About Ayurveda
A natural health system that helps you feel balanced and energised by making simple changes to how you eat, move, and live.
Ayurveda offers a road map that helps us navigate health to prevent illnesses and create resilience.
How does Ayurveda work? Here is a short overview.
Ayurveda teaches that all things consist of five elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.
Each element owns particular qualities.
These elements, with their qualities, are organised in our body into three constitutional types or Doshas:
Vata - combines space + air
Pitta - blends fire + water
Kapha - merges water + earth.
Think of your dosha as your body’s personal blueprint. When it’s balanced, you feel great—energetic, clear-headed, and at ease. You may feel tired, stressed, or unwell when it's off. The good news? Small changes can bring you back into balance!
You’re born with a unique constitution called Prakriti—this is your natural state. Over time, lifestyle, diet, stress, and environment can throw you off balance, creating your Vikriti (your current state). Ayurveda helps restore this balance so you can feel your best every day.
If we don’t restore the balances, you might experience:
Digestive issues such as constipation, IBS, colitis, acidity, etc.
Stress, fatigue, insomnia
Respiratory conditions
Compromised immune system
Skin conditions
Headaches and migraines
Issues around pregnancy-, postpartum and menstrual health.
Ayurveda teaches us a deeper understanding of our body’s needs and puts us into the driver seat of our health.
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Understanding the Doshas
Vata dosha
Vata dosha carries the qualities of ether and air—it is cold, mobile, dry, rough, light, and clear.
As the governing force of movement in the body, Vata regulates muscle contractions, heartbeat, breathing, blood circulation, nervous system function, and the initiation of processes.
When balanced, Vata brings quick thinking, creativity, and flexibility.
When imbalanced, it can manifest as:
Physical signs: Cold hands and feet, dry skin, dry hair, bloating, constipation, general aches and joint issues.
Mental/emotional signs: Scattered thoughts, indecisiveness, worry, and anxiety.
Pitta dosha
Pitta dosha carries the qualities of fire and water—it is hot, penetrating, light, slightly oily, spreading, and acidic.
As the governing force of digestion and metabolism, Pitta transforms food into nutrients, regulates the hormonal system, and supports cellular nourishment.
When balanced, Pitta brings sharp thinking, precision, intensity, organisation, and strong decision-making skills.
When imbalanced, it can manifest as:
Physical signs: Hyperacidity, inflammation, skin rashes, eczema, burning eyes, and an overly fast metabolism, leading to loose stools or diarrhea.
Mental/emotional signs: Anger, irritability, and impatience.
Kapha dosha
Kapha dosha carries the qualities of earth and water—it is cool, smooth, dense, slow, stable, viscous, and slightly oily.
As the governing force of hydration and lubrication, Kapha maintains moisture in the body, nourishes mucus membranes, and supports smooth movement within tissues and joints.
When balanced, Kapha brings patience, love, and contentment.
When imbalanced, it can manifest as:
Physical signs: Water retention, swelling, puffiness, frequent colds, chest and sinus congestion, weight gain, allergies, fibroids, or cysts.
Mental/emotional signs: Difficulty letting go—both of material possessions and emotions.
“I attended Katja’s Ayurveda workshop during lockdown. The Pitta dosha seemed to describe me and my problems exactly. I have been following the tips I learned, e.g. drinking warm water, taking Chyavanprash and soaking almonds in the morning, avoiding certain foods, and practising yoga stretches and meditation. I have found that my headaches are happening far less frequently. On top of that, my arthritic hip ( from years of tap dancing!), which has given me a lot of pain, has stopped hurting. I am definitely a convert to the Ayurveda lifestyle!”
Vivienne
Balancing Your Doshas Early Matters
When imbalances arise, they can often be corrected within a few days. However, if ignored, they may develop into deeper imbalances that take much longer to restore.
The good news? You can bring your doshas back into balance through:
✔ Seasonal diet adjustments
✔ Herbal remedies
✔ Warm oil massages
✔ Yoga practices
✔ Lifestyle shifts aligned with the seasons
To determine the best approach for you, consider an Ayurvedic consultation.
What Happens in an Ayurveda Consultation?
Your initial consultation (90 minutes) focuses on understanding your unique constitution (Prakriti) and current imbalances (Vikriti).
We use:
🌀 A detailed questionnaire
🌀 Pulse and tongue diagnosis
💡 What You’ll Receive:
✔ A personalised therapy plan, including:
Dietary recommendations
Supporting herbs & therapies
Yoga practices
Lifestyle guidance
✔ A follow-up session (phone or Zoom) to review your plan and make adjustments
For best results, the plan should be followed for a few weeks. As it takes up to five weeks for food to be fully assimilated into all body tissues, deeper imbalances may require consistent effort to see significant changes.
