Chef Richard La Marita:

With most other diets you call yourself, "I am a vegan. This is a vegan diet." With Ayurveda there is no adjective that's before the word diet, really. In fact, that the only adjective in front of the word diet is your name. Because that is the true diet for you.

Karen Michel:

That's Chef Richard La Marita, an expert in Ayurvedic cooking and living. This is Dropping In from Omega Institute, a podcast that explores the many ways to awaken the best in the human spirit. I'm Karen Michel. Lots of longtime meditators will point out that even a short time spent meditating gives benefits that not doing it at all couldn't possibly provide. For a short time listening with longtime benefits, check out the podcast Meditation Minis with Chel Hamilton. Short guided meditations, to ease your anxiety, relieve your stress, target whatever ails you. If Chel can't get you to chill, then you really need to listen to Meditation Minis. Head to our website, meditationminis.com and let Chel guide you to wherever you'd like.

Karen Michel:

In 1964, French anthropologist, Claude Levi-Strauss published his influential study, The Raw and the Cooked. In it he looked at myths, at links between them, at context and commonalities. 25 years later, the British rock band, the Fine Young Cannibals lifted that name for their hit album, The Raw and the Cooked. And now I keep thinking about what it means to add flame to plants, meats, grains, engines, and ideas. To transform those ingredients into endless experiences, meals meant to be shared. And that's literally what happened during Richard La Marita's Omega workshop on Ayurvedic cooking. When students made three meals, two Indian and one Italian, as they learned the theory and practice of an ancient Indian path toward good health, good food, good digestion, and a good life. Ayurveda, where you really are what you eat.

Chef Richard La Marita:

The word itself, Ayurveda. Ayus, means life or lifespan. Veda means knowledge. And this is what Ayurveda is. Ayurveda is a knowledge of life, or a science of life that teaches us how to live in harmony with ourselves, with others and with nature. It's a science of life that teaches us who we are.

Karen Michel:

Teaches us who we are, no small thing. A former teacher and a continuing practitioner of transcendental meditation, Richard La Marita has spent many years in India where he learned from Ayurvedic vaidyas, or masters. Ayurveda is about more than the literal kind of cooking.

Chef Richard La Marita:

I mean, everything is included in Ayurveda in reality, but it includes many different approaches to health of which diet is one of them. Ayurveda includes the practices of yoga and meditation. It includes Marma therapy, which is like acupuncture. It includes herbal supplements. It includes lifestyle and behavioral recommendations. So, Ayurveda is very practical on one hand in terms of things to do, practices to do to keep and maintain balance. And diet just happens also to be one of these. But when you talk about dieting again and Ayurveda, it's not just food, but it's food connected to your digestive system, connected to how we eat. And all three are supporting each other.

Karen Michel:

Can one be an Ayurvedic cook without embracing other aspects of Ayurveda?

Chef Richard La Marita:

Yes, they can. I've met people like that. But, yes, you can just focus in on Ayurvedic cooking. Yeah.

Karen Michel:

And given that there are many advocates of different kinds of diets, I mean, there's the paleo, the macrobiotic, the vegan, the blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Why would someone choose to do this as opposed to the others? What are the benefits of this relative to other possible modalities?

Chef Richard La Marita:

One of the beautiful things I think about Ayurvedic diet is that it's very open ended in a sense. It's very individualized, it's general but at the same time of being specific. The bottom line in Ayurveda is, the balance of six tastes.

Karen Michel:

Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, astringent and pungent.

Chef Richard La Marita:

But it doesn't necessarily say that you have to be vegan within that or vegetarian or even omnivore. All of it works. Ayurveda also understands that depending on circumstances, depending on what's going on with your body right at any moment, your diet can fluctuate and change. So it's very fluid. It's a very fluid diet. And it might be feasible and it might be good at one particular point to be vegan. It might be good to be vegetarian, but it allows that flow. The way I like to kind of see that is that, with most other diets, you call yourself, "I am a vegan. This is a vegan diet." With Ayurveda, there is no adjective that's before the word diet, really. Yes, it's Ayurvedic diet, but really there's no adjective before that diet. In fact, that the only adjective in front of the word diet is your name, because that is the true diet for you. Whatever what food is working right for you at that given moment. There could be times in your life when you need more protein, when you need animal protein. But if you're stuck in the idea of I am this, I can't eat this, you might not be eating food that's very important for you at the time.

