Yoga philosophy gives us a moral framework to work within. It’s called Ashtanga and is sometimes called the “Eight Limbs” of yoga.

These are the eight steps to yoga:

Yama:  Universal morality
Niyama:  Personal observances
Asanas:  Body postures
Pranayama:  Breathing exercises and control of prana
Pratyahara:  Control of the senses
Dharana:  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
Dhyana:  Devotion, meditation on the Divine
Samadhi:  Union with the Divine

The first limb is the Yamas, which refer to moral precepts, and the first of the Yamas is Ahimsa, which is non-violence or compassion for all living things.

“Non violence is the central principle of Yoga. When we no longer harm ourselves, our fellow beings or Mother Earth, peace blossoms forth like a radiant flower unfolding to the morning sun.”
Bhava Ram — The Eight Limbs of Yoga 

With so much violence and anger in the world at this time, it’s always worth repeating these words to ourselves and knowing that if we were all to act with kindness and patience towards ourselves and others we could and would make a difference. 

I hope you enjoyed last week’s post about Ayurveda and how it relates to how we eat. Are you chewing your food a bit more than before? Have you stopped eating while you’re standing or walking somewhere?! I will get around to that one day. I will!

For today’s post, I’d like to describe the six tastes of Ayurveda, how they affect our digestion and what they mean for the way we live our lives.

These are the six tastes of Ayurveda:

Sweet 

Sweet is the flavour of strength and energy. It’s associated with Earth and Water and is wet, heavy and cool. The sweet flavour also has a mood: it is the flavour of love, sharing and compassion.

Sweet substances and experiences are moistening, so they increase the volume of wet Kapha, cool down hot Pitta and moisten dry Vata.

In excess the sweet taste can reduce the strength of the digestive fire, agni, increase mucus production, create obesity and promote congestion, so Kapha types in particular should show moderation.

Sour 

Sour is associated with Fire, together with a little Earth and Water, and creates moisture and heat within us. Examples of sour food are lemons, lime and vinegar. The sour taste stimulates our digestion through its hot and light qualities and clears dryness by promoting fluids.

A little sour food encourages digestion; too much increases heat and mucus in the body. Use sour in moderation, especially if you are Kapha or Pitta as it aggravates Pitta heat and liquefies Kapha wetness.

Salty 

Salty taste creates moisture and heat, and is wet, heavy and hot. Salty is an easily recognisable taste and is very grounding for the nervous system. That’s why the salty flavour is said to encourage stability. After all, we call people who are solid and reliable 'the salt of the earth'. 

Salt reduces dry Vata, but aggravates hot Pitta and wet Kapha. Taken in moderation, salt is vital to our existence — it can be a lifesaver when there is dehydration. Too much salt, however, can cause water retention and high blood pressure.

Pungent (spicy) 

The qualities of pungent flavour are hot, dry and light — that’s why it’s associated with the elements of Fire and Air. Pungent foods and herbs, such as ginger, black and white pepper and chilli, are spicy. They can stimulate the metabolism and help digestion. They can also stimulate 'hot' emotions, ranging from passion and excitement to anger and irritation.

Pungent foods are good for wet Kapha, drying the excess moisture and mucus. It is also good for Vata, but too much is drying and overly stimulating and this can aggravate scatty Vata.

Bitter 

This taste is very underused in our diet. It relates to Air and Ether and is dry, light and cold. It creates space in the body by draining and drying excess fluids, and is the ultimate detoxifier. The bitter flavour helps to change our metabolism, so that our absorption, assimilation and elimination are improved.

Consuming too many bitter-tasting things encourages fear and anxiety, but lavender is a beautiful bitter flavour, relieving anxiety and promoting good sleep. Commonly eaten bitter foods are coffee, asparagus and some salad leaves like endive and roasted chicory roots. Bitter herbs are drying, cooling and draining, and clear wet Kapha and hot Pitta.

Astringent 

Astringent is the driest flavour and holds things in place. Associated with Earth and Air, it is heavy, cold and dry. The astringent flavour is found in tannins. 

Astrigent clears damp Kapha and hot Pitta. The astringent taste is usually detrimental to Vata as it is too drying — its cold and heavy quality can impair digestion and reduce the strength of the digestive fire.

So now you know! I hope you’ve enjoyed this two-parter. Can you think of any ways in which your diet will change as a result of what you have learned about Ayurveda and food?

The next two blog posts are about something very dear to my heart — and yours too, I’m guessing — and something we do every single day. Eating! 

At the simplest level, eating should make you happy and leave you nourished and satisfied. Ayurveda, or "knowledge of life" — see my last blog entry for full details —  says that we should eat until the stomach is half-full of food and one quarter-full of water, with the reminder left for digestive energy to circulate. We should also start to think more about what and how we eat and how we feel as we are eating.

"The life of all living beings is based on food, and all the world seeks food. Complexion, clarity, good voice, long life, understanding, happiness, satisfaction, strength and intelligence all come from food." — Charaka Samhita, a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda

There are two main concepts in Ayurveda - prana and agni — the life force and digestive fire. How we eat is essential for good health and Ayurveda offers us a way of understanding why.

