Ayurveda in Urban Living (AUL) is a weight-reduction program that goes beyond diet and exercise by incorporating the ancient principles of "Ayurveda" (life knowledge) made popular by Deepak Chopra and Dr. Vasant Lad. Ayurveda in Urban Living incorporates all four quadrants of healing: the physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental realms. With years of experience in medicine, physical fitness and nutrition counseling, Joan Stroud M.D. and Anita Thompkins, M.S., offer AUL as a guide to encourage and assist those desperately seeking weight reduction and lifestyle changes using these principles. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Anita Thompkins and Joan Stroud met during an Ayurvedic course taught by Dr. Naina Maraballi in New York City. It was a quick "meeting of the spirits" and they immediately commenced discussing goals, hopes and dreams. Anita has had many years of experience as a personal fitness consultant and yoga instructor/practitioner. Joan is a traditionally-trained family physician. Following many discussions, they both felt that their interest in implementing Ayurvedic principles was an unusual goal but, they agreed, a necessity for fitness and good health. A common theme of their discussions concerned disillusionment with the health care delivery system and clients' and patients' lack of access to complementary modalities. It was Anita who first proposed that they co-author this book since each longed to educate and enrich people's lives through the use of good nutrition. Both are excellent examples of Kapha in balance and Kapha imbalance. Anita maintains excellent weight control, even with Kaphic tendencies. Joan, though out-of-balance, is incorporating these Ayurvedic principles and is hard at work toward equilibrium. Years of working with people who struggle with weight loss and who, somtimes in desperation resort to aggressive and invasive weight-loss procedures, was alarming to both Anita and Joan. The fundamental question they posed was, "How, as health practitioners, can we use these powerful Ayurvedic principles to help individuals move to a more natural, less shocking process of weight rebalancing?" Thus, Ayurveda in Urban Living was born. Their wish is that this program will allow participants to appreciate their unique constitutions and enhance their strengths. Ayurveda honors the differences in all of us and supplies the knowledge of how to enhance and optimize those tendencies with which we are born. Ayurveda in Urban Living simply and effectively provides guidelines on how to battle weight imbalances with comprehensive nutritional changes and yoga postures. With the union of body and spirit, weight rebalancing can be gently enjoyable and fun. This program is not a "quick-fix" weight-loss procedure. It recommends a lifestyle based on the ancient concepts of Ayurveda, modified to meet our urban/modern needs. In the ideal model of Ayurveda, we would all be vegetarians and grow our own food with plenty of time to commune with nature and practice yoga. Vegetarianism is recommended because of the increased energy and inherent intelligence residing in living food. The reality of living in a large, urban area, however, makes this model difficult and sometimes unrealistic. The typical urban lifestyle of always hurrying and eating take-out food does not fit the traditional ayurvedic model. Therefore, alternatives are suggested that fit within a busy, hectic schedule and still provide all the benefits of a holistic lifestyle Their prayer is that these principles will be used well and wisely, that people will benefit from them and acquire a sense of peace when balance is finally established. Namaste / Nam Myoho Renge Kyo