When Kevin and I (Nikki) were on our ‘sabbatical’ almost six years ago, we spent a month at an Ayurvedic clinic in the South of India. We undertook what’s known as ‘Panchakarma’, a full body rejuvenation program. It entailed eating good nutritional food, receiving warm oil massages daily (amongst other treatments), and getting pulse diagnosis every morning by one of the best Ayurvedic Doctors in the world. This is where our keen interest in Ayurveda was sparked. Ayurveda directly translates to ‘the knowledge of life’ and through its science of awareness and action, it teaches us how to maintain, protect and improve our health in order to cure disease and ensure longevity. I was so inspired by our time there that upon return, I completed an Advanced Diploma of Ayurveda and am now qualified as an Ayurvedic Practitioner.
The most profound impact that Ayurveda has made on our lives is how it transformed our relationship to food. According to Ayurveda, the state of our digestive system is absolutely vital in determining the state of our health. You’ve probably heard the proverb ‘you are what you eat’. Well when you delve into it further, you come to realise that it’s actually true! This is because the cells of our bodies are constantly regenerating themselves and after a certain period of time our body parts are completely anew. For example, our intestines are said to regenerate within 2-3 days, our skin within 2-4 weeks, our hair within 3-6 years, and our heart within 20 years. What’s more, during the digestive process, everything we consume gets broken down into smaller and smaller pieces until it eventually gets either eliminated as waste or assimilated in the form of nutrients, proteins, or toxins (if they didn’t get eliminated) as food for our cells. These cells make up our tissues which make up our organs which make up our body. So we literally are what we eat!
This is why a clean, wholesome diet is so integral to our physical health. You see, even though our body is designed to remove toxins from the body, not all toxins were made equal, and fat-soluble toxins (such as heavy metals, pesticides, preservatives, food additives, pollutants, plastics and other environmental chemicals) are much more difficult for the elimination system to tackle, especially if our health isn’t at its optimum. Issues such as bloating, hypersensitivities, headaches, joint stiffness, and constipation are a few of the signs that the digestive system might indeed be compromised. Ever since getting this, we have treated food as medicine and we follow this principle every time we decide what to put in our mouths. It has been the single biggest influence on our physical health.
On the 16th May, we are super thrilled to have Myra Lewin, master yoga therapist and Ayurvedic practitioner, in the studio to share with us how Ayurveda can provide an energizing framework for everyday life. In the Ease and Flow with Ayurveda workshop, Myra will cover how to:
- Plan your day in synchronicity with the rhythms of nature, allowing for greater organisation and productivity.
- Improve concentration and ability to stay present with a task at hand.
- Make an honest connection between what you eat and how you feel in order to increase your vitality.
- Flow through your day with a calm and clear mind using a simple visualisation meditation tool.
Myra first discovered Ayurveda, Yoga and holistic healing in the late 1980s when her lifestyle and career as a corporate executive resulted in debilitating illnesses including rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia. She set out to find alternative approaches to healing and discovered Ayurveda and Yoga. Myra then undertook training in India and around the world, studied with amazing teachers, and integrated the holistic practices into her own life. She overcame imbalances in her mind, body and spirit to heal herself from dis-ease. Myra now guides others toward a life of health and vitality from her renowned training and health centre, Hale Pule in Hawaii.
