So - before I get into this, I know that it's been a serious amount of time since I've posted last. I've wanted to - oh, how I've wanted to. It's just...having three jobs, two kids, a dog and a husband sort of get in the way, it seems. Bear (bare?) with me!
This post topic is important enough that it got me to open up this site and want to tell you all, so here we go!
I feel like crap.
All the time.
Is it because I'm newly 35? (yeeeeeesh) Is it because I haven't slept in 3 years with this toddler of mine? Maybe.
Thing is, I take really good care of myself. I eat mostly really healthfully, I exercise, I stay active, I drink my fluids. What gives?!
Since I had cancer, I've struggled with feeling "right". Maybe it's because I live on synthetic thyroid medicine now instead of having a functioning gland that will provide my body the amount of thyroxine it needs at any given moment, instead of giving my body one set dose, every day, for over 10 years now.
You know what comes in handy? Having an herbalist for a husband. Poor thing is getting white hairs over how often I come to him with new symptoms (foggy brain, feeling super sluggish and his favorite, my woes with an ever sluggish bowel (sorry FYI, ha).
He's provided me with immeasurable amazing remedies over the years - he's brilliant AF and a whiz at the human body, herbs, quality control and everything in between. He's helped me more than I can say! Here's the link to his site if you want someone like him in your corner - Josh Boughton, Herbalist at Rooted Nutrition
Lately - I was heading into another really sluggish episode, and told him about it and he said "it sounds like your kapha is imbalanced".
Heh?
Kapha?
I giggled and went right to Google. Well, wouldn't you know it - every SINGLE symptom of a kapha imbalance was exactly what I was feeling!
As I kept reading, I learned that in Ayurvedic Medicine, Kapha is one of the three doshas, or life energies that define every person's makeup. These doshas, along with Kapha, also include Vata and Pitta.
Since I clearly appeared that whatever this Kapha thing was was very imbalanced, I kept reading - entranced. I'd heard of Ayurvedic Medicine about a million times from working in Woodstock, to being a dietitian to just hearing about it. Yet, I'd never had a reason to look into it.
I spent hours on the internet that night and bought an awesome book on the subject, called, Ayurveda Beginner's Guide: Essential Ayurvedic Principles and Practices to Balance and Heal Naturally on Amazon and I read the whole thing in 24 hours. I just loved learning, reading, soaking in this ancient medicine practice and really loving how much it made sense. Yes, yes, I know it's probably not evidence based and for others, I prefer to practice on an evidence based manner, but for myself, I will dive right in if something makes sense to me and this did!
THEN, after telling my sister that I was exploring Ayurvedic medicine, she sent me a link to a workshop that coming weekend on Ayurveda at her favorite local yoga studio, Saugerties Yoga. I immediately signed up and spent that Saturday with a group of women learning about the doshas, how to determine which dosha your body mostly is, learning about how foods affect the doshas and their imbalances and how self care is incredibly important in bringing the doshas and your body into balance.
I've been quite hooked ever since and came right home and bought far too many items from Banyan Botanicals (with the hubbies approval) and I cannot wait for them to arrive tomorrow in the mail!
Want to learn more about what your dosha might be? Take this quiz at Banyan Botanical's website (there are a lot of quizzes online and I got a few mixed answers, however I took a really long, in depth quiz at my workshop, which sealed the deal!)
This is just the very beginning of this journey, I think. I feel entranced. Enthralled. Completely mystified by this practice and I really feel excited to continue my learning!
What do you all think of Ayurveda? I'd love to hear your stories! Anyone want to come on this journey with me?!