Secrets of Ayurveda

I found this a fascinating book. I picked to read it because although I have heard of it, I had no idea what Ayurveda is. It explained everything easily to me, with a great layout of the books and illustrations/photos. I think this will take more than one read through for me to completely understand it.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

As a 25 year old, I did not feel the wording of this book appealed to the younger generation- this could be due to the wisdom which Ayuredic ways seek. Some areas I had to re-read and question, for example, on page 79, while explaining how often dry and oil massages should be given, it mentions that dry should be given once to twice a year or seasonally, and that oil massages can be given daily; meanwhile, other dashas should do a dry massage more often than oil, causing a very confused area- I feel that this should be explained a little more into depth as to what this means. Then, in other areas (pg 103 for example) I found myself feeling as though I had to repeat the word "and" more times than were necessary.
Coming from someone who's seeking a religion I feel that this book opened my eyes on a belief/lifestyle, in which I knew little about, and although I don't feel this is the lifestyle I choose- I do feel this book was put together well for a beginner. I feel the illustration helped break down the meanings of each article and visually show you what dashas were being spoken about and where, which I found made it more interesting and easier to continue reading along. I would recommend this book to someone in my position, one looking for a lifestyle/belif/religous standing.

This is a wonderful introduction to Ayurveda for the uninitiated.
It is clearly structured, takes you through the different aspects related to a diagnosis and how it relates to overall lifestyle choices including what to look for when seeking out an ayurvedic practitioner as well as the range of type of treatment that are available in relation to the seriousness of one"s condition.
Through the simple checklist, the reader can assess what dosha they might have and understand what they would need to consider from a food and life style perspective to ensure it is balanced. With the disclaimer comes that one should really seek out a real practitioner for a true diagnosis.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity.
My review opinion is in exchange for a ARC for review.

This is a wonderful beginner's guide. The author has a concise way to explaining the use of , history of and application of Ayurveda to every reader no matter your level of understanding. I appreciated the format of four chapters. One of history with a questionnaire to help you learn your own Ayurvedic needs. One chapter is for therapies and dietary concerns. I found this most informative and helpful. The final chapter is how to use Ayurveda at home. A very complete guide that i enjoyed learning from and highly recommend.