Maharishi AyurVeda MasterClass Series Review

From 26 October to 30 November, Dr Peter Warburton and Varsha Khatri MCMA, FNTP, a nutritionist & Ayurveda consultant, hosted the first ever MasterClass series on Maharishi AyurVeda.

Participants – from complete novices to experts – found the six sessions over the six weeks to be informative and easy to understand.

Varsha Khatri outlined the six topics of the Series as follows:
1. Prevention of disease
2. Healthy eating and food choices
3. Self-care for stress management
4. Diet and digestion
5. Cleanses and detoxing
6. Boosting immunity and importance of ojas

Covering these key areas of health, the series was expertly guided to allow the knowledge of Maharishi AyurVeda to shine through in a simplified and practical way. Those who took part in the series had the opportunity to take a Dosha Quiz that was created by Varsha, and were able to join an exclusive Facebook group that allowed them to share their experiences and what they had learnt, as well as ask questions.

Here is what was covered in the six sessions:

1. Prevention of disease – The preventive lifestyle is about staying healthy and preventing disease. It is about finding the right balance so that you can have a healthier future. Health and wellness is not just about diet and exercise – far from it. In this MasterClass, we introduced the five pillars of prevention – diet/nutrition, movement, routine, immunity, and happiness – through the eyes of Ayurveda.

2. Healthy eating and food choices – Healthy eating is about more than just protein, carbs, and fats, or even the six tastes. It is important to have the understanding of what balanced meals actually mean. We covered how to make healthy choices when shopping for food, and when cooking and preparing food, as well as when eating out. Our emotions and state of being also influence our choices. We discussed how to make those healthier food choices from the perspective of holistic nutrition.

3. Self-care for stress management – When you are the busiest is when you need self-care the most. There are many techniques and resources out there for self-care and stress management. We learnt how to incorporate self-care as a part of our daily routine to help us better cope with the everyday stressors of life. This included top tips and various resources to help you feel better from within yourself. We also discussed the value of self-care for long-term health and why it is so important in Maharishi AyurVeda.

4. Diet & digestion – Your diet is only as good as your digestion. Ayurveda says that an imbalanced digestive fire (agni) is the root cause of all illness. This means that your digestion is essential for your overall health and well-being. Your digestion determines how well you absorb and metabolise the food that you eat. In this MasterClass, you learnt how to support your digestion through the foods that you eat.

5. Cleanses and Detoxing – Detoxes and cleanses are very popular fad diets and are open to wide interpretation. Ayurveda has its own take on detoxifying. In this session, Varsha taught how you can use the knowledge of Ayurveda to support your body so that it can detox naturally through your diet and routine. We also discussed ways to detox in a healthy way that will help to balance energy levels and clear your digestive system to boost your digestion and metabolism.

6. Boosting immunity and importance of Ojas – Foods you eat can either nourish or impair your immune system. Certain foods are better than others. This MasterClass showed us how we can prevent the common cold and flu through what we eat and through home remedies for keeping the immune system strong and vibrant. We also covered the connection between Ojas and the immune system.

Each of the MasterClasses ended with a brief Q&A session. Participants also had the opportunity to book in a 30 minute coaching session with Varsha.

Do keep an eye on our website for further online and in-person courses on Maharishi Ayurveda.