Understanding Perverted Cravings

In Ayurveda, there is something known as a perverted craving, a desire or attraction toward substances, foods, behaviors, or experiences that worsen one's imbalance or disease state. It is a craving that arises not from the true needs of the body or mind, but from distortion caused by toxins (āma), doshic imbalance, or a weakened state of discrimination (dhi).

This happens because the body adapts to whatever it experiences repeatedly. If stress, poor sleep, constant motion, emotional intensity, stimulants, or processed foods have been a regular part of your life, your system begins to expect and even crave those states. Over time, imbalance feels normal and balance can feel strange or even uncomfortable at first.

That is why, during a cleanse, cravings can become intense. As you shift out of old patterns, the part of you that’s attached to the imbalance protests. It resists the new rhythm. It tempts you to go back to what’s known, even if it’s harming you.

What You Can Do:

• Recognize the craving for what it is: a sign that something is clearing.

• Don’t feed it. Feeding the craving strengthens the pattern and makes it harder to shift.

• Soften into the moment. Use your breath, your practices, your self-care rituals. These are your allies in the retraining of body and mind.

It takes willpower, yes. But not the harsh, punishing kind. Ayurveda teaches us that true willpower comes from a deeper connection to inner wisdom, memory of balance, and commitment to truth.

And the beautiful part?

Once the body remembers what harmony feels like, the old cravings lose their power. You begin to crave stillness, nourishment, and peace.

You are not just detoxing your body, you’re retraining your nervous system and reawakening your true cravings.

The more you stay with your healing process, the more your body begins to crave what truly nourishes you.

Over time, those intense cravings will fade. In their place, you will feel a quiet longing for what restores you.

Be kind to yourself today. But be firm in your resolve. You are guiding your body home.