Beginner’s Guide Explains Ayurveda

When Susan Weis-Bohlen came across the Ayurvedic cleansing technique of panchakarma, she could not have imagined how the wisdom of Ayurveda would take shape in her life. What began as the release of damaging toxins and personal difficulties eventually grew into an impassioned vocation to guide others in their journeys towards a healthier state of mind, body, and spirit.

Ayurveda is a profound science with wisdom spanning so wide that it can be difficult to know exactly where to begin. As an Ayurvedic consultant, Weis-Bohlen helps those who are new to Ayurveda address this exact issue. In Ayurveda Beginners Guide Weis-Bohlen explains the holistic principles behind Ayurveda, and offers gentle guidance for incorporating its restorative practices in your everyday life.

So what is it exactly?

Often viewed as the first system of medicine ever established, Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old Indian system of care that holistically addresses the mind, body, and spirit. It emphasizes eating right to bring yourself back into balance, exercising, breathing fully, reducing stress, sleeping well, and other basic concepts to keep your body whole, balanced, and healthy. In Ayurveda, food is medicine.

This practice divides foods into six categories:

• Sweet—Sweet is the most densely nutritive of tastes and includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, grains, dairy, breads, pasta, starchy vegetables, sweet fruits, nuts, oils, sugar, honey, and all animal products including meat, chicken and fish.
• Sour—Refreshing, acidic, and sparkly. Examples include citrus fruits, sour fruits, tomatoes, yogurt, cheese, pickles, most vinegars, and some alcohol.
• Salty—Promotes digestion. Seafood, some meat, salt, and snacks. Check the labels of canned and frozen foods, as they may contain excess salt.
• Pungent—Detoxifies, stimulates digestion, and is heating and drying. Ginger, hot peppers, tomato salsa, cloves, thyme, basil, cayenne pepper, radishes, mustard, wasabi, chili peppers, garlic and onions.
• Bitter—Extremely detoxifying and can reduce inflammation. Sorrel and other leafy greens, yellow vegetables, herbs like chamomile, mint, dandelion and horseradish.
• Astringent—Detoxifying foods that cleanse the palate. Beans, lentils, pomegranates, cranberries, unripe bananas, black tea, and dark greens.

Designed with the newcomer in mind, Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide goes into the following topics as well:

• A concise overview of Ayurveda that covers its historical roots, concepts, and various healing methods
• A 3-week Ayurveda plan for beginners to introduce Ayurvedic concepts into one’s lifestyle gently and practically
• A wide range of Ayurveda techniques such as recipes, yoga, aromatherapy, meditation, seasonal cleanses, and more
• A simple dosha (your unique body composition) quiz and in-depth descriptions of each dosha.

Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide will show you how to unlock the transformative powers of Ayurveda and move forward in your journey towards a healthier state of mind, body, and spirit.