If I had had a different sixth grade math teacher (or, while we’re going here, ninth grade biology teacher or twelfth grade English teacher(s)), my life would probably look much different than it does now. It was in Mrs. C’s “honors” math class that Iread more

Earth, wind, and fire—besides being a great musical group, these three elements are part of a beautifully designed system of matter and energy at the core of Ayurvedic teaching and healing practices. Add in water and space (which are effectively the containers of the otherread more

so tell me about your poop… When these words came out of the mouth of my first Ayurvedic practitioner, a sweet, doe-eyed woman whose illuminated presence made up for the awful fluorescent lights of her tiny Wall Street office, I was a little taken aback.read more

“Have fun on your retreat!” I’ve heard this countless times over the past six months during which I’ve been a student at the Kripalu School of Ayurveda. The 650-hour certification program to become an Ayurvedic Health Counselor is split over six ten-day modules, four toread more

Transitions of any kind are moments to pay special attention to habits and cravings, realities and fantasies, routine and instability. They are periods where conflicting desires—attachment to the old and excitement for the new—demand that we pause, reflect before we react, and then move forwardread more

There are a number of reasons why eating the rainbow—i.e., colorful foods—is beneficial to your health. With a variety of fresh and seasonal produce, your body takes in the kind of nutrients it needs to feel optimal in its environment. Think about what kinds ofread more

When I was a little girl, I once ate so many carrots that I turned orange. Perhaps a premonition of what my Ayurveda studies would reveal about my dosha, I’ve never lost my taste for carrots—and all root vegetables, really. That makes winter soups, especiallyread more

Sometimes studying Ayurveda feels like studying poetry. Given my penchant for a well-turned verse, this is usually more of a draw than a problem for me, but occasionally I wish the authors of these 5,000-year-old texts could have been a little more . . .read more

Ayurveda recommends kitchari, a simple dish of rice and dahl, as part of a regular healthy diet as well as part of a seasonal reset. Whether you’re enjoying it for just one meal or for a monodiet (eating the same food all day), kitchari isread more

The ancient healing art and science of Ayurveda seems like it would be immune to many of the present-day gimmicks of the wellness industry, the biggest crime of which might be the cult of cleansing that many people, including myself, have succumbed to over theread more