Think Ayurveda, and you may start thinking about herbs and medicinal concoctions used to stave off diseases. Well, true, to a point. But that’s not the sole and whole of Ayurveda. Instead, Ayurveda, first and foremost, is a lifestyle, a way of life. The word Ayurveda in itself can be translated as life science – in effect, Ayurveda is a set of principles to live your life by, not just recipes of herbal concoctions to drive away that cold.
And frankly, when you get down to it, Ayurveda isn’t all that much different from what your grandma told you, or what your mother still yells across. It’s common sense, that’s not so common. So here are 12 Ayurvedic tips to live your life well – tips that give you a healthy body, mind and soul – and probably have you exclaiming, “Darn, I knew that!”
Tip 1: The Early Bird Gets The Worm, The Sun & Some Fresh Air
According to Ayurveda, the best time to get up is at the crack of dawn for this is the freshest and most energized part of the day. The new sun brings about pure energy and basking in the sun’s newborn rays is what gives you the best dose of vitamin D. The air is fresh, at its least polluted. The world is silent and peaceful. So getting up as early as you can (which means you sort of have to get to bed early, too) is a healthy choice to make. This is why your mom pounded on your door every morning. No? Okay, then it was just mine!
Tip 2: A Healthy Gut Means a Healthy Body
A key to living healthy is having a healthy digestion – and this means you watch what you eat, but also make a schedule of eliminating those toxins from your body on a daily basis. Yep, we are talking about poop here. In Ayurveda, the importance of cleansing your bowels is emphasized strongly – and frankly, it is advised to go for your ablutions first thing in the morning so that you can perform any and all exercises on an empty bowel to get the best toxin-free benefits of working out. Remember that this may take some time to get used to, especially if your bowel is not trained to go at specific times. Combat this by taking in high-fiber foods for dinner – more salads, raw veggies, lentils and fruits.
Tip 3: Use This Early Wake-Up Call To Get In Exercise
You’ve gotten up early, dragged yourself out of bed with a strong willpower, are done with your morning cleanse and are outside soaking in the sun. Now what? Put on your sneakers and go for a run, a walk, a bike ride or use the green around you to do a set of Surya Namaskar. Exercise is a key component in Ayurveda; it keeps the body in optimum balance, keeps the weight in check and most importantly – promotes healthy blood circulation, which is vital in eliminating toxins from the body.
Tip 4: Begin Your Intake With Something Sweet
No, we do not mean those glazed donuts or that sinful shake. Once the exercise is done, resist the urge to take in lost calories at your nearest fast-food joint that opens up at 6 in the morning. Instead go home, back to that kitchen, and mix up a glass of honey lemonade – in a glass of warm water, squeeze in at least half a lemon, if not a full one, and add in 1 tbsp of honey. Mix well and drink up. The honey is an anti-bacterial and the lemon will give you a dose of vitamin C – thus eliminating more toxins from your body and keeping you well flushed with disease-preventing agents, too.
Tip 5: Well Begun Is Half Done
A good breakfast is key to a good day. Do start your day with a dose of healthy cereal – oats, quinoa or even simple unsweetened cornflakes. Your daily cup of tea or coffee can follow your breakfast, so that its natural acid is neutralized by the food content in your stomach. Remember to choose seasonal fruits and vegetables, and cook everything healthily – less oil, some herbs, seasonal spices and low on salt.
Tip 6: Hydrate Yourself Through The Day
Remember when your parents kept filling up that glass of yours with water, insisting you have at least 6-8 glasses a day? Well they were prescribing good Ayurveda. An adequate water intake ensures that your digestive and circulatory systems work well, and you flush out those toxins, too.
Tip 7: Make A Schedule, And Stick To It
Having a calm mental equilibrium is also a major part of following an Ayurvedic lifestyle – and to do so, it is good to make a list of things to do in the morning, and try and stick to your list to get all your work done in an unhurried, non-stressful way. This gives you a sense of achievement at the end of the day and also keeps you stress free.
Tip 8: Find Some Me Time To Introspect & Meditate
It’s really not that difficult to find just 10 minutes in a day where you can practice silence, introspection, meditation or perhaps even have a spiritual conversation with your Creator. These 10 minutes in the day, or more if you can manage them, should be used to realign yourself with the universe – to find your place in it, and to find happiness and joy within yourself.
Tip 9: Spend A Little Time Amidst Nature
This could even be when you exercise – being around verdant surroundings is a natural mood lifter and stress buster. Green is a calming color, and being around plants and trees with the trilling of birds centers you and helps you become a calmer, happier person – ready to take on the day-to-day challenges in general.
Tip 10: Remember To Try DIY, Natural Beauty Care
When it comes to skin or hair care, there’s a lot we can do. From using dairy products to moisturize, oil to massage or even plants like Aloe Vera and turmeric – there’s a lot of beauty from the kitchens and gardens that we can make on our own and incorporate in to our daily lives. If you don’t have time to make your own, make sure to buy as organic as possible when purchasing beauty products, including makeup. Check out the best vitamins for beauty, as well as these toxins to avoid in your makeup.
Tip 11: Sleep For At Least Seven Hours Everyday
Ayurveda stresses on getting enough sleep in a day – letting your body and mind rest for those hours at night is crucial to both physical and mental health. Not sleeping well or not sleeping enough will only cause your body to slow down and be immune deficient and your brain to become sluggish and slow to react, ultimately increasing stress and related disorders.
Tip 12: Rejuvenate With A Glass Of Warm Milk
Sometimes even if we do want to sleep, our minds or bodies cannot find that equilibrium needed to relax enough to fall asleep. Ayurveda says, as do most grandmas, to take in a glass of milk boiled with just a pinch of cardamom. The milk, along with the cardamom, will soothe and lull you into a state of relaxation, needed to fall asleep.
So that’s it – 12 rather easy things to do on an everyday basis that you may have known about, but not known that it was Ayurvedic in origin. We hope this helps you, even if just a little, to be a little healthier on the inside and out.
Do write in to us with your favorite daily Ayurvedic routines! Namaste!
