All the food we eat affects the different doshas in one way or another. But it can be difficult to keep track of what effects everything has. The taste can be a clue. The different flavours affect the doshas as follows:

• Sweet (not only what we usually think of as sweet but also rice, cereals, milk, etc.) raises kapha but lowers vata and pitta

• Sour raises pitta and kapha but lowers vata

• Salt raises pitta and kapha but lowers vata

• Hot (spicy) raises vata and pitta but lowers kapha

• Bitter (eg leafy vegetables) raises vata but lowers pitta and kapha

• Astringent (e.g. some nuts and beans and not fully ripe bananas) raises vata but lowers pitta and kapha

The taste does not give the whole picture because there is also the aftertaste that can be different and other qualities such as the heaviness of the food, oiliness etc. But it can be a good start.

 Now the wonderful spring is here and for me, it means that the running season begins. This year I have the ambition to focus more on yogic running. I should do that as an Ayurveda consultant and yoga teacher, shouldn't I :) What does that mean then? There does not seem to be any unambiguous definition or generally accepted knowledge about it. But based on my experience of yoga, I think like this:

• It must be comfortable. In Maharishi Yoga, the concept of pleasant steadiness is used as a prerequisite for a position to be a yoga asana. Thus, yogic running should be a state of pleasant dynamics.

• Awareness is probably important. In Maharishi Yoga, attention is allowed to rest easily on the parts of the body that are stretched. Similarly, attention should probably rest on the dynamic activity that the body performs.

• In Bhagavad-Gita, we are advised to "established in yoga, perform action", ie. established in the silent pure consciousness which is the basis of everything, one performs actions which then automatically become right. In the same way, I think of yogic running as an activity where the body is dynamically active while the mind is established in silence - a bit like the eye of the storm which is the still point around which all activity revolves. The activity comes from silence.

• To be able to achieve this, it is of course important to supplement with yoga and meditation.

This is how far I have come so far. What do you think?

 Now that spring is in full swing, we have entered the period dominated by kapha-dosha. Therefore, balancing kapha is vital, especially if you have a lot of kapha in your basic constitution or an imbalance in kapha. Kapha is heavy, cold and sluggish. In balance, it gives strength, perseverance and affection. In imbalance, it can lead to inertia, lethargy, greed and ailments such as colds, allergies, obesity, diabetes and more. Some keywords to balance kapha are activity, warmth and stimulation. Here are some tips:

• Exercise. This is the part of the year when we can exercise the hardest. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to keep kapha in balance. Modern research also shows that spring is when we can most easily strengthen ourselves and build our muscles - it is also the time when children grow the fastest. Do something that you think is fun and that feels good but do not be afraid to make some effort.

• Be active in other respects as well. Engage in things that you enjoy.

• Stay warm. Avoid particularly humid cold.

• Food and drink should also be hot. Avoid cold foods and beverages. Drinking hot water during the day and at meals is a great habit.

• The food should not be too heavy.

• Use spices in food. All spices except salt are balancing for kapha. They also make the food tastier, and you should enjoy the food and eat in peace and quiet so that you feel when you are full and satisfied.

• Get up early in the morning, preferably before six o'clock. This also means that you have to go to bed early.

• Take the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful spring. Especially the scents of nature are beneficial for kapha, which is related to the sense of smell.

Have a wonderful spring :)

 Spices play a vital role in Ayurvedic medicine. They contain different types of intelligence that can balance imbalances and help us stay healthy. But it can be difficult to keep track of which spices help against what and how to use them. Therefore, the ready-made spice mixtures, so-called churnas, from Maharishi Ayurveda are a good help. They are ready-made
for all three doshas and are easy to use, either in cooking or as a table spice.

