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february/march 2019yogajournal.com.auVata, one of the three doshas or
mind-body types (the others are pitta
and kapha), is related to air energy in
the body. An excess can manifest as
bloating, gas, constipation, low
hormone levels, compromised
digestion, anxiety, and insomnia.
The moment I learned about this type
of doshic imbalance, I felt like I was
reading my own autobiography. For
the first time, I realised all of my
health issues were interconnected—
something no doctor had ever
suggested.
Thus began my obsession with
Ayurveda: I dove in deep, spent two
years in India studying to become an
Ayurvedic practitioner, and began
writing my first book—the Idiot’s
Guide to Ayurveda, which helped to
modernise Ayurveda for today’s
world. Not only did my physical
problems dissipate once I embraced
an Ayurvedic lifestyle, but I
experienced more mental clarity than
ever before. My dharma (purpose)
was revealed to me, and I’ve since
dedicated my life to sharing
Ayurveda—so people with health
issues like I had can find a holistic
cure.
I now get my veggies from
soothing soups which nourish my
body on a cellular level. In Ayurveda,
it’s not you are what you eat, but
rather, you are what you digest.
Warm, blended soups require very
little energy for digestion, allowing
your body to focus on healing.
The soups on the following pages,
from my new cookbook, Eat Feel
Fresh: A Contemporary Plant-Based
Ayurvedic Cookbook, will bring your
chakras into balance with ingredients
and hues that relate to each of the
seven major energy centres. When
our chakras are imbalanced, we may
experience “dis-ease” in that area of
the body, plus related psychosomatic
symptoms such as hip problems,
hormonal imbalances, digestive
issues, heart conditions, mucus,
headaches, or brain fog. Thanks to
ingredients such as grounding
root vegetables, sultry cinnamon,
empowering turmeric,
heart-expanding leafy greens,
nutrient-dense spirulina, and
enlightening beets, these soups
are delicious plant medicine.