Keeping the doshas balanced during and after long airplane flights can be tricky, as we sit in tightly packed and poorly ventilated, cold and dry spaces for extended periods, moving through space. This can aggravate our Vata dosha made up of the air and space elements that are also cold, dry, rough, mobile and erratic; inviting insomnia, dehydration, constipation, tiredness and jet lag into our lives.
The ayurvedic way can be useful in rebalancing this, making travelling easier on both the mind and body. Here are some travel ideas from a recent trip with a long flight to and from Sri Lanka to Melbourne.
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So many people around the world today feel tired and stressed from busy days and lives. While we might think that getting more sleep is the solution, true rest involves more than just sleep.
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The Yogic prayer before eating, sometimes referred to as "Brahmarpranam” is a practice that acknowledges the interconnectedness of all beings. By expressing gratitude for the food, it helps to mindfully practice the process of eating - and creates an awareness of the energy and effort that has gone towards to bringing sustenance and meals to the table.
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Here is a sample menu for a 3 day cleanse, that I usually follow and also recommend to others….
Read MoreKeeping the doshas balanced during and after long airplane flights can be tricky, as we sit in tightly packed and poorly ventilated, cold and dry spaces for extended periods, moving through space. This can aggravate our Vata dosha made up of the air and space elements that are also cold, dry, rough, mobile and erratic; inviting insomnia, dehydration, constipation, tiredness and jet lag into our lives.
The ayurvedic way can be useful in rebalancing this, making travelling easier on both the mind and body. Here are some travel ideas from a recent trip with a long flight to and from Sri Lanka to Melbourne.
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According to the Hatha yoga pradipika, Surya bhedi pranayama or right nostril breathing is one of the most beneficial pranayama (breath work) techniques in activating and energising the body. In Ayurveda too, this pranayama technique is used to dispel a kapha vitiation leading to lethargy, sluggishness, low energy, low motivation and a feeling of dullness.
The focus of this pranayama technique is to activate the surya or ‘sun’ element in your body, via the right nostril and ‘Pingala’ nadi which aligns with the vitality of the sun.
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Alternate nostril breathing (From Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati)
These techniques have a calming effect and relieve anxiety, improves concentration and stimulates ajna chakra. The ratio 1:1 in stage 1 establishes a calming rhythm for the brain and heart, assisting people with cardiovascular and nervous disorders specifically, and stress-related conditions generally. As the count is extended, the breath slows down. The respiration becomes more efficient because the air flow is smoother and less turbulent. This ratio helps people with respiratory problems such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis.
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Kapha aggravations can impact the health of the kidneys, lungs, mucus membranes, bladder, fluid content. It can lead to swellings, heaviness and accumulations of mucus in the body. It increased by the salty, sour and sweet tastes e.g. salt, citrus fruits and refined sugars. Kapha is decreased by pungent, bitter and astringent tastes (e.g. turmeric, bitter green, black tea, ginger).
Here is a sample meal plan, herbs and spices to consider in winter months.
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Ayurvedic wisdom places a significant focus on the connection between nature’s seasons and the doshic balance within us. Staying mindful of the time of year and adjusting your routine can help to keep imbalances at bay.
The key is proactively managing the elemental balance that fluctuates in each season. For instance, pitta dosha increases in late spring as the weather warms up and we start to approach summer season, so you’d incorporate more cooling foods and lifestyle practices. Similarly, while we might have been managing vata dosha through early to mid autumn, we’d now slowly shift gears as the weather becomes cooler, wetter and more earthy at the end of Autumn nearing the approach of winter in Australia next month (June).
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On my most recent trip to Sri Lanka I attended one of my mum’s yoga classes and learned this fantastic asana to help activate the ajna chakra, which is located between the eyebrows and is indigo in colour.
It governs insight, intuition and the function of brain, ears, eyes and the hypothalamus, which works with the pituitary gland to secrete and regulate a number of hormones. When it is at its full potential you are more able to stay calm under pressure, think more clearly and decisively, become more self aware and able to tap into your gut voice and intuition. It brings deep calm and steadiness.
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Experience powerful Sri Lankan Ayurvedic herbal steam inhalation therapy and a massage / release of key marma points along with heat therapy to help you loosen the congestion and heaviness of hay fever and blocked sinuses.