 Valentine's Day <3 Feel free to send some hearts to your loved ones - it may be extra needed this year. But also make sure to take care of your own heart, this great organ that throughout your long life pumps around about 10,000 litres of blood - every day! According to Ayurveda, the heart is not just a physical organ but the centre of our emotions and the seat of our self. The heart is related to pitta and especially the sub dosha sadhaka pitta. In my consultations, it is not uncommon for me to see imbalances there. They are often caused by sorrows and disappointments earlier in life. To keep your heart healthy and strong, here are some tips:

• Exercise - it is the one measure that most effectively prevents cardiovascular disease. Do something you like and enjoy. But make sure to get your heart rate up so that the heart can sense its power.

• Avoid stress. I know - it's easier said than done in today's society. But stress is one of the biggest threats to our heart. And sometimes we probably stress about things that may not really be that important - at least not more important than our heart.

• Do yoga and meditate. In particular, Transcendental Meditation, TM, has been shown to be effective in preventing cardiovascular disease.

• Avoid eating too heavy and indigestible food. And always eat in peace and quiet to digest the food properly, otherwise slag products are formed that contribute to atherosclerosis.

• Pineapple, lemon, lime, cardamom and black pepper are good for the heart. Include them in your diet.

• Roses are also perfect for the heart. Enjoy their beauty, their scent (e.g. in the form of aroma oils when you do not have fresh roses) and eat rose petal paste (organic).

• Sunlight also lights up the heart, especially the early morning sun. Sunshine on bare skin on the chest fills the heart with light. Maybe not so easy right now - but there will be a summer eventually.

• Be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to enjoy life - you deserve it, and that's really why we're here.

• Also spread love around you. Loving unselfishly is the best thing we can do for our emotional heart.

Happy Valentine <3

The pandemic and the immune system

 The second wave continues. What to do? First and foremost, you should, of course, follow the authorities’ advice: wash your hands, keep social distance, work from home if you can, etc. But what is also essential - especially in the long run - is to strengthen the immune system. The immune system determines the effects of the coronavirus (and all other pathogens) on us. Important things in this regard are:

• Sleep. Sleep is perhaps the single most important influencing factor on our immune system. So be sure to go to bed early and sleep in a dark, quiet room without screens.

• Exercise (when you are healthy). Do it in any way you like, but try to activate yourself aerobically (through, for example, running or cycling) as well as challenging the muscles through some form of strength training. Outdoor exercise can be nice, especially if the sun is shining.

• Food is, of course, important. The colon is one of the most critical parts of the immune system with all its good bacteria that protect us. Eat fresh, well-cooked food and make sure to eat in peace and calm and enjoy the food so that it is properly digested. Eat at regular times, and adjust the amount according to your hunger. Avoid cold foods and beverages.

• Some Ayurvedic herbal remedies strengthen the immune system, especially those containing amla, ashwagandha, brahmi and shatavari - and turmeric is always good to use in food.

• Vitamin D is vital for the immune system, and in Northern Europe, we often suffer from a lack of it because the sun is not strong enough to generate vitamin D during the winter. Therefore, it is good to supplement with supplements.

• Doing oil massage, abhyanga, on yourself is useful, but not if you are ill.

• Do not worry! Anxiety is in itself, damaging to the immune system. It’s a tough time we go through, but everything has a meaning, and everything will be fine in the end - I promise (and even if it doesn’t, worry does not help).

• Instead, make sure to pay attention to all the beauty in nature and in the world and appreciate the small pleasures of everyday life.

• Take the opportunity to do a lot of yoga and meditation. Now that we cannot go outwards, we can take the opportunity to go inwards instead and develop ourselves.

• In general, it can be good - now that we have to stop and cannot rush on as usual - to think about what is important in life - really.

Have a good time and take care of yourself!

Marma-points

 Your body is basically an intelligent system. The intelligence flows in energy channels called nadis in Ayurveda. They have certain central energy centres called marma points that are very important for our health. Many yoga exercises have the advantage of stimulating these marma points. This is why even seemingly simple practices can have very beneficial effects. For example, vajr asana (pictured) effectively stimulates several of the marma points found in the legs and feet.