We don’t talk about poop, nor look at it ( maybe a quick glance before it is swished away) , nor do we want to smell it. Yet  poop is one of the most important indicators of  health!  Ever since I have been studying Ayurveda, I check my poop daily. Yes,  I have become  poop obsessed!  If you come to me to see me or any other Ayurvedic Practitioner for that matter, you will get  lots of questions about your poop among other things.  Your poop is a treasure trove of information ! It can tell you a  lot about the quality of your digestive  health, your digestive fire (agni), metabolism & if  you have ama ( toxic build-up).

When your digestive fire  (agni) is incorrect, then the food you eat will not be digested properly. The result of this incorrect digestion is the accumulation of gunk called  ama ( toxins)  in the GI tract . If the digestion is not corrected and the ama continues to accumulate, then it will overflow from its site in the stomach into other parts of the body:
a) Flow  of ama into the  blood vessels & skin can cause eczema, acne, psoriasis and gout;

b)  Flow of ama in the joints and  what is called marmasti , can cause ailments such as arthritis, osteoporosis  and enzyme disorders such as infertility, obesity, diabetes and cellulite;

c) Flow of  ama into  the abdominal area can cause ailments such as peptic ulcers, gastritis, abdominal distension, constipation and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

 If the ama is left to continue through the pathways unchecked, then it will eventually saturate the tissues of the body and can lead to serious illnesses like cancer.

By doing yoga according to your constitution, eating according to your constitution, using specific spices and herbs you can bring your  digestion back to its correct level  improving your agni, ,appetite and overall health. Once you k now what to look for, you can tweek your diet & lifestyle  accordingly based on your dosha ( your constitution)

How to Be Your Own Poop Detective:

  Toxic Build-Up

Q. So when you poop, does it float or sink? Do you have to use a brush to clean the toilet?

A. If it heavy and sinks when you flush ,  and you’ve got to use the brush, then you have ama. If your poop floats you’ve got fat in it and if it semi-floats and flushes without staining. Hooray! You’ve got the perfect poop!

Take The Poop Race Test:
To check how long it takes stuff to get from when you eat to when you poop,  eat some baked beets on an empty stomach and time how long it takes to come out the other end.  Less than 24 hours is what we are looking for.   If it takes  longer, then  things are stagnant and have more time to putrefy and rot in your digestive tract. It might be time to eat more veggies and focus on feeding your healthy bacteria.

  Check out the chart below. If you have any of the characteristics pertaining to one of the constitutions, you can do a dosha pacifying diet:

Other Indicators ( please see a doctor immediately if you have any of the indications below that are anything other than from something you ate or drank)

Odor:
If it is offensive, there are toxins present.
Garlic, onions and eggs may cause an offensive odor due to  sulphur content.
Musky  odor may indicate pancreatitis,
Fermented odor due to  alcohol or undigested carbs 
Rancid may be a sign of a peptic ulcer
Pungent: due to spicy foods in upper GI tract.

 
Other Color Combinations & Possible Indications
Dark: may be from meat, red wine or dark colored foods.
Tarry Black: peptic ulcer or upper GI bleeding
Brownish: typical mixed diet
Green: gallstones
Greenish yellow: liver disorders
Yellow: undigested fat
Red: bleeding due to hemorrhoids, rectal cancer, ulcerative colitis, typhoid fever phosphate poisoning, cirrhosis or may be red due to eating red meat, rhubarb, red cabbage, beets & carrots
Clay colored: obstructive jaundice

Other Shapes:
Pencil shape: may be an indication of rectal cancer
Bulky and Large: taking some kind of fiber
Ribbon shaped: spastic colitis
 
Check out the perfect poop to strive for in this video of  Dr. Oz on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Guidelines for Vata  Season

Many of us associate seasons with specific types of food,  yet we are generally  still largely unaware of how biological rhythms cause changes in appetite. We  generally consume less food in the spring and  summer and in the fall more carbohydrates and more protein in winter.

