Ayurveda & Healing Mandala

Ayurveda

At Mandala Yoga Community we believe in the importance of self-care and we seek to incorporate the principles and practice of Ayurveda into our yoga practice and life.

“Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.

Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.

For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.

An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.” www.chopra.com/ayurveda

A simple way of incorporating Yoga’s sister practice into our daily lives is Dinacharya (dina = daily,charya = routine/practice). Here are 10 simple steps that you can incorporate into your life each day:
1. rise with the sun
2. drink a glass of water (drink lots throughout the day)
3. scrape your tounge
4. brush your teeth
5. cleanse your nasal passages with a netti pot
6. massage your skin with a dosha appropriate oil
7. shower
8. meditate
9. practice yoga
10. say a prayer of gratitude

To learn more about Ayurveda, Carin Cundey provides Personal Ayurveda Consultations, Ayurvedic Bliss Therapy Treatments, Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, and Workshops. Please email: mandalayogabend@mac.com attn: Ayurveda for more information and updates.

Healing Mandala

Our focus at Mandala Yoga Community is on Yoga. We believe that the personal & daily practice of Yoga is some of the very best preventative care we can give ourselves. However, we also recognize that the daily practice of yoga is not always available during times of injury, intense life change, or periods of great stress and it is during these times in our life that we need extra help. Mandala has an extensive network of Friends in the Healing Arts. Our Healing Mandala will put you in touch with some of Bend’s very best local healers.

Bodywork
Lucius Wheeler, LMT
Julia Deskin, LMT

Chiropractic 
Heartstone Chiropractic – Dr. Kevin Phillips

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
Hawthorne Healing Arts – Chelsea Phillips
Center of Wellbeing - Trisha Brunner
Emerald Acupuncture & Herbs – Rebecca Roth

Naturopathic Medicine
Hawthorne Healing Arts – Dr. Josh Philips
Artemisia Naturopathic – Dr. Michelle Sturm

Physical Therapy
Therapeutic Associates – Laura & Chris Cooper

Skin Care
Anjou Day Spa & Salon
Angelina’s Healing Garden

For more direction, please reach out via email: mandalayogabend@mac.com attn: Mandala Healing Network and we will put you in touch with people who can provide in depth assistance for you.