DAVID AZKUE
“What fascinates me most about Ayurveda is the deep understanding of each living being.”
David Azkue is one half of the husband and wife team at Moksha Ayurveda Mallorca. David was passionate about natural medicine from an early age and at the age of 12 he met a teacher of Chinese medicine who specialised in reflexology. He followed him very closely in his practice which led to David treating relatives in a small local restaurant. Since then, he has studied structural osteopathy, martial arts and medicine such as Kalaripayattu and Kalari Chikitsa. After meeting his wife Nathalie at Ashoka Ayurveda in Madeira, where he was working as an osteopath at the time, he then started his career as an integral Ayurvedic therapist. After many hours of practising and studying Ayurveda including pulse reading; it is now his life, and now teaches his three small children about the world of Ayurveda.
Find David:
Instagram: @moksha_ayurveda_mallorca
“Transmitting, sharing and helping someone with some difficulty is part of my being. Having the support of this rich philosophy, Ayurveda, is a virtue for me.'‘
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Ayurveda helps me to understand more and more my own nature, thus giving me direction in life.
When did you discover it? How long have you been practising it?
I discovered Ayurveda in 2014 at the Ashoka cure centre in Portugal - Madeira, when I started working as an osteopath, but my career as a therapist began at an early age, I remember Indian monks visiting my home in Venezuela frequently, I was about 7 years old that time.
The real transformation for me began 9 years ago when I met my wife Nathalie in Madeira. We just started a journey of personal introspection, and through gradual changes we began to understand more about Ayurvedic medicine.
as it helped you with anything major?
At that time I suffered from headaches, caused by excessive Pitta in the system. My constitution is pitta/vata-pitta/kapha. Understanding that coffee, meat, marijuana, alcohol, chocolate were not the best option, changes came. Taking care of myself, understanding my nature during the seasons, brings me more and more into a state of peace with myself. Along with proper nutrition and my morning routine of oil, yoga, pranayama and meditation. Proper sleeping habits are very important too.
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
What fascinates me most about Ayurveda is the deep understanding of each living being.
Did you integrate it gradually or overnight for any particular reason?
We have gradually integrated Ayurveda into our lives as a family. Understanding myself as a unique individual and understanding and helping others is simply fascinating for me.
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?
At home we eat Ayurvedic every day! Although there are days when our children don't want to eat Dhal or Kitchari… in any of their dishes they carry a good dose of spices.
Our children are familiar with Thailams (medicated oils ), medicines and some simple formulas to treat flu symptoms, like trikatu with honey or curcuma.
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
I love Kitchari with lime leaves, chilli, cloves, and cilantro stems accompanied by sautéed beetroot stems, yoghurt with cumin, salt and cucumber. Pomegranate chutney, some chapatis with ghee. Caramelised walnuts with jaggery, feta cheese, dates and coriander leaves at winter times.
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?
I wish that society had the routine of having a quiet lunch without stress every day.
Transmitting, sharing and helping someone with some difficulty is part of my being. Having the support of this rich philosophy, Ayurveda, is a virtue for me.The philosophy of Kalari Payattu Indian martial art is based on the symbolism of a pyramid of 7 bases, these bases are represented in us and the 7 chakras. The importance of good posture is essential in the health of any person! When someone suffers from postural problems, for example: a hunched back and forward shoulders. This person will likely have neck and upper limb problems, self-esteem problems, heart deficiency, and some pitta dosha issues. By losing space between the chakras we make circulation difficult, lymph blockages and muscle and joint atrophy can appear.
A good posture and a proper diet is a good path for remaining balanced.