 One  of the principles of healthy eating is keeping  in harmony with the natural cycles and our own physiological cycles thus  improving  the internal flow of energy and balancing the functional activity of our organs. If we take in  foods that do not take into account seasonal rhythms, this  saps our  energy and causes imbalances that can lead  to disease.

Ayurveda  defines  foods and lifestyle  not only according to the psychophysical constitution or dosha of each person, but also according to the relationship between our  personal constitution and seasonal changes.

Vata season generally begins late September in autumn, unless you live in Texas where it is still in the 90’s!  It is a time when the Air element (Vayu) is predominant. There is a greater lightness, cool, dry  and fresh quality  in the air. There is also a tendency for winds to blow in changing directions. In Ayurveda we say that like increases like,  so aggravated doshas are pacified  by a  diet and lifestyle that is  opposite in nature to the prevailing conditions .The seasonal tendencies  of autumn  aggravate Vata Dosha, but also let us not forget that we have all 3 doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha and Vata dosha may get aggravated in each and everyone of us.

Vata is characterized by  qualities of light, dry, mobile, cold, hard, rough, sharp, subtle, flowing and clear. Vata  rules  the nervous system, controls the moisture levels in the body, the feeling of relaxation and how we  digest food. Autumn is a time for balancing Vata, by  maintaining  a  regular routine and  a Vata pacifying diet to avoid increased Vata imbalances such as restlessness, insomnia, constipation, dry skin, and worry. Balancing Vata during the autumn season  also allows us to  build a strong natural immunity against the cold and flu  that tends to strike during the winter .

Dietary Guidelines:

Think about  the Vata qualities of  light, dry, mobile, cold, hard, rough, sharp, subtle, flowing and clear. Include foods of the opposite quality and avoid foods with the same quality. The most important principle to  remember  about food  during Vata season  is to have hot cooked food. Since Vata is cold, dry and rough, hot cooked food made with a little olive oil or ghee is soothing and  calms down restless Vata immediately. Also hot beverages like herbal  teas or hot milk  have an  immediate effect of balancing Vata.  Cold sandwiches, cold salads, dry cereal with cold milk are the types of foods that can create a Vata imbalance and should preferably be avoided during this season.

Foods to include in  Vata season:
Foods with sweet, sour and salty tastes .
Grains:  basmati rice,oats, quinoa , wheat products such as bulgur,couscous, pasta, cream of wheat.

Dairy: warm milk, buttermilk cottage cheese, lassi,

Oils: olive, sesame ,ghee & butter

Sweeteners:  raw honey, molasses, turbinado sugar, date sugar

Sweet juicy fruits

Nuts in moderation such as cashews, almonds and pistachios are good for Vata. Sesame seeds are especially balancing for Vata.

Foods to avoid : dry cereal,  granola, bread, cold foods, ice cream, barley, corn, buckwheat, rye, dried fruit (raisins & prunes  should be  soaked in water first, dates are fine.). Acidic fruits like blueberries.  Apples and pears are good when cooked. Salads and raw vegetables, beans ,  broccoli, cabbage, in general should  be avoided  except mung dahl, tofu and green beans.

Daily Routine for Vata Season:

Get up  early and brush your  teeth. Take a tablespoon of sesame oil and swish  it in your mouth for 3 minutes. This nourishes the mouth, strengthens the teeth and prevents bleeding gums.

Drink a glass of room temperature water which helps to  cleanse the GI track, flush the kidneys, and stimulates peristalsis. It is not a good idea to start the day with tea or coffee, as this drains kidney energy, stresses the adrenals, causes constipation, and is habit-forming.

 Give yourself a  self-massage ( abhyangha)  with warm sesame or coconut  oil. This counteracts the seasonal tendency towards dryness, joint pain and muscle aches. Then shower with warm water.

Use some  essential oils that are grounding  such as vetiver, orange or geranium essential oils . You may also add a few drops of these essential oils to your self-massage oils or use while taking a bath.

For  breakfast have a bowl of oatmeal or cream of wheat to which you can add cinnamon & hot milk  or  a date and almond shake, made from soaked dates, soaked and peeled almonds, and boiled milk (or a substitute) – blended together with warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

Ideally lunch should be the main meal of the day.  Opt for hearty grains, steamed or sautéed vegetables, (unleavened) breads, soups and stews are excellent choices for lunch.

