The Elements of Ayurveda Podcast

Episode 273

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 author of What to Eat for How You Feel: The New Ayurvedic Kitchen and Joy of Balance: An Ayurvedic Guide to Cooking with Healing Ingredients.

In this episode we take a deep dive into the five types of herbal liquids (Pancha Vidha Kashaya) according to Ayurveda and they are:

1. Fresh Juice (Svarasa)
2. Pulp (Kalka)
3. Decoction (Kvata)
4. Cold infusion (Heema)
5. Hot infusion (Phanta)

Divya gives examples of each type of herbal liquid, how they're used and the properties and qualities they possess. She also gives great culinary tips throughout the episode.

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Visit Divyas.com to l...

Episode 262

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 on her first Digestive Reset Cleanse.
• Learning to accept nurturing and prioritising self-care. 
• How Katie's Ayurvedic educational journey continues.
• How Ayurveda has changed the way she lives her life today.

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Thanks to Kerala Academy for sponsoring this episode. To learn more, visit keralaayurveda.us/courses. For $100 off tuition, use the code Elements100 when you join a beginner training!

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Register for the discounted Group Digestive Reset Cleanse starting January 27th, 2023

Visit Colette's website www.elementshealingandwellbeing.com 

• Online consultations
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Episode 257

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 affected during Vata season.
• The three gunas/qualities of the mind.
• The four minds:
  • Chitta 
  • Buddhi
  • Manas
  • Ahankara
• Tips to help balance the mind and body.
• Navigating emotional times.

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Thanks to the sponsor of this episode Mount Madonna Institute. Receive $100 off tuition when you register for the Ayurvedic Health Counselor Program before November 30th, 2022 with discount code Elements22. Visit mountmadonnainstitute.org for further details.

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Visit Colette's website www.elementshealingandwellbeing.com 

• Online consultations
• Private at-home Digestive Reset ...

Episode 250

Monica is a busy single mother with her own prenatal massage and yoga business. She had been practicing yoga for many years and when she discovered Ayurveda it deeply resonated with her. 

Monica connected with Colette in 2021 to help her tailor the Ayurvedic wisdom to her needs and help her implement the practices into her life. She then went forward to do the Ayurvedic Digestive Reset Cleanse in July 2022. In this episode they discuss the following:

• Discovering Ayurveda in her Yoga practice.
• Balancing her Kapha/Vata constitution.
• Having self-compassion with implementing changes.
• Reframing self-love and self-care.
• How the Ayurvedic cleanse resulted in a paradigm shift.

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Thanks to Kerala Ayurveda Academy for sponsoring this episode. Click on this link to learn more and save 10% on an upcoming program by using the code ELEMENTS.

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Visit Monica's website www.newarkprenatalmassageandyoga.com

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Visit Colette's website www.elementshealingandwellbeing.com 

• O...

Episode 245

Monica from Tasmania shares her experience with the Digestive Reset Cleanse. Her jobs as an engineer and yoga teacher keep her busy and tailoring the cleanse to her lifestyle was essential. We wanted to make sure there was no added stress creating overwhelm in her already hectic schedule. We discuss the following:

• Monica's introduction to Yoga and Ayurveda.
• The mental and physical imbalances experienced pre-cleanse.
• Tailoring the cleanse to Monica's health needs and lifestyle.
• Empowering insights of self-compassion, self-care, self-worth and prioritizing health.
• Post-cleanse results.

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Thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

1. Kerala Ayurveda Academy Click on this link to learn more and save 10% on an upcoming program by using the code ELEMENTS.
2. Mount Madonna Institute Receive $100 off tuition when you register before December 31st, 2022 with discount code Elements22

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Visit Colette's website www.elementshealingandwellbeing.com 

• Online consultations
...

Episode 242

In part one of this discussion on Ayurveda's empowering approach to aging and longevity, Colette covered five of the six components of aging according to Ayurveda:

1. Physical health
2. Mental health
3. Diet
4. Sleep
5. Stress management

In this episode Colette talks about the sixth component of aging, which is rasayana. Rasayana is the study of anti-aging, longevity and rejuvenation in Ayurveda. The main purpose of rasayana therapy is to slow down aging, delaying the degenerative process of the body, preventing disease and promoting health and wellbeing. She covers four types of rasayana:

• Ahara rasayana - food
• Aushadha rasayana - herbs and formulations
• Vihara rasayana - lifestyle
• Acharya rasayana - behaviour

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Thanks to the sponsors of this episode:

1. Kerala Ayurveda Academy For $100 off tuition, use the Reference Code Elements100 when you join a first level certification
2. Mount Madonna Institute Receive $100 off tuition when you register before December 31st, 20...

Episode 117

The Vata dosha is responsible for all movement, creativity and inspiration. Vata is considered the leader of the doshas as it’s the only dosha that can move, therefore it’s responsible for moving Pitta and Vata around the body. The Vata dosha brings everything to life!

Colette and Ayurvedic Doctor Victor Briere delve deep into the Vata dosha in this episode and they cover the following topics:

• Vata 101.
• The importance of the Vata dosha in the body/mind.
• Strengths of the Vata dosha.
• Signs of aggravation of the Vata dosha.
• Vata and the mind.
• Vata and sleep.
• Vata and the nervous system.
• The importance of a daily routine for Vata.
• Diet and lifestyle tips for pacifying Vata.

Visit AD Victor Briere’s website Pacific Coast Ayurveda.

Check out the Elements Instagram page.

Episode 3

Episode #3 Colette will discuss how the doshas of Vata, Pitta and Kapha appear in each season. We generally think of the seasons as spring, summer, fall and winter, however, Ayurveda teaches us that it’s not the calendar but Nature that determines which dosha will be influenced:

• Vata season is fall/autumn and early winter
• Pitta season is summer
• Kapha season is late winter and spring

 Due to the changes in the seasons, the doshas go through the cycle of accumulation, aggravation and pacification and this can have a big impact on our body and mind due to the Ayurvedic principle of ‘like increases like and opposites balance.’

Therefore, each person needs to be aware of which season has the same qualities as their predominant dosha. For example, a person who has a high vata constitution will have a tendency to go out of balance in vata season of fall and early winter. During this time, this individual needs to be focused and disciplined in their nutrition and lifesty...