Ayurveda Bibliography
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
Ayurveda: Inspired Cooking For Your Individual Well Being (1997) by Anne Buhring and Petra Rather is a wonderful cookbook to encourage the new Ayurvedic cook to create beautiful healthy foods. The easy to follow recipes and full page color photos portray the message that good food can be simple to make and pleasing to the eyes and pallet. The authors briefly cover the concept of body types and give adjustments for each recipe to accommodate the needs of each dosha.
Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide (2001) by Deepak Chopra, M.D. is known as the book that brought Ayurvedic health and quantum physics to the mainstream. Mr. Chopra brought the basics of conscious living in an easy to read manner to the western world with this book and has now revised and updated it for the 21st century.
Training The Mind, Healing The Body: A Complete Course For Holistic Health And Well Being (audio tapes) (1997) by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D. are a series of 24 lectures given to a public audience regarding Ayurveda and quantum physics. Some of the talks go into detail regarding diseases such as diabetes and infertility and discusses the different views of allopathic and holistic medicine regarding treatments. I found the section on meditation and Ayureveda very informative and inspiring.
Heaven’s Banquet: Vegetarian Cooking For Lifelong Health The Ayurveda Way (1999) by Miriam Kasin Hospordar is a wonderful cookbook for any one interested in international cuisine. The health benefits are icing on the cake. She does a wonderful job describing the path of Ayurveda with very little amount of stress and the over 700 recipes cover every base. No pictures and wimpy paper are my only complaints about this book. I use it almost every day for inspiration to make dinner.
The Handbook Of Ayurveda: India’s Medical Wisdom Explained (1997) by Shantha Godagama and Liz Hodgkison really gave me a feeling of the eastern way of seeing health. The books descriptions of the many aspects are brief, but clear and concise. There is a section on plants and remedies not covered in other books I read.
Essential Ayurveda: What It Is And What It Can Do For You (2003) by Shubhra Krishan is an excellent, easy to read look at Ayurveda as a whole lifestyle. Previously a fast pace journalist, Ms. Krishan tells her personal story that led her to a better life of balance and health. I consider this the best book for lay people of all I’ve read. It covers all aspects of the philosophy, but has an exceptional section on food and nutrition.
The Book Of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach To Health And Longevity (1995)by Judith H. Morrison really advanced my true understanding of the dosha system. It also details right-action throughout the day, the use of psychology, and how the philosophy sees and works on a cellular level.
The Complete Illustrated Guide to Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Healing Traditions (1997) by Gopi Warrier and Deepak Gunwant, M.D. is an overview of the creation, history,and principal philosophy. It discusses some unique aspects of Ayurveda not covered in other books such as astrology, gem stones, and a system of purification known as panchakarma. This book has a very interesting section on specific case studies describing individuals and their specific dosha types, health issues they suffer from and treatments used to relieve them.