Elements of Ayurveda Podcast

Rakta vaha srotas are the channels involved in the production and transportation of blood. The main functions of the blood channel are transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout the body and the removal of waste including carbon dioxide and other metabolic wastes from the body, transporting them to the lungs, kidneys, and skin for excretion. In this episode Colette looks at the imbalances and di...

Edema is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body's tissues. Edema can affect any part of the body but it's most common in the extremities like the ankles, legs, feet, arms and hands. It can occur during hot weather, pregnancy and it's a common sign of imbalance in conditions affecting the plasma channel (rasa vaha srotas) and hydration channel (udaka vaha srotas) in the body. Colette d...

Rasa vaha srotas are the channels carrying rasa, which is the first tissue formed after digestion.   Rasa is our plasma, lymph and serum circulating throughout the body and nourishing all the tissues of the body. The health of rasa and the rasa vaha srotas is extremely important as both the tissue and channel are responsible for the nourishment to all the other tissues of the body. Colette discuss...

Divya Alter is the co-founder of the nation's first Ayurvedic culinary school (Bhagavat Life) and the chef-owner of the award-winning New York City restaurant, Divya's Kitchen, which reimagines classic dishes through an Ayurvedic lens. She is also the author of two cookbooks, What to Eat for How You Feel and Joy of Balance. Divya chats with Colette about Summer cooking and they cover the following...

Udaka vaha srotas, also known as ambu vaha srotas is the water carrying channel in the body and it also includes the channels that regulate water balance. In episode 276 Colette discussed the functioning of the hydration channel and subdoshas involved. In this episode she focuses on the imbalances and disorders which can occur in this channel and covers the following: Signs of aggravation in udaka...

The sweet taste is made up of the water and earth elements and it strengthens, heals, energizes, grounds, cools and calms the body and mind. It also promotes sattva, love, compassion, stability, vitality, clarity and awareness. In this episode Colette covers the following topics: The numerous benefits of the sweet taste. How the sweet taste is perceived in the body/mind. Samples of the sweet taste...

Prana vaha srotas is the life carrying channel, the respiratory system. It's responsible for respiration, maintaining life functions, cellular communication, emotions, the flow of intelligence and communication with the higher self. In this episode Colette discusses the following: Early signs of imbalances in prana vaha srotas. Influence of the doshas on the respiratory channel. Disorders of prana...

Summer season is associated with the pitta dosha and the hot, intense weather of this season will naturally increase the qualities of pitta in our body and mind. If you have a high pitta constitution or pitta aggravation you will be very sensitive to this increase in heat, however, no matter what your doshic makeup we are all affected by the rise in pitta energy and so we all have to make some adj...

In episode 272 Colette discussed anna vaha srotas, the food channel in detail. In this episode she dives deeper into the imbalances and disorders that can occur in the anna vaha srotas and covers the following topics: Early signs of imbalances in the anna vaha srotas. The four types of disorders in this channel. Fourteen types of imbalances including indigestion IBS, IBD and GERD. The causes of th...

In this solo episode Colette covers a subject which comes up a lot in her online consultations and that's the relationship between stress and weight gain.   When it comes to weight gain we often focus on our food, but stress plays a major role in weight gain also and particularly weight gain around the midsection of the body. She discusses the following in this episode: The 2 types of stress. What...

Prana is our life force energy and vitality governing all motor and sensory functions. Prana governs respiration, the physiological functioning of the heart, digestion and excretion. It coordinates our breath, our senses and mind. The functions of the mind, memory, thoughts, and emotions are all under the control of prana.  In this episode Colette discusses the following aspects of prana: The func...

Dr. Sujatha Kekada is the Head Physician and Co-Founder of AmrtaSiddhi Ayurvedic Clinic in Ubud, Bali and is a regular guest on the podcast. In this episode Colette discusses eating disorders with Dr. Sujatha and she shares the Ayurvedic perspective. They discuss the following: The eating and agni tendencies of vata, pitta and kapha dosha. What role the mind and the mental gunas of rajas and tamas...

Tejas is the subtle essence of the pitta dosha and agni, our digestive fire. It is considered to be part of the subtle body in Ayurveda which is the energetic field behind the physical body. The subtle body consists of the mind, the emotions and deep thought along with the subtle channels of the nadis, the chakras and the subtle energies of tejas, prana and ojas. In this episode Colette shares the...

Dhyana Masla was born to a family of Bhakti yoga practitioners, with the practices and teachings of Ayurveda woven seamlessly throughout her life. She's the author of Ayurveda Mama: A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum. Colette chats with Dhyana about her new book and they discuss the following: Dhyana's journey to motherhood and writing her book. Ayurvedic persp...

Ojas is our prime energy reserve, our vitality and our natural immunity. Optimal ojas is called ojas sara in Ayurveda and a person with ojas sara will have the following characteristics: Strong mental and physical strength Great endurance and plentiful reserves of energy All seven dhatus/tissues of the body will be healthy Strong immunity Loving, compassionate and empathetic disposition Contentmen...

Kate O'Donnell is a three-time bestselling author, a highly sought-after speaker and the founder of the Ayurvedic Living Institute where she has educated a generation of practitioners. Kate's highly anticipated new book Everyday Ayurveda for Women's Health drops April 2024 and Colette discusses this book with Kate in this episode. They cover the following topics: Why Kate wrote this book and how s...

Colette answers the following questions from listeners: Lydia - I feel like my energy has been low the past few weeks and I've made an effort to get to bed earlier, however, I still feel so tired throughout my day. How do I boost my energy? Pamela - I know that living in tune with the Circadian rhythms is important in Ayurveda and I have been intentionally doing that for several months now but my...

Ayurveda considers brahmacharya (sexual energy and desires) to be one of the 3 pillars of health along with proper management of food (ahara) and sleep (nidra). According to Ayurveda sex is not limited to reproduction and pleasure but that the management and balance of sexual energy is vital for the flow of ojas. When ojas is plentiful it promotes mental and physical strength, endurance, strong im...

Linda works as a body-oriented psychotherapist and specialises in developmental trauma. She recently discovered Ayurveda and decided to sign up for the Digestive Reset Cleanse as she felt her body/mind needed the reset. In this episode Colette chats with Linda about the following: Her work as a body-oriented psychotherapist. How she discovered Ayurveda. The consultation and cleanse experience. The...

Jwara translates to 'that which torments' and in the classical Ayurveda texts the description of jwara includes a variety of conditions which includes changes in body temperature, compromise of metabolic function, discolouration and aches. These symptoms can be correlated to fever and also be an indicator of inflammation in the body. Ayurveda shares some fascinating insights into jwara and this is...

Carolann was on a journey to calm her anxiety which was a result of increased stress in her life. She experienced a restless mind, brain fog, sleep issues, low concentration, heated emotions and psoriasis. She had a strong belief in self-help and started researching ways to heal her body and mind. This is when she came across Ayurveda which led her to her Reset-Restore-Renew journey. In this episo...

Our regular guest, Dr. Sujatha Kekada is the Head Physician and Co-Founder of AmrtaSiddhi Ayurvedic Clinic in Ubud, Bali. In this episode Colette chats with Dr. Sujatha about common ailments that can occur during the change of seasons. They discuss the following: Why we are prone to sickness during the transition of the seasons. What's happening in the body when we get sick. The difference between...

Allergies can make life challenging for many people as the symptoms can really impact day-to-day life. In this episode Colette talks about how allergies can manifest differently in each dosha type: The kapha dosha when aggravated can manifest in congestion, mucus, phlegm, runny nose, watery eyes, chesty cough, feeling lethargic, heaviness in the body and a foggy mind. There can also be sluggish di...

Dr. Tom O'Bryan is a renowned functional medicine expert in environmental medicine and a leading voice in the field of holistic health and wellness. With an impressive career dedicated to uncovering the hidden impacts of environmental toxins on family health, Dr. O'Bryan offers invaluable insights into nurturing healthier generations. He holds teaching faculty positions with the Institute for Func...

Anuradha Gupta is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, soon to complete her Ayurvedic Doctor program from Kerala Ayurveda, where she is a guest faculty, content specialist and Ayurvedic Practitioner student mentor. She is also an Engineer, MBA, 200 Hr Yoga teacher, social Justice advocate and a volunteer with Project Welcome Home Troops. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavio...