Ayurveda
Ayurveda emerged from the Vedas, ancient Indian texts known as “books of wisdom”. These ancient road maps are intended to help us live a long, vibrant, conscious and balanced life. The Vedas are thought by some to be the oldest literature known to man. “Ayur” means life and “veda” means wisdom, knowledge or science.
Ayurveda is a sister science to yoga that teaches us to live optimally by staying in tune with the rhythms of nature. Ayurveda is primarily a preventative approach to vibrant health and teaches us that food is medicine and healthy, nutritional, seasonal foods, along with disciplined self care and daily routines (called dinacharya) are the only “medicines” you need for healthy living.
Ayurveda looks at the whole of life through the eyes of Mother Nature and sees that everything in nature is a unique blend of the five great elements: space, air (Vata), fire ( Pitta), earth, water (Kapha). Each human being has a precise blend of these elements, known as one’s prakruti. There is no such thing as “the average person” and taking the time to find out your prakruti, your unique blend of elements, is the first key to creating harmony and balance in your life.
Bethany Cantin
Bethany Cantin is an ayurvedic practitioner and yoga therapist who brings a vibrant energy and a dedicated spirit to 18 years of teaching and inspiring others to deepen their connection to life. She offers ayurvedic workshops, seasonal ayurvedic cleanses and private ayurvedic consultations. Bethany is recognized by NAMA ( National Ayurvedic Medical Association) as an Ayurvedic Practitioner and has certifications from The Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico,The Kerala Ayurveda Academy in California, Ayurvedagram in Bangalore, India and Kerala Ayurveda Academy Hospital in Cochin, India.
Bethany teaches an uplifting interdisciplinary style of yoga incorporating postures, meditation, breathwork and ayurvedic principles for beginners and advanced practitioners alike. She has taught over 10,000 hours of private yoga therapy sessions and believes this approach is the deepest and most enriching way to explore the practice of yoga.
Bethany is also the Director and Founder of The Yoga Foundation, a not for profit organization creating free yoga programs for women and men in crisis for the purpose of fostering self reliance, self empowerment and self love. Bethany is deeply committed to helping others deepen their connection to life.
The Yoga Foundation
The mission of The Yoga Foundation is to make yoga classes accessible at no cost to youth and adult outreach programs for the purpose of fostering personal, physical and spiritual development through the practice of yoga.
Yoga unites the body, mind and spirit, encouraging self-discipline
and self-reliance.
The Yoga Foundation brings together exceptional yoga instructors
who are generously volunteering their time to join with organizations wishing to participate in our free yoga programs. Our teachers
are trained to hold a safe, supportive and friendly space for
participants to explore the physical practice of yoga and the inner freedom it promotes.
Support
Yoga means to join, to bring together. We are looking for the following contributions from the yoga community:
- Volunteering to teach two or more hours per month
- Providing periodic rent free space in which to hold yoga classes for
our volunteer instructors - Welcoming individuals into your existing classes through vouchers
donated to The Yoga Foundation - Donating items such as mats, blocks, books and videos
- Donating your time to assist in making our programs come alive
- Making a contribution to support The Yoga Foundation in its
mission.