Ayurveda Beginner's Guide: Essential Ayurvedic Principles and Practices to Balance and Heal Naturally

by Susan Weis-Bohlen

Overview

Find Balance, Clarity, and Healing—The Ideal Ayurvedic Guide for Beginners

If you're searching for a natural path to wellness but don't know where to start, Ayurveda Beginner's Guide offers a gentle, welcoming entry point into one of the world's most time-tested healing systems. 

Trusted by thousands of readers, this book helps you understand your body's unique needs and how to restore balance using the rhythms of nature. 

In this practical and inspiring guide, you'll learn how to: 

• Create grounding daily rituals with yoga, breathing, self-massage, meditation, and aromatherapy 
• Start your Ayurvedic journey with a 3-week plan focused on ease, seasonal flow, and intuitive healing 
• Cook nourishing meals with beginner-friendly Ayurvedic recipes using common ingredients 

Whether you're new to holistic health or ready to deepen your spiritual and physical self-care, this guide gives you the confidence and tools to begin living Ayurvedically. 

"Susan's approach to Ayurveda is simplicity itself. In Ayurveda Beginners Guide she has described the complex network of Ayurvedic information in a very practical, straightforward way so that every person can understand the healing modality of Ayurveda."—Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc, Ayurvedic Physician Founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, advisor for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, and author of numerous books including Ayurveda: Science of Self-Healing and The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781939754196
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	02/13/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	188
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

SUSAN WEIS-BOHLEN is full-time Ayurvedic consultant, cooking teacher, meditation teacher, and leader of sacred site tours. Susan’s personal journey into the Ayurveda lifestyle began when she came across the Ayurvedic cleansing technique of panchakarma. What began as the release of damaging toxins and personal difficulties eventually grew into an impassioned vocation. She has since studied with the best teachers of Ayurveda, both in the US and in India. Susan knows exactly how challenging it can be to come to Ayurveda as a beginner and has dedicated her life to sharing the fruits of her studies with students all over the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction x

Part 1 An Ancient System of Healing

1 An Overview of Ayurveda 3

2 The Path to Healing and Wellness 17

3 An Overview of Ayurvedic Healing Methods 29

4 A Gentle 21-Day Introduction to Ayurveda 43

Part 2 A Wide Range of Ayurvedic Healing Methods

5 Healing Ayurvedic Recipes 55

6 Lifestyle Practices and Yoga Poses 81

7 Spiritual Rituals and Practices 107

8 Seasonal Adjustments and All-Season Cleanse 131

9 Medicinal Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments 141

Appendix A Common Ayurvedic Cooking Ingredients 153

Appendix B The Three Universal Qualities and the Five Sheaths 158

Resources 161

References 163

Index of Practices, Recipes, and Remedies 165

Index 167

Editorial Reviews

Susan’s approach to Ayurveda is simplicity itself. She has described the complex network of Ayurvedic information in a very practical, straightforward way so that every person can understand the healing modality of Ayurveda.”

Vasant Lad

Reading Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide feels like a friend taking your hand and warmly guiding you to feeling a lot better. It’s a wonderful and helpful book.”

New York Times bestselling author Sharon Salzberg

Susan’s approach to Ayurveda is simplicity itself. She has described the complex network of Ayurvedic information in a very practical, straightforward way so that every person can understand the healing modality of Ayurveda."—Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc, Ayurvedic Physician Founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, advisor for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, and author of numerous books including Ayurveda: Science of Self-Healing and The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies

“Reading Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide feels like a friend taking your hand and warmly guiding you to feeling a lot better. It’s a wonderful and helpful book.” —Sharon Salzberg, New York Times bestselling author of Real Happiness and Real Love

“Ayurveda Beginners Guide will take you on effortless journey into the world of Ayurveda that promises to change your life, as it has mine!” —Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAP, founder of LifeSpa.com and bestselling author of Eat Wheat and The 3-Season Diet

"Susan Weis-Bohlen has provided a practical and user-friendly introduction and guide to Ayurveda for the health-conscious seekers of balanced living."—Hilary Giravaltis, Executive Director of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and founder of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda

