The Myth of Perfect Ayurveda
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The Myth of Perfect Ayurveda

Pursuing the “right” way or the “perfect” outcome tends to rob us of the experience that anything is good enough, setting us up to feel perpetually dissatisfied.

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ayurveda 101 /

The Myth of Perfect Ayurveda

Pursuing the “right” way or the “perfect” outcome tends to rob us of the experience that anything is good enough, setting us up to feel perpetually dissatisfied.

Read Article
The Benefits of Mindful Eating
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The Benefits of Mindful Eating

To practice eating mindfully, take a deep breath and say a word of gratitude over your food. Now take your first bite. Put your eating utensil back down and rest your...

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ayurveda 101 /

The Benefits of Mindful Eating

To practice eating mindfully, take a deep breath and say a word of gratitude over your food. Now take your first bite. Put your eating utensil back down and rest your...

Read Article
The Wisdom of Ayurvedic Tongue Reading
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The Wisdom of Ayurvedic Tongue Reading

If you were to go over to your mirror right now and stick out your tongue, would you see a thick, white coating? If so, it might be time to...

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ayurveda 101 /

The Wisdom of Ayurvedic Tongue Reading

If you were to go over to your mirror right now and stick out your tongue, would you see a thick, white coating? If so, it might be time to...

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The Ayurvedic Key to Health: Knowing Your Current State of Balance
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The Ayurvedic Key to Health: Knowing Your Curre...

When you first discover Ayurveda, you feel a magnetic pull to learn more. The way the system addresses each person as a unique individual feels a lot like having a...

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ayurveda 101 /

The Ayurvedic Key to Health: Knowing Your Current State of Balance

When you first discover Ayurveda, you feel a magnetic pull to learn more. The way the system addresses each person as a unique individual feels a lot like having a...

Read Article
How Discovering the Doshas Can Change Your Life
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How Discovering the Doshas Can Change Your Life

Just as all individuals have all three doshas inherent within themselves, dual-doshic or tri-doshic manifestations can be identified in our natural environment.

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ayurveda 101 /

How Discovering the Doshas Can Change Your Life

Just as all individuals have all three doshas inherent within themselves, dual-doshic or tri-doshic manifestations can be identified in our natural environment.

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Exploring the Dhatus: Muscle and Fat Tissue
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Exploring the Dhatus: Muscle and Fat Tissue

Ayurveda has seven tissue systems, and keeping them healthy is critical to our well-being. Vibrant tissues provide us with greater vitality and immunity. The dhatus are sequential in their function—they nourish...

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ayurveda 101 /

Exploring the Dhatus: Muscle and Fat Tissue

Ayurveda has seven tissue systems, and keeping them healthy is critical to our well-being. Vibrant tissues provide us with greater vitality and immunity. The dhatus are sequential in their function—they nourish...

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Why Rejuvenation Is Crucial
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Why Rejuvenation Is Crucial

Leave it to Ayurveda to devote an entire branch of its ancient science to the practice of rejuvenation. One can only imagine how important this concept should be in our...

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ayurveda 101 /

Why Rejuvenation Is Crucial

Leave it to Ayurveda to devote an entire branch of its ancient science to the practice of rejuvenation. One can only imagine how important this concept should be in our...

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An Introduction to Pranayama
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An Introduction to Pranayama

Have you ever noticed how often we use the word “breath” in our daily live? We use phrases like, “I’m not going to hold my breath,” “Like a breath of...

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8 limbs yoga /

An Introduction to Pranayama

Have you ever noticed how often we use the word “breath” in our daily live? We use phrases like, “I’m not going to hold my breath,” “Like a breath of...

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Why Every Meal Should Have All 6 Tastes
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Why Every Meal Should Have All 6 Tastes

The saying “You are what you eat” takes on increased importance in Ayurveda, which teaches that food affects you both physiologically and psychologically. To be more Ayurvedic, we can modify this...

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ayurveda 101 /

Why Every Meal Should Have All 6 Tastes

The saying “You are what you eat” takes on increased importance in Ayurveda, which teaches that food affects you both physiologically and psychologically. To be more Ayurvedic, we can modify this...

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Why Nature is the Best Health Coach
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Why Nature is the Best Health Coach

When I set out to write this article on how Ayurveda can help us lead a calm and peaceful life, I immediately thought of something I learned from my teacher,...