Suitable for both seasonal as well as chronic conditions.
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Amalaki (Amla) or Indian Gooseberry is a great natural source of vitamin C and one of the 3 fruits used to produce the highly revered ‘triphala’ formulation. Amla helps to manage excess pitta in the body, supporting the natural functions of the liver and the immune system
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Amla oil or churna made into a hair pack is especially good at alleviating hair loss and early greyness. It is a renowned rejuvenative and adaptogen for slowing age (vayahsthapana), increasing virility, promoting immunity and inducing balanced health (satmikarana).
'When ojas is low the person is fearful, weak, worried, has deranged senses, poor complexion, weak mind, is rough and thin’ (Caraka Samhita Sutrasthana 17.73). However, a person with healthy ojas is calm, content & peaceful within, has strong immunity, digestion, potent fertility and endurance. There is a sparkle in the eye and a special ‘glow’ around them.
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When discussing wellness habits and routines, you might often have heard of this suggestion to wake up peacefully, without checking phones, socials, emails, calendars. Quite often a part of the 'programming' in modern life will be to reach for a device, sometimes with eyes still half closed. Without giving our psyche, energy, minds, selves a chance to recalibrate to the waking state from the dream state.
We might carry on then, overtly or subtly impacted by what we see - the ticking over our to-do lists of having to be somewhere, do the next thing; the inward groan or twinge of being reminded of something you'd rather forget... the list is endless!
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Hay fever has been particularly tricky to manage in the last few weeks and we have been helping out with advice and how to’s on using the Ayurvedic / yogic approach to finding relief using a natural approach over pharmaceuticals.
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Snapshots of our Spring Wellness Day 2019!
This day was designed to coincide with the Spring Equinox (today!) and provided a space to experience the cleansing and pausing between seasons preceding a Spring routine
We started with stimulating the thymus for immunity and then practiced invigorating and flowing asana (including lots of khatu pranam from the Yoga in Daily Life System) and pranayama, followed by a yummy, nourishing Spring friendly lunch and bliss balls for snacks, magnesium foot soaks and cleansing golden turmeric teas, healing massages, time for reflection and an uplifting yoga nidra
At various points in our lives we are all faced with moments of uncertainty. Here, we often fret, fight, resist, panic, lose our power in the battle for control and guarantees. Most of us can relate to one or all of these sentiments… I want this new possession / status / growth. I need this idea to work faster. I wish he / she / they would (…your intent goes here). I want this cycle to end.
The truth is that trying to deny or fight the reality of a situation is like fighting a rip tide. The harder you push the more it resists, and the more agitated you get. There are the rare few that seem to have life come easy, seem to be ok with anything, and are rewarded with the sweetness of their desires coming true. What are they doing differently?
Learning to read and align with the reality of your circumstance, understanding yourself and the web of universal timing using pausing and reflection can help you find not just the sweet spot but also help you ride life in a way that opens up a universe of possibilities so that the world really does become your oyster with or without your need/wish/desire going the way you initially expected.
Here are a few guidelines that may help…
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We had a lovely little session exploring the link between kindness, mindfulness and well-being in the CBD last evening for this group of busy wellness seekers
Lots of practical breathing and meditation techniques and exploring anecdotes of how we can bring about a more healthy inner dialog through practice of ahimsa and mindful release of tension. Everyone left feeling light, clear and calm. Bliss!
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The way we breathe is strongly linked to the way we feel. When relaxed, we breathe slowly, and when anxious we breathe more quickly.
When we inhale we take in oxygen (O2), creating a waste product carbon dioxide (CO2) when we breathe out. With relaxed breathing, the levels of O2 and CO2 we produce are balanced, allowing us to function efficiently. Exercise too leads to an increase in breathing rate to take in more O2 to fuel the muscles, thereby producing more CO2 being expelled, and the O2/CO2 levels are balanced. However, when we are anxious our breathing rate increases and this same process applies but our bodies are not working any harder ie we are not necessarily exercising and not using up any extra O2 and thus the CO2 level in blood concentration drops, creating a state of alkalosis. This is why we feel light-headed, tingly, clammy and sweaty.