PEGAH KHOEI
"I would like to express that always taking baby steps are the best steps we can take. The world of Ayurveda is a holistic approach. There are always substitutes for ingredients and it rises from a simple lifestyle.”
Pegah Khoei was born in Tehran, Iran and studied Yunani medicine in Iran and finished her Graduate degree in Media and Cultural studies in Cyprus. She has since studied yoga therapy in the school of Agama, Ayurvedic cooking in Thailand and Kerala and music therapy with Taumata and Labyrinth modal music school. Since then she has cooked in eco-conscious community centres in Turkey, France, Spain, and India. Pegah is currently cooking at Moksha Ayurveda in Mallorca.
Find Pegah:
Website: Moksha Ayurveda
“Many people when they talk about Ayurveda with me have the wrong image as if it's something hard or expensive to follow.”
What drew you to Ayurveda?
As a child growing up in Iran you already learn a lot about plants and their properties as it's a huge part of the daily culture as well as our traditional healing system known as Yunani medicine.
The basis of this tradition is the same as Ayurveda; the 5 elements and their characteristics. It's very common in Iran to hear a grandma say don't eat vinegar with yoghurt as it brings freckles to your skin, a sign of Ama!!!I was always amused by the variety of plants and their healing properties. That's how I got to study Yunani medicine for almost 10 years before leaving the country to study abroad.
When I was practising as a trapeze artist in the circus in Turkey I got my first touch of a healthy/personal body-awareness. I realised it changes a lot my stamina and my strength in what I eat and when I eat it.
Has it helped you with anything major?
When I was 29, I got very bad Chicken Pox and was in bed for six months with a face full of wounds. I didn't want to use laser surgery on me, therefore, I started searching for places that could help me with alternative medicine.
That's where I found the first Ayurvedic contact. A beautiful peaceful farm shop in the south of Turkey, in less than 2 months my skin was nothing like before!!! It was once again shining soft and vibrant, my energy was high and I felt full of life.
After staying with them for six months, they taught me what to eat, how to prepare it and what not to eat in order to increase my rejuvenation.
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine?
Once I had started practising the art of Ayurvedic cooking and healthy skin care, it then motivated me to open a small holistic business in Iran called Yao music of plants @yao_plants, I had products, retreats, and workshops about how to cook delicious Ayurvedic food so that every meal could bring balance and nourishment to our body.
I continued my exploration in Kerala and Thailand to learn more about how to prepare food to nourish that still tasted delicious.It was there that I dove into the meaning of the elements in each dosha and got to know about Doctor Vasant lad and his teachings. I found a totally new horizon of the knowledge and the practicalities of Ayurvedic.
Since then, I have been cooking for many retreats and communities all around the world and share my passion for simple habits of daily care through food.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
My 3 top Ayurvedic tips are:
Careful continuous usage of the right spices based on your dosha in daily cooking.
A loving/healing-based relationship with food.
The health of your mouth, as it's the place that all begins.
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
The two main ingredients I would suggest are Rock Salt for cooking and Ghee.
What do you wish was easier in our society to make an Ayurvedic lifestyle more accessible?
Many people when they talk about Ayurveda have the wrong image as if it's something hard or expensive to follow, I would like to express that always taking baby steps are the best steps we can take. The world of Ayurveda is a holistic approach. There are always substitutes for ingredients and it rises from a simple lifestyle.