Ayurvedic cleanse
From my wonderful friend, teacher and Ayurvedic Practitioner Chara Caruthers https://www.blissbodyandsoul.com/
We can influence our health and happiness by paying attention to what we eat because in a very real sense what we eat actually becomes who we are.
From an Ayurvedic perspective what we eat, just like everything else we do has a direct connection to the doshas. So it can either help us to be balanced or imbalanced in our minds and bodies and directly influence our experience of life and living.
Do you all know what your dosha is? It is definitely worth doing a dosha quiz if you don’t - there are loads online.
The Doshas
The 3 doshas reflect our constitutional make up.
We are all made up of the 5 elements - but these elements come together in different ways for different people.
So you might be:
Vata which is mostly ether and air
Pitta which is mostly fire and water
Kapha which is mostly water and earth
Vata
Thin frame, light, thin, creative, artistic, lively, thinks and acts fast, spontaneous, prone to dryness, cold hands and feet
Imbalance - impulsive, spacey, disorganised, lacking in confidence, procrastinating, moody, emotional with cracking popping joints, lower back pain, headaches, dizziness, insomnia and constipation.
Pitta
Confident, highly intelligent, organised, joyful, natural leaders, sharp memory, funny, competitive, articulate, medium build, strong appetite, oily skin, strong digestion
Imbalance - overly intense, arrogant, jealous, angry, tense, loud, aggressive, controlling, judgemental, skin rashes, ulcers, inflammation, diarrhea, intolerance to heat
Kapha
Compassionate, patient, nurturing, loyal, forgiving, calm, mild mannered, strong stamina, romantic, deeply satisfied with life, oily/smooth skin, thick hair, cool clammy hands, good memory, deep sleeper.
Imbalance - lethargy, possessive, fear of letting go, introverted, depression,inability to say no, hoarding, overly passive, inability to express oneself, obesity, congestion, bloating, heart disease, diabetes.
In Ayurveda every food can be categorised by its taste and in turn each taste has a different effect on the body.
The 6 tastes are:
Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent.
The best tastes for cleansing are bitter, astringent and pungent.
Your dosha is your true and unchanging nature but we are also influenced by the food we eat, the time of day, the seasons, the weather, the people we spend time with and our age. The way all these different energies express themselves in us moment by moment allows us to gain a clearer understanding of what is going on for us in our complex lives and with this insight, how we might be able to find balance (health).
Eating to create peace of mind
The three states of mind are:
Rajas - active, intense, motivated
Tamas - dull, unmoving, complacent, still
Sattva - peaceful, calm, nurturing, love
These qualities of mind are affected by everything we come into contact with - people, information, environments and the food that we eat.
Tamasic food is …..
Dulling to the mind and the body.
Old, dead, frozen, highly processed foods are tamasic.
They can leave us feeling heavy, dull and complacent.
They offer little nourishment and should be kept to a minimum.
Tamasic food includes fried foods, fast food, frozen food, refined sugars, canned food, stale food, fizzy drinks, red meat, alcohol.
Rajasic foods is …
Stimulating and energising to the mind and body.
Pungent, spicy food, sour and salty food.
It can leave us feeling over-excited, aggressive and competitive and can cause stress.
They should be eaten in moderation.
Rajasic food includes chicken, eggs, onions, garlic, salt, citrus fruit, coffee, balck tea, very spicy food and chocolate.
Sattvic food is…
Pure, fresh and full of life force energy. It is the basis for good health and enduring happiness as it cultivates a sattvic mind.
Fresh wholesome living foods.
Sattvic foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, milk, honey, nuts, ghee, herbal tea, mung beans.
EATING TO CLEANSE
When we are eating to cleanse ourselves we want to get rid of AMA (toxins) which are the result of faulty digestion. This can be undigested food, thoughts and emotions that stick to our minds and bodies and slow us down.
To burn away ama:
Use heat to melt toxins - warm food and spices
Warm, light, dry diet
Pungent, bitter, astringent tastes.
To boost/balance the digestive system
In order to be healthy we need to have a well functioning digestive system that breaks down, integrates and lets go of food, experiences and lifestyle influences successfully. How can we balance the digestive system?
