Essential Ayurveda: What It Is and What It Can Do for You

This book is a very basic, very essential introduction to Ayurveda. It is very well organised into the different segment of life (foods, exercise, beauty, mental well-being etc), but the style is narative, it takes you along as if on a journey. At one point you will find yourself in an Indian kitchen, smelling the spices and the vegetables, and imagining the colours, sounds and the surroundings of an Indian family eating breakfast. I've implemented almost to the letter and sometimes with scepticism the advice of the author and after 6 weeks, our life (family of 6 with baby and small children) has truly changed and improved in all spheres (physical health, happiness, pleasure in smaller things, less materialistic etc). Now we are ready for more books and research on the subject, the book is a great spring board for it.

I especially liked this book for the simple but essential recipes. The author is easygoing, but not boring. I must also thank her for mentioning Maharishi Ayurveda, as I purchased a lotion from this company and was very impressed by the high quality of the ingredients and the performance of the product. This book may be basic for those who know a lot about ayurveda, so I would recommend it moreso for beginners.

I tried the step-by-step morning massage recommended in this book: and discovered bliss! And the author has a very easy, readable style. Go get it!

"Amazing how beautifully the author has condensed the essence of a whole philosophy of healing into a few hundred pages. Who knew that Ayurveda can be so easy and fun to follow? I always thought it was something ancient and obsolete, until I found this book. Read it--just the first few pages can change your life! It opened my eyes."

The beauty of this book is that it is so simple. If you ever thought Ayurveda was hard to understand, you'll be pleasantly surprised once you delve into this book. It works because after reading just the first few chapters,you want to actually try out the ayurvedic routine. And the recipes...yum!!