Ayurveda doesn’t say ‘no’, it says when and how. Local yogi Katherine Clapner uses asafoetida, black cardamom, apricot and rose hips in her recipe for Soraya 3.0 – The Soft Butter Toffee. What does Ayurveda say?

I love spring for many reasons—two of them are asparagus and arugula. When I was a child, my parents would take my brothers and I asparagus hunting, and then we would enjoy the bounty.

Each spring, arugula (or Eruca sativa, also known as rocket, rucola, and rucoli rugula) pops up everywhere in my garden, like a weed. My favorite kind of weed. I anxiously await its arrival to toss onto every meal I make, with a touch of olive oil and lemon.

The life science of Ayurveda explains that we are born perfect creations, with a unique balance of space, air, fire, water, and earth – the 5 basic elements of all things. This is our Prakruti. Then life happens, - the food we eat, coupled with our activities and environment skew that perfect balance. This is our Vikruti. Imbalance leads to illness, and when we can’t curb the illness, it can lead to chronic disease that we are taught to live with, such as arthritis, allergies, thyroid problems and inflammation.
 

A lot of what I do professionally centers around the concept of self-care. In particular, how to empower those I teach to take care of themselves. Everyone's self-care routing is as unique as their fingerprints. Even if two people need the same thing, the way they approach it and their reasons for doing it can be miles apart. There is a lot of dialogue around the why, what and how we should take care of ourselves - sleep hygiene, meditation, diet - but I feel there can be a lack of follow up.

The Importance of Powering Down to Focus on Ourselves
How much of your life do you spend plugged into technology? If your phone is what you end your day with and the first thing you reach for in the morning, it’s time to reevaluate your need for such devices.
Most of the time, you see the time you spend online a way to remain interconnected. Yet, all of that time spent on your phone is sucking up your energy, leading to less than beneficial outcomes for mind, body and spirit.
More Time Online Means Less Sleep

As I stepped into this tremendously hot room barefooted, I was carrying the stress and concerns of my world on my shoulders. My ministry & nonprofit initiatives were looking faint, business goals seem to have invited me into the galaxy in order for me to reach them, my finances moved out of my bank account home to reside in the accounts of bill collectors, and it seemed as if the world had slowly chewed me up, and spit me out like sunflower seeds.

The Bhagavad Gita tells us that humans, as well as all other things in Nature, have a mixture of Sattwa, and its companions, Rajas and Tamas. These three Maha Gunas (qualities) determine our behavior, actions, thoughts and emotions.

Sattwa is clarity, light, purity and wakefulness. It is stability, essence, compassion and love. Sattwa is required for our mental and physical health, and is the path to personal evolution and spiritual maturity. 

Learning to sit….

1. Environment matters
Find a clean, quiet space in your home where you can sit undisturbed, away from the distractions and pressures of the external world.
The air should be clean, fresh and well ventilated but not breezy.

2. Cleanliness is a factor
Your face, hands and feet should feel clean and fresh, adding a certain respect and vibrancy to your practice. If you practice meditation in the morning, you will want to evacuate your bladder and bowels first.

Ojas is our "inner sap", our vitality, consciousness and immunity. It is the basis for physical and mental endurance, the internalized essence of digested food and thought.

Ojas is responsible for protecting the body from physical harm and provides emotional stability. It grounds us and supports our mental, physical and spiritual growth. It protects us against high levels of stress and provides mental stability and peace.

There's nothing more soothing than a warm drink after a long, tiring day. Not only does it make you feel good inside but it also helps get rid of any physical pain you might be having. Besides, it is also good for de-stressing.