Hi, I am Tracy Zuschlag, a licensed Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant. I just led a lecture at our local library about Ayurveda. Ayurveda (pronounced Eye-Your-Veda), a sanskrit word, is broken down into two root words: Ayu=life and Veda=science or knowledge so Ayurveda is the "science of your life". Ayurveda is also the sister science to yoga and one of the oldest health care systems in the world (over 5,000 years old). Ayurveda gives us the tools and knowledge to understand the 5 elements or energies: ether, air, fire, water, earth that are in nature and in each living system on earth.  Every organism is comprised of ether, air, fire, water, earth and yet every organism is a different combination of these elements - not one of us is the same.  This balance we strive for in Ayurveda begins with understanding our biological constitution and how that relates to the seasons of the year, the time of our life, time of the day, along with diet and lifestyle. We then look at your current imbalances and how we can bring you back to a state of balance and optimal health. Remember it took you a lifetime to get to where you are so it may take some time to bring you back to where you should be.  This type of medicine isn't a one size fits all plan. I work with each client to individualize a plan that will work for you. When it comes to diet we look at seasonal foods, herbs, spices and within that framework we can talk about recipes, when to eat, what to eat, how to eat. Ayurveda is a whole foods based diet that encourages a variety of foods, depending on your tastes and what will work for you. When it comes to lifestyle we talk about your daily routine, exercise, stress reduction and therapies intended to calm the nervous system and bring about overall health and well-being. Ayurveda is a whole healing system of medicine that balances the body-mind-spirit. 

A simple concept yet and so profound but at times we all get into the trap of eating the wrong foods during the wrong seasons, at the wrong time of day and yet we continue to create disturbance. Remember to listen to your intuition, your inner knowing. Our bodies are always striving for homeostasis or balance. Ayurveda gives us the tools.

Vata dosha is the elements of ether and air and lies in the empty spaces in the body and fills up the subtle channels. It has the qualities of cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, subtle. It governs sensory and mental balance. Vata affects the mind, nervous system and entire physical body. Vata is also in nature, in the seasons of fall and early winter, in the foods we eat, in our older years - learn more about this and the other doshas during the Feb 8 Steamboat Springs library lecture.

Snehana is a warm oil therapy that is applied to the client. Snehana means 'love' and through this nourishing, nurturing, warming therapy the vata dosha is brought back into balance. When I first had a snehana therapy I was in a state of bliss. I felt balanced, calm, centered, and my skin was finally not dry and scaly but radiant and thankful for all the moisture it so desperately needed in our dry climate! 

The time for a cleanse is typically best in the spring and fall, when we are changing seasons but now that it is the holiday season and we are all eating a lot of heavy, sugary, fatty foods our bodies will need to be cleansed of the ama we have accumulated so homeostasis and proper assimilation of nutrients can be achieved. The 'after the holidays' cleanse is designed to remove the ama, clear the heaviness & stickiness, bring back clarity and a sense of well-being so we can ride out the rest of the winter season with focus on our goals and dreams.

I chose the path of Ayurveda to sink my life's passion and purpose into when I went to a Life of Fulfillment workshop with my dear friend, Margo. I had no idea what I was in for except yoga, meditation and lots of laughs with an old friend. What I came away with was my jiva code or my dharma-what am I going to be when I grow up??? This is what I came away with, "To live in harmony with nature so others may do the same." That is the meaning of Ayurveda! Now, it also took some insight from Margo (she has known me since 6th grade) and she pointed out that my journey up until this time has been leading me here. Through a lot of soul searching, internet searching and exploration 3 years later I started on the path to become an Ayurvedic practitioner. I started taking classes at CMC and then went on to attend Kripalu in Lenox, MA. I graduated in June 2011 as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant.  I launched Whole Healing Ayurveda on December 21, 2011.