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ayurveda 101 /

Why Nature is the Best Health Coach

When I set out to write this article on how Ayurveda can help us lead a calm and peaceful life, I immediately thought of something I learned from my teacher,...

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The Digestive Process: An Ayurvedic Perspective
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The Digestive Process: An Ayurvedic Perspective

The Ayurvedic take on digestion includes the idea that the whole process happens in three stages, that digestion happens on a subtle level as well as a gross physical one,...

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ayurveda 101 /

The Digestive Process: An Ayurvedic Perspective

The Ayurvedic take on digestion includes the idea that the whole process happens in three stages, that digestion happens on a subtle level as well as a gross physical one,...

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Exploring the Elements—Space
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Exploring the Elements—Space

Space element, sometimes called ether, is the place where everything happens. In the modern yoga world, Space element abounds. The practice of intensive, drying asana sequences, an emphasis on raw...

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ayurveda 101 /

Exploring the Elements—Space

Space element, sometimes called ether, is the place where everything happens. In the modern yoga world, Space element abounds. The practice of intensive, drying asana sequences, an emphasis on raw...

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Exploring the Elements—Wind
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Exploring the Elements—Wind

The wind element carries the qualities cold, dry, rough, mobile, subtle, and light. Sound familiar? That's right, vata dosha is made up of wind and space!

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ayurveda 101 /

Exploring the Elements—Wind

The wind element carries the qualities cold, dry, rough, mobile, subtle, and light. Sound familiar? That's right, vata dosha is made up of wind and space!

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Exploring the Elements—Fire
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Exploring the Elements—Fire

Fire element is the principle of transformation. In the body, this most obviously manifests in the flame of digestion. Fire element expresses as hot, sharp, bright, upward-moving, and spreading.

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ayurveda 101 /

Exploring the Elements—Fire

Fire element is the principle of transformation. In the body, this most obviously manifests in the flame of digestion. Fire element expresses as hot, sharp, bright, upward-moving, and spreading.

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Exploring the Elements—Water
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Exploring the Elements—Water

Water element is the principle of cohesion. In the body, this emerges as nourishment, growth, and lubrication. Water element cools, moistens, adheres, soothes, softens, smoothes, dulls, and spreads.

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ayurveda 101 /

Exploring the Elements—Water

Water element is the principle of cohesion. In the body, this emerges as nourishment, growth, and lubrication. Water element cools, moistens, adheres, soothes, softens, smoothes, dulls, and spreads.

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Exploring the Elements—Earth
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Exploring the Elements—Earth

Earth element expresses as stability. The qualities of Earth element are cool, stable, heavy, dry, rough, gross, dense, dull, and hard. In the body, this emerges as growth, accumulation, and...

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ayurveda 101 /

Exploring the Elements—Earth

Earth element expresses as stability. The qualities of Earth element are cool, stable, heavy, dry, rough, gross, dense, dull, and hard. In the body, this emerges as growth, accumulation, and...

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Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Might Be Just What You Need
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Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Might Be Just What You Need

Rejuvenation is a lovely thing to do to help us feel better and it can bring ease from long, ongoing stress or illness. Restorative practices boost our mental and physical energy while...

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ayurveda 101 /

Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Might Be Just What You Need

Rejuvenation is a lovely thing to do to help us feel better and it can bring ease from long, ongoing stress or illness. Restorative practices boost our mental and physical energy while...

Read Article
4 Practical Ways to Improve Your Digestion
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4 Practical Ways to Improve Your Digestion

Eating is a wonderful and enjoyable act. Unfortunately, with busy lives, we can forget how important it actually is and how directly it affects our minds and bodies. Ayurveda teaches that the act...

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ayurveda 101 /

4 Practical Ways to Improve Your Digestion

Eating is a wonderful and enjoyable act. Unfortunately, with busy lives, we can forget how important it actually is and how directly it affects our minds and bodies. Ayurveda teaches that the act...

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Ayurveda for Yogis
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Ayurveda for Yogis

Yoga and Ayurveda enrich each other in mutually enhancing ways. So if you are looking to deepen your yoga practice, why not introduce yourself to Ayurveda?

