Tune in to a conversation with my friend and colleague, Betsy Walker an Ayurvedic counselor and owner of Rasa Wellness. We learn about the art of daily living through her deep study and practice of ancient Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a path to physical vitality and wellbeing. We talk about how to apply these concepts in academia and beyond. Overall the discussion is about embracing the nature and purpose of life.  Take our dosha quiz! https://www.parcilab.org/doshaquiz Enjoy a free guided meditation at the end! Other key take aways: - Ayurveda gives us the knowledge to make choices to serve us in a moment - Everything is built of elements (selves, season [outside and in life], food, interactions) - What you consume matters from food to media - Three aims of Ayurveda: Regulate agni (digestive fire, poop) Reduce ama: (toxins) Increase ojas (immunity, light, glow) - Rest, digest, and sex: How we're sleeping; what we're consuming and how we're digesting it; use of energy-- energy putting out and energy taking in - How to balance nourishment and movement when someone else is setting your schedule - Poets and scientists who have gone mad—too much reception and we need to balance with love and compassion. Life right now is constant seeking and receiving information   - Aiming for peace, love, and stillness - How to balance when you're in different seasons of life and seasons we’re in - Happiness is u shaped curve - Season of grit and grind? Productivity and busyness bias. What to do when you’ve been saying you’ll slow down for 15 semesters - Svasta – sense of self, realness in who we are and what we’re doing regardless of the phase - "We feel young when not grounded in time but in ourselves" - Energetics around you but aims and goals of Ayurveda equip with choice - Academics spend so much time away from sense of self - We share practical applications about halfway through! (29 min in) - Strength and opportunities of each dosha; Awareness is to see where pulled out of balance to pull ourselves back in - Dosha is your constitution, mental and physical tendencies, natural to you Vata- that which moves things, air, ether, good day creative, out of balance anxious, flakey. Dancer artist Pitta that which transforms, fire and water, hot, sharp, oily, charismatic, leaders, fast speech tendencies, out of balance judgement and anger Kapha, earth and water, nurtures, caretakers, calming, when out of balance stagnation, heaviness, hording, depression - We can all have the perfect poop - We have the perfect dosha for our dharma - Distance between what you’re born with and current energies informs care - Who you are, what season you are in, you are not broken - Myth busting like: Ayuvedic cleanse isn’t about restriction. Give your body what it needs to create space for clarity and illumination- extract what you don’t need and create space - Gives us tools to live a life of peace - A brief reflection on what happens when you have so many privileges, but your body or mind is still in distress - Oldest system of wellness and how to appreciate the gifts of this system through cultural appreciation - Everyone on this earths birthright to feel the best they can feel, recognize where the wisdom came from - The land where your blood and bones came from- what was medicine for them? That in turn might be medicine for us  - Upholding respect and giving back and showing up in the right way to do honor for this tradition and recognizing anyone walking this earth can have a path to wellness - I grapple with my need for rest and healing and how dare I seek this; "Who am I to share? Who am I not to!" - Feel your feelings instead of intellectualizing - Real recognize real: Just be you! - A new approach can feel like we have to change, laundry list of things to improve - Flourishing when you can remain resilient because it's not always going to be smooth sailing; but you have the health, heart, and nervous system takes us through all of it Connect with Betsy