Yoghurt

Manage your channel blockers

Some things are easy to digest and some things are difficult.  And then there are some which are very difficult (abhishyandi). Knowledge of these makes a huge difference to how well you digest, absorb and assimilate nutrients and thus how healthy you are.  Foods that are heavy to digest are Read more…

quick purge

Cool inflammation with the ‘quick purge’

Chronic inflammation, skin diseases, digestive and liver disorders, arthritis, long term poisoning[1]. Stubborn conditions for which there is often no conventional cure.  For these, Ayurveda offers the highly effective virechana (medicated purging) and its speedier relative, the quick purge. Medicated purging is one of the 5 panchakarma procedures, which together Read more…

Avoid these combinations (and ignore the myths)

Anyone vaguely interested in Ayurveda will know that digestion is key to health. Modern medical practitioners are also now realising this, with a widening range of health issues being attributed to an faulty gut microbiome (which is a major player in digestion).  We know that it is not just what Read more…

Quench the flames of pitta this summer

I love the summer.  Being a vata-predominant, not-well-covered body type, I find myself cold for 90% of the year in the UK.  So come summer, my whole body relaxes and I feel like a basking lizard absorbing all the warmth and sunlight to keep me going for the rest of Read more…

Vegetables

Boost immunity, reduce stress, stay strong

There is no doubt this is a testing time for everyone around the globe. Along with the obvious physical concerns, there can be financial and emotional stress to deal with. Many of us are not just concerned for ourselves but also our loved ones. While feeling generally calm and optimistic, Read more…

Grass Pollen

Hay fever be gone

The hay fever season is almost with us much to the chagrin of those who suffer with it.  There is a lot that can be done to prevent and help with hay fever in Ayurveda, do read on! There are different variations of hay fever Any dosha can be responsible Read more…

Shadow Work

Exploring my shadow

It started years ago, with a fear that my heart burn was stomach cancer. This wasn’t the first time that I had convinced myself that an ailment was cancer. This time, I was really gripped by this and sought out my Ayurvedic Practitioner. She predicted, correctly, that the reflux would Read more…

travel hot air balloon

To travel is to live – but don’t let it cost your health

Many of us love to travel and find that a change of scene, a rest or an expanse of mind all help to boost our health.  The travelling itself can take its toll, however, and has long been documented in Ayurveda as something to watch out for.  All the principle Read more…

Vata constitution - vata imbalance

Understanding your health – in pictures

We all have a constitution.   This is our basic, unchanging elemental makeup that is set at conception and remains the same throughout life.   In Ayurveda we see the constitution in terms of the 5 basic elements: earth, water, fire, air and space.  These elements are often seen in the mind Read more…

5 adaptogens

Conquer stress with my five favourite adaptogens

Stress is getting to most of us Do I need to describe stress to you?  I doubt it.  In my consultations, I routinely ask my clients to rate their stress levels out of 10 and nearly everyone answers above 5. Here’s how adaptogens can help. Familiar effects of ongoing stress Read more…