Ease the burden on the digestive system
Kindling the digestive fire (agni)
Heat and lightness relieve digestion - lights soups, warm light salads, light grains.
Reduce heavy, cold, wet and sweet foods.
10 rules for good digestion
Begin meals with grace or a simple acknowledgement of gratitude
Eat in a calm environment where there is little distraction. Turn the tv, radio off and have quite gentle conversation - nothing too emotional.
Chew your food until it is of an even consistency. This improves your digestive systems ability to get the nutrients from your food.
Eat at a moderate pace until you are 75% full. When we eat too much it becomes difficult for the digestive system to do its work. When you finish eating you do not want to feel heavy just satisfied.
Let your food digest before going on to your next activity. Wait 15 - 20 minutes or take a slow walk.
Avoid drinking cold water during your meal. This weakens digestion.
Avoid drinking large quantities of liquids during your meal. ½ a cup of room temperature water is enough to moisten your food for good digestion.
Allow 3 hours between meals for digestion.
Digestion is strongest around noon so aim to have your biggest meal then and a lighter meal in the morning and the evening.
Cook with positive emotions like love and kindness.
REDUCING AMA
Include more fresh, organic vegetables; sweet, juicy fruits; whole grains such as couscous, barley, amaranth, millet and rice; and easily digested proteins such as lentil soup in your diet.
Increase intake of boiled or steamed vegetables, bitter foods, vegetable soup, vegetable and fruit juices.
Avoid fried foods, heavy foods such as aged cheese, meat, rich desserts and all other items that are difficult to digest.
Avoid eating or drinking anything cold.
Drink warm water throughout the day to flush ama from the body.
Don't snack between meals unless you are actually hungry, and wait until your previous meal is digested.
Use spices such as turmeric, cumin, asafoetida and coriander to assist the process of digestion.
Go to sleep before 10pm as Pitta time starts after that. If you stay up, you'll probably feel hungry about midnight and will want to eat, which will tax the digestive process and create ama.
Wake up before 6am. Sleeping late into the Kapha time (6-10am) clogs the body's channels with ama and makes you feel fatigued.
Daily exercise is highly recommended as it stimulates digestion and helps cleanse the body of toxins. You can also try Pranayama and Yoga.
Eating To Cleanse
Eat 3 meals a day or stick to your regular schedule
Light breakfast, substantial lunch, light supper
Avoid snacking between meals. Can have fresh fruit as a morning snack if needed and sunflower or pumpkin seeds in the afternoon
Do not drink iced, carbonated or caffeinated beverages and avoid alcohol and milk with meals.
Drink lots of water throughout the day but limit water intake at meal times
Sip spiced water or detox tea throughout the day to keep the digestive fire kindled.
Fresh food is easier to digest so cook only what you need for each meal. If possible cook each meal from scratch.
Eat at the same time everyday.
The Cleanse has 3 stages
Stage 1 - Preparation - 5 days
Transition to a vegetarian diet - recipes in purple and green before the mono diet recipes
Reduce or eliminate all non-cleansing foods
Stage 2 - Elimination - 5 days
Juicing
Monodiet - kitchari, rice porridge and soup - recipes in dark blue
Spiced Water and CCF tea
Stage 3 - Reintegration - 5 days
Transition back to a vegetarian diet - recipes in purple and green and add in the recipes labelled reintegration
Re-integrate non-cleansing foods slowly back into your diet over a few days.