Avoid raw salads, soft drinks, cold drinks, ice, peas, yeast and fermented foods and because they cause  gas and can disrupt digestion.

Snacks: include an herbal tea ,unleavened wheat bread ,dates, or fresh fruit or hot milk with almonds .Coffee and other caffeinated beverages can aggravate Vata and should be avoided.

Dinner : ideally  it is a bit smaller and lighter than lunch but should provide enough soothing nourishment to pacify  vata. Soups, stews, or a smaller serving of lunch are a perfect choice.

If you practice yoga, use more grounding poses  to mobilize Vata energy in a downward direction. You can also include alternate nose breathing. This breathing practice purifies  accumulated toxins  due to tension and constriction of  channels.  Breathing practices  help us relax, but also relax the subtle channels which can  easily become strained.

  At the end of the day make yourself a cup of  warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg and cardamom or a pinch of ginger and a little sugar or honey for a good night’s  sleep .

While these general  tips can help to start incorporating Ayurveda and feeling  better, ideally adjustments should be made  if  you suffer from  any  imbalances due to  change of  seasons and the individual constitution of a person  needs  to be taken into account as well ; for instance if you have a Pitta imbalance during Vata season, then your diet needs to take into account that imbalance.  Consider an Ayurvedic consultation which will help to customize your routine.  There are some herbal remedies that are great for reducing Vata, maintaining inner strength and balance and reduce symptoms such as insomnia, difficulty in digestion, constipation and anxiety.

Rome was not built in a day, so take one or two things at a time, that you can incorporate into your daily and weekly routine.
 

Namaste,

Tamara

I don’t know about you, but have you ever left work, had an errand to run and find yourself going in the direction of home instead?  This and similar things have happened to me! This is a symptom of disconnect! Most of us live our lives completely disconnected from our body and our true self; running on automatic pilot.  Our emotions running in one direction, the body in another and our mind producing endless chatter. We look to the outside world and material things to bring meaning to our lives; our job, parents, religion, friends, social media . When we don’t feel well, we go to the doctor who will give us some pills so that we can keep that train going . Eventually our bodies and mind come to a screeching halt when we develop chronic pain or some other ailment. It is a sign post saying, ”Stop !”   When we can connect all areas  of our being and get them working in the same direction, we can live more fully and connect with our true purpose. Understanding the relationship between all the dimensions of our being  and working daily to get them aligned is the most powerful tools to finding balance in our lives.

Like many people in the West, I first came to yoga for the physical practice, however after the very first class, I felt that there was something more, something mysterious that made me feel a deep sense of peace on all levels. I cringe when I hear the expression “on the mat” and “off the mat”, but real yoga is not what happens in that 90 minutes asana class, but how we live our lives. . Asanas, pranayama and meditation teach us to become more aware. The real challenge is, can you take that awareness and bring it into your everyday life.

So the question is how to do that?

Below is my Rx  that has worked for me to stay aligned.

First of all, we are not just the physical body. Instead we are multidimensional beings made up of different interactive layers, one within the other much like the petals on a rose bud. Moving from the outer most layer  to the inner most spiritual core we have (described by the yogic sages over 3000 years ago in the Upnaishads ) what are  called the  5 Koshas: annamayakosha—the physical body; pranamayakosha—the breath or life-force body; manomayakosha—the mental body; vijanamayakosha—the wisdom body; and anandamayakosha—the bliss body.

Annamayakosha- the physical body also known as the "gross" body (sthula-sarira). When I teach an asana class, we start with becoming aware of our physical body, our presence, our feet connecting with the earth, our senses and sounds coming into our awareness, smells and sensations in each and every part of the body. We can take that out into our everyday lives by bringing awareness to everything we do.  One of my favorite quotes from Thích Nhất Hạn is “Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” Let this quote guide you through all that you do in your daily lives on a physical level bringing awareness to all your actions at the physical level.

