Myra Lewin, AP

There’s a big drive in our society towards perfectionism, but it’s helpful to remember that recipes are guidelines—there for inspiration, but not set in stone.

Sacred gardening honors the innate intelligence of plants. Learn more about the Ayurvedic approach to gardening and how to connect more deeply to nature.

Every body is different but we all have a natural weight unique to each of us. These Ayurvedic tips can help you achieve—and keep—your healthy weight.

Discover sheetali pranayama, a breathing practice with a powerful cooling effect that is especially helpful during times of excess heat—like summer.

Sattvic food promotes mental clarity—think whole grains, legumes, and fresh vegetables. Here is a simple, sattvic recipe that uses brahmi/gotu kola’s powers for a clear and relaxed mind.

Diet, lifestyle, sleep, and energy. These are the four pillars of Ayurveda. When we neglect them, we inhibit the proper flow of prana, which gives rise to the possibility of dis-ease. For women, this can be reflected in the menstrual cycle, and later, in the transition through menopause.

Shirodhara as a treatment consists of a stream of warm oil run continuously on the forehead. The purpose of shirodhara is to calm the nervous system. Inherent in this process is choosing an oil that has qualities which support the mind and body to come back to balance.

If you are looking for a new way to experience the beauty of autumn in your kitchen, reach for one of Ayurveda’s most revered spices: saffron. People are often intimidated by saffron because of its price. Yes, it is expensive, but like many things that have been held in high regard for centuries, good saffron is worth every penny.

This March at Hale Pule Ayurveda & Yoga was marked by a blessing: Our team members Robin and Sonja welcomed their baby girl, Leonie, into the world and embarked on a new path as parents.

This event offered us a good reminder that childbirth (and the pregnancy) is a significant event for the body and mind. How a new mother spends the weeks directly after the child arrives lays the foundation for how the family functions for many years to come.

When you are stuck in life, a shift in perspective can do wonders. Practicing an inversion may be just what you need to see the world from a different viewpoint.

Served on their own, greens can be quite vata-provoking. This recipe for blended greens is meant to be served with a slightly greater portion of a sweet, augmenting vegetable—like sweet potatoes, zucchini, squash, beets, or carrots. The combination of these vegetables balances the doshas, brings in all rasa, and it tastes delicious!

Melt ghee in a saucepan and add the spices, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes until the aroma is released. Add salt and red lentils and stir until well coated. Add water and basil. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are very soft.

The movement that comes from any form of high-speed travel, especially airplanes, increases the air element. Daily routines are often left behind, resulting in irregularity in mind and body.

Sesame seeds are a commonly used Ayurvedic ingredient. The whole seeds are often added to food and the oil is prized for abhyanga and other treatments. But there’s one more way that you can enjoy this versatile food as medicine: in a soothing and delicious Sesame Vitality Shake.

I have a cabinet full of Ayurvedic spices. Each time I get ready to cook a meal, I get so much joy from seeing all the opportunities inside these little jars. The golden color of turmeric powder, the sweetness of fennel seed—everything is just waiting to come alive and nurture my health from the inside out.

This dish is easy to make and delicious any time of year, but especially perfect for the holiday season. It also makes a great lunch to bring to the office or take on the airplane during holiday travel. Be ready to share this recipe!

Remaining true to yourself during this time of year doesn’t mean that you have to turn down the invitations and spend the holiday season in the company of your kitchari pot. But spending time with loved ones shouldn’t require you to put your Ayurveda practice on a shelf. 

A lovely blend of spices brings loads of flavor to this simple and nourishing urad and yellow mung dal.

You can still make this if you don't have a pressure cooker. Soak the whole green mung beans overnight and discard the water. Follow the same instructions and cook with 1 inch of water covering the beans.

Melt the ghee in a pressure cooker and add the spices, cooking until the aroma is released. Add the salt, toor dal, and split mung dal and sauté until well coated. Add water, cover, and bring to pressure. Turn the heat down and cook for 10–12 minutes until legumes are quite soft.

Introducing clients to dinacharya is one of the most important parts of Ayurvedic healing. Too often, people allow their days to be defined by external factors, missing the opportunity to define it for themselves.

A woman who recently attended my Ayurvedic chef training on Kaua’i reminded me once again of the power of yoga and Ayurveda as combined treatment techniques. Over the past three years, this woman had been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which set in after the birth of her second child. She had typical symptoms of joint pain, extreme morning stiffness, fatigue, a foggy mind and a feeling of overwhelm. She had removed most of the junk food from her diet and saw some improvement, but sought out an Ayurvedic consultation during her time at the training to find her next steps toward healing.

Far too often, I see clients who come to me to address chronic health concerns that are the result of many years of asking their bodies to do more with less. I hear stories of people who are sick with the flu but continue to go to work every day, or people who are recovering from surgery trying to go right back to their old jogging regime.

Ayurveda and Yoga, given as sister sciences thousands of years ago, help us find balance in our lives, bodies and minds. In modern times, when we are pulled from one urgent task to the next, find relief in “vegging out” and eat for convenience, these ancient teachings of balance have never been more relevant.