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Ayurveda is the practice of the body and mind. Lucie tries an Ayurveda lifestyle for a week.
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00:00I'm Lise Fink and this is 5 Days of Ayurveda and now we are about to go on a journey.
00:06My yoga teacher once mentioned Ayurveda in class a few months ago and I really wanted
00:11to learn more about it, so over the summer when I was in LA I picked up a book at
00:15a yoga
00:15shop and it was this book right here called The Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda.
00:19And little did I know, and this is one of those instances where I think the universe
00:22sometimes just works in mysterious ways, but the author of this book, Sahara Rose, is actually
00:28the same person whose podcast I've been listening to for the past few months.
00:32Some might call that a coincidence, but I say the universe really, really wants me to connect
00:37with and learn from this girl.
00:39Yoga is a spiritual practice.
00:41The word yoga means to yoke, to become one with universal consciousness, Brahma.
00:46Whereas Ayurveda is the predecessor and it says, okay, how are you going to become enlightened
00:50when your digestive system is hurting and your back hurts and you're anxious and you have
00:55all of these issues in the body and the mind.
00:57So yoga is really a spiritual practice and Ayurveda is a practice of the body at night.
01:05Okay, starting with the basics for people out there who have never even heard the word
01:09Ayurveda before, let me break it down for you.
01:11Ayur is the Sanskrit word for life and Veda means science or knowledge.
01:16So the word Ayurveda literally means the science of life and that's exactly what Ayurveda is.
01:21It's a 5,000 year old medical system from ancient India that explores the science of healing
01:26and the longevity of life.
01:28You might be sitting there thinking this topic sounds kind of mystical, maybe a little bit
01:32nebulous.
01:33And trust me, when I first brought this up with my family a few months ago, they thought
01:36I was talking about horoscopes or astrology or something like that.
01:40But Ayurveda is not magic.
01:41It's not mysticism.
01:43It's a science.
01:44And it's actually very interesting.
01:45Ayurveda is the sister science of yoga.
01:48So while the real purpose of doing yoga is to achieve spiritual enlightenment, the purpose
01:52of practicing Ayurveda is to achieve health.
01:54And the idea is that unless you have your health in order, there's no chance you're going
01:58to be able to get to that state of experiencing spiritual enlightenment.
02:01So let's dive into it.
02:02According to Ayurveda, there are five natural elements found on Earth.
02:06Fire, water, earth, air, and ether, or space.
02:10These elements come together inside of our bodies in unique combinations that form the
02:14three doshas, or three different types of energies, vata, pitta, and kapha.
02:20I'll let Sahara explain it a little further.
02:22People who are high in vata, they have airy personalities.
02:25They are creative, eccentric.
02:27They think outside the box.
02:29But sometimes that air can turn into a tornado, and they may get anxious or have trouble sleeping.
02:35In the body, if you have a lot of air in your stomach, you feel bloated, gassy, constipated.
02:40You may have cold hands, cold feet, dry skin.
02:43Pitta is the fiery dosha.
02:45People who have fiery personalities, they are goal-oriented, ambitious, hardworking, structured,
02:50organized routine.
02:51But when someone cramps their style, they get angry and frustrated and irritated.
02:57When people aren't moving as fast as them, they literally can't deal.
03:00Your stomach is called an agni, which is your internal fire.
03:03So if you have too much fire, it's going to start moving up, and you experience heartburn.
03:07So you feel acidic, you may have acne, because that's heat trying to leave your body, rashes,
03:12rosacea, really sensitive skin.
03:14If you have kapha in the mind, you are an earth mama.
03:18You are grounded.
03:19You are calm.
03:20You are connected to the natural cycles.
03:23You give, give, give, and you have that motherly energy.
03:26But oftentimes you put other people in front of yourself.
03:28Over time, that can make you feel resentful and stuck in the past and unable to make change.
03:34And in the body, it's going to reflect that.
03:36So you feel heavy, lethargic, stuck, weight gain, especially in the lower body, the hips
03:41and thighs.
03:42So we all have a little bit of each dosha in us, but it's helpful to understand which
03:46dosha is our dominant dosha.
03:48And if you can't already tell what your dominant dosha is based on the descriptions,
03:51there's a 15-question quiz on Sahara's website, eatfeelfresh.com.
03:55I've taken this quiz many times and my results show that I'm primarily a vata,
03:59with a little bit of pitta and even less kapha energy inside of me.
04:03And I truly do exhibit most of the characteristics of a classic vata person.
04:08But I do need to make sure to add some of that kapha, grounding earth energy into my life,
04:12because otherwise I can become too vata, I can become restless, and my hands and feet are always
04:18freezing.
04:19So step one for you before you go any further into exploring Ayurveda,
04:22take the quiz and find out what your dosha is.
