Do you know about Ayurveda?

If you’ve never heard of it before, Ayurveda is an ancient system for health which incorporates the mind-body-spirit connection. This practice is all about understanding your body type and its tendencies (your dosha), syncing your body’s rhythms with nature, eating nutritious and seasonal food, and taking great care of yourself by slowing down, meditating, getting restful sleep, and living in tune with your body.

I highly recommend checking out Ayurveda if you’ve never explored it before. Once I discovered it, the more research I’ve done, the more ideas I’ve found that I can incorporate into my daily routines. Some of them are so simple and effective that I could hardly believe I didn’t know about them sooner!

These are a few Ayurvedic principles and practices that I use:

Eating slowly and mindfully to aid digestion.
Eating according to the seasons (knowing which fruits and vegetables to look for, as well as knowing whether warm or cool foods are more appropriate).
Noticing my emotions when I sit down to eat, and understanding that if I am stressed or angry, my digestion is affected.
Drinking warm water with lemon and ginger.
Tongue scraping every morning.
Self-massage with coconut oil after my shower.
Mindful movement during my yoga practice.

A great way to dive in to the world of Ayurveda is to read a book like this one: Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom: A Complete Prescription to Optimize Your Health, Prevent Disease, and Live with Vitality and Joy. The author, Acharya Shunya, is an expert on Ayurvedic practices and offers incredible tips and tricks for how to incorporate these ideas into your life. The book is practical, easy-to-read, and engaging. I love that she gives suggestions on how to heal different ailments and that she includes some awesome recipes!

I also loved this idea, which is shared early in the book... instead of thinking, “You are what you eat,” consider the idea, “You are what you can digest!”

Ayurveda is such a powerful tool for harmonizing the body’s processes, becoming more at peace, and understanding our incredible potential to heal from the inside out.

Of all the books on Ayurveda I’ve found, this is definitely one of my favorites. I highly recommend it!

Photos of me by Kate Donaldson Photography. Other photos (in order) via Harmony HB, The Chopra Center, and Pinterest.