Ahara

Ayurveda stands on three pillars of health.

The first pillar: AHARA

Also known as your relationship with food.

Let’s rap about it.

Hold up… want to watch a video instead? Click here.

So right off the hop when you think of your relationship with food you might think about your diet. As in, what foods you’re takin’ in. Makes sense.

YES, we should all consider our diet. What you eat plays a huge role in your physical AND mental well-being.

Eat foods that are alive and fresh, you’ll feel alive and fresh.

Eat foods that are dead and toxic, you’ll feel dead and toxic.

ABSOLUTELY, Ayurveda can provide you with a detailed list of what you should be eating, depending on your body type, your mental state, or the season of year.

In fact, here’s a list of recommended foods for spring:

I can tell you that many health & wellness professionals have handed me a list like this.

I can also tell you that I have never followed it. oops.

Why? Because going on a restrictive or extreme diet plan was too big of a jump for me! And for many of you, you too.

Full disclosure: It drives me crazy watching people dive into paleo, keto, atkins, raw food diets. The extreme-ness sets you up for failure.

Like any lifelong change in your habits or lifestyle, changes to your relationship with food have to be approached in smaller steps.

This is but one of many things I love and appreciate about Ayurvedic wisdom.

Before asking WHAT you’re eating, an Ayurvedic practitioner would likely ask you:

WHEN you’re eating

and also

WHY you’re eating

and don’t forget

HOW you’re showing up for your meals.

Here are a few of the questions that you might hear from me in a consult:

When are you eating?

What time of day are you eating your largest meal?
Are you going to sleep with a full stomach, and waking up groggy?
Through the week; Are you eating at all different times of day?
Are you grazing? How much energy is being used up constantly digesting?

Why are you eating?

When you sit down to eat:

Are you eating for nourishment?

Are you eating for medicine?

Or are you eating for celebration?

And if it’s none of those things…

…. Why are you eating?

The answer to this question can bring up some emotion.
And in allowing space for it, you can allow yourself to move through it with the right support.

How are you showing up for your meals?

Are you watching tv or scrolling on your phone while eating?
Do you take time to look at your food, smell your food before taking a bite?
Do you chew?
Do you eat at the same time every day?

Now the answers to these questions might have you feeling like “dang, I can tell have a lot of work to do…. Now I am overwhelmed and so I will attend to none of this”.

Don’t go there!

Change starts with noticing.

From there you just pick one thing at a time to learn more about, and take action on, in some little way.

Need help? That’s what I’m here for.

Twice a year my tribe gathers for a 21 day reset. Call it what you want - A detox, A cleanse - it’s an opportunity to wipe the slate of all the stuff we’ve been overdoing, and start fresh.
Maybe you should join us.