“Susan Weis-Bohlen has translated the ancient healing system of Ayurveda into real-world, practical applications. Each page of this beautiful book lovingly guides us with profound yet easy-to-apply steps that bring our body back to a state of wholeness, our mind back into the present moment, and our Soul to a more peaceful vibration. Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide is a powerful, comprehensive blueprint for living a healthy, balanced, and abundant life, and I am grateful to her for sharing this timeless wisdom in such an accessible format."—davidji, author of Secrets of Meditation (Nautilus Book Award winner)

"Susan Weis-Bohlen has a deep understanding of what is one of the world's oldest systems of medicine. She also has a unique talent for translating her knowledge of Ayurveda so that both health professionals and lay readers can gain more insight and understanding."—Brian Berman, MD, Director of University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Integrative Medicine, Founder and President of The Institute for Integrative Health

“Ayurveda Beginner's Guide introduces readers to concepts and practices that can be added to one’s daily living right away. Susan Weis-Bohlen also shares deeper aspects of this powerful healing path that she has learned and practiced over the years. This book is a guide to how ancient Eastern practices can have a healing impact in the West today.”—Dr. Ramkumar Kutty, co-founder of Vaidyagrama Ayurvedic Healing Village and Punarnava Trust, India

“If you’re looking for a new way to pursue health and wisdom, this book is your answer. Beautiful and vibrant, Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide welcomes you to an ancient path for healing. Filled with practical, doable advice for everyday living, it’s accessible, clear, engaging, and so encouraging. Your travel guide for the journey, Susan Weis-Bohlen, lives this path and walks her talk. She, too, was a beginner once and takes you on this journey with lively compassion and practical humor. Go for it!”—Amadea Morningstar, author of Easy Healing Drinks from the Wisdom of Ayurveda

“As a physician who practices Ayurveda, I am always asked by patients for resources that will help them delve into this beautiful and ancient science. I am truly grateful that Susan Weis-Bohlen has taken her many years of wisdom and compiled it into an easy-to-use handbook. Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide includes an overview of dosha types, lifestyle practices, dietary guidelines, recipes, yoga poses, and other balancing Ayurvedic treatments. The writing is clear and concise, and I know this book will help many readers use this ancient medicine to achieve a more optimal way of living.”—Trupti Gokani, MD, award-winning, board-certified neurologist

“In Ayurveda Beginner's Guide, Susan Weis-Bohlen skillfully translates the empowering teachings of this ancient system of wellness for a modern-day audience. Her enthusiasm for and knowledge of the artistry of Ayurveda shines forth in every page. User-friendly and approachable, this guide is a must-have for anyone interested in Ayurveda.”—Felicia Tomasko, RN, Editor-in-Chief of LA Yoga Ayurveda and health magazine, former member of National Ayurvedic Medical Association board of directors, former president of California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine

“Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide by Susan Weis- Bohlen is a gem. For those who are looking to learn more about the ancient, healing powers of Ayurveda, look no further than this wonderful resource.”—Rebecca Katz, MS, author of The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen

"Clearly and concisely, Susan Weis-Bohlen offers a comprehensive introduction to Ayurveda, deftly mixing her own experience following Ayurvedic principles with explanations of its approach, long history, and range of benefits. The tone is serious, helpful and sometimes funny (as when the digestive tract tries to figure out what to do with ingested Cheez Doodles). This detailed book—full of recipes, information about yoga, meditation, medicine and more—makes it easy for anyone to learn about Ayurveda."—John Mutter, Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder, Shelf Awareness

“As a Vaidya (Ayurvedic Physician) who has traveled the world for the last 30 years to practice and teach Ayurveda, I’ve often been asked by my clients and students to provide a means for understanding the vast knowledge of Ayurveda using simple language. In her book, Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide, Susan Weis-Bohlen brings years of study and clinical experience to making the knowledge of Ayurveda accessible and easy to apply for anyone. I highly recommend Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide to both beginners and those who are already familiar with the health benefits of incorporating the principles of Ayurveda into their lives.”—Dr. Shekhar Annambhotla, BAMS, MD (Ayurved), President of the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America. (www.aapna.org)

From the Publisher