How Two Months of Living More Ayurvedically Changed My Wellbeing
There seems to be no shortage of advice about how we should eat and live. One day we're encouraged to eat more protein, the next to avoid certain foods altogether. We're told to exercise more, rest more, drink less coffee, sleep better and somehow find time to do all of it. With so many recommendations, it's sometimes difficult to know what actually suits us as individuals.
Ayurveda has fascinated me for more than 20 years. I've read about it, explored its principles and gradually become more interested in its approach to health and wellbeing. But shortly before starting my Ayurvedic practitioner course, I decided it was time to experience a consultation for myself.
My first Ayurvedic consultation
When I arrived at the clinic, my consultant welcomed me into her consultation room and asked detailed questions about my diet, lifestyle, sleep, digestion and general health. She also examined my tongue and felt my pulse, both traditional methods used in Ayurvedic assessment. According to her assessment, I was experiencing an imbalance in my Pitta–Vata dosha.
Having read about Ayurveda for so many years, I was already familiar with these concepts. What interested me now was seeing how a practitioner would apply them to my own health. And with my training just beginning, I was particularly curious to understand the reasoning behind her recommendations. In Ayurveda, Pitta is associated with heat and transformation, while Vata governs movement and has qualities such as dryness, lightness and mobility. My consultant interpreted some of my symptoms through these traditional concepts and recommended changes intended to bring them into balance.
Changing my eating habits
I left the consultation with a detailed list of foods to favour, foods to reduce and others to avoid. Red meat and red fish were off the menu, along with spicy dishes and citrus fruits. Instead, I began choosing chicken, white fish, warm cooked meals with vegetables and grains, nourishing soups. I also started drinking warm water throughout the day and introduced some Ayurvedic herbs to eliminate toxins (Ama) under my consultant's guidance. Every morning, I prepared coriander water, traditionally used in Ayurveda for its cooling qualities.
But perhaps the biggest change was giving up coffee. For years, I'd been drinking two or three cups a day and had tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to quit. I enjoyed coffee, but I also felt I needed it to wake up properly and get through the day. Previous attempts had left me feeling exhausted, so I wasn't particularly optimistic about trying again. To my surprise, this time I managed to give it up without feeling completely drained of energy.
Another adjustment involved when I ate. Rather than eating simply because it was lunchtime or because something was available, I began paying more attention to my appetite. For me, that usually means two or three meals a day, with a proper break between them. In Ayurveda, this relates to Agni, the digestive fire. Traditional teaching places considerable importance on allowing the previous meal to be digested before eating again. I found that this approach suited me. I felt more comfortable after meals and began to appreciate the difference between actually being hungry and eating out of habit.
I didn't change everything, though. I continued my regular exercise routine, including plenty of outdoor activities and time in nature.
The changes I noticed
What surprised me most was how quickly I began to feel different. After approximately two weeks, I noticed that I had more energy. Four weeks later, the pain in my neck and elbow had disappeared. I had previously arranged a physiotherapy appointment, but by then I felt well enough to cancel it.
Now, two months later, the improvements have been quite remarkable to me. I no longer need coffee to get going in the morning. The joint stiffness I used to experience is gone, my skin is calmer, my hot flushes and headaches have stopped and I'm sleeping better. My concentration has improved, too. And I can get through the working day without the familiar afternoon dip in energy. I believe it was the combination of these changes that made the difference and I'm delighted with how much better I feel.
Finding what works for me
One of the things I've always found interesting about Ayurveda is its emphasis on the individual. Rather than applying the same dietary and lifestyle advice to everyone, its traditional approach considers a person's constitution, current imbalances, digestion, habits and environment.
What I've particularly enjoyed over these past two months is that the changes haven't felt like another demanding health regime. I'm still eating satisfying meals, exercising and spending time outdoors. I've simply adjusted certain foods, become more attentive to my appetite and introduced a few new habits into my daily routine. For me, the experience has been less about restricting myself and more about discovering what seems to suit me. And because I've noticed improvements, I've found it surprisingly easy to stick with the changes.
It's also been fascinating to begin my practitioner training while experiencing Ayurveda from the patient's perspective. Concepts I've known about for years, such as Dosha, Agni and Ama, are becoming more meaningful as I learn how they are applied in practice.
Two months is still a relatively short time and I have plenty more to learn. But so far, I'm enjoying this way of living and can imagine continuing with many of these habits. And perhaps my biggest personal achievement has been giving up caffeine altogether. After years of unsuccessful attempts to quit my two or three daily coffees, I've finally managed it. What surprises me most is that I no longer feel I need them. 🌿
