ayurveda

Introduction to Ayurveda

Like Yoga, Ayurveda has come to us from India. It is India’s traditional medicine and is one of the oldest known healing systems in the world. Ayurveda started as an oral tradition, but was eventually recorded in texts called Vedas. Considered to be sacred texts, the Vedas continue as the basis of Ayurvedic medicine in modern day. 

The word Ayurveda translates from Sanskrit to mean “the science of life”.  
The central principle of Ayurveda is that health is dependent on all aspects of life: the physical body as well as the sense organs, mind and spirit.  

Typical Ayurvedic recommendations for disease prevention and health maintenance are holistic, simple and often start with the identification and removal of what factors detract from health before adding new interventions. 

Ayurvedic medicine starts with diet and lifestyle. 

According to Ayurveda, a healthy diet and lifestyle is one that supports good digestion. How we digest foods, thoughts and emotions drives overall health. Through Ayurveda, you will learn about the daily and seasonal routines, foods and spices that support health and foster resiliency. This process of learning is a lot of fun! It is never too late to try. 

What are the “doshas”? 

You may have heard about the Ayurvedic doshas or life energies: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Doshas are the energetic alliances of the five elements described in Ayurvedic philosophy (space, air, fire, water, earth) that make up all living things.  

Vata (space and air): the energy associated with movement
Pitta (fire and water): the energy associated with transformation and metabolism
Kapha (water and earth): the energy associated with structure and form

The doshas govern how the body functions. When these energies are in a state of balance, the body is in a state of good health. The foundation of Ayurvedic treatment is in working to restore the body to a state of balance. 

Ayurvedic Health Counseling

Loren Winters is an Ayurvedic Health Counselor certified by NAMA, the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. She is also an oncology nurse practitioner, with interests in cancer survivorship and is a yoga teacher at On the Mat Yoga.  

Loren’s journey towards Ayurveda began decades ago. As a high-school athlete turned college marathon runner and type A student, digestive issues and burnout led Loren to seek out yoga. After a few years, a weekly practice became a regular practice and a spark was lit. Loren decided to learn more about the fundamentals and philosophy behind yoga. Through the yoga community, she learned about Ayurveda the “sister science” to yoga. At that point Loren had been several years a breast oncology nurse practitioner and was aware of the impact of diet and lifestyle on health and illness. Ayurveda contained a body of knowledge that was so expansive and fascinating that Loren felt a new door open and chose to seek out more formal training. She is grateful for her teachers Kate O’Donnell, CAP and Anusha Segal, BAMS, MD for guiding her through Ayurvedic training and continued mentorship. 

 Ayurvedic Offerings at OTM

In our various workshops, we will explore the origin and fundamentals of Ayurveda as a health system, including the five elements (space, air, fire, water, earth) and the “gunas” the 10 pairs of opposite qualities that describe the elements and all living things. You will learn where the seats of these elements are present in the body, and their functions. Ayurvedic lifestyle routines will be introduced and we will discuss how to use food and digestive spices as “medicine” to support health. 

We will explore seasonal transitions (such as winter to spring) and discover how these transitional times are an important time to re-tool your diet and your habits to balance the incoming qualities of the new season. Ignoring changes in the environment (such as dry/cold of winter into damp/melting of spring) can cause stagnation, buildup and may impair the immune system. We will discuss what adjustments to make in diet and lifestyle to keep in balance with the incoming season.


We are excited to take a deeper dive into Ayurveda by learning how to make Ayurvedic spice mixes, teas, and simple recipes that you can use to support your health everyday. Cooking classes can be one-one, for a family or group/community! Please contact Loren if you are interested. 


Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse with Loren Winters
April 8-12, Virtual Kickoff Meeting - Sunday, April 7, 2024,  4-5pm

According to Ayurveda, a holistic health system that originated in India over 3000 years ago, one of the keys to maintaining good health is to refresh your diet and health habits at the change of the seasons. Ayurveda teaches that overall health is dependent on a delicate balance between mind, body, spirit and environment. Taking a week or so to direct some of your time and energy towards the seasonal shift keeps us in balance with changes happening in the environment and in our bodies. Spring is Kapha season; the paired energies of the earth and water elements are at work! As everything softens and melts outside, Kapha accumulates and this manifests as feeling heavy, sluggish, and congested. Using the wisdom of Ayurveda, spring diet and lifestyle should increase lightness, energy and clarity to prevent Kapha excess and keep things flowing so that you have a "spring in your step" this spring!


Loren Winters, an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, will guide you through this simple 7-day plan. $75 for the program below.


DAY 1-2

These first days we will ease into the cleanse. You will receive recipe suggestions for each meal. Eat three meals, no snacks, mostly whole grains, beans, lentils, seasonal fruits and veggies. You'll learn how to use Ayurvedic spice mixes to complement the "medicinal" effect of your dishes. Loren will also introduce lifestyle practices for mind and skin care to make this a complete mind-body experience.


DAY 3-5

The cleanse will be a Kitchari Mono Diet. Eat three meals of Kitchari daily. The kitchari days are meant to rest your digestive tract and encourage the release of build up and toxins. You'll also notice brain fog clearing by the 2nd or 3rd day.

What is kitchari? It is a balancing, easy-to-digest staple food of Ayurveda. It cleanses and nourishes the body. This is a complete one-pot meal, a mixture of hulled mung beans and basmati rice, cooked with a rotating supporting cast of veggies and spices.


DAY 6-7

Same recipes as pre-cleanse. We will gently ease off the mono diet and reintroduce some favorite recipes from days 1-2. 


DAY 8

You choose! Continue with pre-cleanse as long as you like or simply incorporate the spring diet and lifestyle guidance best you can. 


When you register, you will receive a shopping list that includes the foods to reduce and avoid during the week. You will also receive some of Loren's favorite recipes that you can try. The plan for the week includes new routines for the early spring season as well, ie, body brushing, Abhyanga massage and tongue scraping. Loren will explain it all!


Everyone should try to purchase or borrow Kate O’Donnell’s The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well. Available through Amazon.com, or Shambhala.com


Please be sure to be easy on yourself, try not to overschedule or overstimulate this week and do prioritize sleep.


Included:

Access to SLACK where you can communicate with your peers, post questions for Loren, share photos of your dishes and receive moral support!

How to Videos: Loren will post videos (kitchari prep, spice mix, dry brushing)

PDF: Shopping list, cleanse schedule and tips

Live support! 

First midweek community meeting (Zoom): Tuesday April 9th at 7pm

Second midweek community meeting (Zoom): Thursday April 11th at 7pm

Recordings of these meetings will be made available to all participants. 

Must purchase: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O'Donnell - we will use Kate's recipes for kitchari and spring dishes

https://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Ayurveda-Cookbook-Seasonal-Eating/dp/1611802296


REGISTER NOW
Individualized Ayurvedic Health Counseling 

 

  • we will begin by reviewing your health history, current state of health and habits/routines
  • we will work together to uncover your natural state of health
  • we will discuss Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle recommendations aimed at restoring balance and supporting your health 

 

Initial Consult: 1 hr and 15 min $125..00

Follow-ups: 30 min $50.00

Package deal: Initial consult and schedule 1 follow-up: $150.00 


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