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A Spread For All Seasons + A *Super* Giveaway

If you have carrots, miso and a bit of broth, you can make this right now. You can serve it as your mash instead of white potatoes, you can serve it as a party dip, you can smear it on toast and you can spread it on a sandwich instead of mayo. You can add rice vinegar and sesame oil and it’s a terrific dressing, or add more broth and a drizzle of olive oil and it’s a sauce. Continue reading

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Apple Beet Fennel Salad

Can salad ever be Ayurvedically approved and Autumn friendly? Yes, if you follow these simple guidelines. Continue reading

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Katie’s Sweet Potato Waffles with Almond Butter Caramel Drizzle

Once a month Katie Farina, of Katie’s Healing Kitchen, hosts a healthy brunch at her parent’s restaurant in support of a local charity. One recent Sunday she served up Sweet Potato Waffles and made devotees of us all. This is her recipe, generously shared. Continue reading

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Expanding Light: Feast of Retreat

Three Vegetarian recipes ~ Chef Jake’s Veggie Roast, Zucchini Boats, and Walnut Meatballs ~ from the Expanding Light Retreat Center in the Sierras provide Autumn’s perfect comfort. Continue reading

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Kitchari Burger

2 outrageous and uncommonly wonderful ways to dress up kichari for family and fussy eaters. Continue reading

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Make it Yourself: Creamy Cheese + Ferments

Microbial cultures, found in ferments, are essential to life’s processes, such as digestion and immunity. Eating fermented foods is an incredibly healthy practice, directly supplying your digestive tract with living cultures essential to breaking down food and assimilating nutrients. Continue reading

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Gluten free, Sugar free, No Bake Apple Pie

Two years ago at our Yoga Therapy Training, I served a gluten free, dairy free, no sugar added, homemade apple pie. The recipe was requested. It has taken me these years, but at long last, here, finally, it is. Unfortunately, … Continue reading

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Your Dosha

Are you Air, Fire or Water? Which element are you?
What can nature tell you about your own unique nature? 

Gifts of Vata

Ayurveda is commonly described as the “Science of Life and Longevity.” It is considered the sister science of Yoga as they share many of the same philosophical principles and healing tools.

The Five Elements of Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth, their interactions, fluctuations and rhythms, and impact on the body and to the mind are fundamental to Ayurvedic theory. These elements combine to make three bio-energies, called Doshas: Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

Every person has all of the elements and therefore all of the doshas, but everyone has these elements and energies in proportions that are unique to each individual. The goal of Ayurveda is to re-establish and maintain a person’s natural doshic balance so their own unique nature is supported, enhanced, celebrated, fulfilled.

Pitta Qualities

* Learn How Each Element Affects You *

How to use this Blog for your Dosha 

While this blog is designed to be relevant to everyone, each recipe has a dosha it targets to balance, reduce or pacify. To find recipes for you, type your dosha in the search box, or scroll down to see the “tag cloud” in the right column and click on the dosha of interest.

Since each season has a related dosha, it will benefit you to read about eating seasonally. You might even recognize yourself in the description of the seasons, or notice that there is one season in particular when you feel it’s more of a challenge for you to stay in balance. Spring is Kapha, Summer is Pitta, Autumn is Vata and Winter is Vata/Kapha. 

I’ve organized recipes and articles by season, so once you know your season, you can do a search to find what works best for you. But, remember: the general guideline is to eat seasonally, and most of us can stay in balance simply by aligning with the rhythms of time and nature. 

Mostly, we should eat according to the season, just tweaking or leaning in the direction of our Dosha when we feel out of balance.  I hope that helps. If you have questions, or comments, visit the Facebook page and post it there, so we can share the wisdom.

Kapha Swan

Photo Credits: First and Third ::  Margo Carrera Fine Art

How to tailor your Ayurvedic lifestyle to really suit your needs

“Understanding Ayurveda has helped me understand my family’s unique and individual personal dynamics in a way that has utterly transformed our family life. Where it was once chaotic and overwhelming, it nows feels peaceful and nourishing. We are, at last, a happy family. Thank you, Laura!”  ~ Colleen

Ayurveda is a complete wellness system, supporting self awareness and self care. The effective application of Ayurveda leads to the empowerment of individuals to lead healthy, joyful, productive lives. Now that you know your Dosha, would you like to learn how to tailor a wellness plan specifically for you? Learning about yourself through Ayurvedic Consultations can help you realize your goals, and your dreams.

Thank you Margot Carrera of Margo Carrera Fine Art for the collage collaboration!

Doshas