insight + experience = wisdom

I've been studying ayurveda since the spring with California College of Ayurveda. It's going well. This is the first time I'm taking a course that is primarily distance learning. Being here in Kentucky, it's pretty much the only option. I Will be taking some time out in California next year for my studies.

When I attended Journey Into Healing in February with the Chopra Center, Deepak said something that stuck with me...

insight + experience = wisdom

To have an understanding of something is one thing.
To have an understanding and to experience is a totally different thing.

We've all been told what we should do.
What we shouldn't do.
The right way, and the wrong way.

And while in makes sense mentally, we're still missing....
something.

I had a direct experience with this today, on my morning run actually.

For two months in my ayurveda course I've been studying anatomy and physiology. I've studied the twenty attributes, the five elements, the five doshas, the five subdoshas, the seven dhatus, the four states of agni, the thirteen (basic, cause there are really too many in the body to count)agnis, the three stages of digestion, the sixteen major srotas.....well you get the point.

I'm totally immersed as a student of ayurveda. Reading, writing, processing, memorizing, doing all that I can to retain and understand the information.

And today I took a step in the direction of truly getting it when insight collided with experience. Insert booming, crashing and clanging noises.

In my ayurveda studies I'm learning more about my dosha (learn about yours here) what I should and shouldn't eat, lifestyle practices to balance my dosha, proper use of my senses, and so on.

While I'm getting it on a mental level, I wasn't really "getting it." Somethings been missing, it's the direct experience part.

Yesterday I had cereal for breakfast, lunch was a falafel sandwich, and dinner was avocado mixed with salsa served up on crackers. And the best part, a scoop of ice cream.

Mind you the week before I had a whole session with my ayurveda teacher about what I need to eat to reduce kapha. Let's just say that it wasn't what I had yesterday. Any of it.

This morning I set off on my run. I'm feeling good. It's Friday. It's a nice day. Gonna be a great run.

Ummm no. I've been doing intervals for 30 minutes. Walk 2 minutes, run 4 minutes. Repeat. Really early in my run my legs felt like lead. I felt heavy. Not very motivated. My disciplined self pushed through. I recall what I ate yesterday. All heavy, cold, oily foods. Everything I shouldn't have had.

While I'm running I think back to my run on Wednesday. It was great. I told Andy as soon as I talked to him "I had such a great run today. It felt awesome!". I think back to what I ate Tuesday. Much ligther (except the scone. I'm not perfect :), warmer fare, and I skipped dinner cause I was at the studio till 9:30.

Now I'm starting to get it. Becoming a bit more wise in the ways of ayurveda. It is exciting to start putting the pieces of the puzzle together.

insight + experience = wisdom

I like it....


**photo of Sarah in Tulum this summer. AND she's getting married on Sunday!**