recalling the day

As often as she could, my mother would come into my room late at night, after all the guests had left or been put to bed, and all the rooms were clean and closed. 

On special days, such as holidays or birthdays, she would recount an earlier year, showering me with blessings for the coming future and reciting spontaneous Sanskrit mantras for invoking the gods. She could make any day special, by remembering anniversaries of our multitude of family members, ancestors, her various journeys through many countries, or my father’s colorful career. She would begin with a sigh, then recount her father or her mother who had died when she was nineteen, and a story would emerge from the ethers and land in my bedroom, transporting us to Calcutta or Kashi or Jessore of an earlier decade.  

~ EveryDay Ayurveda, 2015, Chapter 38 - Recalling the Day

31 billion rolls

It is unlikely that a scientific study would be done exploring the benefits of using water vs. toilet paper to clean after a bowel movement. How would they blind that study…?  It is also unlikely that the environmental impact of toilet paper vs. water will soon undergo a cost-benefit analysis.
We know that the paper lobby representing 5000 bathroom tissue companies profits from the 31 billion rolls used annually on the planet.  But it seems obvious that the convenience of using paper and dryness has won compared to the reality of the cold and wetness of water residues.  

~ EveryDay Ayurveda, 2015, Chapter 3, Morning Ablutions

the self as a laboratory

The best way to prove Ayurveda's worth is to use it in one’s own life. For if one does not trust the methods and practices of Ayurveda when one falls unwell, what is the value of science trying to validate it?   I offer this book as my testament that Ayurveda works. 

During the writing of this book, I used my body as a laboratory, experimenting with each of the 42 prescriptions and trying to understand the śastras more fully. Perfecting my own daily routine, as I read and studied the śastras, my body began to lose weight. From the time I started actively writing until the completion of this book, I have lost 26 kg of weight without dieting and without much effort, keeping one main principle at the center of all: how to balance the agni.  Every decision was centered around that calculation, forcing me to learn what Ayurveda would recommend, then adapting that to the modern day as needed, and obeying that prescription. 

~ EveryDay Ayurveda, 2015, Epilogue

brahma muhurta

Āyurveda, the science of life and longevity, teaches that the morning hours from 4-6am, have a lightness of being. They should be spent in that space between mind and body, where our spirit attunes us most easily to our life purpose. It is the start of the day in ancient traditions, when the air and environment are most light, subtle and clear. It is the most fresh and pure time of day, and provides the cleanest oxygen for exercise and for breathwork connecting with the purest part of our selves. Should we exercise or should we sit still? Those who want to ride the wave of lightness, clarity and subtle energies may meditate or go for a euphoric morning run. Follow your instinct and watch your body’s reaction; adjust according to how it worked for you. This self-adjustment through trial and error and observation is called upasaya, advised by Āyurveda as one of the best ways of tailoring what you need for your body.

~ EveryDay Ayurveda, 2015, Chapter 1 - Rise and Shine