I am going to begin by saying that I am absolutely no expert on Ayurveda - it was something I had heard of thanks to my best friend Kristina and became more interested in through my friend Hannah. I recently read two books about it (linking both: The Ayurveda Self Care Handbook by Sarah Kucera and Suhas Kshirsagar and Ayurveda by Sahara Rose Ketabi) and realized a lot of "wellness routines" I already do are rooted in Ayurveda AND I've started to try to incorporate more of these practices into my daily routines.
So for anyone unfamiliar with Ayurveda, its an ancient holistic healing philosophy/ lifestyle with a huge focus on self care, digestion, peace of mind, etc. It began in India and is related to a lot of the philosophy studied in yoga, which I obvi like. There is a lot of stuff about identifying your dosha (body type/ spirit type) and foods that each type of person should eat and so on, which I'm not going to get into - if you want to know more about that side of it I recommend reading one of the books I mentioned above! I'm going to focus on some of these practices and ideas that I liked and how they can be incorporated into your life!
Embracing different energies throughout the day. Ayurveda encourages waking up with the sun, and a long drawn out morning routine (will get into more specifics with this later) followed by exercise. Mid morning is when you get things done and afternoon is when you are creative. I like the idea that we are in different energy cycles throughout the day, and should structure our day to optimize the vibe we have at certain times. However, I think that this looks different for everyone. I personally do have the most energy and willpower to get stuff done in the morning, so I try to optimize my days by being busy in the mornings and winding down as the day goes on. Try to recognize when you feel the most energetic or creative or relaxed naturally during the day, and then try to optimize your day by planning around those energies.
Warm Lemon Water in the Morning. If you're plugged into the health and wellness world at all (which I would assume you are seeing as you're reading this, you've probably heard people preach about this. It's roots are in Ayurveda. A huge part of Ayurveda is promoting healthy digestion, as this is part of cleansing the body of toxins. Warm lemon water in the morning is a good digestive aid, and its a nice way to get a little hydration in the morning. This is something I've been trying to do more lately rather than just immediately trying to inject caffeine straight into my veins (kidding), but seriously it makes you feel good. Have some warm lemon water before your coffee.
Self Massage. This is one that I am trying to begin to incorporate into my routine. It feels good and in Ayurveda is used as a way to simulate lymphatic drainge in the body and reduce bloating. Have you heard of facial manipulation and ice rolling on your face? Super trendy now, I got into it when I got the Hot Mess Ice Roller (I'm obsessed - linking here) and I think it makes my face look less puffy, especially on mornings after I've been drinkning. This is like that but for your whole body. Just use a little coconut oil, or even lotion, and give yourself a massage. This is also just a nice way to show yourself a little love and get more in touch with your body. I did my yoga teacher training during covid, so we talked a lot about doing self assists in yoga poses. I really liked this because I think touch is an important way of connecting and showing love, so why not show a little to yourself?
Dry Brushing. This is another thing that I had heard of prior to reading about Ayurveda that originated with this practice. It also supports lymphatic drainage in the body and is a nice way to exfoliate. I try to do this once a week using a dry brush I ordered from Amazon - linked here. Basically, you just brush it all over your DRY body before showering. I like to do it while I have my bond builder in my hair before I shower.
Living slowly and mindfully. I've been trying to slow down my life a lot to be more present in each moment, because I tend to rush around A LOT and rarely stop and really appreciate life. Ayurveda encourages journaling and meditation. A major part of it is also being mindful around your meals, which optimizes digestion. Sit down with your food and eat slowly. Chew thoroughly and do not multi task while you eat. I promise you, this will leave you feeling more satisfied with what you eat and will help your digestion. Our lifestyles are typically busy, so I know this can be difficult to do, but make the time for it if you can. I find that I am more mindful around food when I am outside, so I've been trying to take my dinner down to the beach when I can, or even just sit in my backyard. If you're alone, put away your phone or computer or whatever. If you're with company, then chat and enjoy their company. I struggle with this the most at work, where I typically eat my lunch at my desk. I have been trying to turn away from my computer at those times, and create a little mental bubble away from this. I think that as Americans we struggle with this more as we are always on the go - especially around lunch and breakfast time. When I studied abroad in Spain, I got used to taking time away from life for meal time which was a nice opportunity to connect with my food, body, and others. Start trying to do this a few times a week and I promise you'll probably like this little window of peace.
Eat for your body. What your body needs is different from what other people's bodies need. Like I said earlier, a major part of Ayurveda is doing things that maximize healthy digestion. So obviously eating is a major part. Ayurveda explains how you should eat according to your dosha - people have different doshas, so different people should eat in different ways. At the core of this idea, is that everybody is different and everybody has a different body. Some people need more food than others. Some people can't eat certain things. Just because something is labeled as "healthy" doesn't mean its going to be right for your body. Don't force yourself to eat something that's "healthy" if it doesn't make you feel good! Overall, just listen to your body! It knows best!
Anyways, those are some of my big take aways from this practice, and I think these things are pretty easy to incorporate into your life. Let me know what you think <3
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