Think of the  body as a temple. It is that sacred space wherein lies our being. “Ana” in annamaykosha means “food” and we should nurture our body with wholesome foods which brings me to the next kosha:

Pranamayakosha:  Prana means energy. It is our vital life force, that nectar found in all living things. Without it, we would cease to exist.. Prana is found in the foods we eat. What kinds of foods are you eating? What kinds of foods are you bringing as offerings to the temple ?Is it junk food or  foods high in prana: fresh organic food, locally grown foods?  While cooking, make it a meditation, listen to beautiful music, infuse your cooking with the loving energy and healing mantras. Think of how grandma’s home cooked meals always feel so nourishing. That’s because food cooked with loving energy tastes so much better!
Prana is also found in our breath. When we breathe in that  energy it travels all over the body.

 In a  yoga class, we do breathing exercises bringing awarenss to the inhale, staying with the breath, feeling the energy spreading, exhaling and cleansing.  Engaging the bandhas retains that energy within.  With practice, we  can do this throughout the day as well. Our normal breathing changes throughout the day. By becoming  more sensitive to the breath and consciously changing our breathing patterns  we can add more prana and energy to our being and bring it into balance.  There are a number of different breathing exercises that can be called upon for different situations. In times of stress  deep diaphragmatic breathing can bring about a sense of calm. Alternate nose breathing balances the nadis, while left notstril breathing is cooling and calming and right nostril breathing is warming  and gets you fired up when you need to stay awake.

Manomayakosha ( the mind sheath) is the control center for the   emotional and physical body.  The manomayakosha contains our thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and daydreams. A healthy  manomayakosha  allows us to maintain balance and handle life’s ups and downs and has a crucial role in our  experiences of happiness, joy, pain and suffering and ultimately our health. We get bombarded day in and day out with stimuli that can build up in the manas ( the mind). In a yoga class we practice Pratyahara , the withdrawal of the senses, an important step in order to be able to concentrate for meditation . If we are not in a yoga class, we can do this by shutting of electronic devices: t.v., staying off social media and taking some time out . Those emails can wait. Keep a clean work and home environment and avoid  drama queens & emotional vampires!

The manomayakosha also holds our  collective subconscious records, the samskaras  which  intimately influence our actions.   It is like an iceberg where all the experiences ,  both karmic and those  that you have ever had  in this lifetime are  stored away in  your subconscious mind with most of it  hidden below the surface of your conscious awareness. Our life challenges can remain buried and unresolved for years and may rear their head  as  anxiety, anger, addiction, compulsive behavior etc.

Yoga Nidra, can be very powerful healing tool tapping into the subconscious and exposing suppressed emotions.  On a day to day basis  we  can decide whether to  remain shackled to our old samskaras or we can  rewire the brain,  by planting seeds of change  and forming new samskaras:

• Waking up in the morning and expressing gratitude, purifies the manomaya kosha

• Positive thinking  for health and vitality

• A daily dose of nasya oil will also bring clarity to the mind

• Setting intentions and reciting mantras to transform the mind into a higher state of being and awareness.

• When that old samskara rears its head, take your thoughts to the positive seed that you have planted in the field of manas. Each time you do this, that positive seed will grow stronger , form roots and eventually blossom.

Vijanamayakosha—Vijnana means knowing. It is the kosha of discernement and insight, instinct and intuition. It is the gateway between the individual mind and cosmic mind. Spiritual nutrition as in writing, learning and sharing of ideas and deep truths is what feeds this sheath. Also spending time in nature and aligning our routines with the cycles of nature. When we have a strong vijanamaya kosha ,we choose to move past emotion, to act with intention  and non-attachment, free from ego and  we  can begin to experience wisdom and  life at a deep intuitive level . We can tap into this sheath at any time .How many times have you doubted your intuition and shrugged it off? It is the manas getting in the way! That deep sense of intuition and awareness  can only be developed if we listen to it and  lift off the veil of the manas. One of the  best fuels for the  Vijanamaya kosha is  good asana practice, followed by pranayama practice , balancing the ida and pingala and awakening the sushumna channel for meditation.

