Ayurvedic Healing
with JoAnn Portalupi
Ayurveda is a time-tested holistic approach to wellness that teaches people how to maintain optimal health throughout the duration of life.
Ayurveda teaches that all things in nature are comprised of some combination of the five great elements — ether, air, fire, water, and earth— including ourselves. We are, in essence, a microcosm of the macrocosm. The body constantly seeks balance in order to maintain healthy functioning. As factors in our environment shift, the body moves in and out of balance. Little shifts are fine. But when patterns continue and imbalance becomes the norm, conditions are ripe for discomfort and eventually disease will set in. Upwards of 80% of what lands us in a doctor’s office is a result of choices we make around diet and lifestyle. Likewise, it is often diet and lifestyle that put us back on a path to wellness.
Have you ever wondered why one person can eat six meals and not gain a pound while another can simply look at a piece of cake and feel bloated and heavy? Why watching disturbing news may tip one toward anger while another toward anxiety? Each of us has a unique constitution governed by foundational rules of nature that influence how the environment impacts our state of well-being. Some of this environment is out of our control – weather, seasons, world events, age. But diet and life style, also part of our environment, are totally in our control. Working with an Ayurvedic Health Counselor will help you understand your unique nature and how factors in the external world support or hinder your ability to maintain optimal health.
What is it like to work with an Ayurvedic Health Counselor?
Think of it as a big conversation which begins with you sharing your health priorities and any current symptoms you may be experiencing. I’ll ask about your life – not just the physical stuff, but how you spend your time and what feeds your spirit. Ayurveda understands that mind, body and sprit all coalesce to contribute to your best version of yourself.
At some point we’ll talk about poop – yep, poop. Ayurveda believes the root of most disease is improperly digested substances and so its important that the body works smoothly to digest and evacuate. Ayurveda is concerned about the effect any given substance may have on the body and so a fair amount of time will be spent discussing foods that exacerbate issues and foods that can heal. Each of us has a unique balance of the five elements. In the physical body we talk of these in terms of doshas. Understanding one’s doshic constitution (the one we have at birth and the state currently expressed) is a big factor in understanding what food, life style and exercise choices will help you maintain health. An Ayurvedic Counselor will help you understand your constitution and partner with you to find strategies to help you achieve your goals.
If you are interested and would like to learn more, contact me to schedule a free 30 minute consultation. In this session I’ll share more of this ancient healing art and you can ask any questions you have about working with an Ayurvedic Counselor.
January Yoga
Thursday 8 – 9 a.m. Ongoing
JoAnn Portalupi is a 500 RYT and Kripalu certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor. Her yoga practice is informed by her training in Raja yoga in India and at the Ayurveda and Yoga schools at Kripalu as well as her 20 plus years of practice in a variety forms of yoga.
Her yoga classes are based on the science of Ayurveda which seeks health and wellness through maintaining a balanced body regardless of the ever-changing environment in which we live.
Yoga classes in January will therefore be designed to offset the cool, dry, harsh, and at times erratic nature of winter by bringing in the opposite qualities of warmth, juiciness, rhythm and grounding. This shows up through breath work, rhythmic vinyasas and poses that build gentle heat and groundedness.
Appropriate for all levels.
$60.00 for the 4-week series.
$20.00 for individual drop in.
Payable by check, cash, Paypal or Venmo (JoAnn Portalupi).
Register by sending an email to: yogaandayurvedawithjoann@gmail.com
Interested in this or future sessions? Contact me at yogaandayurvedawithjoann@gmail.com