The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook: Holistic Healing Rituals for Every Day and Season

306 Pages·2019·8.464 MB·English

by  Kshirsagar, Suhas;Kucera, Sarah

HOLISTIC HEALING RITUALS
for EVERY DAY AND SEASON
SARAH KUCERA
Foreword by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, author of The Hot Belly Diet
Acclaim for
The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook
“Dr. Kucera guides us in the practical application of rituals in
the healing process of balancing the bodily humors and their
circadian rhythms in our day-to-day lives. Applied in one’s life,
we can celebrate our lives through daily, seasonal, and healing
rituals, thereby bringing more awareness to every aspect of our
lives. A joyful, blissful book, it serves as a guideline to students
and practitioners, unfolding inner healing and longevity.”
—Dr. Vasant Lad, BAM&S, MASc, Ayurvedic physician,
and author of Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing and
the Textbook of Ayurveda series
“A wonderful book to upgrade your self-care rituals for more
Ayurvedic magic in your life.”—Sahara Rose Ketabi,
best-selling author of Eat Feel Fresh and Ayurveda (Idiot’s Guides)
“Kucera’s expertise as a healer, both Ayurvedic practitioner
and chiropractor, is abundantly evident in The Ayurvedic Self-Care
Handbook, but what really shines through are her gifts as a teacher.
This is the most accessible, logical, and practical yet never reductive
book on Ayurveda I’ve ever read. It is now required reading for our
Yoga Teacher Training programs!”—Gina Caputo, founder and
director of the Colorado School of Yoga
“A fresh, much-needed voice for Ayurvedic techniques of
healing and balancing. The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook is
an incredible manual for anyone who is ready to feel more
balanced, energized, and radiant, while still showing up for
everything that’s on their (full) plate. I can’t wait to share this
with the women I work with.”
—Cassandra Bodzak, author of Eat With Intention
“In our culture, where our traditions and rituals have been
forgotten, The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook reminds us that our
health, longevity, and happiness depend on our traditional
circadian rituals.”—Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAP, author of
The 3-Season Diet and founder of LifeSpa.com
The
Ayurvedic
Self-Care
Handbook
HOLISTIC HEALING RITUALS
for EVERY DAY AND SEASON
Sarah Kucera, dc, cap
Foreword by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, bams, md
NEW YORK
The Ayurvedic Self-cAre hAndbook: Holistic Healing Rituals for Every Day and Season
Copyright © 2019 by Sarah Kucera
Foreword copyright © 2019 by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar
All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio,
television, or online reviews, no portion of this book may be reproduced, distributed,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or information storage or retrieval system, without the prior
written permission of the publisher.
The Experiment, LLC, 220 East 23rd Street, Suite 600, New York, NY 10010-4658
theexperimentpublishing.com
This book contains the opinions and ideas of its author. It is intended to provide helpful
and informative material on the subjects addressed in the book. It is sold with the
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Kucera, Sarah, author.
Title: The ayurvedic self-care handbook : holistic healing rituals for every
day and season / Sarah Kucera, DC, CAP ; foreword by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar,
BAMS, MD.
Description: New York, NY : Experiment, LLC, [2019] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018047856| ISBN 9781615195435 (cloth) | ISBN 9781615195442
(ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Medicine, Ayurvedic--Handbooks, manuals, etc. | Self-care,
Health. | Holistic medicine.
Classification: LCC R605 .K757 2019 | DDC 615.5/38--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018047856
ISBN 978-1-61519-543-5
Ebook ISBN 978-1-61519-544-2
Cover design by Sarah Smith | Text design by Sarah Schneider
Illustrations by Beth Bugler | Author photograph by Suzanne Corum-Rich
Manufactured in China
First printing April 2019
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is dedicated to all of my patients and students.
Whether it was one class or appointment, or many
throughout the years, you have trusted me to be your guide.
As I have been your teacher, you have also been mine.
I am so thankful for you.

Table of Contents
Foreword by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar ix
Introduction: The Nature of Medicine 1
 Consistent, Cyclical, Meaningful 9
PART 1
CHAPTER 1 Ayurveda: The Embodiment of Nature 11
CHAPTER 2 Identifying a Need for Change: Your Current
Health Status and the Baseline for Optimal Health 24
CHAPTER 3 It’s a Matter of Time: Learning the
Ayurvedic and Circadian Clocks 34
 Rituals for Everyone to Embrace 47
PART 2
CHAPTER 4 Your Day Defines You: How Rituals Play a
Role in Your Well-Being 49
CHAPTER 5 Daily Rituals: Practices for an Intentional
Start to Your Day and Easeful Transitions Throughout 57
CHAPTER 6 Evening Rituals: Practices for Bringing
Ease to the End of Your Day 85
CHAPTER 7 Seasonal Rituals: Practices for
Changing with Nature 94
The Foundations for Ritual Success 121
PART 3
CHAPTER 8 Your Pranic Budget:
Allocating Your Energy to What Matters Most 123
CHAPTER 9 Keeping Course:
Common Obstacles, and Tips for Overcoming Them 129
 Rituals for How You Feel 147
PART 4
CHAPTER 10 How We Get Sick:
The Ayurvedic Perspective on Illnesses 149
CHAPTER 11 Healing Rituals:
Practices for Balance When You Feel Unwell 154
Conclusion: The End Cycle 249
Ritual Journaling 251
Resources 263
Glossary of Herbs 267
Glossary of Ayurvedic Terms 281
Index 283
Acknowledgments 291
About the Author 292
FOREWORD
by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar
The Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook is a perfect template to take
control of your health and well-being. All the latest medical
research converges upon evidence that a plant-based diet, sleep,
exercise, meditation, and effective stress management are the keys
for everyday health. There is no better template than Ayurvedic
medicine to integrate these modalities. In fact, Ayurveda is the
art and science of longevity.
We are at a crossroads in medicine where we need to regain our
understanding of the true meaning of prevention, which means we
must participate in our own health and make responsible choices.
All the ancient cultures understood the importance of self-care rit-
uals that were perfectly aligned with the phases of moon, changing
seasons, festivals, and community living. Healthy living was a way
of life, and social well-being was based upon sustainable living.
The latest science of chronobiology supports this ancient wisdom,
clearly revealing that time is embedded in our genes. The timing of
eating, sleep, and exercise are all very important to how we digest the
world around us (not just food), which translates into our physical,
emotional, and spiritual health. This emerging Western research
is exciting, but it also validates the ancient Ayurvedic principles of
daily, nightly, and seasonal routines for people in various phases of
life, which I’ve explored throughout my work and writings.