04:27Ayurveda does not see the day as a 24-hour period with 12 hours in the morning and 12
04:32hours in the evening.
04:33Instead, it divides the 24-hour day into six four-hour time chunks.
04:38And each of these four-hour time blocks corresponds to one of the doshas.
04:41You're able to figure out exactly what you should be doing and what you're supposed to be eating
04:45according to what dosha it is at that time of day.
04:48So I spent Tuesday living out a full day according to the Ayurvedic clock.
04:52First and foremost, Ayurveda recommends waking up at 6 a.m. and rising as the sun is rising.
04:58And this first chunk from 6 to 10 a.m. is kapha time.
05:01As we learned about the kapha dosha, it's very grounded and peaceful and that's exactly what
05:05this time of day should feel like.
05:07Start your day slowly, meditate, eat a very nourishing meal, it's all about self-care.
05:12From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. we're now entering pitta time.
05:16Now remember, pitta is all about fire and energy.
05:19So this is the time of day when you're supposed to get your most difficult tasks done.
05:23This time of day is also when the sun is the highest in the sky, which according to Ayurveda
05:27means our digestive systems are the most powerful.
05:30So apparently lunch should be your biggest meal of the day.
05:332 p.m. to 6 p.m. is vata time.
05:36This is my time to shine.
05:37Our nervous systems are the most active in this time zone, so this is when we should
05:41really be tapping into our creativity.
05:43Writing, drawing, painting, designing, you name it.
05:466 to 10 p.m. we're back in another kapha time zone.
05:49Now remember, 6 to 10 a.m. was also kapha and that was all about slowly winding up for the
05:54day.
05:546 to 10 p.m. is actually about winding down for the night.
05:58So after eating dinner on the early side, it's time for us to start powering down,
06:02turn off our technology, do a face mask, practice all the self-care in the world,
06:06and get your body ready to sleep.
06:08So yes, according to Ayurveda, you should be asleep by 10 p.m.,
06:12but if you're anything like me and you're a bit of a night owl,
06:15sometimes you can stay up past what I like to call my tired window.
06:18And when I get past that window, it's like I get the second burst of energy.
06:22And that's because from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. you're entering pitta time.
06:26And just like that first pitta time zone from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
06:30this is another burst of energy and alertness.
06:33Think about the late nights you might have spent finishing up a paper
06:35or an assignment for school.
06:37It's also no coincidence that clubs and bars are often open from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
06:42because it's right in that pitta time zone when people are really energetic and want to go out.
06:47And then at 2 a.m. we enter another vata time zone.
06:50So just like the first vata time zone, this is a very powerful creative time.
06:54Most people are actually asleep from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.,
06:57which makes sense because when we're sleeping,
06:59our brains are dreaming and we're actually in a very creative state.
07:02But if you happen to be awake, think of the artist that stays up from 2 to 6 a.m.
07:06and is splashing paint on the canvas.
07:08Or the yogis that wake up super early to meditate in this time zone.
07:11That's because 2 to 6 a.m. is a creative time
07:14when we're really tapped in to our imagination and our spiritual sides.
07:17Of course, we all have different lives.
07:19We're all on different schedules.
07:21No one's going to be able to follow the Ayurvedic clock perfectly.
07:24But if you at least try to incorporate some of these philosophies into your everyday life,
07:28you might see a major improvement in the quality of your sleep,
07:31your digestive system, and also your overall energy levels.
07:37Food and digestion are two major pieces of the Ayurvedic puzzle.
07:41And there are certain types of foods that you're told either to eat or to avoid
07:45based on your dosha to make sure that your dosha remains balanced.
07:48For example, when my vata is out of balance and I'm feeling especially cold
07:52or I'm experiencing insomnia, I found some vata pacifying recipes to help ground me.
07:58And I actually made one of these recipes on Wednesday.
08:01A homemade butternut squash soup.
08:03A major cornerstone of Ayurveda is the idea that food is medicine.
08:07So instead of eating whatever you want now and then taking medicine later to fix diseases,
08:12Ayurveda sees the food on your plate every day as your daily prescription.
08:16Ayurveda looks at your digestive system as a fire that's burning inside of you.
08:21And you want to keep this fire burning brightly because when it's like that,
08:24your digestive system is working properly.
08:26But when that digestive fire is either too weak or too strong,
08:30it can manifest in various ways throughout the body.
08:33And yes, this is physically a reference to hot and cold foods.
08:37So warmer cooked foods can heat up that digestive fire,
08:40whereas cold and raw foods weaken or can literally put out your digestive fire.
08:45Vatas like me tend to have irregular digestion,
08:48so Ayurveda wants them to eat warming cooked foods to heat up that digestive fire.