Ayurveda prescribes a healthy diet and a way of eating that aids digestion. The book 'A Pukka Life' by Sebastian Pole gives an easy-to-understand list of advice on how we should eat. See if you follow the golden rules for healthy digestion!
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• Before you eat anything, make sure you are calm. If you are stressed, depressed, angry or rushed it is better not to eat, or only very lightly.
• Don't eat while standing up or walking.
• Try and eat in a peaceful place — your food will taste better and digestion will be improved.
• Start each meal with something a little spicy to stimulate your digestion.
• Chew your food properly to ensure that your digestive enzymes get to work in the mouth and make it easier on the rest of your digestive system.
• Sip warm water with each meal but don't drink lots of fluids until at least an hour after finishing your food, as this can extinguish your digestive fire.
• Be aware of how your digestion is feeling before and during each meal.

What’s that you say? Me? How many of those rules do I follow? Well, let’s just say that my worst fault is eating while I’m standing up or walking. I even get annoyed with myself for doing it!!

Come back next time, when I’ll talk about the six tastes of Ayurveda, what each taste does for you and how you should balance your diet. And have a great weekend.

​We’ve talked before about the comparisons yoga draws from nature and how nature is used to describe the way we feel and behave. 

Today I’d like to talk about how yoga teaches us how to aim for balance and calm, and how it helps us find balance and take a whole body approach through practice.

Yoga philosophy tells us that there are three Gunas — three qualities of nature, of our vital energy force. The three Gunas are Tamas, Rajas and Sattwa. 

Tamas is the first quality of nature and the mind, and stands for inertia, laziness, and procrastination. 

Rajas is the second quality and stands for dynamism, movement and motivation. 

Sattwa, the third quality of nature, is the quality of nature and mind which is steady, pure and harmonious.

Everything in nature has these qualities and while we are always striving to achieve Sattwa, it is necessary for us as human beings to recognise that we need to move between the three states as we go about our daily lives. We also need to ask ourselves whether we tend to spend too much time in one place.

The practise of treating the whole body, understanding that we are all different and that there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all, is called Ayurveda. 

Ayurveda is translated as "knowledge of life" and is concerned with living life based on you as an individual. A description given in an early Ayurvedic text written in about 100BCE notes, "It is called Ayurveda because it tells us which substances, qualities and actions are life-enhancing, and which are not.” From its ancient origins in India, Ayurveda has now spread all over the world. Its teaching uses a blend of herbal medicine massage, nutrition, spiritual insight, practical experience, scientific analysis and artistic creativity to guide us to a balanced and fulfilled lifestyle. Fundamentally, Ayurveda is a focus on the uniqueness of each individual.

Understanding our own constitution and the way in which we are drawn to the three Gunas is the key to living a healthy, balanced life. In Ayurveda there are three types of constitution. A healthy person is someone whose mind, body and spirit are integrated as a whole.

The three constitutional types, or Doshas, are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. 

​Everyone contains all of these types, but it is the combination unique to every person that makes us who we are. Doshas can change according to a variety of things, including what food we eat, the weather, our mood and how tired we are. The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word Dosha is "fault", because when circumstances cause an imbalance it can result in discomfort.

Vata — dry, cold, light, mobile, subtle, rough, irregular. It is the principle of communication and movement.

Vata is responsible for all movement in the body and comprises mainly of the qualities of space and wind. When Vata is dominant we can feel cold, perhaps with low body weight. Vata is busy, responsible for regulating all electrical impulses in the body and mind. Without Vata, the other doshas are inert; they go wherever the wind (Vata) takes them. When in balance, Vata brings comfortable movement, regular breathing, a healthy appetite, positivity, a calm mind and creativity.

Pitta — hot, sharp, penetrating, slightly oily, greasy, fat, irritable. It is the principle of passion and metabolism.

This dosha is made up of the qualities of the qualities of fire and water. Pitta exists in the body as water or oil in the body, protecting the body from fire. If Pitta is high, you will feel hot, have oily skin or feel very hungry. Because of its hot nature, Pitta's primary function is transformation. When in balance, you experience a healthy appetite, intelligence, courage, flexibility and feel full of vitality. Pitta people are dynamic and colourful — they get things done!

Kapha — cold, wet, heavy, stable, solid, unctuous, slow. It is the principle of love and structure.

The Kapha dosha is a combination of the earth and water elements. Kapha takes charge of the storage of the energy Vata has brought in and that Pitta has managed. When in balance, it gives strength, solidity, protection and endurance. Kapha people are full of love and compassion, they are loyal and devout. They are your best friend, very solid and give great hugs!

Now that you know all about your Gunas and Dhosas, how do you see yourself? Do you tend towards Vata? Calm and creative? Pitta? A go-getter? Or Kapha? A loving, supportive best friend? Do you recognise the changes in your energy levels and your constitutional type?

Whatever you tend towards, don’t forget that nothing is set in stone. Diet and yoga practice can complement the kind of person we are and help us to achieve balance in life.