AYURVEDIC LIFESTYLE

by LISABETH FAUBLE

A typical day begins with a morning routine designed to help you feel refreshed, energized and ready to face challenges. Ayurveda recommends waking before the sun, when nature’s energies are light, loving and pure, to ensure a peaceful start to the day.2

You may pray before leaving the bed, drink a glass of room-temperature water, and wash your face, eyes and mouth. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of good oral hygiene and encourages tongue scraping and oilpulling or gargling with sesame or coconut oil.

After showering and putting on clean clothing, Ayurveda suggests applying essential oil to boost mood and energy. Once you are feeling fresh, engage in morning exercise, particularly yoga, followed by a deep breathing session and 15 minutes of meditation.

Few have withstood the test of time as well as the daily practices of Ayurveda, which began more than 3,000 years ago in ancient India.1 Let’s take a look at some of Ayurveda’s daily lifestyle practices and how they may help support the body’s natural healing abilities.

The morning routine ends with a healthy breakfast. An Ayurvedic lifestyle bases diet on your personal mindbody-spirit energies — known as your doshas — and on the seasons — with warmer, more substantial meals for colder months and cold, light dishes for hot weather.3

After completing the morning routine, an Ayurvedic lifestyle continues with various self-care practices designed to enhance physical, mental and emotional balance throughout the day.