Customer Reviews

Ayurveda: A Life of Balance: The Complete Guide to Ayurvedic Nutrition & Body Types with Recipes

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Tiwari's book initially appealed to me as a natural leap, since I had read a good deal about the ayurveduc lifestyle by popular authors such as Deepak Chopra. But ayurveda is a rather complicated health strategem dependent upon an analysis of body type; if the reader is not intimately familiar with his or her own ayurvedic body type, the recipes will be almost impossible to apply correctly. And, ultimately, this is a cookbook. However, the author, who writes compellingly of her own life-threatenting illness and lifestyle change in the introduction, does a great job of illustrating how taking one's own health by the "horns" can produce amazing results. It's just very hard to relate to, and the references to Hinduism will be arcane to those unfamiliar with them. Nevertheless, I tried some of the recipes, and found them to be satisfying, even if some of the ingredients were hard to find -- even in my multi-cultural area. I would recommend this book only to those readers who plan to make a commitment to the ayurveduc lifestyle in partnership with an ayurvedic practioner, in which case this book will probably serve them well.

As far as I'm aware, there are only 2 books in existence that are vegetarian ayurvedic cookbooks--this one & "The Healing Cuisine" by Harish Johari; and i most highly recommend them both. (I do no recommend "the ayurvedic cookbook" by Morningstar... it is not veggie & really just a disappointment in terms of ingredients & the recipes). Tiwari is a very nice compliment to Dr. Lad's "Ayurveda: the science of self-healing", which is *the* definitive modern introduction to ayurveda. Tiwari's perspective is much more cosmic, poetic, and much about vibrational healing, cognitive memory and DNA alignment. As one reviewer noted, she makes reference to Hinduism & the more complex aspects of the mechanics of ayurvedic energetics that, even to those relatively familiar, will feel like walking thru mud... Visual representations & diagrams would be helpful, which this book is essential devoid of. That is my only complaint. the text could certainly be edited down to make room for more visuals. This is a complete guide for someone dedicated to an ayurvedic lifestyle--with charts covering the energetics & qualities of just about every food and their vibrational alignment with the body types, and daily & seasonal menus for the body types, all 10 of them. There is, among many things, a section on food sadhanas, or the ritualization of the nourishment process (food prep, cooking & eating). There are listings of ingredients & there's a glossary in the back of the more uncommon ingredients. She does not give much treatment to yoga asanas & pranayama, though there is treatment of daily routines. Now, unlike Johari, the recipes are all explicitly coded with respect to the 10 body types & the 4 seasons (i.e., which body types the recipes will help to balance & the season(s) in which they should be used)... A rather in-depth practical working guide to ayurvedic cooking. This along with Dr. Lad, and you're doing good.

I disagree with a previous reviewer that this book is mainly a cookbook. I find that it has MUCH more to offer than that.

I am currently in a 200 hour yoga teacher training course, and this book is required reading for me.

Tiwari goes very much into the philosophy behind Ayurveda and the doshas, yet explains it in a way that the average reader can understand. She gives the best explanations of each dosha that I've ever read, going into aspects such as career and sexuality, diet, exercise, physical and emotional traits.

She then gives food charts for the 10 doshas, instead of the usual three doshas that most do. She lists foods that are beneficial, and those that are not.

I find this book to be wonderful, and very accessible to the casual reader as well as the experienced person very into Ayurveda.

The title holds up to its name: this really is a complete guide to Ayurvedic nutrition. I found this book to be an inspiring text on leading a life more in tune with my own body type. I appreciated the inclusion of body types test (though I think Chopra's are better), recipes, menus, and daily routines for the various body types. A very thorough book worth the prcie.

A comprehensive guide to ayurvedic nutrition and cooking by a pre-eminent female authority on Ayurveda. This book gives a clear introduction to the principles of Ayurveda, including the body types (doshas); and how to apply them in a way that promotes not only health but also spiritual wellbeing.

Maya Tiwari (now Swamini Mayatitananda) emphasises the practice of ritual (sadhana) as a path to holistic wellness; especially the rituals of preparing and eating food. Ritual is nothing more than action with awareness - the rhythmic hand-pounding of spices; the sensuous kneading of dough; the langourous stirring of ghee as it bubbles on a fire. This practice brings back meaning to these essential activities, in an age of "convenience" instant foods that are eaten on the run, or in front of the television.

Tiwari asserts that it is precisely this loss of meaning, this disconnection with the vital processes of nutrition, that have led to poor digestion, inappropriate eating and cravings, and emotional emptiness that eventually lead to serious disease. Awareness and meaning in daily activities, on the other hand, lead to greater satisfaction in life, and a growing sense of love for oneself and all beings.

Full lists of foods for each dosha are given, along with tasty and wholesome recipes.

Ayurveda: A Life of Balance is a passionate, humane and compelling approach to Ayurveda and ayurvedic cooking - a book to be reread and treasured for a long time.

Its a MUST to read book. If you want to improve your health, want to get the best of your body, read this book. It will help you learn about your body type, and "sadhanaas"(i.e. routines, food, etc) accordingly.

I especially like the details, especially regarding dual dosha (for insance, Pitta/Vata) dietary guidelines. She includes many foods that aren't often in other Ayurvedic books. A good book to add to one's library.

Because this book contains such a wealth of knowledge, it may take a while to really get into it. However, it is highly informative and certainly a good addition to any library, especially for those interested in holistic health.

This is a lovely book recommended by my yoga instructor. The information is easy to understand and the recipes are interesting. Best thing is clear interpretive explanations for everything. I would recommend this book to everyone. Its honestly written and diagrams are easy to follow. The chapters on holistic healing are incredible.

Maya Tiwaris' clear explanations of how to lead the ayurvedic lifestyle are gems, as are her recipes. The illustrations are lovely too.