Karen Michel:

Now, given that Ayurveda is quite old, ancient.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Karen Michel:

Have the descriptions of the elements that break down the types of person, is there another way to put that?

Chef Richard La Marita:

No, that's fine.

Karen Michel:

Okay. And people have changed theoretically in these couple of thousand years, 3000 years, whatever it may be. Has Ayurveda adapted to that or maintained constant reference to the ancients?

Chef Richard La Marita:

Yeah. From what I see, Ayurveda has maintained the constant connection to the ancients. It hasn't much changed to, it hasn't much changed since ancient Ayurvedic text and how the viejas talk about it. We have changed in some respects, but in some respects we have not, we're still composed of the five elements. Those five elements have not really changed in millennium, I would presume. We're composed of energy. That energy transforms itself into the five basic elements of space, air, fire, water, earth and we interact with these elements. These elements are us. We are made of these elements. These elements are all around us. We interact with them. And that's kind of a fundamental thing that's been going on from, for a millennium. So that really hasn't changed.

Karen Michel:

Well, there are people who saying, "Oh, I have to have my meat and potatoes. I have to have my." Well meat and potatoes is the standard reference, right?

Chef Richard La Marita:

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Karen Michel:

Who might be horrified to find they're eating Ayurveda. Can a person who is of that school, the old school, meat and potatoes kind of person. Can you give them an Ayurvedic meal without it freaking them out?

Chef Richard La Marita:

Can you give a meat and potatoes person an Ayurvedic meal without freaking them out? Yes, you can. One person can read the Ayurvedic rules as in a very kind of, not Ayurvedic rules, but the Ayurvedic theory in a very strict way. And maybe say that, I should, that the body only needs cooked foods, for instance. So therefore, not have any raw food in their diet, zero. Zero raw food in their diet. And then another person will look at an Ayurvedic diet and say, "Oh, it's okay to have meat and potatoes every once in a while. That's fine to have." Because kind of in the classic Ayurvedic texts and in the Ayurvedic theory, there's no, it's not these kind of formally written rules of that. You know? It's just more, here are the six tastes. It's good to balance these tastes. This is what each taste does, or this one particular taste, you can find that taste in animal protein, but you can also find it in grains. You make the decision based on who you are.

Karen Michel:

As Richard told the class.

Chef Richard La Marita:

The heart according to Ayurveda is the center of consciousness. The heart controls all activity in the body. And to be able to pick up our kind of personal vibration in a sense, because everybody's pulse is different. You're able to learn a lot about yourself.

Karen Michel:

To find out who you are means first doing a type of pulse diagnosis to determine one's personal mix of characteristics, of what are called the doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Space and air come together in the body to create what is called Vata. Space and air in the body is Vata. Okay? Vata is responsible for things that move, the movement in the body. Everything that moves in the body and I mean so much moves in the body, right? Air, blood, nerve impulses, waste material, food, enormous. Many, many, many things move in the body. Again, something has to direct that, something has to organize that. Otherwise, it can become a mess. And there's diseases that long, list of diseases that long, which are simply disruptions of movement, right? From hydrencephali to heart disease, to constipation, to arthritis, you know? It's responsible for our circulation. It's responsible for our heartbeat. It's responsible for respiration, it's responsible for our processes of elimination, things like that.

