Ayurveda Made Easy: 50 Exercises for Finding Health, Mindfulness, and Balance

by Heidi E Spear

Overview

A simple guide to Ayurveda that focuses on exercises and remedies to achieve ultimate health, energy, mindfulness, and balance.

Practicing Ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems, doesn’t need to be complicated. Ayurveda Made Easy contains simple strategies to guide you toward a healthier lifestyle perfectly suited to your needs.

Ayurveda works to help you understand your body and achieve your personal ideal balance with a series of exercises, activities, and natural remedies. From dietary suggestions to yoga postures and breathing exercises, each page offers practiced steps to improve your body and keep you calm and mindful every day.

With over fifty easy-to-follow exercises, Ayurveda Made Easy takes you one step closer to achieving health, peace, and energy for a balanced life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781507204405
Publisher:	Adams Media
Publication date:	08/15/2017
Series:	Made Easy Series
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Heidi E. Spear, MA, ABD, is an author and teacher who leads workshops on creative expression, yoga, meditation, energy healing, stress relief, the yoga of Shakespeare, and the law of attraction. She has graduate degrees in comparative literature and the arts from Washington University in St. Louis and New York University. Her meditation CD, Universe, is available on iTunes. You can visit her website at HeidiSpear.com.

 

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Part I The Science of Life 7

1 What Is Ayurveda? 9

2 The Benefits of Ayurveda 30

Part II 50 Exercises for Balance 39

3 Lifestyle and Routine 41

Create Conditions for Balance Each Morning 42

Follow Nature's Clock 45

Practice Mindfulness for Balance 47

Engage in Nourishing Bodywork 49

Tune In to Your Chakras 50

Use Balancing Aromas 54

Help Your Children Balance Themselves 56

Cultivate Self-Awareness and Compassion 59

Ease Into Bedtime 62

4 Breathwork 63

Learn the Importance of Proper Breathing 64

Nadi Shodhana for Vata Balance 65

Dirgha Breath, Lying on Your Back, for Vata Balance 67

Warming Breath and So Hum Steady Breath for Vata Balance 68

Lunar Breath/Left Nostril Breath (Chandra Bhedana) for Pitta Balance 69

Cooling Breath (Shitali) for Pitta Balance 70

Lion's Breath (Simhasana) for Kapha Balance 72

Skull-Shining Breath (Kapalabhati) for Kapha Balance 72

Three-Part Breath (Dirgha) for All Doshas 74

5 Food and Nutrition 75

Remember Why You Eat in the First Place 76

Slow Down and Savor the Moment 78

Eat in Moderation 79

Consider Tastes When You Plan Your Dishes 81

Stock Your Kitchen Wisely 89

Customize Meals with Spice Mixes 94

Make Your Own Teas and Brews 96

De-Stress with Ashwagandha 98

6 Yoga 99

Enjoy Stillness with Yoga 100

Tadasana: Mountain Pose for Vata 105

Virabhadrasana I: Warrior I Pose for Vata 106

Child's Pose for Vata 107

Uttanasana: Standing Wide-Angle Forward Fold for Pitta 108

Twisting Wide-Angle Forward Fold for Pitta 110

Reclined Twist for Pitta 112

Sun Salutation for Kapha 113

Angel Breaths for Kapha 116

Rhythmic Forward Fold for Kapha 118

7 Energy Work 119

Assist the Flow of Prana 120

Move That Body! 121

Try a Walking Meditation 122

Brighten Your Mood 124

Learn about Marma Therapy 127

Practice Hand Mudras 129

8 Healing 131

Fight Colds 132

Minimize Bloating 135

Relieve Lower Back Pain 136

Treat Acne 138

Prevent Insomnia 139

Step Nosebleeds 140

Soothe Indigestion 143

Using Gems for Healing 145

Part III A Lifetime of Balance 147

9 Visits with an Ayurvedic Practitioner or Consultant 149

Index 159

Editorial Reviews

"The book gives you signs (both mental and physical) to see just how aligned and balanced you are ... .There’s a useful five-minute check in which you can do daily to see how you’re doing ... .An easy small size that can fit in your purse – I have found it to be very useful and have plenty of notes ... throughout, for easy access to tips later on."

We Blog The World

"Practicing ayurveda, one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems, doesn’t need to be complicated. Ayurveda Made Easy contains simple strategies to guide you toward a healthier lifestyle perfectly suited to your needs. From dietary suggestions to yoga postures and breathing exercises, each page offers practiced steps to improve your body and keep you calm and mindful every day. Ayurveda Made Easy takes you one step closer to achieving health, peace and energy for a balanced life."

Natural Practitioner Magazine