Consultation Fees
🩺 Initial Consultation (90 min, online or in-person) – £100
(Includes a detailed therapy plan + 30-min follow-up call)
📞 Additional Follow-up Calls (30 min) – £30
Additional Ayurvedic Therapies
In addition to consultations, I offer traditional Ayurvedic massages to support balance and well-being:
🌿 Abhyanga Massage – Full-body rejuvenation
🌿 Mukhabhyanga – Restorative face massage
🌿 Shiro Abhyanga – Ayurvedic head massage
🌿 Padabhyanga – Foot massage using a special metal bowl
Read our latest Articles on Ayurvedic Practices
Ayurvedic Cooking
Ayurveda starts with food. Before herbs, massages, or treatments, the first and most powerful step toward balance is what you put on your plate. Your diet shapes your digestion, energy, and overall well-being—making it the foundation of Ayurvedic healing.
Once you understand your dosha, the next step is learning how to cook and eat in a way that truly nourishes your body and mind. Discover how simple, seasonal ingredients and Ayurvedic cooking techniques can restore balance and support your health."
Anna Yoga – The Art of Ayurvedic Cooking
In Ayurveda, food is more than just nourishment—it is medicine. The practice of Ayurvedic cooking is called Anna Yoga, where "Anna" means food.
Since we eat several times a day, food has the biggest influence on our health. Ayurveda teaches that eating seasonally and locally helps maintain balance and overall well-being.
The Six Tastes in Ayurveda
Ayurveda categorises food into six tastes, each linked to the five elements and their effect on our constitution:
✔ Sweet
✔ Sour
✔ Salty
✔ Bitter
✔ Pungent
✔ Astringent
Each taste can either aggravate or calm your dosha, influencing digestion, energy levels, and mental clarity. A well-balanced meal should ideally include all six tastes for optimal nourishment.
Everything we eat affects both our body and mind. Ayurveda emphasises that a diet tailored to your unique constitution is key to preventing illness and maintaining lifelong health.
Did this spark your interest in the six tastes? You can learn more about them in this article.
Eat Seasonally with Ayurveda
Ayurveda encourages local and seasonal eating as a simple yet powerful way to maintain health. Fresh, in-season foods provide the nutrients our bodies need to stay balanced throughout the year.
Just as our bodies change with the seasons, so do the dominant doshas:
Spring → Kapha dosha (heavy, slow, moist)
Summer → Pitta dosha (hot, intense, sharp)
Autumn & Winter → Vata dosha (cold, dry, rough)
🥗 Action Step: Eat for the Season
To support health, nature provides exactly what we need each season:
So, a simple way to start with Ayurveda is to eat seasonally!
✔ If it’s spring (Kapha season), focus on light, bitter greens like spinach, nettles and arugula.
✔ If it’s summer (Pitta season), enjoy cooling foods like cucumbers, melons, and mint, juicy berries.
✔ If it’s winter (Vata season), go for warm, grounding foods like root vegetables, nourishing grains and stews
By combining seasonal eating with a seasonal lifestyle, we can stay in tune with nature and maintain harmony in body and mind.
Want to put Ayurvedic cooking into practice?
Start with simple, nourishing recipes to balance your dosha and support seasonal health.
How to Eat for Your Constitution
Ayurveda teaches that food carries the same universal elements as our bodies, influencing our health based on its qualities.
The Fundamental Rule: Same + Same = More
Every food item has specific qualities because it is made up of the five elements. If we continuously eat foods that match our dominant dosha, it can increase that dosha and eventually cause an imbalance.
Like attracts like!
If you already run hot (Pitta) and eat a lot of spicy food, you may feel overheated or irritable.
If you’re naturally light and dry (Vata) and eat cold, dry foods, you may feel even more scattered or anxious. Ayurveda helps you balance this by choosing foods with the opposite qualities.
The Key to Balance: Opposites Heal
To maintain health, Ayurveda recommends eating foods with opposite qualities to balance your constitution. This means choosing foods that calm rather than aggravate your dominant dosha.
Ayurvedic cooking revolves around:
✔ Choosing fruits, vegetables, grains, and lentils that suit your dosha.
✔ Using spices that support digestion and balance your elements.
✔ Ensuring every meal contains all six tastes for complete nourishment.
It Sounds Complex? It’s Actually Simple!
🕰️ Action Step: Set a Daily Routine
A steady routine is key for balance. Try this:
✔ Wake up at the same time every day (preferably before 7 AM).
✔ Eat three meals at regular times—with your biggest meal at lunch.
✔ Drink warm water instead of ice-cold drinks to support digestion.
By following these simple guidelines, you can nourish your body in alignment with nature and keep your doshas in balance.
Apart from what we cook, the way we cook our food is equally important.
The food we eat should be a healthy and balanced nourishment for our body and mind, easy to digest and should provide us with the necessary energy to achieve what we would like to do. In order to provide us with this energy, our meal has to be prepared accordingly:
The kitchen should be a clean, neat, and uncluttered place.
Before preparing the food, hands, feet, and face should be washed; hair should be combed and tied back.
Never cook when you are angry or upset. Emotions pervade the energy or the food you are handling. At stressful times, take a few minutes to quieten your mind.
Cook seasonal meals using fresh ingredients.
The food should not be tasted during the preparation and cooking.
Women should not prepare food for others during the first four days of their menstruation.
Learn more about Ayurvedic Cooking!
Why not join one of our seasonal online cooking workshops:
tbc
A personal look inside my 7-day Ayurvedic spring cleanse—what I ate, how I felt, and the gentle steps I took to reset digestion, energy, and daily habits.