Glowing health usually requires balance, moderation, and routine. But variety is the spice of life— travel enlivens the spirit and new adventures feed the soul! However, many travelers find it difficult to happily hop around the country (or the world) without feeling some common travel woes, like disturbed sleep, poor digestion , constipation , or mild anxiety . From the perspective of Ayurveda (yoga’s sister science), most travel discomforts are due to increased vata dosha, the energy governing all movement in the body-mind. Despite constitutional differences, everyone has vata dosha, which supports movement in the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and digestive systems (and elsewhere). When vata is in a healthy state, these systems run smoothly—breath is fluid, elimination easy, thoughts well communicated, etc. But when the momentum of external travel increases the momentum of internal vata, the emotional result is feeling wound up, scattered, forgetful, or anxious, while the p...
Indigestion, bloating, acid reflux, diarrhea, or constipation? Ayurveda says your kitchen has the answer. Share on Pinterest In Ayurveda, agni (fire) is viewed as the source of life. It’s literally the gatekeeper of good health and a metaphor for all metabolic functions in the body. Everything you eat is looked upon as an offering to agni — and what’s a more potent, direct offering than food? What you eat can nourish and strengthen this fire, boosting your digestive system — or it can smother it, leading to an impaired, weakened, or imbalanced agni. According to Ayurveda, harmful foods, such as fried foods, processed meats, and very cold foods, can create undigested residue that forms toxins, or in Ayurvedic terms “ama.” Ama is described as the root cause of disease. So, the health goal is to balance this metabolic fire. When it comes to good eating habits, here’s the best advice most Ayurvedic practitioners give: Eat only when hungry. Keep gaps of ...