Spring Ayurvedic Detox Diet for the Kapha Dosha

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed     

The Ayurvedic system of health and healing began to be systematically compiled approximately 5,000 years ago in Northern India. It is considered to be the sister science to the practice of Yoga. When Ayurvedic techniques and recommendations are combined with a consistent practice of Yoga asanas, pranayama exercises and meditation, a Yoga practitioner is greatly supported in creating and maintaining a state of vibrant good health and well-being. 

According to Ayurvedic guidelines, spring is a great time to cleanse the entire body of toxins that may have accumulated throughout the winter months. Often, we eat heavy, more tamasic foods during the wintertime. Come spring, we may find that we have even put on a few extra pounds! This is especially true for those of us who are predominantly Kapha in nature. The term “Kapha” refers to one of the three doshas or body/mind constellations according to Ayurveda. The other two doshas are Pitta, which is imbued by the fire element, and Vata, which is ruled by the air element.

When a Kapha individual is balanced, he or she is steady, strong, peaceful, loyal and serene. When a Kapha dosha individual is out-of-balance, he or she may experience lethergy, procrastination, excess weight and even depression. As new life begins to bloom around us, very naturally we want to cleanse our homes, wardrobes and bodies.  The softness of the air and the increasing light support us in releasing heavier thoughts, ways of being and dietary habits. In addition to a spring detoxification diet, daily exercise out in the sunshine, engaging in new experiences and rising with the sun will all support a Kapha in feeling light, energized, strong, and healthy. 

Ayurvedic physicians recommend that all doshas reduce the consumption of ama-producing or stagnating and toxic foods throughout the year, especially during a spring detox diet. Examples of ama-producing foods are meat, processed food and fast food. The recommended diets for Kaphas during a spring detox diet are bean-based soups, leafy and bitter greens, steamed vegetables and easily digested whole grains. 

It is also recommended that Kaphas include digestive herbs and spices in their detox diet plan. According to Ayurveda, some of the most highly recommended spices for Kaphas to include during a springtime detox diet and throughout the course of the year are fenugreek, fennel, coriander, turmeric and ginger. Including these spices into your daily diet will help to facilitate thorough digestion, alkalize your body and promote greater enzyme production; thereby stimulating more energy, fire and a sense of peaceful lightness and well-being. 

© Copyright 2013 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or see our selection of affordable yoga instructor certification programs, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!

Importance of Yoga for Men's Holistic Health

By Shahid Mishra

With time, yoga has become a female dominated activity. Modern advertising photographs display young and trim female participants in bikinis practicing physically difficult asanas. As an old man, I cannot complain, but this is far different from the male dominated Yoga some Indians practiced, when we were a colony of Great Britain.

Yoga is the oldest method of all existing health maintenance systems. Originally practiced by the ancient yogis in India, it is very important to know the value of yoga and how to properly perform each technique. The saints and ancient yogis performed yoga to control the body, mind and spirit, which they believed could be controlled by many various arts. One of these arts or aspects of modern yoga is the art of asana, which is nothing more than various postures of yogic tradition. Although, mantra, pranayama, meditation and mudra are also arts, people have to be reminded of their significance.

Yoga consists of these different arts that help in the development of physical, mental and spiritual health and also help to improve one's lifestyle through the continual training, practice and control. In order to control one’s mind, one needs to have proper health and should be relaxed enough to know how to manage his daily activities, while keeping the daily stress level under control. This will not only help a man to deal his problems effectively but also helps in maintaining a good personal relationship with his family and friends since his mind is free of various outward stress and tension. When all of these are under control, one can easily attain spirituality.

There are various benefits of practicing yoga regularly as it helps in improving the physical health, improves the mind, enhances the spine's flexibility, tones the muscles, and provides a great sense of relaxation. Each of the asana in yoga is done in proper procedure and in steps, in a very slow and comfortable manner. While each of these steps are done, there is a proper coordination in the breath along with concentration and relaxation. Yoga teaches us how to control your breath and you can reap various benefits from it. It helps in dealing with insomnia, fatigue, diabetes, blood pressure and various other ailments and diseases.

There are various arts within the yogic practices, and these can be attained only through constant study, practice, and control of breath. The word asana also means the mastery of sitting still (Paulji refers to this concept as rooting). No matter in what posture you are holding, which is familiar to you or something that is new and difficult for others who haven’t practiced yoga, you can still root into it comfortably through the art of controlling your breath and the expansion of consciousness

The arts of yoga are now widely spread, as all people are more conscious about their health and fitness. Before practicing any yogic movements or postures, one should familiarize it with the help of a yoga teacher who is well trained and aware of the consequences of doing it wrong and proper method of doing it tight, for all postures may not suit everyone. As certain asanas are restricted for those who have health issues and have undergone surgeries.

© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or see our selection of affordable yoga instructor training courses, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste! 

Yoga Benefits for Back Health

By Faye Martins

One of the many benefits of yoga is the relief that it can provide for those who suffer from back pain. What makes yoga a well-situated choice for many back pain sufferers is the fact that any person of any age is likely to benefit from it. 

One point to mention before we go over the benefits of yogic exercise for people who suffer from back pain is that you should consult with your doctor or chiropractor before practicing any exercise program. In some cases, such as: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and other bone diseases or skeletal conditions, a back bend can cause pain or a compression fracture. For these reasons, it is extremely wise to consult with a trusted medical professional about improving your health with yoga.

Some of the additional benefits of yoga for back pain include:

• Fitness

Many people who suffer from back pain could alleviate some of that pain simply by being fit. While many people cannot perform standard exercise like running or weight lifting, yoga is a good option that is low-risk in comparison.

Since fitness based yoga is a low-impact work out, back pain sufferers can ease into the poses at their own pace. Hatha yoga training is a low-pressure fitness approach to stay in shape.

• Improve Posture

Something that many people do not think is related to back pain is balance and posture. However, when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that the posture of your back would be directly related to the amount of pain – or lack thereof - that is felt.

Most people spend hours a day in front of a computer. Students may spend hours hunched over a book while reading or writing. Sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time can put strain on the muscles of the back. When the posture is bad, it can have painful results. Simple yoga postures can help to relieve the muscle strain and increase flexibility in the back muscles can have the positive outcome of stronger muscles and less pain.

• Best Option for All

The bottom line is that anyone who has any kind of back pain will be able to benefit from doing yoga in a proper and supervised way. As we know, yoga has many health benefits and, unlike many other work out routines, anyone can do it. Children with weak muscles can work on their flexibility and adults can also have positive results. 

Even chronic sufferers have been known to have relief in as little as a few days of active training. The important part to remember is to keep going with it. Of course, the poses will be challenging for most people to do in the beginning, but with positive encouragement and patience, there will be positive results.

Side Note for Yoga Teachers

Know the health condition of each student before he or she enters your class. If you do not understand anatomy, ailments, modifications, props, adjustments or how to help students with back conditions, you should refer prospective students to a competent yoga teacher or therapeutic sessions that will not cause injuries. Students with back problems do not belong in boot camp style classes.

© Copyright 2013 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

To see find out more about yoga or to see our selection of distance learning yoga teacher training courses, please use the yoga resources on the right side of this page.

If you are a teacher, yoga studio manager, blogger, e-zine, or website publisher, and are in need of quality content, please feel free to use my blog entries (articles). Please be sure to reprint each article, as is. Namaste!