Well, I am just starting the Urinary section of my program. My home-work this week, amongst many questions to answer regarding the information from our text book is…
“Examine your urine daily for 5 days and record your results. Include the color, smell, and clarity of the urine. Perform the oil drop test (review Level One, Chapter Five, Examination). Do this test at the same time each day. Comment on how the result relates to what is happening inside your body and hypothesize about what aspects of your diet and lifestyle may be contributing to the result. On day five, eat a hot, spicy meal for dinner. The next morning, eat more hot spices. Observe your urine on day 6. Did it change? How, and what does this mean from an Ayurvedic perspective. For dinner on day 6, eat some creamy sauce over pasta with no spices other than salt. Have some ice cream for dessert. The next morning, drink a glass of milk and continue to eat heavy, creamy or oily foods with no spices other than salt. Observe your urine during day 7. How as the urine changed. Why did it change from an Ayurvedic perspective?”

OOO Fantastic! I just love this program- you really are encouraged to be your own scientist. I have recently being doing a lot of tests on myself too- and I am learning so much about myself and how to be my best version… I don’t exactly have it down perfect yet, but you can’t change everything at once… steps… Svastha… taking steps towards your perfect health, mind, body and soul! Well I have been doing a lot of mind and soul work these past months and keeping up with body, but still falling a little short I suppose when it comes to some or the amount of my food choices. I eat healthy, don’t get me wrong- but geeze I am get pretty hungry with all the delicious food around me all the time. I have a huge hunger most days… which I think I over feed because that feeling of being full… is kinda of good… not when you feel lazy after full- but I think I have that associated with other things or it’s just wanting to relax but I should motivate myself to find other ways than over eating. But well- in 7 days I am purposely going to over eat- sweet, heavy, cold, kapha increasing foods haha.

My Hypothosis is that I am going to see Vata results, then after the spicy foods- I am going to see Pitta results and Kapha results after the icecream night.

Oh I am going to start this tomorrow- because, I have been very good not eating anything to spicy for awhile as my intensity, the heat and being a teacher didn’t match up- but tomorrow I don’t teach and I was feeling kinda sluggish so I pasta with Chipotle sauce tonight…and it was so delicious and first time I had spice for awhile that I over did it and  I ate like 7 chipotle peppers! So I will update how my findings are later.

1 week later:
Conclusion of Findings: I have not yet correctly done this home-work due to circumstance of having a bunch of Kitchari needing to have been eaten after the festival and also not wanting to risk having a Pitta day or a Kapha day during my busy days of school, work, study and meeting new people. I did feel the most intense in my mind and the most heat in my body after the day I ate a bunch of Habanero salsa- because I haven’t been allowing myself to eat it recently.
The days I ate sugar the day before or had to much yogurt-
I want to do a more controlled exam again, as I have been eating a lot recently of all kids of food- in greater qualities than I should- but I perhaps am keeping myself in relative balance… a lot of hot sauce earlier- eat some yogurt after… terrible on my digestion though and my ama on my tongue shows this.

I wanted to do the Pitta test, but then everything aside from the hot sauce I had in my house was already preparing myself to fight my Pitta… I had coconut, mango, cilantro mint tea prepared… I wanted to have some bhrami for clarity and it helps with Pitta too.

I want to see with the Vata looks like and need to also test my first pee of the morning- as it says in the book I need to do that for the oil test to really be conclusive.
Also, I am aware at the moment my diet, has been a bit unstructured, but I have been eating at regular times… but then snacking a lot, and in between the recommended 2-3 hours before as well as wanting to eat something before bed as well. I think it may be a comfort/emotional response to being alone here and to feel comforted. I will begin to work with these emotions, but it’s a bit challenging, especially with nights like last night when at 9pm I ran out of the house because there was an earthquake, second time because my neighbor was screaming and someone just cut her screen in her bedroom and entered her room and then he ran and he left his knife there… and then all the insecurities about being a single woman here alone, in a not secure building and such arises… but well, cultivating faith I suppose.

 Will do this test again next week and collect and sample first pee, or else I will be pissed off. haha Get it?