Chef Richard La Marita:

It functions through the srotas. The srotas are the channels, the numerous channels that are in the body. Many, many miles, miles of channels in the body. Okay? It's everywhere. Movement is everywhere. Vata is everywhere, but it's, according to Ayurveda it has a happy home. If you're happy at home, you tend to be happy outside of the home. Okay? Its happy home, is the colon. If it's happy in the colon, that's a good sign. That's where it wants to be the happiest. Okay? That's Vata. Pitta is energy production, okay? Energy production. We have the ability to produce energy. We sleep, we produce energy. We rest, we produce energy, right? We eat, we produce energy. So it's clear that we have the ability to produce energy. Metabolism is huge for this, our metabolism, our ability to break down food and assimilate food and get the nutrients out of the food. It's also responsible for our body heat. It's responsible for our levels of hunger and thirst, things like that. It functions through what's called the agnis. The agnis are the digestive fires, the numerous digestive fires. We have a lot of digestive fires, hydrochloric acid in the stomach, bitolin in the mouth, saliva. We have a lot of different digestive fires.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Its happy home is the small intestine. Small intestine is its happy home. And then we have Kapha. Oh, Pitta is fire and water. And Kapha is water and earth. Water and earth. It's responsible for our physical structure. It's responsible for cohesion, how the body holds itself together. It's responsible for lubrication, that's very important in the body. It's responsible for tissue formation. Because when we eat, the body creates new bodily tissue out of it. So this is Kapha. This is Kapha. It functions through what's called the dhatus.The dhatus are the distinct bodily tissues. I already described seven categories of bodily tissue, different than the other. The body is constantly recreating these bodily tissues. Its happy home is the chest. Is the chest.

Chef Richard La Marita:

So everyone has Vata, Pitta, Kapha. Can't be without. Can't be without. Everyone has Vata, Pitta, Kapha. And yet it is true, like the rock and like gasoline we're made up different. Everybody's made up different and understanding that makeup helps us to understand who we are better. When gasoline knows what it is all about, it understands what it can do. You know? When a rock understands what it's all about, same thing. It knows what it can do. So when we understand what that unique physiological makeup is for us, in terms of the interplay of elements, it helps us a lot. In terms of in our physical nature, our behavior, our mental state, our emotional state, things like that. Okay? It's a picture, nice snapshot picture of who you are.

Karen Michel:

How to take that selfie was one of the first things Richard taught in his weekend workshop.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Okay. You're going to take your hand and you're going to put it under your wrist and curl your fingers. Okay? You're going to feel with the three fingers.

Karen Michel:

I tried it too, but felt like a well, quack or it's Sanskrit equivalent. So I asked for Richard's professional help.

Chef Richard La Marita:

The Vata finger is the index finger, feeling very strong under the index finger stronger, definitely stronger than the other two. The characteristics of a Vata pulse are like a snake. So-

Karen Michel:

Armed or pulsed with knowledge about Ayurvedic type, including my own. It was time to do some cooking of mostly but not exclusively classical Indian dishes. For just as Ayurveda is for all individuals, it's for all kinds of cooking. You'll hear about that coming up when there is more of Richard La Marita's workshop and my conversation with him. But first, a word about Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. For more than 40 years, Omega has been hosting workshops and retreats on yoga, mindfulness, arts, sustainability, women's leadership, health. It's a rich mix. And with this podcast, I'm introducing you to some of the remarkable teachers exploring Omega's mission to awaken the best in the human spirit. To learn more about Omega, visit eomega.org. That's E-O-M-E-G-A.org. Better yet make this podcast your entry point into all things Omega. Subscribe to Dropping In, leave a review on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend. Richard La Marita's workshop is one of more than 350 programs offered every year in Omega's beautiful campus. It is nestled in New York's Hudson Valley.

