DEENA SOLANKI
“Ayurveda is most definitely part of my everyday life — for me there is no other way. Ayurveda keeps me grounded, present, creates the space to tune in to myself and my needs. And I can only serve others when I practise what I love so dearly: Ayurveda! Having said this, that doesn’t mean that I don’t treat myself to an ice cream, chocolate, or homemade fried chips occasionally.“
Deena Solanki is a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, BSc Hons with Integrated Masters in Ayurvedic Medicine. She is a member of the Ayurvedic Professionals Association in the UK.
Deena is also a qualified yoga teacher with 22 years of yoga experience, 14 of those teaching. She is a member of the British Wheel of Yoga. Deena teaches a mindful Hatha yoga practice of Asana (posture), breathing techniques, deep relaxation and Yoga Nidra, and specialist yoga teacher training in yoga for backs, chronic fatigue and ME, yoga for musculoskeletal conditions, anxiety, depression, restorative, yin yoga and women's health Yoga, and is an accredited Menopause Yoga teacher.
Deena is passionate about supporting her clients with maintaining and restoring balance, and healing their body through natural holistic therapies with yoga and Ayurveda.
Deena is also a mother and wife, and works part-time at a local school whilst running her business, SomaLife.
Follow Deena:
Website: SomaLife
Instagram: @somalife
Facebook: Yoga & Ayurveda With Deena
“Ayurveda has taught me the art of self-study.”
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Ayurveda has taught me the art of self-study on a mental, physical and emotional level by clarifying certain aspects of my life. This included my relationships, my work, my ability to set aside time for myself. Relaxation, breathing, meditation, journalling, yoga, and eating better brought about an environment of inner reflection and change, flexibility, strength, better health, and much more!
When did you discover it? How long have you been practising it?
Ayurveda has always been part of my life. Born in an Indian family, my parents and grandmother were always cooking food in accordance to the season, or if I had a cold I recall my grandmother telling me to avoid all cold drinks and foods and eat kitchari with mung beans! Growing up, I was never told this was Ayurveda, all I knew was this is what we eat when unwell or during different seasons.
The first time I heard the word “Ayurveda” was when a friend recommended it to me in 2005, and since then I have been living and practising Ayurveda.
What drew you to Ayurveda? Has it helped you with anything major?
My journey on the path and introduction to Ayurvedic medicine was through an illness in 2005, as well as acne and digestive issues. I had already been consulting an allopathic physician for a number of years. The medication prescribed helped to manage the condition, however I was experiencing side effects with the long-term use of the medication. I felt there had to be something else that could help me.
Ayurveda was recommended to me by a friend, and after my first consultation I started to gain some understanding of how my condition had occurred and how it could be managed. I was very excited about the prospect of what may come, though 24 hours after having my first consultation I was in tears as I was being asked to change a huge part of how was eating, living and processing my daily life. After that initial breakdown, a week into the treatment plan, which included herbal medication and diet changes, my thought process changed. I cannot pinpoint exactly what it was, maybe my determination that I wanted to take control of my health and wellbeing, together with no longer being able to deal with the pain of my condition.
Within four weeks I noticed a huge change to my condition and I was determined to go all the way with the treatment plan. After two years, fully committed to the treatment plan, my whole being, mentally, emotionally and physically, had changed in a positive way.
At this point I was already teaching yoga, and I felt I wanted to give more to my students. I found from teaching that most of my students had other underlying health conditions, and they were always asking me questions about their health and wellbeing. In 2010, I started my 4-year degree and Masters in Ayurvedic medicine, so that I could have a broader approach in helping my students to manage their health and wellbeing.
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine?
Ayurveda is most definitely part of my everyday life — for me there is no other way. Ayurveda keeps me grounded, present, creates the space to tune in to myself and my needs. And I can only serve others when I practise what I love so dearly: Ayurveda! Having said this, that doesn’t mean that I don’t treat myself to an ice cream, chocolate, or homemade fried chips occasionally.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
1. Dinacharya - The daily routine that helps me to keep in balance in accordance to my Prakriti. I feel more content, at peace, empowered, grounded and have a more positive approach to the day ahead thanks to this.
