The Elements of Ayurveda Podcast

Episode 159

Colette continues the conversation from episode #158 ‘Focus On The Gunas, Not The Doshas.’ In this episode she talks about the gunas/qualities in vegetables and how they affect the qualities/doshas in our constitution. Colette covers the following groups of vegetables:

• Root vegetables
• Cruciferous vegetables
• Bitter leafy green vegetables
• Nightshades

Understanding the gunas/qualities in vegetables will give you confidence in choosing the right vegetables to pacify the qualities you’re feeling in your body.

Thank you to Kerala Ayurveda for sponsoring this episode. Visit keralaayurveda.us/elements for special offers just for Elements of Ayurveda listeners!

Book an online consultation with Colette here.

Episode 158

Ayurveda teaches us that there are 20 gunas/qualities and these qualities are the polarities of all the forces in the universe and everything in the universe can be defined by these qualities. They are put into 10 pairs of opposites:

1. Heavy/Light
2. Dull/Sharp
3. Cold/Hot
4. Oily/Dry
5. Smooth/Rough
6. Dense/Liquid
7. Soft/Hard
8. Static/Mobile
9. Gross/Subtle
10. Cloudy/Clear

 The Ayurvedic healing system is based on these 10 pairs of opposites and the principle that ‘Like increases Like and Opposites Pacify.' 

In this episode, Colette will discuss in detail each guna and how the pairs of opposites can work to pacify each other to restore balance to the body and mind.

Thank you to Banyan Botanicals for sponsoring this episode. Banyan Botanicals Tooth Powder cleans and freshens the mouth with key ingredients that include charcoal and miswak, a traditional Ayurvedic botanical used for mouth health. Flavored with mint and cardamom. Free of fluoride, additives, and artificial sweete...

Episode 157

Laura Plumb is the author of the bestseller, Ayurveda Cooking for Beginners, an Ayurvedic Cookbook to Balance and Heal. Laura helps us to simplify Ayurveda cooking and we discuss the following:

• Five steps to Ayurvedic eating.
• Choosing your food by tuning into the qualities/gunas in your body, your mind, your environment etc.
• Understanding how to choose foods for dual-doshas or tridoshic constitutions.
• Questions from the Elements community:
  • Best tip for making a meal fast and convenient.
  • Best foods for evening meals.
  • Cooking for a family with different constitutions.

Thank you to Kerala Ayurveda for sponsoring this episode. Visit keralaayurveda.us/elements for special offers just for Elements of Ayurveda listeners!

Visit Laura’s website lauraplumb.com

Episode 156

Colette chats with regular guest, Amy Wheeler about the importance of accepting change, especially when it comes to dealing with our current challenging situations in the world.

Acceptance not only relieves the emotion around the changing situation, but it also can bring clarity. They discuss the following:

• How to accept the changes happening in our world today.
• The uncertainty around the ‘new normal.’
• Accepting the emotions that come with change.
• How acceptance can help bring clarity.
• Understanding that each person deals with change differently.
• Small steps to help deal with change.
• Courage to get support when needed.

Visit Amy’s website here… theoptimalstate.com

Episode 155

Ayurvedic Doctor Madison Madden wrote a wonderful article titled ‘Ancient Wisdom in the Age of Global Pandemics: Getting to the Root of it with Ayurveda.’

In the article Madison laid out the scene in our world currently…. “In a time when we are wrestling with a global health pandemic, climate catastrophe, and seemingly every other manner of human-induced hardship. Ayurveda understands all of these ‘symptoms’ as fundamentally interrelated.”

Colette and Madison discuss this article in detail and cover the following topics:

• The four causative factors of pandemics according to Ayurveda.
• The root causes of the dis-ease in our world today.
• The correlation between chronic disease in the body and the current environmental situation.
• Ayurveda’s insights into building a better world for everybody.
• Advice on simple changes you can make in your life.
• Madison shares life questions to reflect upon.