Karen Michel:

When I'm wondering about a city looking for a place to eat, often I go by smell. What scents are wafting onto the street alerting my nostrils to treats that await within. Approaching the bungalow where Richard La Marita's workshop was held was much like that. The gun smokey smell of black cardamom, the childhood sweetness of cinnamon, the wake up mix of spices that make up garam masala wafted out and permeated within. Pungent. Wonderful. So if you wish to share a bit of that experience and you're near a kitchen, consider grabbing a few herbs and spices, opening the jars and taking some deep sniffs for a taste of what's cooking in Richard La Marita's Ayurvedic Cooking Workshop. A lunch of fennel tea, parathas, a type of Indian flatbread, Bengali Dal and.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Curried okra, and tomatoes. Okay? Most people have an aversion to okra, right? But I'm going to show you a way that you will get rid of that. Most people have an aversion to it because of that sliminess. Okay? Which happens to be very good for your belly because it's that-

Karen Michel:

Of the students, one was the single mother of a food fussy daughter and an adventurous son.

Participant:

I'll probably be cooking two dinners, like I usually do.

Karen Michel:

Another student was a health aware wetland scientist who needed a break.

Participant:

I've dealt with Lyme disease, and it's taught me that I have to eat really well to sustain my positive health. And so anything I can do to learn more about that and be more creative in my cooking so I'm less bored, is a good thing.

Karen Michel:

And another woman claimed she really didn't like to cook. And then there was the guy who was clearly a ringer. Someone who'd worked in a restaurant or likely a communes' kitchen. As for the rest, everyone knew their way with a knife and all clearly enjoyed the results of their efforts. And even more when Richard guided them into understanding the philosophy behind the meals, as he did when the dinner menu was Italian.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Good job, everybody really nice. Now who could tell me where the sweet is? Give me one example of the sweet taste.

Participant:

Okay. The chocolate pudding.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Definitely the chocolate pudding.

Participant:

The whipped creams.

Chef Richard La Marita:

The whipped cream.

Participant:

The grains.

Chef Richard La Marita:

The Farro.

Participant:

The ricotta.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Okay. The ricotta, the fresh cheese. Because it's not the, because it's fresh cheese. Yes.

Participant:

Broccoli Rabe, we've got the raisins in it.

Chef Richard La Marita:

That's right. Sour?

Participant:

Pickles.

Participant:

We've got the pickles.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Pickles. Mainly the pickles. Okay? Salty is salt. Okay. Bitter?

Participant:

Broccoli Rabe.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Broccoli Rabe. Okay. Stringent?

Participant:

Oh, the-

Chef Richard La Marita:

Vegetables. All the vegetables. Salty by the way is also would be the olives and the miso. Okay? And the miso would be sour too because it's fermented. All the vegetables are astringent. We have eggplant. We have tomato, got all the vegetables in there. And pungent? So here it's a different pungent than we did this morning. This morning was all about spice. This was really herbs, right? I don't think was there any spice? I don't think we used any spice really. But herbs, we used a lot of herbs and herbs are counted as pungent also, you know? We got parsley, we got basil. What else we have? I think those are the main herbs we have today. Fantastic.

Participant:

Garlic and fennel.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Garlic and fennel. Yep. Yep.

Participant:

There's rosemary and thyme-

Chef Richard La Marita:

Oh there's rosemary and thyme also, yeah. We've got a lot of herbs in this one and that counts as pungent. Ooh, let's eat.

Karen Michel:

But first a prayer. Grace, if you will.

Chef Richard La Marita:

So the prayer is from Upanishads and it's, Om sahana vavatu. It means let us be together, let us eat together, let us radiate truth, the light of life. Never denounce anyone, never entertain negativity.

Participant:

Peace.

Chef Richard La Marita:

Peace. Enjoy. Good luck with your Ayurvedic practices.

Karen Michel:

In the word of another ancient language, "L'chaim", 'to life'. Dropping In is a presentation of Omega Institute, dedicated to awakening the best in the human spirit. If you like what you hear, tell your friends or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps new ears find us. And to learn more about Omega visit our website at eomega.org. Remember to check out Chel's Meditation Minis podcast, and just like this show it's free on Apple Podcast, Spotify, your favorite podcast app. Or go online to meditationminis.com. I'm Karen Michel. Dropping In is produced and edited by me. The editor is Catherine Stifter. The music and mix are by Scott Mueller and Rob Harris is the executive producer. Thanks for dropping in.