Anandamaya kosha  is the bliss sheath. It happens when the body and its sensations, the pranamayakosha dissolves, the mind and the wisdom layers  dissolve and we are one with bliss.  Deep sleep is an example of this. It is a little difficult to describe but when it happens you will know. It is an outer body experience. We experience it  in fleeting moments when we feel that joy in nature, where we have no thoughts, just pure joy. In meditation we  can experience pure bliss , but we don’t have to sit in meditation to arrive at this  state of bliss. Trance dance, chakra dance  and playing music, we dissolve into the music, the dance and then beyond. And this is the goal of Yoga : "      ".

Seasons change and everything in nature changes as well, however unlike the birds, bees and the plants. we in the frantic world of modern society, have lost touch with living in accordance with the natural rhythms  of the nature.  According to Ayurveda, as the seasons change, so too should our diet and lifestyle. While we instinctively make  changes according to season, Ayurveda brings us greater awareness as how to create seasonal balance.

Hibiscus Tea:
The first time, I had hibiscus tea was years ago in Egypt as a child. My family was there for the month of July and that is when I fell in love with it probably because it really hit the spot when I was dying of heat! Hibiscus tea is served both hot and cold all over the world; in the Caribbean,  South America, Central America, Mexico where they call it jamaica and the Arab world where they call it karkade. It can be either hot or cold brewed.I prefer it cold-brewed because it is less bitter and there are less tannins.

Ayurvedic Properties:

Taste: Astringent, Bitter
Guna: Light, Dry
Virya: Cold
Vipaka: Pungent
Dosha: Pacifies Pitta and Kapha and intensifies Vata
Karma: Pittahara, Kaphavatashamaka, Arshavinashi, Keshya, Garbharodhi, Sangrahi, Vishahara, Hridya

Recipes:

Hot Brewed:
Ingredients

• 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers rinsed

• 8 cups water
• 3/4 cup turbinado sugar ( you can substitute agave or any other sweetner of your choice. Do not use honey, however, as honey when heated may release toxins)
  

Instructions

1. In a large pot on high heat, bring hibiscus flowers, 4 cups of water, and sugar to a boil.
2. Cover and simmer over low  for 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and cool  to room temperature.
4. Using a collander or strainer,strain out the hibiscus flowers.
5. Add the remaining four cups of water.
6. Stir and chill.

Cold Brewed:
Ingredients:
1 cup of dried hibiscus flowers (rinsed)
8 cups of  cold water
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup of sweetener of your choice

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a pitcher. Stir and place in the refrigerator overnight ( 8 hrs).
Strain out the hibiscus flowers, add a little lime juice (optional) and serve.

Watermelon Shake

Eating watermelon helps to  remain well hydrated during summer.  Not only is it thrist quenching and cooling but has great medicinal andnutritional value as well with its  anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancerous properties. It is good for preventing macular degeneration and treating hypertension, erectile dysfunction and skin problems. According to Ayurveda, water melon is guru (heavy to digest), shita (cool), pitta pacifying and kapha increasing.

Ingredients:

6 cups watermelon (tarbuj), cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin seeds (jeera) powder
2  teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons low fat milk

Instructions:

1. Remove the seeds from the watermelon and blend in a blender to create a smooth purée.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Pour the mixture into a container and freeze until it is firm (approx. 2 hours).
4. Blend the mixture in a blender until it is slushy.
5. Pour into glasses and serve chilled.

Rose Yogurt Drink
Ingredients:

• 2 cups Fresh Yogurt
• 3 tbsp rose jam
  
• 1/2 cup Water
• Sugar as needed
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
• Ice Cubes
• Almonds for garnish

Instructions:

1. Take the yogurt, rose jam, sugar and cardamom powder in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Add water and ice cubes and blend again until well combined and frothy.
4. Pour the lassi into glasses and garnish with chopped almonds.
5. Serve chilled. 

 

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Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences that more than complimenting each other for the sake of healing body, mind, and consciousness,  are intertwined branches of the same tree  with  roots in Samkhya philosophy. They share similarities and fundamentals on many levels: