Elements of Ayurveda Podcast

Ayurveda teaches us that we are a part of nature and not separate from it. We are made up of the same 5 elements as nature or the panchamahabhoutas as they're called in Sanskrit; space, air, fire, water and earth. Our unique dosha ratio of Vata, Pitta and Kapha in our individual constitution determines the energies and qualities in our body. Each season will result in a shift in the 5 panchmahabho...

Colette continues her series on the channels (srotas) of the body. This is the third episode in this series: In episode #272 she did an introduction to the channels of the body and in that episode she focused on the first input channel, anna vaha srotas (the food channel). In episode #274 she focused on the second input channel, prana vaha srotas (the respiratory channel). In this episode, Colette...

Kamalesh  Ginger Hooven is interim Provost of Mount Madonna Institute, where she is the Director of the Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy program. Kamalesh returns to the podcast to discuss the energy of prana, our vital life force energy and pranayama, breathing practices. This is a great follow up to the previous podcast episode #274 The Respiratory System (Prana Vaha Srotas) where Colette explains in deta...

In episode #272 Colette did an introduction to the srotas or channels of the body and in that episode she focused on the anna vaha srotas, the food carrying channels. She explained the journey from the intake of food at the mouth through to the small intestine, explaining the doshas and subdoshas involved along the way and their role in transforming food into energy. In this episode, Colette focus...

Divya Alter is a certified nutritional consultant, educator, and chef in the Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda tradition. Divya and her husband Prentiss founded Divya's Kitchen, a plant-based restaurant in New York City that reimagines classic dishes through an Ayurvedic lens. Divya's brand has since expanded to include a line of plant-based retail food products, educational videos and two books. She is the...

The Srotas are channels in the body through which the doshas of Vata, Pitta and Kapha move. There are many types of srotas in the body from the subtle energetic channels called nadis to the largest channel in the body, maha srotas, the gastrointestinal tract. In this episode Colette explains the main channels of the body and she focuses on anna vaha srotas, the food channel. She details what happe...

Colette takes questions from the Elements of Ayurveda Podcast community and she answers the following questions: Ayurvedic view on intermittent fasting or time restricted eating and which dosha would benefit the most/least? My family has been suffering with coughs and congestion since early Autumn, what are some natural Ayurvedic tips to help relieve these symptoms and what could be the root cause...

Dr. Sujatha Kekada is the Head Physician and Co-Founder of AmrtaSiddhi Ayurvedic Clinic in Ubud, Bali. She is a certified Ayurvedic Doctor (B.A.M.S) with a degree from Rajiv Gandhi University, Karnataka, India. Dr. Sujatha's profound understanding of Ayurvedic Medicine and her deep love for plants is the basis for her exceptional ability to diagnose the root causes of diseases and to find effectiv...

Jean shares her Ayurvedic healing journey which has resulted in life-changing decisions as she moves from a life of busyness and ambition to a simpler, more fulfilling life. Colette discusses the following with Jean: Jean's "radical sabbatical" and discovery of Yoga and Ayurveda. Her Digestive Reset Cleanse experience. Gaining clarity on her next stage of life. The urge to purge body and environme...

Ayurveda teaches us that it is our disconnection from nature and the Circadian rhythm which can lead to imbalances in the body and mind. In studying Ayurveda, we understand that we are a part of nature and we are dependent on nature and therefore, planetary health is a natural and necessary extension of our holistic health. In this solo episode Colette shares ideas on how we can set eco-friendly i...

T erra Rafael has worked in women's health since 1981, first as a home birth midwife, then as an Ayurveda Practitioner. She shares her years of experience with us in this episode and Colette chats with Terra about the following topics: What is infertility. Preparing the body for conception. What foods, herbs, oils, therapies are best to nourish the reproductive tissues. How physical blockages and...

Vaidya Jayarajan Kodikannath or Dr. J as he's known is a regular guest on the podcast. He is a classically trained Ayurveda doctor and an accomplished teacher representing a lineage of Ayurveda Practitioners from Kerala, India. Dr. J is CEO of Kerala Ayurveda (USA) and is President of NAMA the National Ayurveda Medical Association in the U.S.  In this episode we talk about his new book 'The Parent...