2. Understanding my Dosha type - TThis will help me stay in balance with the environment, through diet, lifestyle and much more. I find that moving through life each of the three Doshas fluctuate, and we all have one to two dominant Doshas. Understanding this helps me to stay in balance, and maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit.
3. Minimising intake of raw, cold, rough foods and avoiding snacks - Whichever season we are in, my meals are best eaten cooked, warm, moist, unctuous and with at least six varieties of vegetables daily.
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
It changed the way I thought, worked, and processed my day-to-day life. The food and thoughts we take in and digest have a huge impact on our character, personality and behaviour. What I found when I started my own treatment plan in 2005 is that I started to change my behaviour and reactions, and I started to experience love and compassion, and that there is always a possibility to change.
Another surprise to me is how unique Ayurveda is to every individual person.
Did you integrate it gradually or overnight for any particular reason?
Initially I integrated Ayurveda gradually into my life, but over time the integration happened quite naturally. To this day, I am always tuning into myself and my needs. Currently, I am going through perimenopause and am following a Pitta/Vata-balancing diet, lifestyle and yoga practice — and I have found following this has helped me manage these symptoms.
Do your children/family eat an Ayurvedic diet? And if they do, do they know it’s Ayurveda or do they just think of it as home cooking?
In my household, there is my husband and our 4-year-old daughter. I ensure we eat a well-balanced Ayurvedic diet, meeting all our Prakriti needs. My husband is very happy to eat an Ayurvedic diet, and our 4-year-old loves all the food we both cook but has no idea it is an Ayurvedic diet, she says she eats Indian and Catalan food!
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
My go-to ingredient is Hing (asafoetida) — I add it to most meals I cook daily, including pasta bakes, and my husband adds it to his paella! I find this can ease any spasm or inflammation that can get caused in the GI tract, due to its carminative properties. It is a must for all lentils and pulse dishes I cook.
My favourite recipe is made with mung beans. I cook this weekly, and as a family we love it. It’s light, and feels wholesome and highly nourishing. Best cooked with ghee and eaten alone or with homemade chapatis.
How does Ayurveda fit into your day-to-day routines?
Very easily, as I see Ayurveda as a way of life. On days when I am not feeling my best, when energy is low, on a busy day, or after a bad night’s sleep, I go back to the basics of Ayurveda, asking myself, “What do I need to nurture and take care of me today?” And sometimes it is to accept, breathe, rest, or walk in nature. I always find that Ayurveda grounds me, keeps me present by checking in on myself. It is easy to jump for a coffee, a packet of crisps, or another favourite “unhealthy” snack, which I do, but I then come back home to me and Ayurveda.
What do you wish was easier in our society to make an Ayurvedic lifestyle more accessible?
Food is medicine! The better the quality of food the better the medicine.
Everyone loves eating, especially a good meal! If society understood and believed this, then one could experience a balanced healthy mind, body and spirit. Ayurvedic medicine and particularly Ayurvedic nutrition is about understanding food through its qualities and how they affect us when eaten. Ayurvedic nutrition is simple, easy to access and to cook, and delicious to eat. Food brings joy, a smile on faces, and has that “feel-good factor.”
Do people around you/in your circle of friends know about Ayurveda?
Most of my circle of friends know about Ayurveda, as I am always talking about it.
What’s the one thing you would encourage everyone to try or you think would benefit the majority of people’s health for the better?
If there is one thing a person feels isn’t supporting their health then they should drop, remove or change that one thing from their diet or lifestyle. Give it a go for one week! After dropping that one thing for that week, notice how it makes you feel, and maybe in week two you will drop or change another factor from your life to improve your health.
Anything else you’d like to add?
To check in on yourself daily, often 2-3 times daily, asking yourself, “what do I need for myself today?” — being honest with ourselves is empowering and one of the healthiest ways of living in balance.