Eminé Kali Rushton - Ayurveda For Modern Life

Ayurveda for Modern Life

This edition first published in the UK and USA in 2015 as The Body Balance Plan by Watkins, an imprint of Watkins Media Limited

Unit 11, Shepperton House, 89-93 Shepperton Road, London N1 3DF

Design and typography copyright Watkins Media Limited 2015, 2020

Text copyright Emin Rushton 2015, 2020

The Taste Table copyright Usha and Vasant Lad 1994. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing, Ayurvedic Press, Albuquerque.

The author has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the Publishers.

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Designed and typeset by JCS Publishing Services Limited

Printed and bound in the UK

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-78678-277-9

www.watkinspublishing.com

Publishers Note

This book is not intended as a replacement for professional medical treatment and advice. Watkins Media Limited, or any other persons who have been involved in working on this publication, cannot accept responsibility for any problem incurred as a result of following any of the advice or recipes in this work, nor for any errors or omissions, inadvertent or not, that may be found in the recipes or text. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have any special dietary requirements or medical conditions, it is advisable to consult a medical professional before following any of the advice or recipes in this book.

Notes on the Recipes

Unless otherwise stated:

Use medium eggs, fruit and vegetables

Use fresh ingredients, including herbs and spices

Do not mix metric and imperial measurements
1 tsp = 5ml, 1 tbsp = 15ml, 1 cup = 250ml

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

This book will take you on a journey: a journey of shared experience that allows you to make positive change in your life. It will show you how you can be more informed and more relaxed about who you are and also about what, how, why and when you eat. It will take you on a journey into the heart of Ayurveda, Indias traditional path of healing, so that you can live the life you want as much as the life you need .

Ayurveda is many things. It is science, it is art, it is poetry and it is practice. Over many generations, wise healers have studied the essence of life and how to live. They have created a system that can teach the rest of us how to fulfil our potential and really live a life full of vitality. They have learned a language of nature that you can easily learn to speak and use in your daily life. And, whats more, its an amazing and fun experience.

Ayurveda involves understanding that life is dependent on shared relationships, quality and patterns. But it is up to you to weave them together. For example, it is not about how many good bacteria are in your yoghurt, but how you digest that yoghurt and whether its wet and heavy qualities are right for you. In our busy world it is so easy to get caught up in the latest fad of what is good and what is bad for us. Ayurveda does not pronounce judgement on these things. It is not a moralistic system at all. In fact, its completely supportive of our natural individuality and idiosyncrasies. Thank goodness! It is a compassionate guide that helps us to understand what we need, how much, and when. You will find this book full of hope and freedom.

One of my teachers told me never to be perfectly healthy because I would only fall off that pinnacle. I should, however, always strive to move toward that goal of perfectly balanced health. He neednt have worried I am a long way from perfection, but it has inspired me to keep moving in that direction. Ayurveda describes health as being comfortable in yourself. Just writing it makes me sit more at ease. Ayurveda will give you the perfect tools to help you understand how to adjust your daily lifestyle according to: how strong your digestive fire is that day, what herbs are best for you, how the weather may affect you that season, and what life-stage you are in. Most of all, it will help you to be kind to yourself and those you love. It will help you to be perfectly at ease in yourself.

Emins life-changing experiences can help you find some of that positive change for yourself. By sharing her own journey into how she finds balance, you will get the sense that it is an evolving discovery. And then you have permission to explore: pack what you need for your journey and set out into the wonder of your life. Have an incredible journey.

Sebastian Pole

Co-founder of Pukka Herbs

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you to my family my Paulo: my true North, my best friend, my constant, my love. To my children, for their patience, curiosity and cheerleading of their mama. I am beyond blessed to have you by my side.

To the generous and wise experts who have poured their knowledge into this book who gave their time so freely and generously, despite all being incredibly busy people: Annee de Mamiel, with her heart of gold and goodness what a woman; to Margo Marrone, whose vital, joyous company fuels me up for weeks on end and whose generosity of spirit takes my breath away; Selda Enver Goodwin, my soul sister, shining her light all days in all ways; the incredibly kind Sunita Passi, founder of Tri-Dosha, who inspires me with her authenticity and trueness of vision; Denise Leicester, the soulful, true and pioneering spirit behind Ila, who sent me off on that first life-changing Ayurvedic retreat thank you, forever; Eve Kalinik, for her humour, sincerity and giddily excited approach to good food you are a legend. To Sebastian Pole, a man in the midst of the busiest year of his life, who somehow found time to sit down and write the most beautiful foreword I am endlessly thankful (and so happy to know you).

And to the kind and wise Vasant Lad for allowing me to share his table of tastes, and for leading me to a path where I found the science of life a way of life that feels just as life should. Thank you.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

This book is split into nine practical advice-filled chapters, which will simply and quickly teach you every key facet of eating Ayurvedically, to maintain a balanced weight, body and mind. Each chapter explores a different Ayurvedic idea, and it does so with easy-to-follow examples, from tips to boost your digestion to rituals to help improve your skin. Please take the time to read each chapter, in order, as theyll serve to build a clear and practical picture of the path youll be taking. Theres a lot to learn, but nothing to fear the process is enjoyable, natural and eminently beneficial. Once youve read , then, is filled with varied, interesting and delicious Ayurvedic recipes (all of which are plant-based, as is our preference at home), which will allow you to eat for your dosha , and begin the exciting process of getting your body to find its way back to its own natural centre.

In the writing of this book, I have drawn not only upon my own experience, but also upon those of several good friends and close colleagues all of whom used Ayurveda to reshape their lives and their selves. The remit of this book is a small but powerful one. Though I have written about Ayurveda in extensive detail in other books with a focus on the full, holistic picture this book focuses mostly on the body, and how Ayurveda can support us in nourishing, vitalizing and strengthening it. The Ayurvedic approach to eating well is pleasurable, intuitive, individual and adaptable it is neither a quick fix nor a fad. Ayurveda is the science of living well, and its for life.