10/06/2026
4 Ayurvedic principles that will completely change how you relate to your body...
Even growing up with mega hippy parents, I still internalised the mainstream message: push through, keep going, override what you feel. Funny how that sneaks in, isn't it?
Ayurveda – the ancient Indian system that sits alongside yoga – gently turns all of that on its head. Here are four principles that have genuinely changed how I live and teach.
1. You have a unique constitution – and your practice should reflect it.
In Ayurveda, we each have a prakriti – a mind-body type made up of three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. When your practice and routine matches your constitution, everything feels more easeful. This is why the same yoga class can leave one person glowing and another completely wired.
2. Like increases like – and opposites bring balance.
If you're already scattered and overwhelmed (classic Vata), a fast-paced vinyasa will amplify exactly that. What you need is the opposite: warmth, slowness, grounding, steady breath. The answer isn't more intensity — it's more of what the body is actually asking for.
3. Seasonal living is a form of self-care.
Ayurveda asks us to attune to the rhythms of nature. Autumn is Vata season — cool, dry, changeable — time to slow down, eat warming foods, and ground your practice (right now it's actually warm, so I can eat quite light foods!). When we fight the season, we create vikruti: imbalance. When we flow with it, something in the body relaxes.
4. Digestion is everything – and it's not just about food.
Agni – digestive fire – covers everything we take in: food, experiences, emotions, relationships. If your agni is low, you feel sluggish and foggy — emotionally as much as physically. Tending to it through nourishing food, rest, and nervous system practices is one of the most profound acts of self-care I know.
Ayurveda isn't a rigid set of rules. It's an invitation to pay closer attention — to yourself, to the season, to what your body is asking for.
Do you know your prakriti (main dosha/s) and what suits you best? I'd love to know. 🌿
