Ayurvedic Practice
Translated simply as ‘knowledge of life’, Ayurveda (a Sanskrit term: Ayur = life, Veda = knowledge) is an ancient Indian holistic philosophy that shows how to live a healthy, wholesome and more fulfilled life by balancing your mind, body and spirit – which you can learn more about in the article here.
Incorporating Ayurveda practices into your routine is a beautiful and healthy way to balance your mind, body and spirit through even the most stressful of times. If you’re unfamiliar with living ayurveda in your life, or how to compliment your own personal dosha needs into your wellness rituals, here is your guide to getting started this year!
What is a Dosha?
According to Ayurveda, doshas are the energy patterns that flow around our bodies, governing our thinking and behavior. There are three primary doshas – vata, pitta and kapha – and we are all born with all three of these qualities. But it’s the dominance of one or two of these doshas that defines who we are and how our health patterns show up throughout our life. To enjoy a balanced mind, body and spirit, our unique dosha constitution needs to be in a state of balance. When we fall out of balance, we are more susceptible to falling ill.
Learn your Dosha by Taking our Dosha Quiz!
Where Should I Start?
Now that you know your dosha, here are the first steps for each dosha to get you through the next month of living a simple, ayurvedic lifestyle with actionable habits and herbal supports.
Vata Dosha Some qualities of vata dosha are cold, dry and irregular. Thus, to balance these qualities you want to incorporate practices that help you stay warm, hydrated and flexible, and grounded in regular routine.
Step 1: Spicy, vibrant ginger is the perfect herb hero for Vata. Warming and stimulating, it brings gentle heat throughout the entire body while encouraging regular digestion and a grounding energy. Enjoy 2-3 cups of Three Ginger tea throughout your day (and especially when you travel!).
Step 2: Stretch several times throughout the day. Vata’s tend to become dry and brittle with too little movement, so take 3-4 small breaks during the day to stretch your body, go for a brisk walk, or enjoy a grounding yoga practice. This keeps your joints flexible and your muscles more relaxed.
Step 3: Vata’s are ruled by air, and have a tendency to feel scattered, ungrounded and have a hard time focusing. They flourish with a solid and predictable routine. Go through your weekly schedule this month and set some “anchoring” activities within your daily schedule. Wake up and go to bed at the same time. Have your meals consistently. Set a focus timer to help get your work done in the afternoons, and schedule in your exercise and movement time.
Pitta Dosha - Some qualities of pitta dosha are hot, fast and irritable. Although pittas are exceptionally productive and focused, they may get out of balance with too much work, not enough sleep, or too much “heat” in their system from a hot climate or spicy foods. Thus, to balance these qualities you don't want to overwhelm yourself with a full schedule, commit to quality sleep, and incorporate environments and foods that help to cool down that hot energy.
Step 1: Look at your work and social calendar this month. Does it look jam packed with not enough time to unwind during the day? Are there two or three things you can remove from your weekly schedule to allow you more time to relax and recharge?
Step 2: Commit to getting 8 hours of quality sleep every night this month. Don’t bring work into bed with you, and turn off your phone while in your sleeping space. Set a bedtime every night, and implement a gentle sleep routine to help your body and mind unwind from the day.
Step 3: Keep your physical body cool if you’re feeling hot and irritable. Enjoy Three Mint tea two or three times throughout the day with cooling herbs like spearmint and peppermint. These aromatic and gently cooling herbs balance your body’s excess heat and calm down firey digestion. You can enjoy this tea at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Kapha Dosha - Some qualities of kapha dosha are cold, slow and moist. They are ruled by the water element, and may have a tendency towards feeling sluggish, lethargic and unmotivated. Thus, to balance these qualities you want to maintain a warm inner spark, stay active and mentally acute, and change up your routine a bit.
Step 1: To keep your circulation moving and your digestive spark strong, enjoy two or three cups of Turmeric Active tea each day. This blend of warming ginger, turmeric and triphala fruits supports your entire digestive tract while making you feel invigorated with a gentle inner glow.
Step 2: Schedule a time every day for movement. Pittas can tend to be inactive for long stretches of time, so make sure to get up and move for at least 20 minutes a day, Take a brisk walk outside, stretch morning, afternoon and evening, or schedule a yoga class two or three times each week to keep your body moving!
Sep 3: Pittas are very routine oriented, often sticking to the exact same daily routines and habits for years at a time. To engage your brain and keep you mental acute, try switching up your routine a bit each week. Can you drive a new way to work, or brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand? Look through your calendar this month and schedule something unique, like visiting a new park, taking a new class, or making a new recipe.