Cleansing Foods
Recommended Vegetables
Arugla, Asparagus, Beetroot, Bell Pepper, Bok Choy
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots
Cauliflower, Celery, Chili peppers, Collard greens,
Corn (fresh), Daikon, Eggplant, Endive, Green beans
Jerusalem artichoke, Jicama, Kale, Leafy Greens,
Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard greens, Okra, Onion,
Parsley, Peas, Spinach, Sprouts, Turnips, Turnip
greens, Watercress
Recommended Fruits
Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Dried Fruits, Figs,
dried Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pomegranate,
Quince, Raisins
Recommended Grains
Barley, Basmati rice (brown or white), Buckwheat,
Corn, Millet, Oats – rolled/quick, Quinoa, Rice
noodles, Rye
Recommended Legumes
Aduki beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, red, yellow Mung
beans, split or whole, tofu (in moderation)
Recommended Nuts & Seeds
Almonds (soaked and peeled), roasted pumpkin
seeds, roasted Sunflower seeds, [Best to limit
intake of ALL nuts]
Recommended Oils
Ghee
Recommended Sweeteners
Honey, raw and uncooked
FOODS TO AVOID
Vegetables to avoid
Cucumber Mushroom Pumpkin Rutabaga
Sweet Potatoes Taro Root Tomatoes Butternut
Squash Spaghetti Squash Acorn Squash
Fruits to avoid
Excessively sweet, sour or watery fruits Avocado
Bananas Coconut Cranberries Dates Figs fresh
Grapefruit Melons Papaya Pineapples Plums
Rhubarb Watermelon
Grains to avoid
Brown rice, Oats, whole cooked Rice four Wheat
Whole wheat four
Legumes to avoid
Kidney beans Soybeans Tempe
Nuts & Seeds to avoid
All other nuts [Best to limit intake of ALL nuts]
Oils to avoid
Almond, Apricot, Avocado, Coconut, Olive, Sesame,
dark or light Walnut
Sweeteners to avoid
Brown sugar, unrefined Fructose Honey, cooked
Molasses Sucanat Sugarcane juice Sugar
substitutes White sugar
YOGA AND MEDITATION
Yoga asana are a great way to cleanse the body. Through movement and breath we can support the digestive process, keep the digestive fire burning and aid elimination.
Relaxation is also key to feeling well. When we are relaxed our nervous system communicates to the body that it can send energy to digestion, healing and repair.
Meditation helps to cleanse the mind. It helps us to become aware of our own thought patterns and how they colour our experience of the world. In yoga these are called our Samskaras.
Through our yoga and meditation practice we come to understand that everything we experience through our sense organs is changing and in that sense not real, not the true reality which is unchanging. At the same time we begin to experience and sense this part of ourselves that is unchanging and real. The part of us that is a witness to all that is going on without being changed by it. In Yoga this is called Purusha.
When we connect with Purusha we experience equanimity, steadfast joy and have a sense of who we are on a deep and profound level. This can be life changing. It can change our relationship to pain, to illness, to friends and family, to many different aspects of our lives and in the process help us to live a life that is the very fullest expression of what a human being can be.
I hope this cleanse will help to guide you along this path to feeling brighter, lighter and more connected so you can live a harmonious life that is the fullest expression of you!
The Zoom ID for the cleanse is:
Meeting ID: 461 070 1915
Please email me for the passcode
YOGA CLASSES 22nd - 26th March
Monday 09.00 - 10.00 - The 5 Elements. In this class we will explore the 5 elements and how we can connect to them and use them to help us restore balance.
Wednesday 09.00 - 10.00 - Rajas, Tamas and Sattva - in this class we will be cultivating Sattva
Friday 09.00 - 10.00 - Restoring Calm for Healthy Digestion
MEDITATION CLASSES
Tuesday 13.00 - 14.00 - Breath Meditation - we will do a 30 minute practice and then there will be time for us to explore what is meant by Samskaras and habits and how they can influence our lives. We will also look at how yoga and meditation can help to cleanse us of these samskaras so we are able to consciously direct our life. We will be looking at these themes within the context of the lockdown and moving out of lockdown into a more ‘normal’ life and asking ourselves what would we like to take with us into the future and what would we like to leave behind?
Thursday 13.00 - 14.00 - Short Breath Meditation and time to chat about what has come up for us this week so far, how we have found lockdown and how we are feeling about coming out of lockdown.
“WOOP - a science-based mental strategy that people can use to find and fulfil their wishes, set preferences, and change their habits." - Gabriele Oettingen
I will guide you through a WOOP practice. It is very simple to learn and an effective tool for you to take out and use whenever necessary. Everyone will leave the session with one wish that they hope to fulfil.
I’m really looking forward to meeting you all - see you on Monday - either in person or on the replay.
Lots of love
Rebecca xx