Living Ayurveda Cookbook

It was during the global lockdown of 2020 that I decided to begin writing my cookbook ‘Living Ayurveda’. Ayurveda means the ‘science of life’ and, to me, the lifestyle of Yoga. To avoid a spinal fusion in my late teens, I found Yoga and, subsequently, Ayurveda. It has become ‘my medicine’ in both the prevention and treatments of my dis-ease and others’. For noting, I use the word ‘dis-ease’, as for me, this is really caused by a ‘lack of ease’ in the body, trying desperately to communicate with me. I took heed to the calls my body was giving and this has paved the way to my current path.
My initial introduction was on my first trip to India in 2007 when, along with our Hatha Yoga training, we were instructed by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to have a Prakruti assessment done and accordingly take the prescribed medications. We also did some cleansing practices, Shanka Prakshalana, followed by a diet of kitchadi and plenty of ghee. On my return, I had brought back three months’ supply of herbals and continued to eat, practice and teach under the guidance of a qualified Art of Living teacher in South Africa. My body had completely changed in the six months before our final Yoga training. I was at a weight less than when I matriculated and the dis-ease that had plagued me was gone. I would say I had returned to my ‘true nature’.
I live in the heart of South Africa – Gauteng – and, for the past decade, have been teaching Yoga, Ayurvedic cooking courses and facilitating Prakruti (your ‘true nature’) consultations. This has been my life’s work and now others are ready to receive this knowledge. The Living Ayurveda cookbook will offer readers a glimpse into vegetarian cooking and a sustainable Ayurvedic lifestyle. It contains 37 vegetarian recipes, knowledge of Ayurveda, Prakruti assessment, Dosha shopping list, lifestyle tips and anti-ageing massage regime, as well as an empowering short-story of my wellness journey from late-teens to pregnancy to date.
I am so grateful that I have a platform to share my story to a broader audience, through my Living Ayurveda cookbook. I am grateful to the many participants who have attended my cooking courses. They have recipe-tested these meals and encouraged me along the way to make small changes and improvements as their needs grew and changed. Their self-awareness has inspired me to new heights and I am forever grateful for our journey that seems to intertwine. Finally, I have Roshni Morar to thank for teaching me the skill of Gujarati Ayurvedic cooking and initially supporting me with courses on our return to South Africa in 2010.

Claire Stephenson, Ayurvedic Practitioner