The body, like everything else in life,
is a mirror of your inner thoughts & beliefs.
Every cell responds to every single
thought you think & every word you speak.
I listen to my bodys messages with
love & respect.
So at the moment I can't claim to be an expert in all things Ayurveda, but I wanted to take some time today to explain my understanding of Ayurveda and how I apply it in my life. As the quote above says I believe, and the ancient sages of Ayurveda knew, that every thought we have, every breath we take, every bit of nutrition we take into our body, everything we watch and everything we listen to has a direct immediate, and most times, lasting affect on our body. You can see this response when someone elicits a "fight or flight" reaction. When your body senses danger it immediately begins rallying the troops to get you out of the dangerous situation. It increases your heart rate, dilates your pupils and decreases your reaction time compared to a restful state. It releases chemicals into your blood stream that helps your body know that it is ready for whatever is coming your way. It also takes this opportunity to slow down your digestion and if you were a woman in labor it might also slow down your progression because your body knows that any time where you may need to fight or flee is no time to have a baby or use the restroom.
In David Eagleman's "Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain", he describes new research that suggests that when we view violence our body believes that it is under attack and will react in much the same way, releasing the same chemical messengers, as someone who is actually in a dangerous situation. They studied monkeys that were eating bananas and monkeys that were simply watching another monkey eat a banana. In both instances the same area of the brain "lit up" with activity. The same could be applied to watching something that brings you joy. How many times have you found yourself smiling at the TV? After an uplifting program, how often have you walked away feeling happier than when you started the program?
There is a quote that I have been trying to find for several days. The essence of the quote is that every bite we take sends information to your body. You consume the DNA of what you eat and within that DNA is information that will either nourish and protect your body or hurt it. I will post it here when I find it because it says it so much better than I just described, but the message is still the same.
Ayurveda describes three main body types or doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Knowing what doshas are present in your body will help you decide how to balance your life. The sages suggest particular routines to follow, what diseases or "dis ease" may come into your life if your dosha is not balanced and how to live life in tune with your natural body type. There are several quiz's online to discover your dosha, but the one from the Chopra Center is one of my favorite. Most people aren't just one dosha, but when you find yourself in a state of "dis ease" you should focus on your primary dosha and make sure that it is in balance. Here is the link to the dosha quiz. http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/ At the end of the quiz you will also get additional information regarding your dosha type.
All dosha types benefit from routine, but the amount of sleep needed or optimal "wake up" time varies by dosha. My morning routine, when I am doing EVERYTHING that I know will make me happy, looks something like this:
5:00 am Wake up, wash my face, brush my teeth, use the restroom (probably a bit TMI, but Ayurveda talks a LOT about digestion).
5:15-5:45 Practice Yoga, salutation to the sun.
5:45-6:00 Preform Abhyanga. (Using warm oil, give a quick massage to your entire body. I usually do this in the shower to avoid getting oil everywhere. Vata types should use sesame oil. Pitta should use sunflower or coconut oil. This made me smile because my youngest is pitta through and through. Recently we took her to a doctor for eczema and he said that new research was showing that the use of sunflower oil is really beneficial for eczema. Kapha should use sunflower or mustard oil.) It is a head to toe massage, here is a link to how to perform the massage. http://archive.chopra.com/abhy
6:00-6:15 Shower. Ayurveda suggests leaving the oil on throughout the day, but that isn't something that I have been able to do yet.
6:15 Wake up the rest of the family and make breakfast. Vata types do well with a warm porridge type breakfasts, again there is a HUGE list of things that will balance the different dosha's, but I have found that if I listen to what my body wants I usually come away with something that is on the list, which always makes me smile.
7:30 After the kids are off to school I walk the dog and meditate.
Ayurveda suggests a slow walk after eating to aid in digestion. I've found that it also helps elevate and maintain my mood throughout the day. They also suggest a few more elements to build into your morning routine, but I haven't quite figured out how to fit them in and haven't discovered their benefits yet. I'm still learning.
This is just the very surface of what Ayurveda is. If you want to learn more I suggest the book "Perfect Health" by Deepak Chopra. It dives into the science behind an Ayurvedic lifestyle and the mind body connection. It also has a pretty complete list of things to bring balance back into your life.
I hope you enjoyed a little taste of what my life with Ayurveda looks like. I hope to expand my knowledge and practice of an Ayurvedic lifestyle within the coming months and years. I promise to share anything new that I learn or any tips that I come up with to help our western way of thinking and lifestyle fuse with this eastern way of health.
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