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8 limbs yoga /

Ayurveda for Yogis

Yoga and Ayurveda enrich each other in mutually enhancing ways. So if you are looking to deepen your yoga practice, why not introduce yourself to Ayurveda?

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Nadi Shodhana – The Breath of Balance
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Nadi Shodhana – The Breath of Balance

Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is a type of pranayama that balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and has a calming effect on the nervous system...

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ayurveda 101 /

Nadi Shodhana – The Breath of Balance

Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, is a type of pranayama that balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain and has a calming effect on the nervous system...

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Ayurveda in the Workplace: Nobody is Like You!
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Ayurveda in the Workplace: Nobody is Like You!

We are all going to approach work and projects differently. Let's explore how we can work more in harmony with good understandings of each other according to the three doshas.

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ayurveda 101 /

Ayurveda in the Workplace: Nobody is Like You!

We are all going to approach work and projects differently. Let's explore how we can work more in harmony with good understandings of each other according to the three doshas.

Read Article
The Path of Balance: The ONLY Road You Need
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The Path of Balance: The ONLY Road You Need

Ayurveda, thought to be the most ancient form of medicine, and touted as the science of life, is centered upon the concept of balance. Within Ayurveda, this teaching of balance...

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ayurveda 101 /

The Path of Balance: The ONLY Road You Need

Ayurveda, thought to be the most ancient form of medicine, and touted as the science of life, is centered upon the concept of balance. Within Ayurveda, this teaching of balance...

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How to Sink Your Ship (Ayurveda & the 3 Causes of Disease)
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How to Sink Your Ship (Ayurveda & the 3 Causes ...

Ayurveda names 3 causes of disease. Dis-ease is disease. Dis means having a negative or reversing force. Ease means free from difficulty, effort, or trouble. Dis-ease, therefore, is a negative reversal of the flow of ease....

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ayurveda 101 /

How to Sink Your Ship (Ayurveda & the 3 Causes of Disease)

Ayurveda names 3 causes of disease. Dis-ease is disease. Dis means having a negative or reversing force. Ease means free from difficulty, effort, or trouble. Dis-ease, therefore, is a negative reversal of the flow of ease....

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The Ayurvedic Concept of Imbalance
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The Ayurvedic Concept of Imbalance

Unless you are a saint, you will go out of balance and become sick from time to time. Occasional sickness is inevitable for a mortal; continuously perfect health does not...

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ayurveda 101 /

The Ayurvedic Concept of Imbalance

Unless you are a saint, you will go out of balance and become sick from time to time. Occasional sickness is inevitable for a mortal; continuously perfect health does not...

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Ayurveda Basics and Q&A

The meaning of Ayurveda is vast—as the science of life, Ayurvedic philosophy and its principles can be applied to every aspect of your life, from how you structure your day to what you eat, what activities best support your well-being, how your environment influences your state of balance, and how to keep your equilibrium, no matter what life presents.

Knowing just how all-encompassing Ayurveda is, it's understandable that the sheer depth and breadth of this ancient modality can feel overwhelming, and it can be hard to know where to start. These articles keep it simple and begin with the basics! Some topics include:

  • An exploration of the gunas of sattva, rajas, and tamas
  • The energetic forces of nature (known as the mahabhutas)—earth, water, fire, air (or wind), and space (or ether)
  • How these energetic forces combine to create all life—including the doshas, your constitution (or prakriti), and your state of balance (or vikriti)
  • The importance of the six tastes
  • How to establish a healthy, balanced daily routine

And more!

Whether you landed here because you're looking for an answer to a common question (like “Do I have a dosha imbalance?” or “What is the best breakfast for vata?”) or you're here to build your Ayurvedic knowledge, these Q&A's, Ayurveda videos, and all of our AskBanyan content are the perfect introduction to Ayurveda.

As you continue your Ayurvedic journey, you may find that what once felt overwhelming is actually quite intuitive and simple upon application. Because Ayurveda uses principles that honor our inherent connection with nature and the elements, the essence of this ancient modality honors the inherent wisdom of our bodies and helps us align with our souls.

Every person's journey is unique. And that's the beauty of Ayurveda—it's not a one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness. While this does require more active participation from you to figure out what this means for your particular journey, it's that much more exhilarating, empowering, and ultimately rewarding.