Kate Siraj and Joanna Webber are both Ayurvedic practitioners and are the co-founders of The Ayurveda Academy. In this episode we discuss the importance of tuning into the subtle signals of imbalance from our body and mind. Understanding these early stages of aggravation of the doshas can help us to prevent dis-ease. By implementing small dietary and lifestyle adjustments we can pacify the doshas...

Kaela has a passion for health and fitness and enjoyed working as a personal trainer, however, once she discovered Ayurveda it has led her on a journey which has impacted her whole life. In this episode, Kaela shares her continuing Ayurvedic journey: Kaela's introduction to holistic health via a skin condition. Her different experiences on the Digestive Reset Cleanse. Learning to tune in and liste...

Colette continues her discussion on the Ayurvedic view of the menstrual cycle from episode #256 where she talked about the menstrual cycle, the doshas involved at different stages of the cycle and the gunas or qualities that you may experience throughout your cycle. In that episode she also discussed how PMS or pre-menstrual syndrome is a sign of aggravation in the doshas and gunas along with how...

Katie first contacted Colette in October 2021 to participate in the group cleanse. She had endured a lot of stress in recent months with her job and a serious car accident. In this episode Katie shares her healing and educational journey with Ayurveda. Colette and Katie discusses the following: Katie's introduction to Ayurveda. How stress was affecting her health and wellbeing. Katie's experience...

Ayurvedic educator Mary Thompson returns to the podcast to discuss tips on how to manage our mental health during the stressful holiday season. Stress can manifest in many ways over the holidays, be it family dynamics, economical, travel, social stress, loneliness etc. In this episode Colette chats with Mary about the following: Building resilience to buffer against stress. Navigating uncomfortabl...

Vaidya Kamya Pillai is a specialist in Ayurveda, with more than a decade of clinical experience. Coming from a family of teachers and healers, it has always been a calling as well as a privilege for her to choose this noble profession and serve the community. She believes in helping her clients through creative practical tools using the principles of Ayurveda and Yoga. Colette chats with Vaidya Ka...

Dr. Paul Dugliss is a pioneer in the American medical system being one of the first physicians to integrate the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda into modern healthcare. In this episode Dr. Dugliss chats with Colette about emotional digestion and they discuss the following: What is emotional digestion. How do we know if we have old emotional baggage. What inhibits the digestion of emotions. What happens...

In this solo episode Colette shares the experience of her recent trip to India, where she spent three weeks continuing her Ayurveda studies. She discusses the following: Her 10 day internship at an Ayuredic Health Village in Kerala which included: Visits to local Ayurvedic clinics In-house practicums  Visit to the herbal gardens  Ayurvedic medicine factory visit. Outreach day in the local communit...

Kamalesh Ginger Hooven is interim Provost of Mount Madonna Institute, a regionally accredited college located on the central coast of California where she is the Director of the Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy program.   In this episode Colette chats with Kamalesh about the mind and in particular, balancing the gunas/qualities of the mind during Vata season. They discuss the following: How the mind is affe...

In this episode Colette discusses the role the doshas of Vata, Pitta and Kapha play in our menstrual cycle. What doshas are dominant at the different stages of the cycle, how dosha aggravations can manifest in our cycle and how to pacify these aggravations. She discusses the following: The Vata phase of the menstrual cycle. The Kapha phase of the menstrual cycle. The Pitta phase of the menstrual c...

Dr. Sujatha Kekada from Amrtasiddhi Ayurvedic Clinic in Bali is my guest today. In this episode I chat with Dr. Sujatha about the Ayurvedic approach to weight loss and we discuss the following: Understanding our unique constitution and accepting our natural body shape. The four main causes for weight gain and the doshas involved. Weight gain during perimenopause and its role. Important diet and li...

Colette takes questions from the Elements of Ayurveda Podcast Community and answers the following questions: Betty: I'm enjoying learning about Ayurveda from your podcast and in particular, I'm learning a lot about how to manage my Vata dosha. I understand that routine is very important for Vata and I have great intentions, however, I find it to figure out what type of routines to focus on. Any ti...

Ritucharya is the Ayurvedic practice of changing our diet and lifestyle routines with the seasons in order to maintain balance and prevent dis-ease in the body or mind. "Ritu" means season and "charya" means regimen or discipline. In this episode Colette chats with Jen Rand of the Mount Madonna Institute about the seasonal guidelines for the coming seasons of Autumn in the Northern hemisphere and...