08:53Vatas have sharp and fiery digestion,
08:55so they should favor cooling and cleansing ingredients.
08:58And kaphas often have dull digestive fires,
09:01so they should enjoy vibrant and well-spiced meals.
09:04You can eat tridoshically, which means it balances all three doshas.
09:07I lived with Ayurvedic doctors for two years in India,
09:10and we all ate the same food regardless of what our dosha is.
09:13You just have to take out the foods that will imbalance a certain dosha.
09:16I say focus on the tastes.
09:18Make sure you're eating the six tastes of Ayurveda.
09:20Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent.
09:26Thursday for me was all about exploring some classic Ayurvedic rituals,
09:30and also following a schedule that Sahara suggested.
09:33I woke up at 6am, I sat right here in my bed,
09:36and I stretched gently while I gave myself some time to just think about my dreams,
09:40think about what I'm grateful for.
09:41Then I went into the bathroom, I splashed my face with water, I brushed my teeth,
09:46and I tried the Ayurvedic practice of tongue scraping.
09:49According to Ayurveda, the white coating that you see on your tongue in the morning
09:53is toxicity that has built up there overnight.
09:55In a Refinery29 article, a dentist shares that the bacteria on your tongue
09:59can cause plaque buildup, resulting in tooth decay and gum disease.
10:03The amazing thing is you're able to see what dosha is out of balance from looking at your tongue.
10:07So if you're noticing you have some cracks on your tongue, that's a vata imbalance.
10:12If you're noticing you have a red tip on your tongue, that's a pitta imbalance.
10:15If you're noticing your tongue is really, really coated in white, that's a cough imbalance.
10:19After scraping my tongue, I did some oil pulling,
10:21which is something I myself have done a bunch in the past year.
10:24Oil pulling is basically Ayurvedic mouthwash,
10:27and while I typically use coconut oil, which is very cooling and great for pittas,
10:31I switched over to sesame oil this time, which is warming and great for vatas.
10:35While swishing the oil in my mouth, I boiled some water for a hot tea,
10:39and then I made myself a loaded avocado toast breakfast.
10:43I spent the day relaxing and reading, and then at night, I practiced some Ayurvedic nightly rituals.
10:48I turned off my phone nice and early, I lit some candles so that I could turn my actual lights
10:53down,
10:53and then I dry brushed my skin.
10:55And lastly, I tried a self-oil massage practice called adhyanga.
11:00I used sesame oil again since it's warming and great for vatas.
11:03I heated it up over the stove, and then once again between my hands,
11:07before I rubbed it into my skin using long strokes towards my heart.
11:10When I was first learning about Ayurveda and its various practices and rituals,
11:14I realized that I myself have been practicing Ayurveda in various forms for years now,
11:20such as using a neti pot, meditating, drinking ginger tea, or practicing breathing exercises.
11:25You might see that you too have been practicing Ayurveda all along.
11:33I've now given you a ton of information, but there's one more system that I want to touch on
11:38before wrapping this up.
11:39The chakra system.
11:40These are seven energy centers throughout our bodies that according to ancient Ayurvedic wisdom,
11:45are each associated with a different function.
11:48Your root chakra at the base of your spine is in charge of security and stability.
11:52Your sacral chakra just below your navel is your source of creativity and sensuality.
11:57The solar plexus holds your sense of self.
12:00It's your identity and your personality.
12:02The heart chakra is all about love and the ability to give it and receive it.
12:06The throat chakra is your voice box and allows you to communicate your message.
12:10Your third eye is related to intuition.
12:13And lastly, your crown chakra is in charge of learning and connecting to the universe on a higher level.
12:18If any of these energy centers are blocked up, you might be feeling some physical manifestations of that.
12:23For example, you might feel cut off from your emotions if your sacral chakra is out of balance,
12:28or you could feel low self-esteem if your solar plexus is depleted.
12:31And you can do certain things to help rebalance these chakras,
12:34such as reciting mantras to rebalance your throat chakra,
12:38or spending more time outdoors to rebalance your root chakra.
12:41There are tons of books out there about the chakras, and if you feel called to do so,
12:45I highly recommend you pick one up and read further.
12:47I know this episode was jam-packed, but for me it was a week filled with some of the happiest
12:52and most relaxing activities in the whole world.
12:54And now that I've successfully practiced Ayurveda for five days,
12:58on Friday I got back into the yoga studio and started flowing again.
13:02This video just scratches the surface of Ayurveda, and I'm going to be honest,
13:06I read this entire book cover to cover, so I know there is so, so much deeper we can go
13:12here.
13:12And if you're interested in learning more, I highly recommend you pick up Sahara's book,
13:16The Idiot's Guide to Ayurveda. Bye guys!