Thank you to Kerala Ayurveda for sponsoring this episode. Visit keralaayu...

Episode 154

Colette takes questions from the Elements community and covers topics such as:

• How to pacify a Vata/Kapha constitution during changing climate conditions.
• Daily routines to help keep a Vata/Pitta dosha organised.
• Post-menopausal cysts.
• Balancing multiple doshas at once.
• Why the body may reject supplements.

Thank you to Banyan Botanicals for sponsoring this episode. Banyan Botanicals Tooth Powder cleans and freshens the mouth with key ingredients that include charcoal and miswak, a traditional Ayurvedic botanical used for mouth health. Flavored with mint and cardamom. Free of fluoride, additives, and artificial sweeteners, try Banyan’s refreshing Tooth Powder as part of your daily oral cleansing routine. Save 20% on Tooth Powder and Banyan’s complete oral health line at banyanbotanicals.com/elements

Episode 153

The pineal gland is a pea-sized gland shaped like a pine cone. It’s located in the brain near the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Colette chats with Dr. Sujatha about these small but very important glands. They discuss the following:

• What is the pineal gland.
• The relationship between the pineal & pituitary glands & the chakras.
• The concept of the 3rd eye.
• Moving from the grounded chakras to the more subtle chakras.
• Melatonin & the Circadian rhythms.
• Calcification of the pineal gland.
• The benefits of chakra mantras.
• The journey of accessing the subtle energies of the pineal gland.

Thank you to Kerala Ayurveda for sponsoring this episode. Visit keralaayurveda.us/elements for special offers just for Elements of Ayurveda listeners!

Visit Dr. Sujatha’s website amrtasiddhi.com

Check out the European retreats Dr. Sujatha mentioned in this episode

Episode 152

Colette chats with regular guest Amy Wheeler about grounding the Vata energy during this Vata-aggravating energy right now, with the transition of the seasons, Covid virus, climate crisis etc.

They also discuss the importance of connection, particularly the connection to your ‘true nature’, to Mother Nature and in your relationships. Colette and Amy cover the following topics:

• How the current climate affects our mental health.
• Staying grounded and connected during this confusion in the world and in nature.
• How aggravated Vata can result in feelings of loneliness, isolation, fear, worry, anxiety etc.
• How to calm and ground the Vata dosha. 
• The importance of the unctuous quality for the Vata dosha.
• The power of creativity for grounding Vata.
• The healing power of Mother Nature.

Visit Amy’s website here amywheeler.com

Episode 151

Ayurveda explains that diabetes is not a single disease but a complex syndrome which is much more than an increase in blood sugar. According to Ayurveda, the body expresses different stages of diabetes. Colette chats with Vaidya Jayarajan Kodikannath of Kerala Ayurveda Academy about the followings:

• The stages and expressions of diabetes in the body
• The various reasons for diabetes
• How undigested emotions and trauma can play a role in diabetes
• Ayurvedic management of diabetes
• Ayurvedic tips and home remedies for diabetes

Thank you to Kerala Ayurveda for sponsoring this episode. Visit keralaayurveda.us/elements for special offers just for Elements of Ayurveda listeners!

Book an online consultation with Colette

Listen to the other episodes mentioned:

• #64 Ayurveda & the Six Stages of Disease
• #92 Ayurvedic Nutrition of the Dhatus

Thanks for listening!

Episode 150

Colette talks about the decline of the Pitta fire energy at the end of the Pitta stage of life. This declining Pitta energy can result in a decline in drive, competitive spirit, intensity and ambition and it can be a challenging time for many people if they’re not aware of what’s happening in their body and mind.

Ayurveda teaches us about the life cycles and how the energies of Vata, Pitta and Kapha can rise and fall during our life cycle affecting our own unique doshas. It’s important to understand this process so we can flow with these transitions, maintain balance and enjoy these cycles rather than struggle through them.