Why I Love Ayurveda
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a system originally established in India, focusing on health and wellness in the body, mind, and spirit, acknowledging that these are inseparable. As one of my teachers says “Nothing in us operates in isolation”. Unlike a western approach to wellness, Ayurveda looks at the individual and the unique combination of diet and lifestyle choices that allow them to thrive. It draws on many modalities, incorporating yoga and meditation practices, food choices, spices, herbs, and self-care practices to help each individual create their healthiest life. It’s medicine, but it’s a type of medicine that guides us, informs us, and aids us in cultivating total wellness. And one of the best parts is that you don’t have to go through extensive trainings or become an Ayurvedic Practitioner to put Ayurveda to use in your daily life (read on).
Why I love it
Ayurveda is about taking responsibility for your choices, your health, and your well-being. And that’s empowering! And I love that. I love feeling empowered to take care of my health.
I know that when I don’t feel like my best self (my best self, by the way, is vibrant, enthusiastic, easeful, and spacious. Do you know yours?) I have the tools to move back there. I can look at what I’m giving my energy to, what my sensory input is, what my self-care has been like, what foods I’ve been nourishing (or sometimes not) with, and adjust the things that do not serve me.
From a place of total love and compassion, ask yourself “are my choices helping me create my healthiest, happiest life?”
When the knowledge of Ayurveda is paired with the self-understanding from yoga, you have the ability to see the inevitable highs and lows of life and to adjust. That’s the powerful part. It’s not happening to you anymore; you are creating it. Let that sink in. What if you took responsibility for your health and your happiness?
How to Invite Ayurveda into Your Life
One of the beautiful things about Ayurveda is that there are so many ways to bring this wisdom into your life. Begin with small and manageable things, they add and become more powerful.
Get clear about what your Best Self feels like. As I said above, I know I am aligned with my healthiest life when I feel vibrant, enthusiastic, easeful, and spacious. But that’s me. What are your qualities? Write this down somewhere and ask yourself if you feel them in your life. They are your guidepost so you know when you are out of balance. Check-in with this often and make small adjustments that will bring you back to your best self.
Eliminate one thing that does not serve you and replace it with one thing that does. It’s hard to create new habits, even healthy ones if you don’t know where to fit them in. By swapping an old habit for a new one, you have clear time for your new habit and a cue for when to do it. You might eliminate social media during that mid-afternoon energy slump and replace it with a short walk or a cup of tea (tulsi + rose is my go-to in the afternoon). It might be one less episode on Netflix so you can get 30 extra minutes of sleep; 15 minutes of yoga in the morning instead of (fill in the blank). You get the idea :) What will yours be? Swap one habit for another, and each time you feel yourself turning to that old habit, use that instead as your cue to reinforce the new one.
Spice your food. In western culture, we tend to use spices for flavor alone, but in Ayurveda, spices are used to make food more digestible. And healthy digestion is paramount! It allows your body to assimilate the things you put into it; it ensures you are moving toxins (known as ama in Ayurveda) out; and supports each and every system in your body. It’s just an added bonus that the same spices that aid in digestion are also delicious.
Try incorporating spices like cumin, brown mustard seeds, coriander, turmeric, or fennel in your cooking. (Saute your favorite greens with cumin + brown mustard seeds with a little good quality salt. So simple, but I love it.)
Cook your food. One of the main tenets of Ayurveda is to eat seasonally, and in winter that means eating warm, wet food (aka cooked). This means avoid salads and other raw foods. Your body has a hell of time digesting that this time of year and anyway, does that really sound nourishing or all that enjoyable to you right now? There is a reason we want things like soup and stew in the wintertime. Follow that inner wisdom!
Pre-emptive Self-care. Meaning before your body gives you that signal of feeling stressed out, run-down, over-worked, and just plain exhausted, nourish yourself ❤️. For me, that’s a day without tech (no emails, no phone) + a long, luxurious bath followed by Abhyanga (warm oil massage). Now that all might sound awful to you, and that’s fine. But there is something you can do that will feel nourishing. What is your version of a warm bath? A massage perhaps, or Yoga Nidra, a walk in nature? What restores your vitality? What soothes you and brings you peace?
Bringing Ayurveda into your life can be as simple as adding one or all of these practices. Even if you pick just one you will be closer to your healthiest, happiest self!
Let this be the beginning of your journey into Ayurveda! I look forward to sharing more soon. Feel very free to leave a comment below or send me a message if you have questions or want to take a deeper dive!
Here’s to your most vibrant Self ✨
