In my first post I discussed the benefits of a gluten free diet. Becoming gluten free was my first big step in a kind of transformation process I’ve undertaken. For many years I’ve been interested in good health- learning, researching, studying, but recently I’ve really tried to embody the ideas I’ve learned over the years. I’ve been gluten free for over a year now and am still feeling the benefits and differences in my body. I am also keeping refined sugar out, (Mostly! The holidays are always tough). My primary reasons for making such big changes are mental health and the desire for a higher level of connection with my body, as well as preventative medicine. As a dancer I’ve had a somewhat tumultuous relationship with food. At some point along the line I started listening to my mind more than my body, of what I should be eating, how much, when, etc. I lost connection with the feeling of what it means to be nourished, to eat well, and to get satisfaction from food. Worst of all, I started to despise food and what I was eating. Throughout my life a lot of unhealthy habits have built up… now I’m trying to unwind them one by one. It’s a process and I’m only in the middle, but I can say now that I’m healthier and happier with my body and overall health than I’ve ever been before. The more I am able to embody the wish to be ‘healthy’ and not just change my body in some way, the better I feel. Many of us in the dance world have a distorted outlook when it comes to our form and nutrition, but it’s worth taking the time to hack this and really learn to love and appreciate what we’ve been given and blessed with. Practicing yoga, mediation, and learning about Ayurveda has helped me find balance and I would like to share some insights that can help honor your overall health and the temple that is your body.

At the age of 15 I was first told I needed to lose weight. I am sure many of you out there have similar stories, especially women in the world of ballet. I can imagine my ballet teacher tried to tell me in the most healthy way possible, but no matter how the issue is discussed I find it is really confusing for a child to understand what this means. Questions arise- is there something wrong with me? Why am I not good enough as I am? Later I went on a long roller coaster of dieting, fasting, drug use, almost anything to try to lose weight. Drastic measures led to small amounts of time where I was happy with my body and long periods of time spent in anguish. I was never able to sustain and just feel good about my body without having concerns and worries about my weight. Even when I was quite healthy and happy there were always wishes for something more, or something less is maybe a better way to say it. To be leaner, stronger, lighter. But it seems that my desire to lose weight always caused me stress, and when our system is stressed it is very difficult to make long lasting positive changes. When I was younger I wasn’t able to see the gift of time, and that true changes are slow and require a change in lifestyle, not just a diet plan.

It can be really difficult to change the patterns that we make for ourselves. Sugar has been a crutch of mine for a really long time. This addiction is so serious, worse than alcohol, tobacco, any other substance I’ve used. I used to feel so groggy and tired, and always like something was wrong with me. (I’ll discuss sugar alternatives I’ve found in a later blog. We have to have sweet to enjoy all the sweetness of life, but there are many other ways than pure refined sugar that’s not so great for us). My poor use of food led me to have poor digestion. Now I’m cleaning my system, and realizing that food is actually my medicine. We can only reach pure health with what we put in our body. Ayurveda (meaning “wisdom of life” or “knowledge of longevity”) expresses that living life in harmony with nature is the pathway to a peaceful body, mind and spirit.

An introduction to Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian form of holistic medicine. I am by all means no expert; my aim is only to expose those who don’t know much about the subject to ideas that I find helpful and extremely interesting (and also complicated!). My pull towards Ayurveda comes from the lack of harmony I have felt with my body and food. Ayurveda is all about finding harmony, to get the utmost nourishment from what we put in our bodies. As our bodies are made up of trillions of independent cells, we ourselves are also little cells making up a huge universal organism. The flow of nutrients going into the body’s cells and wastes coming out of the cells also characterize the same processes into and out of plants, animals and humans. It’s all about energy, no? Everything that exists in the external universe has its counterpart in a living being’s own personal internal universe. To explain the link of these internal and external forces together are the Five Great Elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space, which condense to the Three Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Our individual Ayurvedic constitution (our ‘Prakriti’), is based on these forces. Vata, which is the principle of kinetic energy in the body is mainly concerned with the nervous system and controls all body movement. Kapha, the principle of Potential energy, controls body stability and lubrication. The tissues and wastes of the body are Kapha’s territory. Pitta controls the body’s balance of these energies, kinetic and potential. Pitta’s processes involve digestion, whether physical or mental. The enzymatic and endocrine systems are where Pitta is most involved. These three forces are what govern most of our physiological processes. The complicated part is to figure out your individual constitution. Most people are not purely Vata or Pitta or Kapha in nature, but fit predominately into one and secondarily into another. There are many characteristics you can evaluate which will help you determine your Prakriti. Analyzing body frame, weight, skin color and complexion, skin characteristics, sweat, head hair, nails, eyes, mouth, appetite, digestion and evacuation, menstruation, climate preference, sex drive, physical strength and endurance, pulse, sleep, dreams, vocal qualities, characteristic emotion, personality traits, predominant mode of perception and expression, the mind, memory and lifestyle will help you determine your constitution. (I told you complicated right?!) It’s good to get some outside guidance when you are in this process. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are together essential to life, and problems arise when they are out of balance to one another. Once you have an idea of your constitutional type, you can be more aware of what you are eating and how effective your digestion system is. There are The Six Tastes: Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter and Astringent. These are essential for proper functioning of the body. The tastes all have very different effects on emotions and consciousness, and of course how the nutrients from what you are eating are being integrated into your body. The Six Tastes directly affect the Three Doshas and whether they are in or out of balance.

Our personal constitution was actually determined by the state of our parents bodies at the time of conception. Genetics, a mother’s diet and habits during pregnancy, and any unusual events at the time of birth all influence our personal constitution. In general our constitution is set and cannot be permanently altered. Knowing our constitution allows us to know our mind and body better, choose the foods that are in our best interest, and also realize why we are choosing certain foods over others. In life I find our biggest work is to get to know ourselves, and through Ayurveda this works take on a whole new level. I find the guidance beneficial when navigating my way through this crazy world we live in.

Ayurveda has also taught me about ritual in eating. The food that we eat is a sacrifice of Mother Earth, and eating is a sacred act. Plants actually have unbelievably extensive and complicated communication networks and research shows that they have feelings as well. So it is with all respect that we should be eating them. This past year I have been blessed to eat the vegetables that are grown by my boyfriend. There is no more direct and special way to enjoy your food than by growing it yourself. I have never felt so connected with Mother Nature and all her power until I had this experience. As I said before, and like most of you know, it takes a lot of time to change habits. Slowly and steadily I am eating for health. I am listening to my body. I am trying to take the best care of myself so I can offer my best self to the world. When we are not eating well our energies are also not flowing well, and we depend upon these for everything we do in life. If you feel unsatisfied with some of your habits, if you’ve struggled like I have, take the time to sit and analyze. Listen before you eat. Appreciate all that you put in your body and feel the blessings and bounty of Mother Nature. And if you’d like to learn more about Ayurveda, I recommend, “Praktriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution” by Dr. Robert E. Svoboda. Most of my information is coming from this amazing book. Ayurveda is much too great a subject to do justice explaining in a short blog, but I hope my meager introduction has reached some of you, and perhaps you will feel a pull to learn more about this amazing, holistic way of life. I wish you all the best and much love and light on your own personal journeys.

Feedback or insights are welcome!  I look forward to hearing from you.