer should…

Ayurveda acknowledges that the process of eating and digesting is a wondrous thing that should be treated respectfully. In our Western culture the process of eating is too often either mindless, or merely a form of entertainment. We eat while we watch TV, work on our computers or have meetings— or we eat standing or…